Misfits

 When I finished piecing the Moda blocks earlier this spring,  three misfit blocks were left over - and one block was keft to do.  The one on the lower left.

In the interest of really finishing, and in getting the three misfit  blocks off the table, I pieced that fourth block and stitched the bocks together.

The blocks still look like misfits, but with some quilting they will make a pretty enough Christmas table topper.

When I was telling you about that lower left block, I was reminded about how long it took me as a child to learn right from left.  (That, and tying my shoes.  My mother dispaired.)  I'm pretty sure I was the last in my class to learn both

I remember sitting in the second grade classroom trying to puzzle out right vs. left, a concept that made no sense.  It was a combination second and third grade classroom and I'm sure I was supposed to be doing something else, but I was easily distracted.

I finally learned by looking to see on which hand women wore their wedding rings and translating that to other situations.  

To this day, I'm always happy for a work-around.  I think it's related to math appreciation.  There are different paths to the right answer.

Morning Glory and Unrelated Stupidity

 The back posch morning glories reseeded themselves, and - bonus - they are flowering much earlier than last year.  Their brightness cheers up each morning.

Now for the stupidity - A few weeeks ago I had my sewing machine serviced, and I'd used it a few times since then.  All was good, until I got really stupid.  I realized I hadn't engaged the dual feed foot and promptly did that.

The backstory is that that feature hooks up to only one of the many feet that come with the machine.  And I chose the wrong one.

I should have looked at the manual, just to be sure I had everything right.  But I didn't because I'd done it many times before.  And then I felt so, so stupid when I went to the dealer because things weren't working.

All the more so because I was an educator for that dealer for many years.

Catch Up - Plant Shopping

As a delayed Mother's Day gift, Sarah and Winnie and the dogs took me plant shopping at the huge nursery north of Cincinnati.

II'm easily impressed - they had complementary icy bottles of cold water.

It's the kind of place where customers stroll around just looking at plants of all kinds, knowledgable employees stroll around asking if they can help, and dog biscuits appear out of employee smock pockets.

I picked out this red cone flower and a bluebeard cryopteris.  I really wanted a milkweek plant but those were very picked over.  I guess that other people want a zoo certified pollenator garden.

Luckily, Winnie located a smaller nursery on the way to the brewery.  That nursery had lots of pollinator plants, inclluding a selection of milkweed - I may have to go back.

Catch Up - Birthday

The day after Aaron's high school graduation came Sarah's birthday.  We celebrated twice, but the celebration on her actual birthday was at MadTree Brewing.

We love the huge outdoor patio there.  Usually on a Saturday afternoon you'll find grown ups, small children, and dogs.  The rain held off on that rainy weekend and we had a good time.

Note that sitting beside me is Nora.  She turned 21 in December and  she joined the fun.

Who knew - for many years Nora had the long straight hair favored by the high school crowd.  Starting about a year ago she started getting it cut, a little shorter each time.  With the weight gone, her hair turned curly and then added layers meant added curls.

- Catch Up =Graduation

 It's June.  Graduation has come and gone.  I have no grands in high school.

Since the class was large, graduation was held in a college arena.  Even with all those graduates, each had a few moments on the jumbo tron   Parents were given a seating chart so they could spot their grad.

Once everyone had diplomas and tassels had been turned, the audotorium darkened and camera flashlights flickered on the floor and in the upper arena, like a field of fireflies.

Then the lights turned back on and confetti was showered over the graduates.  It was a moment.

Most touching for me was when band graduates joined the symphonic band for one more time.  One last song.

First Catch Up

 

First catch-up - the garden.

It's growing well and looks like the blooming garden of my dreams.  There are three new plants, including a new milkweed.  The spring rains have been kind.

If you look toward the right, you'll see the Pollenator Garden sign from the zoo.

The back yard - not so well.  But maybe there will soon be fewer weeds, starting today.  The morning glories on the back porch have reseeded, and better than last year.

It's June 1 - can you believe it?

Bumper Crop

 

What a lovely display of peonies this spring! 

I have to give credit to my neighbor, whose kitchen window looks oout over the peony bed.  He has been weeding them for the past couple of years and they have responded to his care.  Because these flowers are at a side of my house that I rarely pay attention to, next to my neighbor's driveway, I've sometimes forgotten to care for them.

I'm wondering how old the bed is.  I'm guessing maybe 50 years, but that's only a guess.  Peonies are happy on their own, and mine don't pay attention to the rules.  They don't get much sun, the soil isn't rich, and yet with weeding they are happy.

And the deer don't like them.  How great is that?