Spring Times

Shoot. I lost an entire post. It was a good one, too. Somehow it didn't get saved and I looked through all my cached pages. I'll try to remember what I wrote, but I'm tired now, so I fear it will be much more poorly written.

This week I felt like I got a lot done, and it was very satisfying. I don't know about you, but I have a procrastination list a mile long. Right now, there are 8 things newly crossed off, from finishing photoshoots for friends to delagating the mailing of annual portraits of my kids to my mother-in-law. I got my garden planted, I got to spend precious time with friends, and I almost got all the boxes sorted before Jeff got home.

About the garden: This is the first time in three years I've actually gotten organized enough to plant anything beyond a few tomato plants. We had a great output of compost this year-wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow full of gorgeously composted "black gold"-and my garden looks so nice-rich dark soil, edged in cheerful marigolds all around, some rows with plants and some with seeds, organized and marked, and ready for the growing season. I got almost everything in the ground that I wanted to plant on Saturday, just in time for 3 or 4 days of rain. Hopefully it won't be too much rain, but will be cool enough to allow a good start for my last-ditch try at growing some early season things before the heat sets in. Thank you so much to Jann for hooking me up with her daughter's plant fundraiser and then going the extra mile and picking everything up for me.

It was also great, as we were finishing up our week-late rendition of no-screens week, to have everyone out in the yard helping plant and clean up. The evening ended with a grand family trampoline jumping extravaganza, a backyard fire in the fireplace and watching Bolt all together.

Jeff's homecoming has been lovely, with all the kids drawn to him, making for lots of nice together time. The fact that he is a MAN with a BEARD is still freaking me out a bit (I'm way too young for this) but he's great fun to hang out with. I'm going to start telling people he's my little brother instead of my son.

Among the other things that happened that I want to remember were a lovely day spent with Christie, who is moving away soon. We knitted together in her home, all cozy and pretty for showing to sell. She made me yummy chicken quesadillas and it was great. She actually had to kick me out because I was enjoying just spending time with her. The next day, at her invitation, I got to enter the inner sanctum that is Lifetime Fitness and join one of Christie's awesome water aerobics classes. It was perfect in every way-great cardio, resistance and stretching all in one workout, PLUS, my legs and arms were under water so no one could see what an ever-loving klutz I am. There is a reason why I stick to running and riding bikes, but this I could get into.

I also got to teach and help at one of my favorite events, the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I taught kids' classes and helped on the commitee that judged the wonderful knitted garments that people submitted for prizes. There were some truly gorgeous things-it was awesome to see all the high quality work that people are doing. That day included seeing old friends, visiting with new ones and just enjoying this creative world of fiber arts that I've so luckily landed in. I wore a nice little straw hat to keep out the rain and sun and either I looked pretty good or really weird because I felt like people were staring at me all day long. Have you ever experienced that? I actually never saw myself after I put on my hat, so the weird option is probably more likely, but oh well. I felt pretty in my hat and my jeans skirt and my cool boots. Other than wondering what the heck I looked like, it was fantastic-a favorite day of the year.

So overall a good week (if you don't count that one friend having emergency surgery on Thursday night-bless her heart), with more done than undone. I feel ready for the new week to start, which will be filled with more of the same plus a few extras. Jeff and I might go to a matinee to see the new X-Men Wolverine movie, and I have a Photoshop Seminar on Friday to get better at processing photos.

This is quite a desultory post, and my apologies, but this seems to be how everything is tumbling out of my brain onto the keyboard. I've realized that I'm actually exhausted, for many reasons. It came on suddenly as I sat here and thought about everything that's happened this week. Time for bed.