What Happened to Spring?!

I'm not sure what happened to Spring. It came out and teased us and now it's disappeared again! Today was SO cold while we were out. We were going to go to Muskegon, see if it was possible to walk out to the lighthouse yet and then go for a hike at Lost Lake in Muskegon state park. We got to the lighthouse and oh my! It was so cold! Below freezing and the wind was just howling! There were some (really) brave fishermen out at the beginning of the walk to the lighthouse, but there was so much ice still on the walk that it was impossible to go any further. It was so cold that hubby decided we should cancel the hike - part of the walk we were going to do was up in the dunes and the wind was just too brutal. We ended up taking  a little walk on the beach and hubby stopped for me to take photos in a couple of places while he kept the van warm! At points it was snowing and doing something that felt like ice pellets on my face lol. We did however get out and get a little exercise.

Yesterday the weather wasn't that good either. Doesn't that always seem to happen on the weekend? We did a little drive but that was it. I Skyped with Mum and was glad that she'd received her GC to W.H.Smith. I was thinking I probably should have told her it was coming so she didn't accidentally through it out thinking it was junk mail. She still sounds croaky but definitely more like herself. She said she was going to middle sister's for Sunday Roast which will be nice for her. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching some Jack Irish (seen them all already lol) and stitching.

It's coming along quite nicely! Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Forecast...Wrong...Again

It was supposed to be all rainy today. I think I was complaining about it yesterday. When I woke up it was very dark and rainy, but by the time I'd actually woken up the skies were clearing and turned blue. I had plans to get things done as I wouldn't be walking in the rain. However the weather turned out just too nice to be stuck indoors so I ended up going for two walks (my legs are paying for it now as they have fallen to sleep before bedtime lol). It was a really glorious day - warm enough to sit on the back porch without my coat!!! I even had the kitchen window open. Phew! I suppose I shall soon have to dig out some tee shirts instead of the jumpers I've been wearing all winter long.

I did get my day jobs done and managed some stitching, but none of the sorting I was planning on getting done. I shall try again tomorrow - when they saw it will be raining. Not sure I'm going to believe them until I see it myself lol.

I can't believe we're almost at the end of another month! April. Yikes.

Midweek

It's been really beautiful the last couple of days but we're set for a change tomorrow - rain, rain and more rain lol. I have been out enjoying the (cold) sunshine. Today while I was out walking the birds were singing in the trees. I think I need to get some sort of bird call CD so I can tell what they all are. At one point I looked up and saw wood ducks up in the trees.

It's Springtime and must be making season. They apparently nest up in the trees. It's definitely a little strange to see. They are so very colourful too. When they are in the water they seem really jumpy and swim away if you go near them. I managed to sneak a little closer to get this photo. They are really up quite high and far from the water. The babies leave the nest for the water after about twenty-four hours of hatching. Quite amazing really.

I have actually got a couple of things sorted this week. Nothing massive, but I'm taking steps forward which is a good thing! The stitching and knitting are coming along quite nicely too. I'll try to post a photo of the stitching tomorrow. I've really been enjoying doing it now that the light is a lot better. I've been re-watching The Brokenwood Mysteries while stitching. I really like the show. It's quite an easy watch. Husband and I were looking for something new to watch this week and came across Secret City an Australian thriller/mystery. It took about an episode and a half to get into, but I really like it. It's quite exciting! Anybody have any shows to recommend? We don't watch a lot of our actual tv (going to give it up pretty soon) but instead Netflix, Britbox and Acorn (got to have some of my English shows to watch lol).

Oh I did manage to get a Mother's Day card out to Mum as well as ordered her a W.H.Smith GC to be sent to her place. I hope it works out okay as I've never ordered from them before. She enjoys reading and usually buys their books when they have their half off special if it catches her eye. It's not Mother's Day here in US until May - I usually send her a card then too I know the clocks go forward in England this weekend too - it will be good to get back on our 'normal' schedule (US clocks went forward a few weeks ago). We have a set time I ring and Skype her and it's all been a little funky the last few weeks!

Hope everyone is having a good week!

After the Weekend...

