Fairies

These Celtic fairies from Embroidery Library caught my eye. The first one is on a premade canvas bag (great sale!) Really tight quarters for embroidery and I caught my needle threader and now it's way out of wack. There may be a new one in my future. In the meantime, I will thread my needle the old fashioned way and not whine about it.

This bag is handmade, with pockets inside and a large zippered pocket on the back. The bag's made from upholstery fabric. It's much easier to embroider on a flat surface, then make the bag.

I think there are more handmade bags in my future. Not tonight, though. I'm really, really tired and plan to go to bed with my book. Hidden Riches by Nora Roberts. Perfect easy summer reading.

Quiet Spot

Yesterday after work, I met Steph and Mike at the Newport Aquarium. I don't know whether it was the earlier rain or just a July Saturday evening, but the place was packed.

Nora and I found the only quiet place, the sand excavation in the otter area. It's just before the entrance to the birds, which Nora wants nothing to do with.

She must not be the only one - there's an exit to by-pass the flying and screeching birds. We took that door and met up with the others outside.

Friday Fill-In # 134

Friday Fill-ins. Gotta love 'em. Thanks for the questions, Tonya.

1. Running out of Diet Coke is not the end of the world, but I would be very sad. It's about the last of my no-real-food-value-but-I-love-it food vices. I'm always looking for a sale to keep my supply up.

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I am being happy that I don't have to water the plants and the tree today. Yes, Bridget, I'm still watering the tree, but it doesn't look hopeful.

3. Diet Coke tastes so good. See # 1.

4. Sometimes, putting others first isn't the best idea. That's a hard lesson for me to learn, though, since I was always taught to think of others first.

5. Red River Gorge is breathtaking, really, a fabulous Kentucky treasure. I love the bumper sticker, "Lost in Red River Gorge, don't find me." Should I go camping this weekend?

6. Well, maybe there is a bigger front-yard garden in my future. Things grow so well there, there's so much sun. I'm thinking about putting a garden where the yard slopes down, then I won't have to mow the slope.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to coming home and sewing, tomorrow my plans include working and teaching a class, and Sunday I want to work on some projects - unless I go camping, hmmmm. Never made it last weekend.

Trip to Graeter's

Tonight Nora and I went to Graeter's, which has some of the best ice cream in Cincinnati. Steph had a coloring contest sheet that we were able to trade for an ice cream cone. The cashier said she'd be sure Nora's picture got hung up with all the others. Did you ever see a better picture of a Kings Island roller coaster?

Vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate chip? Chocolate chip! (Actually, they have other flavors too, but why complicate things?

Good choice - Graeter's chocolate chip has some really big chocolate chunks.

True - Graeter's is irresistible - but so's the girl.

The pink on the cone is my raspberry sorbet - Nora wanted a bit on her cone.

It's been a cool, rainy day, but the place was packed. Cones were definitely the favorite.

The Duck

For awhile now I've been eyeing the Duck, a converted World War II vehicle that travels on both land and water. Yesterday I decided to take the Duck tour, which starts at Newport on the Levee,

drives across the Taylor Southgate bridge into Cincinnati and enters the river there,

goes on the southern side of the river past Covington's Millionnaire's Row, where Steph and Mike had their wedding pictures taken,

goes under the Roebling bridge, down the river a little longer, turns around, and comes back on the Cincinnati side of the river, past these tents,

then goes by the Cincinnati skyline, leaves the river and travels through downtown Cincinnati past Fountain square,

and back across the bridge again into Newport. This was fun, totally relaxing. If you get a chance, do it. Tickets are $15, which is cheaper than at Duck rides in other cities.

Jellyfish

This afternoon I stopped in at the aquarium for a quick look at their new jellyfish exhibit. I'd seen it, sort of, before, but spent most of the time watching Nora jumping up to touch pictures of jellyfish as they floated by, projected on a blue wall.

A trip to the aquarium is so different without kids in tow - ironically, it seems much more chaotic without them. I guess with them I'm just part of the chaos and don't notice it.

The jellyfish were floating peacefully by, seemingly oblivious of everything around them.

Their new digs are ever so nice, including towers of jellyfish that make it easier for more people to enjoy them.

Closed this time was the shark cage, which is a combination close-up movie and a floor that shakes. The sign said it was being repaired because the sharks got too rowdy. Hmmmm.

Glad I missed that.

Aaron Brave and Royal

Brave at Tower Park in Fort Thomas and royal at home.