Rain and then rain again and again.

Must be the rainy days of April. A huge down pour that lasted last night...all morning.  Lightening and thunder and then it did it all again.  We are to get more tomorrow.
We're swamped but I did take a walk around the yard and it looks like the hostas...and more grew about three inches from yesterday.  It's a full patch of stuff.  My maple seedling count is up to over 300.  This year the maple trees have very few seeds.  I think they got hit by a frost.  Have had trouble with a raccoon...This one climbed a shepherd's crook to a bird seed suet.  Ate it all.  Then I moved the feeder to a pole hanging from the tree branch...Well,  the critter jumped from the patio chair to the feeder hanging on and eating until the critter fell off the feeder landing in the middle of a hosta.  I don't think the hosta will recover easily.  So now I'm trying another place further from the patio.  Tonight a trip to Panera for goodies for church tomorrow.  I've got to do some work on next Sunday's worship service as well as an afternoon of Worship and Arts.  Giving a speech about friend Doris who was a wonderful mentor in the Arts pertaining to worship and needle work.  I'll work on that tomorrow afternoon.

This weather...perfect, perfect, perfect.

Yes..it's perfect...did I say that again?  Yup!  Still working outside.  More edging done...worked in the old garden where I killed a ton of milkweed a few weeks ago.  So sad...It's Round-UPS fault.  There was so much grass in that garden space and I thought I was early for the milkweed.  Guess I wasn't.  But...some plants are coming back but not enough to fill the space...so...I planted flower seed and I'll be getting a few veg. to fill in.  Today I pulled at least 100 maple trees planted by the wind last year.  Grr.  More to go and I'll get them all eventually.  Herbs..must have planted to early.  Woo...they don't look to hot but May 1 sale at the Blind School is coming.  Yahoo.  I planted 10 pots of Red Sage Danshen.  The seeds are so small I needed to use a tweezers to plant them. Could not find the plant anywhere so I'm getting plants the long way.  Might take 20 days to germinate.  I'll need to winter them over in the garage...They will bloom next year.    Zinnia and lettuce are up.  The ground is so warm but I'm taking a chance on frost.  .  Cleaned out the garage yesterday.  Woo...it's looking good now or maybe just better.  One car gives us so much good space.  Filled a huge blue garbage bin this morning with ivy that was beginning to climb the house.  Now it's all a foot away from the foundation and that should stay that way for a while.  No ivy on my house.

A different week for sure.

This was a digging in the dirt week.  My favorite.  And I've dug...replanted...watered...fertilized...and then did it all over again. And every night I creamed my hands...I hate garden gloves.  The weather has been cool for perfect  digging, dividing and then moving plants to other empty spots.  All the herb plants are planted...need a few more.  Dill was transplanted and a marker made for that spot, Sweet Annie was pulled out.  I'm looking for the 4 o'clocks to appear.  We watched a Monarch.  Woo...don't see them  until Aug.  There is a huge plant sale at the Indiana School for the Blind May 1st.  Kids do the planting and the variety is awesome and the prices are wonderful. I bought cotton plants there two years ago.  Lettuce and parsley have been sewn.  Pots have been filled with free flowers given to me by friend Lydia who works at Sullivan's in the plant department.  Her boss said they were on the way down but I found them to be perfect!  Three flats of Proven Winners.  How lucky can I get!

Another friend Kelley gave me a whole tree of dead Curly Willow last year which now has been made into a trellis for Morning Glories.  That was a fun project that has been in my head for some time.  I hope raccoons don't attempt to climb it.   The branches are stacked and intertwined together  around a plant shepherd's hook and then tied together with fishing line.  I love tall things in the garden that gives the garden an interesting form.  Last night was really cool.  And the plants are all looking happy this morning.  I usually make a round early morning with my coffee cup to determine what will happen in the garden for the day.  Zinnia seeds went in last week.  The ground is warm!  Today...a little edging of another bed and I'll work on more seed planting  Doug hates my ditch edging.  Says he falls in the ditches!!!!!

Grandsons came yesterday.  Noah has been sick with the flu...yup...diagnosed by the doc on Tues.  So...he was a bit under the weather but perked up in the afternoon wanting to DIG. Temp finally left.  Well, I gave him the little trowel.   Big shovel was out.  He is my gardener for sure!  We hunt fishing worms and rolly pollies. Two weeks ago he dug a huge hole which I just could not fill in while he was gone.  He wanted to enlarge it yesterday but that request was denied.  Needed to get better.  Maybe next week although the hole will soon be in the yard and not in the flowerbed.  We'll need to talk.   It's been a very good week of dirting...Yes...a new word.

