Surprise! I'm Here!!

 Good Morning!

I know I said I would be back on Monday, but this just proves how old and out of touch I am.  LOL

Our computers are no longer sent down to Charlotte to be refreshed/replaced.  Instead, my new laptop was delivered to me yesterday.  All I need to do is plug it in, log on with my user name and password and everything on my current laptop will transfer over.  All is cloud based now (which I had ignored) and is a little bit like Big Brother if you ask moi.

Anyway, I have not yet set the new one up.  I'm too busy this week to do that...can't run the risk of not being able to work.  And the other issue is that the laptop arrived but none of the peripherals...no monitor, no keyboard, no mouse and most importantly, no docking station.  So, I could set up the new one but can't use my monitor (my old docking station will not work with my new laptop).

It was very frustrating dealing with Tom from IT (sounds like Jake from State Farm - LOL).  (He's at my office but is terribly non-responsive to emails and phone calls.)  Today and tomorrow will be busy, but hopefully my peripherals will be sent out and I can get the new one set up late tomorrow or over the weekend.

I need to get to my Thursday reports, but wanted to show you two things.  First, I made a Raspberry Rhubarb Crostata using THIS RECIPE from Ina Garten.

Mine took much less time to cook, but oh boy is it delicious!  I whipped up some cream to go with it.  The only change I made was to use maple sugar to sprinkle on the pastry rather than turbinado sugar.  

And, the lilacs didn't last long when cut (and I googled and couldn't find any way to make them last longer than a day or two), but we have Iris blooming this year - more than in past years!

I cut some after our afternoon rain and their scent has filled the entire downstairs!  Very sweet and very nice.

OK, time for me to get down to work.  Have a wonderful Thursday!

Unraveled Wednesday 4/26/23

 Good Morning!

This is what I saw a few minutes ago:

Yikes!  I don't know where the snow factors in when it is 38 degrees, but whatever.  It is still a tad bit warmer than yesterday morning.  I'm pretty sure rain is in our forecast through the weekend.  Sigh.  I love a good rainy day now and then, but 4 or 5 in a row becomes a bit much.  

And...I won't be able to retreat into the depths of rabbit holes on the computer.  Today is the day I have to ship my laptop down to Charlotte to be "refreshed."  Actually, everything on my laptop will be copied over to a new laptop which should be delivered to me on Friday.  There is nothing wrong with my laptop...but my company won't let you keep one longer than 3 years.  It is usually a very smooth and fast process:  today a box will be delivered to me by UPS...I'll pack up my laptop in it and ship it back out via UPS.  Tomorrow "they" (my company's IT folks in Charlotte) will transfer everything and set up a new laptop for me and ship it out to be delivered to me on Friday.  Two bright sides to this are:  1) I will not be able to run my weekly financial reports Thursday morning and 2) I will not be able to participate in conference calls on Friday.  Woo-Hoo!!

Meanwhile, it is Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Be sure to head over and check out posts - I've gotten so many excellent suggestions of books and things to make.  Always inspiring!

After finishing up the Goldfinch socks last week I (naturally) promptly started in on another pair of socks.  This will be another pair for moi (because one can never have too many handknit socks) and they are a bit on the crazy side:

SCHOPPEL ZAUBERBALL CRAZY 2389 JUBILAUMSPARTY

It does look a bit like a party!  A Rainbow Party!  This is sock #1 and it is finished through the heel flap (eye of the partridge).  Next up I will turn the heel and head down the foot.  With no computer to distract me, it shouldn't take too long to finish this one.

Reading is a different story.  I guess I have been in a reading funk, or a funk in general.  Nothing is working for me.

First I tried Lessons in Chemistry but I just could not do it!  Nothing in it seemed plausible to me.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there was inequality in the workforce back in the early 60's (just as there is today), but my Dad was a research chemist and working in a lab at that time.  He had nothing but high praise for the women working alonside him.  So, I could not stomach the book.  Plus I did not care for the writing style.

