Now the tulips are blooming!

 

Here's the first attempt for the baby quilt.  I think I'm going to trade out the light gray fabric  - it's too light, I think.

It does have a sparkle to it though.....shiny!!

I made a good start on my quilt blocks for the quilt club!  This year, we are doing the Farm Girl II quilt.  I have yet to make a club meeting, though.  Between needing a babysitter for Allison (January) and catching a cold (February) I missed the meetings.  I now have a regular babysitter set up, so I may just make the meetings!  I like making these types of blocks - tiny intricate piecing, but then I want to go out and make a nice quick big block quilt....so I started a baby quilt this week too.  No pictures yet....

The March club meeting is the Saturday after conversion, so I'm hoping I don't get pulled in to work.  I doubt it - so far they haven't cared too much for my help, so I don't see that changing...most of the "legacy" bank people agree that they will have some problems - mainly because they ignored us - "we know what we're doing, don't bother us, we're busy....".  It's harder to not be the one in charge than I thought it would be, and I really hope I did better with the conversion I worked on. 

Spring is blooming in the countryside too!  We had a run of really warm weather (high of 85!) a couple of weeks ago, and all the trees burst out in bloom.  Today, it was 28 degrees.....what a change!  Hopefully all the fruit trees had a chance to set their fruit, and the freeze doesn't hurt them.

 

I bought some bulbs and pots at Christmas, meaning to make presents with them, but...that didn't happen.  I ran across them in my gardening shed a few weeks ago and decide to go ahead and make some pots up.  I sent one home with Cindy, and put the others with my plants in the sewing room....and they are blooming!  I planted daffodils and tulips, and so far, just the daffodils are blooming. 

 

I thought I killed it - I obviously forgot to water my plants, and I didn't think this one would pull through, but....

It's doing just fine, after a good soaking!

 

My Christmas cactus is a bit confused, or just late - not sure which, but it's beautiful right now.....

 

Sorry I went MIA for a while - life got a bit busy......

I spent a week in Tacoma for training - which was a much needed boost to my confidence that Columbia will actually keep me after conversion, as well as a great opportunity to see "how they do things".  There is still no complete road map for the Umpqua conversion though - for now, I should still have a job until next March, with more details to come, of course.

Cindy came down and sat with Allison while I was gone, thank goodness - that's a true friend to give up a week of your life.....and while I was gone, it looks like I will have a permanent provider for Allison!  Eileen started last week, M-F, 8:00-4:00!!!  So much pressure gone!  Juggling watching Alli and working added a whole new meaning of stress in my life.  Eileen is great with Alli, and has started walking her and playing with her - she can hardly wait until summer to get her in the pool!

And in the hopes of summer, I put up lights on the patio this weekend!