A Season of Change

My baby moved out on Sunday. Sniff-Sniff Hurray.
She is 21 and ready to be on her own.
We wanted her to move out, to be a big girl living on her own.
We raised her to be independent and capable, but to always lean on the Lord. It was time.
We are all really glad about it, even though she sleeps someplace else.
It is only five minutes away, but her room is empty.
Sniff-Sniff Hurray.
We are adjusting.

This is her old room, all empty and sad.

And this is her new smaller room, all crowded and in need of downsizing.

As she carried the last box out to the car, I noticed she looked a little sad.
I asked her if she was crying.
"Not yet," she said and burst into tears.
"My room is empty, Mom."
Then, I started crying.
Then her sister started crying.

As the three of us stood there in the driveway sobbing, my guy walked out of the house and saw us all huddled together and carrying on.
"Oh geez," was the proclamation he uttered before he disappeared back into the safety of the house, to wait out the dreaded crying jag.

Well, that was all it took to get us laughing.
Laughter in the midst of tears is such a sweet thing!

I'll close this post with some photos of my baby:

I love you Court!

The Big Birthday

Well, 10:30 came and went, and this little project only got so far!

In the studio and in the garden

Hello, again. It seems like forever since I have posted anything! And, when I opened blogger today, there were notes about ftp and migration, and changes and deadlines. Good grief. I have no idea what all of this is about, but I guess I will need to get on top of it soon, or else my little blog will be going bye-bye. If I disappear forever, you'll know it was just too much for my little brain to figure out!
But, never mind all of that for now, what has been happening here in the last week? Well, I have a little photo collage for you! So here goes:

This apron and gloves came in the mail. They are from the apron swap I joined. My dear friend Robin had my name. Isn't she talented! I have not started mine yet, but it is due in a couple of days, so I have to get going. My person asked for a cobbler-style apron with no ties or buttons of any kind, in a jungle theme. This has proven harder than you might think! But, procrastination must die at some point, and we are definitely at that point!

This is a finished ufo! I absolutely love it!! I think it may be the happiest quilt of all time!


This is the start of a birthday quilt for my little nephew, who is turning 2 tomorrow. At 10:30 am. We are probably gonna be late!!
And, do you see that little red new york beauty arc, well it is the only finished part of another one of my ufo's. So, it has been pressed into service here, and will soon be my 2nd finish for March. Hurray!


OUTSIDE:

The cherry trees blossomed.


The yellow lilac is getting ready to bloom.


The violets are bloomin'.

My First Happy Chappy (from Jackson and Perkins) bloom arrived!


The first iris blossom.


The hellebore are just about finished for the year.


The cyclamen are looking great.




The euryops are in full bloom.


The african daisies are blooming. These are tended by my guy, he loves them!


The vinca minor has bloomed.


The violas are getting bigger. Except for my favorite ones, they were eaten by bugs!



The raised beds are fully amended and the raspberries are looking healthy.


The azelea blossoms are beautiful, all 7 of them!


The asparagus bed is right on track, and looking just like the other 4 beds I have put in! I know, it is my special gift, asparagus gardener extraordinaire!



About 100 daffodil bulbs were dug for relocation.

The pergola is getting painted, and ready for Easter dinner. But, make no mistake, I have done NONE of this work myself. I am completely inept when it comes to painting. And, I am certainly no builder. So, thanks to my guy and my daughter and her boyfriend!!

Zombie has discovered that there is an endless supply of lizards in my very warm greenhouse. She has pretty much taken up residence there!

And finally, this little bird was seen taking a nap in the bird feeder. It is a nice safe place, Zombie-proof!!

What's been happening in your little corner of the world?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today I am going to close out the Ireland memories with an assortment of photos of the Irish countryside. The rolling hills, the ocean, the sunrises and sunsets, the natural monuments and the ever-present waterfalls are what make the beauty of the Emerald Isle truly unbelievable. These pictures do not do it justice, but you'll get the idea.




You may not know this, we didn't, but the ocean in Ireland is very different than it is on the central coast. And, it may be true of the Atlantic in general, I don't know. But it was calm and serene the entire time we were there. We asked some of the locals about it, and they said that, yes, it always looks like that. No giant waves crashing up on huge sandy beaches. Just calm and gentle beauty. Who knew!

This place is called the Giant's Causeway, and was actually in Northern Ireland.

This rainbow appeared on our very last day . So, we think that the luck of the Irish was upon us!

We started with a door, and we will end with one too. I hope you have enjoyed this little "tour" of the Motherland!

Now, let me just say, that 7 blog entries in 8 days is too much blogging! So, now I am signing off for a week or so!! I need to get to my garden and my quilting, but I will see you again soon. TTFN.

My Guy, The Irish Rancher

Only one little photo thought today, but is one of my favorite "Irish" photos. It totally cracks me up every time I look at my guy hanging out with the locals, discussing market values, the current rain totals, and whether or not our politicians are in touch with the needs of the people. He fits right in. Except, maybe, for the umbrella, sunglasses, shorts and white sneakers!