Spring at Last!

When I last posted, I was feeling pretty cheery and confident that spring was here.

Then it was rainy and very cold for two weeks.

But things are looking up now. One fine aspect of the prolonged chill was that the crocuses lasted for weeks, instead of melting in a day or two due to high temps.

 This bee looked quite content on Monday.

 I was concerned that the tulip magnolia, one of my most favorite plants, would be too burned by the cold to bloom. Luckily my concern was unfounded, as shown by these buds today. (Our wonderful weeping cherry is in the background.)

 And, the wait for Interweave's  101 Patchwork Projects + Quilts is over. These water bottle slings are my contribution (page 36), and they've already come in handy for several walks this week. There are lots (well heck, 100) of other great project and gift ideas too. If you make one of these slings I'd love to see a photo!