The Great News

 

We had two nice days in a row with nice rain showers.  I loved the water droplets that stayed on the plants overnight.

The new air conditioner has done a lot of dehumidifying but little actual cooling.  And that's fine with me.  The ten-day forecast shows temps in the high 80's but no 90's.

But the great news - I had a good eye doctor visit today.  The gas bubble that held the new piece of cornea has resolved and everything looks good.  The post-op drops have been decreased from four to one.  No more restrictions, and I no longer need to sleep flat on my back.

And, I can cut off that green bracelet warning that I have a gas bubble in  my eye, contact ophthalmologist on reverse side of the bracelet before treatment.

I don't have to go back until almost three weeks.  Hopefully now I can relax and not be as anxious.  I didn't expect that anxiety, but it's probably normal after last summer's repeat eye surgeries.

Surprise

 

When Sarah came last night, she brought this delightful piece of pottery from a gallery display that I'd enjoyed.  I'd especially liked the shiny leaves.  It was the nicest surprise.

On her way, Sarah stopped in Berea to run two miles on the college track.  (This is not a surprise.)  She never ran track, but she did have one year of college cross country, different track though.

I'm doing well post surgery, just more tired than I expected.  And bored, there's that too.  I see the doctor again on Thursday and am hoping to be cleared to do a little sewing/piecing. I'm just not sure if that would be too much bending, but I'll find out soon enough.

Random

 

Morning glories are starting to flower, and the purple is as pretty as the pictures in the seed catalog.

This is the weather day we've been wishing for - sunny and temps way, way below 90 degrees.

Yesterday grand guy Aaron drove me to my doctor appointment.  All those times I've driven him to preschool or to appointments or for a day out, and now he was driving me.

I'm getting used to the idea of having someone else's cornea in my eye.  I don't think about it often, but when I do it feels a little strange.  I'm grateful to that person who checked the box on the drivers license.  And I'll try to be a good steward of the gift.

Post Op

 

Partial corneal transplant on Monday went well, and I have the expected bag of drops.  The surgery took about an hour and there was an hour wait afterward for a final check to be sure the new cornea was attached.  And then I went home.

Tuesday morning's appointment found the cornea attached but the pressure a little high.  So, another drop.

Wednesday I could be up and about, no longer needing to stay flat on my back except for 5 minutes up each hour.

Today, Thursday, the new drop has done its job and the pressure is back down, cornea is still attached.  Next visit is in a week

I can now use my laptop in a seated position, just no bending over or lifting over 5 pounds.

Vision is blurry, not back to where it was, but that's to be expected with the gas bubble that holds the cornea in place and with the dilating drop.  There has never been any pain except for a few minutes immediately after the surgery.

And so, we continue on.

Welcome

 Like the rest of you gardeners, I've planted and watered and  fertilized and sometimes weeded.  Admired the blooms and vegetables that have arrived and worried over those that haven't.

But what caught my attention this morning was a a delightful  fragrance from a bush near the hose that I'd completely ignored.  It  was planted long ago in a space wrong for it.  It grew to be  partially shaded by a larger plant and was too close to the house, where the afternoon sun heated the bricks.  It never saw a drop of the blue liquid fertilizer and didn't even get mulched.

And there it was blooming and happy and bug-free and smelling wonderful.  Ignored by me and certainly by the critters.

There may be a life lesson here, but today I don't know what it is.  

Welcome, pretty yellow roses.  It's your time to shine.

Milo Would Be So Proud

 

Milo was a little brown grand dog who lived in North Carolina and who loved cherry tomatoes.

His favorite tomatoes probably started out on a hybrid plant that then reseeded year after year.  And year after year he loved those tomatoes, which grew by his porch steps.

Milo is gone now, but Sarah brought me a seedling from this year's plants - actually she brought more than one.  And Milo would be so proud, they are flourishing despite deer and dry weather.

Those are ornamental grasses growing behind this tub of tomatoes - I didn't want you to think that I don't mow my yard.

Well, actually, I don't, but I have the nicest neighbor.

Found Bird

 

Some time in the spring I set out this little pottery bird in the garden, then went on with life and forgot where I'd put it.  I've been casually looking for it on and off, and this morning there it was.

Kind of hidden by the nasturtiums but basically beside the sidewalk.  Of course.

No blooms yet on the nasturtiums, but I planted them late.

