Where did March go? Why did it take my Mojo with it?

Well, hum.  

I have no excuse.  I also have not been in blog land AT ALL!

I promise to do better.

I did make myself a promise to finish 3 little (non-stitching) projects which had long been on the TO-Do list! It took until the last day of the month but I made it!

First off -

I hung my strainers.

I said these projects were small!  

I have a love/hate relationship with Command hooks so I initially tried to make a hanger with wood and cup hooks.  Sounds so simple but no.  Eventually, I gave up and bought the hooks.  However, the first day one of the hooks came off!  This after I had carefully cleaned the door with rubbing alcohol, sigh.  I replaced the sticky thing which fixed it--so far.

Next, or rather at the same time I fixed this--

This is a paver my middle son and bonus daughter gave me several years ago.  Black and Gold for my University Of Missouri  (Mizzou) The stained glass had lifted off the cement, cause I left it outside! This again seemed easy and it wasn't hard it just took time to purchase the proper glue, layout on the table the way it came off and glue it back down.  Easy enough but I didn't want it to happen again and spurred on by Youtube videos I decided to cover it in epoxy.  That had to be ordered (twice) and a very large round silicone form acquired.  After that it was an easy thing to mix up the epoxy and pour it on, except that my table wasn't quite level and epoxy is self leveling so I had to do a second pour (after I fixed a level resting place.)  Anyway, it came out of the mold and is encased in epoxy which is never supposed to degrade and is out on the patio!

Finally, I took a sink cutout that I've been carrying around for years and turned it into this--

Just cut it to size, sand, iron on the edging (which had to be ordered) and use glue to fill in the gaps between the edging and the board around the corners, sand, treat the borders with Tung oil and add rubber lifts to the bottom to keep it from sliding around.  

I have a lot to do in April.  I can finally work in the yard and garden, and get the patio set up for summer.  And . . .do the Spring cleaning.  I'd have gotten started today but it rained,  also the National Weather Service just put us in a Tornado Watch (which just means weather conditions could cause a tornado.)

Rain tomorrow too.  I guess cleaning will happen, then I may just hibernate in the studio!

Finally a finish, Plus updates on Quinn and I

 

First, I finished this little guy and he is off traveling down the highway towards his new home in Nashville!

Bonus daughter,  Tanya likes Gnomes and this one was supposed to be ready for Christmas but better late than never!

He is seriously adorable.

I have been feeling flat this year, not much interested in anything.  

Pretty sure it's Seasonal Affective stuff but now that Spring is definitely on the way I am feeling better.

I know how to get myself out of the slump so everyday now I have to do one thing for me, one thing for the house and one thing creative.  Usually, that one thing turns into more than one and soon enough I'm back.

Speaking of being back, Quinn is back.

She lost and additional 7 ounces in two weeks but eating was rather rough.  I had a brain flash that reminded me that she had been on grain-free, limited ingredient dog food so I headed to the pet store for some!  I managed to find some that was 4% fat like Science Diet (which she won't eat) and brought it back.  Two days into it and she is her normal self!  She even gets excited when I come home now!

She is still on medication and will always be but at least she is stable-for now.

Spring has come early!

Evidence:

Daffodils  are up!  So are the tulips!  No blooms yet but soon.

Even my lilac bush is budded out green.

I'll get back to blogging, both writing and reading now I think!

It's been a strange one

Remember this?  The Snow Globe!

Now it looks like this.

The big patches out by the trees are standing water.

There was water standing in a lot of places in the back yard before the snow came, we had a wet December so the ground was saturated.  The snow storm started off as a steady rain.  There have been three more snows but none of any serious depth.

Then there was the deep freeze, actual temperatures below 0F and wind chills down to -30F!

There was a short Ice event--A skating rink-poor Quinn went sliding!

One night of rain!  The puddles began showing up.

Now we have dense fog advisories!

Rain to begin after midnight tonight and go for 24 hours or so, I'm expecting all the snow to disappear with that and the puddles will get larger so I might be living in a swamp! Or there might be flood advisories!

But, Hey!  It's to be in the 50'S F  (11C) by the end of the month!

I wonder what February will bring?

 

Plastic

 

At last.  After five months (give or take a week) I have finished with the Dentist! 

Okay, I still need to have them cleaned-that doesn't count.

Extractions, crowns, fillings and now the missing teeth have been replaced.  I have two partials made of plastic.  So I need to relearn how to talk, eat and drink with that in my mouth.   I seem to be doing okay and I didn't need Zanax for the last visit!

Checked something off my MUST DO list!

Quinn went for her vet check up last week.  She has lost 4 pounds since last year and is really skin and bones which has caused me (and the vet) concern.  She has never been a great eater-Shelties are notoriously picky about what they will eat. I changed her to canned food and boy does she like that but she still hadn't gained any weight.  Anyway, a blood test came up with pancreatic levels about 4 times what they should be.  Pancreatitis seems to be the problem and her food has been changed again.  I hope that's what's wrong and that treatment cures her.  The other option is likely pancreatic cancer.  She is 12 so I know that I should be enjoying every day that I have her.

Today, is the last day of really cold weather--for this go around.  Tomorrow it is to be in the 30's (F) /0 (C), then in the 40's (F)  5(C) with rain off and on for four days after that.  Before the big snow there was a day of rain, my back yard was full of puddles which froze, then the snow, freezing weather, more snow etc.   There has been some thawing but when it rains it will all be gone in a flash and the puddles will return only bigger.  Who knows what will happen after that!  (in 2013 we had two consecutive Tuesday storms of 13" of snow and it snowed in May.  If we had any serious snow last year I don't remember it.  This is winter in Missouri--very unpredictable.)   I'm not really complaining about the weather, I would not want to live without four seasons!  Although, I wouldn't mind if summer was a bit shorter!

Deep Freeze

If Tuesday I lived in a Snow Globe , I now live in a deep freeze!

The temperature at 8 am was -8F /-23C with a Feels like of  -28F/ -33C.

Now, at 2:16 pm it's -1F?-18C with Feels Like of -17F/-27C.  The high today is expected to be 0F/-18C. Tomorrow, there's a heat wave coming the Hi is expected to be 6F/-14C with snow showers.

That will make 3 snows since the snow globe.  The big snow had melted some but it's no longer pretty.  Once the streets get plowed and all the dirty stuff thrown up on the yards, and sidewalks and drives get shoveled the pristine beauty of newly fallen snow is gone.

I love a big snow!  It is not only beautiful but it dampens all sound-so I know it has snowed before I even look.  The muffled quiet disappears as soon as snow shovels and snow blowers come out, sigh. 

I'm dressed in layers and still chilly, even in the house.  Quilts do come in handy!

I live in a snow globe!

Seven and a half  inches of the white stuff landed on my patio!

I measured it--with a ruler no less.

While that isn't a great deal of snow for say Alaska, or Canada, or Siberia it is a great deal of snow for us!

No school for anyone in the area, many other places were closed.

Even the Library!

I've only gone out to shovel a path through the patio for Quinn and to take out the trash.

Tomorrow, I will have to clean off the truck and the driveway.  Oh fun...not.

 Do you want to make a snowman?

12th Night-Goodbye Christmas

 Tomorrow, the tree will be dark.

The outside lights will not come on at 5pm.

The decorations will be packed away for another year.

The big red totes will be carried up to my office closet and sit awaiting the time when they get to come out!

The house will look naked and I will be tired!