April '23 Book List

 Reading slows down with the nicer weather - only seven books read this month. ☺

A Sunlit Weapon is Jacqueline Winspear's 17th Maisie Dobbs novel. I love this series just as much as I did with the first one I read.

Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown was a mystery that just showed up at my door in an Amazon box. With nothing inside to tell me who sent it, I guessed it was either my daughter, Kari, or my son, Doug. Doug had sent me books before and it was him, again. This is Brown's debut novel. It is about generations of women attuned to magic and in dread of the family love curse. It is a 'Read With Jenna Book Club' pick.

This Was A Man by Jeffrey Archer is the last novel in the Clifton Chronicles series. I really liked this series.

Desert Star by Michael Connelly is his newest book and features Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch. It was so good to be reading a Bosch book again. Loved that series so much!

Girl, Forgotten is Karin Slaughter's latest thriller. It is the second book featuring US Marshal Andrea Oliver.

The English Assassin and The Confessor are books #2 and #3 in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva. I was certain this was a new author for me, but when I look back through my posts, I find that I read a book by him in August, 2011. It's not surprising that I didn't remember that long ago. The library does have three of the final four of the Allon series which I will also be reading. 

Looking at my stack of  my most recent check-outs, it looks like May is already setting up to be a good reading month beginning with the latest books by three of my favorite authors. 💖

Last Day of April and of Poetry Month

It's the last day of April, the last time to share some poetry for poetry month and the last chance to post photos of the plants in flower around the house. Beginning with the one I just took this morning with the sun shining on the flowering crab apple tree and the birch catkins blowing in a very chilly wind.

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring --

When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;

Thrush's eggs look little low heavens, and thrush

Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring

The ear, it strikes the lightnings to hear him sing;

The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush

The descending blue, that blue is all in a rush

With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.

What is all this juice and joy? 

A strain of earth's sweet being in the beginning. 

(First lines from Gerald Manley Hopkins' poem, Spring.

After my walk Friday I came home and took pictures of some of my flowers. I didn't think the little Grape Hyacinths were going to make it this year. But then they perked up and blossomed so brightly.

                                              The neighbor's tulips were beautiful.

The purple Phlox by the mailbox don't last long, but they make a nice showing. And look at all the shoots of Lily of the Valley coming up! 

I still don't know what this plant is that I got a start of from my niece year's ago. It spreads readily and I have to pull some of it out, but I love its cheerful yellow flowers.

The bluebells I also got from my niece, Kristi,  have me perplexed. They have gradually whitened over the years. I can find no reason like soil PH or too much sun or??? An online search tells me only that one in 10,000 bluebells will be white. 

But I am sure they started just as blue as this plant is which is several feet west of those white ones and more in the shade.

These Mertensia, or Virginia Bluebells, always remind me of my Grandmother Delphia and the ones Mom had on the north side of the house - starts which she got from her mom. 

I like saying mertensia - mer-tench-ee-uh - and I almost always call them that.  Virginia cowslip is another name they are known by.

April is going out like the proverbial lion March is noted for - very windy and chilly. But tomorrow - May Day!!

Only The Good Die Young

From my mother's diary eighty-seven years ago, April 29, 1936: "Harris Robison passed away." I remember her telling me about her cousin dying young and how they were related - their mothers were first cousins. Delphia and Merle's fathers were two of the Means brothers. 

So while I know Harris' date of death, I'm uncertain about his birth date. His grave stone is only etched with the years - 1918-1935. I know the year of death is wrong. What about the year of his birth? Find a Grave has it as 1919 with year of death 1936 and age at death as 16.

I know that Mom and Harris were close in age, but was it one year, one month and one day, or only one month and one day. Harris was born Christmas eve, December 24 and Mom was born January 25.

Even Merle's submission in the Adams County History Book doesn't give the year of Harris' birth, only the death.

I'm going to go with this obituary from the Adams County Free Press:

Harris Robison, son of George and Merle Robison, was born December 24, 1918 and died in the Greater Community Hospital in Creston, April 29, 1936 at 8:30 p.m. after a short illness. He was born in Carbon and had spent his whole life in the vicinity where he was born.
Harris is survived by his parent and three brothers, Carol, George, and Dean; also his grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Melville Means of Creston and Mrs. Carrie Robison. Besides his relatives he leaves a large group of devoted friends, who loved him for his happy disposition and friendliness. He was the type of boy who was a joy to his parents and teacher, and who made friends easily. He will be greatly missed. He was 17 years, 4 months, and 5 days old at the time of his death.
Harris was taken to the hospital in Creston on the day of his death after complications developed following a sever attack of flu. He lived only a few hours after he entered the hospital His death came as a great shock to the community where he was much loved and all who knew him sorrow with the family.
Funeral services were held at the home in Carbon Saturday afternoon conducted by Rev. William Overhauler. Interment was made in the Quincy Cemetery.
Adams County Free Press, May 7, 1936, page 7

But even that has errors - the minister's name was Rev. William Overholser, not Overhauler.

