Rainy Days

It’s been a beautiful week...until today.  Yesterday it was in the mid 70s and today it is only 42 outside right now at three in the afternoon with rain and wind.  Such a big change!  I harvested the first batch of rhubarb yesterday and gave it to a couple ladies at church.  I took it over and left it in a bag on Nita‘s deck and they picked it up from there. I know I will have a lot more coming from this little patch. It’s quite prolific.

I have been busy sewing this week. Meredith sent me interfacing and I was able to begin putting the dresses together right away, as I already had them cut out. I finished the fourth dress about half an hour ago and they are now in the washing machine. I use the same pattern all of the time because I like it so much.  They are easy and comfortable.  They don’t look like anything special, but I will take a picture for you for my next post.  I’m not sure, but I think my back did a little better. I still had to take frequent breaks away from the sewing machine which is why it took me two days to make these very simple dresses.

I also finished six pairs of mittens since my last post.

Sweet, sweet Meredith sent me the interfacing for my dresses and also in the package were these three gorgeous skeins of buttercream yarn.

I have to find a very special pattern to make with this. Thank you, thank you Meredith. This was so very sweet of you.  I think these colors are fantastic.

Alex sent me some pictures of a walk he took last week near his home in northern Japan. He lives in Towada.  Isn’t this gorgeous?

Cherry Blossoms in bloom.

So pretty.  I had hoped to be visiting him for the cherry blossoms this spring. Obviously that was not to be the case.

This is the art museum in Towada. Alex does a lot of work with them.



Below is a photo Brad’s brother Bill who is an avid bicyclist.  He takes part in Ragbrai every year, which is a bike ride across Iowa. Piper called him last week and told him that she was riding her bike without training wheels now.  So he rode his bike 16 miles from his house to theirs and took her on a 3 mile bike ride and then rode back home. He is such a great uncle to Piper. He has taken her to the College World Series several times. He is definitely what you would call a doting uncle. And just look at Piper’s outfit. From the helmet to the necklace to the bike bag and pink shoes. She is definitely her own girl and couldn’t wait to tell me about the big bike ride.

I hope you’re all hanging in there. I can’t believe that two months have passed by since we all began this strange odyssey that we’re living in.

Blessings and love,

Betsy