Happy Easter

With winter hanging on for so long I nearly forgot it was Easter!!  But Easter did come and it is a little nicer today - The Maple tree out front is actually trying to bud out so maybe there is hope!!

Photo Award!!

I won an award at Photobug for a Photograph I posted a couple of months ago - I was really surprised

 

I really need a pic me up today - and an incentive to go out and do some more photowork.

Car's Fixed!!

I'm really excited today - they got my car fixed in record time!!!  I get to go to Bible Study tomorrow and to my Luncheon - That is sooooo wonderful.  I'm so tired of being stuck in the house all day - I need some distraction.

We went down to pick up the car and we had to go to the grocery store.  While we were out I took some pictures of the flooding down on the Rock River.  It has come up a lot in the last couple of days.  It seems unbelievable that 6 months ago we were worried about a drought.

Rock River at Harold's Landing

Rock River Bridge from Harold's Landing

ShyShy's Little Rock - actually the drainage ditch from the Airport

All of this from 4 days of rain and some snow melt.  What's going to happen with the Mississippi comes up in a couple of weeks?

First Robin

I am so excited!!!!  No my car is still not repaired - either one - one is now in the shop - the other awaits warmer weather.  No my basement is still damp and there is no way I can move my sewing back down there - the ditches are flooded and now the river is coming up!!  BUT - I saw my first ROBIN today!!  That always means that spring is here and things will get better.  I love Robins!!

First Robin of Spring - March 12, 2013

I saw my first robin
Of springtime today
Out on the lawn
Looking dazed and dismayed
Shivering with cold
On this late winter day
Wondering dismally
If he'd lost his way
Taken a wrong turn
In his long Northern flight
Instead of a left
Mayhap he'd turned to the right
And come to this cold and
Forbidding dark place
Without any warmth of
The sun on its face
The winter's been long
And dreadfully cold
So dear little robin
If I may be so bold
You're most welcome here
As the first sign of spring
With grand celebration
Let all the bells ring

© 2005 KayDee Ward
All Rights Reserved

Maybe now I can get out and do some photowork and enjoy some lovely places.  Of course we have to wait for the rest of the snow to melt and the ground to become less of a bog - but it's coming!!

Yesterday I finished a doll quilt for Quilt Guild.  The quilts are collected and given to needy children in the area at Christmas time.  I decided to practice my machine quilting on it rather than just tie it.

Doll quilt - about 24" Square

Well, I'm back to the sewing machine - and maybe a cup of tea!!  Happy Spring and have a lovely day.

Michael's Quilt Square

I know I'm a little behind. It has been a crazy week. Both of my cars are on the fritz. One has an oil leak and the other has something wrong with the fuel injection - neither can be fixed in this horrid weather - one day it's snowing and the next day it's raining - today it's raining and we are under a fog advisory. I don't drive hubby's car - I'm not going to be the one to put the first scratch or dent on it - so I've been staying home and the weather has been running havoc with my bad joints. Not to mention the CABIN FEVER!! I'm used to getting out for a couple of hours every day and doing my own thing. Now I can't get to quilt club, or the quilt shop to get the thread I need to finish the quilting on a table topper. GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

 Anyway - I'm looking for the bright side to all of this and the lessons God wants me to learn. I'm a slow learner - but I know God is patient with me - I'll get it soon - I really will. I just finished pulling most of my current projects from the sewing room along with my machine and equipment as the floor is flooded from all the rain and melting snow. It's a real bummer - but I'll have to work upstairs for a while until the rain stops and we can get the floor dried out down there. It hasn't taken water like this in a lot of years.

Anyway - I did finish the Women of the Bible block for Michael - Wife of David - and her sister Micah.

Michael's Block - Open Window

Michah's Block - Sister's Choice

Hope you have a great day and that God will bless you in your endeavors.

February's Book List

Believe it or not but it is still snowing today.  It's not snowing a lot and there shouldn't be any accumulation - but come on - we had little snow all winter and then the end of February it snows for 4 day straight!!  To say the least I'm tired of snow.  Thankfully the wind isn't blowing hard and it has been warm enough that the roads are all clear.  Hopefully tomorrow it will stop snowing and we might see a little sunshine.  Of course it is March 1st - so I'm hoping this counts as March coming in like a lion - so it will go out like a lamb.

I didn't think I had read very many books in February - it being a short month and I really was busy with my quilting projects, but the list is longer than I expected.


The Silver Master by Jayne Castle
Ghost Hunter by Jayne Castle
Agony in the Leaves by Laura Childs
All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie
The Lost Night by Jayne Castle
Bones of a Feather by Carolyn Haines

I know I sort of went on a Jayne Castle Marathon this month - I do like her Harmony books and the Rainshadow books - which are also set on Harmony.  I just happened to have a stack of them in the basket of unread books.  Deborah Crombie is the only semi-new writer to my list - I've read one other book in this series.  I really like them - they are set in England and the main characters are a Detective Inspector and his Sargent from Scotland Yard. Her books are about police procedure - but they are also about the people and I like that.

I've read nearly everything that Laura Childs has written and the latest in the Tea Room Mysteries does not disappoint.  And then we have Carolyn Haines and her Bones Books.  I have to say I love Jitty and she has a good part in this story.  

I've already started on my pile of books for March - but I'll let you know what they are when the month is over.