Catch Up!

Wow, I've been incredibly lacking in posts lately!  It really seemed to take forever to get the spring cleaning done!  I still have windows to wash but the ground outside is too soft to support the ladder!  I might get to some this week, or not.  I am in full swing getting ready for next weekend.  Steve and family will be in Thursday night late, My mother-in-law will be in on Thursday as well- by train, Rob graduates from college, Scott and Bri will be here.  Sometime in the few days Steve is here we will:  Celebrate his, Steve's, birthday and Mother's Day.  I'm out of breath just thinking about it!  I am so excited about all of it I'll happily be out of breath! 

Of course, it comes just as the weather has decided, finally, that spring has sprung so there is a ton of yard work to be done.  That is well under control for now, just mowing and keeping up with the weeds.  Most evenings I'm so tired after dinner I just sit and watch tv or read until I can't stay awake any longer.  That means no progress on any stitching-well, maybe a little cross stitch progress, can't remember.  I do think I might be up to some of that this evening, hum.

I've been lurking in blog land-not too many comments being made-I'll get back to it after things settle down.  Two more weeks before that happens!

Email change

Due to the fact that Excite has been down for 3 days going on 4 now I've changed my email to gailfines@gmail.com.  It's a big pain, sorry.

Lovelies!

I brought these wonderful, fragrant lilacs into the house from the yard yesterday, every time I walk into the kitchen I take a big SNIFF!  It's just so sad that the flowers don't last any longer, so while they are here I'll be walking down to the bush and SNIFFING!

It is official, April is my least favorite month of the year! One day I'm digging out my shorts, sleeveless tops and flip flops- the next I'm wearing jeans, a sweater and wishing I'd gotten out my long johns! (Okay, didn't really need the long johns.)  It would be pleasant if it just leveled off!  I'm really hoping for a warm, dry day on 6 May for Rob's graduation party, I really don't know where we will put everyone if it rains or is cold!  (Had that problem for Beth's Master's walk.)

I'm still trying to spring clean the house but for some reason it is going really slowly, drag, drag, drag.  It could have something to do with the fact that there was a new release from Nora Roberts last week.  It will get done this week!  I need to sit and sew again!

Well, I'm off to make little x's.

A Lazy Day

Yesterday, I mowed the yard for the first time this year!  Normally Rob would mow, but after last years fun with an Er visit following a yellow jacket sting, he isn't allowed.  After that I spent a little time leveling out the bare spot left when the sycamore was cut down.  I want it to be a smooth grade out there not the hill thing I currently have going on, as soon as I have the grade right I need to spread grass seed.  I also need to fill in low spots and holes and seed them as well as two other places now empty of trees.  I also dug out a few weeds- not dandy lions, although I'm sure the neighbors would love it if I did!  The last check of the new garden beds in front showed that ALL of the new plants from last year are up!  I'm sure I will need to plant some more to fill in bare spots but at least the bare spots aren't huge!  After all the yard work yesterday I decided I needed a "do as little as possible day" so today I've been reading and lazing about. The wind is blowing big time but the feel of the warm spring air blowing over me is so welcome I could (and did) just lie there and take it.  It's so soft.  Tomorrow, I'll hit the work again but today I'm just going to enjoy.

Stitchin' Update

I have been working diligently on Tanya's Christmas stocking.  Here is a new photo of my progress.

I'm working on the center bottom and what will be the heel, most of the toe is complete.  Another month and perhaps it will be ready for back-stitching!  And I thought this pattern would be relatively simple, sigh.

I am making slow progress on the quilting, but I know I'll get faster and better the more I do.  I'm trying to get in an hour a day on it. 

Spring cleaning continues, darn it!  Gardening is coming on soon, yeah!  Research never ends.

Hum, what to label this post. . .potporri

I was awake at 6 am this morning.  (My body having FINALLY made the switch to Daylight Savings Time, praise be to the universe!  I know there are people who love DST but I personally think it was created just to make me miserable !)  I lay in bed listening to the wind roaring, very loud roaring, in the tops of the trees through my open window.  The night before I slept under three blankets and wished for my flannel sheets.  So goes the weather in Missouri (87 degrees today, 50 degrees tomorrow.)  I took my walk early, since I was up early and the heron was back in one of the little ponds along the way.  A sure sign of spring.  I think they've been back a week or so but I've just now seen one. 

Last week I spent two more days looking at materials for my research on the Town of Kansas, aka the project that ate my life.  One more area archive covered, I have no idea how many more to go.  Well I do but I'd have to add them up and that means getting stuff out and. . . you know how all that goes.  I am happy to be making progress on that front again-2008 and 2009 were years when little research was done and I'd like to finish the research this year so I can write it up next.

Speaking of projects which eat my life,  the See What You Started quit top is finished!  It's even sandwiched and ready for the frame, I have to put that together but that's next.  It looks pretty good in these photos, better than in person!  I had to move most of the furniture in my living room to get enough space to pin it and then fight with Simba, the cat, for possession of the backing and batting.  I don't know if you can see but some of the stars have names in the center- the names of her descendants.  I hope see likes it, actually I hope she puts it on her bed and doesn't look too closely at it!  Seriously, there are so many mistakes that no deity will ever be upset but I think I like it now that I can see what it really looks like!  It's the best I can do at this moment in time and that is good enough.  (I tend to think it has to be museum quality before it's good enough,sigh.)

I'm still raking acorns in the back, last week was a wash as it was cold and cloudy and I was still fighting DST!  I should have it finished this week and some new plants in.  Every day now I see more signs of life in the front garden.  I am anxious to see if all my new plants come up again!