This Is Not My Salad Bowl
This is not my salad bowl but it is an antique tea cup saucer I bought at the John Larson House Museum in McFarland, WI. I am glad I did not find a Virginia Ctenucha Caterpillar in my salad bowl!
Instead, I found Ms Pilla yesterday on Tower Road when I was out for my morning constitutional.
I was striding along vigorously, listening to the book Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman and enjoying it immensely. I do not understand how I managed to look down at the pavement at the precise moment I needed to in order to see Ms Pilla struggling to crawl along the road. Yet, some how I spotted this little creature and I was amazed. How often does one see a caterpillar out and about when it is 31 degrees in February in Wisconsin?!?!?
Here is Ms Pilla on a quarter in the little antique tea cup saucer so you can get an idea of her size.
I love to put critters in and on my antique china to show them off. Both the critter and the china. So as soon as I got Ms Pilla home we had a photo session.
Look at her amazing face. Big catch lights though I am not sure what they are catching in. I read that "caterpillars have six pairs of simple eyes located in two clusters of six eyes on the sides of the larva's head".
She has an impressive mane and a row of somethings below her face.
She spent some time exploring the antique tea cup saucer and my focus spot followed her around.
Here she is showing off the long hairs on both ends!
She seemed to need a shower for she had a lot of dandruff.
Photo session finished, I tried to feed her lettuce and give her water.
Like so many amazing creatures she probably has a specific diet that I could not provide in the dead of winter even if I knew what it should be.
I made my own dinner salad with lettuce, pecans, blue cheese, and cranberries. No caterpillar fillers!
How ever long little Ms Pilla survives she will have a place of honor in my photo archives.
Neighborhood Frog Day
When I was a child my sister would gather the neighborhood children to put on a play, or we would gather around my father and he would tell us a Laughing Man story, or we would all hang out at Black Bridge to climb around and have fun.
This week the children in my neighborhood had a Neighborhood Frog Day. We have a lovely neighbor across the street by the name of Sandy. She has an amazing culvert under her driveway where all the beautiful frogs live.
If you have the knack, as these three girls do, you can catch frog after frog after frog.
Not just one frog, not just two frogs, but TEN frogs!
Little Bennett was absolutely thrilled with the process. Here is the evidence...
Hahaha! Lily and Bennett are still holding and petting a frog who, as you can see, went for a flight!
Bennett needed his nap...
...so he said good bye. The girls decided to share some Frog Love with the neighborhood.
First stop...the Riemens.
Here the entrepreneur spirit blossomed. Allow your neighbor to rent a small sized frog at $15.00 per hour.
There was some opposition to this "scheme" from various corners of the universe. Instead the neighborhood children went from door to door to get signatures of friends who wanted to view their frogs. First stop, Webers...
Here, the Webers house talked to the Frog Peddlers but no one was home. Next stop, Mia and Laken...
No one home...next stop, Johnathan and Gavin...
Yay! Mr. Mike was home to give his Frog Lover's signature but alas, no boys. It is hard work peddling frogs around the neighborhood to get Frog Lover signatures! Time for some fortifying tea and scones or in this case, tea and bagels.
Before all the frogs figured out how to escape all over the house...
we had to get in a Froggy Fotoshoot!
You get the idea. Now back to Sandy's culvert to let all ten frogs have a rest from the day's excursions.
The end of a very successful Neighborhood Frog Day.
Thirteen or so years ago, my son Aaron was writing quite a bit of poetry. One of my current projects is to join his words with my photography.
This poem is about writing words versus writing music. Aaron is an accomplished pianist and tried his hand at writing music. He even entered one piece in a competition, but the judge was not particularly complimentary.
Thanks to Jane Licht and the McFarland Historical Society, https://www.mcfarlandhistorical.org/larson-house-museum/, I have access to the Larson House Museum as a backdrop for my photos.
