March

March is almost over, and I haven't posted a thing all month.  I really don't have an excuse except for spring is here.  We've been working outside quite a bit.  I spent a lot of time cleaning out flower beds and this past weekend we stained our deck.  Wayne had spent about a week painting the railings.  It takes awhile to paint all of those spindles.  I also spent a few days decorating for Easter.  We'll have  our family for Easter this year, and I'm really looking forward to that.  This is my first spring to really get into yard work and getting ready for Easter, since I was incapacitated last year and that was my first year not working.

I have been working more than I thought I would be.  Last week was spring break so it was nice being off.  This week I worked yesterday for a friend in the academic center and I'll work tomorrow evening, my regular Wednesday evening shift.  I'm also substitute teaching for a three hour class tomorrow and a two hour class on Thursday.  There is an ESL conference this week so the full-time teachers will be out of town and a couple asked me to sub.  I like doing that, but I'm trying to catch up on reading so I can discuss the readings with the classes.  I've read both of the books they are using. Water for Elephants and the Short Life of Henrietta Lacks, but it's been awhile so I'm trying to refresh my memory.

A good friend of ours died last Friday, Dave Deem.  Wayne went to high school with Dave and his wife, Mimi, and we have been friends over the years.  I babysat for their two oldest kids before they started school.  Dave's had Parkinson's for about ten years and this winter it got really bad and his heart was also affected.  I made dinner and brought it over to Mimi on Sunday, and we'll go to the wake on Thursday and the funeral on Friday.  I was just saying to Wayne last week that people of our generation are dying now, not just those of our parents' generation.  An old friend of mine who I went to school with at Meramec and stayed in touch with died the beginning of February, and a guy who tutored for me at Meramec for years died last week.  I thought he was in his forties, but the obituary said he was born in 1956.  There was a group of guys who tutored in the imaging lab and they all hung out together; one was nicer than the other.

I wish I could say I have been sewing a lot, but I haven't.  I have been smocking dresses for the two little girls for Easter. I bought ready-to-smock dresses from the Martha Pullen Company last year, and all I have to do is smock them and hem Stephanie's.  Julia's is a bubble.  A couple of weeks ago Stephanie called and asked me to get her some red shoes.  I found some on Amazon and had them shipped to their house, and John said when she opened them she said, "Here are my beautiful red shoes that my grandma made for me."  I guess I'm a shoemaker now, too, lol.  They'll be here next week for Easter.  I can hardly wait to see them.  Kate and the kids will not be here, since it is John's year to have them for Easter.