Hello.....it's me

go ahead and have that Ally McBeal moment and hear Adele in your head......

Where have I been and what have I been doing?  Oh my.....nothing much really but endlessly busy just the same.   I mean, it seems I have a calendar of dinners, outings, events and things to do and.....and I seem to cross one task off my list only to have it quickly add another.......and this is just at home...... as for work..... hmmmm, I think I am accelerating that retirement date.   Funny, some friends that are retired are bored and have returned to the work force......me, I think I will be of the variety of my friends that says I don't know how I had time to work......seriously counting the months until I hit SS retirement age unless something drastic happens at work.......I just don't want to do it anymore.   I gave my boss a three year notice that I now think I will hack a year off! At this point I don't even think throwing $$$$$ at me will work.  I'm tired......stick a fork in me.....I'm done.  I really need to work on an attitude adjustment for the next 15 months.

On a much more cheerful note, I spent a long weekend at my grandson's first birthday.  So much fun to spend the time with family.  A girlfriend went with me to save me from the long ride alone.  We laughed the whole ride out and all weekend long.  I can't believe William is one year old already.    He is walking up a storm and mom and day have their hands full.  I did miss my annual spring retreat in OCMD and was disappointed to not being able to go but slobbery baby kisses made me forget OCMD real quick.

Will was not interested at first in stopping for his cupcake so mom had to  sit him on her lap.

He was changed his mind real quick.....

He didn't want to stop eating long enough to be put in his booster  seat.

As a reward for a long hard season at work, I rewarded myself with signing up for a class in OCMD in June.   It is Betsy Morgan's Virgin Queen.   This will be my third class with Betsy.   This design is so delicate and pretty.  I've got a bit of pre-stitching to do before the June class.  I'm a little foolish since I haven't finished either piece from my last two Betsy classes!

My tools of choice these days.

Really not much stitching going on......been doing yard work which is my first love....chronologically.   I fell in love with yard work before I ever knew about needle and thread.  I've cleared yet even more ivy.  I am relocating my fire pit and putting down stone around it.  I cleared even more ground cover from the property line beds.  I'd say I am about 90% done the front and sides.   Would be all the way done but Mr. Snake and I had a stare off in the flower bed and I kind of backed off that section......better finish up this weekend.....mulch being deliveried Monday or Tuesday.  All the work now will pay off with many hours spent sitting on the deck stitching and enjoying the view.

The back property bed is my summer project this year.  The soil is not the best; it lies in the blazing sun; it has been the dumping ground for all plants and bulbs I thinned from other beds.   For many a year  I would just toss them in the undergrowth alone the line of trees to grow, or not.  Now that I have reclaimed more of the area and planted grass I need to properly plant it.  I hope to spend a couple of summer evenings each week messing about with and refining this area.    I want to get some sun tolerant milkweed varieties for color and to attract monarch butterflies.  Sounds like a simple enough plan.....famous last words.

Before, uncovered all winter
and with a liner faded to white.

Ready, but still too chilly for me.

We also had a new liner and filter upgrade for the pool.  I am not going to dwell on Mr. W. not being willing to go salt water.......I am thrilled he opted to make the repairs we needed rather than taking the pool down....which was my initial fear.  The kiddos said now that he has a grandson to swim in it, he'd definitely leave it up.....they were right.

So to stitching.....I am putzing along with Corsica River.  I came to the realization that I didn't stop stitching the first row because I grew tired of the blackwork; I stopped because of the enormity of the scroll frame.  It is not the easiest thing to manage.   I removed the fabric from the scroll frame and mounted it to q-snaps.   I like the idea of keeping it on the scroll frame to keep the fabric clean but the 36-plus inches of width is the pits.  For the stitching, I am liking the Assisi work using the outline first method.   Makes is easy to add the long arm cross mindlessly.

I am putzing along with Mon Ami.  I feel confident I will be able to definitely stitch and finish to qualify for my WIP challenge.  Good progress is being made on the third of the four panels.

Just not enough time to stitch, and weed, and tend, and plant, and read, and work.......hence the reason for my lamenting above about retiring.

Keep on stitchings.....thanks for stopping by.

More birthday pictures for viewing.....or not...

Serious out to dinner face the night before

Fun eating berries

Playing with the 'corn popper'...one of the presents from Gramma.

Little man loves his daddy.

Point a cell phone or camera and he is not shy.

oxoxoxo