Spring Arrives - An Update

Not a lot going on around here - soccer, as always; kids are playing well, though the scores aren't always showing their efforts :( Work is your typical end-of-quarter, end-of-fiscal-year chaos - and the boss is gone for 2 more weeks :( I was mostly able to hold together last week, but who knows what will go on this week & next? I may totally ready for the looney bin by 3/30 (though some would argue that I've been ready for some time - :b~~~~~~~). But, according to the calendar, Spring arrives on Friday, and though we had temps near 80 last week, and cool & rainy the last few days, I am determined to have Spring this year, since we usually skip and go right to summer, even if it means freezing our butts off in May, which is just wrong....
Here's a local, who's also waiting:

I also discovered yesterday that the smallest turtle that everyone said had managed to get out of the pond on his own last fall is indeed still in there, and apparently doing well, even though the layer of leaves in there is probably at least 8" deep by now, and no one had fed him all winter. Unless he left & came back, since it was completely iced over for a few days... No idea.... Somebody better make that pond a priority in the next week or two.

On to stitching. Other than finishing that biscornu (which I then discovered was supposed to arrive in The Netherlands by 3/14 - and I mailed it 3/13 - oooppppssss!), the only thing I worked on all week was MTM, since I lost one night to soccer. The over-1 butterflies took longer than I was expecting, I guess because of how many colors are in them. And after taking my pics, I see one of my stitches disappeared, so I will fix that when I get home. I did finish Part 3, except the beads on the last corner triangle, which I will do tonight, before I get EGS out - I want to color this part done for the week, as I don't know how many more, if any, parts I will be able to complete in a week's work? I'm pretty sure when I get to the buildings that there will be no way I can get one side done in one rotation :( The pics are here, overall & detail:
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/65/Chatelaines_Medieval_Town_Mandala#5 - overall
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/65/Chatelaines_Medieval_Town_Mandala#6 - detail of the over-1 butterflies (ignore the missing stitch) and beads.

This week, I get out English Garden Sampler, and need to work on Lyne's RR piece some more. My Big Kid's 16th birthday is Monday, but we don't have anything particularly special planned - he'll have practice, and come home for his couple of gifts and whatever he wants for dinner. Nothing cool, like getting a driver's license, as that just isn't in the budget - and doesn't seem to be bugging him all that much, yet. Well, I guess that's the news, such as it is. Until next week, happy stitching everyone!