Progress!!!!

That's about the best way to describe what I am feeling after this past weekend. Just when I think the house is never going to get finished, something like this weekend comes along and brightens my spirits. Saturday I worked on the Potager and Sunday I painted the outside. Both efforts paid off with results that can be described as promising. Still a long way to go but I am very happy and hopeful at this moment.

Above is the front of the house. Below will be a pic of the deck side:

And now, the Potager:

Spring Break 2010

What better way to start Spring Break than with a physically draining 40 mile UP and DOWN bike ride through the hills of Washington County. Johnny Pickle and I punished ourselves for three hours Saturday morning. At least the scenery was interesting.

After that ride I was too tired to do much. Sally and I went to the dump and waited for my mother to arrive. Once she got there we went to the store to get the stuff for salmon croquettes. We also went to Chappel Hill and picked up the cedar post that I bought to build our party shed. Finished the evening visiting with mother while she made us curtains to cover the front of the cabinets I built during Hurricane Ike.

Sunday started with Latin Mass. After that we went back home and waited for Jared and Heather. Gran and Sally made the salmon and macoroni and cheese while I worked on cleaning up around the house. After a fabulous lunch, Jared and I unloaded the post from the truck. Then we set the posts for the garden arbor and the martin house.

Monday, Sally and I painted. She worked on sanding the doors and getting them ready to paint. I painted the front porch and stairs then primed the front door. After that we finished building the garden arbor. Tuesday, I worked from home while Sally cleaned house and graded papers. At 4:00, we decided to paint the living room. We used a khaki color called wool skein. Can't decide if we like it or not but we think we do. Here is a pic so you can help us decide.

Burning the candle at both ends

My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - it gives a lovely light! --Edna St. Vincent Millay

I am exhausted. Between work, school, remodeling and the MS150, I am completely and utterly exhausted. The above quote by Edna gives me hope. I may be driving myself into an early nursing home, but oh the stories I will have!

The really sad thing about all of this constant activity is the fact there is precious little time to sit back and smell the roses. This saddens me greatly as it is now my most favorite time of the year; SPRING!!! God I love it when you wake up the earth! The bulbs cheer us with their jaunty erectness and intoxicating smells. The red bud is bursting and the magnolia has awoken! Fruit trees are awash in color. Bees are rejoicing as the long fast is over and the fullness of spring provides them a limitless smorgusbord of nectar and pollen!

WHOAAAA!!!!! I just went a little nuts. Oh well, I am entitled. I just really love spring and I long for the time to enjoy it. I wish I had a whole week to spend alone with the Love of My Life (LOML). Just she and I in lovely place observing the change of the season. Nature provides us so many metaphors. Spring is a time of hopefulness and rebirth. I am willing to bet our church fathers picked this time of year to celebrate Easter for a reason. Spring and a resurrected Christ: hope for the earth and hope for mankind.