Finally!

  

     At last something to write about. I don't imagine you really wanted to read about how I did the laundry, mopped the floors and made the bed. Not that I did any of that, but I am sure you wouldn't want to read about it even if I had.

   It was Birthday month in this house and it has been topsy turvy to say the least. Not all of it good, some of it down right soul wrenching, I am going to ignore that part of this past month and focus on the fun and love we got to enjoy.

So many things happening at once I am not sure where to begin.

  The play I wrote is going to be on stage in May and getting ready for that has kept me busy as well as intrigued. There is so much that goes into producing a play. So many things I didn't know or even think of. Scheduling blocking rewriting and so much more I have not even learned yet. At this point we are ready to do the auditions and put a cast together. We've set the stage so to speak and now we are ready to start bringing everything to life. Fingers crossed that it all comes out as good as what I imagine.

  Joann's as you know has closed leaving me again jobless. I was jobless before they closed but at least I now know why. It wasn't me, it was the lack of a job actually going to be there. I have decided this season, no more excuses, no more saying I will and then I don't. no more flea markets, this year I am going on the crafting circuit. It cost more and the safety net of having a hodge podge of dollar stuff to sell will not be there. The competition is stiff and often less than nice. I need way more stock than I have right now, but I am hopeful and completely optimistic this will all work out just the way I want it to. I have been good about spending time in my sewing room and working towards my goal, but as always once I have plan, I want to drag my feet, find a dozen other things that need doing other than work on my plan. I am doing my best to avoid this bad habit this time.

   I finished the latest baby quilt for the growing family we are a part of, and thanks to a wonderful women with a local quilting store,

Block Party Quilts

 the quilt will be ready for the shower. That may not seem like much but it is big to me because I have been late with almost every quilt I made this year. 

  Birthday parties, even when they weren't meant to be happened more than once this month. We had the dance and that is always a party. Then Bill and I enjoyed our trip to the refuge and that great dinner. 

   Another dance with the party being even more fun than the first. This time it was for Bill and we danced our hearts out. 

The next day was karaoke and singing happy birthday too Bill in front of everyone happened. I never sing in public and I did it without thinking, all by myself without music. I won't say I was great, I also wasn't terrible. Bill Loved it. 

   On Bills Birthday we got in the car and headed out for nowhere special. I drove, Bill directed. We grabbed some so so lunch from a pizza joint and sat next to a river having lunch and enjoying a rare 50 degree February day together.

  Don't ask me where we were because I can't tell you. I have names of the places we were, but I haven't the faintest idea where that is. I simply went straight, left, right and reverse when I was told and asked no questions. Absolutely the best decision I made. 

 After lunch Bill said go left, I did and I drove into something I had never seen before. Mounds and mounds and mounds of shells, oyster shells,

  and even more sea gulls. If you left there without a photo of seagulls it is because you didn't have a camera.

   Camera or not I promise you weren't leaving without a gift or two upon your car. 

   As it is mid winter you would expect little or no life to be happening but it was clear from the steam clouds and the rumble of the shells that the oyster plant was hard at work. The boats coming in to the ramp also said work and life were still happening on the ocean even in the dead of winter.

  The closed stores and restaurants as well as things stored and protected from the weather may say closed for the winter, 

  but a closer look shows that is just not true. 

   On the way to our lunch spot I noticed a house, old and no longer lived in. It is aging beautifully if you ask me, the neglect, decay, show plainly but so did the beauty, the beauty that once was and the stunning grace she stands with now. I marked every road and turn we made so I could get back to that house with my camera. If I saw all that as I was just quickly passing by, I could only imagine how much more there was to see and take in if you were able to stop and look. 

    I am so happy we made our way back to the house, because I was right, absolutely stunning even in the middle of decaying.

  After finding the house, I was satisfied happy and a little tired, so it was time to head for home. At least thats what we thought. Cruising down the road not in any real hurry we see a nature center on the river. We were tired, but not that tired and it only took a second for Bill to U turn and take us right back to that park. The road to the parking area told us we had just found what we had been hoping for when we started out that morning. 

  We studied the map at the entrance and picked our trail. The blue trail, because it was the shortest of all the trails and we felt we, BowD included could handle it.

  We came across a few dogs on the trails and only once did Bill need to actually pick up and hold our little warrior. Always a nice little surprise for us when BowD shows signs of mellowing. 

  From the very start of the trail there was so much to see, from stumps that looked like art, to trees that looked like snakes slithering down the hill to the water,

  I loved the snarled gnarled roots at the rivers edge, they made me think of creatures about to march away.

  At a certain point the blue trail is closed from now until July. We back tracked and found the detour, and continued on. Bill and I will always be thankful to the random hiker that hollered over to us " Is this your first time on the trail?" We answered yes and because of him we avoided a very rugged and challenging trail ( that I will return to try another time) 

and found our way to the river on a more friendly path.     When we found the original blue trail closed and with the dates it was going to be closed posted, I suspected an eagles nest is being protected, and people protected from the eagles. It wasn't until I got home and was looking at my photos that I really believed I may be right.

  I focused on a tree while on the rivers edge because it was the tallest tree along the river, and there in that tree is the nest, or what I believe is the nest. A very happy find for me. 

  Once we walked back from the river to the car, we were totally ready to go home and relax. We were tired but happy. It had been a great day.

   Before we actually got on the road that day, Bill had one more gift for me. Yes it was his birthday but he can't help but love me like that. Bill took me to our local chocolate store, where they make their chocolate in store, and where I was able to talk to the chocolatier and find out why I was having so much trouble with my pours and the candy seizing up when I try to flavor it. He was so helpful, so friendly, and actually made me feel excited to try again, confident I could expect better results. I was excited enough I almost suggested going back home so I could try all his suggestions. When Bill bought me a pound of real Milk Chocolate for melting I really did wanna turn around and go home, but I contained myself,( just barely ) until we got back from our day trip. Since then pretzels, fruit, and chips have been dipped, lollipops and simple chocolate candies have been made every day.

   My pour is so much better, the results have been exactly what I have had in my mind and been hoping for. I still have a long way to go for perfection, but I am going to get there. I don't have to tell you the taste is awesome you already know that. It is real Milk Chocolate after all, so it has to be good. I have never met a milk chocolate I didn't like. A big shout out to BC Chocolates for helping to put me on the road to success, and for making some kickin chocolates too,

BCCHOCOLATES

 you know we didn't leave there without chocolates for eating as well right ?

   This weekend was the end of February and our final birthday celebration. A group of us went out to dinner and celebrated all the February and March birthdays. 4 birthdays all together and 6 of us for dinner and cake afterwards.

   Life is always so much better with good friends, lots of laughter, and cake.

 . Sorry I don't have a whats for dinner. That would require cooking of some sort and like dusting, there just wasn't time. 

         See you Next time!