Next up I attempted Spare and couldn't get past page 26 when Harry mentions his 13th birthday in September of1997 and receiving an Xbox.  I don't think they were available until a little later (maybe they were in Europe though??).  Anyway, I found this book to be terribly whiny.  Just my opinion and I admit to being very tired of the whole royal family.  (We even stopped watching The Crown - too much!)

My third attempt was The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper which I thought would be a nice, pleasing book to read.  A good palate cleanser if you will.  But...it was just too slow moving for me and I grew bored.

So, I've picked up Middlemarch again (which IS good...but terribly long) and I'm waiting on several books to come in at my library.  I also have a lot to choose from on my own shelves, so I'm sure I will find something to entice me before too long.

And that will be a wrap for me!  I hope blogger has straightened out and that I will receive any comments via email.  It is frustrating to have things set up correctly (or so it appears) but not have it work!  I've got a busy work day ahead of me and then a bit of free time!  I'll see you back here on Monday - have a good rest of the week and weekend!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 4/25/23

 Hey There!  Good Morning!

While heating the milk I had frothed for my coffee a few minutes ago I looked out back and saw 3 deer - the first that I have seen in weeks!  They probably sniffed out that we bought new plants and are looking to sample them.  BUT, they are out of luck!  Anything new that Fletch put in the ground (or the herbs in my pots for the patio) is covered and plants not yet in the ground were brought inside last night.  Yup - we had a freeze warning.  When I came downstairs to let Mabel out at 5 a.m. I looked at my phone and it was 34 degrees at that point.  I crawled back into bed with an extra blanket!

After not stitching for around 2 weeks (!!) (I had packed my stitching for vacation, but never looked at it even once), I finally got back to putting a few threads in fabric on Friday.  An additional motif, some more gold at the bottom and a bit more on the spotted stag has been done.

It's coming along.  There is still quite a bit to be filled in on the stag and the gold at the bottom is an endless stitch!  There are a couple more birds to be stitched - they will be above the stag and under the other motifs.  I'm still enjoying this, but will definitely be happy when it is finished.

I have picked out my next piece (I think - always subject to change) and I ordered and received the bag to embroider just like Kym is doing and I am looking forward to starting that as well.  But all in good time.

The lilacs I had picked/cut the other day drooped quickly (they always do - does anyone have a suggestion for keeping them looking good for longer than 24 hours?), so I cut a few of the Lily of the Valley that are just beginning to open.

Anyone remember Muguet des Bois?  I wore that perfume in my early teens!

I also did a bit of cooking yesterday morning.  I've been wanting to replicate a salad I had while on vacation that was divine.  It is the Nomad Salad from the restaurant in Hillsborough, NC by the same name.  If you Google recipes for nomad salad, most have grains - either cous cous or farro or quinoa, but the salad I had did not have any grains.  It is simply kale, brussels sprouts, roasted beet, strawberries, crunchy chickpeas and a lemon garlic vinagrette.  It also calls for goat cheese, but I had mine with no cheese and I did add tofu (for protein).  

First I made the crunchy chickpeas which came out ok.  They were good in the salad, but over time they are not as crunchy.  I probably won't bother again.  Next I made the crunchy tofu using This Recipe at Kym's suggestion.  WOW!  The tofu turned out perfectly!

Crunchy on the outside and pillow-like soft inside.  Delicious!

For my salad I subbed some purple cabbage for the brussels sprouts (because that's what I had).  I also added some pepitas.  The vinagrette was simple:  the juice of half a lemon, some minced garlic, some EVOO, a small spoon of Dijon mustard and a splash of Maple Syrup - whisked all together and then mixed into the salad.

Fletch had some for lunch (sans tofu) and loved it.  I ate the rest with the tofu added.  So tasty, filling, and good for you!

Then I made a new-to-me beef stew for dinner which was just ok (no pics and I won't bother sharing the recipe).  Lots of leftovers - some in the frig and a lot in the freezer.  The stew recipe did not call for the usual veggies I put in stew (potatoes, carrots, onion, celery) - just roasted peppers.  So, I roasted the other veggies in the oven and they were wonderful.

