What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Macedonian Neighbor's daughter came over yesterday to see my garden.  She was telling me about the 5 gallons of pickles she did this week and various other harvests.  I felt so incompetent.  My green beans have flowers but no beans.  My tomatoes are not ripe.  There I was, again comparing myself to another gardener.  Just stop.  My garden is fine, just not as far along....

We had a few pretty good storms come through this weekend, so I had to go out and check the damage.

The sunflowers out by the pumpkin patch held up pretty well.

Languid and hot days alternate with rainy afternoons now that summer is in full swing here.  July is our hottest month of the year and it has been days of above average temperatures for us.  I do not like summer heat, especially when it is humid too, so it is indoor activities for me most of the time.  But in the early morning, or at dusk, we can spend a bit of time on the veranda to enjoy birdsong and fresh air, and the fireflies after sundown.  Taking a short stroll to the flowerbed, there is much to enjoy in ...

We're heading out tomorrow, and that means all day yesterday and all day today have and will be spent getting ready. Yesterday I focused on food. A few things were prepared ahead and packed. All but a few last-minute items are loaded. Today I'll focus on clothes and personal belongings. Mike has been busy getting the camper and the boat ready to go, and we were both tired pups last night. 

We're heading out tomorrow, and that means all day yesterday and all day today have and will be spent getting ready. Yesterday I focused on food. A few things were prepared ahead and packed. All but a few last-minute items are loaded. Today I'll focus on clothes and personal belongings. Mike has been busy getting the camper and the boat ready to go, and we were both tired pups last night. 

Two more pineapple blocks were done and caught up on ripping paper off of the backs – all stacked up in a project box – I believe there are 30 now – I’ve been lazy with this project and several days go by without working on them at times I am hoping all 81 blocks […]

It was kind of a busy day yesterday. I spent the morning in the garden. As I was taking my walk around, I found these two on squirrel watch in their catio.

It was kind of a busy day yesterday. I spent the morning in the garden. As I was taking my walk around, I found these two on squirrel watch in their catio.

A few years ago we bought grapes - Syrah grapes.  We planted them and walked away.  We mowed and weed whipped around them, but that was it.  Last year we finally put up the trellises.  We should have been harvesting grapes.  Homesteading got in the way.

That's the thing about homesteading.  There's always something to do.  There's always something that changes your priority list.  The grapes kept sliding down the list.  We were building chicken barns, goat barns, high tunnels, raised beds...the list just goes on and on.  This year we moved them up on the list ...

I rolled down Alaska after I finished that corner I had been working on – forgot to take a photo – but here are some photos of the next sections.  This is where I was starting last night. I wasn’t sure what I was going to put in the red squares and green diamonds.  This […]

The first border of Alaska was almost finished on Saturday evening but I just didn’t feel like sitting longer to finish it so I was working on that end again last night – close! With the mixture of cables and feathers the cables go quickly – the feathers don’t!  It looks wrinkled on the end […]

The past several days have been busy, busy, busy. It's true, I always keep busy with something, but it seems less harried when one is deciding for oneself what comes next, as opposed to acting out of necessity. We had a very nice celebration for our Fourth, and it was wonderful seeing Erik and Mae. Matthew was off camping, and so the four of us enjoyed a small gathering. For yesterday's part of the preparations I made a favorite salad of mine, Sweet Potato Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing. I was terrible about taking pictures yesterday, and so ...

The past several days have been busy, busy, busy. It's true, I always keep busy with something, but it seems less harried when one is deciding for oneself what comes next, as opposed to acting out of necessity. We had a very nice celebration for our Fourth, and it was wonderful seeing Erik and Mae. Matthew was off camping, and so the four of us enjoyed a small gathering. For yesterday's part of the preparations I made a favorite salad of mine, Sweet Potato Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing. I was terrible about taking pictures yesterday, and so ...

After writing yesterday's post, I went downstairs to observe this out the dining room window.

Oh yes...by all means...never settle for any bloomed out ones. Be sure to grab the buds and all the most colorful ones. I don't mind at all. Where's a cat when you need one?

Well, kitties are in coyote quarantine for the time being. Sadie doesn't mind. She uses this oppurrtunity to catch up on her purrsonal grooming.

Smitty doesn't like it. Not one bit. He ...

After writing yesterday's post, I went downstairs to observe this out the dining room window.

Oh yes...by all means...never settle for any bloomed out ones. Be sure to grab the buds and all the most colorful ones. I don't mind at all. Where's a cat when you need one?

Well, kitties are in coyote quarantine for the time being. Sadie doesn't mind. She uses this oppurrtunity to catch up on her purrsonal grooming.

Smitty doesn't like it. Not one bit. He ...

Does it feel as if the year hasn't really gotten off the ground yet? Sheesh...this will literally be a year for the history books. Of course, they all are. I've found myself interested in the times 100 years ago, which were so similar to where we find ourselves today. I read The Great Influenza, by John M. Barry,. It started out a little dry, discussing the state of medical schools and medical education at the time. When I got past the beginning, though, and started reading about the times and the flu itself, it was fascinating. So ...

Does it feel as if the year hasn't really gotten off the ground yet? Sheesh...this will literally be a year for the history books. Of course, they all are. I've found myself interested in the times 100 years ago, which were so similar to where we find ourselves today. I read The Great Influenza, by John M. Barry,. It started out a little dry, discussing the state of medical schools and medical education at the time. When I got past the beginning, though, and started reading about the times and the flu itself, it was fascinating. So ...

There wasn't much time for sewing yesterday. I spent a little extra time on the hand quilting, and then I spent quite a bit of time outside in the garden. Sunday was supposed to bring rain, and then didn't. So the watering and weeding was off by a day. I needed to do some catch-up on things, and so the bulk of my time was spent there. Here's what's going on in the garden right now.

There wasn't much time for sewing yesterday. I spent a little extra time on the hand quilting, and then I spent quite a bit of time outside in the garden. Sunday was supposed to bring rain, and then didn't. So the watering and weeding was off by a day. I needed to do some catch-up on things, and so the bulk of my time was spent there. Here's what's going on in the garden right now.

Last week was the anniversary of my paternal father's suicide.  It also would have been my step-dad's birthday.  It's always a tough week for me and especially my Momma.  When Pops was alive, I would always have to plan his birthday party as Momma just wasn't feeling it.  I never minded.  I'm usually pretty withdrawn, not in sadness but I get wrapped up in memories.  I was blessed to have a step-dad who loved me as much as, if not more than, any paternal father could  Today I again reflected on how happy he would ...

The tools of my trade these days...I fill my pink weed bucket about four times a morning when I'm out in the garden weeding. By then I'm tired or too hot or hungry. This garden, the cultivated almost 1.5 acres, is a real work in progress especially in my very amateur hands. It is also real work but luckily I enjoy it very much.