Sigh!

So did it get too hot too soon? Are the pollen and dust too unbearable? Are we getting lazy or soft? Has Andy been out of commission too long with his bad back? Is the work load overwhelming? Whatever the reason, both of us were seriously lacking in motivation to get out and do our yard work? It's not that it isn't beautiful out there, because the weather has been "perfect" the last couple of days. So as much as there is to do, it was still there as of yesterday morning.

One thing that finally got us out there was to hire a couple of young boys (aged 14) to come help. That was a real shot in the arm. They were so glad to get outside and do physical labor (instead of book work - they are homeschooled). A lot of the work was just grunt work: lifting, hauling, digging. A tree had fallen down at the pond during a winter storm. Even though it had been cut into smaller pieces, it was still lying there. So these boys, along with Andy, hauled all the logs and branches to the street for pickup by the township. They raked up the area as well so now we'll be able to run the mower over that spot. Then there was another tree that Christian had cut down, but it was so heavy that when it fell, it made a trench. So the boys filled in that ditch with topsoil and tamped it down and evened it out.They worked for 3, almost 4 hours with us. When they finished a job we had given them, they asked, "what's next?" When we thanked them for their hard work, they actually said they were thankful to us. They love to work and can't get a job yet because they're still too young. Can you imagine! I hope we can hire them again soon. They were an inspiration.I took a turn about the yard and snapped some pictures. The lilacs I planted last summer are doing well.And the irises someone gave me are blooming.
This is a perennial geranium. I planted it last summer and it's doing very well this spring. I'm happy with it and might just get a couple more plants.I also went out Monday evening and bought some potted flowers to plant in my planters around the house. They add so much joy and happy feelings as I come in the driveway. And not to me only; two different visitors yesterday commented on how pretty they are.After all the work was done yesterday, I went out to stroll around and came across a visitor sitting in our driveway. I called Andy to come look, he called his parents and the neighbors. It was Mr. Snapper Turtle. He didn't seem to be phased that we were all gawking at him, but stared right back at us for several moments before lumbering off. We don't know where he came from or where he was going. I hope he knew, although there was no water in the direction he was headed!

This week

After the excitement of Aiden's birthday and our Ladies' Night Out event last week, this week seemed pretty boring. I don't really like that word, because even though there wasn't really anything out of the ordinary that we did, I enjoy times like that sometimes. And life is what you make it. How can you be bored when there's so much to do?

I did have a chance to finish a project I had started a couple of weeks ago - an apron. Christy had inspired me with her sewing, and I believe she made 1 or 2 of these aprons herself. So I thought I would give it a try. It wasn't a difficult pattern, although I did need her to show me one of the steps I couldn't figure out. Here is the finished product:
It's reversible. I feel so fashionable cooking dinner.

The girls and we had planned to spend Tuesday together at Tyler Arboretum, but because of all the rain on Monday, decided it would be too wet and muddy to enjoy the day. Besides, in talking to each of them, we decided we could really use the time for other things. All of us were busy, and as disappointed as we were not to see each other, still there was also a sense of relief that here was one less thing to do.

This is what we would have seen if we had gone:So Andy and I stayed home and worked around the house. I cleaned and did laundry (doesn't that make for an uneventful day?) while Andy worked a little more on the bathroom project. That project is dragging on because for about a month Andy's back had him laid up. But thankfully, he is finally feeling better.

We also worked at cleaning up winter storm debris. Yes, there is still some of that around. We have a big property, don't forget. There are 2 huge trees that came down: one in a storm, the other Christian cut down. We are slowly making progress.

On Wednesday afternoon, Tommy and Dawn, along with Kira, came over for dinner to discuss projects that will need to be done on the house they are buying. Tommy and Andy also went to pick up a dryer for them that is now being stored in Andy's workshop till they get the house. I made barbeque chicken pizza and Caesar's salad for dinner - a big hit with the son-in-law (hint: this is a great meal if you want to make points as a good mother-in-law!).

I finished up my photoshop class, too. I took the final exam tonight and did all right -- 89% - - not as well as I wanted. You may wonder how I could have any mistakes since I was able to print out the exam and study for it before I took it. Well, all I can say is photo shop is complicated and difficult if you don't use it (or maybe I'm just not as bright as I'd like to think I am!). I'm hoping I can become more experienced in it as I use it.

It's been cold but warmer days are coming. The forecast says in the upper 80's on Saturday - bring it on!

Aiden is 7

Happy birthday, Aiden!

When a grandchild turns 7, it's a treat to go to Grammy & Poppop's house for an overnight and all day excursion. Aiden turned 7 on Saturday, April 17, so I left work early on Monday and went to get him. He had been eager to come over and had been packed for a month. He forgot the list of things he wanted to do, but we were able to make up a new one.

