First Day of Spring

Welcome Through My Red Door
This past Sunday was officially the first day of spring.

It’s trying so hard to make it’s first appearances  in my yard.

The crocus have come and gone.  They never stick around long enough for me.

The daffodils are still trying to make up their minds.  They’ve peaked in other neighborhoods and yards…not mine!

And the deer and the bunnies have already had their first feast on my tulips.  I doubt we’ll get to enjoy them this year, sorry to say.

But the forsythia, well, is always reliable!

My next door neighbor has a bush planted right up against her fence, so it grows through in to my backyard.

I have to admit that I never really gave that bush much thought, except to view it out my kitchen window, and I’ve lived in my house for almost 10 years.
    
But this year, now that I’ve started a new hobby, this bush has become inspirational!

As soon as those yellow buds started popping, I started watching that bush because I had a picture in my minds eye!

It was to be the anchor of this table.  I just snipped away.

Grabbed one of my white pitchers and stuffed it.

Then I remembered I had this yellow tablecloth. A treasure I inherited from my Italian grandmother.

And somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered there were napkins to go with it.  However, I didn’t remember that there were two different ones.

The fringe edged cocktail napkins came in handy as a little runner to cover up the hole in the tablecloth that the pitcher of forsythia couldn’t, because of course the hole was not centered in the middle!!  Reminds me; I need to find a professional vintage linen repairer!

Did I mention this set is very old?  My grandmother, if she were still alive, would have been 102 years old this year.

And all the linens I inherited from her were around long before I was even thought of!  And I’ve been around a long time!

You’ve probably seen all the dishes, flatware, and candlesticks on many of my tables, but I just picked up the margarita/fruit glasses the other day at Salvation Army for 50% off.  So I only paid .30 each!! 







This table served us a sunny and delicious spring Sunday brunch of scrambled eggs,

hash browns, spinach and garlic sausage,

fruit and orange juice!



I have to say, I can’t think of when I have ever been so happy or excited to see spring arrive as I have this year.

I’ve had spring fever since November!

And I’m itching to get to the nursery to fill the yard with some color!

Can’t wait!!

I’m joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.  Hope you will stop in there too.
                                           
Thanks for stopping in.  I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit.

Happy Spring,
Sheila

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

WELCOME THROUGH MY RED DOOR!

This St. Patrick’s Day holiday table is being combined with my youngest child and second son’s birthday celebration this month.  You might have met him here.  His name is… PATRICK!   Imagine that!

                                                         A little story!

               I am of Irish-Italian heritage.  My mother’s family is the Irish side.

My husband’s family is mostly Irish too, so our kids are almost 3 quarters Irish decent and one quarter Italian.  (However we’re all proud to say we are 100% American!) 

Anyway, when I found out that Patrick’s due date was March 18th, I was convinced he was going to be born one day early on St. Patrick’s day.

So how could we not name him after Ireland’s great saint.  For that reason, and that ‘Patrick’ flowed so well with our new baby boy’s future middle name…Basil…after his Italian grandfather,  he is named Patrick!

But, alas, our little, well not so little, Patrick was not born on March 17th, or the 18th.  He was in no hurry to enter the world and kept me waiting, anxiously until March 23rd!

Okay, not a real long time, but even though he was so laid back about arriving, he was a very active bouncing baby boy!  I think he was practicing his soccer moves on me for his future team!  And I was more than ready for him to present himself and stop the hat tricks!

So the name stuck, as his older siblings, ages 4 and two and a half, already knew him  as Patrick Basil.

If by chance that sonogram was wrong and he was a she, then they would have had to have gotten used to a different name.

I didn’t find out until years later, that my great, great grandfather Patrick was the first of his 14 siblings to come to America from County Mayo, Ireland in the early 1850’s, so I can’t say we named our Patrick after him! 

Anyway, Patrick turns 20 this year and leaves us teenagerless.   But that doesn’t mean I don’t  call on St. Patrick anymore.  Our Patrick is in college and still needs all the help (and luck) he can get!!

              I like to think St. Patrick hangs around to keep an eye on his namesake. 

        Happy Birthday and St. Patrick’s Day Patrick Basil.  And many, many more to ya!

          A ‘Luck of the Irish’ toast to all of you and a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day too!

Oh, just a side note:  These very old monogramed napkins belonged to my Irish grandmother, Mary Helen O’Halloran (maiden name).  Her family was from County Cork.

I love these napkins for obvious reasons, but because they can also stand for my Italian maiden name which starts with an ‘O’ too!  The same aunt who gave me the beautiful silver in this setting, gave the napkins to me, I’m sure because she knew I’d love to have something of my grandmother’s, and how much I love old things and it was my initial!

                                  So isn’t everyone Irish on St. Patrick’s Day?

                         Thank you for stopping by.  I can’t wait to visit all of you.

                                                   

        I’m skipping over with my pot of gold to Tablescape Thursday.  Come join me!