Summering It Up

All day we summered it up in the 100 degree temps.  Library.  Lunch at Cobblestone.  Ice balls.  Stop for Combos.  This picture, taken outside the Sweet Tooth, represents about only a minute of sitting outside.  (Note Aaron's ice ball mouth.)  In late afternoon we started across town in snarl-y traffic to get Nora home for her game and Nora and Mike took off for a town east of here.

Then, the wind started to pick up and the temperature started to drop.  100 when I left Steph's house, 86 by the time I pulled out of her neighborhood.  Eighty when I stopped at the fabric store ten minutes later.  Seventy now.

News from the game:  hailing so the team went to a near-by Kroger.  Then, game probably on.  Then lightning and rain.  It's the end of the season, tournament, last two days, probably everyone is ready to be done, but they may need to reschedule for another day.  Who would have guessed?  This wasn't expected, we weren't supposed to have rain for days.  My garden is no doubt thrilled.

Under the Interstate

Under the interstate, down by the river.  Who would have thought?  This is the sand volleyball area, a kid dream sandbox on weekdays.  The shadow is from the interstate above.  There are also a couple of nice playgrounds.  Next time we're taking lunch and staying all day.  Two hours of sand and one of playground just wasn't enough.

Summer Squash

One of these days, and not very many days away, these squash will be ready.  Squash are my favorite summer vegetable, so I'm watching them carefully.  And a good thing:  I don't think that deer care for them.

I got these rain bells, a long string of them, and maybe one of these days it will rain and I can hear their gentle music.  They are currently divided into two sections hanging from shepherd's hooks - when I was hanging the whole section on the gutter I was stupid and they crashed down on my head.  It really, really hurt, and there was a lot of bleeding.  I'd like to think that I won't be stupid again, but I know I will be, just not in that way.

Aquarium

On Tuesday we visited the Newport Aquarium, the first time in quite awhile.  We discussed the concept that some kids travel quite a ways to come but we just go down the street.  Steph predicted that there would be more interest in the fish than when the kids were little, and she was right.

This is the first time ever that Nora tried to pet a shark, would even get near the petting pool.  It just wasn't on her radar to even want to do such a thing.

Aaron was disappointed that he couldn't quite ever reach one.  I think those sharks are pretty skilled at getting oh-so-close while avoiding little fingers.  He was thrilled when he went around a corner and saw Nemo in his cylindrical tank.  Absolutely the real thing.

Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone.  A day to be celebrated, the longest day of the year.

Yesterday the kids got ice balls from Sweet Tooth, a long-awaited treat.  They ate part in the store, then we had to leave to get Nora across the river for softball practice.  Not always easy with all the construction traffic.

There was the happy sound of spoons "slushing" the ice until, about five minutes later, there was a spill, followed by tears from Aaron.  You have to understand the eating of ice balls to fully understand this - it takes lots of "slushing" to get it just right, and it was finally just right.  We pulled into Speedway for a Slushee bandaid, no where near the same and both kids agreed that it didn't taste good after the ice balls.  The point, though, was an acknowledgment of the importance of the disappointment.  And a bag of Combos to munch on as we went on our way. 

Spring Reveal

Tomorrow is the first day of summer.  I actually forgot that it wasn't already here.  So many days of temps in the upper 80's and 90's.

The last day of the season is the day to reveal a 12" x 12" quilt for that season, which means that today is the spring reveal.  You'll see mine above.

I started with a pretty conventional spring scene, tulips, blades of grass, green shoots unfurling,  When spring comes, we celebrate the first of all these and love each one.  I always picture several months of new growth, moderate temperatures, the end of the dark and cold.

My quilt represents the shift that occurs several times during spring, the displacement of the "perfect."  The cold comes back.  There are rainy days when we don't get a good look at the garden.  And all too soon, it's downright hot and we worry about our new plantings.  Through the shifts, though, we appreciate the colors, the newness, the growth.

Yay for spring, my favorite season for one more day, because it seems as if my favorite season is always the one we're in.  And, I'm wishing you a happy summer.

Check out Joanne's spring reveal, which will happen some time today.  www.jsuley.blogspot.com 

Really Glad

I'm really glad I decided to make this 4th of July table topper.  Above is the red star side.

And here is the blue flag side.  I don't have a favorite side.  Anita Goodesign Seeing Double. 

And I'm really glad that Sarah took this camping picture.  In the Smokies, just like I like to think of myself.  Thanks, Sarah.  Orange lillies in the background, too.

