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?

finally Done

 

My sweet niece sent me two linen dish towels for Christmas, but they wee too pretty to use for drying dishes.

One is serving as a pretty kitchen wall hanging, and the other will turn into six potholders.  It's taken a while, but two of the six are finished.

A friend and I were talking about this type of machine quilting and I decided to give it a try.  It won't be repeated, but it worked out ok for this application.

Here's hoping it doesn't take five more months to do the next two potholders, especially since I like practical art.

Bacl Agaom

 

Ten days is really, really a short time for machine service, but it seemed like a very long time.  

There wasn't anything wrong with it, but it just needed a regular service to keep it happy.  And to keep me happy.

I tried using my machine-before-this-one, and it's a lovely machine, it's just not this machine.  This one threads the needle with the push of a button - magic.  And this one has an integratd dual feed foot - if you know, you know.

So this morning I hemmed a pair of pants, put binding on a potholder, and stitched a portion of a quilt block.  All long, long overdue.

And there was a needed mental reset in my mind, that maybe, just maybe I can do things, I can be pracical and I can be creative, and I can complete things.

This Is Lucky

 

How lucky am I?  My granddaughter's college job is working in a flower shop and she brought me Mother's Day flowers.

One of my own favorite part time jobs was working in a small town flower shop.  It was next a grocery store - not like now, when a floral department is part of the grocery, but a stand alone shop owned by the same person who owned the grocery store.

When Mothr's Day came, part of the grocery cold storage turned into flower and bouquet storage.  It was a sight to see.

Sometimes I drove the delivery van, in the days before GPS.  That would have made it so much easier.

But the best part - stepping into the shop's cold storage area on a winter day.  The smell was heavenly.

But just as good, was working with the floral designers.  They were happy, they were friends, there was lots of chatting.  It was the best. 

Or Maybe Yellow

Or maybe yellow roses are my favorites.

I had a call from the sewing store this morning, and my machine service was finished and ready to be picked up.  Just like that, my other plans for the day seemed less important.  

I need to ask someone to carry my machine into the house and put the steps and my life will feel more normal once again.

I got updates from Aaron's track meet and that was fun.  He was first in discus, pretty good for a kid who's thrown for like two weeks.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I'm making a simple dinner to take to Steph's.  She's the mom in the trenches and I'm just enjoying.

Pink Roses

 

My favorite garden flower is whatever is in bloom, and right not it's pink roses.  

The iris put on a pretty show, and are now gone.  

Some of the new pollinator plants were slow to come up this spring but everything is accounted for now.  I'm on the lookout for a few more milkweed plants, maybe one for my neighbor too.  He's been enjoying the morarch activity on either side of him.

I'm also on the lookout too for a a post so I can hang out the Cincinnati Zoo pollinator garden sign.  It's pretty small.

A few different pollinator plants are on my list too.

Christmas in April

 

Every few days, a new bud or two shows up on my Christmas cactus.  And then later produces the largest, prettiest bloom.  It's almost like the the Christmas cactus is competing with the spring blooms starting to show up outside.

The milkweed plant has emerged and I'm so happy about that.  The iris are blooming.  Some late emerging plants are starting to show up.  I think there's a life lesson in those plants that show up just when I've given up.  

(Did anyone else read Leo the Late Bloomer to their kids?)

There has been a weekend out of town - but not very far.  More about that later.  Sarah and Winnie are traveling back home.  I always hope they will get home before dark but that rarely happens.  I guess it's a mom wish.

Collaborative Baby Quilt

A different kind of baby quilt, with blocks made by several people and  pieced ogether by another,  I was luckky enough to do the quilting and binding.

The women who did the piecing were Arboretum friends, and that was reflected in the fabric choices.  Some of the fabrics were used by everyone, some were added by the individual quilters.

I'm so pleased with the way this turned out.  Thanks to June Jollu for making everything fit together so nicely.

Weeding

 

Granddaughter Nora came a couple of times to weed the front yard beds,  She did a good job, and they look better.

The Felco pruners are here, a Christmas gift from aunts Sarah and Winnie, with her name engraved.  She's landed on landscape design as her major so it was an appropriate gift.

