Belated Awesome April Wrap-up — and a contest!
May 15, 2021
April was a whirlwind for us. Last year we’d planned a spring trip to see our daughter who lives in Bellingham, WA — and due to Covid, we had to postpone until this spring. And since Mr. James and I suspected it’d be our only trip for a while, and we’re both vaccinated, we made a real vacation of it. Which means…lots of vacation pics — lucky you!
We hopped in the RV and headed west, driving across Wyoming. In Utah we stopped at the Great Salt Lake.
And then the Bonneville Salt Flats which were super cool. It looks like snow, doesn’t it? But it is a sea of salt — so cool.
Then we drove through super windy Nevada until we hit the Redwoods in California.
Just for scale, here’s a picture of our RV and Mr. James next to a redwood…
We loved the Redwoods so so much! Glorious country. Then we got to the next item on our list: driving up the 101 coastline! I can’t even tell you how breathtaking the views are and how therapeutic the drive was for us — stopping and hiking whenever we wanted, snapping pictures, parking the RV by the ocean and being lulled to sleep by the crashing waves.
I’m always surprised by how huge the Columbia River is
I love taking pics of wildflowers and it is so cool to see them just growing in clumps here and there. Like these lupines and I don’t know what the orange ones are…
We finally got to Bellingham. So great to see our daughter and her husband. We went hiking a couple of days, even Copper showed his bravery by mimicking his buddy Einstein and jumping up on a log!
Thankfully it only rained one day and the rest of the time we had great weather. There’s so many outdoor activities! Here are pics from a couple of our hikes:
They even talked me into canoeing! I’m proud that I bucked up and did it and didn’t chicken out 😆 this lake is like 5 minutes from their house! It was so much fun.
The other reason we wanted to go in the spring was because there’s a big tulip festival held every year. We were at the very end of the month-long celebration and I honestly couldn’t believe how many flowers there still were actively blooming. I’m sharing the pictures, but nothing can convey how stunning it is to see acres upon acres of tulips as far as the eye can see. And there were so many varieties that looked like roses, some blooms were bigger than my hand, it was truly mind boggling.
Fields of color
Close up bloom and one of the areas inside the park
It was sad to come home. We loved seeing the life our daughter has made is such a spectacular part of the country 💖
WHAT I READ
UGH. I only managed to finish one book in April. Good thing it was a good book! I love Sally Thorne’s writing and this was a sweet, wacky romp 💟
WHAT I LISTENED TO
My BFF hadn’t ever read Sarah J Maas’s fantastic Throne of Glass series, and since I own them all in multiple formats, I bought the narration and we listened to the first six books from the very end of March until I left on vacation. I’ve read these books and I loved that the narration gave them a completely different feel — I caught many things I’d forgotten or missed from the last time I’d read them. HIGHLY RECOMMENED IN ANY FORMAT!!
I was still on a Robert Crais kick (I actually listened to it in March). Love Luke Daniels voice, and the story, as always, was top notch.
Another audiobook I listened to in March was Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris — who wrote it and narrated it. It had such funny, poignant moments. His humor is very self-deprecating and he doesn’t pull any punches in talking about his life experiences. Adored this one.
MUSIC I LISTENED TO
I’ve been dying to get my hands on this Royal Blood CD Typhoons since they released the first song Trouble’s Coming and I sort of freaked out because it is insanely good…and then I heard Boilermaker and put it on repeat — if you really want to be blown away, track down the video! I cannot tell you how much I LOVE THIS BAND. We’ve seen them in concert twice (once with Foo Fighters and once with Queens of the Stone Age) and I still cannot get over how much noise TWO musicians can make. This is rock at it’s BEST.
WHAT I WATCHED
Seriously I’m drawing a blank on this one…mostly because we were gone and didn’t watch TV at all during those 2 weeks…whatever I missed I’ll include next month.
WHAT I COOKED
Again, since we were in the RV, all my cooking adventures were earlier in the month.
My aunt who lives in Arizona sent my parents back to South Dakota with a shit ton of lemons. So when life gives you lemons…make LEMON MERINGUE PIE! I’ve never attempted a lemon meringue pie, and to make it even more challenging, I’m watching sugar intake so I opted to make a low-sugar variety.
