Spring Plans

Although it's cold and dreary outside, we need the rain. 

This is a picture of our pond with a periwinkle blooming on the edge.

Today I planted some more seeds.

I now have:

11 single Hollyhocks

28 Thyme

23 Double Hollyhocks

13 Evening Scented Stocks

10 Deep Purple Nicotiana-Perfume

17 Antique Lime Nicotiana-Perfume

12 Whisper Nicotiana

12 Dahlias

12 Phlox

7 Baby's Breath-annual

18 Alyssum

24 Orange Gem Marigolds

24 Pinks (Dianthus)

Here are my Double Hollyhocks seedlings:

In bulbs and tubers I have:

5 single Hollyhocks

6 Tall Dahlias

24 Glads

3 Phlox

2 Peony's

15 Elephant Ears

For direct seed sowing I have:

Cosmos

Morning Glories

Spider flowers

Zinnias

Impatiens

Baby's Breath-annual---(Which need to be planted in two week intervals)

Alice, this post is for you.

SPRING'S HERE, AND A SLEEP STUDY

I took a couple of pictures in my yard--signs of Spring---YEA!

 I finished my Sleep Study this morning; I don't know the results, and I won't find out til May, but I sure am glad that torture is over with.  I had ten wires glued to my head, five patches with wires stuck on my face, two wires taped underneath my nose, a nasal cannula stuck in my nose, two patches with wires stuck to my chest, four patches with wires on my legs, a pulse ox taped to my finger, and a belt strapped to my belly, and another one strapped to my chest.  Each of these were connected to wires that were swirling around my body and head then plugged into a mother board above my bed.  (Sorry, no pictures.)  Next they turned out the lights and told me to go to sleep.  Moving sleeping positions was a monumental task---and I was suppose to sleep?  What an ordeal!!  I am tired because I didn't sleep very well, but I bet I sleep tonight.  I am exhausted.  One good thing is that they didn't need to come in and hook me up to a C PAP machine in the night, so I guess I was breathing alright.

Design Wall Monday

This is still where I am; too many other things are calling my name--Spring gardening mainly.

We were busy all weekend doing yard work, but I enjoyed it (except the part where it got too hot).

This is a very slow quilt for me.  I guess I just need to buckle down and do it.  I need to sew a bridesmaids dress for my granddaughter as well.

Rained Out

Our church people were doing some work at a camp in Mt. Vernon.  

We---hubby, daughter, and I went to help, but so many people showed up that we were just twiddling our thumbs.  We decided to go back home and work on Erin's yard.  First we went downtown and hubby showed us where his father used to work when he was the County Accessor years and years ago.

His office was on the second story of this building.  The two windows were in his office,

Once we got back home, we raked up twigs and leaves in Erin's backyard, and then started burning them in her fire pit.  We had already burned a ton when I took this picture.

Hubby just kept adding to the pile.

It started to sprinkle just a little bit, so I decided to clear out the winter debris from her side flower bed. I felt a big lump of something and turned it over; something started wiggling in my hand, so I squealed, not knowing what it was, and---Lo, and behold--it was baby bunnies.

I think there were about six of them.  They were not too happy about my discovery either.  They started jumping like they were trying to scare me, so I covered them back up.

My camera's flash didn't want to work so the pictures are a little dark, but I think you can kind of make them out.

BACK TO WORK!---That's one of our favorite lines from many movies.

It started raining, so hubby and daughter covered the pile up for another day.

That's it for today's adventures.

Lookie What Came In The Mail

I received one of my orders--Yea!!  This is a Canadian Hemlock which I received for ordering from this company.  I'll have to read up on these.  It was free with my order.

This is what I ordered--Evening Scented Stocks.  I just love this annual.  It gloriously scents up your yard in the evening.  The flowers aren't much to look at, but the smell is worth it.  These have to be ordered, because no one carries them locally.

Look what's coming up.  My Hollyhocks....

just a few, and.....

my thyme.  Wa-hoo!  The pic is a little fuzzy, but I had to get close 'cause they're so tiny.  I'm so excited about Spring this year, and my flower beds.

Now, I need to get the flower beds dug up before the April Showers start.