Half Finished

I don't use my embroidery machine a whole lot these days, especially not for embroidery.  There is an Anita Goodesign collection, though, that I bring out at least once or twice a year.  It's called Seeing Double and is a reversible table topper, with quilting being part of the embroidery.

Last year I couldn't find enough 4th of July fabrics to stitch it out, but there seem to be more this year.  The embroidery goes fairly quickly, although it does require a certain amount of "babysitting," cutting and lining up.  I have half the panels finished, red on one side, blue on the other.  The finished project is pretty large, so I reduced this one by 90%.

With these warm days, I've decided to experiment and try just air conditioning the main floor and using exhaust fans on the top floor of my Cape Cod.  We'll see if this is more efficient.  With this arrangement, upstairs sewing is more comfortable in the early morning hours.  Now I'm about to water outside.  My rain barrel is empty now, but has been nice for watering most of the week.

 

City Summer

Today the kids and I went to the butterfly exhibit at Krohn Conservatory.  They told me ahead of time that they were scared of the butterflies, which they consider flying bugs, probably correctly.  Nevertheless, they were brave and gave it a try.  We didn't stay long and they didn't want anything to do with having a butterfly land on them.

Nora enjoyed the shaved ice from the truck out front - it was made with real fruit syrup with little or no added sugar.  Aaron, however, decided he didn't like it, probably he expected a different concoction.  We'll soon be getting ice balls at the Sweet Tooth and he'll be in heaven. 

Next, we went a few miles to the church to hang a worship banner for Sunday.  I call it "City Summer" because of the sunny yellow and concrete gray mix.  There are twelve accent fabrics for the twelve scriptures which will be highlighted during the summer.

Tall Skirt

My bed is old, and high.  But, for the first time ever, I have a long bed skirt.  I got a new turquoise bed skirt to match the new coverlet, cut the skirt part from the previous white bed skirt, and serged them together.  Now I can hide all manner of things under the bed, should I want to.  Why did it take me so long to think of this?

I spent the afternoon listening to the Reds game (17 hits, game high for the season, yay!) and working on a new worship banner.  All that's left now is to stitch down the binding and the sleeve.  I should be able to hang it tomorrow.

Grands

I am watching the grands a couple of days a week during the summer, and we started out yesterday with a big day.  Swimming at the outdoor pool at the Y for the first time this summer, then lunch down the street at Cobblestone Cafe.  I wanted to be one of those Fort Thomas grandmothers who take their grandkids there.  Nora, healthy eater that she is, chose macaroni salad and a fruit cup.  She gobbled the croissant too.  The cafe usually closes at 2:00 but Tuesday is a late day for them.  I thought that it would be a light crowd during the afternoon but almost every table was full.
 

On down the street at the library, the gerbil was less shy than it has been.  We even got to see some open eyes.  And, joy, the train table had new trains.

Nora picked out lots of books, mostly Arthur books, but one about fats too.  While her brother took several runs up and down the hill, she sat on the curb and read.  

And here's the hill-runner.  I told him he needed to take off his flip flops to run the hill, and he was happy to do it.  Note the post-swimming hair.

Saturday Campground Pictures

Breakfast cereal devoured on coolers

Multi purpose "tools" from the Cades Cove store

 Aaron with Winnie

 Nora with Sarah

The "boys."  The one in the blue sweater is Winnie's dad, Bridget's nephews are the ones in towels.

No bear sightings this time.  A few turkey, a few deer.  Yesterday, back at home, there was a young brave deer at the head of the tree trail.  It wasn't impressed by me at all although I was very close.  It wasn't impressed by the beep when I unlocked the car door or when I started the car.  Perhaps urban deer are only impressed by dogs.

Some People

Some people (any idea who?) come to our camping trip with beautifully appointed camp boxes

 and wine glasses and pretty tablecloths.

That wouldn't be me, but it's fun to see that touch of pretty things within the beauty of the Smokies.

Thanks

Thanks, Carrye, for the kale seedlings.  You filled in just what I was missing.

Stairway

Instead of going to church this morning - well, actually I did plan to go to church, but the project took longer than I anticipated, no surprise there - I removed the yucky 50-year-old gray runner from the stairs going to the second floor.

  

I knew there were oak treads under the carpet, but they were even nicer than I thought.  They will take just a minimum of sanding and patching. 

I am so grateful to the internet for (1) telling me how to do these things, and (2) making it sound easy so I'll actually try it.