The morning glory are vining well but so far, no blooms.  I should have paid attention to the seed packet - it says blooms come in late summer and fall.  So, something to look forward to.

The In Between

 

We knotted two comforters at church yesterday and today.  Usually we can knot two in a few hours, but July is busy for many people, and it took four of us a morning and part of this afternoon.

We all agree - we enjoy the zen-ness of the knotting, the repetitive motion, the easy conversation.  Sometimes wondering where the comforters will go, who made the comforter tops, how much backing fabric and how much batting we've set aside. 

This afternoon a younger member came in to practice the piano.  Someone who helped last night with with the neighborhood community meal gathered up towels in the kitchen.  Last night's summer meal was turkey and cheese sandwiches with lettuce and fresh tomatoes, chocolate chip bars with ice cream.  Except for the ice cream, visitors took meals home for another meal today.

In the back yard local children have planted flowers and vegetables and will gather tomorrow morning for an hour of play and popsicles, with conversation for the parents. 

Sunday mornings are good, but so is the in-between.

Sunday Afternoon

Even though my granddaughter goes to a local university, it's a treat to see her because she is busy.  As it should be.

Yesterday was one of those treat days, and here we are.

And here is her mom.

Fact:  neither of my daughters or my granddaughter looks like me.

For those of you who are wondering, the stacked appetizer is truffle chips and the other is carrots with lemon humus and pita.  If you're ever in Cincinnati, you'd like Krueger's Tavern in Over the Rhine.

All Star Memory

 

Some of you may have seen this before, maybe even every year, but I just can't pass up sharing the memory.

It was the All Star break, ten years ago, when the game was in Cincinnati.  The week started with ESPN semis parked behind the stadium, next to the river.

The grands and I went to the All Star Parade on game day and we had the best time.  It was a party.

The bridge in this picture was closed to vehicle traffic during the parade and the grands enjoyed walking on the grid.  Locals call this "the singing bridge" because of the musical noise made when cars drive over.

On our way back, the wind picked up and a mist of water from the river came up through the grids.  Once we were in Kentucky the rain and wind started in earnest, and we ducked into a check cashing store for shelter.

That night we went back across the river once again, with their mom, and we watched the game on the giant tv at the city square.  Aaron - he kept working his loose tooth during the game and eventually worked it out.  An older man in a nearby lawn chair enjoyed watching the progress of the tooth loosening.

And that was our day - thanks for revisiting it again with me.

Blockheads 8

 

Moda Blockheads 8 was exactly what I was hoping for, a small block with a simple design.

The only thing was, of course, since it was simple I wasn't paying attention and forgot to piece those little white triangles.  There was some ripping involved.  I could have just finished without them, but I really liked those little triangles.

I started out the project using a layer cake, 42 pieces of fabric measuring 10" x 10".  I quickly realized that wouldn't be enough for the whole project, so I've been dipping into my stash of Christmas fabric remnants.

It fun to revisit those older pieces.  A few I recognize but most I don't, it's been so long since I've seen them.  What surprises me is how many pieces I'd buy all over again.

Ceramic Whimsey

 

One more example of ceramic whimsey.  I'd always thought this was a bird house, but upon closer examination it looks like the addition on the side is a fish.

The back shows an additional bit of humor by the artist:

and now I'm all the more sure it was meant to go in an aquarium.  Maybe

I'm still calling it a bird house, and it's on my back porch.

Another Large Block

 

This morning I worked hard to finish this Moda Blockheads block before another comes out tomorrow.  It's a large 18" block once again.

It's amazing to see other quilters' blocks on the facebook site.  We all start with the same pattern but somehow end up with very different variations.  I'm realizing that my versions tend to end up looking pretty traditional even though they are different from the original posted pictures.

Once again I ended up cutting as I pieced to end up with the design I wanted. I was remembering that I learned long ago that men are better than women at spatial reasoning and of course I wanted to look that up to see if things have changed.

AI tells me that "on average, men tend to perform better than women on certain spatial reasoning tasks, particularly those revolving mental rotation and spatial navigation.  However, this is a generalization, and there is a significant overlap between individuals of both genders."

I remember in second grade taking some kind of standardized test measuring just this kind of thing and feeling hopelessly stupid and lost.  I can remember exactly where I was sitting in the classroom, remember the feeling of that realization that I was, in fact, dumb.  

Looking back now, I'm not sure that this was an appropriate test for second graders.  And I like to think that after many years of quilting and mentally and physically rotating lots of little pieces of fabric that my score has surely improved.

