The End of One Season, The Beginning of Another

We all know that Spring has arrived, even if your weather doesn't show it. And of course, in Hawaii it doesn't make much difference, and down under fall is beginning. But the change in season also often brings about a change in activities. Some of my blog friends have talked about spring cleaning. I've never been into that, in the house at least. I just sort of clean as I go, and occasionally tackle a bigger chore. But outside is a different matter. Outside, in the yard, spring cleaning happens as soon as weather permits, and before spring actually arrives. Tom has been working in the yard off and on since January. Now I am ready to join him. For the last three months I have spent hours on sewing projects. Sunday I finished my last scheduled one. As I listened to college basketball and the conclusion of the health care reform struggle, I completed my last embroidery. This can be tedious because even though the machine does the work, I have to be right there to intervene if a thread breaks or something goes wrong, and to change out the thread when the color changes. But as I sit there I think about my grand kids, about what they'll be doing when they wear these clothes, how they'll look, hoping they'll think of me a bit when they wear them, as I think of them while making them. Because they are 1500 miles away, making things for them helps me feel closer to them. And so, for Isaac, who is now an experienced air traveler, loves our Museum of Flight, and gets to watch the Blue Angels and other planes at the Seattle Seafair Air Show every summer, I used airplanes. Here a F-14 Tomcat adorns a hoody Isaac will wear at the beach when he comes in June and August.

I bought plain tee shirts at JoAnn's. Isaac gets a Red Baron air show, and Irene gets flowers and bees. I mentioned earlier that I was trying a "lettuce" edge on Irene's shirt, to girlie it up. Click to enlarge the pic to see what that looks like.

Irene likes "pretty", so her beachwear hoody is embellished with flowers and a butterfly.

And of course, she is the rainbow girl! She'll need this long sleeved shirt when she visits the cool northwest this June.

I couldn't resist these colorful crabs, which they can wear at the beach or the island, and back in land locked Fort Morgan, CO.

And so I've cleared off my work space and put my sewing machine away for now. I may get it out again but I have no more scheduled projects, because now it's gardening time. You will find me outside as much as I can be there. I'll be weeding or planting or grooming or sitting on my patio, or inside wanting to be outside when it rains, or going to plant sales or nurseries or visiting other gardens.

Oh, or watching soccer! Major League Soccer begins this Thursday with a match in Seattle, our Sounders against Philadelphia. We will be there, with our tifo - our Rave Green, our scarves, our flags- sharing with our son one of his passions. We have season tickets.