Now that the sun is up - here are pictures of the garden (including one of the likely culprits - Koori wouldn't get in the picture!)

The garden is in!  Ralph went out yesterday to finish the drip system, and called me out to take a look before he started.  It looks like 'someone' has been having a good time in the beds since we set them up!  The only one not a suspect is Tank - I don't think he could jump up there if he tried.

I haven't been out yet this morning to see if they bothered them last night.  I'm thinking they will leave them alone while we are here - Monday will be the true test.  To protect the plants, I put up the tomato cages already, and then used some to cover the other plants as well.  Hopefully, they will be enough of a discouragement to keep the dogs off.  Since Ralph got the drip system in yesterday, I really don't want to have to re-do it.  The first spring we had Koori, she 'attacked' the drip in the garden - we assume the sound of it coming on scared her and she 'killed' it.  After that, we watered over-head so she didn't tear it up.  Since she is now a few years older (and wiser?) I'm hoping she will leave this alone.

I ran over to Wyntour Gardens yesterday to pick up the plants, and it looked like all the cars on the road were going there.   Seriously!  I waited for two cars to go by on Airport Rd. before I pulled on, and they were both turned into Wyntour.  The car that was behind me pulled in, and there were two cars going north on Airport - they pulled in as well.  Inside, it was just as busy as the parking lot.  The staff were going crazy trying to keep track of what was still in stock.  "Let's see - you wanted XXX?  They were right here.....Oh wait, there's a whole new selection coming in right now - if she can get through the crowd with the cart, we'll be restocked in just a minute..."  

I'm trying very hard not to get carried away with planting the garden.  Since this is the first time I've planted the beds, I'm trying to be cautious.  I picked up 4 tomato plants (Early Girl, Sweet 100, Lemon Boy and yellow pear) 12 pepper plants - 6 bell and 6 jalapeno (I could only get 6-packs!), one Japanese eggplant, 1 lemon cucumber, and 1 Armenian cucumber.  I planted one hill of straight neck yellow squash, one of round zucchini (they were out of seeds for regular zucchini!) and two packages of green beans.  I may end up wishing I had planted more, but I figured this was a good start for the garden.  These are all veggies we will eat, and if they are too prolific, I can probably give the extras away (not too sure about extra zucchini - I think everyone is looking for a place to get rid of extra zucchini!  Judging by the fact that Wyntour Gardens didn't have any seeds for the regular ones left, everyone is planting them!)  I'm thinking about going back and getting more cucumber plants......

There were some interesting items I would have liked to try out, but....I didn't want to over-crowd the garden.  Jelly bean tomatoes?  Hillbilly tomatoes?  Fun!!!  Wyntour also carried some heritage tomatoes that I was tempted by.  Maybe next year, once I see how much I can cram into the garden!

Yesterday was my quilt club, and I took in my finished quilt - one of three that were completely done from the group.  All I need to do now is put a label on the back.  I had high hopes of making a heart shaped label, but....I think I'll be better off with a rectangle or square - I'm not too sure of my abilities to applique a heart on the back.  If I'd been planning ahead, I would have put it on just like I did the applique on the front, but.....I wasn't!  I'm also thinking I'm going to pull out my Sharpie and write out what I want on the label rather than embroider it.  Is that cheating????

I got the fabric for the next quilt, and.....I'm scared!  The instructor had problems with it, and couldn't get the points to match up.  I'm pretty sure if she couldn't do it, I am going to have some serious issues.  Oh well - this one probably won't be a present for anyone.  Another learning experience, perhaps??

I have the quilt ready for sewing the binding down!  I'm still not too happy about the tension on the thread, but....it will do.  Now - off to tackle the yard!

The good news - I'm not as sore as I thought I would be after moving all that dirt yesterday.  The bad news - I still have one more box to fill, and then move any extra dirt over to the flower bed in front of the house.  My forearms are the worse for wear - I was afraid it was going to be my back!  (I know - strong back, weak mind!)

I faced the 'dreaded swimsuit shopping' yesterday.  It wasn't planned - I just thought I'd stop by Ross's (and avoid digging more dirt) and see what they had new and exciting.  I found quite a few cute dresses to try on, and on the way to the dressing room, I saw the swimsuits.  Why not?  If I can find a cheap suit  for just swimming with the family, I can save my 'good' suit for company.  My 'at home' suit needs replacement - chlorine was not its friend.  I definitely do not have the standard shape for swimsuits.  I hate paying to have a custom suit made.  How to live with the disconnect between the two?  This year I was lucky - I found a suit that fits me - and is cute!  I could do without looking in the mirror while trying on all the suits, but....I'm done for a year at least!  I even picked up a cute little work dress while I was there too.

My first day of vacation - definitely successful in one area, and not in another.  I got one 'box' garden filled with dirt all by myself  and a second filled when AJ came home from school.  It went a lot faster with the two of us.  I had to unload the wheelbarrow with a shovel as well as load it - it took a while!  When AJ got home, we could lift the wheelbarrow and dump it, so we only had to fill it with shovels.  My quilting project was a different story - the tension was messed up on the machine, so I spent 45 minutes sewing and about that ripping out.  Bummer.  I gave up on the quilt and went outside to work.

Here is my first box - it took me a couple of hours to fill it.

