Iris'

These are glorious this year......

Dutch iris

Some columbines also .....

Our vegetable garden behind my fence and perennial garden..

Relaxin

Wow I haven't posted since Tuesday--way too busy this week. I had to work of course and Wednesday and Thursday nights I did stuff for my Mom. Friday night I got home from work and mowed the lawn and pulled weeds. Sandy planted dill and our first glads. I seem to have a ton of moles this year and ground is so bumpy--not sure what I am going to do as I have tried everything in the past.

Saturday, I worked in the house most of the day. I completely changed and washed all my bedding, took electric blanket off the bed and re-made it. I did 6 loads of wash. The big job was my closet which hasn't been done in a few years and I couldn't find anything anymore. I was pretty ruthless when it came to sorting out clothes so now half the back of my pickup is full of boxes and bags to give away as well as shoes and coats. I also went through clothes in hall closet and in basement. A few things haven't been on my body in 30 years--gone now. I did keep a few things I had made when I was a teenager and in my 20s because I sewed all my own clothes then and I couldn't part with a jumper and a couple of suit coats.

I also finally went through all my bags from the Megameet and sorted stuff out--a lot went to my art space in the basement so that needs to be cleaned up next.

I am hoping to get my art space in computer room cleaned up as soon as I get more boxes and decide what I want to do with the stuff.

I did get some paperdolls made for my monthly exchange.

theme was Black and gold....

The ATC artdoll theme was historical characters so.....

Must have been in a funky mood but they work and are different.

One of the exciting things to happen over the past week or so is that I have reconnected with some of my Altered book round robin friends and we have decide to do another one--there are 5 of us. We each prepare a book and select a theme. We usually do a sign in page and a layout then send it on to next person on list to work in. I decided to do something different--rather than work with a theme I am going to have everyone do layouts using postage stamps. I have some very cool one which I will include with book but they can use their own also. I found a book I want to use--a smaller one and now need to get started, We send out on the 15th of each month.

Today I am just catching up on a few things and relaxing. I watered the garden and I am working on my next Photo Art Journal page which is "discarded" I got some great pictures of the fence we took down from the garden and just got the prints in the mail.

The iris' are blooming and I have been taking a lot of pictures so post them shortly.

Holiday is over so back to work

I was surprised I could move enough to even go to work after all I did yesterday.

The day started with a fun breakfast at the Red Geranium with Sandy, Phyllis, Sherwin, Kyle, Stacey and Emory. Emory was wide awake and so cute-she kept watching our mouths as we talked and then moved her mouth. She finally fell asleep and we had a big breakfast-yum!!

Daddy and Mommy

My favorite

We let Sandy hold her also

After breakfast we went to my house, we went to Home Depot and I bought a rounded trellis for my new clematis plant and a double Shepard's hook for my new hummingbird feeder--they match and have a sun on the top.

We then went to my house and set the sprinklers up for the garden--the tomatoes were already drooping. I then ran the sprinklers 2 hours to soak everything good.

Then we pruned my holly bushes in front of the house. --I mean we filled the back of my pickup with branches--it had grown completely out of control. I an going to take out the other 2 bushes in front this year. I then hauled all my pots, etc to back deck and planted them and 4 flats of flowers in gardens. I had to still clean out and weed the garden in middle of back yard which I also did. I preened everything and watered everything I planted.

Sandy came back later then and we took my truck full of branches out to her Mom's house and dumped them back in their woods to decompose naturally.

As a treat we stopped at Culvers and had a double chocolate Oreo sundae for dinner--it is the best.

lily of the valley

Jack in the Pulpit in ferns at Sandy's house

The iris' are all blooming but I need to get pictures off camera. Tonight I am watering everything again as it didn't rain like it said and if it does, it will be a bonus.

Holiday weekend

I am taking it easy today mainly because I cannot move after all the work yesterday. I finally got all my pictures off my memory cards from my trip in April!! I posted a bunch from Germany on Facebook and will put some more here also.

Yesterday, Sandy and I ran a bunch of errands including taking a basket of geraniums to my Dad's grave in Grandville, shopping for flowers at Flowerland and Ludemas then I dropped her home as Dan was coming over to help with her flowers. I went on home and dug up 3 dead roses--they have very tough roots!! I hauled flowers to my deck and got the fence ready to be put up in garden plus numerous other little jobs. Dan(her cousin) and Sandy arrived and we put up the fence and he planted the garden at our direction. Sandy went to get a few more posts and pizza then back to finish garden and eat pizza on the deck. Dan then cut off what was left of my dead Althea bush. I am sure he was tired because he had been up since 345am to go fishing!!

