Once Again Blogging from A to Z

Once again Buttercupland is joining the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. I first started to participate in the Challenge in 2013 and have been part of it in most of the years that followed. I skipped both 2023 and 2024 because I was traveling during April. But this year my trip of the year (maybe decade) will take place in May and I'm able and happy to join the Blogging Challenge.

I initially thought that my theme for year was going to be a return to coffee, which has been a popular choice in the past. But the more I thought about it, travel popped into my mind. My trip in May will include four countries I've never been to before and I'd like to share in posts. I've also got a trip planned for November. While this trip is not to a far away or exotic destination, it's been one of my dream trips for a number of years. That's a post to come, too. 

I'll start my Challenge posts on Tuesday, April 1 with A. But I'm leaving the destination up to friends who comment. I love Arizona and so enjoyed my trip a year ago. I'm also a fan of Australia -- great trip in 2018, and Alaska, where I traveled in 2010. What's your choice, friends? It's a Readers' Choice. 

Watching the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia 2018

The Desert Botanical Garden, Scottsdale, Arizona 2024 

Today was eighty degrees and for the first time in months, I went out without a jacket. It was just a day of errands -- post office, library and the grocery -- but what an amazing feeling. I'd almost forgotten what it's like to be out without a coat and gloves and it was as good as I remembered. What was on your schedule today?

As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a good weekend.  

    

Can Real Spring Can Far Behind?

It was spring on Saturday...

And then it was back to winter 

I've got no pictures of our return to winter yesterday -- a lot of rain for pictures -- but it was dreary, cold and winter coat weather. I guess I was overly excited last week when I wrote about spring and thought I wouldn't see my winter coat again. Ha!

It seems the relatively mild weather of the last few winters have erased my memories of what early spring days really feel like, which is winter. Once again, welcome to Fake Spring. I didn't plan to, but I've retrieved my gloves and scarf and even have boots on standby for possible snow tomorrow. Snow! 

I'm surprised that Fake Spring still comes unexpected to me. I've lived through 70 winters that I can remember and 67 of them in New York City and New England. I remember snow in May in Connecticut and yet, I'm still surprised by a cold day in late March.  

Yet, on reflection, I'm not really surprised. I get through the short, cold, dark days of winter and think that it doesn't bother me "that much." But once the days get longer and just a little warmer my entire mood shifts. Add in a few green shoots coming up and I'm a new person, practically humming while I walk down the street. 

I just checked the weather and it's ten degrees warmer than yesterday and the sun is shining. The snow forecast seems to have drifted away and my mood has lifted. But I know that it's still Fake Spring and I will keep my gloves on call. I also know that one day, and that day is not that far away, it will be Real Spring. If Fake Spring is here can Real Spring be far behind?    

On this almost Real Spring Tuesday, I'm off to the gym, the post office and coffee with a friend. What are your Tuesday plans today?

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a terrific Almost Spring Tuesday.

 

It Might as Well Be Spring

 

A sign of the times

Last Friday I saw one of my favorite urban signs of spring, the soft ice cream truck. Some people look for the first robin, but I'd be waiting quite awhile to see a robin, so I'm going with an ice cream truck. Spring -- officially the spring equinox -- begins in a little less than an hour, but for me it began with my first ice cream truck sighting. What is the thing that says spring to you? 

Besides the ice cream truck, I'm loving the longer days. I know there's disagreement over daylight savings, but I'll trade a day or two of disrupted sleep for more light. I feel that I've been given hours to walk and be outside, and it's such a treat. I'm also loving buds on the trees, and the very first spring flowers. Pictures of both coming soon. 

I took my first overnight trip of 2025 last weekend and visited friends in Philadelphia. I haven't been in Philadelphia for years and loved exploring my friends' neighborhoods, Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy. We walked, drank coffee, talked and talked and stopped at one of the best bakeries I've been to on any continent, Machine Shop. We had a sampler of baked goods, but the Cara Cara, a croissant filled with delicious orange creme was my favorite. 

This croissant was as delicious as anything I ate last year in Paris

 and I had some amazing pastry in Paris last year. 

Somehow 2025 is racing by. I'm thrilled for spring and warmer weather, but the list of things I'd hoped to get done is far from getting done. Less writing and less reading than I'd hoped to do and that's my goal for the weekend and next week. Happily I am on track with my walking for the month and consistent with going to the gym. I'm pleased about both of those things. Once again, I'm amazed that exercise is high on my list. What have been the high points of March for you?

As ever, thanks for visiting and happy spring! 

 

(Extremely) Low Spending March (Part I)

 

Pleased to say that I avoided temptation in the checkout aisle at Trader Joe's 

I'm happy that I started 2025 with No-Spending January. I got into a good not-shopping habit early in the year and besides buying Valentines and a few Easter cards and stickers, that was my buying for February. I did buy a pair of shoes -- Clark's for $9.95 and a pair of panty hose for $1.99 -- early this month and that may be my buying for the month, food and household goods excepted.  

But I'm also taking a closer look at my food buying. I already eat most meals at home and very rarely get deliveries, but I realized I needed to look much closer at impulse food buys, like the snacks in the photo above. The foods that line the check-out aisle are often my downfall. They're not expensive, usually not more than three dollars. But I realized three dollars here and three dollars there when I'm at Trader Joe's four or five times a week is an easy twenty dollars every month and hundreds of calories.  

I'm not depriving myself of treats and snacks and an iced coffee here and there, but I'm trying to be as thoughtful with food and snacks as I am with buying "things." I'll let you know how it goes, but I'm looking at saving ten dollars/week without much effort. 

