SPRING MARCHES ON IN A PHOTO-LESS BLONDIEVILLE

 

I made this little cutie for my granddaughter with more requests from the rest.  Isn't it precious?  I was actually at Hobby Lobby with Emily and the girls and came upon the needlework section.  I saw three tiny kits to make this, as well as a sloth, and an owl.  I asked Madelyn if I could make this little lamb for her.  She said, "Yes, Grandma, but it's a unicorn."  Oh, well, I still think it looks like a lamb.  I made the sloth for daughter Abby because, well...it fits.

I became very interested again in needlework since I'm pretty much off my feet several hours a day.  I rummaged through some of my half finished projects as well as  samplers, which I'm really not interested in doing.  I will say that Amalia at Handmade By Amalia truly inspired me to get into some of the whimsical hand stitching she does so well.  I have none of her talent.  She tells the most wonderful stories and poems on her blog and Instagram feed-give her a visit!   I have some online projects ordered.  I'm sad to say there isn't much at all to be found in Hobby Lobby or Michael's.  I drove out (into the burbs) to a Jo Ann Fabric and they had zero.  Nothing.  A few cheap counted cross stitch kits.  And they're selling clothing and jewelry now. What???  If you do any sort of this using an online shop, please let me know.

And this is my only photo for you, I still can't load them.  I have even searched You Tube and there was a video in which a guy concurred with the dumbass picture loading issues with Blogger and illustrated how he copies and pastes his images, but it wasn't clear from where.  This really doesn't bode well with bloggers who seem to be disappearing quickly.  I'm determined to keep it up.  I found blogging and blogging found me after my sister died.  Writing gave me the chance to escape from the real and cruel world, and forced me to look at the good things in my life.  I still go back in my blog which I started  in 2009, and although my photos are lousy, it brings back things I had forgotten, from people, parties, vacations, everyday happenings, and then the photos.  A written journal doesn't have that impact.  And I keep everything here clean and fun as opposed to my written journals!

If anyone uses Blogger, please email me with your advice.  

So this is a photo of Poppy playing in the daffs:

                                                    😡

We've had a lot of rain so as you can't see, they are mud spattered and drooping.  I can see them from the house all along the fence and that's where they can stay.  The tulips are really coming up now-I cannot wait for their show!🌷

                                              

And this is a picture of a new garden bed:

                                                  🤬

I'm happy I got it mostly up and running last fall so there really wasn't any hard work to be done--I did the pointing and The Husband did all the digging.  I'll tell you another time what was planted, I've lost the stick markers. I still use that free phone app called Picture This.  Just snap a photo of your flower, plant, bush, tree, or weed and it will identify it and give you all sorts of info.  I also have some flower seeds planted; four 'o clocks, moonflowers, zinnias, and cosmos.

I don't really know when we will get back to the lake to just hang out.  The kids are coming up the weekend of May 15 to help unload all of the summer furniture, beach toys, and all things outdoors. The boat will be dropped off and we have The Beach Boys replenishing sand and weeding.  I didn't make a big mark in the cleaning of the house the last time I was there and that includes a ton of laundry and getting the guest rooms company ready.  I'm going to pick up some drop cloth from a hardware store and cut sections it to drape over the beds whenever I leave.  No one wants to sleep in a bed that has sat in a room undisturbed for weeks.  I leave windows cracked but I always wash my bedding and dust my room upon arriving or else my allergies would go bonkers.  So that's my lightbulb idea.  

Between my back issues and The Husband having new health problems, I'm doing my best to consolidate appointments into chunks so we can get away whenever we can, whether it be the lake, Asheville, a getaway vacation somewhere warm, anywhere.  I really hope so.  

My current read is Daughter's of Erietown by Connie Schultz. It had good reviews and I was having a real fiction mood.  It really is good so far.  

Well, I'm off for now.  I'll probably think of a zillion other things I could have mentioned but it's about time I was short and sweet!

Be well 🌸

Jane x

A LITTLE GAME OF CATCH-UP WITH BLONDIE

I miss all of you!!  I never thought I would seriously get anything out anytime soon.  You know--it's everything and nothing going on at the same time.  My biggest reason for absence has been problems loading my photos on Blogger.  I thought I would throw my laptop across the room if I couldn't figure it out after another try.  It's working...for now.  If anyone out there is on the new Blogger, give a girl a hand! I also found out that Feedburner is making changes and if you subscribe to my blog or anyone else by email, that's going to end in July.  We were advised to download our list of subscribers but what to do from there is questionable. Any idea?