And here is the mound of dirt - minus one box worth.

Jasper spent most of the morning trying to get me to throw the toy for her.

The rest of the time, she spent paling with Koori and the toy.

Tank stood back and watched.

Here's the second box done:

And Koori looking for a little attention - or maybe her picture taken??

I have my quilt ready to 'quilt' now.  As you can see, I had help getting it laid out yesterday.  I laid out the backing and taped it to the floor.  Picot came along and promptly tried to 'free' the backing.  I caught her trying to pull the material off the floor.  Some help!

I also took some time yesterday (while I watched the Giants loose big time) and made a small little doily.  Since my last attempt at a three-sided doily turned out so badly, I was quite happy to see this one turn out pretty.

Mom didn't come over yesterday - and it was probably a good thing.  The storm dropped a few inches of snow between here and there yesterday.  Not a lot, but more than she would want to have driven through.  Since I didn't work outside yesterday, that means that I am today.  It also means that I will be working by myself - AJ and friends have school.  Bummer.  Oh well, I can still procrastinate - I really do need to get the quilt done!

It's done!  The crocheting is done, now to weave in the ends.

And - there are quite a few of those.....

The buds last night:

 

I think I need a bigger couch!

The bake sale at work went great - the last I heard we had raised over $500 at our branch.  If there was a person that made it out of the branch without buying something, they were either very quick or T was selling to someone else!  T stayed in the lobby all day 'pushing' the sale.  Her group did such a  great job of putting everything together.  They  repackaged things, priced everything and monitored the sale.  Around noon they started knocking a dollar off the prices.  Somewhere around 3:00, they had 'happy hour' and everything was 1/3 off.  T was hitting up all the guys that come in to cash payroll checks on Fridays - a couple of eyelash flutters and the mention of sugar - they were hooked!  There was absolutely nothing left at 5:00.  (I was just a bit bummed - the last I had looked, I still had a couple of bags of truffles left, and I had decided to give a bag to Alli's daycare provider, and then one to AJ.  Now I'll have to make a whole new batch!)

Alli and I went chair shopping yesterday too.  Her rocking chair had springs sticking out the back of the chair!  I really wish she could tell me when things started breaking (or that I was more observant!)  Poor thing - that can't have been a comfortable rocking chair.  She has a new one now - not quite the color I was looking for, but Salvation Army had it for $80.00 - it is leather, and seems to rock nicely.  She isn't quite sold on it yet.  Maybe she liked the way the old one felt with no springs??

Mission accomplished!  Last night, I made truffles and baked a cake (butter pecan - I had never seen this cake mix before - sounded good!).  This morning, I frosted the cake (butter cream frosting - yum!), packaged up my truffles for the bake sale, and put a lasagna in the oven for a pot-luck today.  All before 6:00 this morning!!! Dawn brought by some goodies for the bake sale yesterday too, so hopefully there will be lots of money raised for Relay for Life today at the bank.

Here's our offerings:

A close-up of some of the truffles.  I rolled half in chopped almonds, a quarter in powdered sugar, and a quarter in cocoa powder.  

Then I put four truffles in a cupcake holder (red with little white polka dots - too cute!) and put them in a pretty little bag, tied off with a ribbon!  I had almost enough white ribbon with little red hearts on it to do them all, but...not quite.  One got a red ribbon (that's all I had of that ribbon, too) and two had plain old white ribbon.  I need to restock my ribbon supplies!

Here's the cake for the birthday girl today:

Ralph is off work today, and if the weather is decent, he is going to finish up putting the garden beds together.  I'm off Monday and Tuesday, so I can get the dirt moved this weekend, and.....depending on the long range weather forecast, may even get some plants in the ground.  I know better to plant this early, but...I'm anxious to get started.  Mom was thinking about coming down, but I haven't heard for sure.  I'll put her to work designing the garden if she does!

It's Spring!  There's a little tiny frog on my roses.  

Unfortunately, he was there because the aphids have moved in already.

He better get busy!

My roses are just about to bloom - just in time for the rain today.

Tomorrow (and tonight) are busy.  Tomorrow is a bake sale at work for Relay for Life (yes - I'm walking this year - want to donate in my name???  Click here to donate.  My team is called Support Bankers Raising Awareness.  We also have a birthday in my department, which means a cake and a pot-luck,  I'll be busy cooking tonight!

I don't have my garden in yet, but I seem to be growing my own mushrooms quite well!

Tami from work sent me home with a box of dog treats yesterday.  Her Great Dane won't touch them.  They are all organic, peanut putter and banana treats.  I gave one to the dogs when I got home - I doubt that they even chewed them.  A little bit later, I asked if they wanted another treat - I would say these looks say that at least they liked them!

I made the mistake of starting a book at lunch yesterday.  Last night, I stay up to finish it (that and watch the Giants loose).  It wasn't even that great of a book - not great enough to stay up past 11:00!  The good news is that Alli is on Spring Break and I don't have to have her ready and out the door by 6:00, but still - I should have gone to bed!

Woohoo!  Progress so far!  

I have 20 rows left (and then a border and then.....those ends!!)  I think she is turning out very cute!  I didn't do much but laundry yesterday besides crochet, but it was worth it!  Not only was it an off-again, on-again rainy day, I am so close to finishing now.