The 31st

The rain has stopped (for now). Tomorrow it is April 1, and even though this has been a mild easy March, its still nice to know my least favorite month is wrapping up and that tomorrow its April and therefore so much more closer to real spring...at least knowing we're having a far less chance of any big snow. Some poor peole are flooded with all this rain...and it has been a lot. And today I got a surprise belated birthday gift from my good friend in NC and I was a GREAT surprise.
So this tag is very springy and how I feel right now- so glad its not raining and the warm weather is supposedly on its way in just a day or 2.

Blah, blah, blah

More rain, and checked my checking account and realized I have no cash until I get paid...knew that would happen since I paid a bunch on bills and then there were some expenses last weekend on our college road trip. Plus there have been some other bills...no biggie, but I hate being so low on available cash in my checking account because things keep coming up...like food, etc.
Here's some more of my kiss the cook book: more perkiness for a wet dreary day!

April Showers come a few days early

Since its  a wet , raw and darkish day, you need something warm and cheery, right? Here's the title page to a book I made back around Valentine's Day using Basic Grey paper and stickers and lots of stamps. I called it Kiss the Cook, because although about cooking its suppose to have a love/Valentine's day theme to it.

Here's the opening page spread and then a close up of the BIG tea cup.

Not much else new in the NH woods so far today- besides going to work and getting mostly caught up on that grading that I got behind on. Really am thinking of a nap but am going to up to my studio for a bit instead...better for my brain.

Will show more pictures from my kiss the cook book another day, its suppose to be gray, wet and blah right through Wednesday according to the weather-

though I must say-

I have crocus in bloom and since I actually got to rake early this year I can see them and they are saying around 70 degrees and sunny for the weekend coming up...won't that make it a great Easter weekend?

HOME

I have absolutely NO photos to show you since Dave flew us on home- though it still took all day to get here from Potsdam, NY. What a cute little village and a pretty farming area, though its rural and far far away from here in eastern NH. On the way there we went through the Islands on Lake Champlain and passed along route 11 where we saw some cool things like an Amish horse and buggy and also out joke, a plane on a stick.

We visited Clarkson University which looks like a great school, not sure Katie will pick it since its far away from home, but I think it would be a great school for her. We also visited University of Vermont which she loved (me too). We're going  back to UVM in 3 weeks for another visit so Katie can decide...but we won't go back to Clarkson unless she decides to attend.

Anyhow...another weekend bites the dust...I'm beat...can't believe its time for another work week already.

Off on another Road Trip

This weekend we are on a roadtrip to visit a couple of colleges Katie got accepted into. First we head to Burlington, Vermont and then we got over Lake Champlain and over the Adirondacks into NY. I've been to Burlington but never to that part of northern NY where Potsdam is. It'll be a busy weekend with lots of driving but am interested to go take a look. Only problem is they're saying its going to get COLD for a couple of days we're heading north almost in Canada. Got to pack warm tonight.

This card photographed horribly crooked but I LOVE the background, its by Cornish Heritage Farms. The harlequin is a Paula;s kit club stamp I found at a store last year and then I stamped the fleru de lyse and cut it out. Not sure which stamp I used for the wine label piece...I cut it from something though-it was not a full stamp by itself.

Anyhow, will post when we get back either Sunday night or Monday, meanwhile, Bon Voyage to me.

I'm BAD

Went shopping at my craft store today because I wanted to see what they had for B Line stamps- which they did and bought 4. I shouldn't have gone and spent that cash-especially since they had these Her Majesty stamps and a bought a couple of small ones...naughty me. I'm so out of control. Why did I do that?
Katie got waitlisted at WPI and she was bummed. This was her first choice school, and I understand. So we had grilled cheese sandwhiches in front of the tv and are watching New Moon together.

Here's a cool card front I made recently. I love this woman stamp, its one of those B Line Designs. But I did not buy this one today.

Rainy day

Today has been one WET and DARK day. Very busy at work...come home to demanding child...I hate when you walk through the door and get greeted with "Can you..." A hello would be nice. But anyhow, time to get over that and move on.
So rain, rain, go away...come again another day...time for some sun and some more spring weather though they say it will get cool the end of this week. Will probably feel COLD after the beautiful weather we had last week. Oh well, March is fleeting...as is time...and soon we won't even have to think about a possibility of snow.
Today I am showing you a recent card I made. Love this B Line stamp with the clock background...just to remind the world how little time there is in a day...the edge is crayoned with my pastels, need to fix the right a bit I think, and the white clock is a Judikins stamp I recently bought also.

Signs, signs everywhere there's signs

No special meaning with these signs...it was a month ago we were away, now its spring, grey and wet...more rain tomorrow. I'm tired today...not a long day but one of those days you come home from work, want to munch and sleep and watch tv. And me, right now I'm starting to feel like to need to fight this lazy feeling...I've got to learn to just give into it sometimes.

This week has just begun.

People watching in Barcelona

Just some random people I photographed while in Barcelona.

SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its the first day of spring, and gorgeous outside. Suppose to go downhill just a bit tomorrow (maybe 50 degrees rather than 70). More raking for me today...but am firing up my kiln for the first time...and put my new table up in the studio...which is fantastic!!!!!!! And...look what's blooming in my garden...first crocuses, first flowers of the year.

And in celebration of this landmark day (its always good when winter ends even if we're not out the snow storm season quite yet) a few spring tags...not recently made but still not sure if I've posted them before or not.

And before I forget- big game tonight- Maine vs. BC. Hockey east finals! Go Black Bears!!!!

Not quite spring...yet

Less than 24 hours until spring officially starts but another gorgeous day in the northeast...my first day of gardening...mostly raking out leaves so my crocus can come up and I can see them...but this is  almost a holiday for me as I love to garden. Been waiting all winter for this to come!!!

And when its beautiful, you think of parks. Here's sunset at Park Guell in Barcelona. You can see the Mediterranean out there...so blue...

Cool Gaudi buidling at this park. Gaudi is just fantastic, I must say!

Tile on the outside of a pavillion. The sunset photos are taken from the roof of this pavillion, and you can see people up there!

And here's Dave with the sign into the park.

Not a great photo, but you can see people on the top of the pavillion. This guy-whoever he is-in the cap is an interesting photo...I cropped this photo down to him...something about the beard and the cap... back a couple of weeks is all the tile snaps I took in this park.

Anyhow, Katie heard from Clarkson today she got a big amount on $$$$$$$$. We like that. Next weekend we're off to visit that school and University of Vermont. Then we can see.

Back Home

above:Not a great photo and I need to crop it-but doves in a tree

above:Statue on the west facade

above: more of the west facade's art

Back home after a mini-trip- was a good trip but not for the best reasons, I went to my uncle's funeral today down in Massachusetts, was a beautiful rememberance of him and I got to see my cousins and my other uncle...those were good things, plus I went last night and spent it with my mom, had a really really good visit with her... and the day today was as beautiful and great as yesterday was...still...sad that they are all getting so old...but now I am home and going to get back into the groove of the routine.
Did I mention the snow is just about gone from my backyard? Of course, we've had 2 days in the 60's so the small leftover piles are disappearing!!!!!!!!!YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So my photos today are back at the Sagrada Familia- in memory of my uncle and due to the fact I spent some time in church today, and since this piece of architecture was quite moving to the spirit.

Beautiful

In honor of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow---this handsome guy above...

Spring arrived today...gorgeous out there! Blue skies, almost 60 degrees, I got home and sat outside a bit... started reading a new light fast read book, since I haven't been reading too much lately---seems like I'm so busy I haven't had much studio time or book time...

I've read a Year in Provence also by Peter Mayle which I very much enjoyed...something I can buzz through and smile....

I am also reading this book, it was last weeks book club book and it is very well written but I haven't made it through it...I'm not much into serious literature right now...life is so hectic...more college visits coming up, family things...the funeral for my uncle is Thursday....I need to go to a workshop at the local community college on Friday...my kiln arrived today (saved up for 2 years for this) and I need to set this up and I need to put my new craft table together this weekend too... always something...

And since I am reading a book about Provence, here's a photo not from Provence but from the south of France, some vineyards with the Pyrenees in the background...

Au revoir

RAIN

We have had so much in the last 3 days. If it was snow, it would probably be over my head. Thank goodness it wasn't snow. I will say though, with the clock change yesterday and the adrkness, rain and wind, it was hard to get up this morning.

So today I am going to show you just some assorted photos. A bit of a rain theme, but not a total rain theme.

Here's is some fountains at the Placa de Cataluna in Barcelona on Sunday evening, when it wasn't raining but had rained earlier.

And here's a photo of the tourist hop on hop off bus ithat we took on Sunday since it was suppose to be showery.

This is some ironwork at the Pope's Palace in Avignon. No, it wasn't raining then, but had rained earlier that day.

Look at this storefront in Barcelona. I missed the other side of the store whose window was decked with woman's underwear. Funny.

And who would have thought all the way across the ocean? This is in Barcelona.

And lastly, the Christopher Columbus Momument in Barcelona down by the waterfront. This was just before it poured and we ran through the streets of Barcelona getting DRENCHED!

Today's photos

Are of the Pope's Palace in Avignon, France. We didn't do a tour inside as the day was getting on and it wasn't high on our list, and we had such a great walk around the walled city looking and things, taking photos and eating yummy things like crepes and pastries and chocolate....what a great supper.

The bottom photo is different as we took it the next morning and I had to shoot from the car as we drove around and took things in...we were also trying to hit the road and get back towards Spain as we really wanted to go to the Dali Museum in Figueres and we needs some time to drive there. My one big mistake this vacation was I should have booked a couple more days, and I thought of that when I booked tickets, but I was trying to do cheaper fares which didn't carry on over into the weekend. Now it would have been miserable rainy weather had we stayed  and I must say I did like having 3 days at home before going back to work...and with all our college traveling we've started doing in the next several weeks, it was smart....but man, to have had a couple more days would have let us do soo much more visiting.

Oh well.