I'm not sure how we got to the second week of March, but here we are, and it's a sunny second week of March. It was sixty plus degrees today and a fabulous day to be out and walking. I started with a dental appointment -- gratefully, no issues -- picked up a prescription and spent time outside with an iced coffee and perfect spring weather. Yes, I'm thinking carefully about snacks, but this was a perfect treat on a beautiful day. Money well spent. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and hope that spring is around the corner where you live, too. 

Can Spring Be Far Behind?

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden two Sundays ago

It was above freezing two Sundays ago, though you wouldn't know it from the ice on the pond. Yesterday was somewhere in the 20's and today was only a slightly more balmy mid-thirties, but tomorrow is forecast for 53 degrees and the same for the rest of the week. We might be able to call it spring very shortly. 

But two Sundays ago I was desperate for a change of scenery and yes, a little green without going very far. Thanks to the miracle of the subway, in a little more than half an hour I was in Brooklyn for brunch and more than a little green at the Botanic Garden. 

When the weather permits the Garden is in magnificent bloom and the cherry trees are legendary, with a cherry blossom festival. But there is so much more to see, and for the first time in a number of visits, I went to the greenhouses. There were plants from different climates and I especially enjoyed the tropical and desert environments. Greenhouses are the perfect places to visit on a cold day and it was so hot that I definitely needed to take my coat off. I loved the change of scenery that was a hop, skip and a subway ride away. 

I found beautiful orchids in the tropical greenhouse

There was a greenhouse devoted to Bonsai and I almost succumbed to buying one in the giftshop. Fortunately -- for the bonsai -- I stopped myself when I remembered that I am not a skilled gardener and bonsai need a lot of attention. 

A day isn't complete without coffee

Before I arrived at the Garden I fortified myself with this lovely cappuccino and an egg sandwich. The description "egg sandwich" doesn't do justice to the brunch entree I ordered. The bread was a sweet potato brioche and the sandwich included hash browns. It was the perfect yummy breakfast/lunch for a cold winter Sunday. I will definitely return and share  another coffee creation.   

I'm not quite sure why, but I feel busy these days. I don't feel that I'm doing more than I've been doing for awhile or, it may be,  age is creeping up on me and my store of energy isn't boundless. It hasn't been for awhile, but it seems less boundless this winter. I may just need a good dose of sunshine to perk me up. Anyone else needing sunny days?

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

Kind Hearts

 

Are Healthier Hearts!

This wonderful wall mural in Bondi Beach, Australia caught my eye while I was in Australia in 2018. I thought of it after reading this fabulous post by my dear blogger buddy The Frog and PenguInn. The post was about Random Acts of Kindness Day, which was celebrated on Monday, February 17. I'm a little late to the celebration, but as our bloggy buddy wrote, "It's never too late to celebrate kindness."  

While I was thinking about writing this post the words "kind hearts" came to mind. I did a lot of poking around on line and found that literally kind deeds help our hearts. Really! There were a number of articles, but I found this one, The Science of Kindness, on the University Hospitals (Cleveland) website to have a great set of information. There is both a podcast and the transcript of the podcast and though it may seem lengthy there was great information. The summation really caught my attention. 

"The simple human act of kindness has numerous health benefits. It can help you experience fewer aches and pain and lower your blood pressure. It can protect your overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease. It’s free, widely available and has no side effects."

I'm not a physician and I'm not beginning to suggest tossing away your medications, but I am prescribing random acts of kindness. 

On a different note, it's been a cold and windy while in New York City. I didn't make plans to go away and I certainly will give it a lot more thought for next winter. But in the meantime let's take a virtual trip to Australia where it's summer. Sounds good to me. 

Even an overcast day on Bondi Beach is looking good right now. 

View of Sydney from the harbor

The iconic Sydney Opera House 

I hope these memories of Sydney have made these chilly winter days feel a little warmer. I know they have for me. Is anyone else having warm weather dreams? 

As ever, thanks for visiting and keep cozy! 

    

Hello, Young Lovers

 

It's still Valentine's Day in New York City

I'm not sure how I missed celebrating Valentine's Day in Buttercupland. I got somewhat overwhelmed by all the Instagram festivities and before I knew it, it was February 15 and then February 16. But during my walk today I realized that it was Valentine weekend in New York and there were still Valentine signs throughout the neighborhood. The picture above is the window of our local stationery store. I didn't get pictures of the Valentine cards still on display at CVS, but I did get a picture of a couple with heart balloons sitting on a bench in the median on Broadway.

It's still heart time on Broadway

I had a fun Valentine's Day, with actual cards, email cards and text messages. So there are definitely no complaints about my celebration. But seeing all the flowers and balloons around got me to thinking of my younger years and romantic Valentine days. Alas, they are past and I had a few moments of nostalgic for those days/years of romance past. The words to George Gershwin's "But Not for Me," came to mind: "They're writing songs of love, but not for me." 

I had a little -- very little -- sniffle and then these words came to me. These lyrics are from one of my favorite musicals, "The King and I," and the song is "Hello, Young Lovers." Anna sings to her late husband and remembers her life in England. "Hello, young lovers, whoever you are. I hope your troubles are few. All my good wishes go with you tonight. I've had a love like you." If Anna could find romance in Siam/Thailand when least expected I realized that there's hope for Buttercup in New York City. I remembered my perfect word for 2025, dream, and saw that romance might be just about the future. What do you think, friends? Is romance around the corner for those of us in the senior set? 

What's on your schedule for the week ahead? I've got book club tomorrow. I loved our book this month, The Man Who Died Twice, by Richard Osman. It's part of a four book series about a group of amateur detectives at a retirement community in Southern England. I've read them all and enjoyed them very much. Eagerly waiting for book number five.   

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.