Egads! We've almost reached the end of April! Whatever have I been doing? I think the answer is "not much" but I'll have to backtrack and see if there is anything memorable...
Spring vacation started at the end of March and I had two weeks off from crosswalk duty. And yes, I've committed myself to another year though I had at first said that I'd retire in March... I've been a crosswalk guard for 15 years now, I really like my job, it isn't a hardship for me to be up and working early in the morning (and Tetsu doesn't mind much either), and it is nice to have a salary coming in... So, though I've hit 70, the Nikko City Hall still wants me and so I'll be at the crosswalk every morning this school year too.
Actually I did get the time wrong for the last day of school. The school has special ceremonies and I'd ASKED if the morning schedule was the regular time or if the children would arrive later... I was told later... However, I got to the school and the janitor let me know that everyone had already arrived. I was the one who was an hour late! (It's times like these when I think maybe I SHOULD retire!)
We got to visit with Marlene's family and meet her new grand-daughter. Marlene's first grandchild!
April rolled around and I spent my free time taking classes on Skillshare. Sketching in red and blue...
Capturing the rape blossoms along the road.
Along with the rape blossoms, the cherry blossoms bloomed and we really knew that spring had arrived!
There is a bank of cherry blossom trees at the cemetery across the street and that was about the extent of my cherry blossom viewing this year...
I spent a lot of my vacation working on the strawberry quilt from Elizabeth Hartman's pattern Berry Season. When I first saw this quilt I thought immediately that I wanted to make it for our friend who is a strawberry farmer and who always brings us strawberries! I had to buy the background fabric and the backing but the pinks and reds were from my stash. Our friend also raises white strawberries and so I had to include a few of those in this quilt too.
I think the quilt turned out pretty well, but it is very pink... Our strawberry farmer friend is actually Takumi's classmate, male, and I got to thinking he might not really be into pink... but I'm hoping his daughter will be.
And then I thought that it's not fair for the daughter to get a quilt and not the son, soooooo.... I've started making a robot quilt for the son. It is another pattern from Elizabeth Hartman and the same one as for the quilt I made for Taiga-kun (which he still hasn't received) but this time I'm making a smaller version and with a light background. I've still got three robots to go before I can show that...
John and Cleo are hanging in there. John looks pretty shaggy here but he has since gotten a trim and a shampoo... Look at the way he sits with his hind legs out to the side like that!
M-san brought a pattern of a table runner that she likes and so we have started making that together again.
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Tony celebrated his 36th birthday.
Luka-kun has joined a T-ball team.
Taiga-kun likes his cars.
The family went to visit Tony at his hospital.
Does he look happy to see them?
Construction contines on the road and factory behind our house...
But Tetsu is determined to make our sitting area outside a pleasant place, despite the high white wall...
And that brings me up to date!
