Please, no April Fool’s jokes. I’ve never been a fan. I just find them annoying.
That being said, it’s sure nice to see April on the calendar. April brings the promise of spring rains, green grass, and budding plants. April is bringing me coaching work. (It also brings the second anniversary of my mom’s death, so there is a strongly bittersweet element to this month.)
The hollyhock is most definitely back for the second year. If it blossoms, I’ll be thrilled.
I seem to have a sharpener problem.
I started out with a couple of sharpeners that I had on hand. But they didn’t work well with colored pencils. Then I purchased the little green sharpener made by Milan. It works pretty well. I also placed an order for two more sharpeners via Amazon. In the meantime, I discovered the silver sharpener on the left – made by Faber-Castell – which, as it turns out, is pretty great. It has three holes – one especially for colored pencils. I found it by accident at one of my local art supply shops in a display by the cash register.
And then the other two sharpeners arrived in the mail; one by Prismacolor, maker of wonderful colored pencils, and the small metal sharpener, made by Staedtler, maker of colored pencils and Triplus Fineliners.
Now I have four. The only one I haven’t tried yet is the Staedtler. (I ordered a two-pack and Don has the other.)
Maybe I’ll do a post about them – Official Test Results or something of that nature.
One more thing to share with you, a bookmark that Don brought back from a bookstore in New Haven. I’ve absconded with it.
How could I resist? It’s now tucked in a corner of my bulletin board in the office.
Last chance to leave a comment on Wednesday’s Book Review – you may win a copy of Beneath Still Waters. Deadline is 9 pm.
New post on Just Let Me Finish This Page.
Happy Friday.
Good Morning Dear Claudia….OMG my package arrived and I am in love with the pink scarf especially..What??? It is too hot to wear it??? Surely I can wear a wool scarf in the desert when it is going to be90 degrees….Sigh, It has been lovingly packed away for the colder temps of November so as to not be dubbed a crazy old lady with the wool scarf in April…But I will be counting the days until it will be unwrapped again and worn. The gray one will be a gift and sent on its way soon. Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou.
I am intrigued by the coloring, I have been looking for something to do that doesn’t involve electronics to quiet the mind. Maybe I might just try it.
Give coloring a try, Cindy! I’m so happy you like the scarves! That yarn I used in the pink scarf was a special treat – I’d never used it before and I love it. xo
April Fool’s Day is a special day at our house. My son John was born on 4-1. So, we always have a celebration for him. You never know what he’ll get tho being that it is April Fool’s Day. I’m headed out to spend the day with him. He’s moved back to Oklahoma so it’ll be so much closer to visit.
Have a great weekend,
Judy
So happy to hear that John is living close by, Judy! Happy Birthday to John! Have a wonderful day with your son. xoxo
Good Morning Claudia! Certainly looks like you’re all set on the sharpening end. You can always take one…or two…with you when you have to travel. Great bookmark. Just finished “A Man Called Ove” – if you have a chance, read it. I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not, but I loved it. A very quick read that made me laugh out loud in places. Am now reading “The Light Between Oceans” which is another I wasn’t sure about (too much hype), but so far (about 100 pages or so into it) I am really enjoying it and finding the language beautiful at times. Happy weekend to you and Don (my phone weather app showed the possibility of rain mixed with snow for us tomorrow night…but I’m not going to think about that!).
I’ve heard other people talk about that book, Vera. I need to read it, I think! I have The Light Between Oceans in my TBR pile. I’ll get to it at some point!
We have a rain/snow mix coming in on Sunday and Monday. Really? Isn’t it spring?
ATTICUS.
That name says it all.
I’m anxious to read your review of the sharpeners.
Have a lovely day.
Monica
You too, Monica! Some pet that we adopt in the future is going to get the name Atticus. It’s a given.
How is Don today? Hope better. Have a relaxing day. I plan on reading and sewing on this rainy day.
Still not great, Doris. We’re hoping the antibiotics kick in very soon. Have a lovely day.
The Staedtler one on the right is the other sharpener I have (besides the Palamino one). I used the Staedtler the other day when I was coloring, and it worked wonderfully on my colored pencils. You were right about the Palamino one – not so much.
The Palamino is great for graphite pencils – the best – but not so great for colored pencils. I’m going to give the Staedtler a try today, Melanie.