Well, as I said - good intentions and all that. Not a lot happened last week. I am determined that things will be done this week and am making sure to use my daily journal/diary to write down what I want to get done so I make sure to do some. On the plus side, my Mum is feeling a lot better. It is taking a while for her voice to come back but she certainly sounds more like herself, so I can worry a little less! She had her scan last Friday and will find out results next week so fingers crossed that everything is well.

Temperatures are starting to warm up here, not significantly so, but definitely not as cold as it has been - we're actually making it above freezing in the daytime. I think people are a little ahead of the game though. When I was out food shopping this morning there was a woman out in sandals and summer capris - it was barely above freezing! I think we've all had enough of winter and are just too excited for Spring.

It was sunny over the weekend - finally! We did a walk on Saturday and Sunday as the trails are getting better. There were a few icy/snowy spots and still some snow/ice on the lakeshore, but it is certainly coming to an end.

Some lovely reflections on Sunday's walk. It was so very peaceful too. There weren't many people out - we walked almost the whole trail without seeing a single person. There were several times when we just stood still and listened to the birdsong all around us. Beautiful!

I'm not off to a flying start this morning. I have meal planning to do - I do have today and tomorrow's food sorted, but need to come up with some other ideas for the rest of the week. I am determined to use more of the freezer stuff. I seem to take one step forward and then steps backward!

I got rid of some more books - another auction! This week I am going to sort more and list or donate. I don't think I'll miss them at all. There are still too many I want to read though! I can't seem to read fast enough. I also want to make some more cards. I needed a couple this last week and had some on hand as I didn't feel like making more. I want to make sure I have several different occasion ones in case I need them.

What are everyone's plans for the week?

Almost another week...

Wow, it's almost another week done. I think this one has gone quite quickly! As I said in my last post, I had good intentions at the beginning of the week - including blogging each day - but they didn't quite come to realisation. Isn't that the way?

We had a couple of sunny days at the beginning of the week and then I'm not quite sure what happened! Yesterday there was even some snow - big, fat snowflakes that (I  must admit) made me a little grumpy. I have managed a walk each day, but they haven't been that pleasant, wet and muddy mainly. Sigh. I keep looking for anything growing but no signs yet. The lake where I walk is still mostly frozen over. I think the poor geese are getting more than a little impatient as there isn't a lot of open water for them to swim in or land on.

I am pleased to report that I have picked up both the knitting and stitching this week as well as getting in my craft room and doing a little bit of this and that. I have also managed to get rid of over 40 books in the last couple of weeks! I'm really proud of that one although there are many more to go. That number there just gives you a hint at the amount of books in the house. Sigh. I do have another bag ready to go to the library bookshop for donation when I next go down and some more to list. I watched a couple of the latest Hoarders episodes and I have to say a) I'm so grateful my house doesn't look like that and b) watching the episodes makes me want to clean/declutter more!

Weekend

The weekend brought sun and temperatures that warmed up a little above freezing. That's an improvement. This week they look to climb a little more, so maybe a steady warm-up. I looked for signs of anything growing when I was out walking in the woods this morning, but I think that's just a little too hopeful! I didn't see a thing, but the birds were out in force, singing up a storm despite it being below freezing when I was out.

We went out walking Saturday and Sunday. It was really quite nice - still very icy, but it is slowly melting. On Sunday we went back to the lighthouse we'd gone to last weekend. It was very windy last weekend, but this week Lake Michigan was so very calm. It looked so tranquil. If it had been warmer I would have been tempted just to sit, stare and maybe sigh in wonder.

We managed to climb over the ice mounds out to the furthest lighthouse. There were a couple of dodgy spots where I was telling myself just not to look down. We were out there before things had started to melt, any later and I think it would have been too slippery to go on. There was some crunch to the ice. I'm just not the most balanced person since I messed up my ankle. I think hubby would have moved a lot faster without me. By the time we were back on solid ground my legs were all wobbly. I think it was the adrenaline.

Hubby right by the Fog Signal House. Basically anything in front of him is where the lake is. There was still a lot of ice around. You can see the shore in the background and how far we had to walk!

We managed to climb down the ice onto the side of the concrete structure where some of the ice had melted completely away. There was no way to get a shot around the other side of the building. It was just too icy, hilly and slippery. It was well worth a look.

I talked to my Mum on Saturday. She is actually starting to feel better and sounds a little more like herself. Her voice is still rough, but she isn't coughing like she was.

