LOTS OF PICTURES

I believe Spring is here, though snow/rain mix is forecasted this week....yikes! All the flowers tell me that no matter snow/rain mix, spring is moving in hard, explosive and fast. Yeah, we love being outside all day long. So much to do---mud cupcakes need to be made, swinging, playing, planting and watering the garden, not to mention walking our babies, animals, watching worms, insects and picking up rocks, ( we have a collection). Oh, and how can I forget, smelling every flower we walk past. It's a lot of work for little people to get everything that needs to be done outside every single day! But oh, all the smells these flowers are putting off, I just sit in the middle of it all and inhale. It will be gone soon, slow down and take it all in.

We celebrated someone's 2 year trip around the sun. She made her own cupcakes for her party, which I think were a hit, at least with the birthday girl. Mom and Dad requested no toys, but plants for Betty to plant in her garden. I'm telling ya'll, this girl has a busy summer ahead of her! Her baby brother (no fuss Gus), is going to watch and smile! 

Wow, do you feel that the months fly by? I sure do! 

Knitting: Finished sweater for Betty- Petite Knits, Anker's Jacket. yarn: Quince & Co. 

I love, love this pattern,  fourth time I have knitted this sweater in a year! 

Reading: Higher Loyalty. Interesting and concerning! 

Spy Mistress, finished and a so, so book. This is a historical fiction and normally I like Jenifer Chiaverini but this was just flat for me.

Needs buttons

Size 000 needles, oh my!

Another sweater that needs to stay near me when reading what a poor state our democracy is in with this administration , knitting is calming!

Go on over to Yarn Along today!

PORCH AND POOCH'S

Another weekend of the back porch redo. This time we put on a bottom coat to soak into and treat the wood. we have cedar wood on the top deck,(built with the house), and red wood on the bottom deck.

Yes the first coat is PINK! Go figure

Not only do we have to stain the floor and railings but the slated top. We did this about 5 years ago and said "NEVER EVER AGAIN!"

And with old age the memory goes. Eric has to go up on top because:

1. I am terrified of height. 2. I could not get up there let alone down with out the fire department

3. I hate the sun when the temps reach 97 degrees.

Their are 4 sides to these 1 inch slates AND 4 sides on all the cross beams under these 1" slates to keep them stable. ALL needing to be stained with 2 separate coats of stain/paint.

Oh where is that memory of my youth? I am getting a tape recorder, you know the kind the CIA carry in their coat pockets.

This is lower deck, my staining project. It is DONE and looks damn good thank you very much!!

Isn't she pretty. I had the job of the lower railing as well. Another point for us to remember is NEVER EVER stain/paint a deck when all the climbing flowers are in bloom, the big apple tree that is loaded this year was a bear to fight with. We now have apples and flowers that are the color of red wood.

I turned my back for just a minute, long enough to walk up stairs to get a basket of dirty clothes and this is what I returned to.

They had a great time pulling down the toilet paper

I could just hear them saying "hurry here she comes, let's hide, do you think she will notice, if she was us she would do the same thing"

All this for these two little bones they found in the bathroom cabinet.

All I could do was laugh and say " Did you 2 have FUN."

Between the back porch and these very cute but busy pooches I am now on these.

Yes my back/sciatica nerve gave out this past weekend. It started Friday night by Saturday could barely walk. Since I had the porch to get done and this was the only weekend to do it, I stained wood, lots of wood and some flowers while whistling tunes on my pain medication.

Between allot of bending and getting in weird positions no women my age should attempt and chasing young energized puppies I was in REAL" ER "pain by Saturday evening.

Sunday afternoon I was in bed, in the fetal position sucking my thumb and counting the minutes until I could take another pain pill.

Monday was better but not good. I can not stay in any one position long.

I even had to call to excuse myself from a fun "catch up" quilting day with fellow quilters.

Poor Eric having to listen to my complaints, but his knees and back are screaming too. He has to get his own pain meds, I am not giving up one pill till I can fold into a pretzel.