I am not a fan of April Fools jokes or pranks. I also do not find them funny. That said, I love April. Both of my Grands have birthdays this month along with my son in law and my niece. It’s a good month for celebrating! I have to take Mom to get her taxes done today and short visit with the Grands then home to rest. Sara and Blake are making an IKEA trip and I have a few things I’m getting. I need to organize my spare room a lot more and these items will help. Mostly rest all weekend and some ‘humming’ (thanks for that tip). I will start Beach Music this weekend I think. Hoping Don starts feeling better soon.
hugs,
Linda
Rest, my friend. I’m just getting in to Beach Music, though it’s taking me a while – I think it’s because I’m distracted by Don’s ankle, etc.
I’m so excited to see the new beginnings of your Hollyhocks. What a joy! I am always looking for a good pencil sharpener. I’m very picky about them. I have not started coloring yet, but I love my Ticonderoga pencils and will not use anything else for crosswords and Sudoku. Have a wonderful Friday!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
I love my Palamino Blacking pencils for crosswords – I know how it is to have a favorite pencil!
I am not a fan of April Fools Day either…except it was the day my parents were married. They had no choice as he was shipping out the next day on a naval vessel in WWII. It was always a joke in our family that after four kids maybe they should make it legal. (Of course it was legal all along.). Other than that, I just don’t get the jokes.
Love all of your sharpeners. Each time I’m in a store I look and think, maybe I should try coloring. But each time I pass them by. Who knows, one day I may succumb to the temptation.
Blessings,
Betsy
What a lovely memory to have on April Fool’s! Your parents’ anniversary!
I hope your hollyhock blooms like crazy!
Everyone’s gardens here in SoCalif are exploding with color. I extend my errand-running to just cruise in the car and see what’s going on. It’s a real treat for us here. I didn’t realize we’d gotten just enough rain, finally, to have this occur.
A pencil sharpener post would be helpful. Some of us are newer at this. Thanks.
We have blue lupine growing wild in our greened-up foothills. Mustard and poppies. In open spaces between hillside homes just off city streets. I stopped the car and just couldn’t believe it. With the drought, I haven’t seen this in YEARS. I almost cried. It’s so beautiful. I have a special affection for lupine. In my youth, you’d see whole meadows of it.
One time…only once…my mother pulled an April Fool’s Day joke on us kids. We woke up on the weekday morning and she said the clocks had stopped in the night with a power failure, so that school had started hours ago and we were late. I loved school so I just howled. Of course she quickly reassured me and never tried THAT again! I guess you could say I was a sensitive child.
Great story, Vicki!
Well, I’m very new at it! So, we’ll learn together. I love lupine – I had some in my garden at one time, but it didn’t do well here, for some reason. I well remember those California poppies!
Sorry to hear about Don’s ankle not improving. We had a similar situation here recently with my husband but it was centered in his elbow. He ended up ontwo regimes of different antibiotics and thankfully the second one worked. Turned out it was a Strep G infection. A different strain than the one which causes strep throat. This one, according to the doctor attaches itself to the skin and causes infection. We had never heard of it before and it was a 4 week process to rid his body of this nasty bug. I hope the antibiotics kick in soon for Don.
Hopefully, you will not see too much snow as your plants are looking nice and healthy. Have a good weekend.
I know – there is snow in the forecast and I’m sure, given the rain/snow combination it will be heavy and wet. I’m going to be running around, clearing it off my plants!
claudia, I can’t wait to see what color the hollyhock will be!
It should be the same color as last year – a lovely rose color.
April Fool’s jokes do not amuse me either Claudia…I am so glad to see that your beautiful hollyhock is coming back again this year…it is such a pretty color…I need a good sharpener too so I could use some tips from you…What a nice little bookmark Don gave you…I’m sorry to hear he is hurting…tell him I saw him on Frasier yesterday morning…Happy Spring April 1st!!
I’ll let Don know, Nancy! Thank you.
Claudia, I am so sorry that Scout is gone.
You have written often about the magic she has brought to your life. Please dont underestimate the magic that you and Don brought to her life as well. Think about it, every day of Scouts life she knew she was loved, and adored. She never starved, or was cold. She played, and went on adventures and she always knew mom and dad would be there. As far as I am concerned that is magical. Scout was a lucky lucky little dog
Thank you, Janice.