The summer line up ....

I know that summer is just around the corner when I see this view. Our neighbors own and run several stands (lemonade, smoothies, fried dough, pretzels...), and in early spring they bring all the stands out of storage and start prepping them for the upcoming season. This is not only the beginning of their season but of flea market, yard sale, picnicking and fun season. Yeah!
Our sprouts are doing great. This is where they start getting leggy on me, but I'm hoping for better luck this year. As usual there is no way that there is room in the garden for all the seeds that we started. I anticipated a high casualty rate among my sprouts, and so far we haven't lost any. After listening to a gardening show on NPR I'm going to try Celebrity tomatoes this year. Our season is so short that Big Boys, Early Girls and Beefsteak haven't worked out. Brandywine is very productive and it tastes pretty good, but it doesn't have that strong flavor that I'm looking for. Okay, now that I've bored you with tomato talk...
The great weather has pulled me out into the garden, so I haven't been doing much sewing lately. I have started embroidering again though. I want to add some embroidery to my designs, and since I haven't done it in 25 years a little practice was needed. I'm not very good, but it's so much fun.

With the onset of gardening season and the new addiction to sewing & embroidery my poor family hasn't had a descent meal in ages. Last weekend I popped into the kitchen and cooked a Thai curry on Monday, and a stir fry with black bean and chili sauce on Tuesday. They were both tasty but a bit on the hot side. Eric took one bite of the stir fry and said, "Are you trying to kill me woman?!"... He did go back for seconds though, and he hasn't nagged me to cook ever since :)

We are slowly migrating from mud season to spring. Our seeds are sprouting and so is the itch to start gardening. This weekend will be spent doing yardwork (if the weather cooperates). This past weekend was sunny but cold. It was the first time in years that we didn't have to hide the Easter eggs in the snow. We had a great day with Eric's parents and my Mom. Zakary got a new motorized John Deere from Grandma & Grandpa Smith. He only drives it when he has a reason (no joyriding for Mr. Serious). When it's time to come in he drives it around the yard and loads all of his toys into the back. Needless to say there are no more arguments over cleaning up the yard.
The kids have Spring Break this upcoming week, and Corie is going to New York City with her dad. He is going to take her to the Empire State Building and possibly the Statue of Libery. If she is really lucky he will bring her to Chinatown. IBM is having a bring your kids to work day which will be Zakary's big event... I know it's sort of lame, but I think he's going to love the room full of vending machines. Zakary has priorities and junk food is one of them.

We went to Corie's school a few weeks ago to watch the puberty movie. I went to school in the south, so I had never actually seen one of these movies. The other mothers and I thought it was cute, but one look at the girls horrified faces told us that they viewed it differently. When we left the nurse gave all the girls a little gift bag that contained deodorant, panty liners, and mini pads. I asked her if she wanted to show Eric what she got, but she declined. We did have one break through. After our millionth argument over the lump of snarled hair that has taken up permanent residence on the back of her head, Corie has agreed to get her hair cut.

Last thing... here is a picture of my current (purse) project... marvel at the cuteness.

And here is a picture of my current husband being all... stop taking my picture.