It surprised me how little lemon juice was actually in the filling, so naturally I increased it 😂 thankfully it had the perfect amount of tart and sweet 🍋🍋🍋
No, I didn’t make my pie crust (I’m like Vi McKay that way 😆) and you do have to prebake the crust before assembling the pie. Isn’t it pretty?
I’d definitely make this one again! And I did invite my parents over for pie, since they transported the lemons and Mr. James and I don’t need to eat an entire pie ourselves.
Another cooking goal I’ve mentioned was learning to use the appliances I already have for more than just french fries and pizza rolls (looking at YOU air fryer) so when I saw this recipe for breaded chicken in the air fryer, I opted to give it a go. I marinated the chicken breasts overnight in yogurt.
Then I created a breading with panko crumbs, a little flour and crushed protein puffs, which is a little weird, but we had them on hand and I’ve seen them used in keto recipes so I gave it a shot.
If I remember correctly it took about 12-16 minutes to cook these in the air fryer (sprayed generously with cooking spray) and the result was outstanding. Definitely a recipe I’ll make again! Crunchy enough on the outside, moist (I know, I hate that word too) on the inside. Yum.
I had a pork shoulder in the freezer and decided to cook it ala Mississippi Pot Roast style. Instead of ranch dressing, I used a Cuban-style citrus powder, a pork gravy packet, apple cider vinegar and butter. I cannot believe how amazing it turned out. We used that pork for many things that week, but my favorite were these tacos — shredded pork with cilantro, onions, lime and fresh mango. Add in Mr. James vinegar sauce and it might’ve been the best taco I’ve ever eaten!
WHAT I CRAFTED
I finally can show you the piece I did for my oldest daughter for Christmas. It was a kit, but like most things with me, I added my own flourishes. I’m so proud she hung it on her gallery wall! First image is in progress, second image is it finished and framed. I antiqued the frame myself and added the inside border trim. The pic doesn’t do the piece justice, it really is a lot more sparkly in hand.
Part of the fun of doing my “pandemic posies” collection is attempting different types of embroidery. I love cherry blossoms and when I saw this kit…yep, in the cart it went.
It seemed a little sparse looking when I finished it, and I had a ton of thread left over, so I added more to it and worked on my thread shading. Since I used to work in a framing shop, I’m super picky when it comes to framing my work. When I saw this frame, I liked it, but it was a bit meh, so I opted to antique it with pink markers and I am much happier with it now! Doesn’t it look cute?
That’s it for April for me! It was another no writing month, and while I’m sure you’re all a bit disappointed to hear that, I’ve really needed this break from writing. My daughters have called it Mom’s Sabbatical — they know I’ll get back to it when I miss it…I’ve got some great ideas. Once I’m through my spring cleaning — all outside at this point haha — I know I will park myself in front of my laptop and start telling stories again.
Thanks everyone for the condolences. While my uncle’s passing was a sad and unexpected circumstance, it was really good to see family members I hadn’t seen for a long time.
Tell me about your month!
CONTEST — Winner’s choice — a signed book, an audio book, a piece of jewelry, a gift card….you choose! And again, the more you share this contest, and the more participation I get, the more inclined I am to give out multiple prizes 🙂
XOXO
L~
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Dar said:
April had me finally getting back to work fulltime, though still from home, as my current cancer treatments seem not to be having too bad as side-effects. Not surprisingly, more work meant more reading, as it is my best way to relax after a day of working.
Moran said:
Thanks for sharing such beautiful pictures! Glad to hear you enjoyed your vacation and got to spend time with your daughter and her husband.
April was just another month , nothing special for me.
Dionne Dyer said:
Hey, you made my favorite pie though you did not top it with sliced fresh berries as I frequently do in the spring time, maybe next time though. My month was rather chaotic with not much of my normal activities, we’ve had to move unexpectedly and are staying with friends until we can get the new apartment settled so I don’t have a proper kitchen that’s all mine, I miss the cooking but I have gotten quite a bit of knitting in. And I get to make plans for the future.
