April glory

April arrived with 70-degree weather and a gloriously beautiful day on which my husband took a photograph of our fully bloomed crab apple at the back of the old house. This is a tree I missed when we lived on our "country estate" near my small college on the hill because there was no similar tree in that property and I remembered the take-my-breath-away pleasure that this tree used to give me while we were here.

Yet another reason why it's so good to be back.

Our magnolia, which I mentioned in an earlier post, lost all its flowers now, but this (below) is how it looked at its zenith of beauty (in the front of the house).

Slowly, but quite determinedly, my husband and I keep working on the yard, front and back, to restore this old house to its former beauty. I am excited that it seems a blueberry bush that was killed by neglect has a tiny new growth showing, and that my peonies are sprouting here and there, promising more breathtaking views as spring moves into summer.

Recently, Lizzy discovered one of the neighbor's cats (this one is Bean) on the window across the way. Today, the young couple who recently became our neighbors let their cats out so we met them (the other cat's name is Walter) and Lizzy wanted badly to play with them. She doesn't like other dogs, but she adores cats (and people, of course).

We are awaiting news on the inspection of our "country estate," which is now under a sale contract, and I am beyond eager to have this all behind us. It's been hard to focus on much else when there is so much at stake with this sale. But I'm trying hard to take it a day at a time and to be hopeful.

Like beautiful trees, hope never disappoints.