This old chick has finally come out of her coop

                March 2012 Me & Sis in Prescott AZ (I made both dresses)

Ok, first let me say 'sorry' for being soooo slow on keeping my Blog going.  Its not that I don't think of writing its just getting to it...lol

We had such a mild winter up here in Massachusetts that my 'kids' got to be out a lot more than they are used to & actually didn't mind the small amounts of snow.  The July babies seemed to think it was fun to run around  while the old girls stayed in the shop clucking about the silly youngin's.  I did have more chest/lung colds this last winter with the chickens...seems I would bring one in the house, get it well & then would have to do it with another...so all winter we had at least one chicken in the bathroom getting steam treatments & vicks on the beak.  thank goodness none died but there was a few times I didn't think they would pull through.

I had a slow easy winter trying to get my shoulder healed so I could use it now that its nicer outside.  So very little heavy work for me......I didn't even get much sewing done this time around since even using the scissors at times got to be too much, but I did work on my knitting loom & am still trying to get the patchwork sweater together......Its been nice in the late evenings to sit & work on it in front of the TV.

Thomas has been a BIG blessing since he came back from his folks in Feb, he took care of the kids for me, cleaned the big coop & had hauled in wood for the woodstove for me.  I think after Afghanistan he needed the break & to spend time with his dad.  They always have a good time together so I am glad we could get him there for a visit.

While it Prescott we got hit with a snow storm of 16 inches in just over 24 hours..lol...Ok I thought the desert didn't get snow like this!!!  but it sure was pretty & since I didn't get much snow at home I enjoyed it.

 I got to go see my little sis in Az in March, she got me tickets to fly in & we had a great time.  Some of you know I am a silversmith & up here people don't care for my jewelry, they want the high end gold or the easy beaded stuff.....Well in AZ especially in Sadona & Prescott the metal smiths are doing a lot of the same ideas I am doing using finished stones with raw stones.  I can't tell you how happy it made me to see I had other artists going in the same direction as I am.  I even got accepted into the Prescott Art Guild so I can show my jewelry & sell it at their gallery.

I made this necklase piece for my little sis, its copper, brass, silver, sea shell & black cultured pearls & was able to make the chain part for it also & brought it with me for her.

Since the last few days have been nice, I have spent a lot of time outside getting things done.  2 days ago I cleaned the backyard where the chickens hang out & get their toys out from under the tarps so they can play on them & raked up the yard for them.  I don't know if they noticed the nice clean yard but they did notice the toys & have been playing on them.  yesterday I took the hedge trimmers & took down a huge mess of wild roses in the side yard, I didn't get to them last year so they were out of control to the point you couldn't walk through them.  While out there found a giant tree limb that had broken from the forest behind us that will need to be cut up.  I have decided to work on my mothers small garden & pond this year as well, it got set aside last year & is a mess...can't even see the small pond cause its full of leaves & who knows what else.  I also raked out the front flower beds & Lauria was out with me to help.  She is my crooked neck hen who has to stay in the house with me so I try to get her out when I can so she can enjoy the sun, grass & take a dirt bath.

Needless to say she was quite dirty by the time I brought her in the house...she found a nice cool dirt area in the daffodils & had the dirt flying.....time to get her in the bathtub!

In about a month I am taking my best friend to Kona Hawaii for 10 days.  It took me 22 years to save the money to do this for her, but while Thomas was in Afghanistan I saved all the money I could so I could do this, as I know since we are getting older, we may never get to do it if I don't do it now.  I got us a hotel room on the beach with a kitchen so we can cook instead of eating out...already checked to see where the open air markets are so we can get fresh veggies & fruit.....I  may get my fishing lic while there so I can fish for her.  I don't eat fish but have no problems catching, cleaning & cooking fish for her.  Neither one of us is big shoppers so we plan to spend every day at one of the cool beaches looking for shells & snorkling.  I also rented a car so we can go to the Helo side & see the volcano's.  I know it will be tons of fun & very relaxing for both of us.

This year its my turn to host the Sister's Reunion so I got the tickets for the girls for the 2nd week in Sept.  Up here its too humid in Aug & Oct you never know what the weather will be like, but Sept is apple picking time & I want the girls to go with me one day to pick & then make big apple pies.  Thank goodness we are close enough in size that if they need sweaters they can wear mine.  Which I am sure since little sis is in AZ & big sis is in Calif they will get chilled.

So it will be a good busy spring & fall for me but to be able to be with the ones I love it will be wonderful.

I am still working on my chicken book, little sis edited it for me & I am going through making all the changes.  The publisher I wanted to use upped the price to over $30 per copy so am going back to self-publishing since I can't see someone paying that kind of price for the book.  I hope to have it completely done within the month so I can take it to a copier & get one done so I can see if I like the way it looks...wish me luck!

Well I think this is long enough so will close for now.

have a wonderful chicken day....M'