In like a lamb

Oh my goodness I'm loving this weather!!!  I haven't worn my coat all week and it very well might still be in a car.

Speaking of cars, two are at the shop and Robb and I have been sharing a car this week.  The Sweetness.  Formerly known as The Sweet Civic.  

3-4 weeks ago, Robb was out of town with one of the other cars and I was home using the Sweetness.  I must have left the inside light on, because the next morning when I tried to take Leon to school, it wouldn't start.  drat.  I was going to put it on a battery charger and struggled to open the hood but couldn't.  When Robb got home, it started up right away.  Don't know what it's deal was.  Maybe that morning had been too cold along with the light being on.  Finicky little thing!

Last week, it needed some power steering fluid, so Robb worked on getting it opened.  FINALLY he was able to but then the hood wouldn't latch back shut...  After googling some videos for answers, he found that I must have overextended the little lever inside and the cord was too taut to let the latch work right again.  Whoops!  

He was able to correct the lever and get it latched again. WHEW!  

So now I have 4 garbage cans full of leaves and yard debris, about a fifth of the way done...  And no van to haul them with.  I did drive out to the yard waste place this morning and found that it's finally open today, but it's so muddy, the Sweetness would never make it back there.  

Wow I miss my van!  If I wait until this weekend, I might be able to fit a garbage can or two in the trunk with the lid open for the trip out there...  If the mud dries up a little.

I'll figure this out.

It's too windy for a burn pile, but I might start a fire in the firepit this weekend and burn some branches that need to get outta here too.

A friend gave us a huge pile of dirt last fall and it sat frozen all winter.  Yesterday I was able to haul two loads of it to my garden.  But what a muddy mess...  

The tail of the Sweetness and the pile of dirt.

Spring has sprung.  At least I hope so.

Oh the plans I have!!!!

Spring, Sprang, Sprung

So here are the pics of our Irish feast from one week ago today.  The leftovers are ALMOST gone.

Just a few more quarts of Colcannon left...

The birthday cake.

The cod cobbler that everyone raved over.

The shepherds pie.

The boiled cabbage, tatties and neeps, colcannon and probably the Dublin coddle in the bottom bowl.

Too bad we didn't get a pic before hand!  or of the table itself.

or the piled dishes after...

Here is a link to our Irish night a couple years ago. 

A few recipes were shared then.

The weather has been awesome...  Leon had a neighbor boy over earlier this week, so Ryan took them both down to the creek.  They had a blast and made tons of memories.

Leon's had two teeth fall out in the matter of just a few days.  He's giving the tooth fairy a run for her money! Even though he is adamant that the tooth fairy is not real.

Spoil sport...

Yesterday morning, the weather was just plain gorgeous!  In the 60s and it felt like SPRING!!!

So I cleaned out the four cars in our driveway.  They hadn't gotten a good working over all winter and a couple that haven't moved much had a lot of stuff shoved in them to get it out of the way.  So it all came inside and sorted.

Lookie what I found!!!  I knew Robb's bagpipe chanter was in one of the cars but since it was so cold, we didn't give the cars more than a cursory glance.  

So he had already ordered a new one.  It's very nice.

So when I was cleaning out the "sweetness" (we name our cars...) I found it underneath the seat.  And I mean WAY under behind a few water bottles, chip bags and a chicken nugget.

So there.  I've done my bit of spring cleaning.  When does the pool open?

Oh yeah... It WON'T this year.  Something about a crack.  shoot.  

I guess we'll be entertaining Leon with the garden hose and a bucket this summer...

I'm Melting, I'm Melting!...

 So last Saturday, even though it was well below freezing, I had Spring fever.  And since I didn't have anywhere to travel to, for the first weekend in at least two months, I did some spring cleaning. 

Sure it didn't seem like much that I did, but it felt good.  A cleaned out lazy Susan, at least 7 loads of laundry, a cleaned out bathroom cabinet and yet no sewing.  shoot.  Maybe today over lunch.  I've got my bestie's jeans that need a bit of mending before I go see her tonight and remember those little fabric cell phone holders that I made a ton of several years ago?  Jen got one and still uses it. It has sprung a leak and a little rice is coming out.  So I need to mend it as well. 

I also have a sewing meeting this weekend that I haven't attended since November.  I SEW want to go!!!  And then maybe an afternoon trip to go see my dad.  I haven't seen him since the funeral.

It's only Thursday and I've got my Saturday packed...

And with all the snow melting all over Iowa, this was my view this morning.

Normally you wouldn't see the water from here.  It's flooded pretty bad...

