And ready to go!

I took a month off and tried to get my life a little more organized.

I’ve still been sewing, designing, crafting, and all the things.

But not posting here on my blog. Gave myself a little break. I’m not going into detail right now on all of the above but thought I’d share a few things.

First….while Piper was here we made a mosaic to remember sweet Maggie. Mosaics for the yard are fun and easy. You just need a paver or stepping stone, mosaic tiles or other medium, Weld-bond glue, and pre-mixed grout. Once upon a time I actually cut stained glass and used a grinder to make artsy pieces but decided that I didn’t like the risk to my fingertips. I play banjo, piano, and ukulele and didn’t want any cuts! Now it’s a hobby that I share when the grandkids are here.

I told Piper I wanted to make a rainbow theme and she made many suggestions, picked out the colors, and placed the tiles. I did the nipping, gluing, and grouting.

Maggie passed away on April 30, 2018 at 18 years old. (About time I started on her memorial!)

Terry and I were both very busy people with our jobs, hobbies, and kids so never had a dog although I always wanted one. When the kids all graduated from high school, Terry and I made a job-related move and I quit working. With his new job, Terry started traveling almost full time and we decided that a puppy would fit into our new life. Terry said the pooch had to be short haired so there would be no shedding. I needed a dog with lots of energy since I was a runner and I wanted my new friend to join me on my treks. So I picked Maggie—a short haired Jack Russell. Of course, Maggie defied both of our wishes. She didn’t want anything to do with running and she shed all those short white hairs EVERYWHERE!

But she was a good companion!

Maggie had a special spot in the yard where she liked to soak up the sun. She would lay there and bark at whatever she saw in the water. Like “Hey mom, there’s a manatee, what’s that bird doing there, there’s fish—get your pole….”

Next subject…….you might recall before I took my break, I started the 100 day project back on April 2nd. The premise was to post on Instagram for 100 days on a project. Mine was to design and create softies and after 100 days I figured I’d be pretty good at it! I bought books, downloaded free patterns, and followed numerous blogs. As far as posting on Instagram every day, I started out posting whatever progress on each creature but eventually decided that it was a bit boring for any followers that might be checking on my progress. Now I only post the completed softies and other DIY projects that I’ve been working on. #the100dayproject

I’ll be sharing some of these projects here in the weeks to come.

Lastly, I thought I’d put some photos up of my gardens from the past month or so. May is the best month for flowers in Florida. After that it gets HOT and the blooms start to be a little tired. Last year when I was in a “boot” because I had stress fractures in my foot, my gardens were largely ignored. Besides being too hot to drag that boot around the yard, I was just too tired. But despite the neglect, all of the beds came back—some better than before! Maybe I was trying too hard before!

And one last photo of one of the over two dozen bushy tailed rodents that have taken up residence since Maggie is no longer here to chase them away!

More to come…..