Spring break!

I just got off the plane after a 5-day spring break trip to Arizona.  You may be wondering why I'm bringing up an Arizona trip on my blog about Iowa life.  Well, quite a few Iowans spend their winters in Arizona.  My grandparents "wintered" in Arizona nearly every year since they were married back in the late 1940s.  When my grandpa was farming, he'd take the family down for two-week vacations.  Then when he retired in his late 50s, he and my grandmother bought a mobile home in Apache Junction to stay in the winter.  Now my mom and stepdad have moved to the area, where they also live in a mobile home park for retirees.  Most of the people who live in their park are from Canada, Iowa and Minnesota.  The "Iowa" folks get together for breakfast at least once a month.

Well, I need to get off the computer and spend some time with my hubby, who didn't join me on the trip.  But I'll be sharing more about my spring break in Arizona later this week.  Please stop back to read more!

PW's Pig Cake

When I saw this Pig Cake recipe from the Pioneer Woman, I knew I needed to try it.  My mom made a version of this cake for my bridal shower, which I loved.  And my husband loves it when I make cake mix recipes.  I like to stock up on cake mix when it goes on sale for 99 cents at the local grocery store.

My hubby took a few pictures as I was mixing up the cake.

The cake turned out great!  My husband seemed to like it, too, since he kept going back for seconds - and thirds - and fourths.

Misty afternoon

I was driving to town the other day to check out a few Presidents Day sales.  I saw these sheds out of the corner of my eye, and I had to stop and take a picture.

I've seriously driven past this old farmstead dozens, if not hundreds, of times, and I've never noticed it before.  Maybe it captured my attention because the misty weather fogged out the surroundings and made the red buildings pop from the landscape.

It's funny how we take these little barns, sheds and farmsteads for granted as we drive down Iowa's highways.  It's not something that people who live in the cities get to see everyday.  I get to drive by cattle, hog barns, rivers and corn fields each morning on my way to and from work. And usually, it's a peaceful drive.  I'm a lucky woman to live in such a beautiful, productive land.

Oh, and by the way, the snow is gone. For now.  Here's hoping we don't get another snow storm next month.