Holy Week

Palmsunday

A great service at St Martin's as always. Afterwards we took our friend Julie and a Alex, young man who started coming to the church, to lunch. Very nice and lively conversation. And then we went shopping, my not so favorite pastime. On the way home a telephone call from Sarah to come over for dinner. Lucky. Our last stop was the supermarket and we could pick up some items for her too. She had been working that day.

When we arrived at their house we found them on a blanket in the front "having a picnic".

Monday - the monthly lace meeting. When I arrived at Gail's door ...

... she showed me this:     (I had to stretch and hold the camera high not seeing what I took a photo of)

Back at home after the meeting I still had work to do. We had promised the granite people to send measurements of the kitchen counter. I found making a drawing was the best way.

Monday evening we had a neighborhood HOA meeting. James is the president and had to call a special "workshop" meeting. The by-laws have to be revised. He has his work cut out for him. Since then we have been told again and again how well the meeting went and how happy everybody is that James is the president.

Tuesday I had two quilt group meetings. Both were fun.

But Wednesday we finally decided to tackle a project for Sarah. She had told me shortly after the twins were born that the fireplace hearth needs something to make it safe when they start moving about and I had promised her to come up with something. James and I had gone to Ashland a few days ago to buy the foam. Few days ago we had also bought the wood and Sarah had decided on the fabric. O.k. here we go... a start.

When you don't have a pattern and no directions its a bit nerving. But with some courage (to cut the fabric) and James and his staple gun all went well. I think it turned out practical and good looking. Sharp edges defused.

We were able to attend Wednesday and Thursday Holy Week services.
And we are ready for Helen and William to arrive Friday. All is good.

Week 14

Yesterday (on Sunday = still week 13) we went to the opera Turandot. We were early and be chance we came to the before-lecture which had just started. Standing room only! It was great. From now on a must for us. It was so interesting and the speaker was funny too. Why didn't we do that before?

Monday

Out for a walk. Flowers everywhere right now. Can you see the little yellow dot in the middle?

Love this picture.

Addicted to sewing right now. This is the last of 8 Rows. If you want to know more about it, click on the quilt tab on the top or the Love of Thread blog on the right. This Row I had to design myself.

Friday

Sarah's day off. Caleb had swimming lessons in the morning. Right after they came over for lunch (taco salad!). Caleb wanted to know on the telephone what I was doing today and I mentioned several things and that I had to plant some plants. Boy did he want to help. He even wanted to spring is special shovel.

When Papa quickly went to buy the groceries for the lunch he also had instructions to buy 4 annuals for the empty pots in the front. The big plants (transplants from the front) would have been to complicated. The things you do for your grandchildren. It would have been nicer if it would not have been so cold. But he loved it.

Uh, heavy. All the way from the kitchen.

The front is doing great too.

For years we talk about that we need to do something about the kitchen. It is just not right. I know "hate" is a strong word but I could use that word for this half-wall.

We have an idea what we want to do about it. We mentioned to Sarah that we wanted to go to the Ashland granite place and she wanted to come too. It was a successful visit and something might finally be happening to improve that kitchen. There is a hold on these slabs (two pictures of the same thing but the colors don't show right) for us now.

I think things are going to be happening.


Saturday

Sun was shining again today and a walk was a must. Remember the photo in the beginning of the week? No more lonely yellow flower. But these must be a hundred dandelion seeds now. It was very very windy today and it is not one of those lovely fuzzy balls. Had to take the photo anyway.

James and I were debating ... in Germany the weeks starts on Monday, in USA and Canada on Sunday. Googling again it seems that lots of countries lean one way and lots the other way. So, I think I just avoid mentioning it. Too confusing.

An amble through the week

... that's what my friend Diana in England called one of her blogs. I like that wording. Yes, odds and ends.

I could have called the blog "Finally Spring" also. The hibiscus, which lived in the sunroom all winter, went outside since there was no more frost forecast. It seems to like it because we can enjoy flowers. It's heavy though and James came "with the works".

The other news: the front flower bed was finally planted. This is the before (after the messy crepe myrtle is gone).

We decided to have it done. The dirt (can't call it earth) is mainly clay "enhanced" with building stuff.  They hauled a good amount of bad stuff off and replaced it with hopefully better soil.

Lunchbreak. 

I have to make a quick run to the church. Working hard on the church newsletter The Cloak because it's close to month end. I realized I had no front page photo so made a quick run to the church to see whether something was in bloom. Here are some.

I am back and they are still working at it. 

Late afternoon. Yeah! Finally! Of course it looks a little puny until the plants are established. And the daffodils blooms are over. But it does look nice.

Still pleasures inside.

This weekend Wade is gone starting Friday. Sarah is not so keen on being all by herself with all 3 for the night so I go over to sleep. Luckily Friday by noon I was completely done with The Cloak (my church' newsletter of which I am editor). We had agreed between 4 and 5 which worked out. First thing we did was a neighborhood walk. We didn't get far because it started raining but it was fun nevertheless.

Caleb loves his new rain-boots. Sarah took videos with my iPhone. So much fun.

VIDEO 1  

VIDEO 2    (partly slow-mo)

He was very wet though and needed a change of clothes. I was in the driveway trying to take a photo of Colin's new tooth.

While I was trying that without luck, I heard Sarah saying "what have we have said about not doing this in public?" When I turned around I saw Caleb facing me doing what a good little boy does not do in public. That photo better be deleted! Then he turned around to face his Mommy.

You can't help it but have to laugh.

And yes, then I was lucky with the tooth.

Saturday April 1 - no April fool

Caleb loves his brothers. After Colin was out of bed and dressed he wanted to hold him. Colin - still teething.

Changing of the guards. Papa came. They are getting ready to go to Home Depot. Caleb can be a carpenter. I will go home for a little while. Got things to do.

Once a month a child with parent (or grand p) can make an item. This time it was an Easter bunny basket. Since I had gone home Sarah and Papa shared their photos. Forgot to take a picture of the finished project.

Then they went for lunch and a playground.

I was back in the evening. Sarah had to do a quick shopping trip and Caleb went too. I gave the twins their bottles. The twins could not keep their eyes open ... so shortly before their night- bedtime. I had to text Sarah "what to do?" Not a problem. They had a catnap and then went to bed later anyway. That table for two must be very comfortable.

I could lean back for a moment and had this view:

Ah, I wished I could snooze/sleep like that.