I hate to start off all techy (or tech-less) but all of this just made blogging unappealing.  I'm going to do my best and hop in the saddle again! 

These tulips are from the grocery store and I actually bought them a few years ago.  Are they faux?  No-I just posted an old photo. 😂. I had to laugh at something I saw on Buzzfeed now that I just used that crying emoji.  They shared texts from people who thought their parents  were undeniably inept at  emoji's and how to use them.  One really made my jaw drop:

Hey son.  Your Uncle Mark died. 💀

And another from someone whose mother thought the "laughing til I'm crying" emoji was really crying hysterically:

Judy, I know you'll be sad, but my kitty passed away. 🤣

Ahhhh...we all need a little laughter these days.  You can subscribe to Buzzfeed on your phone apps.  I love it. 

I make this candy as an Easter treat (which of course, has come and gone).  I thought I'd share because you can use whatever little candies you like for holidays, seasons, etc.  I like to make an "adult" version with good chocolate pieces, some pretzels, and smashed up macadamia nuts.  Out. Of. This. World.  In a nutshell 🙄:

Place almond bark or white chocolate pieces in a large bowl and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring as you go until melted.  Spread on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and then adorn with your choice of edibles.  Place in your fridge for about fifteen minutes.  Break into pieces and store in a plastic container for a few days or until gone, whichever comes first and I can make a good guess!

 

Have you tried any CBD products?  There are SO many out there and a lot of mixed reviews and misinformation.  I did a fair amount of research hoping to find something that would help me with my everyday anxiety and sleep issues.  I settled on this brand and I'm not disappointed.  I take the daily gelcap in the morning, and a dose of the daily drops in the evening before bed.  I do feel a sense of calm, nothing intoxicating at all.  I also use the natural oil for my face, hands and ends of my hair.  The gentle scent is heavenly and that alone is relaxing.  Anyway, in my humble opinion, if you are interested in CBD products at all, this is a good company.  I like that it's geared toward women, not to mention attractively packaged.  Check out Equalibria online.

 

Another share I have for you is my subscription for these energy bars from a company called Verb.  For a tiny little bar that can fit in the palm of your hand, they pack a lot of punch energy-wise.  The caffeine content is equal to a cup of espresso so it doesn't cause any jittery feelings, just a nice boost if you are having a midday slump or have evening plans when all you want to do is put on your PJ's and cuddle with your pups.  I've been getting my little monthly supply for well over a year now.  The flavors, like Lemon Raspberry and Salted Peanut Butter are awesome and change up quite often.  Maybe this is something you might want to try.  Go online to Verb Energy.  And of course you know I don't make money for endorsing anything, I'm just a very pushy person that likes to spread the word on good things.

My reliable daffodils are blooming wild and tulips are just starting to open as well.  I need to make a note of bare spots.  As this area dies down, I have coneflowers, phlox, sedum, and daylily that spring up for the entire summer.  I'm working on edging out another border with an excess supply of cobblestones and flagstone, adding flowers and plants as I go along.  Well actually, I work at telling The Husband where things go.

 I'm going in for surgery on my back(again).  Sometimes I feel like I'm ninety years old.  My back is miserably messed up.  It's only been three years since I had a partial fusion, and now an area needs to be clamped and screwed nowhere near the first fusion.  

For the most part, since the end of November, I have been spending less and less time on my feet and more lying in bed, taking pain meds, drinking tea, reading, watching a little TV on my laptop, and just appreciating the company of the pups.  Surgery is scheduled for May 24.  What a way to start out the summer.  🤦🏼‍♀️

I can do my thing for about six hours stopping to rest now and then.  Sometimes it feels like there isn't a darn thing wrong and then my spine shifts and boom, it presses on a nerve and the pain goes down my leg to my heel.  Anyway, I've been doing what I can to simplify things once I'm home from the hospital. I make extra large dinners so I can freeze a good potion for meals The Husband can make.  I've been organizing and tossing a lot of things.  It's just mundane stuff that will nag at me and wish I had gotten done before the surgery.  

In other news, I'm fully vaccinated and my family as well-it's so great being together again.  Illinois has done a great job with vaccines but I'm still keeping a low profile, doing as much as I can to stay out of the grocery stores, etc.  I know for the younger crowd, being stuck inside and not being able to socialize has been rough.  For me and The Husband, it wasn't a huge adjustment to stay home, we just missed family and friends.  Thank goodness for books!  I picked up my needlework again and even gave felting a try.  

I'll leave you with that.  Bring me up to date on how you are, what you have been up to, and anything else I've missed!❤️

Jane x