When Experience Isn't the Best Teacher

Generally experience is good.  As we become more experienced at doing something, our skills improve and the task usually becomes easier to complete with better results.  However, experience also can cause us to become complacent and thus not pay close enough attention to our actions.  That's what happened to me this morning.

I had decided to try a new blueberry muffin recipe that Lindsay had sent to me.  We bought all of the ingredients at the store, and, as usual, I assembled everything on the counter top.  By habit, when I bake and I use something, I immediately put that container back where it belongs.  That way I know what I have and have not added to the mix (should I get interrupted), and when I am finished, all of the containers are in their proper places, so clean-up is quick and easy.

OK, so everything was assembled and ready to go.  I preheated the oven, zapped the butter in the microwave for 15 seconds on power 5 to soften it, and I was ready to roll.  I have been around a mixing bowl a time or two in my life, and this is where my experience -- and my complacency -- took over.  I cannot begin to count the times a recipe starts with "cream together the butter and the sugar," so that is what I did.  I added the sugar to the softened margarine and mixed it together.  Then I added the other "wet" ingredients to the bowl.  Hm-m-m.  I still had the eggs on the counter top, and I did not see instructions to add the eggs with the other "wet" ingredients.  Perhaps, I thought, I should read the recipe more carefully...

That is when I discovered that I was supposed to whisk the eggs and the sugar together in the bowl and to save the softened butter for the streusel topping at the end of the recipe.  Oops.  Since I already had so many expensive ingredients in the bowl, I decided to go ahead with the rest of the recipe.  I figured at most I would have to increase the baking time (which I did) and that I would have a greasier muffin at the end.  I used about half of the required butter and half of the other topping ingredients for a lighter streusel topping.

The results?  Well, I have 12 browned muffins that, thanks to the muffin papers, came out of the pan intact.  They actually have a light texture inside, probably more "moist" with the added butter than they should be.  Are they my favorite?  No, but thanks to delicious Schwan's blueberries,  they are edible.

Blueberry muffins, anyone?

So lesson learned.  I need to start to pay closer attention to what I am doing.  Experience is great as long as it does not morph into inattention and errors.

My sister and brother-in-law have been in Florida all week helping my nephew and his wife remodel their newly purchased home.  After a hard week of work, they called and asked if we would like to get together so they could get out of the house.  We drove down to St. Petersburg to pick them up, and then ventured onward to St. Pete's Beach.

Tom and Sue enjoy the sunshine on St. Pete's Beach.

While Rick and I have been to Madeira Beach, we have never stopped to stroll along St. Pete's Beach.   Sadly, our  beach parking permit did not cover parking for that beach, so that was an added expense.  The beach was great.  A slight breeze and the earlier morning hour kept temperatures tolerable, and we had fun walking the not-too-crowded beach.

Dining on the deck allowed us to enjoy good food and
a fantastic view.

Owen wanted some shells, so Rick spent most of his time seeking some colorful varieties of shells to take home for Owen.  We stopped for a delicious lunch at a beach-side cafe, so dining while we could watch the waves was refreshing.

Rick has his hands full of shells to take to Owen.

As the afternoon wore on, the temperatures climbed to the point where the beach became unbearable. Florida is experiencing record-breaking temperatures this week with highs in the upper 80s.  That is 10 degrees above normal for this time of year.

We drove north a bit to John's Pass, a conglomeration of touristy shops and a boardwalk.  Our boardwalk stroll included a view of The Royal Conquest,  a pirate ship that, for a price, one could sail on.  If Owen ever comes down, I am sure that will be a required trip.

For a price, matey, you can sail with the pirates.

We did a little shopping and then ventured home before the traffic became too hectic.  Altogether, we had a relaxing, fun day.  I am glad that we got to spend some time together, and that we all got out into the fresh air and sunshine... even though I did end up with a sunburn despite my use of sunscreen!

Spring Ideas

While Rick has been busy trying to get coats of paint on our new outdoor chairs, I have been busy with my sewing machine stitching outdoor cushions for the chairs. The "inner" part of the cushions is weather-resistant foam, and the outer covers are sun and rain resistant. I made the cushions so they are removable and hopefully can withstand a few washing cycles.  We will bring the cushions in each time we are finished using them, but I am sure that eventually they will get soiled or dirty.  So be it.

Rick likes the toucan on this cushion.

Two small birds highlight "my" cushion.

