Saturday

We went to see the kids this weekend. We haven't seen Charlie since the end of January and

we haven't seen Ceci since Christmas. She was sick at my birthday so she had to stay home. Wow...what a difference a couple of months makes in the littlest ones. Ceci is talking with very understandable words. I was shocked when she said, "I want a cookie." Well, what grandma can resist THAT! I always make a batch of chocolate chip cookies when we know we're going to see them and I would have given her the whole jar full if I could have gotten away with it!

We went to Detroit's Eastern Market. A huge complex of a farmer's market. Building after building after building. Some very international food, some flowers, some of everything. The side streets are lined with shops that supplement and make the market even more exciting. I saw some things for sale I've never seen before...

...like quail eggs.

And these roses! They stopped everyone. I asked how they got those colors and the vendor said they inject the roses with colored dyes. They certainly were interesting. Each individual petal is a different color.
And spring flowers were everywhere! I bought some pansies because for now that's what I can put out. It IS still only March and they're predicting close to the freezing point for tonight. We're so close to the lake we probably won't get that cold but it could freeze inland. I hope we have fruit this summer.....

Bye Bye Birdie

I made some blackbirds the other day. They are really fun to make...all except the feet. That floral tape stays with you!

All except the beak on this one this is made with Friend Mary's "ugly fabric." Kinda cute, huh? I'm going to sew the eyes on right now so I can stop and deliver tomorrow.

I know you're probably tired of hearing how mild the weather has been, but look here, this is one of my peach trees. It's only March 21! This is what May 21 should look like! We are all loving this to pieces....or should I say peaches?

Saturday

We are having the most amazing weather. After a mild, warmish, snowless winter we are, in the middle of March, when we should be shovelling snow,

...hanging laundry...
...painting...today I painted 13 pillars on the porches...

Patient Husband painted the upper floor....

and marvelling at the daffodils in bloom, hyacinths almost in bloom, buds on the trees and rose bushes

It was a windows open curtain flapping beautifully warm day. What a gift.

It was SO nice to get some of the painting chores done in mid- March instead of mid-May. I just came off a very, very stressful week at work and should have been on the couch all day recuperating but I couldn't let this weather slip by. The frogs are singing mating calls, the birds are everywhere. Mrs. Robin was sitting in a nearby tree when I got go "her" pillars. She wasn't happy with the color I was painting, I suppose. She sure let me know she wanted me out of her way. Every year we have at least 5 robins nesting on the pillars, at the doorways, in the wreaths, at every entrance to the house. Eventually they get used to us coming and going and it's ok with them that we live here.

Mojo

People have been blog commenting lately that they've lost their mojo. Can't quite get into the mood of starting, working on or finishing projects. Some are in a real quandry about it and some are just taking some time off.

There seems to be some cause for concern. But I don't think so. We all lose the mood sometime, don't we?

I'm not in much of a mood right now, either. But I decided it's because we just moved back home after two months away, we are getting back into the commuting groove, being tired at night and waking up too early because, on top of it all, daylight savings time kicked in. Which makes us tired at night...which means we get up too early...which means we're tired at night.......
When this mood strikes I try not to fight it. I read. It's a good time to catch up, finish the book, read the pile of magazines (I like magazines.) and fiddle through my stash.
Remember the ugly fabric Friend Mary gave to me? Well, she doesn't know it yet, but I'm using some of it to make some birds for her. I never saw an ugly bird. Well, a vulture, maybe.It's taking awhile though, because I've lost some mojo, too. Cutting out three birds and making these legs took two nights (and the legs aren't even done yet.) I'm going to tell her this bird is a red winged black bird!

Spring

It was such a balmy day yesterday. Just a ramped up continuation of the mild, sweet winter we've had. The temperatures were so soft we took the scenic way home and stopped for our first feel of feet in the sand for the season.


And as we drove up our road the first thing I noticed was the pussywillows blooming in the ditch across from the house. Everyone has their own harbinger of spring...seeing the first robin, the first worm, the first asparagus spears, hanging the first batch of laundry on the line. But for me, it's the pussywillows. They really are the very earliest sign we've turned the corner on winter and sweet spring is ahead.

Saturday was dance class. Both Elizabeth and Adelaide were excited about starting their class and Patient Grandpa and I were excited to watch.

They worked hard

and were so darned cute in their little pinks.

We are now officially home again. We spent the months of January and February housesitting for my brother and sister-in-law in the city where we work. We enjoyed our "stay-cation" maybe as much as my brother enjoys his vacation. But now, as of yesterday, we are back to the hour commute each way. And I don't know about where you live but gas is now $4.00 a gallon. It's going to hurt.