Cross Stitching, Flowers, Trees, and Deck Update

I finished the bunny in time to enjoy for Easter. I set it up on the easel for showing y'all, but I am hanging it on the cabinet in the dining room for Easter and probably all of April.

I have so many things lined up to do that I am having trouble staying with one, but I don't feel like I make much progress if I have too many projects going at once. I will probably work on the Christmas cardinals that I didn't finish before Christmas and a patriotic one.

A few thoughts about the crazy weather...

I have decided that some flowers and trees were just as confused by the winter/spring craziness this year. We basically didn't have winter except for two very cold weekends in which we got down to the record breaking temperatures that killed lots of my plants that I don't normally move in around here. However, I hardly wore anything more than a sweat shirt this winter. Then there is February which should have been cold and I wore shorts and took walks on the beach. It is no wonder that the plants don't know what to do.

These flowers were completely duped by winter...azaleas and camellias. My azaleas were completely done by the end of February. The camellias couldn't decide whether to bloom or not. The ones in the yard were worse than those at the farm. They did bloom, but not nearly as prolific as last year.
Even the pansies this year seem confused. They bloom one week only to nearly die the next.

My major disappointment this year was the bulbs. I had planted tulips and more daffodils in the ground. The daffodils did bloom but looked puny. The tulips broke ground but never bloomed. I was extremely sad. I will plant the tulips in pots again like last year. I REALLY missed them.

On the other hand, the roses, geraniums, and hydrangeas didn't seem to fall for any tricks. They have been about normal.

I think the trees have all budded late this year. I really thought the Natchez crepe myrtle in our front yard wasn't going to bloom, but it broke out almost overnight. The birds are so excited about that. There is a pair of cardinals that love that tree in the summer.

The live oaks have not dumped their leaves, but I feel it is coming any day now. Live oaks are like the other oaks in the fall ...leave dump like snow falling in the spring.

The deck is coming along what seems slowly, but should be finished by the end of the week.

Some progress pictures and some big mess pictures. I probably need to get rid of some flower pots and some old patio furniture. I will analyze all that next week.

The mess is all on the second level. Can't even really get to my plants to water them.

Two progress shots from yesterday.

I have a busy day lined up, but I will be back tomorrow with a share about my my leather couch refurbish. It looks amazing.

Sandy

Five for Friday

I think I will throw out a Five on Friday...

#1  I finished my bunny stitch. It is adorable, but most definitely not my best stitching. I just fell in love with the pattern, but it is on 32 count linen. For some reason, it was hard to see or at least more than usual.

My shadow is across it:)

I will finish it in someway today. I am not planning to frame it or even make it into something that will fit in a frame. It will most likely hang. Well, we will see.

#2 Lucy, the Springer will be 12 tomorrow. She is doing much better, but just let me say diapering is not a fun thing. I thought I would never do that on a regular basis again. She is fine with it. Stands there like a champ.

Here she is as a puppy...

She would bite the tail of our other Springer and then rush and get under the table. He couldn't really get to her well and she knew it. Always the mischievous one.

Another...

#3 Construction Stuff.

I am hoping we get a lot done on the bottom deck today. I have a feeling it will be almost done, but will require the rails and so forth next week. I am super excited. No pictures yet.

I have workers lined up for fixing our foundation problem. They say it is an easy fix, but we have to dig up my front flower bed, so I will be trying to help on that. I am fine with the shrubs, but I may have to dig up what roses that I am able to grow here. I love roses and this yard, does not have a suitable place for them. I had 14 lovely named roses at my previous home. I miss them. Oh well, they are scheduled for 2 weeks away, so I guess I need to be praying for mild rains and not gully washers.

I also have a worker lined up to get my son's door and sheetrock patches done next week. 

Happy construction days.

#4 My daughter continues to work on her yard. She is so funny. She is ultra shocked at how much stuff costs. I am like, yes, I know dear.

They got the front sodded where the new palm tree went in, but I haven't taken any pictures yet. I did snap a few of her back yard. I think I told you her husband is in construction and they started a new job on 30A (the famous beaches around here with all the little communities like Seaside and Watercolor, etc.) They had dug up some pavers, so he brought two truckloads home for her to use.

Here are some backyard photos.

The dwarf lemon tree already has lemons.

The other side.

She strung up some lights along her back fence. She also took some paint and painted her clay pots. I had some left over outdoor paint. She is always looking for the econo way to do things. She was shocked at how expensive flower pots were, and I had told her geraniums do well in clay pots here. The geraniums are adorable in them.

I love watching my kids grow up. I am not sure where the time went though.

#5

I have mostly stayed on top of my chores this week. I was trying out a different routine, but I didn't like it. It was one of those do a task a day like all dusting. I would never ever see a completely clean room, so I need more motivation than that. I need to just stick to my plan. It is all about being home long enough to actually do it.

I saw God's hand on things this week. Things I had prayed about for a long time. We can get discouraged, but His timing is perfect and He has plans that we just can't know about. We just have to trust and dog gone it, we don't like to that sometimes. 

That is five for Friday and I am about to get moving on the rest of the day.

Sandy