Oh no worries, I'm not "at loose ends" but rather wrapping up many of them.   I sat in my office (at home) today and thought how things have so changed in the past year.  This time last year I was stressed beyond levels that I had been in many many years.   I remember my dear friend and mentor, Kathryn, telling me about a year ago how 2014 was going to be full of cosmic shifts.  Boy oh boy she wasn't kidding and how amazingly enlightened she is!

I was so surprised by a Nia sister just a week ago (haven't seen her in about 9 months) telling me how the new job must be agreeing with me as I was absolutely glowing!  Bless her heart and I am finally starting to feel that truth after 10 months in my new position at work.   Is it all I had thought it would be - well not really as our group was "re-orged" back into the IT side of the corporation in November and it has been a bit weird.   Still I can say I am enjoying the atmosphere and my team.   I am also totally blessed to be able to work from home 2 days a week and although that creates its own challenges (only being in town 3 days a week instead of 5) every day I sit in my office at home and can pet the dogs when they come in and talk with the parrot and watch the wild birds outside my window - it it amazing!

So back to loose ends....the lack of work stress has been awesome for motivating me (and having the energy) to just tackle some of those little itty bitty nagging projects around the house that I couldn't get done before!   This week was no exception as I finished the Bat Cave (you saw that last post) and the leash holder I was making on the scroll saw.  In my office I actually found time to get some of the nagging filing done that was stashed in my hanging files and piling up on my desk causing clutter.   I also pulled out just the patterns I want to work on sawing and put the rest of the books and patterns away.   See I'm still working on that "serial multi-tasking" problem I have.  Finish one before starting another.  

While working in the office I looked up and found that I still had a pile of fabric squares on the shelf that were leftover from the window coverings I quilted for the trailer.   I didn't want to pitch them so I decided to try making some flags.  I've seen this type of item in many crafting blogs/magazines and always thought they were cute.  To make them even more personal I pulled out all of the flat dog show ribbons I had kept (cleaned out and pitched many of them a couple years ago) - not the ones with rosettes but flat.  Here is the results (some hand sewing also kept my hands out of the kitchen and food).

I was thinking I would put them in the trailer but not sure now that they are done.  There are 3 small sets so that they can be more easily hung up.  I've never been able to come up with a clever way to show off some of my ribbons so this is kinda fun!   I actually found some of the very first ever dog show ribbons I ever won - 15 years ago!

I also found, on that same shelf, my Chinese Crested shelf sitter that rode in the motorhome for years and then had fallen and broken her rear leg.   Today I tied up that loose end and glued her leg back on and found her a new permanent home on the edge of the plant stand.

Okay so I didn't fix the paint job but at least she isn't sporting the file clip splint she's had on for over 2 years!

This week I also made my first trip back to one of my favorite places to shop - Helena Hardwoods.   I needed to restock some of my scroll saw wood pile and they often have specialty woods in their "bone pile" that work for scrollers.   I also needed another sheet of baltic birch which I use for ornaments.   I came home with some marvelous woods and for those of you that are quilters - this place is to me as a fabric store is for you all!  :-)   I see sanding and using this new bad boy in the near future.....

Thanks to my Mom this is my birthday present.   It arrived today, is beyond heavy and I will have to use it in the carport till the chip hood comes but if we have nice weather - I may try to get out there and see what it will do.   I've never had a planer before but much of the hardwood bones are thicker than I want to scroll saw with so I think this will expand those horizons.   We shall see!​   I found 3 amazing exotic wood boards I want to plane  down and use!

Also managed to tie up one nagging loose end this week and hooked up the trailer to see how the truck would do hauling it up the pass.  See our MacDonald Pass just west of town has a nice steep grade to test out on (8% at one point) and is a good test.   It went marvelous - in fact way better than I had hoped (and stressed about because I can, if given the time, imagine every stupid thing that could go wrong).   The truck held a pretty steady 45 mph and the temperature gauge didn't budge.   Only had one thing in the trailer that didn't stay in place (now fixed) and nothing alarming in handling either.   YAY!!  Boy now I am ready to go!   Even managed to back the trailer back into its spot in one try!   Half an hour hook up time but I think that will shrink as I have practice and routine.  So here's my phone picture as proof!  LOL  See how nice and level it all is too.  Very happy! Expecting crappy weather this weekend and am still covering up flowers in the garden.  This is one of the ones I'm desperately trying to save as it always seems to get frozen and I've not yet seen it bloom!

However the tiger lilies and day lilies are still holding on through the freezing, thawing, snowing, sleeting.   In fact my crazy tiger lilies are popping up EVERYwhere!

During one of our walks at the office this week we saw the first blooming tulips and daffodils up in the mansion district.   My daffies are a ways from blooming but they do have buds - wheeeeee!

Freezing weather isn't keeping things from drying out though.  We've not any measurable moisture and lots of wind so when I saw this spiffy new sprinkler at the Ace Hardware I had to get it.   My Mom and I have been rigging up a sprinkler to sit up on the fence and water the back slope.  I'm hoping this one works out - so far so good.  The white plug can be removed so it can be rigged to put on a vertical post rather than the fence rail.

My weekly brag is that the baby tomato plant is still alive and actually growing.  I sure hope I can keep it going till Mom arrives with her green thumb.  see I've always said I don't have a "brown thumb" - it is so bad it is black when it comes to growing things.  It seems pretty happy in the kitchen window at least so far!

Everyone have a great weekend.  I'm only hoping for enough good weather to get a long walk in with the dogs past that I'm working in the garage and the trailer I think!   Happy spring all!