Aaron and I arrived at the Larson House with my my ladder, my bag full of lenses, several light sources, our slippers, and my tripod...bags draping all over the place. As we arrived I said to Aaron, "I just hope I haven't forgotten anything important!" How unlucky to say such a thing...After an extra 15 minutes to run home and get MY CAMERA we finally got started!
Enjoy the poem, the photos and the out takes.
Guess I'll stick With Writing
by Aaron Finley
photography by Sue Finley
calligraphy by Masha Finley
The room sits empty, quiet, and cold,
Packed hollow with scratched out rests and holds.
Music's fire snuffed out with ink and page
But words, full and noisy burn and rage
Or whisper to me soft and sweetly.
Why do they only hear and greet me?
Words also have their dissonant sounds
And many a phrase may sound out flat,
But better that than nothing written-
Than unturned staff sheets and half-penned rounds.
All crafts their artists have to toil at
To sound what on their heart has bitten.
My tunes, apparently, are better
When I arrange with word and letter.
Out Takes...
The calligraphy artist
The pipe
The dimple
The idea
The mouth
The drama
The End
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Our friends live part of the year in Arizona. They occasionally invite us to visit them which enables us to escape a bit of the Wisconsin winter. This year we spent a delightful week in February enjoying the warmth and diversions that Arizona and our hosts had to offer.
Visiting the area where the wild horses hang out is one of the diversions our friends had in store for us. We parked along the road and walked into the the scrubby desert brush. What a treat! There were wild horses all around. We could see them in the distance.
They were grazing with their backs to us. They seemed to keep a comfortable distance from the frequent human visitors. If I moved closer they trotted further into the brush.
I moved closer and got flipped off by a tail!
Haven't we all heard of the "Horse Whisperer"? Well, I decided to try to be the Horse Whisperer myself. How hard can it be? You see a horse and you whisper to it.
I started talking softly and smoothly, such a sweet, sweet whisper, and slowly moved closer...
I got the evil eye! But I didn't give up. Soon my soft, smooth talk began to pay off.
This little guy looked at me over his shoulder and didn't move away...more soft, gentle babble...
I came a little closer all the while whispering my version of gentle horse talk...closer...
This horse gave me a bit of a mane slap but didn't walk away.
Closer and closer I came while whispering gently...
No longer just horse backsides, but horse faces looking at me!
They let me get so close. But I began to feel sort of silly when I noticed that one of the horses was whispering and eyeing me.
I whispered, he whispered. Was he mocking me? He whispered not to me, no. He whispered to his buddy...
So there you go! I thought I was so clever to whip up imaginary horse whispering skills. When the next thing I knew the horses were walking away whispering and chuckling and I again saw nothing but their backsides as they disappeared into the desert brush.
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I am not happy in the kitchen. The relentless grind of meal planning, grocery shopping, food prep, kitchen clean up....ugh. When I begin to cook a planned meal I frequently find I have somehow come home from the grocery store without the key ingredient. Example: we are having hot dogs and grapes. What! What! No, no, no! Are you telling me I went grocery shopping and got everything but the hot dogs?!?! And so it goes, week after week, month after month, even year after year.
When I am working in the kitchen the corners of my mouth tend to slide down dramatically and my chin is a bit rumpled. I never use "language", but I can be heard mumbling and sighing to myself in unpleasant tones while a complicated and intricate pile of mess envelops every inch of counter space.
Recently, I decided to photograph a meal. I came home from the grocery store with everything I needed except fennel for the salad (and only because I could not find any). I prepared the food and set up our empty nest meal in front of the fireplace, thus briefly escaping the intricate pile of mess. The fire felt wonderful with the outside temperature at only 10 degrees.
The intricate pile of mess still awaits me as I type, but you can enjoy the cozy setting, food photos, and the recipes.
Winter Salad
12 kale leaves
1/2 cup fennel, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
(I added crumbled feta cheese)
2 Tbsp oil-based salad dressing (I used Marie's Balsamic Vinaigrette)
Wash and dry the kale. Remove the stems and chop the kale into a very fine texture.
