More Spring: Plants, Decor, and Cleaning

I've been doing chores today and trying to declutter a bit more. I think I'm winning, but I can never tell until FH comes home, glances around, and says, "wow!" That's how I know things have improved. The fact that he bothers to pay attention to the amount of housework I do in a day makes me feel good too.

For anyone who wondered about the strange posts sticking out behind the hedge in this picture, those are stakes ringed in clothesline that are protecting this little beauty:
We planted this baby redbud tree last fall before the frost set in. I wasn't entirely sure it would survive the bitter cold here given the late planting, but it has! I'm so excited!

As you can see it's barely taller than my hand, but it will grow quite a bit this season I'm sure. I was outside today with utility shears cutting away all the grass to the leaves could get light. I don't want the maintenance men to run over it with a lawn mower or decapitate the poor thing with a weed whacker. Hence the ugly stakes. I'm hoping to get some decorative fencing this weekend to replace the stakes with.

Part of the decluttering project was actually getting some craft projects either finished to a stopping point. I cut the rest of the mattresses from the foam piece and covered as many as I could with felt yesterday. I was able to store them in a zip-top bag that takes up less room than the supplies did.

I also glued the fake flowers in place on this wreath:
It came to me already bedecked in silk blossoms last summer when our maintenance men were cleaning out an abadoned (and thoroughly trashed) unit in the neighborhood. The woman had no concept of cleaning and hse had a bit of a hoarding tendancy. The boys decided they would let me go through all of her abandoned craft supplies to see what was still usable and I could keep what I wanted.

Two more "blank" wreaths came along with it. I have plans for one to become an autumn wreath and have bits and bobs for that. The other... I don't know. Perhaps something with summer time accents. I already have a winter wreath thanks to my MIL. Or perhaps my friend, Holly, will want one for her new house. :-)

Tomorrow I will be there all day helping her tape trim and showing her how to paint walls. They have until the middle of June to leave their rental house, so we're getting the painting done and some other needed work out of the way before the furniture is in the way.

Now to track down FH since it's half passed seven and he's not home yet. If I know him he's gotten into the groove of coding.

Day Trip

Back from the capitol with FH! Had a very nice time. On the way home we stopped at the Russell Stovers outlet in Lincoln. Then we tried a local mom and pop eatery for dinner.

We're trying to decide what to do with the rest of our day. Until then, here are some pictures of pretty things on a lovely spring afternoon. :-)

Happy Spr.... Wait... What?

Remember this guy?He and his buddy are really peeved now.FH is very happy he didn't start his lettuce and parsley yet. Or at least he will be when he wakes up. I think he read all night.

Happy Spring!

Here is the first robin I saw this year. The picture is a tad fuzzy since I had to take it from inside the office. If I had opened the door he would have surely flown away.

I'm off to get some mini-ing done. Didn't feel too well yesterday after the visit to the vampires, I mean nurses who drew blood for tests. ;-)

Spring Fun

FH and I took the bunnies outside yesterday so they could play in the yard. Tempie was having a decent time until a particularly obnoxious neighbor child came over and pestered her. 'Bert was his usual terrified self. I would like to note that he was as relaxed as possible for him until the boy came into the yard.

Hopefully I can take him out this week during the day when the children are all at school. He should have a more enjoyable time then. I am thinking his harness has gotten a wee bit tight around his middle too. So we may be replacing it soon. Too many treats and not enough time to run them off.

A Breath of Spring

It's absolutely beautiful outside today. So fantastic that I've been unable to concentrate on anything but the weather. So here's Tempie in the sunshine being a happy bunny!