Happy Labor Day

 

Happy Labor Day, everyone.

Today the stars lined up just right.  

Today, Labor Day celebrations and good food, maybe even some sales.  In Cincinnati the big fireworks display of the year is on the Sunday night before Labor Day.  Fireworks are set off from barges and bridges on the Ohio River.  It's a big event with coordinating music, and is televised for those of us who choose to celebrate a little more sedately.

Now for the stars lining up - this year, today, Labor Day, is September 1.  Those of you lucky enough to have access to Graeter's ice cream can get the new monthly special flavor, in September Elena's Blueberry Pie.

All the monthly special flavors are good, of course, but Elena's Blueberry Pie ranks way up there.  Bonus:  it helps support The Cure Starts Now, a pediatric brain tumor research charity.

Number Ten

 

Moda Blockheads block ten.  Such an easy block.  For me, so much redoing and ripping.

It started with different fabric choices.  There is probably a reason for following the directions in order.  And for cutting all the pieces before beginning to sew.

I pieced the center block first instead of last, just wanting to get motivated, and then the little triangle blocks didn't look nice with it at all.  Then the fabrics I picked for the four large triangle blocks, which should have been made first, didn't look good with the little triangles and center block.

And then piecing everything together - I got the little triangle blocks in the wrong orientation time and time again.  No reason, other than just zoning out.  Which led to the little triangle blocks starting to fray and needing to be resewn and repressed at the ends.

In the end, of course, it's my favorite block so far.  And I don't know whether it's just prettier or because I worked on it so long.

Flowers of Summer

may

 On this Labor Day weekend, the flowers are blooming profusively, maybe enjoying the cooler days after the hot July and early August.

I'm feeling nostalgic, wanting to hang on to summer but also thinking of .candle scents.  Although I enjoy scented candles, I don't usually burn them during the summer but with shorter days my thoughts turn toward the scents of pumpkin and apples and cinnamon.

Because i keep track of such things in my journal, as a way of keeping myself grounded, I can tell you that on June 24 (close enough to the solstice) sunrise was at 6:13 am and sunset was at 9:07 pm.  And today 7:05 am and 8:11 pm.  It feels like the long days of summer are sliding away even more quickly than usual.

About that eye doctor visit yesterday, it was good in the things that are important.  The new cornea is attached and clear.

I will need a laser treatment at the end of October to zap a "secondary cataract," the back of the lens that is kept in place with cataract surgery to help the eye keep its shape.

It isn't a big deal, very common, just a quick procedure.  I had a moment - I so wanted this to be over - but today I can put it in perspective.  It really isn't a big deal.

Catching Up

 

Sharing theses two new Moda Blockhead blocks before another comes out today. 

I think, but I'm not sure, that with today's new block, I have three more to do before I catch up.  And one of them is a big one.  I've chosen these easy blocks to get started again.

Tomorrow morning is an eye doctor follow-up visit and I'm hoping for a good report.  It's been three weeks since the last one.

My vision in the operated eye is variable from day to day and even from within some days, but the internet tells me that is to be expected. 

I learned after last summer's post surgery adventures to not take visits for granted.  The voice in the back of my mind reminds me of the visit when I thought things were going well, only to learn that I needed another surgery, which turned out to be two.

But, I'm telling myself that this is a different surgery, a different visit, and I'm picturing leaving the office, taking the elevator down, going out to my car and being happy.   

 

Monarch Caterpillars

 My neighbor two houses down has lovely flower beds.  And monarch caterpillars.  

I'm so jealous.

You can see one in the picture, on her milkweed plant.  The fluffy things at the top are seed pods.

This morning, before I knew about the neighboring caterpillars, I put some milkweed seeds from Kristen in damp paper towels in the refrigerator.  The hope is that they will sprout, I'll put them in loose soil, and set them out in late fall for spring plants.

With the milkweed plant already in my garden, maybe next year there will be monarch caterpillars in my own garden.

Friday Nights

Just like in many other places, fall Friday nights here are football nights.

On the left is grandson Aaron's football banner, on the right is his mom.

And between them is the picture my daughter chose for her stick-mounted toddler photo the moms wave around at various times during the Friday night games.  It's a thing.

In Aaron's sweet baby face are his blue, blue eyes.  I used to rock him and look at those blue eyes and be amazed.  Blue eyes just aren't a thing in my family.  Aaron's dad has hazel eyes, my daughter's are dark brown.

I love Aaron's blue eyes.

Can You See It?

 

Can you see it?  Dark space at the bottom, under the sewing table.  Little package laying on the sewing machine. new package of pins, thanks Diane.  Far left, sewing machine needle.  Horizontal slats, window  blinds.  Blue on the slats, stained glass quilt block.  Top, sewing machine top.

All of which means that I was actually sitting there today.  And catching up on one Moda Blockheads block.  There are three more to catch up on, maybe I can do another tomorrow.  For today, I'm content.