Slice fennel and red onion and add arils to salad.
Pour in dressing and stir all ingredients together and serve.
20-Minute White Chile
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lbs ground turkey
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-oz) can stewed tomatoes (I use diced basil, garlic and oregano tomatoes)
1/3 cup Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-oz) can corn, drained (I leave this out.)
Cook and stir onions and garlic in oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until tender. Add turkey, cook until done, stirring occasionally to break up the meat. Drain. Stir in the chicken broth tomatoes, mustard, chili powder and pepper. Heat to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Yields 6 servings.
Beverage of choice. I chose a glass of water iced with frozen grapes.
Then cozy up to the fire, enjoy, and keep warm.
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Today is Valentine's Day and the sun is shining, but there is a bite to the howling wind. Fortunately my Valentine and I had our Valentine's Day outing yesterday. We checked out the Edgewater Hotel's new skating rink. (http://theedgewater.com/meetings/our-venues/the-ice-rink/ )
We had a sweet visit with Curtis Diller at his Kilwin's Chocolate Shop on State St. https://www.kilwins.com/ Amazing treats! We each had a chocolate covered strawberry. Drool!
We enjoyed some of the inspiring old houses on our walk back to the car...
...and then dined at our favorite restaurant, Imperial Gardens East. http://imperialgardenmadison.com/
We finished off the evening with an awesome movie from RedBox, The 100 Foot Journey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hundred-Foot_Journey_%28film%29.
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!
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For a moment in time God lowered down a huge pane of cracked glass and placed it on Lake Waubesa. I have never seen anything quite like it; so glassy that it looked wet. But no, it was just the shiny, reflective surface on a lake covered in hard, cold, cracked glass. I spent the afternoon skating around, meeting people, taking photos, and enjoying the novelty of it.
First I met this delightful family out for a stroll on the ice with their twin baby girls. Amazingly they stayed upright the whole time!
Then I met Ernie, Iris, Bea, and Luna. They moved to our neighborhood a few months ago from the deep South. They are getting used to the frozen lake idea.
They weren't always successful in staying upright but they had a grand time playing fetch with Luna. It didn't take Luna long to get her ice legs.
Some lovely young ladies stopped by to skate.
When Mark joined me we headed out across the lake to pester the ice fishing community. We pulled my camera in a sled. I didn't dare risk falling on my face and crushing my camera! I did manage to stay upright except when I lay on the ice to get a shot.
And pester we/I did. The fishermen we talked to were very gracious and gave me permission to photograph them and include them in my blog. Thanks guys!
As we headed home I shouted at these two groups of hockey players to line up well spaced including their dogs so that I could get the photos I wanted. Surprisingly all twelve of them said, "Sure!" ;O> Aren't they awesome, cooperative guys with hockey sticks and dogs?!?
Here is the Father Lode of cracks!
In the evening we were graced with the company of our niece, Carrie, our sister-in-law, Linda, and their friend, Kelsey for a sunset skate.
The next morning the moment in time had passed. The lake was covered with a layer of snow and now our Cracked Glass is just a sweet memory!
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Photography has been a lovely way for me to get to know my neighbors and it gives me something to talk about (gasp) should I need to. If you are having an outdoor wedding (see http://thcphotography.zenfolio.com/blog/2013/7/paparazzi-neighbor-i-think-not Paparazzo Neighbor? I think not!) or a birthday party, as in this case, I might be quietly taking photos from my little corner of the world and share them with you later.
Here are some photos from an awesome birthday party held a couple doors down from us. I do actually already know these neighbors because they have two of the cutest little girls I have ever met. These girls are not shy, by the way, and that makes me very happy.
We do not have wings to "Fly!", but it doesn't matter if you have Robert and Ryan Cook...
of http://www.madcityflyboards.com on the scene! Take a look at this... and... take off!
A little flipping.
A few dance moves.