It was such a win/win.  I could pay her, over her objections, and feed her.  And I'm sure the neighbors are grateful.

I'm still hopeful, but it loos like a few of my favorite plants didn't make it through the winter.  Still, the ones that did are filling in nicely.

Except for some top soil, I've put off any visits to the nursery.  Probably just as well, there are frost warnings tonight and tomorrow night.

Hot Cross Buns

 

I decided to not make red beet eggs this year.  No one in the family is as impressed with them as I am.

There may, and may not, be egg coloring at my daughter's house.  The grands are 18 and 21.  The Easter baskets (pails) with goodies and plastic eggs with dollar bills - those will still be there.

At my house, hot cross buns are still a tradition.  I got them yesterday at the little bakery in the downtown area, family owned since 1927, open 3:00 am to 3:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

The clerk put an extra one in my package because it was a little small.  It was delicious.

Something Wrong

 

I thought I'd finished piecing this baby quilt, minus the borders.  It wasn't until I'd looked at the picture that I realized something was wrong.  It isn't too obvious, I'd looked at it time and again on my design wall, but it's there.

I considered leaving it, but in the end I just couldn't.  I just had to take that part of the quilt apart and fix it.

I'm always amazed how piecing that looks like we think it should shows up on a photograph.  Sometimes even more in black and white.   That's my quilting hint for the day - photograph your "finished" piecing, set the photo aside, then look at it again in a few hours.  The next day is even better.

Hint:  to find the error, look at the seond row, far right.  Those little lion heads look like they are vertical.  The other lion head blocks look horizontal.

Walk Today

 

Daylight Savings Time, love it or hate it.  I love it.  I welcome that hour of light placed at the end of the day.

I can't say that it was easy taking that first spring walk up the hill today.  Not the big steep hill on the street below.  Not the shorter but steeper hill going up to the park.  Not the long but less steep hill on the street behind me - I did that one last week.

The one to the left as I go out my door.  A very short block, all up hill.  And then, once I was up there I walked as far as the library.

One of the houses on the way to the library has the prettiest daffodils every spring.  A few have popped out already, with many mor to come.

In my bed the onions and chives have suddenly shot up.  I don't eat any of them, I just like their early green-ness.  Those onions and the iris are some of the first signs up spring.

Off The Floor

 

The Moda Blockheads 6 wallhanging is off the floor and ready for quilting.  (The quilting will take a while because there is a baby quilt in process.)

Because I didn't want a big quilt, there is this wallhanging plus a couple of table toppers.

One of the attractions of this project was hoping that it would help my piecing be more precise.  I'm now more apt to starch my fabric every time prior to cutting. To move the needle over three clicks to get the scant 1/4" seam that works for me.  

Note:  the three clicks may not work for you and your machine.  And, not every machine has the capability to move the needle to the right, but I hope yours does.

I always was a seam presser, and I always use a regular ironing board and iron just so I will get in and out of my chair a lot.  It's like extra exercise, even though the project takes just longer.   There was a lot of getting up and down here.

Starting out, I didn't know what each block would look like and then how they would fit together. I used a white fabric and a blue/gray solid in each block.  Even though there is a lot of movement in the quilt, that kept it from being too chaotic.  

This Recipe Worked Out

This time, the new recipe worked out, for eggplant parmesan.

And I'm wondering why it took me so long to try it.  

What helped - the Private Selection marinara sauce.  That's one of Kroger's labels, and I don't think I've ever been disappointed with anything under that label.  And the combination of frsh mozerella and parmesan.  And oven roasting the eggplant - that alone I'll do again.  

This afternoon I want to get out and walk, while the high temperatue will be 61, and tomorrow it will be 45.

I'm so dismayed about our country's attacking Iran.  I am dismayed about so much news these days, but for me this is a whole new level of dismay.

Best Kind of Snow

 

It's a surprise snow this morning, at least to me.  Huge flakes, 33 degrees.

And it's the best kind of snow because streets and sidewalks are clear and the high today will be 51 degrees.  Bushes and branches are collecting the snow and look so very pretty.