Toad House

 

Another piece of Darvin Luginbuhl garden pottery, and one of my favorites.  As far as I know, no toad has ever taken up residence in the toad house, and that's fine with me.  My uncle told me he used a rubber toad for the mold.

Leaving the toad house thoughts behind - a man from the eye surgery center called this morning to go over my medical history and medications prior to my upcoming corneal surgery, to take place in two weeks.  This isn't a new thing, it's a repair from the glaucoma surgeries last summer.

I'm dreading having the surgery, but hopeful that this will be the end of  the saga.  It will be a partial transplant, out-patient.  For corneal transplants a match isn't necessary, and in this country there are plenty of donated corneas.

So, thanks to someone who made this possible for me.

Luginbuhl Planter

 

This planter was a gift from my uncle Darvin Luginbuhl, made in his home pottery studio.  (With an apology to my cousin Gregg if he was the potter of this piece.  Their work was sometimes, but not always, similar.) 

Both were professors at Bluffton University.  Darvin's first studio there was on the third floor, and he carried many bags of clay up the stairs.  There is now a lovely light-filled building with a pottery studio and art  classrooms.

Both gifted me a few pieces, and one of my regrets is that I didn't buy a few more.

Yesterday I strung wire through the three loops and planted a sweet potato vine, with hopes that the vine will soon cascade down.

I'm beginning to appreciate a touch of whimsey in the garden.  Soon I'll show you a toad house, one of my favorite pieces.

Tomato Cage and a Question

 

I just liked the way this tomato cage looked from a different angle.

The tomatoes are recovering from the deer chomping, and so far the deer repellent is working.

Goodness, it's hot again.  I've been wondering why I get so little done, and I think it's because it's hot inside as well as outside.  I really, really need to make the call to replace the air conditioner.

Yesterday I was musing about overthinking, and I've gone way too far with this.  I don't know how old my air conditioner is, but it's more than twenty years old and probably more than thirty. It just can't keep up.

The thing is:  should I replace the air conditioner or put in a heat pump, using my gas furnace as cold weather back-up?  The furnace is four years old, high efficiency.  The heat pump costs about $1000 more than a replacement air conditioner.

If anyone has words of wisdom, I'd love to hear them.  I realize that with a heat pump I won't get that warm air feeling from the vents in cold weather, and that isn't an issue.

Pink and Green

 

Pink and green is my favorite color combination, so no surprise that this was on my cutting table early this morning.  Now, after two hours before the heat drove me downstairs, all the pieces are cut and on the design wall.

I took a picture of the design wall before I headed downstairs.  It's always surprising what an hour or more away, or a photo, points out errors in triangle rotation or color placement.  Both are even better.  Then fix and repeat.

I'm reminded of the different types of people:  those who push to get the project finished right away.  And those whose tendency is to overthink the project.  (That latter would be me.)

And why it's important to have both types on your team.  Those who might miss out on important information by acting too quickly, and those who need a nudge to move thinking into action.

I just looked at my photo and saw two blocks that need to be transposed.  That makes me smile.

White Coneflowers

I have lots of pink coneflowers, a  and this is their year.  The white ones, though, are new.  I didn't plant them, they just appeared.

A couple of years ago a neighbor asked me in the spring for a start of my red coneflowers.  Which I never had, but now I've been wishing for some.  She must have seen them in someone else's garden.

From my reading tonight, this quote from George Bernard Shaw: 

 "You see things and you say, 'Why?'  

But I dream things that never were  

And I say, 'Why not?'?

Isn't that really what art is?  Imagining things that never were and guiding them into being?

And isn't that what some goals are?  Dreaming of changes we'd like to make, and dividing the dreams into steps to make them come true?

Big Block This Time

 This week's Moda Blockheads block is a big one, 18".  You'll find it at the top left.

The previous blocks are just laid around it, most likely the configuration will change, and perhaps the big block will end up in the middle.

It was the nicest July 4 weekend, poolside lunch with family on the actual 4th, and just relaxing the rest of the time.  I still have a few groceries to put away from Friday, I've been that lazy.

Watering has taken up some of the time, we've had a stretch once again to temps in the 90's and no rain.  There's a possibility of thunderstorms at the end of the afternoon today.

I've staked my tomato plants and scattered Liquid Fence - one day too late.  Several of the tomato plants got chomped.  It will be ok, they are hearty plants, and I'll be more diligent going forward.

