Apples and Cherries

  Fall used to be my favorite season, but the older I get, I think that Spring might be inching up on the meter!  My poor little apple tree is trying to bloom....YAY!  But, let me explain....I have never gotten an apple from this tree!  It was left to me when I bought this house...sitting in a 5 gallon bucket.  I planted it the next year, and I have shown it lots of love.  Two years ago, I had one apple that disappeared about the time it should have been ripe.  Last year, I had 3 apples.  Two disappeared....and the third one had a big ole bite taken out of it.
  There is some hope for this year........


  My favorite cherry tree finally gave up the ghost last fall, and left the sour cherry tree as queen bee of the front yard.  It has put on a lovely show this season.  I usually let the birds have the cherries on this tree.  I might have to rethink that this summer if I have time to make some jelly.

  I have three pallet beds that will be my garden this year.  The lettuce is starting to come up, and the spinach is just now starting to show.  I transplanted the broccoli in the end of this unit.  I think they are liking the rich soil.
  I used the hay from my hay bale experiment in the bottom of the pallets.  I filled in with leaf compost and some of Tina's rich goat compost.  Potting soil was added to the top.  So far, so good.
  I'm ready to plant beans and okra after April 15th!
  There's just something about planting seeds.....

  My daughter's wallet-purse has gone on the back burner while I got my taxes ready for the accountant.  I went this morning, and while I did owe some additional $$, it wasn't too bad.
  One of the things I discovered as I was working on her purse is that my inkle bands are NOT long enough for a cross body bag!  Boo!!!!  I think I've worked out a band to weave on the Pup.  But, I also need to warp the inkle to take to the Museum tomorrow...so my to-do list just got longer!
  This box of 8/4 is the thread I pulled for the placemat warp on the Rocker Beater loom at the Museum of Appalachia.  I wanted to do some mats for my Fiesta dishes, and I'm going to do stripes in these 7 colors.  Carl and I brainstormed a way to rough sley the reed so that I don't have to take a raddle with me to the Museum.  I'll get the threads wound, and then I'll see if I can accomplish sleying the reed.  (BTW, I'm using some navy cotton fabric for the weft for these mats.)
  Ah, well.....life is good.  I have plants that are growing, and honest work to keep my hands busy.  It also keeps my mind busy....that's a good thing.

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn