HAS SPRING SPRUNG?

It is hard to believe it is spring here in Winnipeg. Another day I wasn't able to get to play in the dirt. Today it rained all day (Monday June 8). Yesterday (Sunday June 7) it was cool. Or it has been just downright cold, or windy and then there has been the lack of topsoil available at the complex for about a week when the weather was a bit better.

BUT my tulips sure are looking wonderful. I received the bulbs as a house warming gift last year.



This is the very first tulip that came up which I planted last fall. It opened May 16. All the rest followed soon after.

They were very tall. So tall everyone who has seen them has mentioned their height asking what is in the soil? It is the same place as where my nine foot tomato plant was last summer. Can you see how tall the two stalks are without the pretty flowers?
I have some tulips in the front which look exactly the same as those I planted but I don't remember planting them. There were some bulbs when I moved in but I though I had accidentally taken most of them out. Also, I don't remember there being so many either when I moved in last June.


Here are some I planted in the back.

I have this waiting to get planted when the weather starts to cooperate and I had plans to get some more.

What you see in the above photo to the very left of the plants that are waiting to get planted are these columbine. They are ready to bloom. They were here when I moved in last year. They also look healthier than they did last year.

I still need to find a rhubarb root to plant in a nice space to the left of the columbine.

I have dug up sod in my front yard and will dig up some more to make my veggie garden and am putting that sod in the back where the fence gate is. When they removed the big pine tree last year it left the area muddy with sawed tree bark.
The area behind the gate is getting sod to walk on and the area around it will get plants over a period of time. I did purchase a peony root (PINK) which I plan to plant somewhere on the outside of the gate behind my yard along with some hostas. AND yes that is a new quite large umbrella that fit in the hole in my smallish white plastic table. I also got some netting to go over the umbrella so I can sit inside it and knit without being bitten by mosquitoes.
Here is where I am working on the garden in the front of my yard. I guess every year I will dig up a bit more. This is the start of it. I am not sure what I will do with those rocks I took out of the garden.
Now it looks like this and has been for a while since the weather has been so uncooperative. You can see the area I still plan to dig up. Next year I will dig up more of the length of the front yard for my garden.
Saturday (June 6) I had a Tupperware party and I received these FREE products.

A bag which could have several uses. I could take it to the grocery store with me or I could use it as a knitting bag

I received a smidget, midget, a very small container and two key chains. One key chain I received when I went to my friend's Tupperware Party. She is the reason I had my party, to help her out.
I also received a large bowl but won't get it until my order comes in. What did I order. I used my FREE money to pay for most of the fridge mates set, then took for my half price item the veggie peeler b/c it is great for peeling the rind off the orange for candied orange peel, a wonderful recipe I got from my knitting buddy Anne whose blog is here http://madlyoffinalldirections.blogspot.com/. I also got the mini pickle jar which was $10 with $5.00 going to a charity and I got the two large tumblers with lid and straws which were on special as they were attendance specials.

I mailed my Whoduknit Scavenger Hunt Swap Package on June 2 and is now somewhere in the states. It should be received by the end of the week baring any complications. I am still waiting for my Ravelry Felted Bag Swap Package.

AND today I received another swap package. It was my Whodunkit Scavenger Hunt Package. That made this dreary day better. It was from Barbara.

The package consisted of a scavenger hunt finding things using the the letters in the word MYSTERY using those letters to find the following items:

M = MURDER MYSTERY And it is a book I haven't yet read. YEAH!!

Y = YOUR CHOICE Barbara chose to send me some Cotton Candy scented body lotion, body wash and lip balm.
S = SOMETHING SILLY For this she sent Solara some treats and a toy. What a spoiled feline furchild I have.
T = TASTY TREAT HMMMM Home made granola and some Godiva Chocolate Pearls. YIPEE I have gotten the Godiva Chocolate Pearls for my swap partners but never have gotten myself any.
E = EWE MAKE IT This could be something made for me or something for me to make. Barbara sent something she made me, a potato chip scarf which you can see being modeled in the next two photos by Solara. It is nice to receive one. I have knit several but have always given them away.

Here she is saying Oh Mother not another photo.
R = REGIONAL ITEM This is a tray from where she comes lives. With a BBQ and table outside this will come in handy.
Y = YUMMY YARN Here are two skeins of Boa in a PINK color I received and
three skeins of something called Bird of Paradise another eyelash type yarn.

This swap was a lot of fun. More so since that first scavenger hunt swap I was in never produced package for me.

I should again remind you that SECRET PAL 14 is under way so go and sign up for it. It will run over three months July, August and September. If you are interested go here to sign up http://secretpal.bidwellfamily.net/, log in or create an account and log in, then follow the instructions. The official SP 14 blog is here http://secretpalxiv.blogspot.com/, make sure you read the official rules posted there.

Here is a an easy contest.

June Contest for Knitting Surprise Package
Worldwide June Contest
Leave a comment on the blog to say what you are knitting/stitching and on June the 30th the comments go in a random number generator and a winning number will be picked.
The winner gets a surprise bag full of goodies.

Is anyone interested in winning a sock blocker key chain? Contest ends June 15. If so you can enter to win one by going here http://pattscreationsmadness.blogspot.com/2009/05/sock-blocker-keychain_17.html. Follow the simple rules as I am doing by posting this on your blog and then letting her know you have done so. You can get more entries by doing other things which are listed on her blog.

WOW there is a contest over at The Alpaca Yarn Company ending June 15 here http://alpacayarnco.blogspot.com/2009/05/spring-contest.html. I just received two skeins of this yarn and don't know if I have to time to think of something CREATIVE to knit with it and enter it. AW SHUCKS!!!