1. watch a movie (The Fox and the Hound)2. draw

3. read books

4. ride bikes

5. make a carrot cake

All too soon, it was time to return him to his parents and siblings. But we stayed and had pizza with the family. His Lindsay grandparents, as well as cousins and an aunt and uncle also joined us for the celebration.Aiden was the first boy in our family after raising 3 daughters, then having a granddaughter. I was so excited to finally have a grandson that I went out and bought a toy tool set, some trucks and balls. Aiden is not a rough and tumble boy, though. He's quiet and sensitive, considerate, helpful and generous - very pleasant to have around. (He's cute, too!)On Wednesday night, we had another Ladies Night Out at our church. There were 130 women who attended our 2nd annual Tea. The ladies who helped in the planning outdid themselves with the decorations to make it look like spring. And the food was delicious, too. Our speaker was a lady who had gone through 2 different cancers. She had just started chemo for breast cancer when she found out she also had endometrial cancer. She was an excellent speaker - a wonderful evening.It's hard for me to get to sleep after these evenings. They're so exciting and get the adrenaline going so that it's difficult to unwind and relax when I get home. I was still tossing and turning well past midnight. I think the adrenaline was still in overdrive today because I felt good, not a bit tired. We'll see how I feel tomorrow! What goes up must come down.

A New Hobby

My job has changed a lot in the last 18 years. When I started, I didn't have a computer, but did all the typing on a typewriter. Thankfully, it was electric! Over time, a computer was added to the office, then the copier became more sophisticated and precise. I learned all kinds of things, including power point, excel, word and publisher. We print all our own letterhead and envelopes, brochures and literature in the office on a copier, laser printers and a high speed duplicator.

Five to six years ago, a young lady joined our office staff with a bent toward graphic arts. She worked part time in the office while working toward a degree in graphic design. After she got her degree, she started working full time and has added quite a professional touch to our brochures. I learned a lot from watching her and asking her questions, but I was pretty limited in what I could do myself. So I decided to take an online course in photo shop from Burlington County College. I've completed 10 classes out of 12 and have learned a lot. The photo shop program is a powerful one and I'm only scratching the surface with what I've learned so far. But it's been fun experimenting.

In one of my assignments, I had to take a picture (that was provided) and make some changes/enhancements. This particular picture was taken with the light in back of the subject so the facial features were too dark. But in photo shop, that can be fixed:

Voila!

Or you can put borders on or in your picture:

Or you make it a black and white picture, leaving just red!

So now I had an idea on one of my own pictures.
These pansies are so pretty and cheerful,
but there is too much brown around them.

Hmmm...well, that's the general idea, but it's not centered. I think it's back to the drawing board! It looks like I might know just enough to be dangerous!

In case anyone cares...

Things I love:
(besides God & family)

1. the color RED
2. spring
3. a clean, neat & organized house
4. all my friends
5. routine & quiet evenings at home



Things I hate:

1. the color gray
2. pollen and dust
3. messiness
4. onion grass
5. politics

Easter Sunday

It was a beautiful day of worshiping the risen Christ in church with fellow believers and playing with family at home on a lovely spring day.

After church we had a non-traditional dinner of salmon on the grill, orzo pasta salad, Caesar's salad, chocolate chip pumpkin bread, rolls and apple crisp with ice cream. Christian and Ricky hid a couple dozen eggs and the kids hunted around the yard for them.

playing games with Poppop

Dawn and Tommy were not with us because they were with Tommy's family. But Dawn and Kira stayed overnight on Saturday into Sunday at our house because of her directing the choir in all the Easter services. So we got to see all our daughters with their husbands and children in one day.

what a happy girl

Putting the holy back in the holi-day

I've heard it said we shouldn't call it "Easter" because the word came from "Ishtar" who was the pagan goddess of fertility. Well, there are a lot of similarities not only in the way the words sound, but also in the symbols and pictures used to promote the holiday. But I contend that God is the originator of the idea of spring and resurrection and the world has always been the imitator and distorter of God's ideas.

So I'm not going to boycott Easter with its bunnies, chicks and chocolate. Instead, I'm going to allow the holiday to remind me of the empty cross and grave. I think God was very creative in timing the cross and resurrection in the spring. What a beautiful picture - after the despair and darkness of the cross (winter) comes the glorious hope of the resurrection (spring).

Our pastor likes to say at Christmas time: "We need to put the holy back in the holiday." Holidays originally meant holy days. And certainly Christmas and Easter are both gifts from God for us to remember Him and His work on our behalf.

It's a beautiful day today - Good Friday. I had a day off work and spent the morning working in the yard and gardens. Andy and I worked together a little until his back couldn't stand it any more. We cleaned off the deck and raked out dead leaves from the gardens. A friend gave me some miniature irises that I planted in a spot that needed something.

After lunch I took my lounge chair and spent an hour relaxing on the deck in the sun. This was the view from my chair:

I was delighted to notice that the lilacs I planted last summer are getting green and budding and even putting out new little shoots.

I can’t deny it and have no wish to: my favorite time of the year is SPRING. The earth is filled with your love, O Lord. (Psalm 119:64)