Everything is blooming in Portland. The daffodils are actually on their way out, and the tulips are just beginning to show their bright colors. The flowering quince in our backyard is full of bright pink petals, and the neighborhood is awash in the soft snow of cherry blossoms.
Wow. I’m really sorry for anyone from the Midwest or Canada who just had to read that. In the PNW, Spring seems to come extra early. I was just saying to Rob the other day how I always thought I hated Spring. Slushy dirty snow, gray skies and mud was all I ever seemed to see in Indiana. Out here though, we’ve had plenty of sunshine and warmth, which I tease my mother with by texting her photos of flowers. It’s a wonder she doesn’t just block my number.
I’ve been laid low for the past two weeks with a pretty terrible cold. Thankfully, it finally let up a bit last week, so I could get back to teaching. The daily nap habit I started will be hard to break. Dax watches me carefully if I come downstairs around 2:00pm, eyeing the couch, hopeful for a cuddle session.
Speaking of Dax, did I tell you he had a third knee surgery? This time it was on his other leg. He snapped a delicate ligament while running like a maniac after a ball at the park. He is now part robot.
He’s healing really well and the vet said he should be back to normal in a few weeks. I’m glad, because the very short daily walks are doing nothing for his “must tell everyone what to do all the times” mentality. Usually he gets an hour of exercise a day. We’ve worked our way up to 20 minutes, but GOOD HEAVENS. He needs his treadmill back!
Duncan’s also doing well, but I think he’s addicted to Cat TV. For fun one day, I pulled a video of birds up on my computer when he was sitting on my desk. He watched them intently, and even tried to bite them. Now he often sits directly in my way when I’m working, until I pull up a video for him to watch for about 10 minutes.
I’m creating monsters over here.
In between naps and vet appointments, I have been drawing a bit more and collecting ideas for things I’d like to make. I shared this on Instagram a while ago, but I haven’t picked up the fabric for the blocks yet. I have the plane colors planned out, but I can’t quite decide on a background color.
Of course, the baby who this is intended for has already been born, but I don’t think his mom and dad will mind. I’m hoping to turn the block into an downloadable file for you to print off and use for yourself. I’ll share more about the block and its inspiration with you later, when I finish the quilt.
I didn’t get as much reading done when I was sick as I had hoped. Mostly I just slept, but I am making my way thru this hefty stack. I finished The Luminaries last night, and next I’m starting The Goldfinch. I’ve read half of Salt Sugar Fat and I now I have a nice big list of things I’ll never eat again. I’ll spare you the details and tell you to read it. Shocking!
I am starting back up on my Hexagon Illusions quilt, and I have a perfect gingham set aside for another Archer. Plus I have to… ehh…. finish Rob’s Christmas shirt? Whoops!
What are you working on or reading right now?