At this time of the year, average temperatures generally are in the mid-70's, but after a rather cool winter, we are expecting temperatures in the low 80's for the next few days.  That put us in the mood to think about our spring landscape plans and if Rick's hand will be able to tolerate laying edging pavers around new gardens.

This morning I went out to our backyard to see how my frost-nipped crotons were fairing.  I planted the plants in January, and then weeks of cool or downright cold temperatures caused all of the leaves to drop from the plants.  I was left with just "twigs" in the ground, but a woman at the nursery assured me they might bloom again, and they are doing so.  I cannot wait to see how these plants bloom once the buds all grow back into leaves.

Small, green buds adorn the bare stems of
this croton plant.

A couple of leaves survive on this croton while
new buds burst forth from the center stem.

Since today was so nice, we packed a picnic and headed for the Florida Botanical Gardens for a little more garden inspiration.  Lunch in the palm garden, next to a bubbling fountain, was peaceful and delightful. Since it is early, early spring here, not much was in bloom.  We saw one species of pink azaleas that was outstanding, but the rest are just bare bushes yet.

Bright red camellia caught our eye as a possibility for our west or south gardens. Apparently, camellia also come in yellow or in white.

Camellia might find a place in our garden.

We also found Princess Flowers; their vibrant purple flowers were gorgeous. These, too, are a possibility.

I wonder why they named this species the
Princess Flower.

Gladys would look good with this flower
in her gardens.

And although I don't know where I would put it, the vine garden section identified for me the Flame Vine.  We have a tree in the neighborhood that is covered in this vine.  The whole tree seems to be a huge flame ablaze with the bright orange flowers.  Rick isn't too excited about vines, so we will have to see where we might incorporate this vine on a small trellis.

Perhaps a trellis by our back sheds would look
good covered with this vine.

The sculpture garden is a part of the Wedding Garden, and inside the sculpture garden I spotted a mischievous little bear trying to peek over the garden wall.  I thought Owen would enjoy the pictures because the bear reminded me of Winnie the Pooh.

Hm-m.  What's on the other side of the wall?  

That same garden had a Powder-Puff tree.  As the name implies, the tree was covered with four-inch-wide powder-puff blooms. The tree was wonderful to view but was alive with bees and wasps in practically every bloom.  Even in the picture I took, the bloom housed a fat, happy bee gathering nectar.

A bee nestles in the center of the powder -puff bloom.

Our first task still is to choose an edging paver with which we can outline the gardens.  Once we make that choice, we can start to choose the shrubs and flowers that will add some curb appeal to Gladys as she faces the street.

Chairs and Chores

On Friday we were blessed with warm enough weather to work outside for the afternoon.  Since we both were anxious to continue work on the chairs that we are "refinishing," we hauled them to the back yard and attacked the second one with a wire brush and with emory paper.  We both worked on the second chair until the rust was gone and the chair was ready for priming.

Rick had primed the first chair a few days ago, but it still needed a little additional primer where the first coat was too light.  The first coat of primer on the second chair went well. Since the primer sets quickly, the instructions said that we should either paint the final coat within an hour or wait for 48 hours.

After we sanded the second chair, Rick sprays
on a coat of brown metal primer.

Rick was able to get the first white coat of paint on the first chair with little problems.  When he started the finish coat on the second chair, however, the wind suddenly picked up making the process (and the overspray) a little more difficult.

A spray booth in which we could hang the chair
on a hook to spray all sides would have made
the job both quicker and easier!

He was able to finish the first coats on both chairs as far as we could go.  We still need to turn the chairs upside down (on Monday, if possible) to finish the bottom rungs and rockers.  A second coat probably will follow to finish the process, but for now we are happy that the chairs are clean and sealed from future rust.

The first coat of finish coat returned the first
chair back to its original color -- minus the rust!

The second chair also has its first coat of
finish color on most of the chair.

Will these chairs require attention in the future?  Certainly.  We will have to apply touch-up paint or new coats of paint every few years to protect them, but I hope that once I figure out what to do with the cushions for the chairs, we will be able to sit in them and to enjoy them on our back patio.

Yesterday we spent the day in St. Petersburg with my nephew Jon and his wife Rachel, helping them prepare their newly-purchased house for their move-in day.  They have their current home until this summer, so they have the luxury of some time to get the new house up to their expectations.

They have purchased an older home with good bones.  Yes, some things need updating, and in time they can add what they want.  For now, we took care of some immediate needs.  They have a wonderful 16 x 32 foot family room across most of the back of the house.  This room was added after the original home was built, so when Jon took down some mirrors hanging on one of the paneled walls in the addition, he discovered exterior windows hidden in the wall.  By the time we arrived, he had removed one louvered window that used to light the bathroom, but the double-hung aluminum window hidden in the small bedroom was still wedged into the wall.  Sadly, the bottom pane was all broken, so jagged glass rimmed the inner frame of that part of the window.

With a little work, Rick and Jon were able to remove that second window. Our motto for the day was, "No blood," and they were able to remove everything while still adhering to that sentiment.  We chipped out the old windowsills with a cold chisel so that we could have a flat surface on which Jon can build a frame to hold new drywall to fill in that now-missing window.  The old windows now rest in the garage, ready for disposal.

Rachel and I prepped the rest of the smaller bedroom's walls further renovation.  They have decided to add wainscot to the bottom of that bedroom to remedy earlier decorating errors (think 1970's paneling) and to add a fresh coat of paint to the top portion. Their next task will be to find bi-fold doors that will fit into slide-by closet door openings.

Rachel and Jon just had the terrazzo floors in the bedrooms all refinished, and they are gorgeous. The floors shine and have no pits or damage at all.

Rachel wants to prepare their guest room before my sister and brother-in-law come next week, so we spent some time spackling holes in the walls so that Rachel can paint the room.  She took down drapery rods and the blinds in that room so she can paint it this week.  She already had painted the ceiling in the room, so a couple coats of a new color on the walls and in the closets will do wonders for that room. I am sure that her guests will survive without closet doors for this first visit.

Rick and Jon went out to their covered back patio because a few of the screens needed repair.  In a little over an hour, they had removed the old screens and put in new screening materials. Good work, Jon! Now they have an enclosed, screened-in room so they can enjoy spring evenings bug-free.

Jon wanted us to cut the baseboard molding for the guest room, but the room needs painting first, and we were not ready to cut the molding yesterday.  We need to cut each piece and fit it before we move on to the next one. Sadly, every remodeling task has a sequence of events so that materials are not wasted and so that tasks do not have to be repeated.

Since we are retired, we will return later this week to cut and install the baseboard.  Once Rachel lets us know that the spackling is complete and the painting is finished, we can install the baseboard. We need to make a couple of modifications to our saw to make it safe.  Then we will take our saw, our compressor and finish nailer, and we will complete that task within a couple of hours.  Rick and I work well together, so this will be a small job to complete.

By the time we left yesterday, Jon and Rachel had a plan of what they want to do with the rest of the house.  It will take a little time, a lot of cleaning,  a little renovation, and a bit of money, but in the end they will have an incredible house that will shelter them for many years.

Power Tools and Primer

After haircuts this morning, we both had a quick bite for lunch, and then Rick went back outside to work on the chairs.

Lots of sand paper, a few power tools, and a couple of files resulted in him getting the worst of the paint, rust, and solder-splatter off the first chair.  (Apparently, the artist who welded the chair together was an the neatest nor the best welder.) Then Rick wiped the chair down with mineral spirits, and it was ready for primer.

The wind was blowing quite briskly this afternoon, but our back yard is spacious enough that Rick was able to find a place to spray a brown primer on the first chair.  He used one whole can just to cover the first chair, so I foresee a trip back to Lowe's tomorrow to buy more paint.

Brown primer covers the first chair...and the boards
used to hold it out of the dirt... and the grass around it.

The warm sun will help the primer dry quickly.

Eventually the chair will be white.  For now, we are happy that we have sunshine and warm enough temperatures to actually paint something outside. The poor grass may never be the same, but it was not all that healthy anyway.  We need to re-seed the whole back yard, but that is another story...

We still are trying to figure out what to put on the bottom of the rockers so that the paint does not wear off the minute they are used to rock on the cement patio.  We also do not want the bottoms to rust and to leave marks on the concrete. Steve suggested a patio rug, which would be great.  Rick though some clear, plastic tubing might work.  That certainly would be much cheaper! We'll have to try it and see if we have any success.

Suggestions always are welcome!

Selections and Sandpaper

Since we now have two beautiful (albeit rusty) chairs in our possession, we ventured out yesterday to find some fabric that I could use to make cushions for those chairs.

