Where did the moon go?

We sat out on the deck last night - in jackets of course - it was about 45 degrees - which seems relatively warm...

...we watched the moon rise up into the clouds...

...the clouds were pretty low...

...and it almost looks like the power line is making the moon disappear...

...but it keeps rising and disappearing as it goes...

...until it's just an orange glow...

...and then it's gone...

Drawing Contest

Scout is entering the Wildlife Forever State Fish Contest - there's still a few more days before the deadline (March 31st) if you want to get in on the fun...

...he chose to draw Nebraska's state fish - the Blue Channel Cat - why, I don't know - because I certainly thought he would choose the pretty rainbow trout from our home state (NC)...

...but he planned his drawing - did a preliminary sketch and then got out his coloured pencils and drew his fish...

...the finished drawing - and that's one mean looking fish...

Mamaw's Tablecloth

Y'all know that we have the Man's Mamaw's (maternal grandmother) dining room table and China Cabinet...

...we also have a hand crocheted tablecloth to go on it...

...after it's last washing - it developed a hole - OH NO!...

...so I got out my tiniest crochet hook - Mamaw crocheted this tablecloth with some cotton thread of an unusual weight that was given to her by her sister - the Man's Great-Aunt Emma right after the Second World War - so I couldn't match the thread exactly - but I just used some Aunt Lydia's Crochet Thread size 10...

...and I got out my trusty jeweler's loupe - which is so very helpful in picking up these teensy little broken stitches...

...here's my finished patch job - I'll always be able to find it - Scout and the Man couldn't find it until I pointed it out...

Easter Sweater Update

I can't believe I'm a whole week ahead this year on the Easter Sweater...

I'll have it all sewed up before Palm Sunday...

...Oh yes - there is still the skirt - I'll post a finished picture of it soon too - I haven't been taking in-progress shots of it - it's turning out ok - even with the improvised lining - I really don't know what I was thinking - buying that slinky sheer fabric - I think the fact that it matched my sweater yarn was what did it...

Easter Countdown

Remember how you count down the days until Christmas with an Advent Calendar...

...little ones get so excited to open a window each day - we always do this in the morning before breakfast and Scout gets his little treat for the day...

I thought I'd share our little Easter Advent - it starts 12 days before Easter and you get to open one egg each day - (Scout's really too old for this now - but he loved it when he was little)...

...we spray painted an egg carton silver...

...here's the list of what is in each egg...

...and you end up on Easter morning opening an empty egg - just like the tomb is empty...

The Watercress Experiment

Thanks so much for all the quilt love yesterday - I'm hoping it will bring warmth and comfort to someone out there who needs it...

Remember last week when we made the Potage au Cresson and we bought that bunch of Watercress with the little root ball still attached - and Scout wanted to see if it would grow...

...well, we plunked it into a dish and sprinkled some water on it - and guess what? - It is growing...

...I think we'll put some more soil around it and call it a plant now...we may never have to buy watercress again...

Lutheran World Relief Quilt #2

This one is all blues - Mom also sent the navy blue for the back...

I've got another blue one in the works as well...

More about Lutheran World Relief Quilts here!

...still sleeping...

We have been enjoying this warmer 'winter jacket' kind of weather - it's usually foggy in the morning and overcast - so we went out to Sully's Hill to see if the critters were waking up...

The flowers were not waking up yet...

...but their stems are quite pretty against the snow...

...so are the grasses...

...we saw some sleepy buffalo...

...and What's That?...

...do you see the points through the trees...

...a little closer and still too sleepy to be bothered by us puny humans...

More Signs of Spring

We've been looking for signs of Spring...

...it's been very cold and windy - but you can see the lake that will be forming in the field to the east - here's a view from last March...

...and the snow releases it's icy grip on the swingset...

...and the black earth that they piled in our backyard last year is beginning to peek out - once that gets all smooshed around some of it will be my garden...

Molded Food

I found these at the local thrift store for a quarter each!

I need them for some of Julia's recipes - I'm so excited about making molded food - I think it was a lot more common back in the 60s...

Easter Sweater Update

You can see one of the sleeves that I worked on last weekend at camp in the new Spring banner...

...this is the back of the sweater - I'll join it to the sleeves and then the front when I get it finished - maybe tomorrow - snowy Sundays are good days for Easter knitting...

...and I've just started the skirt - I'll post an update on that soon as well...

Cozy Curtains

I've been staining some new curtain rods and rings and such...

We're finally replacing the vertical blinds that were here when we moved in 5 years ago with some proper curtains - I think it will make the living room nicer and cozier - Of course I'll take some pictures once we get the curtains up...

St. Patrick's Day Soup - Potage au Cresson

We had a lovely St. Patrick's Day soup - Potage au Cresson - It's one of Julia's variations for Potage Parmentier - it made a very pretty green soup and we all loved it...

...all the details are at The Vegan Version...

Signs of Spring

We've been having lots of fog and grey days, but...

...Can you see him there among the branches? The birds are coming back - so Spring must be coming too...

PS - Happy St. Patrick's Day - we'll be making another treat with Julia to celebrate...

Let It Be

Scout got his 'appliance' installed yesterday - but he won't allow any photos...

...I wanted a photo of him 'in the chair' but he nixed that as well - he's adjusting well - plenty of wax is involved - and soft foods - and he talks funny - I sent his teachers emails asking them not to call on him to read for a few days...

...so since I have no photos of his mouth - I'll share one of my surreptitious videos of him playing the piano - it's early in the morning and he's still in his pajamas - but he had probably lain awake thinking about this song (we had watched the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on PBS and Paul McCartney and Billy Joel had played 'Let It Be') and right now that's how he's working the piano - he'll hear a song and then spend hours figuring out the tune (gotta love that)...



...a little shaky and slow - but I think he's got it - he saw (or sensed) me right at the end - looked around and said 'I wish you wouldn't do that'...

Snowshoeing at Camp

...we had an hour and a half of free time in the afternoon...

...so some of us decided to do some cross country skiing...

...and others (me included) strapped on some snowshoes for a hike...

...there was a musher harnessing her dogs - she runs them on the trails here at the camp for practice...

...she didn't offer anyone rides as she only had her training sled and it wouldn't take two people...still fun to watch...

...boys goofing off inside the bare teepee - we had more boys than girls at this retreat...

..we're about half way there - the goal is those crosses on that hill - yep - way over there...

...pretty cattails in the snow...

...I love the chunky craters formed by our snowshoes...

...getting closer...

...of course the kids beat us old folks by a mile and were waiting when we climbed the hill...

...the crosses on the hill...

...down the other side...

...frozen bushes...

...camp on the hill on the way back...

...the frozen lake...

...boys on the frozen lake...

...the 'Outback Teepees' - used in the summertime for the primitive camping retreats...

...footprints in the snow...

...I hope you enjoyed our retreat as much as we did - as always - we can't wait to go back...