Not sure what is on the menu tonight - we go grocery shopping later today, so I will figure something out!

The temp is now up to 37 according to my computer and the sun is up.  I see blue sky through the trees outside my office window.  Wishing you all a beautiful Tuesday - enjoy!

Weekending 4/24/23

 Good Morning!

Fickle Spring...after soaring temps (into the 80's), like so many of you, it is chilly here this morning.  Chilly enough that I nudged the heat on.  Even in a sweatshirt, I am feeling the nip inside and my hands are cold as I type.  Grrrrr

Oh well, nothing I can do about it.  This roller coaster weather seems to be good for some things though.  The lilac outside my front office window has more blooms than ever!  I've been cutting some to bring inside and I wish you could catch a whiff of the perfume through your computer.  Just heavenly.

And our Iris are getting ready to bloom.  After some very spotty years where we only had a couple of blooms, they are back in force this year.  Within a couple of days I should be cutting some of those too.

How was your weekend?  Mine was very nice.  After missing my get together with Dee while we were on vacation, the two of us met up again Saturday morning.  It was so nice to sit and sip and chat together while we worked on our knitting (both of us knitting on socks).  I feel so fortunate that Dee lives close by and that we can get together regularly.

Yesterday Fletch and I headed out to get some more plants since our local greenhouse had not had so many things out yet.  We headed to Otts Nursery in Schwenksville and boy were they busy!  It's a fun and wonderful place to wander around.  Fletch picked out some red romaine, I found several types of basil and they had snapdragons too.  We could not resist some new houseplants as well.

A Flaming Sword Bromeliad - if you click to enlarge you can see the yellow beginning to emerge in the bloom.  This is fabulous!

And a lemon cyprus!  This has the prettiest foliage and when you brush against it, you can get a scent of lemon.  We will prune this to keep it on the small side, but we just could not resist it!

Fletch has already planted the basil for me in a pot that will stay by the patio - within easy reach when I am cooking.

I made Brunswick Stew and cornbread for dinner.  It was chilly enough to be a perfect night for that.  Later in the evening we settled in to watch Bob Dylan - Live in Newport 1963 - 1965 which we both enjoyed a lot (could have done without all the fundraising breaks though).  Of course, Dylan looked to be about 15 in some of those early shots!

Now it's back to Monday and the start of another work week - the last one in April and we will be a third of the way through the year!  That does not seem possible.

Hope your weekend was a good one and cheers to the week ahead!

A Finish and a Walk

 Good Morning All,

As predicted, the Goldfinch socks were finished Wednesday.  I love how they turned out.

Who read the MDK post/letter the other day and saw the Shakerag Skirt that Nell Ziroli has designed?  Well, I sort of jumped on that bandwagon and bought the pattern right away.  Trying to pick a color is the hard part.

Meanwhile yesterday was a beautiful day.  Fletch and I went to our local/favorite greenhouse in the morning and picked up a few things.  We were a bit early for everything we wanted - they had not yet put out snapdragons, jalapenos or basil.  But, we managed to find a few things to get.

I really wanted to take a walk, but my back was bothering me, so I opted for a short one - out to the magnificent sycamore and then on to the ruins of Pawling's Farm.

The air was filled with the perfume from many, many wisteria.  Ambrosia!!

And there were bluebells blooming!!  Love this shade of blue.

Today is a bit overcast - rain is expected by some time tomorrow.  I've got a busy morning with two conference calls, but by lunch I will consider the weekend started.  Wishing you all a wonderful one - enjoy!

Unraveled Wednesday 4/19/23

 Good Morning!

I'm very happy to report that yesterday was not as terrible as I had expected!  LOL  I managed to get through all the emails that came in while I was on vacation (deleting so many of them) and getting a bit of work completed.  I have more to do, but it is manageable which is a lovely thing.  Grocery shopping wasn't bad either.  Mostly we just needed fresh produce and yogurt, and we made it out of the store in record time.  (Of course, I had to go to a second store in the afternoon for a few things our regular store didn't have...but overall not bad.)

