Coffee and chocolate...

Thought these posters say it well...

I read in a book somewhere that one should allow oneself one forgivable  sin.  I have 2.... coffee and chocolate. Could be worse, right?

This seems to be where my thoughts are this morning... certainly nothing deep or philosophical. I guess I think about it being aware that too much coffee isn't good for my kidneys and too much chocolate can affect my migraines. However, having almost 74 years  under my belt, one cup of coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, and a bar of Lindt salted dark chocolate (that lasts me a week) does no harm... and certainly helps my moods.

If I do run out (DH shares this bar with me), I can always make us "chocolate in a mug"  to go with our afternoon tea/coffee -which is such a simple recipe that can be done in 5 minutes and is ready in the microwave in 90 seconds. Easy peasy and very good!

Oh... and you know I love chickens! Well, after my visit to my daughter's last weekend and watching her chickens and baby chicks, I came across this chicken coop (which is sold at William Sonoma's). It's just the perfect size for our yard. Costs too much of course and don't know if it could possibly be 'feral cat proof'.... but one can dream.

I could even grow herbs in the top planter....

*Cats and chickens (as well as coffee and chocolate) do seem to make me happy. But it may be that my clay cheeky chickens will have to suffice.*

Ghost

Hugs,
Rian

Easter in the hill country...

The Bulverde Hillbillies

Happy Easter from the Bulverde Hillbillies!  My daughter is in the process of renovating what was once a barn, then  a bunkhouse, and now a guest house on their property. The kubota was being used to move junk out of the old place to be trashed. We decided that it would make a good hill country pic so we all jumped in. I think it came out better than the formal family shots we took previously as it was done spontaneously. 


Here are a few of the others...

granddaughter and Moose

The next 2 pics are 7 baby chicks born last week...

Hemi  after scraps of hay left in truck bed...

Chickens on front porch and walkway...

 Youngest grand daughter 

It was a beautiful weekend. Couldn't have asked for better weather. I really hope all of you enjoyed your Easter holiday. Now that we're back home, I will be reading everyone's blogs and catching up.

Easter Hugs,

- Rian  

Create a life...

GREAT IDEA!

LOVE TO WAKE UP TO THIS...

I love these pictures. This second picture reminds me of the pier on retreat from years ago. It was actually a much longer pier and I would love to sit out there in the morning/evening and watch the sun come up/go down.

or

this third picture makes me want to take a long walk on the beach in the morning or evening with my coffee...

What is it about the water? Rivers? Lakes? Oceans?  Something about the water draws people. Is it because we came from there originally? They have a pull.... and I really wonder why.  Sitting or walking beside them seems to put life in perspective. I'm neither a swimmer nor a sun worshiper, so that's not it.  

Any thoughts out there as to why this is? (We do have a history of Sea Captains in our ancestry... could it be genetic?)

Our son sends me videos of the waves rushing to the shore (in Hawaii). I love these. You can even hear the sound of the ocean. If you enlarge the pic across your screen,  it's almost as if you're there.  Would love to share these, but still can't figure out how to get them from my iPhone to my blog. I transfer pics easily, but apparently not videos.


Have a great Sunday! Easter is almost here!  Came across this watercolor sketch the other day and loved it! It's kind of how I feel when I wake up in the morning.

*To give everyone their due... most of the pics I use are from Pinterest... great site!*

Imagination running wild...

My imagination is having fun this morning...

Looking back on my almost 74 years, I think I can see more clearly now what might have been a good idea to follow up on... I love cats. I love pastry. I love tea and coffee. I love books.  And I love art that depicts these things.  So...oo  possibly 'in another life' I might want to open up a Coffee/Tea Shoppe. I would call it "The Black Cat Cafe" with a sign similar to this hanging outside like an English pub.

Then I would have posters and pictures of black (and black and white cats) hanging about the walls... like these I found on Pinterest:

 And I would have windows that were 'inviting' and opened wide so that when the weather was nice, the cafe could be filled with the soft breath of fresh air... (and of course a fireplace for those dark dreary days of winter)

...and there would be hanging and potted herbs about as well as stacks of books here and there.

...and of course we would serve fresh Tea and fresh ground coffee... (in pretty tea cups as well as mugs) and a  few choice desserts like brownies, tea cakes, scones, pie, etc.

You could read while you enjoy the ambiance

or write...

and possibly just for fun, I would have one wall where people who actually owned black (and black and white) cats could bring pictures of their cats to hang on the wall...
and

 part of the profits could go to homeless cats (of any color)


Huh, I guess this is a dream I never knew I had until I began to realize that I've reached my mulberry days and these things can only be found in my imagination. But lucky for me, I have a very vivid imagination... so I can enjoy these things vicariously.

So please come
and have some coffee or tea with me
 at
 The Black Cat Cafe



(Do you have a dream?)