And we're back!

Hello! The sun came out and we ran outside. RAN! After months of crazy snow and winter sicks and grey grey days, we blinked in the bright sun and spring was here! YeeHaw! Park days! Boat days! Picnic days!

The news...let's see, we put some snow peas in the ground (they worked out well last year,) the sage and parsley came back (BONUS!) and I have been drawing up little garden plans to get things just right...I think that it's going to be a mostly herb year for me. Maybe some hangy tomatoes too. My dog really loves to play with them, so I need to get them up off the ground. Last year, she ate (well, just played with until they went flat) every tomato we grew. Seriously. So, this year, maybe one plant for the dog-ball tree and three for us to eat.

I have been sewing up a storm. I made little one's spring dress, from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. The Flower Girl Dress. Gotta say, I love this book. The pattern was easy to follow, easy to alter, and a blast to sew. I made a short version as well for a little play shirt for little one -- cut up some cotton kids curtains to make it -- why are you humming songs from The Sound of Music? Maria Von Trapp had it dead on. If my little one wants to climb trees and totally demolish this little shirt, well, that's what summer is for, right? Second time around fabric is wonderful -- and very very soft, too. And did you know that cotton baby leggings make great summer jammie shorts for thin 4 year olds? I cut the bottom off of a gazillion pairs of baby jammies and gave the new short edge a little lettuce ruffle. Cute! From the cut off part of the pants, I cut a shape and appliqued it onto light cotton camis. TaDa! Matching jammie sets for the almost 5 year old!

More sewing stuff...Jade over at Craft Hope has set up another project. This one is sewing bean bags for the Liberia Orphan Education Project. Alphabet bags, shape bags, number bags -- I am making mine out of felt and stuffing them with aquarium gravel. They are so fast and easy to make. If you are crafty, or know someone who is crafty, please stop by Jade's site. You will be so happy you did! PS, you can pre-order her Craft Hope book now on Amazon!

In other news...In January, I got my very first Moosewood cookbook. Wow! It was so far out of my comfort zone. I couldn't pronounce half the food in there, let alone imagine how it would taste. So, in the spirit of trying something new every month, I have been cooking out of this cookbook since January. Not one miss. Every recipe so far -- even the ones that I was sure would taste like a foot -- has been great. Beyond great. My daughter, with very strong opinions about food, has been loving kale. Kale? Yep. This is really fun figuring out great new (to us) foods. Bonus (I am calling it the Moosewood Effect): had to buy new jeans. 2 sizes smaller! That was really fun.

Hope all is going well with you, too. How has your spring been? What's growing in your garden?