272 Color & Texture: Denim Rag Quilt

271 Bleeding Heart

It is been unseasonably warm these last 3 days, in the upper 80's  or low 90's. Flowering trees have started dropping their blossoms and flowers are popping. This is a macro shot of a Bleeding Heart in my garden.

270 Lilac

I always associate lilacs with my birthday at the end of May. I remember Grandma Falkner cutting lilacs and I remember having lilacs in large vases on the table around my birthday. Eastern Pennsylvania is about two weeks ahead of NW Wisconsin, but I think this is pushing it a bit. Rich and ate dinner outside on Friday next to the lilac bush and there were only  leaves on the bushes. I didn't notice any blossoms on Saturday or Sunday morning. When we came home from Sunday's game the bushes were in full bloom. Just like that. This white one was on the property when I bought the house. We cut down the original bush, and when this one appeared in it's place, I moved it to a different location. I also have a purple one in the garden because they remind me of Grandma Falkner.

269 Jeff's Rally Hat

It wasn't much of a rally. The 'Pigs lost 7-4 to the Pawtucket Red Sox and the starting pitcher for the 'Pigs went through the entire batting order in the third inning. 

The best part of the game was teaching Nick, who is 8, how to keep box scores.

268 MS buttons

For the last four years St. John's MS Walk Team received the Gold Award from the MS Society for raising more than $1,000. In the past the team has been able to be in church through the prayers, come up for a blessing, then go and walk. This year the walk starts in a different place so the team couldn't make it to church and registration so the team came to Saturday night worship for prayers and blessings, and afterward we had a thank you  dinner of hoagies, salad, and cake.

267 Dinner Alfresco

We ate outside the first time this season; grilled steak, curried mashed sweet potatoes, Caesar salad and wine. After dinner we walked down to the ice cream shop. Delightful Friday night date.

266 Happy Hour

265 Iron Fence at Central Moravian

264 Tulip leaf after the rain

263 Peter

Peter is my brother-in-law and has a wonderful wood working shop in his garage. He agreed to help finish the clock project because the wood of the clock was an inch thick, the clock works only went to 3/4" and Peter has a plunge router.

262 Kitchen Notes

I saw this idea in a magazine and have been trying to figure out how to use chalkboard paint in the house. Of course I could buy an inexpensive chalk board and hang it somewhere, but no. I really wanted to use the paint. I also found magnetic primer so now we have a huge message center on the pantry door to hang or write notes. Too fun.

261 Inside the Tulip

260 Paint, Paint and More Paint

The end of the basement renovation is in sight now that I've started painting. In the past two days I've primed and painted the bedroom, hallway and family room. It was a paint-fest for me alone. Next are touch-ups, closets and trim. I'm looking forward to the carpet installation after I tile the bathroom.

259 Projects

I've often admired big, antique looking clocks so I decided to make my own after seeing one made on HGTV. I decided to use the compass as the clock face because: 

1. Rich is a surveyor

2. We use map and compass when we backpack (don't need no stinking GPS)

3. We have several antique maps hanging in the dinning room. 

This is a mid-project photo, before the compass points and numbers are painted on.

258 My Spring Garden

The rose has been pruned, the tulips are blooming, the lilacs are budding. My backyard in the morning.

257 Plenty & Grace

256 Apple & Orange

255 Inside the Easter Lily

254 The Light of Christ!

Thanks be to God!

253 Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Rich will tell you that I really can't sit still. It's a tough thing for me to do. We have an 18 game season pass for the Phillies AAA team the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and I do sit in my seat the entire game and I keep score. Probably not the most detailed of box scores, but it keeps me watching the game and gives me something to do. Perhaps I should blame it on all the years of note taking in grad. school.

The Iron Pigs came to the Valley last year and had the worst record in baseball ever starting last season at 0-11. They did OK starting at the end of May, once they got their uniforms dirty, at least that is Rich's theory. 

This year they are hoping to move for worst to first, but they lost the first two games. They lost this game 2-1 in 11 innings against the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees, which is not that bad since the Yankees ended last season number one or two team in the International League.

252 After the Foot Washing

251 Hanging Flowers

250 Rich Makes Fire

Today was one of the coldest this spring, but that did not stop us from grilling kabobs for dinner. To have kabobs we need fire. Both of us can light a fire with one match and tonight was Rich's turn to make the fire. The kabobs were wonderful.

249 Crosses

248 Pears

247 Palms

246 Hiking Bear

245 Hyacinth

244 Dining Room from the Stairwell

The house is still mid chaos. While there is a place for everything, nothing is in its place until the renovation is finished. Right now the piano is in the middle of the dining room and the table is turned against the window. Stuff is in boxes or covered by sheets to keep the dust down. The contractor thinks they will be done Friday and then I can paint to my heart's content.