How surprised are you to see ducklings here? After I mentioned them, you were probably thinking, “Ginny will never get ducks. She’s too sensible for that.” I can’t imagine what came over me-so weird.
They do smell pretty bad. And they are in my bathtub. I have to clean it out every evening so that the smell doesn’t keep me awake. But they are otherwise quite charming and I love them so much. Mabel calls them, “Duck-a-lins,” which is adorable. We ended up with four buff orpington ducklings and while I have names chosen for them, I can’t tell them apart yet. They do very cute things, even down to the way they arrange themselves while resting.
I hope your Easter week has been a good one, albeit so different than usual. I watched Easter Vigil in my living room and my girls complained that I had it too loud during the homily when they were trying to go to sleep. We all watched Mass on Sunday morning together. The younger kids dressed up, the older boys did not. I confess I did not either. After Mass Jonny and Gabe made up clues for our annual scavenger hunt. Later, we had Easter egg hunts and Larkspur supervised egg dyeing. I’m so grateful that I basically have Martha Stewart living with me. On Easter Monday Lark hosted a tea party for the younger kids that featured tiny quiches and mini cakes decorated with candied lilacs. The thought of organizing anything like that makes me very tired.
In other energetic young person accomplishment news, Gabe made a bridge to cross a little creek in our woods that I have complained about him driving his dirt bike through. I was pretty impressed with it. In tired old person accomplishment news, I finished the Noah’s Ark quarantine puzzle we started many weeks ago.
Anybody else having terrible allergies this year? My allergies get a little bit worse every year. I’ve been spending many hours outdoors everyday which doesn’t help but I can’t stop! I have had several questions about my methods for starting seeds. I was thinking about doing a little video about the different things I have tried this year because I have had very mixed results! Then maybe we could discuss and those of you that are more knowledgeable could weigh in. Maybe I’ll do that as soon as I figure out how to correctly pronounce coconut “coir.” Ha!
p.s. Thank you for your prayers for my sister, Angie. She tested negative for COVID 19 and positive for flu A of which she had a nasty case. She is feeling much better now!
p.p.s. Jonny’s firm has started having photo contests each week that they work from home. Last week’s theme was “Show us your sidekick.” We entered the first photo below, but I thought you might enjoy the others as well. Working from home is challenging, isn’t it?
Mindy H says
Ducklings are so cute! My parents had a pet duck. They do not live in the country.
My brother won it for his girlfriend at a carnival. Her mother wouldn’t let her bring it home. He asked my parents to keep the tiny duckling until he found it a home. After a few days Mom said, “Don’t bother, it is home.” Dad named it Spike. Then it grew up and started laying eggs. They changed the name to Spikey Ann.
She lived in a big hutch perched on a red wagon so she could move around the house with them, inside and out She had a wading pool in the backyard, which she preferred to the full sized swimming pool. She had a harness and leash. They took her for walks in the neighborhood. They found a neighbor at the end of the block also had a pet duck. They would walk their ducks together.
Spikey Ann ate all the bugs in the yard. But she also ate all the tender greens which meant Mom had no flowers or veggies either. All those had to be planted out of duck’s reach or in the front yard. They were the only house in the neighborhood with a kitchen garden beside the front porch.
Spikey Ann lived with my parents for 8 years. She came into their lives shortly after my brother and I moved out. She was the answer to their “empty nest”. They remember her fondly. I remember the stench. 😉
Deanna says
Oh my, lilacs! I can almost smell them.
Kelli Ramey says
Have you tried a neti pot? It is hard to learn to use them correctly, but well worth it. The old school ones that look like genie’s lamps work best.
Daryl W Conner says
Your photos of flowers and greenery give me hope. I am in mid-coast Maine, and we are still in mud season. Daffodils and tulips are sprouting but won’t bloom for a while. The work from home pictures are classic. I hope he wins!
Theresa Boedeker says
Love those working at home pictures. I bet some of his co-workers had funny ones too. Sometimes wonder how we get much done.
LaurenS says
Gabe’s bridge is amazing! So nice to have a handyperson around!!!
Angela Pitout says
oh blessed easter to you all. i hope the your allergies clear up. i have noticed our little Danika is starting on hers now too as we go into the colder months here in south africa. i am also so very pleased your sister is on the mend too.
the laughing goat has to be my favourite – i had a good chuckle. as always your moments captured are so precious and beautiful.
keep well!
Connie Durvin says
Jonny’s picture wins. The end!
Kate McAuliffe says
Hi,
So yes, I would love for you to do a video on what you have tried. We grew our food for many years. I love your raised beds. I am in Kentucky where clay is king so raised beds I think will work better here than where we were before where we had very well drained soil.
The ducks are cute at this point. So what is the plan going forward? What will they be doing? Besides entertaining?