There is one tiny squash starting - you know how I love summer squash.

Happy July 4

 

Happy July 4, everyone.  May happiness find you today.

July 4 baseball trivia   only one team in Major League baseball has not been swept in a series so far this year, and that team is the Cincinnati Reds.

Days of the Garden

 

A card from a friend, and there is glitter and there are sparkles.

A few days ago we had the summer solstice, bringing us to the down side of daylight in our days.  And now that we're into July, the year is half over.

This is not about gloom and doom, just marveling at how quickly the days are passing.  The wonder of smmer has just begun.

This evening I was watering a friend's plants.  She has a lovely polinator garden in her front yard.  And a wonderful vegetable garden in big containers on her upstairs balcony.  The deer can only dream of her goodies, way out of their reach.

Last summer my garden soothed me during the hard days of eye surgery complications.  I would go out in the evenings and water in the days's coolness and go out in the morning and marvel.

This summer I'm counting down to another eye surgery at the end of this month, and I believe all will be well.  I'm watering in the evenings once again, except for Monday, when we had the most amazing rain.  And each morning I'm marveling once again at the growth that happened during the night.

My dream of morning glories on the back porch railings is beginning - the plants are vining.  Those squash I love will surely have blossoms any day now.  For all their late start, the tomatoes look amazing.  I planted basil in a container today.

I always am a little slow getting started in the spring, and I'm always so happy when the plants are growing.  While I'm hanging back a little, the perenniels appear and I remember what I love about growing things.

Sunday

 This morning I got ready and went to church, so I missed my morning sewing time.

By afternoon it was hot upstairs, but I wanted to work on this week's  block for just a few minutes.

But then I really, really wanted to see if those 64 pieces would really fit together so I just kept going.  And they did go together.  And I got really, really hot.

You'll have to take my word for it, I cropped the picture, but there really is 1/4" around the outside of the block, as there should be.

Just to make the day even better, I have 8000 steps today.  It's been a minute.

I Can't Believe

 

I can't believe I just bought fabric at Michael's.  It was a one off that I was even there, my daughter was shopping at Ulta a couple of stores over and I opted for Michael's instead.

I knew Michael's had increased fabric selection after Joann closed, but I expected a few more precuts, not fabric on bolts.  This pink Kona was just what I was looking for and is usually more than $7.50 a yard.

The young guy at the cutting table wasn't experienced, and the customer in front of me helped him measure the entire bolt she was purchasing.  And then she cut my fabric too while she was waiting for him to finish her transaction.

Cuts, at least at this store, are for full yard increments.

I also can't believe I got a pair of knit shorts at Aldi, but that's a whole other story.

Stamps

 I usually don't pay too much attention to postage stamps, just ask the clerk for something pretty.  This time I paid attention and liked the stamps with the baby wild animals and dahlias.  I got both.

As we head toward evening, the sky is darkening and the breeze is picking up, same as yesterday at this time.  Yesterday there was wind, dark skies, and thunder for an hour but no rain.  Not here.

Rain this evening would mean no watering later, fingers crossed.  I don't notice the mosquitos when I'm watering but I have the bites to prove that they're there.

This should be the last day for a while with temperatures in the 90's.  Early morning pleasant temperatures are on their way.

I cut up fabrics for the new Moda block this morning and that was all I had time for.  Lots and lots of little pieces in this one.  I starched the fabrics well and hoped for the best.

Thunder has now arrived and I hear the weather siren.  My phone says rain should start in one minute.

Smokies Memories

 

There are lots of memories from last week's birthday trip to the Smokies but I'll start with this one of Nora relaxing during a hike.  The rest of us arrived on Wednesday, and she and Aaron joined us on Friday.  Wednesday evening we celebrated Winnie's birthday.

Thursday we went to the Arts and Crafts Community outside Gatlinburg.  We had lunch at Split Rail, notable for the good food and for the sixteen pour it yourself beer taps.  I know that day drinking is not for me, but I had to sample a couple of them anyway.  I was drawn in by a Country Boy brew I liked, but instead tried a couple of local selections, one with moonshine.  Sometimes the little headache is worth it.  I really only had a few ounces.

We tried a few shops, a wonderful cinnamon roll bakery, and the best little bookstore.  The bookstore had complementary gift wrapping with a wrapping paper featuring books.  Their selection isn't huge but is excellent.

