OUR THOUGHTS LIGHTLY TURN TO SPRING . . .

The weather here in the Valley has been a little warmer this week -- highs into the 50s -- so I've been watching my flower beds for signs of spring. This morning I saw them – crocus poking up through the soil. Last week I bought some vegetable seeds. Surely before long we can plant spinach and radishes. I've been amending the soil with kitchen scraps and -- let's see, how did I see that in the paper this morning? Oh, yes -- the natural byproduct of horses -- that I find in this rural neighborhood.

Yesterday afternoon it was so nice that Mike and I took Nellie and Duke for a walk in a field near Swallows' Nest Park – a place where people exercise their dogs. Duke's folks are out of town, so we picked him up at the vet's where he is boarding. He's especially glad to see us under these circumstances. And Nellie is now feeling great -- leaping over fences and walls at a single bound and running as hard as she can.

Here's a picture of the "scrap" afghan in progress that I started making last winter. I have now finished the motifs – all 143 of them -- and they are stacked in a basket ready to be sewn together in random fashion. The pattern is called "Vintage Collectible," which is probably why I chose it. I've found when patterns or paint colors have appealing names, it's hard not to be drawn to them. For instance, we painted the upstairs bathroom on the farm green. It just seemed like paint with the name "whispering pines" would be great for a room with a view of the grove. It was horrible!! and had to be re-done in our standard white-beiges. In like manner I couldn't move beyond the "Vintage Collectible" name, but I do like "granny-type" afghans even though the making of medallions is tedious. I paired some outlandish colors – such as purple and lavender with orange and bright yellow – along with some more sedate colors, such as tan and dusty greens. I am now ready to start sewing the medallions together. KW

AND ANOTHER ONE DONE . . .

Chris in Moscow sent me this picture of the Christmas quilt she just finished. I rejoice with her in the completion of this beautiful work. I love its simple red and green design. It just looks as though it should linger a while after Christmas to lend a cozy feel to the room. Thanks for sharing the photo. (This is the second quilt Aunt Chris has finished since Christmas. She’s off to a great start.)

Hallie called this noon for a nice catch-up on the phone. She said the sun was shining in Seattle and she and Nick were going out to enjoy it, then maybe take in a movie. It was cold and overcast here – cold being around 32. So, I baked bar cookies in the afternoon and an apple crisp for dessert. Baking does help to boost the warmth of the house.

I went with Mike to TaxTyme late this afternoon. They had a reasonably good start to the tax season Friday and Saturday and the first return transmittal finally came through today. He wanted to be sure it was all in order, so we received and sorted it and I filed folders. (Once a clerk, always a clerk.)

And did you know that you can get your arm stuck between the seat and the console in a car? Mike took the keys out of the ignition when we pulled into the garage and managed to flip them between the seat and the console. So, he went after them the hard way and couldn’t pull his arm back out. His first effort was to try to relieve the pressure by moving the seat. Although the seat moved, he was just as stuck as ever. He succeeded in pulling it out only after we sprayed Windex between his arm and the seat and then not without some bruising. Mike says if I hadn’t been there he doesn’t know what he would have done. Oh yeah – I reached the keys from behind the seat. KW

MAKING A START

Today I treated myself to a shopping spree at Jo-Ann Fabrics and bought this fabric, "Floral Vine Embroidered Coffee Corduroy," to make my retro no-closure jacket. I hope I like the finished product. At any rate, I had a good time. I also purchased Christmas fabrics, some remnants for doll clothes and teddy bears, and some notions. And -- I remembered to take a fabric tote bag for my purchases. "You go girl!" said the associate. And -- I also cleaned all the plastic sacks out of my pantry and took them to Albertson's for recycling.

I do have to be careful about starting too many projects. In the first place, there's just so much I want to do. And then, I think it's a human failing -- wanting to start but never pushing to the finish. Maybe we just lose interest. Perhaps the project isn't as much fun as we had anticipated. Maybe we reach a "stumblingblock" -- a phase of the work that truly seems difficult or involves some sort of "real" work. Maybe it just isn't turning out as well as we had hoped or we fear failure. For whatever reason, some unfinished work falls into the life of the handicrafter. And sometimes making the start seems overwhelming. For instance, that doll dress I promised Mother I would make. That project says "heirloom" sewing, and my tendency is to put that off until I develop more skill. When do you think that will happen? KW

CELEBRATING ACCOMPLISHMENT

Yesterday (Friday, Jan. 2, 2009), "Honorary Aunt" Chris of Moscow finished a quilt and sent me the photo on the left. I think congratulations are in order. Chris says the reds, tans, and creams provide a warmer look for the room, appropriate for winter. She's "on a roll" now and moving on to finish another quilt -- a Christmas quilt, I believe -- so that she will feel better about starting some new projects. I so admire her discipline in these matters.

Inspired by Chris' example, I decided to organize some things I've started, need to finish, or want to start. I use the bed in "Hallie's" room to keep me focused. The bear I made the day before Christmas and just needs a few finishing touches. The scarf of scrap yarn will soon be finished. The afghan, made of 143 medallions (or something like that), will keep me busy for a while. (One of those things I wish I hadn't started.)

Our weather today is cold (27) but dry. Mike spent the morning in Lewiston while new tires were installed on the Dakota, a process involving some maintenance to the vehicle. And then he took the Christmas lights down. KW