More news!

The story ended with Palm Sunday...Now for the rest of the story.

Yes...Kat and the boys came to help with putting away Palm Sunday and preparing the sanctuary for Good Friday.  That meant...draping everything in black...Everything!!!!  Busy morning.  Tuesday was a day to get the chapel ready for Holy Thursday Service.  Another church day.  Wed. Long rehearsal for Good Friday service.  Another church day.  Thurs...B and Bowl Soup Kitchen and evening service. Another church day.  Friday...evening service.  Another C. D. Sat...pack away the black and make Easter happen visually.  What a day that was. Another C. D.  Decorated everywhere with banners, processional crosses, flowers on the altar and more. The decorating crew was smaller this year but we got it all done!!!  Then...it was EASTER.  Wonderful exciting service with all the bells and whistles pulled out to celebrate the risen Lord. Doug and I put together coffee and pastries for the choir between services.   Woo...then on to the Jordan household for a wonderful lunch with their huge family.  Entertainment to the max.  Wonderful way to just "let it all go"loving every minute of the time with the Jordan's.  And after that...on to Kat and Eric's for another good family time together for supper.
That was the week that was.
Yesterday I gardened...birds singing...digging in the dirt...pulling weeds...trip to the hardware for fertilizer...potting soil...on to Rosie's garden shop for a few herbs.  There was a trip to church to put away some Easter things...and order and pick up 60 lb of margarine for soup kitchen.

With all the "going on of last week another big choir commitment that has been ask of us singers...I've decided to take a break from choir until fall.  Two important Sunday jobs are on the books that will keep me more than busy.  May 7th will be Arts in Worship Sunday that I have asked for so my job is to work with the minister on that and then Pentecost is June 4th where visuals are needed.  A break from choir will be good.  It's been a 50 year commitment.  Yup...Doug's commitment is at least 60 years.

So now you know the rest of the story.  Today...Tues...Garden work.  Yahoo.  Best place to be.  I heard a wren yesterday and the woodpeckers kept us busy while eating supper on the patio.
And I'll be working on the May 7th church service with lots of phone calls.

Wonderful, Wonderful

We had a wonderful time in Michigan with the JB Family.  Great kids...great sheep...great pottery making and just sitting around talking.  Rained quite a bit but who cared...NOT me.  Got home Wed. afternoon.  Thurs. B and B and got the church ready for Palm Sun.  Friday and Sat...great time at the annual huge herb meeting.  Today...Palm Sunday and church was good.  Great music and scripture reading with a visual.  8 readings of the last week of Jesus life.  This afternoon just taking it easy.  Did a tad of weed pulling.  Not much.  Bought some interesting plants at the herb sale.  To early to plant but happy to have them in pots in the garage.  Warm today in the low 70's.  Tomorrow afternoon rain again.  Tomorrow it's the y and then off to church with Kat and the kids help putting away Palm Sunday and getting ready for Good Fri evening service.  Great to have help.

Work.

It was a work week and happy to say that I'm feeling in a good place.  Decorating decisions made and almost all is completed for Palm/Passion Sunday and Easter.  Woo...I knew it would come together.  Met with Pastor Darren and got the word on what I need to do for Palm Passion Sunday regarding asking folks to participate.  A total of 14...7 for each service...so Phone calls made and 13 are ready to go.  Waiting on a phone call...who knows...it's spring break for schools and folks may be in Florida.  Well, not panic time yet.  All of the completed work will help to put a smile on my face when attending Noah's 8th birthday celebration tomorrow.  It's a sleeping bag for their summer Michigan vacation.  Andrew will have one waiting in the car when the party nears completion.  Early birthday for him.  Monday we'll be on our way to see the Michigan grand kids along with their baby sheep.  Fun, fun.  And by the way...we'll see JB and Kimmy as well.  Got to include them. We'll be back in Carmel Wed. evening.  Then B and B...set up for Palm Passion Sunday...Fri.  Andrew/Noah and then an afternoon of work at the huge Sat. Herb Society all day meeting.  Woo...then Palm/Passion Sunday...Monday  a sit down day...Tues.  Ultrasoundon my thyroid...no problem...just a see thing.  And then Wed. it's getting ready for Holy Thurs. Good Fri.  and Sat. decorating and SUNDAY...Easter.  Monday...another sit down day.  Wo...Hope I remember to be at the right place at the right time.