Thursday 14 February 2013

Lenny, Lenny, Lenny – how you pull my heart strings.....



I had this wonderful card ... I opened said envelope .... to find a Valentine!  With memorable words ...


2/5 of Lenny's card! showing
message and critters!
Lots of love
and big hugs
from Lenny
and all the critters ...

.... hedgehog, mousie, rocky the racoon, groundhog, mices various, squirrel, rabbit, birds and butterflies ...



I emailed Lenny and back came:  wow! that valentine card got there sooo fast. i sent it early cause for sure i wanted it to get to you in time for valentines day. and...guess what!!! theres a box flying cross the pond to you but you gotta not open it up til valentines day. ok???
Showing 'orange onions' box and
the expanded card ...

So I did as I was told!  that was a surprise to a few!!  but look what I found in the box of orange onions!!!

Happy Valentine Day’s heart shaped box of choccies
M & Ms box containing 3 mini packets
Dark chocolate marshmallow heart
‘Peeps’ Marshmallow hearts
Just some of the
choccy selections and
the Save the Chimp bag
Whitman sampler box of chocolates, in a valentine’s wrapper
Raspberry Cream Buttons
Miniature peanut butter cups
Swiss chocolate Ghiradelli Squares – raspberry, caramel, dark chocolate
Milk and Caramel Ghiradelli chocolate slab
A pencil and a wildlife notepad
Wildlife stickers
Book marks
Save the Chimps.org bag
And a Valentine puzzle ...

Hardwick looking after Rocky, Muddy
Hippo peering through and the
new kid on the block: Zdena
And .... Zdena Zebra ... so called because she is a follower of Dionysos – the God of Wine!!


Made my little heart sing – and everyone has commented ... what a lovely thought and how wonderful of you, Lenny, to send those over to me ...


... the card in particular pulls at our heart strings – everyone thinks it is "fab", "absolutely fab!!!" ...(the word as Neville describes the card ... a great friend of my uncle, with whom I had lunch on Tuesday - pancake day - yummie!!)


Lenny's rays of sunshine
 Lenny – you are so kind and thoughtful ... putting together such a guzzly box for me for Valentine ... I shall enjoy and will be thinking of you more often than I normally do ...


Hardwick’s quite pleased to have a new playmate – he approves of Zdena ... she brightens up their lives ... Muddy Hippo is a bit muddy, Hardwick himself is a little bare – he knows he’s showing his age, while Rocky is a little tiny to shine out between Hardwick and Muddy ... but he keeps an eye on all things ...


Valentine cupid puzzle
They quite like chocolate ... so I can see the critters having a tuck in as well ... we’ll have a good and happy night tonight ...


I’m tempted to go out and see the film Les Mis ... but these critters might eat much of my chocolate ...and I might have eaten too much, so may need to rest my tum!!


To all blogging buddies ... I am not going anywhere – but I’m just going to take a month off and not participate or blog much – to get myself on track with all I want to do – new projects, sorting some technology out, spring cleaning and being ready for the future.



Tuesday Tea with Mistress Snark
Jezebel summoned me to Mistress Snark’s for tea... so I shall keep that appointment: Tuesday 12 March – I don’t think I could get away with missing it – I’d rather like my afternoon tea healthy and not bloodied ...

... but with Jezebel, she of the long projectile nails that can scrabble under the ocean to draw a poor unsuspecting English girl in to her parlour, we never know what might be floating in her punch – yugh!, or spread on those bloodied sandwiches ... eeeks .... 

Anthology launch 4th March

Then there’s Nick’s Overcoming Adversity anthology launch .. and I shall join in the fun for that ... scheduled for Monday 4th March – what a great fundraising idea that was ... brilliant Nick ...


Well that’s me ... now to tuck into those choccies with a cup of tea methinks ... Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone ... may you have lots of love in your heart ... as young Lenny does for his family, friends, bloggers and them critters!!


See you very soon .... back by 16th/17th March ... all ready and raring to go for the A – Z challenge ....


... and on this note ... I am a minion ... so some of you may see me around doing some ground work for those amazing organisers ...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone ....  and as you can see from the photos - the sun has been shining ...... bliss!!!

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

101 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That was really sweet of Lenny!
I'll be watching for you at Mistress Snark's. Watch out for that punch.

Manzanita said...

Hilary, That Lenny is something else. If I recall, he loves surprising you with boxes. I think of the fun, for him too, to organize all of the goodies. You can put the writing materials and chocolate in your chimps bag. And Zedena Zebra to find a new home.
Les M. awaits you. You can stick the Peeps in your purse for the movie. They won't melt. :)
Have a productive yet restful break.
Love and peace. Manzanita

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Have a wonderful break Hilary and we look forward to your return :)

D.G. Hudson said...

What a nice gift. I know about Lenny, and he must think you are very special, Hilary.

Enjoy your time off, while you revamp! See you in mid-March.

Mike Goad said...

Have a good break. Just don't make it permanent like too many seem to do. Happy Valentines!!!

Elise Fallson said...

That was so sweet and thoughtful! Have a nice break, recharge and we'll see you when you get back. Hopefully I'll be ready for A-Z by then as well. (:

Sara said...

Lenny is such a wonderful person. I always enjoy the posts where you share your conversations (and gifts) with him.

Good for you for taking a break. I will miss you and your posts, but I understand the need for time away...especially with the A - Z challenge approaching.

You will need to visit a finger fitness instructor to build finger muscles to keep up with that challenge! I don't know how you do it.

Take it easy, have warm cups of tea and lots of Lenny's treats:~)

Cheers my friend...

Dianne K. Salerni said...

Lenny is the best and brightest of the bloggers I've met. I am honored to know him!

Janie Junebug said...

What a lovely Valentine's Day gift for you. I shall miss you while you're accomplishing all the other things you need to do.

Love,
Janie

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Alex .. I still fail to understand how you pop up as soon as I hit the publish button - not sure if you're standing over me!! See you at Mistress Snark's ..

@ Manzanita - isn't Lenny just great .. he does love surprising me with boxes - it used to be my mother and she did love seeing what was about to come out next ...

He must have had loadsa fun putting all the goodies together .. there's so much - it's wonderful .. and I can do as you say ... and Zdena is now with Hardwick in Hilary's critter's home!!

I failed at Les Mis .. another day ... but London tomorrow - two or three exhibitions to see ... needed an early night!

@ Keith - many thanks ..

@ DG - yes a few people have said there's something special going on between you ... I'm very lucky ...

I'm looking forward to getting stuck in ...

@ Karen - many thanks .. I'm not far away!

@ Mike - nope I'll be back .. I've got way too much planned for the blog! Well Hardwick, the critters, the chocolate and I are having a quiet night ...

@ Elise - those are just the right words for Lenny "sweet and thoughtful" ... I'm looking forward to the work ahead .. before the A-Z calls ...

@ Sara - good to see you .. and we've had some good posts arising from Lenny's emails, or just sharing things across the airwaves with others ...

It's the studies I need to get my head into ... so computer on and with no or few deviations - exercise will be hoovering and dusting!!

Yes - the Challenge does stretch the arthritic fingers a little!

@ Dianne .. I think we are all honoured to know Lenny - he's one special lad ..

@ Janie - wasn't it really such a special Valentine ... brought so much fun to a few of us ...

I shall be back sooner than you know - one and all!! Cheers for now and hope you're having a really happy Valentine's Day time with loved ones ... Hilary

Michelle Wallace said...

Have a good break! See you at the A to Z Challenge!

Luanne G. Smith said...

Wonderful. Enjoy those chocolates. :))

Make the most of your time off. I may slow down a bit here myself in the next few weeks to get some writing done. Happy Valentine's Day!

Vallypee said...

Lovely Valentine for you, Hilary. Enjoy the break and we'll look forward to your return posts!

MunirGhiasuddin said...

It must have felt so warm to hear from Lenny. I got a Valentine too and wrote him back right away. He is an awesome kid. I learned a lot from him.
Happy Valentine's Day from all of us here in the US, bloggerhood. Cheers !

Julia Hones said...

We will miss you, Hilary. Enjoy your break.

Arlee Bird said...

What a nice surprise from Lenny! Hope you enjoy your "break" although I know you will be staying busy. Thanks for lending a hand to help us out.

Lee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog

Susan Scheid said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Susan Scheid said...

Happy Valentine's Day, and enjoy your time off blogging!

cleemckenzie said...

What a Valentine Day bonanza. You have indeed inspired generosity.

Have a lovely break. I'm taking one myself, so we'll have some catching up to do!

Patricia said...

Oh I know the wondering refreshment of a break from blogging and writing - I wish you a good escape too
Lenny was full of the sweet and delight with his words and treats - atta boy!

Just don't come back from the break and fall prey to a virus - I shall not do this again - Wow!
Take care, do relax and I look forward to your return posts

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Michelle - many thanks ..

@ Luanne - I'd prefer not to .. but needs must sometimes .. good luck with your writing ..

@ Val - it was a wonderful surprise and thanks - I'll be back soon ..

@ Munir - Lenny is wonderful isn't he and gives us all a lot of cheer - inspires our lives ...

@ Julia - many thanks ..

@ Lee - it was a brilliant surprise from Lenny ... but I'll be around occasionally and as you say I'll be helping out ... with the A-Z

@ Susan - lovely to see you .. and I'll enjoy that space to catch up ..

@ Lee - Lenny is just so brilliant and so thoughtful ... my mother loved hearing about him and getting the cards and boxes - we were very lucky ..

You too have a good break ... I shall be lurking as a minion!

@ Patricia - I shall be on the fringes ... but able to put in the time on new projects ... isn't Lenny just great - always blows me away with his cards and generosity ..

I shall take as much care as I can to avoid another virus - mind you I'm off to London today .. but once this year is enough - I prefer to remain healthy!! Glad you're feeling better ..

Cheers everyone - I'll be around lurking .. so may catch you somewhere .. Hilary

Gattina said...

I completely forgot Valentine's day ! Mr. G. offered me a little cat statue. Have a nice blogging break and come back in good shape !

Patsy said...

What a lovely Valentine's surprise!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful post, have a great time off from blogging, see you on your return.

Yvonne.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

What a nice thing for Lenny to do! Hope you had a happy day.

Everyone needs to take a break sometimes. Hope yours is a good one and that you accomplish all that you set out to do!

Rosalind Adam said...

What a lovely present :-) Enjoy your month away from us. Don't miss us too much, right?!

Laura Eno said...

What a fantastic present from Lenny! Zdena! I quite like that. She's cute and seems to fit right in.
Jezebel is eagerly anticipating your arrival...maybe too eagerly, I dare say. ;)

Jannie Funster said...

I LOVE your colors!

I LOVE YOU!!

Have a wonderful time working on your projects. I'm in project land too, not so much in posting land either these days.

xoxoxooxoxoxoxo
xooxoxoxoxoxoxo

Lenny Lee said...

hi miss hilary!
wow! i got a big surprise that you did a whole post about the stuff i sent you for valentines day. its cool that you shared it out with everyone. i bet theyre jealous of the chocolate. ha ha. i love the name zdena. im just real happy you liked the card and the fun stuff in the box. for sure im gonna miss you my special friend. have a real fun time and come back and tell us all the cool stuff you did.
...big hugs from lenny

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Gattina .. never mind .. Mr G remembered! The idea of a cat statue sounds lovely ..

@ Patsy - I know .. lucky me!

@ Yvonne - Lenny is so inspirational .. and I won't be far away ..

@ Elizabeth - extremely thoughtful .. I was totally surprised by both the card and the prezzies ...

Thanks re the thumbs up for me to accomplish all I need to - I think I will ..

@ Ros - huge fun to receive out of the blue ... and I'll be back - too much fun here in blog-land ...

@ Laura - isn't it fun .. and glad you enjoy my name for my new critter - Zdena ... my menagerie is growing!

Is Jezebel all planned up for her trip to reel me into her parlour .. too eager: that sounds ominous .. bet that punch will be ultra strong ..

@ Carol - exactly well done Lenny ... - dont' worry it won't be long and I'll be back soon!

@ Jannie ... it makes doing the post fun sometime and me and Hardwick luvs you and BlueBunny ...