I've shared this photo before with Harris on the left, Mom's sister, Lois, Harris' brother Carroll and my mom Ruth. Mom never said too much about Harris' death, but she did talk of the fun the cousins had when they were young. 

Was It The Therapy Or The Weather?

I had my first therapy session for dizziness Wednesday morning. I didn't know there was such a thing until a regular visit to my physician a couple weeks ago.  Whether it worked that well or was a case of the power of suggestion, I've been feeling better ever since. So well, in fact, that I went up to McKinley Lake Park this morning to walk for the first time in more than ten months! 

My favorite path there is the secluded gravel one through a bit of woods. It felt great to be back out in nature. The temperature was only around 60°, usually too chilly for me, but the sun was shining and I was comfortable with just a sweatshirt over a tee.

I never view this little stream flowing out of Lake McKinley without thinking about how it is a part of the Platte River which in Missouri joins up with the Missouri River, thence to join the Mississippi on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. 

The water was so clear and still as reflected by the sun.

I love the verdigris color as the water gushes forth from under the spillway road. The green is most likely moss on the cement.

Another view with a sprig of plum blossom featured.

After a satisfying walk, I went back to the car and then around the park looking at all the blooming plants and trees.

I don't know what kind of bush this is, only that it's flower buds area very pretty pink.

Note: After searching online, I believe this is a Viburnum by the name of Spring Bouquet.

Which open to look like this. And while they are very pretty, I wouldn't say they are perfumed more like odorous.

As in, they stink.

The Fothergilla Gardenii is budded and should open in a week or two.

The Crab Apple tree is also full of buds and quite a bit of last years dried fruit. Once I was lucky enough to pass by this tree just as a flock of Cedar Waxwings were feasting upon the past year's fruits. It was quite a sight.

The park's numerous Redbud trees are gorgeous as usual.

Before leaving I took a photo of the new dog park, "Lexi's Puppy Patch" which has its grand opening tomorrow. If interested, you can read about it here: 

Our "chance of a light shower" for this afternoon has turned into a nice, steady rain, complete with some lightning and thunder. One of those April showers the month is noted for.

Coming down a little harder....

.....and longer still with water running down the street ....

After an hour of steady rain, the guage shows an inch and two-tenths. Quite a bit more than the light shower forecast and not quite done raining yet.

A nice walk this morning, a nice rain this afternoon. Ah-h, Spring in Iowa. 💚💧💕

My Imperfectly Perfect Memory

 

One of the ads that is being shown before allowing me to solve one of my daily crosswords is from the Arkansas Tourism Bureau of the Flatiron Building in Eureka Springs.

When I saw it I had a flashback to 1975 and the first time the kids and I went to Eureka Springs. This town in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas is one of the most enchanting ones I've ever visited - a must see if you've never been; a delight every time I've been there. But a first experience always seems to stand out, doesn't it?

I recall that parking was limited. We parked up that hill around the corner. Our exploring began in the first store we came to, a jewelry store. I was always on the look out for birthstones. I remember looking at the yellow topazes. The one I liked was several hundred dollars, while others were much less. I was told because it was citrine not quartz. I didn't know there was a difference. Now when I google citrine vs quartz I read that citrine is the less expensive of the two. Strange.

We worked our way into the downtown area and there on our left, in the Flatiron Building was a pottery shop. I couldn't afford a birthstone ring, but I knew I could find a piece of pottery as a souvenir. 

And I did - this perfect three inch tall, three inch circumference, plain gray, handleless mug. 

While I was being encouraged to pick something more colorful, this is the one that appealed to me. When I held it in my hand it just felt right. And the color was definitely more to my liking. I'm a simple woman with simple tastes.

I might even use the term plain Jane when referring to my glass, which would be perfectly descriptive as the name of the potter was Jane and the year was preserved in case I ever needed a reminder.

The small imprint reads: "The Spring Street Pottery, Eureka Springs, Ar", just in case I would ever forget. 

So why is my post titled "My Imperfectly Perfect Memory"?

Because when I searched for more info, I saw that the Flatiron Building wasn't even there in 1975, as this plaque explains.

It wasn't rebuilt for the third time until 1987. So how could I remember it as being there in 1975? Possibly because I had seen the building during later trips to Eureka Springs.

This online image from the 1950's showing the vacant space where the Flatiron once stood and would again stand has to be the way it looked on that corner in 1975. 