The last time that it flooded worse than this and affected us was in 1996.  Ryan was really little and Maddy was, I guess, two.   I might have the wrong year on this page...  Oh well.  It was a bad flood.  

Our golden retriever, Katie, saw the open deck door and bolted to go outside.  The creek had risen up to an inch of our basement window and our deck was now a dock.  Katie jumped into the flood waters and Robb had to jump in and drag her back.  Then go get a tetanus shot.

Robb's parents were visiting at that time and we joked how his dad had parted the waters for us, as we were the only house on the block with no water in our basement.  Just a damp spot in the corner.  

The house to the south had a flooded basement with lots of dead fish and the one to the north had a basement full up to the top basement step of sewage.  Wow, did we luck out!

The snow and ice is ALMOST melted off my herb garden this year and I'm anxious to plant my new lemon balm seeds.  I've been waiting for this moment all of the winter of 2018-19...

Sprung Times

Spring has sprung!  

Then it snapped back a little with a chilly day yesterday. 

I had to wear long sleeves and a jacket... 

 It's getting closer tho.

These branches freak me out during a storm by scratching the walls near my bedroom.  We need to take a saw to them so I can get some sleep on windy nights...

How is the springing in your parts?

A little spring in my step!

So after the undead lunch on Saturday, we headed to the Home & Garden show.  Several people had been giving away free tickets to it on Facebook that week and we decided too late to go, so all the freebies were gone... That is until we paid the $9 per ticket price, unrefundable, and then there were more free tickets available.  sigh.  The story of my life...

And one person decided not to go, so we were out $9 for their ticket!  What a wasteful life I live...  ANYWAY!  This is the last picture I took with my camera before we entered the building.  Leon was wrapped like a burrito and I did say, "You're as snug as a bug in a rug!" to him.  I guess I always do when I wrap him up.  

Meri has more photos but I haven't had a chance to get them off her phone yet.

Inside the HyVee Hall event center, it was SPRING!!!!  That was the whole reason I wanted to go.  Someplace where it's warm, flowers are in bloom, butterflies are fluttering about (there was a butterfly tent), and you can let your grandchildren play on playground equipment that costs more than the first years rent on your first apartment.  Ryan, Meri and Leon got tired of Robb and I telling them to walk to the side and let people past!  So they went off on their own.  Robb and I meandered.  At first, I think Robb thought we were just going to walk all the aisles to appease me, but he started getting into it too and actually TALKED to some vendors!!!  *gasp!*  He even told someone about our bathroom window!  He doesn't usually do that sort of thing.  

We both signed up for lots of things and with any luck, I'll win all new windows, a new garage door and a new water softener!  OH and new siding!  Meri made him sign up for a new truck for her.

It's been 3 days since it ended and the only calls I got so far were from the water softener guy wanting to know how long we wanted to be between water softeners.  So I guess we didn't win anything...

When I was kid, my family would go every single year to the BIG Home show in my home city.  My siblings would compete in the building of small model homes contest and my brother would win either first place or a great prize every time.  He's a contractor now...  after working in contruction for many years.  And tomorrow he's going to Istanbul... So you know...  Winning prizes takes you places!  

Those Home shows were awesome!  I may have only been 10 years old, but I signed up for everything!!!  I was determined to win a jacuzzi or swimming pool, or a new car!  Never did.  But I did come home with tons of freebies back then!  At least 3 or 4 yardsticks, several pens, globes, brochures.  

The freebies are few and far between these days.  Folks have gotten cheap!  I did get a couple pens and a 12 inch wooden ruler, but had to confess how badly we needed our living room painted to get it.  sigh.  The lies I tell...

But the $9 ticket was worth it to see how happy Leon was to play on that playground, waving his sucker in the air and squealing with joy when sitting on rocking chairs with his daddy in a gazebo.  Seeing Ryan and Meri trying out all the mattresses and checking out the settings.  Dipping your hand in a swimming pool. 

Since we didn't win any of the giveaways, I guess we'll just have to win the lottery...

We are so going again next year! 

Random because my mind is in a fog...

You know what? Sometimes when I click on New Post in the mornings, I have no idea what I'm going to divulge to you guys...

I think that's why I have random days... like this one...

My DSL modem is starting to konk out. I have to reset it every single morning. We thought it was the router, but I'm starting to think it's that little silver box under my desk... dang.

I still need to mail in our Golden Retriever registrations... We're just a little past the due date on those... And our 2 year old "puppy" will probably give birth to more in about 9 weeks and 5 hours. Judging from the wild kingdom activity we've been witnessing in the back yard. I don't think either of our Goldens have any idea how things are done... So we may have more time than that.