I start the new week off with good intentions, but I'm not sure where they will get me! Hope everyone had a good weekend and the new week is off to a good start.

Sliding into the Weekend

Yes, it's almost the weekend again. Another week flying by. Yesterday the temperature was lovely - very warm, though rainy most of the day. Today the temperatures dropped and, as I'm writing this, it is snowing! My poor body doesn't know whether to warm up or cool down. It's rained most of the day - until afternoon where it began to change to a mixture of snow and rain and now finally snow. No walk today. I barely managed one yesterday before the rain set in. I am hoping that things will improve so we can at least get out this weekend.

I got some jobs done and actually went up into my craft room. It seems that lately I spend most of my time taking and sorting through photos. Today I was in the mood to go up and sit for a little bit (as long as my tailbone would let me lol).

I did a little colouring and a couple of pages in my photo journal.

The coloured items need to be cut out and then sorted onto cards or other projects. I do have metal dies for the birds. When my tailbone had enough I went down and did some knitting while watching some vlogs on YouTube. I don't turn the telly on until later at night, even then it's usually Netflix or Britbox. There isn't a lot I watch on American tv.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Ancestry

Thank you all for the lovely comments on the photos from yesterday! We had a really good time and I really enjoyed taking the photos. We really have to get out more in the evening, especially when the weather gets better. I think I said that last year, but maybe this year....

Today was lovely and sunny, a little warmer. There is still some snow and the paths are really icy with pushed down layers of snow/ice but there are beginning to be signs of Spring. I saw chipmunks for the first time this season, robins, even blue birds. It was truly lovely out on my walk today. One of the benches was clear of snow and dry so I sat for a few minutes in front of the stream and listened to the chirping birds with all their various songs and I watched as a couple of deer drank from the stream. It was lovely.

The title of this post is ancestry though and I haven't talked about that yet. A little while ago husband's Aunt gave me a free ancestry kit that she had got at her genealogy conference. She is really good at the genealogy stuff - she's traced her ancestors back a really long way. It's a passion of hers. Anyway, she'd already done the test and wondered whether I would be interested. I was. I finally got around to taking the test and posting it. Last night I got back my results. No real surprises lol.

Has anyone got theirs done? Even been tempted?

Beautiful Sunset

We did make it to the lake for a Sunset on Friday. I persuaded hubby with sausage rolls and a salad so he'd drive me there. It was so beautiful and so worth the drive. There were a few people around and one commented what a beautiful sunset it was and unusual. There were some low clouds, but the sun was full and bright. It was truly magical. We hung around long after everyone else had left. There was still quite a bit of ice around, but I think this is the last of it. We are due for a warm up (finally!) this week.

The final one is one I took standing really close to the lighthouse. It was pretty dark and I couldn't move much due to the overwhelming ice! It was a little bit of a challenge to get back in the dark. You can see in the photo how slick the ice looked.

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

That was the Week that was

Another week done and dusted. It's been a horrible week. Snow and cold for the first three days. Dentist appointment on Thursday. I'm glad the week is over! The dentist appointment didn't go as well as I had hoped. It's really discouraging. Sigh. Today dawned bright and sunny and it's supposed to get above freezing so I went out for a walk. It was very pretty out and quite peaceful.

This evening - if the weather holds - hubby and I are eating early and popping over to the lakeshore to see if we can catch a sunset. If the temperatures warm as they are supposed to the ice will all melt and I would like to get at least one sunset with some ice lol. I made sausage rolls early and have some salad to go with them. I've been craving fresh veggies. I can't wait until things do warm up so there are more cold veggies on the menu lol.

Mum wasn't sounding a lot better on Wednesday when I talked to her so I hope she is feeling better tomorrow. I am quite worried. Sigh. She did say she was feeling a little better and was starting to eat.

Hope everyone had a good week! I saw this cartoon on Facebook and thought it was quite funny.

And this one is how I was feeling driving down the road this morning. There are some HUGE potholes!

Cold & Snowy Start to the Week

This has to be winter's last hooray....at least that's what my husband is saying! The snow and cold has returned to cheer in the start of a new week. Sigh. I stayed in yesterday and it looks like I'll be inside today. It is supposed to 'warm' up by the weekend. By warm up I mean about 4c rather than -13c lol. Anything has to be better than this cold.

