ABCs

ABC's "getting to know you". I was tagged by Nancy.

A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: Jenn
C-Cake or Pie: Yes, please
D-Day: hmmm... I have had such a wacky non-schedule that it's difficult to know which day it is
E- Essential Item: sunscreen
F- Favorite Color: green
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: No, thanks
H-Home town: Cleveland Heights
I- Indulgences: Chocolate, coffee
J- January or July?: That's like asking "skiing or backpacking?"
K-Kids: No
L-Life is incomplete without: skiing and backpacking
M- Marriage Date: 12/18/04
N- Number of Siblings: One older sister + one younger brother
O- Oranges or Apples: Apples
P- Phobias or Fears: Being upside-down while underwater
Q- Quote: "If you don't like it, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." - Maya Angelou
R- Reason To Smile: a good joke
S- Season: I love seeing one season turn into another
T- Tag Three: If you're thinking, "hey, I'd like to fill in my own answers and share", then you're tagged
U- Unknown fact about me: I've never broken a bone in my body or needed stitches due to injury
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: I oppress more vegetables than animals.
W- Worst Habit: I bite my nails worse than anyone.
Y-Your favorite food: I have so many favorites: rare beef, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, nuts, chocolate, anything spicy, curry...
Z: Zodiac Sign: Aries

Name that hike

March's hike was at Red Rock Canyon just west of Las Vegas, NV. Nobody guessed it. Only one side of the canyon is made of red rock, the other side (where we hiked) was more yellow. But it's also a great rock-climbing site. And it was incredibly crowded on the weekend afternoon that we went there.

I really don't hike as often as I thought I did. And this blog is proving it. In April, here's the closest thing I did to a hike... it was really more of a walk. I'm certain that SOMEONE will be able to name this walk!This photo is also proof that I should not even bother to carry a camera. This is the only photo I took the whole day. The only thing I hate more than stopping what I'm doing to take a photo, is asking other people to stop what they're doing to be in a photo.

Zoo Run

I have never been to the Albuquerque Zoo, yet I dutifully Run for the Zoo year after year. This year, I did the 10k in 66 minutes. Then we had a delicious breakfast at Cecilia's on Silver, which I never knew existed even though it is a mere block from Flying Star. Then my running partner went back out to do the 1-mile Fun Run with her kids and husband. For my part, I haven't run since that day... even though I now have a new goal => to run the Chips & Salsa 10k in under an hour. I have a few months to get ready for that as it's in September.

Almost finished projects

I finished this felted triangle purse a while back. It's pretty exciting for my first attempt at felting. It's rather lopsided looking, so I still need to try to straighten it out.

A few days ago, I finished this sock (I took the picture before I knew how to graft the toe). It seems to fit my foot, but it's not very useful until I make its mate. I have about an inch done on the cuff of the second sock. Making the sock was kind of like reading a good book. I couldn't put it down because I kept wondering what would happen next. At first, I couldn't wait to start the heel, and then I had to finish each part of the heel to see if it would really look like a heel. I was almost sad when I finished the heel and only had the foot and toe left to do. This was a basic sock pattern and I also used this Socks 101 to help figure out the new stitches. And of course I got plenty of help from my Stitch n Bitch group. Now it seems like the whole group is knitting socks.

April Showers and May Flowers

In April we had a new tub, shower and tile installed in the bathroom. And in honor of the start of May, I took lots of photos of flowers inside and out. But I can't say that April showers brought the May flowers since we had all of one rainy day this April. And none in March, seriously, check the links and scroll down to the precipitation chart.

Anyway, I'm making up for a lack of photos in the last few weeks and playing around with the settings on the new camera. So here's the new shower and bath. The walls still need to be repainted to hide the re-plastering.


I love how flowers brighten up the house! These indoor flowers were given to me in April. The Lily of the Valley was a birthday gift and the bouquet was a hostess gift. These photos were just taken yesterday, so they still look great after weeks.

























And... outside everything is starting to bloom (despite the lack of rain).

Pomegranates budding

The roses are trying...

Zinnias

Cherries budding

Cosmos

Ahhh... the HUGE iris flower

They are a bit roughed up by the wind.

Pansies