And here we are at Wednesday.  Specifically Unraveled Wednesday where we all meet up over at Kat's to share our making and reading.  Amazingly I have something to show you!

One Goldfinch sock finished and another one almost so.  The first one was finished at the AirBnB in NC last week and the second one was started immediately.  For once I wanted these to be matchy-matchy and lo and behold, they are!  The yarn is from West Yorkshire Spinners and the colorway is "Goldfinch."  These are for moi!

On the reading side of things, I have nothing to report!  For the first time ever in my life I did not read a single thing while we were on vacation!  Unheard of!!  I did look at the paper at Damon & Peggy's, but not once did I open any book.  I guess that is another sign of a great vacation.

So, I am still in the midst of Trespasses by Louise Kennedy - our next "Read With Us" selection.  I have roughly 80 pages left (I picked it up again last night for the first time in over a week).  And Fletch and I are still listening to Patrick Leigh Fermor's Words of Mercury.  I have a bunch of books that Dee has loaned me including "Lessons in Chemistry" and "Spare."  And, of course, there are books I'm in queue for at the library.  I'd best get back to reading pronto!!  Honestly, a wealth of books is not a problem.

Yesterday I mentioned coming home to the redbud blooming as well as the apple tree, wisteria and lilac.  I also discovered that my Christmas cactus is coming along very nicely:

Each bloom is a double!!  (That's Mabel's shelf by my office window with the window bird feeder right there - a favorite napping place for her.)

Peggy sent me home with a large pot filled with an aloe, several spider plants, a wandering Jew (had no idea that is in the spiderwort family) and about 3 Christmas cactus plants and at least one of them is red (and blooming).  

We had given Rob and Eva an amaryllis at Christmas time when they cared for Mabel during our Texas trip.  Rob has harvested seed pods from it and has a lot of little seedlings started.  He gave me one of the pods the other day, so I hope to plant some amaryllis seeds soon.  

Amaryllis Seed Pod

Finally, yesterday was a little chilly in the afternoon, but Fletch and I decided to sit out on the patio with our beverages anyway.  It was around 4 p.m. and we were quickly rewarded when an eagle flew right overhead!  I've heard for years that they nest along the Skippack Creek, but I have never seen one around here.  So cool!

Remember to wander over to Kat's blog to see what everyone is making and reading, and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Back Home Again 4/18/23

 Hello and Good Morning!

Gosh I've missed you all.  I confess to not doing very much blog reading at all while I was on vacation.  I mostly ignored my phone other than to take pictures and text with the kids.  Guess that's a sign of a good vacation.  Actually it was great!

We started off Easter weekend in Suffolk, VA at Fletcher's brother's home.  Damon and Peggy are just lovely people and we always have a great time with them.  Easter Sunday family and friends wandered in and out.  It was too windy and chilly to sit outside, but there was a wonderful spread of food and it was great to catch up with people we had not seen in a couple of years.

Then we headed down to Chapel Hill, NC where we checked in at our AirBnB.  Hands down, this is the nicest AirBnB we have stayed in.  Our hosts, Anne and Robert were wonderful - friendly, helpful, fun.  

Fletch on the front porch of "our" Bungalow.

The back, screened-in porch of the Bungalow.  The sofa was long enough for napping (which Fletch took advantage of one afternoon).  This was a great spot for bird watching.

The living area and kitchen (my knitting bag on the coffee table!).  The sliding barn door at the back is the entrance to the bathroom.

There was even an outdoor wood fired stove/pizza oven that Robert had built (he also built the Bungalow as well as their log home).

There was a huge garden (complete with a totem pole), a chicken coop and chickens (no roosters) and inside everything you needed in the kitchen.  

The following day we drove down to Buies Creek, NC where Fletch had gone to school.  He even managed to find the old farm house where he lived with some other students.  Later we met up with our friends Dick and Lois for dinner.  We ate at Nomad which was simply amazing.  Everything was so good!  And the following day they took us to the Duke Gardens.  What a beautiful spot.