Also, thanks for the reminder about David Sedaris, I haven’t read him in a while and I should pick him back up again.
Karen Harbur said:
I loved your vacation pictures and thanks for the music recommendations, I just got Boilermaker and Trouble’s Coming. My kitchen has been busy making homemade barbecue sauce for the summer and I finally found a recipe that is very close to my Grandma’s Tomato Preserves. I will be making alot of homemade bread for the Preserves. My newest audiobook was Meant to be Immortal by Lyndsay Sands, I love the Argeneau Series!
Monica said:
I want your chicken recipe. I just bought an oven that had an air fryer in it and I am so hesitant to use it.
Anne said:
You should gives us recipes for the winners you make. After 14 straight months of cooking almost all of our meals I am tapped out.
Chrissy said:
I love the craft pieces you did and I’m very jealous of your vacation. We still haven’t been vaccinated (4 more days until our first shot!). We’re stuck staying close to home, so April was basically just trying to keep the kids busy. We did a few virtual runs, some hikes, and spent way too much time on technology. Here’s hoping summer brings a few more activities and relaxed restrictions.
Maha A. said:
In this month, we return to lock down and stay at home order here in Ontario, Canada. My children returned to online learning which means I returned to be their teacher ( lucky me😭) However, things went better at work. I got to work mostly from home by phone & video calls which makes keeping an eye on my children easier. Occasionally, I ‘ve been interrupted at work by my kids which caused laughs sometimes.
Jenny Black said:
Sounds like you had a lot of fun. We were able to go to the Tulip Festival near the end of the season several years ago. It was still so very beautiful. I miss Washington sometimes.
Lirva Bean said:
The pictures of the Redwoods and the 101 coastline brings back memories of the trip my husband and I took in 2016 with our Airstream. We left Colorado on May 15 (I can’t believe it’s been 5 years) and arrived back home July 3. The first 3 days were just driving to get to Crescent City, CA where our adventure truly began along the 101 coast line to Port Angeles, WA. On June 2 we boarded the ferry with truck and Airstream to Vancouver Island. We spent 10 days on Vancouver Island before crossing back to Port Angeles and making our way back to Colorado arriving home on July 3. We visited too many places to list, but the main highlights were the Redwoods, Vancouver Island and Crater Lake. Next time you go to Bellingham you need to visit Bouchard Gardens in Victoria, BC. You would love it. Happy future adventures.
Judith Cromer said:
My month was not as exciting as yours. I was back and forth to the vet with my cocker. She’s having all kinds of eye problems. Love, loved your pictures. I’m going to snapshot them so I can add them to my puzzle program. I’ll enjoy putting them back together.
Amanda TrimA said:
April was a busy month for me. On top of working alot of extra hours(10-20extra hours per week) to help pay my daughter’s senior year of high school, it was my husband’s 26th birthday month. I also got to go prom dress shopping for my daughter which was exciting because we didn’t think she would have a prom. Graduation plans are in full swing and preparing for her to go to college out of state in the fall.
Judith Cromer said:
Your month was more exciting than mine. Ran back and forth to the vet. Loved your pictures. Think I’ll snapshot them and ad them to my puzzle program.
Lynne Lee said:
April was a difficult time my mother in law has dementia and we have started the process of getting into a facility who can take care of her. It is a very extensive process. Once she is situated we will be starting to get her house ready to sell. I hope everything will be completed by the end of May. Due to this I haven’t had much time to read or watch anything. Your pictures are wonderful I had the good fortune to visit the redwoods with my parents before they passed away. I love all of your crafts.
Jeanine Lesperance said:
The orange flowers are California Poppies. They are the state flower. It love them very much. I love all of your flower pics and the Redwoods. So so great. Glad you had a wonderful vacation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschscholzia_californica
Mary Preston said:
I am loving the cherry blossoms. I do like lemon meringue pie but for some reason it upsets my stomach.
Great travel pictures thank you.
I am reading a lot of who-dun-its and watching Agents of SHIELD.