On the sewing front... My nieces confirmation dress is done except for just a little hand needle and thread work. That can wait... I started making the top for Maddy's prom dress and fitted the first draft of it on her last night. I need to make some adjustments so I seam ripped it all apart last night. Hope I can get back to it before I forget what I need to do to it...

There are a lot of things on my mind lately. Work, home, family, extended family, dogs, projects, cleaning... sigh. Next week is Spring break and we're taking the whole week off for a vacation. I can't wait! Not going to do anything exotic... Mainly help my parents move and then hang out at home. Maybe do some day trips.

St Patrick's Day is next week and I'm looking forward to doing the pub hop with Robb's bagpipe band. If you're in the Des Moines area, let me know and I'll try and get you a schedule on where we'll be. With a Diet Coke at each stop, we'll be able to drive home in one piece I think! And with no stops because Robb doesn't like being seen in public in his skirt kilt without the rest of the band. Meri is dying to come along and be Robb's roadie. (Carrying his bagpipes, etc...) We used to take Ryan along until the last year when someone at the bar gave him a complimentary beer along with the band... Um, nope! You can take that back. This very tall kid is only 17!

We HAVE had a few young visitors come see us. Like my niece. and the daughter of another piper.My niece with Ryan. He collected as many green necklaces as he could that year.

Then later on next week, we're having our traditional Irish dinner with our dear friends. And Maddy wants us to do a duplicate of that the next night for her boyfriend and his family. We should be all dingle pied out by that Sunday!

OHHHHH!!! I need a vacation!!!!! and a chance to sleep in!

It's a Marshmallow world in the Springtime!

It's a marshmallow world in the springtime
When the cotton comes an covers the ground. boo-boo-de-boo
It's a time to cry, it's a whipped yard day
I loath to see it all year round....

There are marshmallow tufts being friendly
In the arms of my herb garden leaves
And the mowers clogged like a sink gets sometimes
The cottons getting caught in my sleeves.

In springtime it's a marshmallow world.

Darn cottonwood tree...

Ready... Set.. Go...! My daily view...

This was last Thursday 4/23 and my view from my office. I can see if anyone comes to the house... at least until the lilacs are in full force.
This photo was from Tuesday, 4/28. We had some fierce rain over the weekend and all the plants are greening up and starting to look good. The hostas are pushing up thru the dirt and starting to spread their leaves.
This is the view from today. The leaves are opening a bit more and I see the little nubs that will eventually be lilac blossoms. These are Japanese Lilac bushes, from what I've been told and don't bloom until later in the summer than regular ones. But the fragrance is intoxicating and you can practically feel the scent on your skin as you walk past them.

Robb hates them.

But my favorite thing to do, is to sit on our front bench when the lawn is just getting a bit shaggy. I'll sit behind the lilacs, inhale the scent and it reminds me of my grandmothers house when I was a little girl.

I'll share that with my girls this summer. Maybe they'll carry it forward to their kids.

Looking forward...

I'm dreaming of a green lawn and lush trees and shrubbery and yes, even tall green cornfields. Right now, there are still white piles of cold wet snow around and brownish/greenish grass pushing thru the snow. Kind of depressing... The country roads are muddy, slushy messes which make our cars look like Sherman tanks, or so I'm told. I hope we don't have to hide Easter eggs in the snow this year!

Soon - soon!!!

Come on Spring!!!

Yesterdays weather was fabulous! Everyone is in the Spring mode now. Here is a picture of my view from my home office. In the spring, it's so cool to watch the trees and Lilac bushes start to bloom. Day by day, it's just a smidge more green. I can't wait!
But anyway, here is the view for today.

Soon it will blossom and bloom and I won't be able to see in front of the house anymore until I prune back the lilacs.

Floor update: I gave the house a good stink last night with some varnish stripper and got most of the kitchen and dining room a good start. Unfortunately I didn't get enough stripper and need to go back over some of the edges again, as it dried too fast before I could get to it with the scraper. Tonight is out, as I have some socializing to do... So I'll pick up some more stripper and dig into it first thing in the morning.

The oder from the goop wafted upstairs to my bedroom and I thought maybe that would help us sleep really good last night, but Robb was just afraid we probably wouldn't wake up... I had the bedroom fan on and the bathroom fan and this morning I couldn't smell anything, but it might just be my cold helping me out... The kids weren't affected at all. Good!

This experience with the floor brings back vivid memories of my youth tho. My parents were remodeling our house while we were living in it and we lived with the subfloor in the kitchen and living room for a long time before the carpeting and linoleum were put down. Very ROUGH under our feet.