I shall enjoy settling into the new projects .. and I know you're working really hard right now - but I'll see you soon xoxoxoxooxoxo

@ Lenny - yay you got here, goodie!!

Well all that wonderful stuff deserved its own choccy post for Valentine's Day ... did you remember all those gorgeous chocs?

I think everyone is very jealous of the chocs, but more so of the fact that you sent them to me! And they loved the card ... everyone has been bowled over with that ..

Zdena the Zebra .. isn't it a good name for her ... and I love having company for Hardwick, Rocky and Muddy Hippo ... so we shall be a happy little crew here in Eastbourne ...

Now I'm going to have my head down - rather like you and schoolwork, or homework - yugh??!! I'm really looking forward to it though ..

I'll be around .. just not actively blogging for 4-5 weeks ...

But I love interacting with you .. so I'll be emailing you and keeping in touch ... Big Hugs to you too ..

Cheers everyone - I saw two interesting exhibitions in London ... but more on those in the Summer ... thanks for your thoughts and I'm so pleased you've all loved reading about Lenny's present to me - great to have your comments and I know Lenny will appreciate everyone's support ...Hilary

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

You've got to love Lenny! He is an amazing kid!

Anonymous said...

We all need such a wonderful "Lenny" in our lives! Yours is awesome! Dear friend, Jen and I wish you a great vacation. Whatever you do, enjoy! I owe you a letter. It will be forthcoming soon. BTW, we have a wonderful new aide - finally. It feels like heaven! And your warm days sound like heaven too. We're not there yet, but just around the corner is....

Until later, ((( ))) from the both of us....

klahanie said...

Hi Hilary,

Lenny is the dude! And I know all of us who have the great pleasure in knowing this incredible young chap, know that he is the very ethos of a sharing, caring blogging community that goes beyond the blogging world and into the hearts and minds of us all.

I'm delighted you received a Valentine's Day card from Lenny. A great kid and a good friend of Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar :)

Have a fulfilling and yet relaxed time during your blogging break. And we shall check out your summons. As in going to Mistress Snark's.

I would also like to let you know how grateful I am to you for your supportive comments and caring emails. They mean a great deal and I most grateful.

In peace and have a lovely weekend.

Gary

Golden Eagle said...

Lenny is awesome. :)

I hope you have a great blogging break!

Jo said...

Lucky you with your lovely box of goodies. I got a lovely bouquet and a special dinner (which wasn't as good as we hoped).

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

A Lady's Life said...

How wonderful! You were definitely touched by Cupids arrow this Valentine lol

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Sharon - I do love him .. and he is such a brilliant young man now I think!!

@ Ann - how lovely to hear from you and isn't Lenny so heart-warming. I'm heads down into studying .. so just not blogging. So pleased the new aide is being so much more helpful and that you can feel some relief and 'feels like heaven'!! Enjoy the change ... big hugs back ..

@ Gary - good title: Lenny is the dude!! Your words ring so true .. Lenny does go into our hearts and minds of us all ..

The card was brilliant as are the chocolates! But Lenny so loves critters - he couldn't resist Penny - the modest internet star ...

I shall be around .. just not putting up blog posts .. and yes Mistress Snark's summons is all set.

It's a pleasure - we all need thoughts and support at challenging times in our lives and I'm just pleased my small contribution helps ..

You too relax this somewhat warmer weekend .. now those ordeals are over ...

@ GE .. totally agree with you re Lenny ..

@ Jo .. it was a lovely surprise - and so pleased for you for your bouquet .. sorry about the dinner - but still nice to get out.

@ A Lady's Life .. Cupid certainly struck deep as far as Lenny is concerned!


Thanks to you all - Lenny as you all realise is one very exceptional young man .. Happy Weekends .. Hilary

Lynn said...

That was lovely of Lenny to send you all that chocolate. I'll miss you, but understand the need for a break.

Nick Wilford said...

What a superb Valentine's package! Enjoy your break and I hope it's productive.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Hilary, I agree with Gary, Lenny is the dude! What a kind and thoughtful gesture. But, you know, he's right, you deserve such kindness.

Chatty Crone said...

What nice gifts. Happy Belated Valentine's Day! ♥ Have a nice break but come back.

Tammy Theriault said...

