In the garden....

The garden has drawn me in this season as it hasn't for 2 years...

Suddenly new projects seem ready to be tackled.

Older projects have had time to tell me what will be needed next,

or where potential lies for new thoughts.
and blossoms are scattered everywhere.

The First Grooming

Last Saturday we took the two terrors for their first official grooming. Weve given them baths at home but it was time for a more intensive treatment...
I got some pictures of them since they won't look this good for long.

 Here is Dillon looking fine, noble perhaps. Gazing into the distance? No he is probably thinking "I'm Dillon, Dillon, Dillon..." we are pretty sure that is what is going through his head most of the time.

 Zena is undistracted from the truth; "We have been dumped off in some backwoods freaky-house, and hosed down like livestock...
this will not be forgotton."

 "Squirrel!!"

 "I'm watching you..."

 Dillon's butt

"this is not over"

Planning and Planting

When I was planning my next moves for a troubled garden bed, I noticed a visitor staring at me from the wrinkles in the paper.

Some sort of Journal Spirit, he just showed up.
He is on the south edge of the map, not a direction I would have associated with someone that has a Father-Archetype* look ...
The south seems to associate with a younger warmer sort of vibration.

He seems interested though and I think he is reserving judgement until he sees the results of my planning.
I wouldn't have expected this sort of interest from a male spirit.
that is probably telling something about me.

*Zeus, God of the Sky- The Realm of Will and Power
  Poseidon, God of the Sea- The Realm of Emotion and Instinct
  Hades, God of the Underworld- The Realm of Souls and the Unconscious

New Curtains

Here are the new curtains. They look like watercolors of hydrangeas to me.
Perfect for spring.
The storage bench in front of the window has become our little dog Zena's seat of preference, in the evening she just curls up on it and zonks out.

Dillon always chooses to snuggle up at my feet on the trailing edge of the afgan, he is a serious mama's boy.

In June we will have had them for a full year. they have settled in quite well still having the occasional hiccup but they are good dogs and they fill the house with life and laughter.

The First Domino

Ever notice how all the projects are piled up on one another like Pick Up Sticks? Or Dominoes all set end-up in a huge pattern?
Yeah, sometimes you tip the right one and it triggers a chain reaction, kind of a rush if you let it carry you along.
Not so long ago I found a good home for an old washer and dryer that had been living in my garage since I gave up on the outside studio and started working from home. Doing that had felt like a failure and I guess I just sort of shut down about the whole business. I set up a temporary studio when I needed one and took it down when it was in the way. I never committed to setting up a proper table with the washer and dryer there I never had the space.
The temporary tables were too low and working at them gave me a backache, the lighting sucked everything felt wobbly and frustrating.
I was passive about seeking a solution.
Having one drop in my lap and acting on it sort of knocked over
Domino 1.
Suddenly there was space and a possibility of a studio...
Well, there was if I could get rid of a few things like; the donations piled there, and the mountain bike I don't ride, and the golf clubs I discovered I hate golf with; and if I cleaned up the whole place.
So I did.
Domino 2-8.

In the clean garage I set up the temporary tables and thought: if I clean up the cellar I can break down the old shelves and use them as a base to raise the table tops to the right height, and then it wouldn't be much bother to add some shelves for storage, and some back splashes to protect the walls.
So I did.
Domino 9-16.

While I was cleaning the cellar I found some old stained curtains, perfect candidates for a makeover.
So I did.
Domino17-26.

and so on...

Shaking Out The Petticoats

As predicted, the Daffs have bloomed and are enjoying some extraordinary weather. Today we hit nearly 80 degrees, last year at this time we still had snow. This year my best guess is we are running at least a month ahead of the usual cycle.
Tonight I am trying an infinity scarf designed from a tiedyed t-shirt.

I am considering shredding my ETSY inventory and turning it into something else... maybe scarves. 

Renewal in three parts

Part 1
The Daffs are looking in the direction of spring, they plan to celebrate its arrival by shaking out their petticoats, saucy bunch that they are.

Peepers have been heard for the first time this evening.
There is an owl in the neighborhood, we hear him on our twilight walks.
The geese have gathered on the pond in a raucous crowd.
Robins arrived a week and a half ago, and the blackbirds are singing their boundaries.

Part 2
The first 5K of the year has been successfully, completed with a time of 32:03.
I'm pleased  to have been able to run the whole thing and even more pleased that the course was delightfully flat.
Part 3
I gathered all the studio's unfinished business in a giant heap and resorted the whole bunch, leading to some interesting new ideas and some new directions to explore...