April flowers

After a long, long, long winter, it is wonderful to see the flowers of April.

Not really any flowers in this view but it's a lovely April 12 morning by the Sheboygan River in Kohler, Wisconsin. There were scilla nearby in bloom. I loved seeing the mist rise off the river and no snow in sight.

Bleeding hearts in front of my house on April 23.

Daffodils on the side of my house on April 23.



I love the combination of the white daffodils and early red tulips.




Grace United Methodist Church - Easter 



He is risen. He is risen indeed!

Friends and Gems

A couple of weekends ago, my friends and I visited the Lazzadro Museum of Lapidary Arts in Elmhurst, Illinois. It's located on the south end of the Elmhurst College campus. It's a lovely small museum with wonderful Chinese jade vases and tons of other pieces. There is also several educational displays of mineral samples. There was a special exhibit on flourite - which was mined in southern Illinois - such beautiful crystals.  One can spend an hour or so at this museaum viewing the beautiful works of art. There were also lots of opportunities to buy at the museum gift shop. Both adults and children will enjoy this place. As we viewed many of the intricately carved pieces, we marveled at the incredible amount of time that craftspersons now long dead spent creating these works of art. The patience and skill still is evident centuries later.

We took a couple of photos in front of the museum.  The first one is with KC and Diane. The second is with KC and me. Check the museum website for more info - it's well worth visiting!

Alex and Me

A couple of Christmases ago, I dragged my family out to see "Marley and Me". Somehow I hadn't heard about the part where the last half of the movie is spent watching the beloved Marley die. As we drove home after the show, a voice from the backseat said, "Thanks, Mom, for ruining my Christmas."

Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is just part of the deal of pet ownership, but is never easy. Alex DaBulls Hickok had a great run of 15 1/2 years. He was always rambunctous even in his advanced years. We gave up wondering when he was going to settle down sometime after his 12th year. It just wasn't going to happen. Last Saturday, he breathed his last. He was a good dog, even when he was bad. A wonderful and loyal companion who always had time for treats and chasing squirrels. Although I miss him so much, I am grateful that he was part of our family.

Here are a couple of photos of Al. The first was taken around New Years and shows Al sniffing around Lisa's snow dog. The second was taken 2 weeks ago.