Productive Saturday

We had a busy Weekend.  I finished all the blocks and joined them into rows of blocks on my current project.

I still need to sew three rows together, so I can add the borders you see here and corner blocks.

I got some flower seeds planted in pods, and ordered some more seeds--Yea!

I cleared out one of my flowerbeds of last years dead growth.  Which inspired my hubby to---

Cut down the pampas grass (it's not really pampas grass, but the northern states version of it-- Miscarianthus--or something like that--who cares?).

Next hubby got out the grinder-upper to make me some mulch--wonderful mulch!  The slugs hate this stuff, cause it shreds their slimy little bodies, which is why I love it, because they stay away from it.  They don't eat my petunias when I use this mulch--Yea hubby!

I wish I had gotten a picture of the huge pile of the cut down pampas grass--sometimes I'm too in the moment to remember my camera.

He grinds this stuff up and it fills this bag with the grindage, and when that's full he dumps it in the big ole can to save it until I'm ready to use it.  As you can see I've repaired the bag many times.  Good old polyester is good for this--it tough.

Yes sir, yes sir, many bags full.  I got two big cans full of this stuff.  Watch out slugs here I come.

When I wasn't taking pictures of hubby I was sewing on my quilt by the back door watching him too.  Inside is a good place to be when he's running that contraption--it's LOUD! 

Planting Seeds

It's that time--about four or five weeks before planting time.

Yesterday I rounded up some seeds for my flower beds.  Most of these I've grown before, but this next one is new to me--the old-fashioned, single bloom, Hollyhock.  It gets pretty tall.  I'm not sure, but they might not need staking.

I have Thyme planted on the left, and Hollyhocks on the right.

The Thyme seeds are very tiny, so I bought something to help me drop the right amount of seeds per pod.  You can see the tiny seeds in the plunger.  The Thyme is new to me also.  I plan on planting them between the rocks in my rock path.

In two weeks I need to start the marigolds, and the Cleome--we've always called them Spiderflowers.

The Morning glories I plan on sowing them where I want them to grow--these are gorgeous when in bloom--especially on the south side of the plants.  Spring's a comin'.



Design Wall Monday

This is moving along rather slowly, but here it is---only the top border and three rows of blocks are pieced together.

Here's another picture with a flash. 

I've got home work to do today, AND shopping, AND exercise, so I dunno if I'll get anything more done on it today.



New Work Station For Me

I've finally got back to work on this UFO Table Quilt.  I think I didn't want to sew in my sewing room so I relocated my sewing machine.  Sorry this picture is so crummy, but I'll get a better one when it's finished.

There's lots of light here from the patio door and I don't block going in and out the door.  I think I'll enjoy it more here.

I'm starting on my fourth row.  My favorite way to sew is in my jammies early in the morning.  Ah, the promise of a new day.

I need seven rows of seven blocks total, and I'm almost halfway there.  Yea!

I love to sew quilts.  I'm not sure this set up will work for when I quilt it, though.  I may have to move to the big table.

MOJO Missing

I don't know where it went.  I'm concentrating on my diet and exercise.  I guess that's where it went, but this is something I need to do, badly.  Seriously.

I'm a morning person, and by the time I get around to doing something creative, I've spent all my creative energy on chores, exercise, shopping and the like--after that I'm tired.  Well, losing weight is important, and if it takes it all out of me that's okay, cause I don't want to get side-tracked---at least for now.  It seems I'm only capable of concentrating on one major thing, so until the ball gets good and rolling, I guess this is how it must be.  I guess I still have my MOJO, but it's tuned in to my health, and not sewing, etc.

I have lost six pounds in a week--Yea!  Much of it I'm sure is water, but that's how it is in the beginning of losing weight, so I must stick with it for the real pounds lost.

I did do something minor--I brought down a chair out of the attic.  You see, we moved our small aquarium to put it beside the big one which left things out of balance, so I brought down this chair:

I've got my library books on it, and the bags we use to cart the books back and forth.  It will also come in handy when we have company.

Here's why it needed to be balanced out--(I can't live with anything out of balance).

It still needs something, but I'm not sure what at this point.  What do you think?