Just posted this recipe over at the Four Seasons Cafe!

Congo Bars!

I made a booboo on Breanna's goal! Her web page for Relay for Life (in the post from yesterday) said that she was supposed to reach $100, but her Team Captain told her that this year's goal for each team member is $350. I wasn't aware that was the case, and Breanna wasn't aware I posted it here! (She was very surprised and very grateful, btw, and eventually she'll figure out how to change that posted goal…)

Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who donated! Whether you've lost someone to cancer personally or just want to help the American Cancer Society, we sincerely thank you for your generosity.

The beauty of spring never ceases to amaze me.

On a chilly, sunny morning last week, I stepped outside and teased Sabrina about all of the "snow" on the lawn. She was relieved to see that I was referring to the petals that had fallen to the ground, although a snowfall this late in the spring would hardly surprise any of us Nebraskans.

When I returned home from taking her to school, I decided to take some photos of the grass and the beautiful, fragrant tree in our front yard. (My apologies ahead of time to my husband, Mike, whose photo does not appear in the following lineup.) I loved the contrast of the green and white…

Yes, I actually got down on the ground and took that photo, hoping with all my heart that none of my neighbors would come outside.

Then I stood up and decided to take some pictures of the blooms left clustered in the tree, before they lost their grip on their branches, following the others to the ground…

There were millions of them!

I got a little closer…

And closer…

And closer still…

If only there were such a thing as garden faeries!

I decided to head out back, since that's where the sun shines brightest in the mornings. The lilacs were stunning… and next to lavender, they're my favorite scent…

A visitor…

This was me, collecting the lilacs for the basket in the banner on Four Seasons Cafe…

I actually loved that top photo, and used it as my desktop background. Sophie thought the flowers looked scary, and didn't like it very well.

I stopped to look at my flowering almond, which had finally died. I used to get so mad at our dog Chase, who would chew it down to the ground every fall, and every spring it would grow into the most beautiful shrub. She wasn't here last fall to chew it down, and it didn't come back this year. All that it could muster was this tiny reminder of what used to be…

I think I'll plant another one of these shrubs this year, bc I really miss all those tiny pink flowers. I wonder if I stuck little hot dog pieces on the branches, would Friday would chew it down for me in the fall?

Well, I may not have a flowering almond any more, but I do have one thing…

My very own garden faerie! ;) 

Happy May Day!