We knew we wanted outdoor fabric that would hold up reasonable well in the sun and would not "run" or disintegrate should it get caught in a rain storm.  Although we plan to bring the cushions inside when we are not using the chairs, one never knows what may happen.

We started at Leaderer's.  They are a well-known outdoor/ patio furniture store with several locations in Florida.  We actually had purchased our tropical-looking bedroom set from them a few years ago, and we knew that they sold Sunbrella outdoor fabric by the yard.

Once in the store, we were directed to the back wall on which their samples of fabric hung.  The saleswoman was less than enthusiastic about spending too much time with us since we only were seeking fabric, not the $1000+ furniture on which to put it.

We knew we wanted something that would coordinate with the yellow house, the dark green doors, and the white chairs.  We rejected some prints that had ivory backgrounds instead of white.  We considered two different prints, but rejected them for reasons below:

We liked the pattern and the greens, but the light stripes
were very dark ivory which would have looked "dirty"
on the white chairs.

We liked this print, but it was on the "discontinued" rack,
so we had no guarantee that they could get it in.

When we struck out at Leaderer's, we decided to try Joanne's Fabrics.  I knew that they carried a variety of outdoor fabrics (at less cost than Leaderer's), and we had to go there anyway to get the cushions to cover.

My idea of a cushion was a light, 1" cushion that would easily follow the contours of the chair bottom.  Rick's idea of a cushion was a 3" slab that would cushion his fanny from the cold, hard metal of the chair.  We ended up with an outdoor cushion about 2.75" that will stand up well to the weather. I don't know yet if I will add ties in the corners to fasten them to the chairs, or if I will just count on the weight of the user to settle the cushion into place.

Our next task was the fabric.  Joanne's had probably 30 bolts from which to choose.  We finally decided on a leafy print complete with leaves, small flowers, birds and toucans. It has subtle orange accents and a white background which should coordinate well with the white chairs.  Now I wish I could snap my fingers and have the cushions finished!

Of course, they were out of white "outdoor thread," so I told the woman I would just use the white thread I had at home.  I have never HEARD of outdoor thread, and since I probably will bring these cushions inside when not in use, I think that the thread I own will work just fine.

Birds and flowers will cover the new cushions for the chairs.

Rick worked for over two hours today sanding down one of the chairs to get it ready for paint.  He still has a way to go on the chair, but it should be wonderful when we get it refinished.  He is longing for the sand-blaster that he had at work.  That would have made short work of the rust and the slopped-on finish of these chairs.  Ah, well, this will give him something to do.

Rick gives his hand a rest as he sands down
one of the chairs.  Temperatures in the mid-60s
were ideal for working outside.

While he worked on the chair, I took time today to work on a scarf for Stephanie that I have on the loom.  I hope to get it completed in time for her to take back to Minnesota this spring.  She had selected the tencel yarn last year, and I am happy with the results so far.  I hope she likes it and will wear it once it is finished.

The scarf is grey, navy blue, and a light
mauve.

The chairs are far from complete, but at least we have the materials in house so that we can make them comfortable.  After all, those beautiful spring days where we can sit outside and enjoy a good book are right around the corner.

Food, Finds, and Fingers

We travelled to Sarasota today because Rick had to see a hand specialist, and while we were there, we had quite a day!

Before we came back from Wisconsin, Rick developed a trigger finger on the same hand on which he had surgery this summer.  His hand surgeon gave him an steroid injection; however, he told him that Rick may need a second injection if the first one did not solve the problem.  The doctor said that he had completed a fellowship with a doctor who currently was practicing in the Tampa area, and that if Rick needed the second injection, the Wisconsin doctor would make a referral.

Rick's finger still gives him lots of pain, so last week he made arrangements to get into the doctor down here.  Rather than practicing in Tampa, this doctor has opened a practice in Sarasota.  OK.  No problem.  That is only a drive about 75 miles from here.

We actually got excited about going to Sarasota because they have a pasty shop called 4to24.  It is owned by an English couple who makes authentic English (Cornish) pasties.  We had looked at their menu and decided to take a cooler down to pick up a bunch of pasties.  Then last night Rick read their Web site again and noticed that they were closed on Sundays and Mondays.  Drat! There went our plans for pasties.

However, Steve and Chris told us about two places to visit while in Sarasota.  The first was Yoder's.  Yoder's is an Amish farmer's market, deli, and restaurant.  Since we arrived in Sarasota just a little before lunch time, we did a bit of shopping in the market.  I bought some Amish noodles with which I can make chicken soup and a loaf of freshly-baked Amish bread.  Then we went into the restaurant to have lunch.