Erin said:
Thank you! I have to travel vicariously through others- and I have never been to the northwest. My son just got back from a week in Seattle and raves about how beautiful it is.
My youngest graduates HS in another 2 weeks (by the skin of her teeth) and I can stop being a nag. The worst part of the month 🙂
Moving into a new house, and designing a new back yard has been my closet fun for the month….
Donna said:
Your photos were breathtaking! I’ve always wanted to go to the PNW so maybe I’ll plan a trip for next spring.
My April was the same as the previous months. I moved into a brand new townhouse back in late December. Although it’s approaching six months since I’ve been here, there is still wall art to be hung, books to put away, and a few more things before I’ll feel settled in.
Wendy said:
I spent most of April with my son who had leave from Fort Campbell. It was great since I had not seen him since last July. He was deployed during the holiday season. Now I am counting down the days till summer break from my second graders
Joye said:
Thanks for sharing the recipe and the photos. I love that part of the country to visit.
My plans are to visit the san Diego area this summer-not as pretty as Northern California but the beaches are calling me!
Jackie Wisherd said:
Loved seeing the travel pics since I have not been to most of these places. Great photos.
Ellen Bartel said:
Wow, that’s a lot of tulips! Your scenic pictures are beautiful. I can’t wait to get away again. I haven’t read lately but I did listen to the first book of outlander. My most recent watch was the crown.
Copper looks adorable on the log!
Amanda Ralls said:
I had an uneventful month, reread some of my favorite books, help my hubby with some wood crafts.
K. A Bylsma said:
Would that I had something of great import to recount. Sadly, I don’t 😣
I’m so glad you took the PCH !!!! It’s one of my all time favourite drives and area of the USA!
Thanks for all the pictures and the orange flowers are Arctic poppies!
Thanks for the recipes and craft projects, too!
Karen Clementi said:
Wow. Whatta month you’ve had…great picture…great food. Really sorry about your uncle…its never easy.
My month…well not sure it even happened. It’s been a blur, mostly working but it’s warming up…got my strict keto finally moving the weight…did not read enough and audio is not my friend…lol. I fall asleep…your pics are amazing. Hope May is fab for you!!
Bobbie Sue Kearse said:
Let’s see my month. April has my birthday and I turned 46 and was spoiled at a spa for a day. Then I got my garden ready for planting. All and all good month
Caroline Simon said:
The orange flowers are California poppies. My daughter found a condo last month and the closing is next week. So excited for her!
Nikki H said:
I love traveling vicariously through you. We have missed our road trips, and your pictures brought back some great memories. Your art work is gorgeous, and I especially admire that piece of embroidery. Maybe it’s time to step back into the craft room.
bn100 said:
celebrated Mother’s Day
Terry scarangella said:
Beautiful pictures, and I don’t know how you have the time to embroider
flchen1 said:
Love seeing your travel pics, Lorelei! We did a super quick trip for our daughter to see the college campuses she was deciding between. A couple great meals and a super fast backyard visit with some friends, and home, so no cute pics for us, LOL! I love your gorgeous embroidery–those cherry blossoms are lovely! And we just made pork shoulder too–we enjoyed some carnitas tacos too! And the kids are having nachos tonight with homemade guacamole!
Brenda Jewell said:
I so want to make a lemon pie with more lemon less sugar. Your pie sounds yummy and amazing.
Brenda Jewell said:
I so want to make a lemon pie with more lemon less sugar. Your pie sounds yummy and amazing. So I am looking into different lemon pie recipes.
Margaret S Barton said:
I thoroughly enjoyed that post
Amy Perrault said:
For April we got together with family for Easter before the lockdown we are still having till beginning of June. I finally met my great nephew & played with my great niece who remembered me from my birthday cause she gave me a kiss & only gives kisses to my mom lol! I got spoiled by my husband & daughter & furbaby for Mother’s Day & saw my parents today when they stopped by to visit after cleaning there camper for the summer. My husband’s birthday is Monday & going to spoil him & then the long weekend for us!!
