Wow is it really April?

While watering my bamboo plants last week I notice lots of bee activity around the holly bushes, I don't think I have seen that many bees in one place since I moved to Florida 20 years ago. What I do find odd is that I don't have much in the garden except weeds this year with the exception of the surviving herbs, lemon and lime trees and the new bamboo. The holly bushes are bursting with berries and lots of new growth to the point I may need to hire a landscaper to cut it back because my arms are too short to reach the top.

I still haven't added any potted plants yet, and with each stroll through the  plant nursies I weaken and want to get my hands in the soil but at this time I have to tell myself its too late to add new plants, you have plans to move around the beds and you didn't have much luck last spring so wait like you planned and put in a container garder for now, especially since you have been ill and need to recover.  

Which brings me to what I have been doing lately, some stitching on the Greenman #2 though not as much as I would have liked.

I have been sorting through craft bins, fabric and yarn stash often wondering when I pull out a particular fabric or yarn, What was I thinking? Does this happen to you? Other times I pulled out a fabric thinking I thought I had used it on a project, and all too often I find something and remember just what I planned to make with it.  And then there is the I just loved the print, color, feel of the fabric or yarn.  

Speaking of yarn, here is the progress on the shawl I am crocheting using a bamboo/silk blend yarn

I usually only work on this at the Thread Therapy stitchery group I go to, the group meets on Thursday and Saturday, I have a better chance making it to Saturdays group though I'm going to try for today's meeting.

April, how did that happen so fast?  Spring is popping up all over here in Florida.

While walking the track yesterday morning I noticed the birds are gathering bits and pieces for nesting so I need put out some yarn and fabric scraps in the back yard, usually the bits are gone in a week.  

Recovering from an illness can be such a tediuos task, wanting to jump in and pick up right where you left off only to find your body is not having any of that, I have never been a take it slow kind of person so it can be frustrating, this time I'm going to do things differently, be patient and take things slow at least I can catch up on my reading.

After doing some research on other quilters who have made a Dear Jane quilt I have decided to follow what many have done which is to begin with the easier blocks first and then move onto the more challenging blocks.  

The block above is K-2 aka Grandpa's Chickens to me its a simply checkerboard design and will most likely be the first block I do. Now I have to decide whether or not to dismantle the book so copying or tracing the patterns will be easier.  I may have it spiral bound or use sheet protectors for each page or maybe just buy the quilt software program and print the pattern so I don't have to disassemble the book.  Decisions, decisions.

Happy April!