A few cheers...
...and a few antics from the sidelines.
The wild wind was not a deterrent.
Way to go guys! And Happy Birthday, neighbor!
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While picking some rhubarb for my mother a little green frog hopped out from under a giant leaf. I named him Oliver. Oliver turned out to be a Grey Tree Frog though he looked remarkably green to me. His tiny, delicate, suction cup toes were a marvel to behold. He posed handsomely for me as I shot photos of him all over the yard. It can be hard to get a variety of facial expressions during a photo shoot and indeed I did not succeed with Oliver. But at least his one expression was a pleasant smile. I hope you enjoy these images of Oliver. After this delightful photo session he disappeared back under a giant rhubarb leaf.
Gotta love Oliver and his delicate little toes!
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Okay Granny! What's first?
Well, we gather our ingredients...cake mix, lemon pudding, vegie oil, lemon-lime soda, powdered sugar, lemon juice and peeps.
Assemble the ingredients in the mixer...
...and inspect.
Scrape down the beater...
and lick.
Spread the batter in the prepared 9x13 cake pan.
Add raspberries...and...eat a few.
Place in oven and voila! Or almost... Here's the thing, this recipe didn't call for eggs! Which is why the little pink bonneted cherub could safely lick the beater. But after baking the cake, seeing the results, and checking the recipe once again, lo and behold, NOW the silly recipe claims that three eggs ARE required! So, while the little pink bonneted cherub and her grandpa were at the park, another cake (this time with three eggs included)...
...appeared on the counter.
It was even covered with a lovely lemon glaze.
Easter Sunday it was festively dressed up. (Note the cupcakes in the background.)
Raspberry Lemon Easter Cake anyone?
Now for the 'bit of bacon' part: Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes! (Have you ever heard of such a thing?)
But first the cupcake photo...
...and what happens to the soul who eats them!!
Recipes:
Glazed Lemon Raspberry Cake
1 pkg white cake mix
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix
¾ C vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 C lemon-lime soda
fresh raspberries
1 C confectioners’ sugar
2 T lemon juice
In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, oil and eggs; beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually beat in soda. Pour into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish.
Place raspberries on top and press into batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.
Combine confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth; carefully spread over warm cake. Cool on a wire rack.
Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes
12 slices bacon, 8 crumbled, 4 saved for garnish
2 C all-purpose flour
¾ C plus 1 T unsweetened cocoa pwd
2 C white sugar
2 t baking soda
1 t baking pwd
½ t sea salt
2 eggs
1 C strong brewed coffee, cold
1 C buttermilk (No buttermilk on hand? Use 1 T white vinegar to 1 scant C of milk and let sit for 5 minutes before using.)
½ C vegetable oil
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 (12 C) muffin tins with cupcake liners. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. (Or bake as I did.) Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, ¾ C of the cocoa pwd, the sugar, baking soda, baking pwd, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, coffee, buttermilk, and oil. Stir just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared cups, dividing evenly.
- Bake in preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange cupcakes on a serving platter. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting and garnish with reserved bacon pieces. Dust with remaining 1 T cocoa powder.
Enjoy!
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I am an enthusiast for Olbrich Botanic Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin. As a horticulture major at UW-Madison in the early 1970's I visited Olbrich's dahlia garden during my course of study in floriculture. The dahlia garden was impressive then, but the Olbrich Botanic Garden of 2014 has come a long way since 1974. It has expanded with well designed and maintained gardens which are a delight in any season of the year. (http://www.olbrich.org/)
I recently visited the Sydney Botanic Garden in Australia, and it was actually a bit of a disappointment. The design and color impact of our own Olbrich Botanic Gardens has spoiled me! So here is a little walking tour of this year's Olbrich Spring Garden Show. With the harsh winter we have endured the vibrant colors and the smell of warm earth was a boost for my sagging spirits! Enjoy my photos, then head over to Olbrich and experience it for yourself!
