Garden Stake Repair

My neighbor gave me a birthday gift of a solar garden stake with the letter "C" outlined in several bright white bulbs.  She searched all over for one with the right initial and ended up asking her daughter to pick it up at a store in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and her daughter's boyfriend brought it to Cincinnati.

So, you can imagine my dismay when I went to snip off the tag and also snipped through a loop of the fiber optic wire.  I hated to even admit to my neighbor what I'd done.  But, my neighbor and her husband went to work and repaired it and tonight the C is burning brightly.  It's so pretty.

I've been working on my quilt with the Viking Platinum 16 and it really is a dream machine.  My free motion, not so much, always.  There is one section that I'm tempted to rip out but I'm trying to talk myself out of that.

When I was young, I had a terrible time with right and left and for a few designs that comes back to haunt me, after all these years.  I draw out the design and trace it with my finger and try out a sample but sometimes . . . I still have trouble.  Thankfully, most designs don't have that kind of right/left orientation work. 

The Time Has Come

The time has come to stop making samplers and start doing an actual quilt on my sit-down quilter.  Yes, I wish my quilting looked better, but it's time to just do it.

I remember my early quilts, how things didn't always match up and how the binding corners weren't mitered.  This is no different.  I'll look back some day and think, "That was early days," and it will be ok.  

Besides, tight free motion like mine always looks better after it's been washed.

Back Porch Sitting

Spending some time back porch sitting tonight.  Watching the little fairy lights on the porch and on the back fence.  I have interstate noise, but I still love it.

This week I planted a couple of plants in the back yard circular bed where a tree was removed.  Last summer I tried a few plants on the other side, other tree removal site, and they have done well.  There is a plan in place for a lovely back yard.

The front yard is looking lovely.  Lots of plants so I don't have to mow on the slope.  It's beginning to evolve, spring blooming plants to summer blooming plants.  That was my dream.

There are times when I wish that I could do all the landscaping at one time, but this is better.  It suits me.  It's kind of like a scrappy, improvisational quilt.

And for tonight, West Sixth Belgian Style Blonde.  I love West Sixth.

Summer Outings

Last night we had quite a summer storm, with wind and rain.  I had planned to plant a few things before the rain started but was glad that I didn't.  The pounding rain went on and on.  Even the hardy ornamental grasses are bent over this morning.

Yesterday was a kid day, at Gameworks and Dewey's pizza.  And Barnes and Noble.  They are still not so old that they don't enjoy sitting in the kid reading area and trying out some books.

There was a YMCA day camp at Gameworks with lots of kids.  I was proud of Nora.  When I told them that I was sorry I'd brought them on such a crowded day, she said, "We can work with this."  Very sweet.  Their favorite things were the basketball and football throwing games, which they shared because it was hard to get a turn.  Even when all the kids in the yellow shirts lined up to get on the bus and the place cleared out, they continued to play together.

It always surprises me how kids are such traditionalists.  They like to go back to places they sat at before and eat the menu items they enjoyed before.

I am lucky, so lucky, to be able to go on these kid outings.

Summer Day

I feel itch-y with not being able to share pictures.  The camera function on my phone works fine, it's the sending that isn't working.  And I really want to show you the completed worship banner.  Surely soon.  I've been trying this and that without success.

I've been wishing for an engrossing project, and that certainly happened with the banner.  Now, at the end of the week, my house is in minor chaos, laundry piled up, dishes undone.  But, I got my wish.

Yesterday was a busy day.  To church to hang that banner, to Middletown for a visitation for my friend's son, to a couple of stores for items for a Mennonite Central Committee relief kit.  I hadn't planned to do a kit, but friends invited me to go in with them, splitting the items, and that sounded good.

Last night it was still so hot, and I was out of good books.  I had an unread library book, but I could tell from the first few pages that it wasn't a book that I wanted to spend time with.  I stopped at Dollar Tree to get some wide-toothed combs for the relief kit and found something I liked in their book section.  Their book section has lots of books that I don't want to read but there are a few gems there too.  So, for $1, I got my fix.

Then my neighbor texted and I spent some time sitting by her pool as the sun went down and the solar lights went on.  The heat of the day lessened.  Perfect. 

Back Porch

I have a picture of a young deer to show you, but for some reason my camera to email function isn't working.

Last evening, the grands and I were sitting on the back porch, they were playing "restaurant" with play dough.  The deer came strolling through the back yards and stopped to admire the kids.  No fear what so ever.  It had velvet-y little antlers.

We sat there, admired the rainbow, talked about the Reds' rain delay.  The score was tied 3 - 3 in the bottom of the 8th, two on base.  We talked about how amazing it would be if the next batter up hit a home run after the delay.  Almost as soon as the "play" time came, we heard the fireworks for a home run.  The grands' eyes got huge, and they crowded around my phone so we could check the updated score.  Sure enough, 6 - 3.

After a bit, we heard the game-winning fireworks.  The grands stated that they really like my house, meaning the location.

You have to realize that the Reds have had a sad rebuilding year.  It hasn't been easy to be a Reds fan, you just have to look for the stories of personal achievement and be happy with that.  Prior to this week, they had won only 15 games all year.  Now, four wins in a row feels like they've won the World Series.