And, as you can see from the picture, it was a beautiful day to be out and about.  Perfect weather!

I loved the Asian Gardens.  So peaceful and pretty.

That night we went out for BBQ which did not disappoint.  The following day Fletch and I took a 2 hour hike at the Johnston Mill Nature Preserve which is part of the Triangle Land Conservancy (I confess that every time I saw a sign for the TLC I thought I was seeing "tick" - yuck!!

There were some fairly muddy spots - we even had to get off the trail at some points due to flooding.  What a beautiful place.  And, it was great to get out for such a nice walk as the following day we'd be back in the car returning to Virginia.  

Friday we woke to grey skies which suddenly opened up.  Our first clap of thunder sounded like a shotgun!  Luckily the rain paused long enough for us to load all our stuff back in the car.  But our drive back was in heavy, heavy rain - torrential downpours and thunder and lightening.  We made it safely though.

 Damon and Peggy (and Maise - they were dog sitting one of their grand-dogs).

Their sunroom (behind them in the picture above) is a great place to bird watch.  Lots of goldfinches, red winged blackbirds, bluebirds, and even a towhee (which we rarely see at home).

We lazed around on Saturday, going out to lunch and shopping for peanuts (after all, we were in Virginia!!).  I loved this picture in the restaurant where we had lunch.

Click to enlarge if you like.  Elephants, of course, since we are talking peanuts.  LOL

Damon grilled some steaks, crab cakes and oysters for us which were delicious (well, not the oysters - I don't eat them - LOL) and we settled in the gazebo for some music and a campfire.  A delightful evening.  Damon had even picked up some fireworks which he set off.  Their house is surrounded by fields, so not close to neighbors.

We drove home on Sunday in extremely heavy traffic.  We were glad to get home and see Mabel who has been very affectionate since we returned.  And, we came home to our redbud tree in full bloom as well as our apple tree.  The lilac is beginning to open and even a bit of our wisteria.  Luckily our mower guy came yesterday and cut the lawn which was very overgrown, and I caught up on laundry.

Today, unfortunately, is back to work.  I am dreading turning on my work email.  We haven't been to the grocery store yet, so we need to do that today as well.

Thanks for sticking through this lengthy recap of our time away.  I'll be back tomorrow for Unraveled Wednesday!

Some Friday Things

 Hello and Good Morning,

A cloudy day here...currently 51 which is the forecast high.  Yesterday it was 83,  The rollercoaster is back.

A quick post as we are leaving on vacation tomorrow!  Woo-Hoo.  I'm meeting Dee this morning for some needed therapy time.  We will chat, sip coffee and, perhaps, knit a bit.  Then I have to pack!    I need to figure out what to take for knitting, reading and stitching and, oh yeah, clothes too.  Ha!  We are heading South (VA and NC) and it is not supposed to be terribly hot in either location, but you never know.  Best to be prepared for all types of weather.

I made a new dish the other night.  Sesame Asparagus & Carrot Chop.  I found it in a food magazine Dee had passed to me and it says it is from Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen).

It doesn't look pretty in my picture, but it was tasty.

• 1/2 lb asparagus
• 1/2 lb slim carrots (I used mixed color)
• 2 TBS unseasoned rice vinegar
• salt
• 2 TBS mayonnaise
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 large firm avocado, diced
• Toasted sesame seeds (black and/or white) for garnish

Cut asparagus and carrots diagonally into thin slices.  Place in bowl and dress with rice vinegar and salt.  Combine the mayo, sesamae oil, sriracha and soy sauce and whisk till smooth.  Pour over, Fold in the diced avocado and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I did not have an avocado so I didn't add that (plus, as much as Fletch loves guacamole, he does not like chunks of avocado in salads).  Next time I would cut back on the sesame oil (I love sesame oil, but that flavor was overwhelming in the dish).  I did really like having the asparagus raw.  

A good, summery salad for a hot day! 