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At Tree-Hollow Cottage we have seen our share of frogs...
...turtles, monster worms, and of course fish, both dead and alive. (See blogs 'Simply Fish and Simply Fish 2~the seamy side.')
But I really love toads. Who can resist the Frog and Toad stories by Arnold Lobel, or Warton and Morton by Russell E. Erickson? Toads are uniquely handsome, and ploppy. One can catch them easily whereas a frog is much more elusive.
We have had a toad living in our boat house and yard over the past few years. In April he was small.
In September not so much!
We could pretty much find him at will. He was such a fun playmate for our grandsons.
It was fun to pull out the kiddy pool and build him a resort home, give him diving lessons, and share intimate moments together.
When Great Grandma was discarding a broken pot we got the idea to make Mr.Toad his own little toad hole.
Granddaughter Charlotte was introduced to the fascinations of toady playmates. (Bunny ears essential.)
She was determined to be brave. I think she succeeded don't you?
In September we played with Mr. Toad for the last time and returned him to his favorite corner of the boat house. It was a solemn moment.
Till next year Mr. Toad. We love you!
Paparazzo-a freelance photographer, especially one who takes candid pictures of celebrities for publication.
I am not a "freelance" photographer and I believe I have never seen a celebrity in the flesh! I would hardly call my blog a publication! I am a photographer and my camera is usually swinging from my neck (as the numerous lumps on my granddaughter's head will attest), but there the similarity ends!
On June 8th, 2013 there happened to be an outdoor wedding in our neighborhood. It was only natural that my swinging lens should focus on a few scenes from this event. It took place four doors up from us on one of the few glorious days we've had since the snow melted.
The wedding party gathered on a pier down the shore from us and were ferried to a pier on the other side of us. The bride arrived in a sleek looking speed boat. How lovely...how romantic! My granddaughter Charlotte and I traipsed up and down our shoreline, and a little beyond, watching with delight.
The groom had gone around the neighborhood a few days earlier to let everyone know about wedding traffic concerns. He was handsome and sweet. I have not yet learned his name, but I will share a few photographs from one of the most important days of his life.
Charlotte and I first noticed some fancy red pants containing a performer of some sort. He was definitely not camera shy! (I wish I knew his name, too. He should see this.)
Soon after Mr. Red Pants disappeared other lovely clothes began to parade by.
As the parade of beautiful clothes slowed down, Charlotte and I went around back to the pier next door to watch the event unfold.
The wedding party passed directly in front of us on their way to the designated pier.
There was a bit of an audience on the lake as well as on shore...we shall call them 'gawker boats'.
The water was calm and peaceful - perfect! 
Okay! Now right here, look at the image below. Very disappointing! Not one wandering ring bearer, excited little flower girl or over-zealous groomsman landed in the drink. The entertainment value for the 'gawker boats' was severely limited.
See the photographer in the upper left? Instead of people plunging off the pier, she is getting pretty shots of perfectly behaved, adorable children, calmly walking to their places.
Here comes the bride! All this while the red pants dude was singing. It was fantastic. We could hear him!
Perfectly poised and beautiful.
The preacher preached, and just like that the ceremony was over! (Spot the red knee at left!)
So Charlotte and I headed around to the front of the house to see what there was to see. Fancy clothes were heading back the other way. Charlotte was pretty fancy herself. She still had on her nice dress having just returned from a baby shower earlier in the day.
This charming young man, impressed by Charlotte's wheels, stopped by for a chat.
Limos, drivers, photographers, red pants performer, groomsmen, bride, all at the end of our driveway! Sweet!
We were treated to this amazing smile from the beautiful bride! Paparazzo Neighbor indeed! We are simply friendly neighbors. Someday I might know the bride's name. Could she look any happier?
Stretch limo and driver.
The red pants performer in his mostly red car. Still loving the camera! I wish I knew his name.
After a while all the excitement disappeared down the street...I think I will bring my new neighbors a pie and find out their names!
