Spring

Sometimes when things just don't seem to be going well, I look at the yard and see bits and pieces of spring in all it's glory and promises of things to come and it gives me such a sense of peace.

Yellow Iris transplanted this year

back yard lilies and climatis

azaleas in front yarx

climatss climbing on  yard shed

antique rose bush, mums in waiting, yellow lilies
that have escaped being transplanted

Forest Purple Pansy RoseBud Tree

east back yard

anemones in late March

Washing Woes

The last two weeks were a total disaster around here as far as anything productive going on.  Both Aud and I had a stomach virus of some sort and to top off the first week both the washer and the dryer decided it was time to quit.  Called the repairman and ended up replacing the dryer and fixing the washer.

Things are never being simple at this place, This happened on a Thursday, and the part needed for the washing machine had to be ordered and would not arrive until Monday.  Got up out of my sick bed and went to alliance store we deal with to buy a new dryer and of course it also had to be ordered and it would be Tuesday before it would get in and could be installed.

Last Monday, the washer was duly fixed and ready to go.  On Tuesday morning the dryer was delivered and hooked up.  It is a gas dryer and I needed it moved over a little bit from where they hooked it up, they moved it and off they went.

I washed some sheets, put them in the dryer and it took them two hours to dry.  Something is wrong here.  I call the appliance store, and they tell me it will be Wednesday before they come out.  Well, we got that straighter out in about 5 minutes and they showed up about an hour later.  The technicians had turned off the gas to move the dryer over and forgot to turn it back on.  Unreal, right?

I wash 4 loads of clothes and dry them and then I wash a small quilt that I use as a table topper on my table, and I cannot get it to spin dry!  Finally end up wringing it out by hand and getting it dry in the dryer.

Of course I call the washer repairman the next morning and my regular person isn't available so they send me someone else. The washer is acting like it did before I had it repaired so I assumed it was a bad part.  After a lengthy discussion with first repairman via telephone and owner of said repair company we finally decided that what was happening was the washer was compensating for an unbalanced load and was never able to spin properly.  The part replaced was a water value of some sort and since our water was now so soft it was able to spray more water since the pipes weren't clogged up. Now to compensate for a  small load of a heavy object I have to add a couple of towels to make the silly thing spin correctly.

This washer is a Whirlpool Duet which is a front loader, and the way it works it balances the load ever little bit so it won't fly off into the next room.  Picture that.  The new dryer is also a Whirlpool Duet with steam.  I have been informed that it has had problems, but Ms Aud was insistent that is what she wanted, and as the song goes, "What Lola wants, Lola gets".  :}

I see repair bills down the road, but the dryer is a beauty.

Market Baskets

Not making much headway on my baskets.  Life has sure been busy the past couple of weeks.  However I finally decided what I was going to do about the basket handles.

A little construction

I made "couture" handles for the largest baskets.  Think I will keep those and get the appliqué done and put them together before I tackle the next size.

And a little deconstruction.

Decided I could not stand that color basket handle on all of the smallest baskets, so off with their heads!

Now to decide what colors to make them.

Check out Judy's  to see what is going on in other places.

Market Baskets

Last year Sharie and I decided to do this quilt.  I had cut out all of the handles and backgrounds and made a few of the small baskets.  

When I finally got back to it this year, I decided that the basket handles are too dark so I am changing them.  Now I have all of the baskets made and "all" I have to do is cut out the handles, appliqué them onto the backgrounds and I will be finished.  lol.


To see what other people are up to this week, go here.  Thank you Judy for hosting this.