Friday was a drive through Cades Cove, a must for us, and also Roaring Fork.  We did see a mama bear and cub from a distance.  The grands came that evening and we celebrated my birthday.

Saturday Sarah and Aaron hiked up Mt. LeConte and back.  The rest of us did some smaller hikes, including the Gatlinburg Trail, which allows dogs.  That's where Nora is relaxing in the picture.

Our cabin was way up in the hills, with a lovely night view of Gatlinburg on one side and the Ober tram on the other.  The view made that cabin memorable..  

Challenging Block

 

The four completed Moda Blockheads blocks.  The challenging one is on the lower right.  It's called Cats Cradle.

I kind of knew what to expect.  On the facebook group people mentioned having to redo the block and posted pictures of blocks that turned out wonky.  So I knew to read the directions carefully and repeatedly.

I'm not a fan of the block but it turned out like it should, and it's square.  If I redid it I'd choose color placement differently, but I don't feel strongly enough about that to redo it.

This will end up being a Christmas quilt - the fabric that looks grey in actually a grey green.  It will have sashings between the blocks.

It's hot, I'm considering moving a sewing machine downstairs so I can sew in the afternoons.  The upstairs in my Cape Cod just gets too hot past noon.  We'll see.

Plants Are Thriving

 

I came back from a fun few days in Gatlinburg to find the weather hot and the squash plants thriving.  They are those little yellow squash that bush rather than vine and grow so well in containers.  Tonight I'll plant a second container.  

The morning glories are growing too, and are ready to be encouraged to trail on strings to reach the back porch railing.  My dream is to have those deep purple flowers vining on the horizontal and upright railings.

This afternoon I did some bargain plant shopping at the big box store and scored a container of purple and yellow wave petunias that looked quite fine.  And a containers of healthy gerannium leaves, marked down, I'm sure, because they were finished flowering and the flower color would be mysterious.

And a couople of classic yellow day lilies for the back yard.

More about the trip later, other than to say now that it was a family trip to celebrate Winnie's and my birthdays.

Art of the Bike

 

During Sarah's visit we went to the Cincinnati Art Museum to see the exhibit The Art of the Bike.  There were bikes from different time periods and bikes made from different materials.  The bikes above were from the 1930's.

Bike enthusiast that she is, Sarah wore a bike shirt to the exhibit.  She's trying on a bike hat in the gift shop - tempting, but no.

It was fun to see the set up for a wedding happening once the museum closed.  As we left we saw people in their dressy clothes coming in their nice cars.

We could tell who hadn't been to the museum before - when they came in the door they didn't know where to look first.  It's a very impressive building, with a huge blue Chihuly in the entry.

And the nice thing is, except for special exhibits, admission and parking are free, thanks to generous donors.

And the other nice thing is, it's ten minutes from home. 

Gardening Visit

 

How lucky am I? My horticulture daughter came this weekend, bringing plants and mulch.

And herself.  She can do in an hour what would take me a week.  The front yard beds look so good and there are a few additions to the back yard too.  I'm sure my neighbors are as grateful as I am.

She took some time off and we went to Trader Joe's, neither of us had been.  I'm definitely going back.  To Hollywood Feed, the pet store that just happens to be behind Trader Joe.

This afternoon I walked up the big hill on the street below.  (It's a really big hill.)  Maybe I looked like a pitiful old woman, I don't know, but once I was up the hill and on a gentle grade a little girl came running up with a bottle of water for me.  Her mom said she had just wanted to give me some water.

The temperature was 82 - it was the nicest gesture!

Taller Zipper Bag

 

Another zipper bag completed.  This time I made it a little taller, and I'm not particularly a fan.  If the bags aren't square, I like them wider rather than taller.  But still . . . a nice bag.  Mini charms are Buttercup and Slate.

During pandemic times, a neighborhood quilt shop had opened near me, and they pivoted from being open to having an one-hour facebook sales event every Wednesday.  I don't miss much about the pandemic, but I do miss seeing the shop samples and new fabric lines and notions.  I think the shop actually did quite well, word got around, and orders came from far and wide.

The young woman from the shop decided she wanted more family and the shop closed after the pandemic was over.  Of course I still have lots of fabric that I bought during that time, and of course I love it all.  Probably the little mini charm pack I used for the bag pictured came from that time.

Is anyone following along with the new Moda Blockheads 6?  I considered not doing it, but in the end I couldn't resist.  I'm using  Christmas fabrics paired with a gray green solid. 