The first flute choir concert on the shores of the "Sea of Waubesa" was in August the summer of 2007.
We have had one every year since then. Last year we had a perfect evening in every way. Calm water...
The garden was in bloom.
The temperature and humidity were comfortable, there were no bugs to speak of, and we had approximately 73 people in the audience...
Neighbors stopped by.
Friends chatted.
And kids had plenty of room to play.
The sunset was beautiful.
We had music by three performing flutes ensembles; the Madison Flute Choir,
Flutes a la Mode,
and Tree-Hollow Duo.
While the Tree-Hollow Duo performed, a lovely young lady by the name of Madylynn Grulke..
...got in the lake as the sun was setting and delighted the audience with interpretive dance.
Come join us again this year for a free concert with the same three groups performing. 7 pm, Tuesday, August 6, 2013. All are welcome!
But what happens when fish are dying due to heat and drought? 
The "Seamy Side" of Simply Fish.
Years ago, when my parents lived here at Tree-Hollow Cottage, my mother would collect dead fish and "plant" them around the bushes. Fish emulsion makes for rich, fertilized soil which in turn makes for happy hydrangeas and flowers.
Last summer we had a drought with hot, hot weather and a subsequent fish kill.
Balloons are fun, and puddles are fun, so why not have innocent, whimsical fun with dead fish? Here is how to proceed.
Gather two grandsons who have invented a game called "Mean Boss". In our case the younger grandson particularly enjoys this game. A granny such as myself is required to be the Mean Boss. The Mean Boss has to shout, and scream and threaten! (What must the neighbors think?)
The Mean Boss does not want to clean up dead fish herself. My goodness no!
So she delights in forcing the unsavory job of seaweed shoveling and dead fish collection upon her hapless "employees". 
They fuss and fume and scowl at the injustice (or at least they try to for the sake of the game). None the less they are forced into submission!
All two of them are required to drag the heavily laden bucket of dead fish and seaweed to the Mean Boss's flower beds...
...and "plant them". Thus have they passed many hours of fun with dead fish here at Tree-Hollow Cottage!
But, for my grandsons, dead fish fun is not restricted merely to the Mean Boss game. Oh no! A retirement party can provide young children with opportunities for dead fish delights that grown-ups might never dream of...such as collecting them...
...piling them on a toy boat...
...then proudly parading them about for the party guests to enjoy. Below we have the typical and disappointing, yet strangely gratifying, reaction of the grownups.
Simply Fish 2, offering up...
...the "seamy side"!
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It is only fitting that around Memorial Day I should do a blog about fish. For as long as I can remember Memorial Day weekend has been great fishing at the pier of Tree-Hollow Cottage on the shores of the "Sea of Waubesa"...aka the "Center of the Universe".
There is something very special about seeing your child catch his or her first fish. For our boys and our grandchildren it happened to be age three.
Our son Scott, circa 1982, proudly holding up his first fish. Our son Todd, circa 1984, proudly displaying his first fish. Our son Aaron, circa 1994, proud of his first catch and a few proud family members surrounding him.
And fishing continued for our sons over the years...
Similarly, our three grandchildren, Lucas, Matias and Charlotte all pulled in their first fish at age three.
Countless family members and friends have fished from this same pier year after year...
Even the dogs want a piece of the action.
And, there's budding "friendships"...
...and the buddy brothers.
Then there's cleaning fish.
Here the student...
...becomes the teacher - about thirty years later. (True, not every "student" seems to be enjoying class.)
But, the rewards are worth it...a lovely "bucket" of fish for the frying pan!
All summer long at the pier of Tree-Hollow Cottage, as the sun rises...
...and sets...
...we LOVE to simply fish.
Stay tuned...another angle on "simply fish" coming soon.
"Puddle Power".
Our late, cold spring has made wading in the lake a frigid bit of unpleasantness. When a recent rain created a lovely puddle in our driveway it provided the pleasure of an afternoon of wading for our granddaughter.
