Bare Earth

It's brown, wet, dead and clumped up, but it's bare -- NO SNOW. I am very pleased to see the earth, uncovered, again. Even the smallest of square feet. And it's not dirty white, or some shade of gray.

I've also come to the end of the time when I can just drift. I've done that through the winter. No plans and no deadlines. I just got through each day and made no headway in any venue. Now I can see that while it was refreshing, I can't continue on that path. I finished cutting all the letters of my alphabet stamps. Some twice and three times as I continued to cut them "backward" (meaning I cut them the way they look printed but not backwards). Now they are done. I may recut one or two to make them look more stylish like the others. My z is quite pedestrian and the Q is still backward, but cute.

I have taxes to do: ours and my daughter's. I have a demo to give to my quilt chapter on Thursday and still need class samples and an outline of what to say. I also need to devise an easel and foam board for my work examples in progress.

I did get my Community pieces (both, as the first was "found" soon after the second was photographed) finished and I quite like them. Working alongside these twelve creative artists is good for me. I read their thoughts and have my own and it all feels like being part of something. And since it's just me and the puppy most of the day, I do need to feel part of something.

There are more dogs and owners out when I walk Riley and I am getting to know so many more people (and dogs). Riley is about midpoint in obedience as I see half of the dogs as not as good and half as better than my dog. Brindle has improved a great deal and was doing a lovely sit while his mistress was talking with me. Riley was doing a lovely stand/wait.

I carry a pocketful of bags on my walks and collect every bit of dog waste we find--not only that contributed by my dog. (I won't RANT ON about people who don't clean up after their dogs!) As the snow recedes, the uncollected poop is visible. I also chipped out the frozen deposits in the side yard where Riley has "gone" all winter. I think that's the second or third time this winter that I have done that sort of clean up. Riley is older and larger now and we will have him make deposits farther from the house to keep the deer away. A large dog is the best deer repellent.

What I Am Doing Today: Coffee. Shower. Laundry. Book Club. And I think I will try and find the CPS Studio Edition today at JoAnn's with my coupon. I would also like to find some of that soft, sewable metal that Judy Perez uses on her little painted pieces. And I will be making class samples today. Riley is at day care.

The sun is shining and my car has been washed (shiny) so I am pretty darned happy!