But I do remember coming down that side of the street and going into the pottery shop. So it must have been in the building with the Onyx Cave sign - or maybe down below in the basement of that building?

Whatever. I know what my memories are - imperfect as they may be. ☺

A Cautionary Poem About April

 

April By Ella Higginson

Pansies, Iowa City, April 15, 2023

Ah, who is this with twinkling feet,
With glad, young eyes and laughter sweet,
    Who tosses back her strong, wild hair,
    And saucy kisses flings to Care,
    The while she laughs at her? Beware—
You who this winsome maiden meet!

She dances on a daisied throne,
About her waist a slender zone
    Of dandelion’s gold; her eyes
    Are softer than the summer skies,
    And blue as violets; and lies
A tearful laughter in her tone.

She reaches dimpled arms and bare;
Her breath is sweet as wild-rose air;
    She sighs, she smiles, she glances down,
    Her brows meet in a sudden frown;
    She laughs; then tears the violets drown—
If you should meet her—ah, beware!

 

It is Earth Day. Normally I would be celebrating by planting some flowers. But it is cold, cloudy and windy. Earlier we had grauple, aka as soft hail, hominy hail or snow pellets, on the deck. Tonight we are supposed to have a hard freeze - so no putting out of tender plants for me!

Instead, I'll remember past Earth Day celebrations - the first one when I helped my son Douglas form an Ecology Club with his school friends. We had work days where we picked up trash along the roads and then rewarded them with a picnic at Jester Park which is where this photo was taken. 

And this one with my daughter-in-law and grandchildren celebrating Earth Day on the farm and the growth of the weeping willow tree we had planted together on a previous Earth Day.

So while I may not be planting anything today, I'm still remembering the significance of that first Earth Day and all the subsequent ones. 💚🌎

April Love

 ♪ Sometimes an April day will suddenly bring showers.... ♪    April Love was a 1965 hit song by Pat Boone. As Ian and Dominique's wedding day neared, the song often came to my mind. I thought about mentioning the lyrics to her and how they related to my romance with the grandfather she never knew, but I didn't. It was her day, her wedding, not mine. 

Fortunately, there were no rain showers last Friday. The day was sunny and bright, the temperature perfect, and the bride as beautiful as the day.

When we arrived at the venue (Koru Aronia Berry Farm, Homestead, IA) Bud was directed to the basement, where the men were, and I was told to go to the women's room where hair and make-up was in progress. The first thing I noticed was all the matching (except colors) outfits the bridal party had on. What a cute idea. Left to right: Lynaea Kiefer, Brenda Kiefer, Deise Fleming, Dominique Fleming, Molly Eyerly, Shalea Fleming, Kathryn Breon and party crasher Louis Breon.

I don't  know why Ian isn't in this photo. And it looks like Shalea is missing but she is hidden behind Deise, standing behind Greyson, holding Louis. Bud and I were included in some of the photos, but I forgot to hand my camera to someone so I don't have any photos including us - yet.

Wedding party in order of appearance: 

Bridegroom Ian escorting his parents, Mom, Brenda and Dad, Gary

Groomsman, Ki Fleming (my grandson) and Bridesmaid Molly Eyerly.

                Groomsman and Bridesmaid, Travis and Kathryn (my granddaughter) Breon.

Groomsman Zachary Gish and Bridesmaid (my granddaughter) Deise Fleming.

Groomsman Christian Esparza and Bridesmaid Lynaea Kiefer (Ian's sister).

Flower bearers Ayden and Greyson Fleming.

Mother of the bride, Shalea Fleming helping the ring bearer, her grandson Louis, down the aisle.

The pillow is one stitched by the bride's great-great-grandmother, Delphia. (Stuffed and sewn together by me.)

Bride Dominique escorted by her father, Preston. (My son.)

Possibly the cutest photo of the day - my great-grandsons Greyson and Ayden with the venue's burros.

Grandpa Bud and Ki having a few laughs.

Ki and his brother-in-law, Travis.

Dominique and Ian cutting their wedding cake(s).

The next day opening wedding gifts. Dom is holding a beautifully finished and engraved piece of red cedar made by a relative of Ian's and cut from a tree on his farm in MN.

One of the most touching photos I took - Ian hugging his grandfather Kiefer.

He is holding the dishtowels made and embroidered by his Grandfather. 

If I am remembering correctly, Ian proposed to Dominique last fall on his Grandmother Kiefer's birthday. She passed away not long after that. 

So this was an emotional day for both of them. Grandpa K. journeyed from Bismarck, ND to be at his grandson's wedding. 

Reading the card from me and Bud. 

A macro pic I took of ornamental pear tree blossoms at the Kirkwood Room in Iowa City.

And lastly, because once in awhile my funny bone gets tickled - when I saw this nearby doorway and just had to...... 😉