I'm thinking about trying eggplant parm today, it doesn't look too hard, and even if the eggplant doesn't work out like I want it to I can pivot to baked spaghetti.

My last experiment was pad Thai and that was a big failure.

The Joy of King Cake

 

King cake from my favorite bakery - might just be one of my favorite foods.  The dough with cinnamon flakes.  The crunchy sugar.  The pretty colors.  The baby, the beads, and the chocolate coin, sealed together in a little plastic bag.

The joy of something indulgent before the solemn season of Lent.  The joy of sharing something really good.  The joy of going into the bakery early in the morning and seeing stacks of king cakes, ready to go out into the neighborhood.

Once I forgot to order my king cake and went to the big grocery store.  Only once.  It just wasn't the same.  The sugar wasn't crunchy, the dough was plain, the colors not as bright.  Only the box looked the same.

Happy Valentine's Day

 

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.  I hope your day was peaeful and warm.

Sarah's Morning, More Interesting Than Mine

This morning on her way out the door, daughter Sarah heard a barred owl.  And that was pretty nice.

Then when she pulled up at the trailhead where she and a coworker were going running, a barred owl flew past her windshield.  Still very nice, a barred owl can represent wisdom, mystery, or a need for reflection.

But then, on the trail, a barred owl flew at her and hit her in the head and ear.  She has little talon scratches.  It was bad luck for Sarah that she had just pushed back the hood on her hoodie.  

The owl wouldn't let her and her running partner pass on the trail.  There was probably a nest with eggs nearby.

I know, who goes trail running in the early morning darkness - they start work at 7 am -  but I'm sure they had head lamps.

Isn't that just crazy?  I'm wondering, since there were thousands of trees in that forest downed by Helene, whether wildlife is very out of sorts that their habitat has changed.

Things I'm Happy About Today

 

Things I'm happy about today:

After the December/January break, we knotted a comforter at my church yesterday.  Just one, but it was lovely to just sit and knot and chat.

The snow is melting and three of the four front yard solar lights are uncovered -  and shining.  I'd been wondering whether they would.

It's one of my favorite weeks of the year - pitchers and catchers are starting spring training.

One of my friends has asked whether I would make a baby quilt for her granddaughter arriving next month.  And baby quilts are my favorite project.

A young lady knocked on my friend's door today, handed her her wallet, said she had found it at Walgreens, and skipped back down the steps.  And everything was still in the wallet.

Still Pretty

 

The carnations from Nora's bouquet are still lovely.  But the new snow outside, not so much.

I'd timed the grocery pick up early, but by the time I got home it was snowing hard.  And by the time I got the groeries from the car, my feet were wet.

And yet . . .the year my husband and I moved to Detroit, at the end of Janulary following college graduation, there was serious snow on the ground.  There had been a big snow every weekend since Thanksgiving, and that continued.  By March there was barely a one-way path down the residential street - there was just nowhere for the snow to go.  Getting into the driveway was an adventure.

I'm reminded that I need to stop whining.

 

Hash Brown Casserole.

 

There was a pretty little snow this morning.  Every day is starting to look like every other day.  Tomorrow it's supposed to snow again, more than today.

It's getting hard to find something different to cook.  Last night I tried a breakfast casserole with veggie sausage, mushrooms, and bread cubes, plus the usual suspects - eggs, milk, cheese.  

I'll make it again when my daughter comes, subbing hash browns instead of bread cubes to make it gluten free.

And that's as exciting as it gets.

I'm almost finished reading Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler.  Definitely a good read.

Lights On

 

Darn groundhog!  Yesterday the sun shone and the back porch solar lights shone well into the evening.  Today it is snowing and I'm not expecting much evening light.

I was set to go to the Y this morning, I was really going to do it, probably just the treadmill.  But then the snow started earlier than expected, the car was already covered.  I made a quick trip to the library to return a book due tomorrow, and turned back home.  

The next person on the list for The Correspondent will be happy to get a notification that the book will now be theirs.

Instead I put in a DVD - Leslie's Sansone's Older Adults Walk and Firm.  A while ago - years? -  I thought it would be about right for me.  It wasn't.  I didn't finish it.  I've done a lot of exercises since then and finished this time.

