As the weather warms, more green is coming out on all the trees. It is lovely around our place, as well as on the drives we’ve been taking. The redbud has finished its flower show. Several mornings this past week have been foggy like this in the early morning.
The purple petunias in the hanging baskets are apparently very happy.
With all the spring green outside, I decided to bring that color inside for a nice tablescape. Spring green chargers and napkins provide the color, with a centerpiece of green, white and pink.
The settings have white china plates and shallow salad bowls with a pretty edge design. Crystal water glasses and individual salt and pepper shakers complete the settings with the nicer silver flatware.
The napkin rings have flowers and butterflies.
The centerpiece is composed of pink, green and white silk flowers and leaves in my white ceramic basket.
The simple table is inviting, and we’ll use it for daily meals. All we need now is some good food.
Looking in the refrigerator, there wasn’t enough leftover of any one thing to make a meal for both of us. So my Anything Quiche came to the rescue, this time with a refrigerated crust. Leftover pork roast was chopped into bite size pieces, then put in the crust with the remains of a bag of fresh spinach, two mushrooms sliced thin and some onion and garlic. I beat four eggs with some milk for the quiche, and topped it with colby jack cheese. Yum! We had half of it for dinner one night, and the other half later.
I have lamented in the past about no one using or wanting good china anymore, but while I was searching on the internet for ideas on what to do with it, I ran across a forum post where someone said just use it. Treat it like it is for everyday use. She advocated putting it in the dishwasher, and not worrying if the metal rims got a little shabby. If it is not worth anything, as china seems not to be these days, then why not? So, I put my china back in the hutch, and served my friends snacks on the butter plates for our card playing day.
In the sewing room, I finished the revision of the produce bag, and I have it figure out now. I plan to make several more for sale at the Fall Fiber Fair.
After another week of growing, the second bloom on the amaryllis began to open. It looked like this one would have two blooms.
But, as it opened more, it is clear that there will be four! The last two are smaller, but I am astonished at this. It has never done this in all the years I have had this bulb.
Slowly, the flowers are spreading apart, getting larger and opening. It take a few more days for it to fully open.
Warming weather means our car clubs are getting more active. Yesterday a bunch of MINI club members met at an English pub restaurant in Black Mountain for food and fellowship. We didn’t do a drive this time, just met at the pub to support a business that is trying to get back on track after the hurricane. The parking lot was small, and several cars had to park on the street. But we did get three of the cars together. It was a nice gathering, and we look forward to the next one. Our MINI is the red one in the middle.
This coming week, I’ll be speaking to a quilt guild with my program on Scrap Dancing, and teaching my To The Nines class. Then a drive with another car club, and our guild meeting will round out the week’s activities. I’m making progress on Koi Pond, and I’ll show you that on Tuesday.
What’s on your schedule this week? Do anything fun last week?
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From My Carolina Home 
Your amaryllis keeps serving up pleasant surprises this year. I followed a MINI on my way to the rec center yesterday. So of course I thought of you. 😉
Hi there! I trust that you are having a wonderful Sunday. And, if you are a mom, that you have a great Mothers day.
I have recently become part of a quilting group that is meeting for a retreat in Asheville in August. It’s exciting because it’s been 7 years, since moving from Massachusetts that I have had the opportunity.
I had been wondering about the need for more small quilts for the area. You answered that question in your recent email that the need has been met! I love the generosity of stitchers!
Charlie
You are going to be busy this week Carole! I am going to spend some of the afternoon sewing, but must do the weekly cleaning as well. For sewing I am shortening the straps on Evie’s prom dress and then I want to make a few tree blocks before spending some time cleaning up. We planted LOTS yesterday, so today just need to watch for wilting on the transplants.
you are right about the china – no one seems to want good china anymore – might just as well use it. I have a partial set of my grandma’s it is missing some pieces here and there and it sits in the cabinet never being used – I forget it is even there – one day I should just pack it up and ask the siblings if any of them want it – I don’t consider myself the lucky one any more to have gotten it – I could use the 3 shelves for something else.
Your Spring tablescape is just beautiful, Carole! You have the perfect dishes and colors for it. The petunia basket looks great – I just planted mine yesterday, so they have a ways to go before they fill out the pot like that. I agree on using the china. I inherited Mike’s mom’s china because he bought it for her when he was in Japan in the Navy. It’s gorgeous – and so silly for it to sit in the box in my basement! We are playing some golf this week, and meeting Mike’s sister and husband for lunch. It should be a good week!
Thanks – I started using my “good” china too. I have several sets and I was using these awful clear glass ones I got “somewhere” and theywere so scratched – so the Christmas comes out, the Thanksgiving comes out and the Easter comes out at random times, it’s just pretty flowers. (And there are still 2 more sets in storage that I’m hoping are smashed to pieces.) Love the bag and all the wonderful pictures! Thanks!
The table setting is gorgeous! The petunias are amazing–what deep color! The quiche looks so good. And yay for using the good china.
Carole, your table looks lovely. Yes, use the china! The amaryllis is gorgeous!
Years ago I took one of my china butter plates and left it in the dishwasher for months. It wasn’t degraded at all so I never hand washed china again! I did have one very expensive set of china that Chris’ Mom gave is. It had 22k gold on it. I sold that set to Replacements because we never used it. I still have 3 other sets! I probably use the Christmas china the most and it’s never been hand washed.
Your white ceramic basket holding the flowers for the table centre is lovely. What a pretty piece.
Your table is really pretty! And I love that your mini gang just got together to dine out and support a restaurant. My last week left much to be desired but I did get plants from the nursery so at least something was productive. It has been a tough go.
I was just checking your Sunday blog to see if you had gone to Shenandoah National Park in your antique car. We were there hiking on Mothers Day and saw so many pass by. I wondered if you were among them. It doesn’t appear that you were there but it was fun seeing the cars and their variations.
Hello Carole,
}Please accept this long overdue e-mail. You have been a staple in my inbox for years through your diverse interests. Take your well deserved break but I do hope forward to any messages you may send.
Your very recent koi project especially interested me. I have some fabrics similar to yours that are nagging at me. You are inspiring me! Please keep us ,or just me , updated.
Many thanks,
Mary