Busy-ness

March and April are shaping up to be really busy months here at Casa Crazylife.

What is going on? Well, here is the brief shakedown:

1.Lace knitting:
Lace knitting classes are being taught at Twist this month and next, so I jumped in and enrolled in all three (Lace I,II and III).

2.Iowa travel plans:
Spring break is right around the corner, so I am planning to hit the highway and go to Iowa again. I probably won't be heading that direction for another couple months since April is going to be crazy busy also. We will be running around Iowa City more. Last time I was there, we drove through Iowa City and I was smitten with the energy of the city. It is a college town, so the vibe is very young and full of energy.

Love it!

The university is among the best in the nation for writing, so there are a lot of bookstores and activities going on at all times.

3. More lace knitting, travel and weaving class:
April will include more of the lace knitting classes and a trip to Lawrence, Kansas the second weekend so that I can take the rigid heddle weaving class offered at The Yarn Barn. While we're there, hubby and I fully intend to completely pig out on Indian food. India Palace has an awesome buffet! We go every time we are in Lawrence.

4. Overseas travel!!!
At some point in April, I am taking an overseas trip with a friend that loves to travel. With the rate we are going to get for airfare, it would be crazy NOT to go. We are discussing either Italy (she wants to wander around the Coliseum, I'd love to go to Vatican City and tour it, or go to an art museum), Greece, Amsterdam (I REALLY want to see the Van Gogh museum), New Zealand, or a couple different spots. We are keeping it loose so we can see what destination has the best options right before we book. Amsterdam sounds like it would be the easiest to cover in the limited amount of time that we have....I'll know in the next couple weeks, I guess. I am pretty excited about it though.

5. We are getting a couple chickens.
Yep, I said chickens. We can only have a small number here in our city limits, so I will have probably 4 or 5. These will be for fresh eggs and as pets. I had a pet chicken when we moved to Kansas and I really enjoyed her. As silly as this sounds, she had a very lively personality. I'll be getting everything in place before we actually get the girls, so it will be after I get back from overseas. This will also prevent cute man from having to take care of chicks while I'm gone. He's a great guy, but I figure asking him to chicken sit might tip the scale. Once they are older and in a coop, they take less monitoring, but chicks require a lot of tending. I am looking forward to having fresh eggs, although it will be at least 6 months-possibly longer-- before the chickens are at laying age. That will give me time to tame them and make them pets. Luckily I have found someone who wants to split an order of chicks (that will be the subject of tomorrow's post-the story highlights what a small world it is), so I can pull out/pay for a few and we share shipping. It's a win-win for everyone!

6. Gardens, built and planted:

I am planning raised beds this year to help with the condition of the soil and to cut out some of the digging. I am going to raise lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes (of course!) and a couple different kinds of melons. At some point I might pick up seed potatoes at the farm store, but I'm not sure when. I saw someone who planted them in bags of soil by sitting the plastic 50 lb bags upright, cutting drainage in the bags, cutting the top and putting their plant in that. Supposedly it is a great way to grow melons too. I'll report back as I try this. It can't hurt to give it a go. I am also planting squash and some other things that are notorious for beetle issues. That's where I'm hoping the chickens help out...we don't kill tomato worms though, because they are the larva for the Sphinx moth. When we homeschooled the boys, we had a garden. One day we found what we thought was tomato worm eating the tomato plants. Instead of killing it, we did some research and found out that the worm we had was a tobacco worm (they look similar, but the spikes at the end of their tails are certain colors) and that the huge moths that come from these are actually in decline and are quite beautiful. so we had one plant dedicated as a safe haven and a relocation place for these creatures.

So there you have it. BUSY but exciting!!