Sandy weed-eated my yard and I mowed while she monkeyed with the sprinkler for the garden

I had a long talk with Phyllis about our plans for when Lynn comes and think we are all set--should be fun and exciting.

My iris' are starting to bloom and my purple columbine is perfect

I got some fun stuff in the mail.. a card from Nambia in Africa...

and our latest Photo Art Journal--theme architecture

Now some pictures from Germany again....

Heidelberg

castle ruins

snow along the road

Hotel we stayed in

Spring in the Black Forest

Friday Yea!!1

Looking forward to a long holiday weekend at home. I have lots to do in the yard--talked myself out of mowing tonight as it was sprinkling a little when I got home from work

We had all the leftovers for lunch at work today from our Nurse's luncheon on Thursday so 2 days of great food.

Last night Sandy and I rented a rototiller from Home Depot and tilled up the garden--actually Sandy did it and I supervised--we are making the garden a little shorter and but wider so it is harder to dig out the area where we are making it wider. Lots of weeds have been pulled and raked.

It has gotten a lot cooler today--only 61 degrees right now.

I am anticipating a visit in 5 weeks from my niece Lynn,her daughter Abby and her Mother Dianne--we are so excited. Have been hoping they would come some time. My Mom received a call from Dianne today and was so embarrassed as she didn't know who it was at first--we had a good laugh about it. Phyllis and I are working out some details of the visit as Sara, Steve and Molly will be visiting also. We want to all get together. Might even have to really clean my house!!!!

Ok on to some pictures from Germany......

Castles

Vineyards

Many fields of rape--get canola oil from this

Glorious weather in Michigan

what can I say-it is beautiful perfect weather-currently 74 degrees and clear blue skies--my kind of weather-all the windows and doors are open. I can hear the girls next door outside playing with Chica the dog and also people over in the park. The cats are loving it- they act like they haven't had fresh air in years!!!

Lots of work this week but not overwhelming like it was all winter plus we had 2 new staff members to help--yea.

I bought some geraniums and hanging baskets last night after work then went to grocery store then to my Moms to give her stuff, etc. By the time I got home, it was bedtime.

Tonight I am taking it easy.

Just found out that my niece Lynn from MN is coming in June to visit with her Mom and daughter. Should be lots of fun. Sara and Steve should be home from AZ at that time also. Hopefully we can have a get together one or both days that weekend.

I am still working on pictures--I am doing Germany now and will post a few...

Cathedral in Cologne Germany

Rhine River

Villages and vineyards

Castles

I started an online class with Claudine Hellmuth this week--haven't done the projects as I didn't order supplies soon enough and no time but techniques are easy to follow and I love the finished project.. "Home is where the Art is" a collage project Check out sidebar for link

Saturday

After a busy day at work yesterday, including lunch at coffee shop with the girls, we ended up at English Hills Terrace and this sign greeted us...

We had a great time and lots of people showed up--I would guess around 80 or so. We started with cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, a great punch, cash bar and coffee bar with many flavors of coffee to choose from. The we sat at our tables and Nan spoke and we had dinner, It included a tossed salad, pasta salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with slivered almonds, chicken, ham and roast beef in gravy with rolls, All of it tasted wonderful...

After dinner, Nan and Gerri R spoke about Franklin Award and then we had cake and toasted each other with sparkling grape juice.

We had all kinds of prizes from the centerpieces to gift cards to dinner gift certificates.

The DJ took over for music and fun. He was very good and had us playing games and dancing before we knew it and it continued all evening...

Here are a few pictures and the rest are on Facebook so my co-workers can enjoy...

It was hard to get good shots due to darkness, flashing lights and moving people...

We had a group that had to go into another room to get some props and came out and performed to the tune of "YMCA" The first three in pictures are Shari, Ron and Sandy--it was a hoot and I wished I had the video camera...

Today, I got to sleep in until after 9am- the rain had stopped so I got some indoor things done.

Sandy stopped by about 230pm and we went to Ludemas to get some flats of impatiens for her and found they had hanging baskets at a great price so ended up getting 9 of them between us and some veggie plants.

After Sandy left to go babysit, I mowed the lawn, finished fertilizing the roses, planted dahlias, finished weeding all the gardens except the one in the center of the lawn and put Preen on everything. Couldn't move anymore so came in to read paper, cook pizza and get on computer.