Can you mail me those delicious chocolates???

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Lynn, Nick, Joylene, Sandie and Tammy ... wasn't it a wonderful gift and Joylene, yes Lenny "is the dude" ...

Tammy I'd love to send you over some of the chocolates - or you could come here to enjoy some of them ..

Cheers everyone and have a lovely rest of the weekend ... Hilary

Misha Gerrick said...

Awe that's so sweet of Lenny!

Enjoy your time away, Hilary. We'll see you when you're back. :-)

Sherry Ellis said...

That was sweet of Lenny! It sounds like you had a great Valentine's Day!

Julie Flanders said...

What a wonderful gift! Yay, Lenny!

Take care and enjoy your time off, Hilary. I'm a minion too so I will be enjoying the A-Z with you and the rest of the minions. :)

nutschell said...

what a sweet friend Lenny is! I've been wanting to watch Les Miz as well, but just haven't found the time!
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Friko said...

Have a lovely and productive time away, Hillary; we all need to take an occasional break. all the better to come back refreshed.

Lenny is such a sweet boy, he is a bright spark to lighten all our days and can teach the grumps (ahem..me) a thing or two about happiness.

Southpaw said...

What a sweet gift!

Have a good time off and I hope you are productive!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Misha - it gave me a huge of amount of pleasure - such fun! Thanks .. I'll be back before long ..

@ Sherry - dear Lenny - made my day and that big card sits there looking down!

@ Julie - Yay Lenny is so true ... and the A - Z ahead .. so pleased they've managed to get the extra helpers in - us minions ... must be lots of work ..

@ Nutschell - I haven't got to Les Mis yet .. but I will do .. must do! Cry my eyes out I gather! Lenny will cheer me up ...

@ Friko - it's working well so far - getting lots done ..

Lenny certainly sets examples for us all doesn't he ... and I couldn't be grumpy in his company for one second!! He does make wonderful comments and has many wise words ...

@ Holly - many thanks and will do .. "sweet" gift - the understatement!! Delicious though ...

Cheers everyone - very frosty outside, but the sun is up (no fog here) and I love the golden very early spring mornings ..Hilary

Tara Tyler said...

awwww! sweetness! and yay for your sunny days!
without the rainy ones, the sun would not be half as much cherished.

and looking forward to your tea interview, things get quite interesting over there!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That was so sweet of Lenny.

You'll have fun with Laura and Mistress Snark.

Karen Lange said...

What a wonderful surprise! Lenny is a sweetheart. :)

Will miss you, but wish you a happy and restful break. Take care of yourself, okay?

Blessings,
Karen

Davina said...

What a nice treat to receive, Hilary. I wonder if there are any chocolates left now :) If it were me, they'd all be gone by now.

Enjoy your break...from blogging, that is. It sounds like you will still have much to occupy yourself with. Cheers to you.

scarlett clay said...

WOW, what a load of goodies!! Several of my favorites were in there, should last you a good long while. What a sweet and thoughtful friend, love seeing such kindness shown to someone so deserving. :) Enjoy your blog break!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Tara - sun has gone again!! Cold and frosty ... but Spring is round the corner ..

Yes Mistress Snark's summons is a little daunting ..

@ Diane - wasn't I lucky and I'm not sure about the 'fun' with Mistress Snark .. we'll see ...

@ Karen - it was a great surprise - the card was one thing, the parcel quite another ...

I'm fine just getting a lot done with the freedom of time-space .. and I'm feeling mentally easier .. thanks for the thought ..

@ Davina - wasn't it a lovely Valentine's day present .. well I shared a lot of it with the Nursing Centre and some other friends with children .. so not much left!!

I'm around - but getting on with things.. the object of the exercise .. good to see you.

@ Scarlett - it was a "WOW" .. and some delicious goodies - as I mentioned to Davina .. had to share them out!! ... everyone enjoyed them ...

Lenny obviously enjoyed the wrapping up and squeezing everything into the box - so the goodies kept on coming ... I felt loved by his thought and generosity ..

Cheers everyone and thanks for coming by ... Hilary

Empty Nest Insider said...

