Instant Pot

 When we were kids occasionally our dad would hide a thimble around the living room and we kids would search for it.  I don't remember if there was a prize involved because it would be hidden several times per session. I just remember we would have fun looking for it.

Easter Sunday we had 23 here for dinner.  Daughter, SIL, grand girls, brother, SIL, nieces, nephews, cousins, second and third generation nieces nephews and new niece.  Close to the end of the day Elizabeth noticed little frogs hidden in the kitchen.  Hidden in plain sight.  She found three. I thought they were her cat's toys from when we pet sat a few weeks ago.  But no. 

Everyone went home.  PH and I started finding the little frogs tucked everywhere.  Still in plain sight, but tucked on the bookshelves, in the bathroom, in the spare bedroom, living room, peeking out from all sorts of places downstairs and up.

I asked the girls if they or their dad did it.  No, they said. But I didn't believe them because it's just the sort of thing they would do and giggle as they watched us find them. They insisted no.  I asked a niece and she said no for herself, her husband and four kids.  I thought for sure it was the husband.  Nope. 

Back to clues with the grands.  We narrowed it down to another niece and her son.  Nope.  But she laughed when I asked "then who?"  We were up to 23 of them!  They are everywhere!  She said to check my emails.  Well, I'm not an email saver.  I read 'em and delete 'em. But I scrolled trash and found the conversation from Sunday's planning and there was the thank you from my great-nephew thanking us for the day and signing off with 🐸. Ah ha!! That went right over my head when I read it.   Niece said there could be 28 so we have five to go if that's true.

This was so much fun for PH and I as we would call from somewhere in the house, "Another one!"  But SO puzzling as to who hid them.  And a nice way to continue Sunday's fun.

Yesterday I went to the garden center.  It's about 45 minutes from here if there are no detours for road repair so it took me an hour.  I go to this one because their prices are the best anywhere.  Anywhere. I can't buy the quantity I buy and pay the prices of the swankier greenhouses. I go for the potted geraniums.  They are in full bloom, good height, healthy, inexpensive and I simply tilt them out of the hanging pot and into my bigger porch pots.

From this

To this.  Instant Pot!  These bright reds are my primary purchase.  There are a few other things I get for specific pots but this is the reason I go and the flowers I love. 

     Today we planted them.  I know. I know.  There isn't a horticulturalist in the state of Michigan who would say it's ok to plant now. Not a single one.  But I have my own barometer and I've only been frozen once.  

    I watched the weather and determined it was ok to go purchase.  The forecast for the next ten days is FINALLY seasonable in the high 60's /low 70's.  Today we are going to hit 80.  And none of the nights will freeze. 

Geraniums can withstand those temperatures.  In fact, they prefer it. The pots are on the porch so way above the ground and freeze.  

   And I am running the clock on a new hip soon so the list of to-dos is long.  I am happy to cross this off. 

    

Last night I kind of sorted the circles into sort of light/darks/colors.  I am not going to put them on a design wall and play with placement - because I don't have a design wall, just a Thinking Bed.  These will be sewn together as is with random placement. It's going to be fine.

 And I'm going out onto the porch right now with my cranky machine to begin.  I think I'm going to do the 16 x 18 - one of the sizes Susan figured for me.  Can't let this beautiful day be spent in the house.