Right Now- April recap

 RIGHT NOW...

I'm listening to the morning chatter of the northern cardinals (or so says my Merlin bird call app) here at Blue Springs Park on the outskirts of Kansas City.  

In the past- opening my monthly recap with a "I'm listening" prompt  is a way to ground my thoughts and look back on the month that was.   For it seems- the older I get- the more the days all seem to run together.

But this month- the memories are as vivid as the photos on my camera roll!   The tricky part will be trying to pare it all down and share a few highlights.

I'm loving that everything unfolded just as I imagined it would...

The Easter dinner turned out delicious...

 Our houseguest, Pinky was a delight

*Owen the cat may beg to differ...

And finally- I'm loving that 

 the true highlight of the month- 

a river cruise in the Netherlands

proved to be as bucket-worthy as my bestie and I imagined!

*minus castles on the hillside..

We laughed saying that the river cruising itself was nothing like those PBS Viking ads..

Not a single hillside or castle in sight...

Yes- gentle readers- I went gallivanting across the pond without the Mr.- and lived to tell the tale!

It all started about 9 months ago- when visiting with my very well traveled friend, SusieQ.   I asked if there was anywhere she still had on her bucket list- and she mentioned she'd always imagined taking a river cruise.

Well- as you know- I am THAT person- who takes off running with such an idea and soon we had met, teased out the details and found ourselves booked on an itinerary the folks at Viking have aptly named "Tulips and Windmills".

And yes...

There were  fields of tulips

to which of course..

I tried to tip toe my way through..

With a windmill photo stop

*because ya know- bus tours were involved to get to those lovely tulip fields

But this windmill would just 

be the warm up act...

As our itinerary included a stop at 

Kinderdijk- a UNESCO site that features 17+ windmills

some dating back to the 1600s

Absolutely worth the cost of admission*

(which with Viking- it's all bundled into your cruise fare!)

And as for tulips...

We'd enjoy the spring blooms throughout our travels..

But the featured attraction was a visit to 

The Keukenhof gardens...

In English- that translates to the kitchen garden.  What started back in the 15th century as the garden for the nearby castle- these days it is home to what many consider one of the world's largest flower gardens- covering nearly 80 acres and features some 7 million flower bulbs.

Not gonna lie...

at times it was more beauty than the eye could take in..

I found myself pausing..thinking that 

Emily Dickinson was right when she wrote

that happiness is a field of tulips

each petal 

a burst of joy

in the garden of life!

Until next time..

May you have a chance to don 

 some sturdy shoes..

and a hearty appetite..

And set off on an adventure..

filled with some art

some seaside views

maybe even learn about some 

engineering marvels

share a good laugh..

and - make some new friends..

while being thankful 

for having a friend as easy to travel with as 

SusieQ

Right now- March recap

 RIGHT NOW

I'm listening to the voices in my head saying...put the coffee mug down, step away from the 'gram and let's get this day started.   

As I sit here, reflecting on the past month- I can appreciate how time flies even when there does not appear to be  big things going on.   March indeed was a month that on first glance was nothing to write home-or blog-about.  

There was some snow that needed to be shoveled..

for the record- this was the start of what would end up being about 8 inches of much needed heavy moisture

And a body that got exercised...

for I was not about to let a little tumble...

throw me off my fitness game..

And even after my stumble- I got right back out there to 

soak in the sights of spring- right here in the neighborhood!

I hosted a birthday celebration...

with the guest of honor asking that we complete a service project in lieu of gifts

24 "Birthdays in a Box" were delivered to a local food pantry...

with yes-a few life lessons learned from it all- you'll need to pour me a whiskey for me to spill all that tea!

I tried my hand at Mahjong...

and even won a round...

Jury is still out if this is my jam...

again, more whiskey required to spill the tea

There were books to be bought-

yes, if you ever wonder how B&N stays in business...

may I introduce you to their number one customer-Thing 1?

And naps to be had...

Until next time..

May you always remember...

The little things...the little moments...

they aren't little! 

Right now- February recap

 RIGHT NOW...

I'm listening to an audio book called "The Lies they told" by Ellen Marie Wiseman.

Set in the late 1920s-and spans over 20 years- it is the story of a young German immigrant and her daughter as they navigate life in rural Virginia during the rising eugenics movement.   Many things struck a cord with me- from the hospital where the forced sterilizations took place to the harsh reminder that as tragic as today's headlines may feel- this anger towards our fellow citizens is in fact...nothing new.   

So even though this  story is a sad one-  I do find that putting on a good audio book- takes me away from the constant noise that is the world today...and for that I am grateful.  

I'm loving that we finally got some snow! 

Now granted- I can't say I loved shoveling the 8+ inches that we ended up getting- I was very grateful for the precipitation that our state so desperately needs if we want to put up any defense against spring/summer fire dangers.

I am also loving that this snow came right after we got Thing 2 and all her life's treasures-safely shipped off to Philadelphia.

Trust me when I say this was a month long process...

First she packed..

then she staged..

and before we knew it- the truck had arrived to haul her

stuff across country.

And while Owen is still unsure of  this change...

We know...

That this girl is ready to 

spread her wings and fly!

I'm feeling encouraged that this month gave me the opportunity to 

connect with friends..

Whether for laughs...

or to express our condolences 

for when we connect with others

we become better people

Until next time...

Don't forget to soak in the sun that shines on your day!