A new block comes out every Wednesday.  If you want to improve your piecing skills and get really familiar with a scant 1/4" seam, this may just be for you.  You can find free instructions on Moda's website.

Like an Owl

 

Last week at the quilt stop I got a new bag pattern that uses a charm pack.  The idea is to make it look like mountains, but that wasn't what I had in mind.

For my first try I grabbed a charm pack from my stash.  After a few glitches on my part the pattern went together nicely.  But the bag front - doesn't mine accidentally look like an owl?

I wish I had taken a picture of the shop sample so you could see what the designer had in mind.  I'll make another one with a different charm pack and there won't be an owl.  (Ridgeline Pouch by Chrissy Lux)

Today was lunch with my retreat friends.  All of us probably won't gather together for retreats any more, we are getting older and medical issues are creeping up, but these monthly lunches are precious.

There may be discussions of friends' illnesses, medications, husbands that are slowing down - but we still do chime in with catch-ups of our quilting projects.  Or, quiet machines.

Back Porch

Happiness on my back porch - little morning glory seedlings.  My dream is that they will vine around the uprights on the porch.  

Every morning I check them for growth.  The Burpee catalog assures me that the flowers will be a glorious shade of purple.

But, this morning there were guys replacing the gutters.  (I need so many home repairs.)  And as the men were banging around, a big black snake crawled out from under that back porch.

One of the men moved the snake across the street, after his buddy took pictures of him holding it, but still . . . it could come back.

I know, they kill mice, etc., but I'm not happy.  My plans were to weed the overgrown flower bed at the back of the porch once the day starts to cool, but now I'm reluctant.  That snake could have buddies who are looking for him.

Third Cake

 

Two weeks ago it was my turn to bake a cake for the church's Community Meal.  I decided to go way out my comfort zone and try the 13" x 9" version of December's Southern Living Cake.  No reason to try that one, other than it was a grand experiment.

There was browned butter, a cranberry orange filling, and a whipped cream icing.  Everything went well, and it as a great cake.  Only thing was, I hadn't been notified that plans were changed, a cookout was now planned with ice cream cones instead of cake.

It was ok.  I had the fun of baking something different and my neighbors got cake.  And two of the neighbors were having birthdays.

This week came around, time for another cake, and I decided to make that oatmeal cake with broiled coconut icing that we all baked, like probably 40 years ago.  Everything went fine until the broiled icing burned.  I can't begin to tell you how awful it smelled.  I couldn't wait until it was cool enough to put in the trash.

Yesterday, cake three, a Mississippi Mud cake from the Cake Ladies Cookbook.  I was a little anxious because the recipe didn't list baking powder or baking soda, but the cake turned out light.  Miniature marshmallows went on the hot cake, then a chocolate glaze.

I just delivered the cake to the church refrigerator.  I can add three cakes tried to my list of new recipes under this year's goal list.

Stuck and Cutting

 

For weeks I've felt like I nothing much to say.  Today I'll collect what's on my mind.

For years, my quilting motto has been "If you're stuck, cut."  And finally, since I've been stuck, I cut.  

For longer than I can remember, I've had a stack of pink and blue squares next to my sewing machine.  I don't know where they came from.  The squares are all close to 7" but they aren't quite the same size.  The fabric is kind of thin, not quality fabric.

I've begun the process of sewing and cutting, and we'll see where it goes.  This won't be finished tomorrow or the next day, and it will be really, really improv.  

Between times, I've been working on a couple of little zipper bags, and you'll see them as the days go by.  Making zipper bags is just something i enjoy, and I'm planning to have a little stash of them by Christmas.

The Southern Baptist Convention will be voting this week on whether to begin the long game of overturning the Obergefell v. Hudges ruling that legalized gay marriage.  My heart hurts.

Best Pizza

 I've been trying to make a good homemade pizza for a while now, experimenting with various recipes for crust and sauce.  But that good pizza was elusive.

Finally I've realized - the secret isn't making a good base at all.  What works best for me is getting whatever frozen pizza is on sale and adding whatever good cheese I have in the refrigerator and then adding good toppings.  

If I have fresh mozzarella,  that's a bonus.  There are good ideas for toppings in the menus of the best local pizza restaurants.  I can be happy now.

Today is Derby day, and it looks like it might rain on and off all day.  Watch for the Kentucky governor at the end - you may be seeing a strong candidate - for something - down the road.  

