We’ve had weeks of rain (which is so strange for us here in the desert) and my garden is finally going gangbusters! Even though I planted early, we had a late start – I think because we’ve had so many late freezes. Here are pictures of my peas going crazy. There’s lettuce too that’s finally starting to come on, three broccoli plants and some dill that’s coming up from last year. I also threw in a couple of tomato plants and will plant several more after the peas are harvested. I’m so excited to fill my freezer with peas! I planted peas in the pod and sugar snap peas.

(click to see notes)

My original plan had been to cover the garden with a tarp while my neighbor’s elm trees dropped their seeds, but because of the peas I was unable to, so I’ll be pulling elm sprouts for the rest of my life. Honor, thankfully, thinks this is a really fun job.

The yard has a long way to go this year, but I have a whole plan mapped out… it need only be funded and executed. In the meantime I’ll enjoy my pergola covered patio that I filled with pretty flower pots.

I’m also a member of the Main Street Community garden, so I plant to have copious amounts of organic veggies. I’ll try to take some pics (with my new, pretty, white iphone4) soon so we can watch that progress too.

I planted my spring garden yesterday: peas, broccoli and lettuce. There is something so significant in my life about this new season of spring creeping in. My tiger lilies are poking their fingers out of the the ground; green, hopeful spikes coming new into the world. All around me things are being made new.

There is so much grief and loss to sift through. So much to watch the children sift through in their fresh and innocent views. I think all of us are having a hard time wrapping our heads around the WHY of things. But as we do, I feel change creeping in. Real, solid change. It’s desperately needed and coming in the most perfect timing.

So much of me wants to rush ahead to happy, peaceful times that I know are coming. But I know how significant this process is for me, for the children. I know how important it is to embrace where I am right at this very moment. I know how important it is to feel every single feeling and process them completely. Because I know that once I reach the end of this, the world will never again be how it is right now. And I will be completely new in every way.

That makes all of this worth it.

I think today I’m going to paint my front door with chalk board paint. After pictures soon.

It only took me about 20 minutes. Now I can leave notes on the door like, “just mopped, please remove your shoes.” Gotta do whatever I can to keep these white floors clean.

Now all I need is a new knocker and door nob.

(as always, please excuse the cell phone pics, it’s the best I can do these days. I wish I could take pictures with my nikon and send them to flickr magically.)

For Eden’s 8th birthday, we decided it was time she had her own room. I wanted it to be a surprise, so after much planning, sneaky shopping trips and one very late night, her room was done. And she was really surprised! Can’t believe that kid is 8 years old… doesn’t seem possible.

Before the room was our master bedroom and then converted for a few months into the playroom:
(pardon the cell phone pictures, both camera batteries were dead…of course.)

After:

The living room walls are finished and today I start on the floor. It’s going to be a glossy white which I think will totally transform the whole house.

As I’ve been working on the floors I’ve thought a lot about the day over seven years ago that we painted them black. I was pregnant with Eden and I tripped and fell into the open heater vent. This action somehow caused, what we later found out to be, a chunk of wood to fall in my eye. Luckily Kevin and Sarah surprised us by showing up with rollers and paint brushes, so Jim and Kevin painted the floor while Sarah took me to the ER to get the wood removed from my eye. It was a totally unfun way of getting out of painting!

So here’s to eye-safe floor painting today!

A few weeks ago, we had a ridiculously windy day and our canopy over our back patio was destroyed. The wind snapped the metal and shredded the canvas cover. I’m so sad! We’ve spent SO many hours on the patio enjoying the shade and cover of the canopy.

Today we’re starting to rebuild the back yard. The poor yard has seen better days for sure. We just sort of let the dog have his run of it last year and now we have to work harder to restore it to it’s comfy, pretty self. We’re going to expand the patio out into the yard a bit and the decide whether we want to buy another canopy or build a more wind friendly arbor. I’m going to plant lots of flowers and my small vegetable garden again. I’ll probably do my usual salsa garden with peppers and tomatoes. And I’m definitely planting mint this year. mmmm, mojitos!

We also have to clean up the wood chip edging, it probably needs more of the weed barrier and a new layer of wood chips. At any rate we have lots of work to do, but I think it will be worth it.

(need to bring my camera home from Tangle so I stop taking crappy cell phone pics.)

[ab fabric]

Here’s the table. As you can see, the chairs are still not done. I have a plan for them, but I keep wavering back and forth between painting them and finishing them. Wow do I hate sanding! So we’ll see. But I’m really happy with the table. Here it is with both leaves in and the two rounded sides folded down. It needs a little bit of touch up still, but that’s another thing that I keep putting off. As with everything, the dining room continues to be a work in progress.

I got this chandelier at Target for 75% off. It was originally $130, but I took a gamble that it would still be there and waited until it was marked down. After a couple weeks of visiting Target about every other day to check on the price, I was successful in my great deal!! Nothing makes me happier!

Anyway, I think it fits the room perfectly. My only complaint is that it doesn’t disburse quite enough light. I think that we’re going to have to add a few more lights in, maybe recessed lighting? That sounds like a good weekend project for Jim doesn’t it?

The gas stove came Monday. I haven’t even had a chance to cook on it yet, but tonight… there will be a feast!

(new cell phone takes pretty good pics)

So, I’ve managed to take photos of some of the things I’ve been working on lately. And here they are!

The cozy v-neck pullover from Fitted Knits. If it weren’t for the yarn, it’d be much cozier. That llama in the Pastaza, it just pokes through all the layers! But I do love the sweater and I’m thinking I’d like to knit it out of the Blue Sky Alpaca’s worsted handdyes. It would be $$$ but wow, would it be nice.

Fingerless mittens for the kids. I didn’t use a pattern, but just figured my own based on the gauge. Honor’s are made out of some leftover louet gems worsted that I had (but we want to carry it at Tangle next fall) and Eden’s are made out of our new PJ’s yarn. It’s a poly fleece ribbon that is SUPER soft!

Pics of the playroom turned office. It’s usually not quite as cluttered, but Jim had all his music equip and snowboard out from recent use. The floor is painted the same color as the dining room because we had A LOT of extra paint. (And I love the color.)

A baby hat and sweater that I made for our new nephew. I need to get it to him as I hear he’s packing on the pounds! Sweater is the Knitting Pure and simple baby pullover pattern #214 and the hat is a free pattern that you can download from tangle’s website.

Curtains that I sewed for the dining room. If you happen to see similar fabric at Urban Outfitters in the bedspread dept, just don’t go making the connection…

And my new neckwarmer. This is handdyed yarn similar to Colinette Point 5. I knitted a lining (Christina’s idea) out of a super soft acrylic yarn – GGH esprit. I LOVE this neckwarmer.