Working from home is a difficult adjustment. I was working from home before COVID hit, but my co-workers are having a few issues. On the plus side, everyone I work with has about once a week sent various fun things for everyone to chime in on and I think it is making us stronger as an organization.
I loved the last picture of the goat. She reminds me so much of a goat we had named Lady. Thank you for taking the time to share!
Take care and stay healthy,
Kate
Missy says
Absolutely love the last photo. I can hear the goat from here!
Stephanie says
Beautiful post, as always, Ginny. Happy Easter. I am Eastern Orthodox and we have that same icon of the Resurrection at home. Tonight is our Paschal Divine Liturgy because tomorrow is our Easter. Very different this year, but thankful all the same.
May your week be blessed and full of joy!
Wendy says
Your posts never cease to be a source of delight! When my youngest was about Mabel’s age he pronounced “duckling”, “duck-a-ling” so now we say it that way most of the time. 🙂 Did Jonny’s work at home photo win?
Cathy Bittner says
Can you tell me where you got your Noah’s ark puzzle? Who makes it? Thinking that jigsaw puzzles would be a good thing to do these days. Thanks
Kate says
My oldest daughter is Martha-Stewart-esque. When she became a teenager she took over party plans. Hers were much better than mine. She is a kindergarten teacher now and is always coming up with clever activities for her kids. She is getting married in the Fall and I expect a lovely reception, despite a small budget.
I like to start some of my seeds on damp paper towels in plastic baggies on top of the refrigerator. When they germinate, I tear off pieces of paper towel with the seed and transplant to small pots. Since I’m impatient, this cuts down on the time I’m staring at potting soil expectantly.
Marilyn says
How nice of Larkspur to have a tea party. The chicks are adorable. My allergies are not so good theses days.
Marilyn
eileen says
Beautiful pictures and your Easter sounded lovely. Please send Lark to my house, I would love a tea party!
Oh, doing a video of what you did in the garden would be fantastic! Please do it soon, we are not planting here yet (11.5″ of snow the other day), but soon. Moved to a much smaller yard and will be doing raised box planting this year,(first time for me), and could use a lot help.
Thanks Giny
Marion says
Larkspur is such a help. The tea party is so lovely. A nice bunch of chicks. Happy to read that your sister is doing better. My Asthma is the worse during October and April.
Have a nice week-end.
Marion
Cheryl H says
My favorite pet as a child was a dear little male duck, whose name was predictably, Daffy. Enjoy them, they a lovely little beings.
Joan says
Ginny the picture is hilarious. Glad that your sister is feeling better. My allergy is worse in the Fall. The chicks are cute.
Joan
Petra says
I like one anecdote: Kohn has a small apartment, a wife, ten childern. He goes to his rabbi. Rabbi, what should I do? The rabbi thinks and says: Go and invite mother-in-law and father-in-law to visit. Khon will, but the apartment is really small and Khon is unhappy. Rabbi, what to do? he says again.
The rabbi tells him: Take your dog, cat, hen, geese, duck, sheep and goat to your home. Kohn really takes all the animals home. The situation is crazy, Kohn is crazy. He goes to the rabbi and says: I have a very small apartment, I have a wife, ten children, mother-in-law and father-in-law, and all the animals. I want to die! What should I do? The rabbi says: Go home and send the animals and mother-in-law and father-in-law away. The next day Kohn comes to the synagogue and says: Rabbi, you are a wise man, I have a very large apartment.
I like your photo: Jonny, childern, PC, ducks and goat 😀
Susie says
I pronounce it “choir” like a group of people that sing together. Is that correct?! I feel like it is ha ha!
Elisabeth Leake says
Hah! I don’t think many people would say they were getting distracted by goats while working at home, but I’m glad that happens to be a part of y’all’s life. : )
The pictures are so springy. I love the flowers. Here in Minnesota, we are slowly getting spring, but we’re not to that point.
Stephanie says
Love the pictures. Especially the smiling goat.
Emily DeArdo says
The third picture of Johnny made me laugh SO HARD! That face! It’s perfect.
Can you send the Martha Stewart-esque Lark to me? I have plans but I need someone to help me execute them!
YES, allergies this year are awful! And I’ve been freaking out because I thought it was a sinus infection thing and I can’t get into my ENT until JUNE. I know it’s not a sinus infection (I don’t have a fever or that awful pain in my head), but right now I’m jumpy at everything!
Cheryl Wright says
Ginny, you have lilacs blooming! I have buds, so there is hope for the end of May. Thank you for reminding us of the good things in life. God has given us the time to do just that beginning with Him.
Gillian R Hadden says
We have 17 ducks. And 16 in the incubator getting ready to hatch today/tomorrow! Good sense is overrated. 😉