Anyway...enough moaning about the weather. I did get quite productive yesterday. I sorted through some things and made some big decisions regarding books. I am taking a deep breath and letting some of them go. Sounds silly, but it's quite difficult. I have too many though. I have decided that if I haven't read them and they've been in the house a while, or I won't reread in a reasonable amount of time I will be getting rid of them. I'm sure it will be quite a slow process, but I have decided that I want some of the space back. Besides, I am coming to the conclusion that, even if I did nothing but read for the next few months, I wouldn't get through the ones I have and there are new ones coming out all the time!

I read quite a lot, especially when it's this time of year. I pulled out a few books I want to read this month. There will be more, but these are on my must-leave-the-house lot.

When I took this photo I'd already started one and have since finished it lol. I do have to report that 11 books have been sent to paperbackswap.com members and another 16 have been put in the bag to donate to the library! I have also sold a few rubber stamp sets on a swap site and a few items on Ebay. I am quite pleased with what I have let go of during the last few days. I think that being inside the house makes me rethink what is important and what I would like to see around me.

I also started a new cowl project yesterday. I pulled out some yarn I had and got stuck in. The yarn is quite squishy and soft, but a pain to work with as it is loosely woven and splits easily. Still, it is some I had on hand and will now be put to use!

Happy Pancake Day! I remember when we were children I always loved this day. Mum made us pancakes with lemon and sugar. I always went light on the lemon and heavy on the sugar lol.

Thanks for all the good thoughts for Mum. I've been in regular contact with Sister who says it seems maybe she is on the mend. She was trying to eat yesterday. Sister will be seeing her today and updating me later. It's a worry when I'm so far away. There is no popping in with some goodies or a chat when she's feeling poorly.

I hope everyone has a good Tuesday! What are you up to today?

Saturday

I woke up this morning to gently falling snow and grey skies again. Sigh. I wasn't all that enthused about going out but wanted to go somewhere. Hubby decided we should go to a park a work friend had told him about. It wasn't a really big park, but quite pretty. I can imagine in the summer it would be really pretty. There was an old mill and obviously places that were used for weddings in the summer. As we walked we saw and heard a heron flying overhead as well as a hawk of some kind. I'm hoping if we go back in the Spring there will be some wildlife. I took a few pics, but they are still on my camera.

Mum and I tried to Skype, but it kept kicking us off so I ended up ringing her instead. She still sounds really bad. She says she hasn't been eating either, just sleeping a lot. I did get hold of my sister on Facebook and she said her and my other sister were checking in on Mum and taking her groceries. Sister said if Mum wasn't better by Monday she would be going over to the doctor's office to try to get mum an appointment. Problem is my mum is stubborn - that's where I got my stubbornness from lol. I hope she feels better soon. I told her that, if I was closer, I'd pop over with something to eat.

I had plans for the afternoon but ended up with a headache that made me feel quite sick whenever I moved and made my eyes hurt. Sigh. So I spent the afternoon curled up trying not to move too much. It's still there lingering. Usually the only thing that helps is a good night's sleep.

Today's photo is another squirrel. I seem to be taking a lot of them lately. They are just so darn cute. They may be pests, but their expressions are so funny sometimes.

March

I can't believe another month is over! I can't decide if time is flying by or dragging on. Thanks for all the lovely comments on the last post. I was reminded today that, despite how it seems, spring will return. I wasn't sure if I was going to go for a walk or not. Everything is a little icy (melt, freeze and repeat) and grey and there really isn't a lot to see. Or so I thought. I decided to get out at least for a bit. I took some food down to the ducks and geese at the park. It was there that I heard them - and then saw them! Red-Winged Blackbirds. For me their return signals the beginning of the end of winter.

I couldn't believe how excited I actually got!

I talked with Mum yesterday. She sounded terrible. She has caught a cold or something. She could barely talk. I felt so bad for her. I'm hoping she feels well enough to Skype tomorrow. I suppose it's the up and down of the weather.

I have to do March goals and update February goals. I admit it probably won't look good. I think I've had a bit of a failure last month, but March is a new month and a new time to set some goals. I'll update in an upcoming post.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.