Erin Dixon said:
I loved the tulips. That is one of my favorite flowers. So beautiful. I so enjoy getting your monthly newsletter. Thanks for all you do. Hope you have a great May.
Diane Decker said:
Good news this month. Don’t have to have the THIRD abdominal surgery since January 2020. Am now cancer free, at least for a while. Your books got me through some of the worst times of my life. Going through cancer treatment during a pandemic, thus being isolated from everyone but medical personnel was the pits. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now.
Elisa said:
Wow! Your travel pictures are gorgeous! I’m glad you had this opportunity to do some travelling and to visit your daughter. And your crafts are beautiful! Well done! You’re right, you have needed time off from writing. Only you know when it is time to get back to writing, if you even ever want to write again. Just know that I will not judge, just support you.
I really miss hiking the most. But we’ve been under lockdown so may times in Ontario, Canada. And all of the provincial and national parks and hiking trails are officially closed and have been since last March. I know there are people hiking them anyway (lawbreakers!), but I don’t want to be hypocritical, so I haven’t been out hiking since Fall 2019.
April was mostly gardening related for me. I’ve also been baking more than normal. Before CoVID we used to eat dessert with dinner occasionally. Since last summer, we’ve been eating dessert with lunch AND dinner, everyday. So I’m constantly baking to keep up.
Audiobook: I listened to Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere as well as Everything I Never Told You. I really enjoyed both stories. Little Fires had a very gut-wrenching, hurts you to the soul story-line. But it also showed what a mother’s love can overcome. Usually I try to multi-task while I’m listening to audiobooks, but with these, I found myself stopped in what I was doing just so I could better pay attention to the story!
Juli Hall said:
We finally moved into our new house, Yay!! After being homeless for a month our new house was finally finished after many postponements. Living with my mom and sister for a month was nice but I was so ready to be in my own space. Now the unpacking….ugh.
Shelley Gaddie said:
I love lemon meringue pie. Unfortunately my filling is always a little runny. Now my husband, he can make a pie with one had ties behind his back. His pies always turn out perfectly!
That tulip farm is BEAUTIFUL! My friend has a flower shop. We just finished Mother’s day last weekend. She had some beautiful tulips but nothing as pretty as your pictures.
Sending hugs and hearts your way. 🥰
Anne Fortunato said:
Luke Daniels is the best…I will listen to anything he narrates but I love the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne best.
Aly P said:
I am in awe of your patience, I could never do embroidery and I always admire people who do….
Now that you’re back home you should watch Shadow and Bone on Netflix, it’s really good!
Debra M Bard said:
Love your books. Always look forward to reading your blog.
marta cox said:
Love your books and tulips are so pretty but sadly don’t last long
Shirley Long said:
April was actually pretty quite and peaceful for us. Thank you for sharing all the beautiful photos. What a fantastic trip.
Pamela Gomes said:
Happy mid-May to you!
First things first, if no one share that the orange flower is the California Poppy, now you know. (It’s California’s state flower.)
April was busy watching the grandson get ready to crawl and we enjoyed the early Easter. I’ve been trying out Amish Friendship bread starter recipes since that starter is so prolific.
I’m listening to the Court of Silver Flames and boy, that Nesta! (Not thrilled with the narrator.) Just finished reading Lisa Renee Jones’ The Poet and loved it. A little Lilah Love-ish. Now I’ve bounced back to the Midlife Magic genre and am rooting for Jessie and Austin.
Love seeing your crafts and am envious of your skill.
Looking forward to the May recap!
Audrey Stewart said:
I enjoyed the photos so much. I wish I was there. I love the outdoors. I have just been gardening outside and am loving this weather. Your needlework is beautiful. I also loved the chicken recipe and you did a great job on the pie.
Kim B said:
Tulips and lilacs are one of the best parts of spring. My month was good with celebrating my 2 older brothers birthdays and being able to meet my aunts and uncles for lunch again for the first time in over a year.
Kathy said:
Love the pictures from your travels! Been a quiet April – enjoying getting out more with the warmer weather. I’ve listened to a lot of audiobooks – enjoy being able to get things done while listening – especially enjoying Amy Daws’ Wait with Me series.
Nan said:
Great pictures! I hope to travel out west someday. From the pictures I’ve seen it’s beautiful country. I spent most of April recuperating from my #2 Moderna vaccine. Very low grade fever but I was sleepy all the time. But I’m so thankful I got it done. My May has been more productive.
If I’m lucky enough to get a prize, I’d prefer a signed book.
Sherry Mason said:
I made a sunflower burlap door hanger. Grilled hamburgers with my sister in law and mother in law. More doctors appointments.
Joy Jenner said:
April was a whirlwind…..getting ready for the upcoming camping season, setting our camper up and cleaning our campsite….following kids for baseball all over the place. Getting ready for graduation, sending out announcements and trying to hold it all together while working full time.
SARAH TAYLOR said:
April was a whirlwind…. had a New Granddaughter and my other grandchildren so anxious for their summer vacation to get here ! And getting our vegetable garden ready for planting we love canning so now we will get to have some homegrown and canned vegetables this year for the pantry! Blessings to you Lorelei The pie looked so yummy as I Love Lemon Pie!
Judy said:
OMG. Those pictures are incredible. My favorite flower is the tulip. I remember going to Canada years back and the casino in Ontario had them planted in front of the casino. They were beautiful. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us and I’m glad you had a safe trip.
Jennifer Beyer said:
Nothing as exciting as yours for the month! I’ve been studying and applying for jobs. My big excitement is that I’m cleaning out my basement (it’s now on month 2 and still going strong).
Limecello said:
You did so much! Glad you got to visit your daughter. And all those pictures! I definitely have seeing the redwoods on my bucket list.
I wasn’t fully vaccinated until early May – but I finally got my brows done and donated my hair. Otherwise, it’s doctors appointments and mostly staying home. Really hoping I can continue to work from home too.
Lisa Rounsley said:
May was busy with school winding down and enjoying the nice weather.
Linda Gawthrop said:
Thanks for the preview – we hope to travel that way next Spring.
Anita Byars said:
Love all the vacation pictures! I am getting ready to have a knee replacement so the next vacation we have planned is going to Disney with our daughter, her husband and our two granddaughters in May of 2022.
Danielle McDonald said:
Thanks for sharing that pie looks yummy i will have to try and make it . Music recomnedations i am always wanting to add to my list so thank you for that .
Shaun Brinkhurst said:
I enjoyed your adventures and stories about your travels. We’re still not into a full summer here in Red Deer, AB., but we’re enjoying the sunshine when we are lucky to get it.
Your posts make me realize what beauty we have in our back doors – and we need to take the time to enjoy them. This month also had me saying goodbye to a dear friends husband due to Covid co-morbidity issues way way too young. So Thank You for your adventures and through them, we must live and love everyday and everyone who is near and dear to us.
Thank You Xoxo
Crista Campbell said:
Thank you for showing so much of your trip! Your photographs were absolutely beautiful and are helping to become more excited about an upcoming camping trip. I’ve never been camping, I’m more of a stay inside in the ac type of person.
pat c said:
Thanks for sharing your trip… it let me live “travel” outside my box and reminded me there’s a whole world out there even with the last 16 months of craziness.
That lemon meringue pie and panko chicken looks delish…any chance you will you post the recipes? 🙂
Susan T. said:
April was a good month. Able to get the family their vaccine. Am looking forward to relaxing during in June and July. Thanks for letting us in on your trip.
Crystal Sebring said:
What a wonderful month for you! Thanks for sharing so many amazing pictures! I started my first full-time job in years this April… struggling with my body to keep it, but enjoying the actual work, although I’m actually in intensive training right now. It’s nice to interact with so many people, feel useful, and earn a paycheck, but it’s definitely an adjustment and one that is not going so well with my fibromyalgia. Also, a COVID exposure one month in, which I could live without. Two negative tests, but still home sick with something… Hope you have a wonderful June and thanks for the chance!
Amy Perrault said:
April went by fast & May has been a special month with birthdays & camping.
Sylvain Perrault said:
April was a fast but crazy month. May, I enjoyed my birthday & camping.