Keep your fingers crossed that Mabel does not destroy the house while we are gone!  Our neighbors Rob & Eva are lined up to feed her and let her in and out, but they will make sure she is in at night (foxes) and sometimes she gets a bit stir crazy!  I need to remember to put away small things so that she doesn't knock them over or run off with them.

While we are away I will be sporadically reading blogs, but most likely not commenting (I'll be using my phone).  I'll be back with a post the week of the 17th!  

Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

Unraveled Wednesday 4/5/23

 Good Morning!

Once again I am a bit groggy!  I was up at 5:30 a.m. to let Mable out (of course) and went back to bed.  Normally I don't fall asleep after letting her highness out, but I will rest for 30 or 45 minutes before getting up.  This morning?  I did fall back asleep until 7:45 a.m.!  And, I went to bed early last night.  Guess that once again I needed the sleep.  Anyway, I'm moving slowly and just sipping my first cup of coffee.  Fortunately work email is quiet.

Yesterday I ended up walking along the trail that runs between the canal and the Schuylkill River.  One of my favorite spots to walk.  I did not see any blue herons, but everywhere there was a branch sticking out of the canal water, there were turtles basking in the sun.

Little ones and big ones all lined up

Fitzwater Station, a bar/pub/restaurant along the canal was doing a brisk business on their deck.  They also rent canoes and kayaks.  Though I did not see anyone on the water, the boats were all lined up ready for use.

So pretty!  I love the yellow and red together.  (see below - looks like my new sock start - lol)  Cheerful.

I only walked 1.5 miles.  It was HOT (my car thermometer was reading 77) and I was in jeans - I should have switched to capri leggings before I left the house.  And, it was buggy!  Lots and lots of flying insects around and many of them were landing on my hands and arms as well as my face.

Most likely I will not get out today.  I'm starting to ramp up for vacation.  Today I am doing a final load (or loads as the case may be) of laundry before we take off and I want to start organizing stuff to pack.  It's pretty cloudy and damp outside anyway.  I haven't looked, but rain may be in the forecast.

Meanwhile, it's time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk Making and Reading.  As I posted earlier in the week, the Pi Socks are finished.  Fletch has worn them (and they are in the pile of laundry to be washed today - lol) and loves them!  They fit him perfectly.  Naturally I had to cast on for another pair immediately!

Another plain sock and this one may be for me...not sure.  The yarn is from West Yorkshire Spinners and the colourway is "Goldfinch."  There are lovely pops of yellow and red making this a fun sock to knit.  There are 15 rows of ribbing and so far 70 rows on the leg.  Next up is the heel flap and turn.  This yarn will go on vacation with me and hopefully sock #1 and #2 will both be completed.  I also have another skein of yarn in the bag to cast on a new pair.

On the reading side of life - you can see what I am reading above.  Trespasses by Louise Kennedy which just happens to be the next Read With Us selection.  We will be discussing this book in June.  I had no difficulty getting it from my library and so far (a little over 100 pages in), it is a very good read.  This should make for a lively RWU Zoom discussion.

I did finish Unraveling by Peggy Orenstein and I highly recommend this book.  It was an interesting read.  Her chapters on dyeing and the color blue were particularly interesting.  Did you know that eons ago languages did not have a word for "blue?"  Then Colin told me that there is no word in Chinese for the color orange.  This fascinates me.  Anyway, the book is so much more than just about Peggy learning to shear a sheep, dye the wool and make a sweater.

Fletch and I started listening to Words of Mercury by Patrick Leigh Fermor.  Back in the 30's Fermor took off on a long walk...wandering from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople!  What a time to be wandering through Europe!  We had read two of his travel memoir books years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them.  "Words of Mercury" contains his writing from varied sources.  Some from the two books we have read, but other chapters are from other books.  The narrator is perfect!

