Easter Holiday

I spent the better part of Easter Sunday with my four children working on a house. We split up into 3 separate groups and went to work on our specific areas. Josie was working on her old room, Jessica and my youngest were cleaning out the kitchen and Matt and I were cleaning the outside.

Matt and Jessica

Pictured above is Matt (26) and Jessica (19). The following picture is of Josie (17) and Sasha (the family dog -- 12).

Josie and Sasha

Josie has decided that she doesn't like pictures, what can I say. Meanwhile, Sasha doesn't mind being in the middle of any and every thing. Sasha kind of adopted us several years ago. She's a Rat Terrier mix and has an ability to get loose when she feels she has not gotten to scratch and sniff enough.

It's really good to have my kids all working together towards the same goal, getting our house cleared out. I would like it to be ready about a month of so from now. 

I also had my girls look through some of my bins of fabric and tell me what they liked so I could bring it home, wash it and then find a pattern close to their ideas. Now that I've got more time I'd like to sew some clothes for both my girls. Then, I'd like to embroidery some things for my boys (and my girls).

I will miss my house in Spring Valley, but, at 2800 sq. ft., it's too large for me to care for by myself. Also, Steve works in Oneida, which is only 4 miles from our new house and his parents are just 6 blocks or so down the street. I like not having to worry about him making a long drive home when the weather is bad.

The other thing I can't wait to do is lift my irises and move some of them to my new house. The yellow ones came with the house and the purple ones are older bearded irises. I started with 6 of them many years ago. The have a wonderful smell and always lift my spirits to see them bloom.

After that, I have several different types of hostas to lift at another property and bring the "babies" to my new house and start adding some landscaping besides the ugly bushes. I want to plant deep purple Pansies and oak-leaf Dusty Millers. I've got several Dusty Miller at my SV house that are going on their third year. I think being near the Illinois River makes the difference, making the winter weather more mild.

I'm sure these hostas will be ready to lift and divide this year, also. I have at least a dozen different hostas. I also have some beautiful Ostrich ferns at one of my houses. Then I plan to plant some Morning Glory, Hollyhocks, Purple Coneflowers, Bachelor's Button and Sunflowers. If I get energetic, I will get the first of several raised beds and get some tomatoes and cucumbers planted, but I'm not going to rush. If I don't get one built this year, next year will be just fine.

And, a picture of my Purple Coneflowers to end this post. These are so beautiful.

Laura