Roar?

Now it's officially spring the weather has turned a bit nasty.  March may indeed go out like a lion.  Yesterday morning while I was out with Mom and Dad we had a thunderstorm so loud The Tramp was convinced it would break the windows!  We woke up to another loud and flashy thunderstorm this morning and it rumbled on an off for half the day.  It's supposed to be like this all week long.  Here it comes!

I don't think I posted pictures of my latest houses.  Here is my honey bunny.  :-)

Some of the Kiwi fabrics are in this one.

The Tramp again.  With a silver fern in the door, a popular motif in New Zealand, and a kiwi on the roof.  Yes, I know.  Why do I have a flightless bird on a roof?  Because he fits, that's why!  :-)

A picture of Middle Daughter wearing her hat of gift bows at her bridal shower.

I wandered outside between thunderstorms this morning to see what was what.  It's pollen season, that's what!  Look at that pond.  Ewwww.  Just when it's nice enough to open the windows it's better to keep them closed.  Sigh.  I had to wash my sewing machine table this evening so the quilt wouldn't turn yellow!

The duck was making trails through it.

The house is starting to disappear behind greenery again.

I love this azalea!  And so pretty with raindrops.

By the time I sat down with my breakfast......  Corn Flakes and banana that I absent mindedly put salt on instead of sugar!  Ewwwwwwwww!  .......it had started teeming rain again.

Then suddenly, the sun popped through.

This rascal, the male eastern towhee, has been staking out his territory under the azalea bushes with his mate.  He is spending a considerable amount of time trying to fend off the "other" male towhees he sees in our car mirrors.  Very funny to watch, but I don't particularly care for the mess he makes down the sides of the cars!

And this is just a pretty picture.  :-)  It all looks so fresh and washed.  Then when you get close you see the pollen!

This afternoon the sun shone very warmly and I checked out the bluebird box.  They've been busy!  I've also seen them fending off other interested birds.  There is so much pollen in the air I had to keep wiping off the screen of my iPhone! 

I pulled at least a dozen rogue oak seedlings out of the garden.

The Bradford Pears are no longer white.  Their petals are in the pond mingling with the pollen.

There is Mr. Towhee foraging, in the center of the photo.  Mrs. Towhee is brown and very well camouflaged.  She is just to his right on the other side of the bricks.  I wonder if they are actually going to nest in those bushes.

Oh dear.  Very out of focus.  I'll need to try again.  I took a late afternoon snooze on the couch and was too lazy to get up to get the other camera.  It was such a pretty view of the dogwood tree framed in the window and lit by the late afternoon sun.  I felt I should just lay there and fully enjoy the moment.  I know the moment will be gone soon but I feel good that it will come around again next year.  :-)

Ah!  There's the thunder.  Good night.  :-)

Oh dear.....

So much going on, so little time!  I feel like I'm falling behind on everything.  Sigh.  Oh well.  Grandchildren pictures always cheer me up.

Stardust and her mommy.

Apparently Stardust just loves her Uncle LZF!

I love this photo of Grand #3 with his dog.  :-)

And looky here.  Grand #6!  Woot!

This last weekend I went on a sewing retreat with Kathie to Connecticut.  But before I left I had many projects to finish up.  I got the quilt for Stardust done.  I put the finishing touches on this jacket for Eldest Daughter.  I also finished a jacket for Middle Daughter and I was sure I'd taken a photo of it but if it's in my iPhoto I haven't been able to find it.  Hmmmmmm.

Another t-shirt quilt done before I left.

The retreat in Connecticut was led by Karen Eckmeier.  She is publishing a new book and we were part of the "top secret" testing team.  My jacket isn't finished yet.  I can't say much about it but I can show a photo of it when it's finished.  We had the best time at the retreat but were sooo ready to get home after the long weekend and long long drive!

It's still winter in Connecticut.  It's been so warm here we were amazed to see snow on the ground.   The Connecticut scenery included lambs,

the Catskills,

and Kent Falls.

We shopped in Kent, visited with Karen and her delightful husband and then had to buckle down and get sewing.  I can't show you our projects but there is Kathie working hard.  :-)  We were staying at the Wisdom House Retreat Center in Litchfield.  Though our work room was a little small, the accommodations and food, and the company were just fine.

On the way back to North Carolina, Kathie and I stayed overnight in New Jersey with Poyla and Middle Daughter.  This gave me time to give everyone their Christmas presents!  We had a great time with Stardust, who of course, charmed us completely.  :-)

 MD took this absolutely hysterical picture of me reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear to Stardust.

We arrived home on Monday to SPRING!  Wow.  Flowers everywhere.  In the 70s and 80s during the day and people everywhere in summer clothes.  Spring is so early I'm kind of holding my breath waiting for March to go out like a lion.

Tuesday, Mom and Dad moved into their new apartment.  They've downsized considerably so many things have ended up at our house.  My rocking chair is back home.  Yay!  Perfect for sitting looking at the pond.

We sold the guest room furniture and the movers delivered Mom and Dad's twin beds to us on their way to the apartment.  I really really want to paint this room before we set it all up again.  The Tramp is being very patient with all the mess.  On Monday lots of stuff from both houses will be going to the thrift shop and we will all be heaving a sigh of relief.

The speaker and workshop leader at guild this month was Roxanne Lessa.  Julianne and I went together to the Friday workshop, Teeny Tiny Art Quilts.  This was my first attempt.  Eh.  I think it looks better sideways.  In this exercise we were told to use just two shapes.

Julianne's was better.  She really got an Asian feel.

Then we worked on a shape that radiates from the center.  I like this one better.

Hmmm.  I think this is sideways.  Sorry Julianne.

And here they are all together on the floor.  Click on the picture and you might be able to see that we couldn't resist adding a little red pimento the the "olive" in the center of my first piece.  It think the circles look like moons.  I guess I should name it "Olive Moon" or "Scotty, Beam Me Up To That Olive!"  lol

A great variety!

So now I'm home I need to catch up on my little houses!

And my knitting too.  I've only added a few points to that Hitchhiker shawl.

And this is what my sewing room looks like.  OMG!  I think it's time for me to sort out and regroup.  Don't you?