Easter Weekend

Saturday started off gray and cool, but the rest of the 3-day weekend (I had Easter Monday off) was beautiful - and actually hot! We have been so lucky and missed the worst of the storms that a lot of the country is experiencing.

Saturday afternoon Sophie dyed her first eggs.  She took it very seriously!

Sunday was beautiful all day.  Sophie loved her dress, but getting her to smile is almost impossible. Little stinker is so serious till the camera disappears and then shes all grins and giggles again.

Monday DH and I worked outside most all day planting flowers, and vegetables.  Right now everything looks small and pitiful, but I took pictures to compare to later when everything is lush and beautiful (yeah, right!) Some years things do look pretty later and some years I'm really disappointed, but we'll see how this year goes.

The two hanging baskets for the front porch -

So I won't forget later, these are three of the flowers in these pots, along with coleus and regular impatiens.

This container goes on the front walk and also has coleus (which didn't have a label).

An old wheelbarrow filled with impatiens.  I did this several years ago but haven't the last couple of years because by July I'll be sick of dragging the hose out there to water it every day!

Just because I love lavender!  I just added this into a bed in the back yard.

Some of my herbs.  Thyme, basil and oregano.  I have another pot that I failed to get a picture of with rosemary and more thyme and oregano.

I filled in a little bare spot with these perennials.  The pinks say they are deer resistant.  We'll see. The deer have nightly buffets in our yard - they actually pulled whole pansy plants out by the roots.

And finally - tomatoes and squash.  We only have a small garden spot, but at least plant our favorites.

There you have it - my online journal of my pitiful gardening attempts.  Hopefully later in the summer I'll have progress to show!

Bolero Finished

 I knitted this from some yarn in my stash, Cascade Pima Tencel.  I had knitted me a summer sweater in it a couple of years ago and wasn't really happy with it as it stretches as you wear it, but it does have wonderful feel and I hope will do okay in this.

 Miss Sophie has gotten too busy to stand or sit still for a photo most of the time, but I did get one of her going shopping with Pooh wearing her new sweater.  She is very big into pretending now.  We go shopping, cook, march in a parade, and have parties all the time. 

My lilac bushes are in bloom!  Love the smell!  Spring is definitely here - thunderstorms almost every day, one day hot, one day cold, dogwoods and azaleas are blooming.  Really beautiful when the sun shines, but not such a fan of the cold, blustery days.  Of course we'll soon be complaining about the heat!

Back in January for my birthday my daughter and husband together gave me a gift certificate for a spa day - facial, massage, manicure and pedicure.  This isn't something I do for myself, so I was really looking forward to it.  A couple of weeks ago I finally made an appointment for yesterday.  The owner of the shop made the appointment on the phone and we specifically talked about finding a day that I could come in and have it all done at once.  I showed up yesterday at 10:15 for my appointment (this is a new salon for me, I go somewhere else for my hair).  No one was at the desk and not one stylist even looked up at me to ask if they could help me, which started out wrong for me.  Several other women were waiting so I took a seat.  After waiting at least 15  minutes finally someone came up front from the back.  I approached her and she said yes, she had me for a massage at 11:00, but checked the appt. book and I was scheduled for a facial at 10:15, but the right person wasn't there yet.  She finally came in - was very apologetic and I finally got started about 10:45,  I was irritated, but have to admit the facial was wonderful.  The room was perfect - the darkness, the candles, the music and no talk, which I like.  I have gotten massages where the massage therapist talks the whole time and that ruins it for me.  I have never had a facial so have no comparison, but I thought this was great.  It would be great to have one regularly.  Right after the facial I stayed on the same table and the masseuse started the massage.  Again, very professional, very quiet, and very relaxing, but not quite as intense as I like it.  I like someone to really get into the muscles, but I did enjoy it.

After the massage she told me that apparently the owner had failed to schedule my manicure and pedicure and they couldn't fit me in!  So much for all the talk about having it all in one trip.  They had to make me another appointment for that.  We'll see how this goes.  I had worried about how to leave tips, but the experience solved that problem.  No one got a tip from me!  I think I'll call T@bitha and suggest a salon makeover!