Well, this has turned into a lengthy post.  Thanks for sticking with me!  I'll leave you with a partial shot of my kitchen windowsill looking out back.  The African Violet continues to bloom like crazy!  And is joined by a couple of daffodils that were leaning over and needed to be rescued from the ground!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 4/4/23

 Good Morning All,

Hard to tell what today is going to be like as it is still dark thirty out there.  My computer says it is 46 degrees out which is quite a bit warmer than yesterday's 20's, but I wonder if it will be sunny or cloudy.  Oh well, I will know soon enough!

Hey folks, it's Tuesday and time for a TNT - or Tiny Needle Tuesday - update.  Somehow I managed to get some more stitching completed on Ellen Harrison.

Some more gold filling and a few new motifs:  a cane (?), a red umbrella and a blue and red tree (what's up with that??)

The spotted stag (with an evil red eye) now has two front legs and the beginning of it's middle body!

An overall view.  

There are still motifs to be completed to the right of the stag, as well as the rest of the stag.  And ALL the gold filling along the bottom.  It's surprising how long that takes!  Still, I feel as though I can say that I am nearing the finish on this one!

Just checked the weather app on my phone and it is supposed to be cloudy today, but in the mid-70's by the afternoon.  I may need to get out and do a bit of a walk!  What does your Tuesday hold in store for you?

Weekending 4/3/23

 Good Morning!

Another chilly start to the day - it's only in the 20's, but there are signs of Spring!  More of those later, but how was your weekend?  Ours was good.  Dee came down with a nasty bug of some kind last week, so we did not get together on Saturday.  I missed our time together, but was glad not to be exposed to anything.  Hope you are feeling much, much better Dee.

Becaue I know you all have inquiring minds - lol - here is the Mabel update.  She is fine.  And no, we did not last 5 days with her inside.  We lasted about 48 hours!  Saturday morning was pretty miserable weather-wise.  It poured rain, but it was mild (60's).  Late afternoon the sun came out and Fletch and I decided to sit outside and enjoy the afternoon.  Mabel made it pretty clear she needed to be out as well.  We had not noticed her limping or hopping, so decided to let her out.  She was running around as crazy as ever and not favoring that paw, so I guess all is ok.  We are keeping her in at night and are continuing to pay attention to how she is walking, but all seems good.

The weather turned again - abruptly - just after dinner.  The winds picked up and a rather large and noisy thunderstorm moved in.  Multiple flashes of lightening and very loud thunder.  The winds were howling ALL night.  Turns out we were close (maybe in) a tornado watch area and one actually touched down about 7 miles from where my friend Carol lives.  Particularly frightening since she lives in a mobile home.

Before the weather turned nasty and while Fletch and I were outside on Saturday I saw some signs of Spring!

Our redbud tree.  If you look closely (or click to enlarge) you will see the beginnings of red buds on the branches.  It won't be long before it is in full glory (and we may miss it since we leave on vacatioin next Saturday).

Garlic shoots!  Waiting impatiently for scapes.  I think Fletch said that 47 or 48 came up (out of 50 planted)

Rhubarb starting to thrive in the new season!  (The tomato cages are just resting there - Fletch was clearing the debris and turning soil where tomatoes and other things will be planted.)

A hyacinth!  My Dad used to bring us a potted plant every Easter - usually it was a hyacinth.  We planted them all over the property - some out front by our mailbox, some at the edge of the patio, some further out in the yard in other beds.  It's fun to see them come up each and every year and brings back such fond memories of my Dad.

As mentioned above, we leave for vacation next Saturday.  Over the weekend I managed to put away the wool sweaters and bring out warmer weather tops and shorts.  We will be heading South, so I wanted to be sure I could pack some warm weather clothes.

Even though I am now on FTO instead of PTO and there are no "holidays" per se, my office (corporate office) is still observing that holidays we have had in the past.  So, this is a 4 day work week for me!  Woo-Hoo.  I have Friday off for Spring Observance (really Good Friday, but we are not supposed to say that).  Then I will be off all the following week plus the Monday after.

I've got a conference call at 10 and have some errands to run.  Otherwise it should be an easy day (fingers crossed).  Here's hoping your Monday is off to a great start!