I'll do a few more sessions of the DVD, maybe a Silver Sneakers online class or two, and then my goal is to sign up for the Silver Sneakers class at the Y.  I don't know why I find the idea so intimidating, but it is. 

It must be a throwback to high school gym class, when I was SO uncordinated.

Snowy Trolls

 

Yesterday when my daughter was plowing snow at The North Carolina Arboretum she took pictures of the Thomas Dambo trolls.  You can find more of her snowly troll pictures on the Arboretum's website  I chose this one because I like the hair covered wiht snow.

They are visiting until February 17, when they leave for California.  Hopefully they can enjoy warmer weather there.

No trolls here, just snow, and we may get more on Tuesday.

It's a strange Sunday with no NFL games.  We have a week to get our Super Bowl snacks ready.

 

Not My Pcture

 
Not my picture.  It's from my North Carolina daughter.  She got a little snow, but mostly ice.

We got a little ice, but mostly snow.

And neither of us lost power, and I'm grateful.  

Asheville folks prepared and worried, remembering Helene.

I'm grateful for my neighbor who used his snow blower and did the first round of snow removal.

To the two polite boys who knocked on my door looking for a snow removal job and who cleared ice and snow off my porch and steps and sidewalk leading to the street.

And to another neighbor who dug out my car, not an easy job after the snow plow piled up snow.

I'm all set to go, but I'm not going anywhere.  

Scraps

 

You know I love scrappy things.

When Sarah was here during Christmas we made two 12" blocks for a collaborative baby quilt.  Somr of the fabrics were those selected for everyone, and we filled in with a few pieces from my stash to make two blocks.

There were leftover piecs, so this evening I made one more block, just cutting fabrics and stitching and cutting some more.

I have to admit that I'm glad I'm not the person sewing the blocks together.  That's always a challenge witih a collaborative quilt.

January Flowers

 

My granddaughter came yesterday afternoon after her job at a flower shop and brought some flowers.  It was a treat, both the flowers and the visit.  She's a busy college student.

She left with the big container of Tide pods, the big box of dryer sheets, cookies and a frozen pizza from the freezer, and some miscellaneous groceries.  It's fun for me to load her up.

I tried roasting some cashews this evening - I can't remember why I bought raw cashews, but I must have used them for something because the bag had been opened.  The roasting wasn't a big success.

It's been a windy and cold Martin Luther King Day.  I didn't go downtown for the march and outdoor speeches, and I feel a little bad  about that.

The temperature is going way down now, with very cold wind chills.

They Aren''t Mine

 

No, these paperwhites aren't mine.  I gifted them to my sister and she sent me the picture of a few bulbs tucked in a pretty glass bowl with nice rocks.  My sister is like that.  She makes things look so nice.

It's turned cold, but really, it was time.  The possibility of snow this morning turned out to be just a few flakes.

I had an early morning eye doctor appointment, so I was glad the roads were dry.  All was well, the transplant looks good, come back in a month.  Pressures were good.

Then there were just a few minutes at home before it was time to meet my retreat friends for lunch.  Just four of us today, two are in Florida, one on a trip, one sick.

I came home and unplugged the Christmas tree.  Started the process of taking off the lights.  Sarah's light-stringing process ends up with such a lovely tree, white lights buried in the middle and colored around the outside.

It's so dark in the living room now.  I have new LED solar lights outside - but that doesn't brighten things up inside.

It's Time

 

\

It's time.  The last package from my sister and niece is here, and opened, so Christmas is officially over.

My sister and niece always apologize for their package's lateness, and I alwalys reassure them that I prefer it that way.  Just that one package to admire by itself.  And yes, there were two pairs of earrings, one from each.

Christmas was pretty darn awesome.  Sarah and Winnie stayed for twelve days.  There were the usual things - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Dinner at Bridget's.  Sleepovers when Steph came.

And there were new things - New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  The Art Museum.  The Taft Museum.  The Nature Center light display.  Madtree Brewing.

And then the car went up the hill, with little dog Hatch's head hanging out the window.  Sudden quiet.