The fun began with a whimsical "Puddle Power Prance" dance...
...and continued with the collecting of sandbox toys for some "Puddle Power Play" time.
Wet feet...
...soon became a wet bottom.
The excitement of using "bloatie" (the floatie) for the first time this season was only surpassed by...
...the excitement of combining "bloatie" AND a swim suit for the first time this season.
Then came the sly (but certainly innocent) fun of chasing granny with "Puddle Power" water...
...and "Puddle Power" mud!
Our "Puddle Power" fun came abruptly to an end and granny might have had a little explaining to do were it not for...
...the stories of little boys and puddles - and even some prancing!
This post is about the economically joyful hysteria one can create for children with a bag of balloons.
Balloon Bash!
Recently my granddaughter turned three years old. My husband and I were fortunate enough to have her overnight and we had a small celebration on the morning of her birthday.
We have a treasure chest for each grandchild at our house. Not EVERY time they visit, but periodically, they will find something fun in their treasure boxes when they arrive.
For Charlotte's birthday morning I stuffed her treasure box with a pretty pink dress, a princess crown, and a bag of balloons. 
Charlotte was delighted with the crown, delighted with the dress, but OOOHHHH, the balloons!
You can blow them up...
...and bat them around. You can draw on them,
...kick them, and pop them. BUT what Charlotte loved most was to blow them half size and let go! The balloons shriek and flatulate around the room at a speed to set your teeth on edge. 
So I said to myself, "Why not have a Balloon Bash dinner party?"
When the day of the bash arrived, Great-grandma and Charlotte set the table...
...a few party favors were placed...
...and we called in the Balloon Blower Brawn...(say that ten times fast!).
Piling up balloons for the guests was even fun.
Guests started arriving and there was mayhem in no time.
As the evening wore on, one clever boy got the creative idea to mix balloons and forks. (Adult supervision recommended for such a mix.) Mayhem and decibels escalated! 
The orange blob over Matias' head is the balloon remainder fluttering to the ground after being forked to death!
Before long there was an alarming amount of balloon debris littering the floor...
...which had to be collected.
We rounded out the evening with some microwave s'mores.
Balloon Bash Dinner Party pros: cheap, easy to prepare, kids have hysterical fun.
Balloon Bash Dinner Party cons: its loud, really loud! (And sort of messy.)
Try a Balloon Bash yourself, and let me know how it goes!
In the spring of 2011 I decided to collect some gnomes. I thought it would be fun to put them around my garden for our grandchildren to discover and play with. I showed them to my granddaughter Charlotte. She was slightly amused but not very impressed. Lucas and Matias were not really impressed at all.
But in the summer of 2012 everything changed. Charlotte saw one gnome in the garden and called it her "baby". I said that it was a funny looking baby! After that she called all the gnomes her "funny babies". Lucas and Matias thought that was hilarious. So while most people call them gnomes, around here they are "funny babies".
The boys began to take the "funny babies" on adventures around the yard and garden and named each of them. Among the names chosen were Wibble Dibble, Kumquat and Junior. Here is Junior in his red hat, waving.
Below is the infamous Wibble Dibble!
Wibble Dibble and Kumquat were the favorites for a while. They were a part of a pirate hunting expedition one hot summer day. 
Charlotte enjoyed including the "funny babies" while she played on her slide...
...and sail boated with them.
All summer long they peeked out around the garden.
Including in the tree-hollow (for which our home and my photography business are named).
I even found Wibble Dibble one day perched high in a pine tree!
In the fall they joined us for camp fire fun. 
But sadly, the signs of extensive, loving, (but not always gentle) play, began to show. Our favorite, Wibble Dibble, lost his feet. Garden glue was but a temporary fix.
Parts and pieces were placed together and stored for the winter in the tree-hollow. Charlotte and Matias dug them out of the snow in February to check on them.
Then returned them to their snowy grave.
