goodbye March

March, that sometimes awkward passing from winter to spring, a full month ending on a high weather note of warm temperatures, high winds, and a chance of thunderstorms. Snow is lingering in the shady spots and where we piled it high to clear paths, mud everywhere the ground is open, evidence of much tunneling in the lawns. Chickens enjoying their yard, birds everywhere, the pond nearly free of ice and soon the spring peepers will call.
Meanwhile, flying days have not been empty.

                                                          a new doily for the guest room

                                          planning the garden, planting and tending seedlings

 piecing and quilting placemats to coordinate with a fun woven cotton table runner

                                  quilting and binding a lap quilt I pieced for a class ages ago

growing sprouts to satisfy our need for home grown greens while the ground is still frozen in the garden

We rejoiced at the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, or English time as our Amish friends call it. They do not change their clocks, preferring to stay on what they call Slow Time, though they do interact with all of us on our time schedule. If you make plans you just need to clarify whose time you mean!
On the first day of spring here, the Redwing blackbirds returned, I spotted my first Robin of the season, and I took Anne to get her Wisconsin driver's license. We've been tracking the sun's angle of descent each evening and see that now she is definitely out of her winter route.
We shared Anne's birthday, taking a day trip into the "big city" for shopping and lunch in a new restaurant. (Her choice and really delicious.)
This past weekend my sister Terri was able to visit again, bringing her energy, lots of good food, a game she introduced to us and that we now love to play called Rummicube. She and I crossed the Mississippi into Iowa and visited an amazingly crazy shop called Horsefalls which specializes in remainders where I found some marvelous French General double sided paper and a couple of paper punches for lots less than half price. It was a lovely day for a drive along the Mississippi where we saw both ice fishing and lots of boats on the open water almost within sight of each other. We discovered a new tea shop where I bought Terri a gift and then back here in town visited a few local shops where she bought me one.

I spent a day working with my good friend Mary assembling flannel baby quilts for charity. Later today we will try to finish quilting them.
Well, this summary helps me to see the month DID involve some good work along with lots of good times with friends and family. All in all a fine segue to spring.