Three Cheers for Daughter Elise!!!

Our 15-year-old daughter has been on a winning roll!

In the past three weeks, she has had artwork accepted into the FMCC Regional High School Art Show.

She won the 4-H Regional Horse Bowl Senior Title, which advanced her to the state competition at Cornell University last weekend. There, she placed an individual third, which moves her onto the national championship competition in November at the Kentucky Horse Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

And, tonight, she attends an opening art reception for the FMCC College Art Show. She had two pieces selected, both of which she created in this semester's Human Figure Drawing class. (You'll have to see those in person!)

She's wearing me out! And it's a good feeling.

One Large Canvas

For the past two weeks, my art project has been the stripping and refinishing of our outside porch floor. I am happy to say that this project is now done!

Tomorrow, the removable screen walls get put in place, the hammock gets stretched between the poles, the cats' huge pillow finds its special spot in the sun, and summer officially begins (until we get that little blast of winter snow as a reminder that summer isn't really here -- yet!).

Now, life will be really good if the wi-fi reaches to the outside world.

Tomorrow's project? More raking before the black flies arrive. Living in the middle of a sugar bush has its pluses and minuses!

Going, Going, Gone ...

Dear Blog,

I confess.

It's been four weeks since my last post.

Life can be challenging at times! We've been bitten by the gastro bug in this house.

Today, I am saying farewell ...

to the last of the snow.

This is what remains in my front yard. Although it tried to snow last night, the temps for later this week will melt the last white of winter. Thank goodness.

And, I say hello ...

to the spring flowers that are emerging among the fallen leaves from last autumn.









Spring is here. Summer is coming. The beach opens in 31 days. Brrrrr!

On Sunday, I drove around Piseco Lake. Three hearty souls sat on beach chairs on the beach in their summer skimpies. The thermometer on my car registered a whopping 54 degrees. Braver souls than I!

If the weatherman is right for this weekend, I may even pull some shorts out of the storage boxes, and a rake too! It's time to toss the remains of 2008 into the woods and welcome spring-shine with whoops and hollers! Let me know if you hear me!