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Yesterday it rained like it meant it. Not only were the drops of some seriousness, but it was cold. A good reminder that it is sill early spring here ... anything can happen. Aside from my usual postal endeavors ( of which I am quite slow these days ...) I am planning a major overhaul of the backyard. The flowering trees are nice, but the grass that is shaded by them grows pitifully, if at all. I'm going to rip out squares of lawn, flip them over, cover them with newspaper and allow them to compost into good planting soil. I'll cover some of the ground with stone blocks, to create a walking surface, some ground I'll leave for planting, and some I'll cover with either rainbow rock or simple river rock. I'll try to sketch out my plan and post it here before I begin. We've got a small backyard, but one that is full of potential.

The front yard is looking good already. The roses are looking healthy, the birch tree is greening up with leaves and the rhodies are just about to bloom. I think the lawn is at its healthiest ever. The weeds seem minimal, and the mossy parts are showing signs of improvement too. I've got some work to do on the flower beds, but I'm proud of it looking so good in early spring.

The soccer season is more than half over, and I just completed only my SECOND full game. We played to a one-one tie, but I got my first goal ! It's all worth it now ;) My body is adjusting to this new exercise, and I have recovered nicely from a pulled quad muscle I suffered early on. Amazing how you really DO get to an age where your body defies your mind. I am nimble and quick in my mind ... on the field it's not always the case. I'm definitely inspired to get in better condition. I think that playing on an over-30 team as opposed to an over-40 one is good incentive. I'm not really in bad shape at all compared to my teammates.

I just got some sample packaging, etc from Art-O-Mat. I am going to try to come up with some art that I can produce FIFTY pieces of, and submit it to them for consideration. Wish me luck. Now that I've seen some of the offerings, I'm inspired to try to "do what I do" on a small wooden block surface as opposed to paper. Should be a fun project. I'd absolutely LOVE to do it.

I'm otherwise engaged with work, Nat & Blake, our family events and my volunteering. This may be my last year at Highland Center as I look for some volunteer opportunity in my own community. I know that there are kids with special needs everywhere, so I'd like to consider my local area for my next endeavor. I'll miss the kids I've been watching grow up at Highland Center, but it just feels like it may be time to move on.

And speaking of moving on ... time to get out and enjoy a reprieve from yesterdays rain !