Story A Day

I planted a whole bunch of native perennials last fall, in hopes of having a nice garden in our front yard this summer.  I am so excited to report that many of the plants are growing!  I got a little nervous planting them late in the season, but everything I read said it was okay.  I can’t wait to see what it looks like in a month or two!  No photos yet, but I’ll get some up soon. 

Step by step the basement is nearing completion.  We hired a contractor to install the suspended ceiling, and he finished today.  Check it out!  No more wires, copper pipes and cobwebs (at least not that I can see!).  Love it!  Now we just have to finish the doors and trim.  Woohoo!

I made the mistake of allowing myself to nap on the couch late in the evening yesterday.  As a result, I laid awake in bed until 1:30 am last night – ick!  So, tonight I am off to bed earlier!!

We haven’t had much trouble with ants since we got our exterior walls re-insulated last fall, but I did notice a couple today!  We used to have an annual influx every spring.  I recall blogging with some photos a couple years ago on that topic So far (knock on wood), the appearance of ants has been limited to a few stragglers entering through a tiny gap where the bathtub meets the wall.  The great news is that the cinnamon worked again!  In case you didn’t catch that entry a couple years ago – ants hate cinnamon.  I have not idea why, but I discovered it when googling a few years back.  Sure enough, when I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon in the gap, they scattered frantically, and haven’t been back since.  Love it.

I’m not done yet, but I’m getting close!  Today I had my last day of grad school classes.  Now, all that remains is a field experience that I plan to complete in the coming school year.  This means that I’m on track to graduate with my M.Ed in Youth Development Leadership in Spring of 2010!  It’s a relief to know that I won’t have to spend evenings in class anymore!  Woohoo!

Tim and I ventured to Belwin Conservancy today for their spring open house, a time when members are invited to come hike the trails.  Belwin is the host organization for the outdoor program that I used to work at.  The land is private, so it is only open by invitation on days like today.  The temperature was perfect for hiking, and we ventured through a good chunk of the trails, exploring the pond, marsh, pine forest, prairie, and climbing two lookout towers.  It was a great time!  I was especially excited to find the marsh marigolds in full bloom!  One of the things I do miss about my job out there is noticing all of the little seasonal changes, so today was a nice time to enjoy things like the chorus frogs, turtles, budding trees, emerging lily pads, and much more!  Here are a couple photos from the day…

They traveled all the way from Alaska to Minnesota (via plane this direction, but they’ll be driving back!).  They’re due to have a baby in three weeks!  My friends Heather and Dylan left their jobs as teachers a bit early this year to come to MN for the summer to have their little one, and spend some time with family and friends.  I was lucky to be able to spend some time with them, as well as our friend Kate, this evening!  Woo-hoo!!  We shared a scrumptious meal and lots of good conversation.  Here are some pics of us with the soon-to-be momma The next time I see her she’ll probably be holding that little one in her arms!

It felt odd to walk outdoors today and feel a WARM breeze!  My plants are growing, and the grass is getting greener!  I know that the temps will certainly drop again, and frankly, I would enjoy a bit more of spring before summer arrives but Tim and I did thoroughly enjoy our balmy walk around the lake today!

I haven’t done a lot of reading, other than grad school assignments, in the past few years.  However, this year I am in a book group at work that incorporates books representing a variety of cultures and life experiences.  I recently finished reading the book “The Namesake,” which I have also heard is a movie.  It was really good!  I highly recommend it.

Today we attended the baptism of our nephew, and now godson, Isaac.  Tim and I were honored to be asked to be his godparents, a first for us!  It was great to spend time with everyone!