Yellow Iris

A few years ago, the dental hygienist and I were chatting and she asked if I liked to garden.  As these things sometimes end up, she  brought me some iris and I gave her some little quilted something.

It's taken a couple of years for the iris to begin blooming and I'm delighted to find that the iris are yellow.  I'd only had purple before, gifted by a church friend, so these are a nice addition.

Sometimes things just take a while to bloom.  People and plants.

Weeds, too.  I've been pulling a few when I've been coming and going and my hope is that I'm pulling more quickly than they're sprouting. 

There are little lettuce plants coming up and lots of chives and multiplier onions.  Just last week I went looking for chives for a recipe and didn't see any - this week there are so many.

Lovely Tree

 

This lovely tree isn't mine, it's my neighbor's.  Note the wind chimes she hung from the branch.

It's been another bread baking day.  Now that I'm back in the baking groove, I'm loving baking bread for friends.  Oatmeal bread is my favorite.

The recipe makes two loaves and I cut enough off each loaf to make a roll for myself.  Strange but true:  my inhaler comes in a little aluminum tray, just perfect for baking a roll or a bit of cake

I'm getting out more these days, and my energy is improving.  Studio time, not so much yet.  

Last Easter Holiday Picture

 

The last picture of the holiday - the good-bye selfie.  Just before the car rolls up the hill.

It was a time.  On Friday we went to Maysville, stayed in a nice hotel, and Saturday Steph and Sarah ran in races that started right outside the hotel.

We had good local food, did some local shopping, drove home the scenic route.  And got ready for Easter.

Easter was a good dinner, hugs from the grands, conversation.

And today, Monday, the car rolled up that hill.

Work Around Photo

 

I still haven't exactly figured out how to get photos to the laptop in the way I wanted, but I've figured out a work-around that's just as good.  So, the picture of the flowers at the zoo.

The results from the mammogram that I had on the way to the zoo came back today.  All good, repeat in a year.  Deep breath.

It's a cleaning day, getting ready for company tonight.  I'm surprised and happy to find my energy returning.  Remembering last Christmas, when all I could do was sit in my chair with painful excursions with the walker.  Six weeks later, when it was a big deal to just pick up the clutter.  

So I'm happy now to be able to clean and do stairs with laundry.  And bake some cookies.  Find the Easter decorations and get ready for the holiday.

I still need breaks, don't get me wrong, but I'm happy.

Cincinnati Zoo

 My phone is not in the mood to send pictures to the laptop, so no picture today.  

But if there were a picture - you would see bi-color yellow and orange tulips, planted beside deep red tulips.  Very striking, and I wish you could see them.

My mammogram was scheduled for mid-day and going to the zoo was the carrot at the end of that experience.  The zoo is only about a mile down the road from the medical complex.

The temperature was in the 70's and the zoo was crowded.  The number of cars in the overflow parking lot was my first clue.  There was a vacated spot in the canopied lot so I was happy.  

I just walked down the paths and admired the spring flowers and a gigantic tortoise.  And a baby porcupine in the nursery.  The flowers were perhaps a week or ten days past their peak but still glorious.

Another day I'll go back and admire a few animals and the new plantings, maybe early in the morning or late in the afternoon.  That's one of my goals for this year - frequent zoo visits.  Every year I buy a family pass complete with parking and a guest included and it ends up being a donation because there is maybe one visit.  

Not that there is anything wrong with a donation, I'm happy to support a fabulous zoo.  This past year Nora took a friend to the festival of lights at Christmas.  And 2025 will be my zoo year.

Worship Banner Complete

 The worship banner is finished and my daugher helped me hang it.  I wanted something for Easter season and I'm pleased with the result.

Maybe, just maybe, this completion will help me move forward.  For the first three weeks of Lent I hung a light purple mottled fabric  Just to have something.  My plan was to add a little something of the new banner every week as I completed it, but I changed my mind as I went.

I adapted Robbin Pickens pattern Showering Stars for the banner.  The top star is appliqued to the backing, the rest is pieced.

All week since hanging, I've planned to show up in the sewing room but . . .  haven't.

Orchid Show

 My family and me at the orchid show at the North Carolina Arboretum.  There were so many lovely and unusual orchids, all displayed beautifully.  There were also vendors with orchids for sale.  I resisted, but Winnie bought three.

