Saturday sewing

I started the jelly roll race quilt back in January at our "girls weekend" ...and since yesterday was the first day at the Bernina in 4 1/2 months .. it got finished .. I've seen oodles of this pattern and most of them have better color placement -- i just sewed and didn't even think about the color placement ... will audition border tonight when I get back downstairs 

two colorful charm packs sewed together I omitted the sold white charms .. again just stitched and tried not to have a matching print next to a matching print ... the fabric was quite "thin" ... should drape well -- not sure how well it will quilt

and a mini blue / cream jelly roll just stitched together .. once i press it well I think I'm going to chop it in thirds and whip it back together (or not!)

Yesterday was the Scrap Shacks Spring Scrapbooking/Crafting event -- it appears a good time was had by all -- I made it home by 11:15 -- in the shower and drugged up by 11:30 ... 

deer invasion

 yes, some days it seems like the deer live here and we are just guests -- now that the river is flooding the critters have moved to the high ground and even more of the damn things are in the yard

drove Ruby all week long ... even on my Friday road trip 

see below

had to be in New Ulm Friday morning for a Brown Nicollet Community Health Board meeting -- so I did a mini road tour -- Cty Rd 12 between the Fort Road and Hwy 14 has a stretch that passes between two fairly large/deep potholes/swamps/mini lakes .... and there is no outlet for either pothole -- so with the fast melt of April .. water was encroaching on the road and by late afternoon the wave action from the 30 mph wind gusts ... pushed water, ice and dead cattails over the road and it needed to be closed ... 

I took these with my phone -- pix and driving is bad -- but the more I look at these two shots the more I like them .. blue sky, blue water -- Ruby's red hood -- orange barrels -- clouds --- endless stretch of road ... 

and on to Saturday ... pix to follow later ..

focus ... the lack of focus

I can't seem to focus on anything lately -- for 4 months the brain is traveling at 150 mph and then it kind of slows down and I think it gets tired. 

It's tired -- I'm tired.  I'm at loose ends.

So for attitude adjustment I finally took a drive to Mankato yesterday -- the fabric store and Shopko ... ya, more storage containers and I stocked up on the necessities of life ... shampoo, tooth paste, deodorant, Advil, peeps -- peeps were on sale. 

I'm still at loose ends .. need to knot it up and go back to work.

Just another day in Southern Minnesota

the "river" flowing in from the field thru the yard

my truck - hanging out with the camper until it is dry enough to actually get to the back machine shed -- the river pictured above is "ponding" back there -- and it's a mess

rhubarb

so, another Tuesday in the Valley -- I actually made it to water aerobics last night -- I've been referring to it as the $40 water aerobics -- probably the only time I'll make it this session -- no it was not worth the $40 ... need to work on better attendance .. 'tis good for the body and soul.  I might try to attend the summer sessions at the outdoor pool ... 

I still have a 3' snow pile at the office -- hopefully it will vanish tomorrow -- sun, lots of sun is forecasted.  Ruby and I have been cruising into the office this week -- I missed her ... she weathered winter pretty well in the new improved storage location.

ahhh --- the Happy Place

Mom and I took a little drive this afternoon -- I needed to check out the Happy Place -- there is still snow in our parking area and the path down to the cabin is a mini-creek ... but .... 

And the lake is still covered with ice -- I didn't walk all the way down to the lake -- we stayed on the deck -- there is an open ribbon of lake in the entrance to our bay ... 

It appears some construction might be happening out there soon ... building supplies are in the living room!  Rumor has it -- siding and windows are happening ...

Missed the place 

Can't wait for the ice to go ...

random phone shots

cleaning up the pictures on my phone (also known as -- my phone is running out of memory)

perspective

my new motto for living .. a lot of crazy things happening  .. and it makes one think ....

live like you are dying 

Hotdish ....

so since I had no wheels yesterday (on the day of rest -- and yes, I went to work) ... Jean picked me up and we went to the Catholic Daughters Hotdish and Salad Luncheon --- alas, by 12:15 they were OUT OF HOTDISH -- seriously -- out of HOTDISH.

those ladies have cornered the market on HOTDISH.  

so, we headed down the street to the Diamond Dust Bakery -- where Cheri and crew had tasty soup and sandwiches (and a cupcake) ...

the wheels came back late in the afternoon -- front wheel bearing ... under warranty (insert grin) and on the way home from Nicollet -- in the middle of no where my "low tire" pressure warning light started beeping and flashing ... Dad added air this morning ...

all in a day ...

the end

the end of the "normal" tax filing season

1453 hours in 107 days   so peeps that's an average of 13.57 hours per day
I'm pooped.  really pooped.

I just washed my truck
Hit up the local Shopko for paper towels, toilet paper and paper plates.

I need to be back in the early am -- CJ picking up my truck -- getting worked on -- the groan will be disappearing -- hopefully. 

I did manage to sneak in a hair cut this afternoon ... just had to walk a block or two ..

the weather forecast is frightful.  more white shit.

so peeps

  I think I worked my last Sunday for a while.

  We're dug out and working  .......

  Until the next blast ... let the melting begin -- there are heaps of piles of white stuff everywhere and I mean everywhere -- our yard looks like the snow globe exploded.

  

2018 Snow Day #10

didn't know I was snapping the cardinal in flight .. 

this damn squirrel worked hard to get at a treat ... he was digging around for over an hour 

Tom Turkey didn't like the weather either

I walked to the top of the hill -- life in a snow globe -- winds were picking back up and the sleet returned.  sleet/snert

yep, snow day #10 is almost over ... I left last night at 6:30 with work -- made it back to the office by 6:30 ... got the back up tape running and then worked until it finished at 11:00 .. home with another box of work and supplies and well, it's almost 9:00pm ... my box is done (or as done as it can get ) 

I've shoveled out the garage doors and front sidewalk -- elder #1 has cleared the driveway and made snow ridges to hold back any drifting this evening ...

a strong 10" so far ...

please Mother Nature -- bring me Spring ... 

I really need some heat.

another day in a snow globe

even the birds are tired of winter .. the endless winter ....

really slippery too ... 

it's time for the end of tax season -- we are almost out of toilet paper, paper towels and tissues -- so the end must be near ...

oh snow

more snow, more cold, it's crappy.

i'm crabby.

life goes on.

Peeps

the headless bunny peep.  yes, over the course of an afternoon I ate the WHOLE package of the dang things.  It's only Wednesday at 6:30am but it's been a stressful out of control week.

monday chaos -- dying fax machine -- #1 had no ink -- none in town, spare fax had no ink -- Shopko to the rescue ... Ruthie died and the endless phone calls ensued.  Meg had an afternoon of doctor appointments and testing

tuesday chaos -- freaking snow, lots of freaking snow.   snow night/day #7 -- I went home at 7 -- at least it was light out for the commute and the commute was ugly.  I didn't regret leaving when i did -- other than working at home is bad.

here now -- and ready for another day of endless questions, endlessssssss questions.

Random Phone Pix

I brought a garden ivy into the office for the winter -- it appears it likes it there ... it's done pretty well, when I remember to water it ....

Easter Sunday morning at first light --- I wasn't feeling well last night so I went home at 8:45 --- horrors, 8:45 .. and was back at my desk by 6:30 am .. prepping the homework, sorting and attempting to find my desk -- it happened ... I came home at 11:00 with two boxes of work .. one is done and I am attempting the second box ...

Celebrity sighting on 3rd Street -- Mr. Shelby was in town to MC or host the Tornado Commemoration -- 20 flipping years since it blew thru -- I just need to know .. where in the heck did the last twenty years go ....