Now that the snow has melted and the "funny babies" have thawed out, they are waiting in the screen room for whatever fate may bring their way. 
Except for losing his sweet metal flower and watering can, Kumquat survived unscathed and alone was invited to winter inside Tree-Hollow Cottage. Wistfully, he longs to join his less fortunate friends in hopes of more summer fun. 
Hang in there Kumquate! Who knows what "funny baby" adventures await?
During the night the wind pushed the ice pack, which is having trouble melting this year, right up out of the lake and way up on our shore! Never mind that we have the pier stacked along the seawall, something we have done year after year with no problems. But the heaved ice pack pushed against our pier sections and our boat hoists, seeming intent on turning steel into pretzels.
My photos don't do the incredible sight justice, or convey the amazing sounds of tinkling piles of ice crystals. But they will give you an idea of something I have never seen before and hope to never see again.
A heap of ice piles on the sea wall and further up to the lawn.
Here are the pier sections being petzelized by the crush of the ice blowing in. 
This boat hoist has been pushed off its platform and is starting to dig into the boat house door.
Aaron and Mark digging out.
That piece of cement in the foreground was a part of the platform, it got heaved up onto the hoist.
A magnificent pile of ice crystals!
Piles and piles of ice.
I had the brilliant idea to put the hose to it. 
Brilliant? No.
Reinforcements arrive...my brother and our oldest son.
Getting close to being able to lift the hoist out.
Poor, poor owl!
Our neighbors had some problems, too.
These were lying flat till the ice pushed on the legs!
Aaron...thanks for the brawn!
ICELAND!!
It is now April 8 and I am finally having more success saying good-bye to winter. But here, to bide our time until we have some real color in our gardens, are some photos of the spring flower show at Olbrich Gardens. I went with my parents on a snowy day in March. March 14. I was still thinking then that within a week all the snow would be gone and the crocus would be blooming at my front door. Dream on, silly me!
Enjoy the dream. It has to be reality soon!
My mom is reading about the cork tree sculpture.
Before moving on to the conservatory room I stepped outside...such a lovely snowy day!
In the conservatory it was warm and steamy and full of life.
A comfortable place for bird watching.
Now let us enjoy spring. We deserve it!
Then I also like to a add a bit of whimsy, innocence and fun for the little people who come to celebrate at our house. Usually it is an egg hunt outside. This year it was a basket hunt inside...sometimes weather dictates.
The day before Easter I prepared baskets.
I took them up to the attic. Our little granddaughter calls our attic "The Hole". The boys call it their "Fort". You enter by a hobbit sized door upstairs on a tiny balcony. After entering you make a sharp turn to the right and crawl way back. The kids and I have fixed it up with a lamp, some blankets, a large pillow and some books. I crawled way back and lined up the baskets.
Easter day, after blowing up some peeps in the microwave (always a hit),...
...it was time to find and follow the clues my husband had prepared.
Each child had a clue to read and follow. The older children helped with the reading and following of clues as needed.
The last clue directed them into "The Hole"! 
Bravely they opened the door and crawled in!
The boys lingered to try out the light-up balls.
The girls headed downstairs to show their treasures.
A little more Easter fun...
Making Easter pies.
I hope you all had a Happy Easter!
Enter the police lady: she was very nice... A "concerned citizen" had called in reporting a "bag lady" staggering around on the bridge, possibly needing help in the cold. Staggering! I ask you? I do not stagger..yet.
The police lady was very nice! No hand cuffs, no citation, just a friendly chat in which she took my name, address, and phone number. And...I did get some lovely foggy morning photos. Enjoy!
Early December...just enough snow to have some fun with the grandkids.
Later in December more snow before the lake freezes...
Finally, the lake freezes. A rink must be shoveled! 
January, February and a little bit of March for skating, sledding, snowballs, and even some RC airplane flying. 
Time to head home for some hot soup...
And say..."Good-bye to winter"!