Rick ordered the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, and I had the "small" order of chicken fingers.  Yoder's, we learned, is known for its "generous" portions.  Rick's sandwich must have contained at least a half a pound of pork, and my plate held three huge chicken fingers with a side of cinnamon baked apples. Before our meal was served, the waitress brought homemade Amish bread and homemade Amish apple butter.  Both were delicious, and the meals, also, did not disappoint.

Yoder's is known, also, for their Amish pies.  On the way out of the restaurant, Rick bought a double-crusted blueberry pie.  We plan to share that with Steve and Chris.  They sent us to that place, so they get at least half of the calories!

Before we left, we went back into the market and bought a jar of the apple butter.  It is that good.

From there, we ventured to the second place Steve recommended: Sarasota Architectural Salvage.  (For TV fans, think Black Dog Salvage.)  The place is a wonderful place to browse.  Steve told Rick that he bet we would buy something, and he was correct.  We had viewed some of their wares online before we left, and Rick had found an outdoor metal rocking chair that he liked.  As we wandered around the yard, we came upon a set of these chairs.  Since we both are rather short, many chairs are too long in the seat for us.  These chairs, however, fit us well.

They were priced $129.00 each.  "I wonder if they will come down in price," I said to Rick.  He said that we had to measure the back of the Honda to see if they even would fit before we talked about them.  He measured once and said that he thought they would fit.  Meanwhile, another couple came around and talked about how the chairs were kind of neat and had drink holders in the arms.

I told Rick that I was going to talk to someone about the price while he went back to the car to take one final measurement.  I approached one of the workers and said, "I am interested in two of the chairs that you have out in the yard.  They are priced at $129 each.  Would you sell the pair to me for $200?"  He looked at the chairs and said, "I would, but I better check with The Man.  Let me talk to the boss and get back to you."  He left to talk to the boss and returned a couple of minutes later.

"The boss said he'll sell the pair for $200, but he will have to charge you tax, so they will come to $214," he said.

Our two new chairs will be our next project for Gladys. Once
completed, we will have two chairs that we can leave out on the patio.

I love that the chairs are rocking chairs and that
they have drink holders in the arms.

"OK," I replied.  "As long as they fit in the car, I will take them."  Long story short, they fit, the salesman helped us load them, and we got a good deal.  We really don't want to use them just for decoration, so Rick will sand off the rust, we will repaint them, and I will make cushions for the seats.  Then we will have two heavy, functioning chairs for the back yard.

After the Salvage yard, we were off to the doctor's office.  The doctor was great, the injection was quick, and we were back in Pinellas County before the evening rush hour. We'll see in the next six weeks if the injection is successful.  If it is not, Rick will face a further procedure to repair his hand.

If a second trip to Sarasota is necessary, I told Rick we have to go on some day other than a Monday. I still want to pick up some of those pasties!

Organized Again

Do you remember that good feeling of spending time organizing a closet, a basement, a shed, or a garage?  You threw out what was broken, dirty, unneeded, or just unwanted, and what was left you put in its place so you could find everything you sought.  What a great feeling!  Then about a year later, you opened that closet door or looked in that garage and through, "What happened?" as everything somehow morphed into a tangled, heaped-up mess.

Blue tape marks the layout for the components
we needed to expand our elfa shelves.

Rick and I have been waiting for January because that is when The Container Store in Tampa has their 30% off sale on elfa shelving.  We have used elfa in the past to organize our closets in the bedrooms, and we started a set of elfa shelves last year in the garage.  Of course, one can never have too much storage, so we waited for this sale to add on to our storage capacity in the garage.

The components were easy to hang.

We actually did not have to buy much because elfa is designed to connect, so we were able to connect the new shelving system by using some of the components of the old system.  We actually added two 48 inch shelves and four 24 inch shelves to one wall.  We added hooks to hold our bike helmets, and purchased more clear boxes (actually men's shoe boxes) to hold all of the items we want to store on the shelves.

We hung the bike helmets, put work shoes in boxes, reorganized
the "extra" wood, stored the lawn blower, and actually have empty
boxes and spaces available.

We bought a hook to hang the lawn blower but decided that we did not like how it fit after we brought that home.  The lawn blower does fit nicely, however, on the top shelf.  We'll take the other hook back to get a refund.  The Container Store is excellent about taking components back.

