Beautiful Spring Day

 The weather is just gorgeous today. It was sunny and around 70 degrees with a light breeze. We did not really enjoy much time outside because we drove to Fort Wayne to do some shopping. The blooming redbud trees were plentiful in Fort Wayne.

At Trader Joe's my husband bought some cereal he really likes and a can of sardines (yuck). I bought a lemon mini sheet cake (1st time for that flavor), some "seedy" bread to toast for breakfast mostly, and two little bunches of flowers. That is one of the things I appreciate about that store: it has a nice variety of reasonably priced flowers. I wrapped a wet paper towel around the bottom of the stems and put them in a plastic bag, but sitting in the car for almost 5 hours did cause some degradation of condition. They probably won't last as long as if I had brought them home sooner. 

Pinks, purples, and white a nice combination. 

I was mostly shopping for a plain white tee shirt or white pullover top, a spring/summer dress, or a spring skirt. Though I tried on several things, I ended up buying just a skirt. I really liked the flowered dresses I had seen on the internet ads, but they were scarce or not in my size at Macy's, Penney's, and Kohls. 

I had seen this skirt in an ad from Kohl's. It described it as a front button-up skirt. Well, there are buttons, but no buttonholes. They are purely decorative, not functional. I think it will be a nice summery looking skirt that I will most likely wear with sandals in the coming months. 

Tomorrow is to be even warmer than today. Except for singing in chapel with the choir (be gone from home 9:30 to 10:30), I will be able to sit outside on my front porch and enjoy the beauty of spring. My daffodils are *finally* starting to bloom. When there are a few more blooms, I will snap a photo and share with you. My neighbors' daffodils bloomed several weeks ago and are almost done. These were new bulbs so I had no idea when they would develop and open. I also saw as we pulled into the driveway after our trip that a few coral quince blossoms are open now, too. Isn't spring grand?

Brought the Cushions Inside

Today is one that folks probably wish we were still on daylight savings. 73 degrees this afternoon, but after sitting on the porch an hour the sun was sinking lower. This morning I had my husband put my geraniums and the wax begonia next to the trash bag. This afternoon I brought in the porch rocker cushions.

 After I spot clean them (bug poop?), I will try to find room in my cedar chest for them so they are out of the way. Tomorrow will start out in the low 50's then fall all day. Saturday thru next Saturday, our projected highs are in the 30's. No more sitting on the porch. Even some rain and snow Saturday. 

I set out a puzzle from a garage sale in the den. Looks like tomorrow will be a cozy stay-inside day. I have two hot chocolate packets I picked up from the give-and-take table last spring, a brand unfamiliar to me. I have a streusel coffee cake mix which is sure to be baked up this weekend. 

The ornamental pear trees on my street still have leaves, though greatly thinned after the windy days last week. We drove to Fort Wayne this morning; the trees in sight were bare. 

We stopped at a Skechers Outlet store. My husband was looking for shoes. They had a "Black Friday" deal, buy 1 and get the 2nd pair half off. I tried on a pair of lined booties, but since my husband couldn't find a pair that fit him, I didn't buy the booties as the regular price was not what I would pay for them. I don't really need them. I was surprised to see slippers made by Skechers. 

My husband had some credit from a return at the Warsaw Kohl's. We stopped at Kohl's in Northcrest in Fort Wayne. I was going to apply the remaining amount to a brassiere. I felt totally disoriented in the store. They have made Sephora the centerpiece and moved everything else around. I couldn't even find the lingerie department. When I asked, I was told it was upstairs now. Much smaller than before and poorly stocked. I couldn't even find my size in the Bali bras I usually buy. I really liked the Chaps clothing line at Kohl's. It disappeared from Warsaw a few years ago, and now from Fort Wayne. The Chaps space is taken up with athleisure and sports items. If Kohl's wonders why they are doing poorly, I would be glad to give them an earful. 

We ate lunch at Casa Grill, one of our Fort Wayne favorites. At Costco we looked at TVs a bit. We are thinking maybe we should replace our 12-year-old TV for a smart TV. It would be our Christmas present to ourselves. Haven't done enough looking to make a decision, but we did decide we should *not* get an 85-inch one as it would be overwhelming in our small living room.

I bought a jar of the fancy mixed nuts to use on November 30th when I co-host literary club. We also bought a 2023 calendar. We already have dental appointments, etc. to mark down next year. As I look at the calendar, I realize people today use their cell phones as calendars. Oh, well, I like the old-fashioned wall calendar. Yes, there have been times at medical offices that I wish I had my calendar information before me, but I still don't even turn on my cell phone every day. 

On our way home, we stopped at the Kroger's in Columbia City. The Warsaw store has been out of Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa for weeks, and my husband ate up the last bit this morning. Hooray. He found and bought two jars. I am not a salsa fan, but I like this pineapple salsa on my microwaved breakfast burritos. 

Simple day, simple pleasures, simple life. Just the way I like it.