I was prepared for this morning to be difficult, but by the day’s end I had a happy surprise of having not only survived the day (with grace), but also nearing the finish on the red hot pocket purse.

After 10 days of sleeping as late as 7 o’clock, I was not sure how I would adjust to the rigors of getting up in the pre-dawn hours in order to get my son to school on time.

It ended up going better than I had thought it would.

I got my son’s breakfast and lunch, and he got himself and backpack ready for the return to academia, and we even got out the door in plenty of time to make it to the bus stop without having to hurry.

When we stepped out into the early morning, the sky was noticeably lighter and the air was noticeably warmer. It was also hard to miss the sounds of spring.

Here is what we heard on our way to the bus stop:

Once I was able to dispatch with my morning chores, I turned my attention to the red hot pocket purse I am making for my mother.

First, I ran a scrap of yarn though the stitches to separate one half from the other:

Then I appliqued each of the twelve dots to the body of the bag:

after which I removed the scrap of yarn that had been there to mark the bottom of the bag:

Next, using a technique that I like to think I pioneered, I fashioned modest gussets on either side of the purse-to-be and joined them in one fell swoop (after which I also added a round of reverse single crochet along the top edge of the purse:

In between gussets, joinings, and edgings, I also worked on crocheting a strap for the bag which I will attach when I give it to my mother:

As for spring, it has finally arrived. In addition to early morning birdsong serenade, by late afternoon, my car was covered with an ever-so-fine layer of yellow pollen which will, I have no doubt, begin to accumulate in earnest over the next few days.