Lenny has excellent taste in friends and in chocolates! That was such a wonderful surprise! Congrats on being a minion, and have a nice break Hilary!
Julie

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on being a minion. I'll look forward to seeing more of your posts.

Theresa Milstein said...

Wow, what a wonderful gift from Lenny!

I wish you luck preparing for the A to Z Challenge. I enjoyed your castle ones very much last time.

AJ Lauer said...

Enjoy your break! Looking forward to getting to know you better :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Julie .. ah! thank you .. Lenny is a favourite of mine and certainly was of my mother .. I'm looking forward to the A-Z but for now am getting on here ..

@ MJ - thanks v much .. we'll have some work to do - but the Challenge is fun (hard work too!)

@ Theresa - wasn't it an amazing gift - he's such a generous soul ..

Delighted you remembered the Castle posts ... this year's theme will be fun ...

@ AyJay ... thank you v much - we'll be working together with Tina .. for the Challenge.

Cheers everyone ... Hilary

Paula RC said...

Wow what a lovely thought and a wonderful surprise. How kind and how marvellous to find the world is full of wonderful and thoughtful people.

I look forward to catching up with you again soon, Hilary.

Juliet said...

What an inspired gift and card. Have a good rest, after so much blogging and big life challenges. See you in a while.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Paula - it was so wonderful to receive the card, let alone the present of chocolates and goodies - Lenny certainly is full of thoughtful and wonderful people ... Thanks Paula - I'll be back soon ..

@ Juliet - inspired is the word .. makes my heart warm all the time ... I'm feeling easier already as I work slowly through things ..

Thanks for the thoughts .. cheers Hilary

Diane said...

What a lovely surprise to not only get the card but the gift as well.

Hope that you enjoy your break, see you back in a month or so. Take care Diane

Philip Verghese 'Ariel' said...

Hi Lenny,
I am a bit late here.
Well arranged post.
Good to be here.
And above all happy to
be along with The Terrific Team! :-)
Well, I posted few posts in connection with that. Keep Inform
Best regards
Phil

Anonymous said...

Its good to have friends like Lenny! And to get surprise goodies in the mail? How cool is that.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Diane .. it was such a pleasure to receive both the card and the box of goodies ... thanks I'll be back and be around .. it's cold here!!

@ Philip - good to see you here and thanks for the comment -

@ Stephen - isn't Lenny such a great little lad ... it was cool - to get the present via the mail ..

Cheers Diane, Philip and Stephen - have good weekends .. Hilary

M. Reka said...

Have a wonderful break, Hilary and we look forward to your return.
Take care and enjoy your time :)
Warmly
marinela

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Enjoy your blogging break and all the goodies from Lenny!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Marinela and Susan - many thanks for your thoughts .. I'm achieving quite a lot! Cheers Hilary

Ciara said...

We will miss you, Hilary. I totally understand needing a break, though.

Gina Gao said...

This is such a nice gift to receive!

www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

Sue said...

What a joyous, generous, warm hearted post. Good on Lenny :)
Enjoy your break - it's such a good feeling to "get things done"
cheers
Sue

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Ciara and Gina - thanks .. time and space is bliss! The present was such a surprise ...

@ Sue - he does make my heart sing .. he's so spontaneously happy - it's wonderful .. and I'm slowly moving forward with all the things I need to get done ..

Cheers to the three of you - Hilary

nutschell said...

just dropping by to say hello, Hilary!
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Chase March said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful Valentine's Day.

Lenny is a pretty cool kid. It's nice to see that you've been so inspiring to him. And I know it's a two way street.

Cheers!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Nutschell .. thanks so much .. I saw you had Patricia at your desk yesterday ...

@ Chase - it was made very special by Lenny's thoughtful idea ... and exactly it is a two way street - he's amazing ..

Cheers to you both .. Hilary

Ella said...

How wonderful-so sweet of Lenny! :D

I hope you enjoy your time away~
I know you will be back, soon!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Ella .. thanks so much - Lenny is so thoughtful .. and, yes, I'll be back, see you soon. Cheers Hilary

CMSmith said...

Did you save any of the chocolates for me? What a nice surprise.

I hope you are enjoying your month off and getting absolutely everything done you were hoping to do.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Nice, Hilary. What a treasure to have so many surprises!

