Spring, Snow, Spring, which one is it?

Happy Friday everyone!  

Look who has come to visit Chloe!  Paul and Lori's little baby, Mattie is here.  Oh my goodness there was a great wagging of tails and touching of noses when she arrived this morning.  Her bed is right next to Chloe's and they are happily napping right now.  Paul and Lori are heading to the Mariner's spring training for the next week.  They are avid sports fans, especially with the Mariners and Seahawks.  I know these two girls will have a great time for the next week.  They are inseparable when we're at the lake.

Some signs of spring in our backyard I photographed this morning.  Little rhubarb shoots.  I think those tiny curled up leaves are so cute.

But we have fresh snow on Mt. Spokane.  Photo taken from our back deck.

My rose bush has a few new leaves on it too.  More rain/snow mix is predicted for early next week.  But since it's the middle of March, it won't last.  Today Mandy has her A/C on in D.C.  It's crazy!  We started out with the blue sky you see above, but clouds came to visit an hour or so ago.

Have I ever shown you my knitting fairy?  Mandy gave her to me several years ago and she hangs on our patio door.  She's made by a woman in the Portland, OR area.  The verse says,

"In the rhythm of knitting needles, there is music for the soul."  How appropriate for me. Do you see the knitting needles in her hands?

This is the front.

She's just as beautiful on the back.  On the patio door you can see both sides.

The mitten bag is three rows deep now and beginning the fourth row.  I have great hopes that I'll have them all done by fall and before the first cold weather.

I found the pattern for this blanket on a u-tube video.  You can get it on Ravelry, but I can't remember the name of it.  Written instructions aren't very good and the video is over an hour long, but I like the way it looks three dimensional.  Once you figure out that you work on the WRONG side of the blanket every other row, it was very easy.  I must admit, I only made one pair of mittens in the past three days because I was working on this blanket.  It's about 40 inches square.  It will go to the local Veterans home as a lapghan for the veterans in wheelchairs.  I want to get a few more blankets made soon to donate.  I washed and dried this today and it's so soft.

***edited to add- the name of the blanket is Squared Diamonds Granny Throw

Not much new has happened since my last post.  Alex bought his ticket to come home for three weeks and he bought a house in northern Japan this week too.  I think he will only be at the University in Tokyo for a few more months and then will be self-employed with his translation business.  He's been doing that part time for several years and now he believes it has grown enough to go out on his own.  I wish he had bought a house here in Spokane!  I guess this clinches it.  He's moved to Japan for good.  Sad Mama and Dad.

I'm having more good days than bad days this week.  Yippee!  That's a good thing.  Maybe the new medication is kicking in.  Dennis is doing great, although he's been working 12 hour days all week and is exhausted.  I think he's too old for that but he doesn't want to hear it.  :-). He says he doesn't feel 60...more like 40.  I say good for him, I think I picked those years up this winter.  :-)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I'm sure enjoying reading all of the blog posts out there.  The overall feeling is happiness and optimism with spring on the horizon, and showing her face more every day for a lot of us.

"I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope." Psalm 130:5

Blessings always,

Betsy