Florida Spring

MaoMao will be 7 years old this April.  SEVEN!  The kids were so little when we first found him.  He was so tiny too.  He was lost and dirty and found our kitchen window to meow beneath.  It took us about an hour to catch him.  He so much wanted to be caught, but he was scared. Trusting that someone else wouldn't throw him away was hard for him to accept.  Finally, with some help from a box of Yoohoo (we were out of milk) and my two littles 'meowing' at him like they were his brother and sister, he came out of the bushes just long enough for me to sweep him up in my arms.  

He is intelligent and sweet and does not love anyone but his family.  He's funny and playful... lazy and naughty ... and he very much considers himself an equal in this family.  I never knew I was a cat person, until he crawled up into heart.  

I've been so busy lately, but I did have time to make 50 little coin purses for a friend.  She's using them for her daughter and son's cheer squad.  They were surprisingly easy to make!  There are LOTS of tutorials out there if you type in "triangle coin purse".  I always watch several "how-to" videos and then adjust them to make it work for me.  One thing that I learned is that you can adjust the size easily.  The videos that I watched were making large, triangle purses, but I just needed a little one.  These cute ones start out with 3.5" x 7" fabric pieces.  

Well, it's Spring in Florida...not officially, but it's hot and pollen is flying around everywhere.  We did have a cool spell awhile back and we made sure we went to my Mama's for a nice campfire.  We made smores and sat around in the cool weather.  It was beautiful.

When most people think of Florida, they think of Beaches and sunshine.  However, there is much of Florida that is grass, palmetto bushes, and wildlife.  To encourage people to get out in nature, our county created a "hiking spree".  After you hike at least 8 trails, you earn a medallion or patch.  The photo above is Blackwater Creek in Central Florida.  The photo below is the same trail.  It's beautiful.  My favorite places to hike are in Northern Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina; however, Florida is where my family has been for at least 6 generations.  Hikes like Blackwater Creek bring back wonderful childhood memories.

Well, the sun is up now and our homeschool day will begin soon.  I just might be able to get in a little sewing before the kids start breakfast.  I have several quilts that I'm working on at the same time...I never seem to be able to work on just one project.  -April@LittleMamaHen