Monti
Mary Montague Sikes

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hey Christine!! .. you were way too late for the chocolate feast - they don't last that long around here!!

I'm slowly getting on with things - big push tomorrow ... thanks for the thought ..

Hi Monti .. it was a wonderful box of goodies ...

Cheers to you both .. Hilary

Denise Covey said...

What a wonderful gift from a great little guy! Yum! And you take care and enjoy some time off.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Denise .. you are so right .. Lenny is just so inspiring .. and I'm busy busy! But at least I'm not blogging protem ..

Cheers to you - wonderful posts recently ... so good to be able to meet fellow bloggers - Hilary

Ciara said...

Hi! Just checking in. Thanks for the warm wishes last Friday.

Kittie Howard said...

What a lovely post. Lenny is soooo sweet. Wish I could do the A-Z Challenge this year.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Ciara .. many congratulations on the book release .. I'm still around .. touching sides just!

@ Kittie - isn't Lenny a star - I'm so lucky to be soooo connected with him ..

Just sometimes decisions have to be made don't they .. the fact the posts are very short makes it slightly easier - except I've committed to be a Tina minion ... that makes it harder ...

Hopefully Kittie you'll pop on in to see us ...

Cheers to you two .. Hilary

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

How sweet of Lenny! Everything goes better with chocolate and caring thoughts.

I hope you're enjoying your respite. I'm probably going to take the month of April off this year, instead of playing in the A-Z.

Take care.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan .. wasn't it wonderful and I have another tale to tell about Lenny ... but as you say everything runs more smoothly with creamy, dark melting chocolate! But caring thoughts make the day ....

Thanks - I'm enjoying the break and getting on with things .. you enjoy April ... I find the A - Z rather therapeutic as far as posting is concerned ... getting around and commenting is an interesting test!!

Cheers to you - Hilary

nutschell said...

hi hilary!
Just dropping by to say hello.:)
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Tina said...

Hey Hil,
You're getting an award from me on Friday, and I was searching for a post that personified you and came across this one I'd missed. I met Lenny near his birthday, and we've emailed a couple of times. Sounds like you're his definite favorite though! Such treats!

Tina @ Life is Good
Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
@TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Nutschell .. I'm still here .. and almost out of my blogging break .. and also Spring will come along soon too!!

@ Tina .. hiya .. many thanks - Lenny's been special in many people's lives - particularly my mother's ... she loved hearing from him! So do I though .. and he's always so thoughtful and considerate ...

See you on Friday -that's tomorrow! I've l've almost forgotten the days of the week ... being tucked up with my break ..

Cheers to you both .. Hilary

Shannon Lawrence said...

What a wonderful gift! I hope you're having a peaceful break and getting lots done.

Shannon at The Warrior Muse

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Shannon .. it was lovely - I'm getting things done .. not enough - but at least some ...

Cheers to you ... have a lovely weekend .. Hilary

Inger said...

Great stuff here. I will see you at the challenge. Thanks for your visit and comment yesterday.

Marja said...

oh what a nice surprise that was. Enjoy your break and good luck
Ahoranui

Janet Johnson said...

Lenny is such an amazing kid. I love that you shared your surprise. It made me happy, too. :)

Hope you are enjoying your break and those chocolates!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Inger - so pleased your snow in Ca gave you so much delight ... and that your health is reasonable ...

@ Marja - it was a lovely surprise

@ Janet - I think we all enjoy Lenny's blogging and interaction .. he just cheers us all up ...

Cheers for now - I'm back! Hilary

Lisa said...

So nice to have such a blogging pal as Lenny! What a sweet thoughtful guy. And I love Zdena!! She is too too cute and bright. How can you not feel good when you look at her. I have pigs. I love cute pigs and have a few sitting around my office to make me smile...

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lisa .. just pulled this out of spam - thank you for commenting and meeting Lenny - he's one special lad.

My favourite are warthogs with their little radio antenna tails! So I have those ... and I have other wild animals in pictures that hang on the walls ..

Thanks so much for coming here .. lovely to hear your love of pigs - they do creep into our hearts don't they somehow - Zdena is part of my critter family now!

Cheers Hilary