Done with classes for the quarter

This photo is to symbolize my joy at being done with classes for the quarter. That means I can move on to working on some other things for awhile before I hit the books again. I'm happy and my sewing machine is happy!

First even planned is to spend some time with my husband in his boat fishing, then get back to organizing and straightening my sewing studio, combined with some much needed Sewing Therapy. That sewing therapy is going to seem like long anticipated relaxation. It'll be sewing retreat in my studio for the next several days! Yeah!

My hubby finished the deck and steps in the back - Yeah! The building inspector came today and it passed. Hubby planted some tomato plants in the garden and will put in some cucumbers tomorrow. My peonies have started blooming, the prairie roses took a beating in the thunderstorm that swept through here a few days ago. Life goes on, now I feel the relief of being able to enjoy it a bit better with no class requirements to stay up-to-date in.

I'm looking forward to working on my own website this summer. I've got to stay fresh and up to speed and continue to memorize the tags and other info while I wait for classes to start again in the fall. That will be another project to keep me busy.

Done with four

I just finished submitting material for four of my six classes. Last day is Friday the 20th so I've got three more days to finish work on my HTML and Dreamweaver CS3 classes. I'm hopeful I'll be able to finish up with all my assignments. Don't know if that's too optimistic since I am a bit behind and need to do some catch-up on assignments for both those classes. I'm definitely going to give it a try. I checked and there were only a couple submissions of websites so far out of all the students in both classes so it doesn't look like I'm the only one being a slowpoke to get things posted.

Right now I'm extremely tired from another late night writing papers. I got to bed this morning around 6:00am so feel like I'm really dragging right now. I may head off to bed for a couple hours sleep before I jump into this next round of marathon class work on my websites.

I've got to get some "in progress" pics of the deck and steps. There's been a lot of cutting and pounding wood since Pat got home from work today. I think I need to check it out.

Yep, the deck is coming along wonderfully! Pat is doing such a great job! He worked on putting up some of the pickets (pickets? is that just for fences? what is the name for those slats on a deck?) today and staining them. Just a few more pickets/slats to go.

While I was outside with the camera Ginger decided it was time to play ball for awhile. She's so good at hanging onto that ball it hurts my arm. She just loves a good tug-of-war. We played so much her tongue started to turn blue.

Guess it's time to bring her to PetCo and pick out another ball. This one seems to be disintegrating on us. It's been well used (and left out in the rain and snow)!

That sounds like a plan for later this weekend. We'll go ball shopping.

The little dogs had fun watching -- and trying to stay out of Ginger's way. Talk about a danger of being mowed over! Poor little Sparky, for a moment of panic there he thought he was a goner. Then he saw his moment to skedaddle out of the way. What a look of panic, though. I wish I would have got that on film!

Go ahead and stick your tongue out at me, Sparky. I still say it's not time to go in till I say it's time to go in.

Here's another one just waiting to get back indoors. I think we've certainly got two pampered HOUSEdogs on our hands. You'd think the backyard was the wilds of a new frontier the way these two coddled pups act. Com'n guys, let's stay outside! It was nice out today!

Prairie Rose Buds

I've been blessed with a natural growing Prairie Rose Bush in our backyard. My husband and I have had debates on the merit of having this bush, especially in it's current location. At one point he tried to convince me we should get rid of it because it sends it's prickly branches across the walking path along the side of the lodge. I consented to allowing him to move it over a few feet from its original position. That bush is a sturdy thing. He only managed to transplant a second bush by digging it up by the roots in his attempt at relocating it. Obviously he didn't get all the original roots removed. Now it is two-three times the original size as it is more spread out than before. He just works on keeping a portion of it cut back now.

Yeah! I love that Prairie Rose. It is ideal for our state and our climate. It's such a hardy plant and has such pretty, delicate pink flowers.

We have had rain for awhile now and cool weather. The photo was taken yesterday after the rain; notice all the raindrops on the leaves. This year it sent forth many more buds than in previous years. I'm excited to see them all and hope to have a wonderful summer with Prairie Rose flowers making a great show.

I've been absent from posting very often because we are getting down to the wire with coming to the end of the semester with my on-line classes. It has taken up so much of my time I just haven't had the time or energy to post often. As it is I've already been up all night working on papers and such. I'm about to head off to bed for some sleep before I get up to continue with class assignments later this evening. Everything is over and done and needs to be posted for class by next Friday.

I cannot wait till next Saturday!! ;)

Homework and Walking

It seems that my life has pretty much boiled down to doing homework for my on-line classes, or walking the dogs. The homework has become a frantic rush to get projects done in time. I honestly feel I am NOT devoting the time I need to toward each subject, but it is near impossible to spend as much time as I want on any one subject when I have six classes. I have two and a half weeks left. Yeah! I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to being done with these. I only pray I don't make a total blunder and forget to turn in something only to find my grade drops dramatically. Right now the report shows good scores, but I am near panic mode wondering how in the world I am going to get all these assignments in these last two weeks. The last assignments are major papers and posting two full websites with lots of functionality. Aagh! My adrenaline is running high nearly all the time and I know that cannot be good.

Thus, I have been trying to schedule a long walk at least once a day to keep sane. I find it is a relaxing time to get away from stress, and noise, the last few days. It has been a welcome break from it all. And I know the dogs really love it.

Today I took them out the front door around to the back to check the progress on the back steps. I was carrying the leashes in my hand. Those dogs could hardly contain themselves with excitement for going out on a walk. I had contemplated leaving the little ones home so Ginger and I could make an extra long trek at a faster pace and still use the same amount of time. Sugar, bless her heart, was raring to go and was trying to beat Ginger out of the yard. She usually likes to lag behind a bit and was the reason I was thinking of leaving the chihuahuas at home. I'm glad I didn't, she kept up nicely and was excited the whole time.

The neighbor kids were outside playing so we walked back home on that side of the street. I wanted to try to socialize the little ones around people more. The kids wanted to take turns walking them up and down the street. All in all it worked out pretty well. The dogs were pretty well behaved and went along with being lead by kids for the most part. When I finally took back the leashes and asked them if they were ready to go all three of them lined up in their usual formations (they seem to like their own preferred positions) and looked to me to signal "let's go". And we were off. I was so proud of them for behaving well with the kids!