no winter lasts forever

 no spring skips its turn. 

walking outside today, my spirits were lifted by bits of spring i saw everywhere - birds  chirping happily in the trees, flowers pushing through the sun-warmed soil, blooming in spite of frosty temperatures and me with my baby-friend, both of us happy to be outside, playing in the sunshine. 

today marks a year, our first year without justin. everyone is asking how we're doing. ashley and i both agree - we are no more sad today than yesterday. one year doesn't hurt any more than 364 days. losing someone you love just hurts. every day. but today, noticing spring all around in the company of a small child whose whole world is filled with wonder made me hurt a little less.

 quote  by Hal Borland

i am captivated

i got ken this amaryllis for giftmas never thinking i'd enjoy it so much. i actually thought he would take it to his office. i'm so glad he didn't. i'm so glad i'm not missing this:

mid-west winters are long and dreary. it's an absolute miracle to have this kind of beauty growing and changing every day. it's like hope blooming right on our table - hope of springtime and flowers.

earth laughs in flowers

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

and a dog! on thursday!

sadie girl. this picture makes me fall in love with her all over again.

i always fall off the wagon when it comes to regular things i'm supposed to post. i can't get it together enough to post dogs every thursday. because it's not just dogs on thursday. it's dogs on thursdays, tuesdays with dorrie, barefoot contessa on every third friday (or something like that) and it's all just. too. much.

but isn't it fun when i do remember?

winter wonderland

holliday park

eta: name correction. thanks brenda!

Has anyone seen November?

Wasn't Halloween just yesterday? November flew by in a flash. I'm expecting Christmas tomorrow. And how fun is Christmas going to be this year with three little ones in the house? I'm trying hard not to think about my own kids not being here this year. Boy-child is moving back to Toledo soon and won't be here at all. Girl-child should be here for dinner as they went to her future in-laws for Thanksgiving but it's just not the same as having them wake us up Christmas morning. I miss them. Little them. These boys came just in time.

We had friends over for Thanksgiving and this year I perfected the art of delegating. I made only the turkey, the ham, stuffing, corn casserole, pies, deviled eggs and ham roll ups. You may be laughing but seriously, last year I did everything and nearly had a nervous breakdown. This year getting dinner on the table was a breeze with others handling their own dishes. We had 16 bodies around the table this year. Good group of folks.

Since nothing too exciting is happening with me, I thought I'd share Ken's follies with you. After 23 years he finally built himself a fort in the back yard. A fully vulcanized structure, awaiting siding in the spring. The man is incredible. Dude built this on his own in about three days. Then he took a nap. It's a woodshop. He's pretty stoked about it and I couldn't be happier for him. I may never see him again once the electricity goes in.

We worked and played out in the yard this weekend before the snow fell. We got all the feeders up, ready for any squirrels and birds that wander over for a snack. We built a tree swing for the boys and laughed for nearly an hour straight watching the bigger boys try to figure it out.

Fall clean up in the yard always makes me a little sad. While Fall is a beautiful season here in central Indiana, the long winter that follows is like watching the world die around you. Summer's splendor is long gone and the beautiful hostas in my shade garden are withered and resting now. It's sad yet hopeful, knowing once again next year in the spring, they'll rise from the ground, strong and green to be lovely again. And do we have plans for our yard next year! I suppose that's the fun of a long winter - using that time to look through gardening catalogs, dreaming of dirt. Listen to me getting all poetic about the weather. How about a picture? The winter garden:

Can't really share pictures of my knitting with Christmas coming but here's a little teaser. :)

And I want to start sharing some of my better blog finds. I have my regulars over in the sidebar but there are tons more I stumble across and want to share. Take a gander at Carla over at Four by 40 for quick little snippets of humor. (thanks, Angela!)

That's about it from the nut house. Christmas pictures coming soon. The tree should go up sometime in the next week. Stay tuned for some holiday cheer.

Cami is a Pushy Bitch

She even titled this post herself.

The original post was up only for a few moments, without title, without text because she's been bugging me for days to post a picture of my knitting. I tried explaining to her, taking a picture would require me to stop knitting! And who would want to stop knitting on this:

she also didn't know that hostas bloom so I had to offer this as evidence:
nice weeds, melly.
ETA: I stand corrected. Evidently these are indeed surprise lilies. They came up in a bed of Hostas so I thought...
I'm still learning my yard. Seems old Mary had some tricks up her sleeves!

and finally, what made me dash back into the house:

a brand new cicada, drying it's wings. do not click for bigger. -shudder-

it's like we're being overrun by aliens. send help. or yarn. yarn would be good.

Humpigs

This is a new feeder this year. The syrup solution I had was not new. I happily filled the new feeder with the old solution and waitied for the hummers to come. They'd come and sniff around but never eat. Seems these little birds are picky eaters. Or not. What they really seem to like is a simple syrup of sugar and water in a one to two ratio. Boil till the sugar dissolves and cool. Cami said I have to credit her with the recipe. Whatever. ;)

Today when I told her I now have three females constantly eating at my feeder since I changed from that icky red stuff to her recipe she simply said, "You're welcome." :)

Thanks Cami. I heart the humpigs.

for roo

Ashley wants to add more color to her apartment. I found a really great frame at Target and knew just the photo I wanted to print for her. I took this last summer when the morning glories were in full bloom. I caught this beautiful bud just ready to unfurl in the sunlight. Add a photoshop action from Pioneer Woman and the colors just sing.

The quote reads, "Where there is great love there are always miracles."

Perfection.

just a regular day, hangin' with John Dillinger

Justin wanted to get some pictures in a cemetery. He's discovered photo shop. Gawd knows what he's going to do with the pictures we got today. I took him up to Crown Hill cemetery. I think it's the oldest cemetery in Indiana. President Harrison is buried there along with some other notable figures.

I was most excited about this one:

It's the grave of John Dillinger. My mafia intrigued boy-child had no idea who John Dillinger was. I think he's back in his room educating himself. The door is locked. Should I be concerned?

One of the cemetery attendants explained how people come and leave trinkets on his tombstone - coins, cigarettes and the flowers you see here. Someone even left a joint once. Guess I came on the wrong day. ;) Fans come and chip away at the headstone just to have a piece of the infamous thug. He's on his third headstone. Oh to be so loved one day that my cronies come and chip away at the granite above me.

I couldn't resist this next shot. They kicked us out after this (I'm kidding!):

If you click to embiggen (ala Harlot) you'll notice some sort of creature chose an unlikely place to build a "nest". Looks to me like a little turtle poking his head out. (insert riotous laughter)

On to more demure and ladylike behaviour - behold, the completed sock:

If I don't say so myself, i ROCK!

Love the pattern, love the yarn, love the eye of partridge heel. Damn, now I've got to start on the next one!

spring, spring, spring!

behold, the kumquat

stay tuned to see what I come up with for these little lovelies.