It was a great North Carolina weekend, watching basketball and visiting a couple of breweries, including the big Sierra Nevada brewery.  Shoe shopping, because that's what we do.

On the way home the tire pressure light came on and we discovered a nail in a tire.  We found a small tire/restaurant/gas station combo and were able to quickly get it fixed, plus we had a sandwich for lunch while we were waiting.

We were lucky, it was the exit before the long one-lane construction area on I40 - a flat tire there would not have been good.

Now today, of course, home is too quiet.  I spent way too much time with my internet provider, only to learn that my access problem was with my laptop.  And again, way too much time, trying this and that to fix it.  In the end, it's fixed, and I'm grateful, but I pushed so many buttons that I won't know how to fix it next time.

 

Chicks

 

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Thanks to my Seattle friend for sending this table runner.  There are six of these chicks, each a little different.

It's time, I guess, to look for other Easter decorations.  I'm remembering a cute stuffed bunny that will live on a couch cushion.  A few ceramic rabbits.

Yesterday, first day of spring, was the chilliest day we've had recently.  In the early morning a tornado touched down at the Cincinnati Airport, which is actually in Northern Kentucky.

Halftime, and my team is up 35 to 27.  March Madness is always enjoyable.

Strawberry Scones

 

These strawberry scones are really, really good.

Each month I like to pick out a new recipe to try, usually from Southern Living.  You can find this recipe in the March issue.

My previous attempts at making scones have been less then stellar,  usually ending up in a crumbling mess.  Maybe adding sour cream and whipping cream helped out.

Maybe it was freezing the scones for thirty minutes before baking them.  Maybe it was the juiciness of the berries.  Maybe all those things.

A few weeks ago I was reading a book series, just mindless reading, and there was a lot of scone baking by one of the characters.  People raved about her scones.  That's probably what inspired me to pick this recipe. 

Cooking, or baking, something new introduces me to new spices and sauces and other ingredients.  Sometimes it's really good and sometimes it is just a grand experiment, never to be repeated.  Since I'm a vegetarian it usually isn't terribly expensive.  Just a fun thing to do.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

I'm reminded of when my girls attended St. Patrick school, and this day had a special program followed by dismissal.

And when we were young, and not wearing at least a bit of green could lead to a pinch.

If I had some Guiness in my refrigerator I'd drink one tonight . . . but, I don't.

It's ok, I'll make my favorite vegetable soup, which has fresh spinach in the ingredient list, and that will be good enough.

Today I'm actually sewing and taking breaks to do some small tasks.  I have a goal of 6500 steps for today, and I think I'll get there.  It's chillier than I thought it would be, but I'll walk outside for just a llittle while and then try a walking video.  

Certain Something

I wish I had that certain something that would let me take a vase of flowers and arrange things with it to make everything fit together and look lovely, but I don't.  Winnie does though.

Sarah visited last weekend and we stopped at the Fresh Market and got a cluster of these buds that open so nicely for her to take home to Winnie.  And now I'm wishing I'd bought some for myself.

The Fresh Market is right in front of my church, so I can easily stop tomorrow.

For today, I think the storms are over.  So much rain - we will surely start to green up next week.

Rounding Third

 

Spring training in happening in Arizona, and Madtree Rounding Third beer is on the shelves here.

Opening Day in Cincinnati is March 27.

And this is a record setting day with temperatures in the seventies here.  Any minute now I'm going outside.

It's been a cross-off-medical-things week.  Doctor visits Monday and Tuesday and a tetanus etc. vaccination today.  My doctor has reminding me to get the vaccinaion for a couple of years and after seeing my grandson's whooping cough experience I was motivated.

Everyone else has been using QR codes for five years now but I finally tried it today to check in for the vaccination appointment.

The week after the time change - I find that I'm out of energy in the afternoon.  I know I'll be sad if I miss today's sunshine so I'll go outside and see if that brings energy my way.

A Bloom

 

For an unknown but happy reason, there is a bloom on my Christmas cactus and another on its way.  

Sarah came for a quick weekend visit.  There was a visit to a bike expo, a skateboard shop, and the huge liquor store.  Big as it was, the liquor store didn't have the beer that we wanted to try.

There were nachos at a favorite restaurant close to the river.  We had really planned to have dinner, but ending up having just the huge shared plate of nachos.

Sarah trimmed the last of the ornamental grasses - so new growth can start any day now.  

And then there was the time change.  The evenings are so much nicer now.