We ordered the components yesterday online.  We set up a "pick-up" time for today at 12:30, but Rick received a text about 9:30 this morning that our order was packed and ready to be picked up.  Great! I would rather drive to Tampa at 9:30 in the morning (after the rush hour) rather than during the noon-time traffic.  We were home by 11:30. We took time out for lunch and still had the whole system up and organized by 1:30 p.m.

The opposite wall holds the other necessary
garage tools.

We purchased a couple of smaller hooks yesterday at Home Depot to hang a small step stool and a clothes drying rack,  so by moving our broom hanger to the opposite wall, we now have everything hung to the side and ready to use.

This full view picture shows both our new shelves and the
elfa workbench that we added to the garage last year.

In fact, we actually have room to spare on our shelves!  I know that will not last long, but we are going to enjoy it for as long as we can.  I love the feeling of being organized.

Happy New Year

My title reflects my hopes that this new year will bring peace, contentment, happiness, and good health to us and to those who read this blog.

I have not written since mid-December because we traveled during the holidays and I did not have access to the Internet while we were away.  So I will use this blog for a brief update on our lives.

I never can fully get into the Christmas spirit in Florida because we receive no snow and the weather is always too sunny and warm.  Once we flew home to Green Bay, though, I longed for at least the warmth part of that statement.  We certainly were greeted by a white Christmas once we were in Wisconsin. We had to travel three times while in the North, and thankfully the roads were clear each time that we had to drive any distance, but snowbanks lined those roads no matter where we went.

We spent Christmas Day with Lindsay and her family.  Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a four-year-old child made much of the magic of the season come back to us.  Thanks, Owen, for helping us recapture the anticipation and joy of the season.

A couple of days after Christmas we stopped in Wisconsin Rapids to see my mother, my sister, and my brother-in-law before driving on to Rochester to spend time with Stephanie.  Lindsay and her family joined us the next day.  We had a relaxing, enjoyable three days, although Stephanie's two cats may never be the same!  The only downside to that trip was that the weather -- which was unbearably cold -- seemed to get even worse.  We awoke to negative degree temperatures with wind chills in the -35 degree range.  Temperatures that cold are dangerous and uncomfortable.  The wind actually HURTS a person's face, and taking a deep breath is painful and paralyzing.  Imagine gulping down freezing cold water too quickly.  That's how a deep breath feels. Needless to say, we stayed indoors for most of that visit; thankfully, Stephanie has a large house that easily accommodated company.

While the snow was pretty, the aftermath of that snow is slush and dirt on the roadways.  Everything was filthy and covered with salt.  Sadly, the temperatures were still too cold for us to even wash the salt off the Lexus before we had to leave, so it will sit that way until we return in the Spring.

Before we left for Wisconsin, I had been battling a cold, and it caught up to me in the frigid North.  I was able to get some medication for a sinus infection, although I am not sure how much it has helped.

I also had bumped my knee over two weeks ago.  It swelled up, and I have been watching the swelling (which strangely never bruised) since that time.  Two days ago, back here in Florida, I got out of bed and almost fell over.  A trip to MedExpress and three x-rays later revealed a severe contusion to the left knee.  Add heat, an Ace bandage for compression, and Prednisone to get the swelling down.  I actually was able to take a short walk yesterday, so I took a longer one today.  My knee let me know that it was not entirely happy with that decision.

The cold weather followed us south, so we are spending more time indoors than we really had anticipated.  Last year when we returned to Florida, we spent the evening on the beach.  This year, if we had done so, we would have been met with temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s.  The beach will wait.

We want to get a new warp on the loom and to order out some yarn to try a few other projects.  Stephanie picked out yarns last year that she wanted us to make into a scarf, so that is first on the agenda.  Then I would like to try some tencel, linen, silk, and/or cotton to make a shawl.  I have never woven a shawl before, so that might be a fun challenge.

I still have a small phone-holder project that I started before Christmas to complete, and we are spending the rest of our time reading, planning trips, and just relaxing a bit.  I also have to seriously work on losing the three pounds that I gained while home in Wisconsin over the Christmas season!

When the weather warms, we will think about getting back outside to wash down the fence and to add to our very-bare landscape around the house. That work is therapeutic and certainly will give us more badly-needed exercise.

We hope all those actions will bring us peace, happiness, contentment, and good health in the new year,