Spring continues to play hide and seek with us.  Ottawa has now recorded lowest temperatures on record for a few of the days this week and snowflakes keep dancing outside my windows (but not landing thankfully). Now they say Saturday will be normal for here. It seems a little like a carrot on a stick so I am not, as the saying goes- preparing my joys.
We continue to spend our days in a certain amount of busyness. The two of us are basically happy hermits who for the most part, find enough to do in our near surroundings without pining for much else.  Hubby is still enjoying cutting dead wood and clearing new trails all the while lamenting he can't work like he could when he was 40 (which is half his present age).  But I know he likes to get out in the fresh air, put to use those tools he's bought over the years and also ride about on his fun four wheeler. It also totally justifies the nap he likes to take when he comes in.

I've been happily checking out garden centers that offer curb side pickup.  Every year I buy a new flowering bush for the front garden. I keep looking for a Bridal Wreath spirea which is next on my list. This is what I'm dreaming of.
 NOT MY shrub:  a photo from Nature Hills Nursery
                  
I finally got a photo of the duck on the pond and that morning there were two of them. Mallards both. My fingers were cold so it was hard to adjust the camera and I was crouched in the little place I've made as a sort of blind.  I will have to get more comfortable like find an old stool if I'm going to hang out there for any length of time. I just can't seem to crouch for long any more.

I got well treated for Mother's Day.  A meal from a local restaurant, mimosas for two and home made goodies. It was nice to eat someone else's cooking for a change. And look at that lovely planter.  It is inside for now till the air warms up a bit. Murphy was so excited - someone was here!
A sweet tulip which matched this week's table cloth and sweet treats.
I was a winner! On the facebook group for the Book Club Hand Pieced QAL, I shared one of my blocks and won the prize that week. This was extraordinary because almost always prizes are only awarded to US folks because of the high cost of shipping, which I totally understand. So I never even read what the prizes are for any of these giveaways or SAL's.  But how nice to get this little package of Aurifil threads called Calm in the mail. That was a treat too and I know I will enjoy using them.
I have Basket of Diamonds, No. 1 made.  I used my Marti Michell templates. I think it is the same as Melva's.  This is machine stitched. I will be trying another.
I've never cared for the use of the word happy...the defining of what it is exactly so hard to put into words as I do think of happy as a floating kind of feeling.   I've always thought being content is more grounded, more attainable and a more enduring emotion. In this saying it looks like I found someone who agrees. ( Whoever the heck he was!)
There is no greater disaster than not to know contentment.
-Laozi, c. 550 BC

I hope you are content though circumstances are trying.
Happy to share this post with Not Afraid of Color, Brian's Home Blog, Paying Ready Attention, My Quilt Infatuation and It's a Small Town Life.