Happy Easter

He is Risen

tulip surprise

I received a very nice surprise of gorgeous tulips from a friend I have known since I was 12.   It brightened my mood and made my day.  Thank You Jenny for kind thoughts and most beautiful tulips.   The colors remind me of jelly beans.

so very pretty

Thank you again

Box Easter wreath

I started out with a foam circle,  and then picked from my boxwood's some clippings and pushed into the foam.

trimmed with garden scissors to give a better shape

pushed into the foam , little foam eggs for decoration,  I used heavy florist wire to place into wreath

 Hanging in window in dining for Easter

I will let the box dry and see how it looks in a few months.

sharing with Litlle things thursday , friday favorites
                   and
                     create it thursday
                 

Highlands Festival (1)

For the third year in a row,  our trip to the Highlands town of Monterey Va. and county seat of Highland.

It's the Maple syrup festival where you can eat maple syrup donuts,  buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup,  and maple syrup candy.   

My favorite syrup is the dark amber as the flavor is stronger and I like making cakes and breakfast buns with it.  

  The  Highland nicknamed "Little Switzerland",  because of it's high altitude, was originally settled by Scots/Irish and German immigrants.   The  clean mountain air served us well as we gazed upon pastures and farmland with some beautiful fast moving brooks and streams along the way.

The drive started out a little rainy but cleared some on the way.

along the way

 Arriving at destination .

Main street 

   There are only two hotels here and we couldn't be picky with making reservations only three weeks ahead,  lucky we found a room, everything else was booked. 

This retro hotel  was built in the 1950's and not much change since then.

Wrought iron railing on second floor walkway.

Inside was very clean

I like staying in a place where I can open a window for breeze and I did at night here.

After settling in we took a walk around the area.

Had a bite to eat at the Highs restaurant.

We both had oven baked pork chops with gravy and mashed potatoes with Lima beans

After dinner; a walk across the street to look inside the Highland Inn .  We will hopefully be able to stay here in the fall.

stepping inside

I like the way the niche houses the phone.   My daughter lived in a home  in Big Rock Tennessee that had a niche carved out near her foyer for a telephone.

dining room which also serves as a information center with brochures about places to see and do.

stairs to rooms.

This picture hangs in dining room

The next day  a look out of the bathroom window in our hotel room ,  cars lined up as far as I could see for the festival.

Words getting out

more later