Friday Fill-In # 174

Friday fill-ins. Happy Friday, everyone.

1. I was wondering whether I can finish Helen's quilt and photograph it for a juried show before I give it to her. It's close to being finished now, but there are still hours to go and the deadline is approaching.

2. I went to Journey Group and I left my book behind. But Violet put it aside for me so I can pick it up later. Actually, it wasn't my book, it was my plate and fork.

3. Why am I so absent-minded? (See answer 2.) And this is nothing new, so don't say it's old age. My sister calls it being dreamy and we share that trait. It makes it hard to focus and hard to find things (I'm looking for my bias tape maker right now. I used it just a few days ago.) I try to compensate by being fairly organized and that helps some but not nearly enough.

4. Gardening was in my thoughts today. I bought a cell pack of peppers to put out in my front yard beds, including my new one. I've got to unload the bags of top soil that I put in the truck for winter weight and enlarge that bed.

5. One of my father's favorite sayings was - I don't have a favorite saying for my father. He was a pretty quiet man. A big reader, and he loved pie and his granddaughters.

6. He's behind with almost everything - I know that feeling! I think I live there. It's not that I'm a big procrastinator, although there's a little of that going on, it's that there's so much I want to do.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm planning to meet friends at Jungle Jim's for a new grocery shopping experience for me, tomorrow my plans included teaching a class, and Sunday I want to work in the yard if it doesn't rain.

Rding and Pretending

I took a couple of things to Steph's last night and found Nora and Aaron riding their little car. Even Aaron took a turn driving with Nora's help.

He also spent a long time in the neighbor's driveway sitting in a yellow truck, just pretending (and said that,) while the other kids were running around.

I got an email from a group asking members to send in pictures of their needle cases. I won't be sending in my picture - I don't think this is what they have in mind. But I do love my little Needle Nest, which keeps my needles secure on a magnatized backing. Wonderfully functional.

Earth Day Revisited

Although we were a few days past Earth Day, the sculptures made with recycled materials were still up at Fountain Square on Saturday.

The shimmery tree with leaves cut from aluminum cans was a hit with everyone.

Second favorite was a waterfall utilizing lids - from soda bottles, detergent bottles, and other twist-offs, right-side up and up-side down. Very clever.

I enjoyed watching the kids' reactions to seeing familiar things used in different ways. Surely there's a good book out there with easy recycling projects.

Fountain Square

The trip to Fountain Square yesterday felt like a long way from home, but it was really about 3 miles. Steph and I took the kids on the bus, a repeat of the good time Aaron and I had a few weeks ago.

At one point Aaron said he wanted to go to the library. The library? Then I realized he and I had stopped there on the day we went to Fountain Square. He wanted the full experience.

This day included a fun stop across the street at Macy's for dry pants for Nora, who got hers soaked in the fountain. Not the big one but this flat one where the jets spout seemingly randomly.

Sweet Nora is just realizing she can read a little and spent her Barnes and Noble time with books while Aaron stayed glued at the train set.

We were eyeing the Duck when we waited for the bus. Soon . . .

And This Song of the Vine

And this song of the vine,
This greeting of mine,
The winds and the birds shall deliver,
To the queen of the west,
In her garlands dressed,
On the banks of the beautiful river.
. . . Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Steph and Aaron at Fountain Square.

Friday Fill-In # 173

Here are the Friday Fill-Ins on a rainy Friday morning.

1. Where are my good intentions to be well on my way to having a pretty yard by this time of the spring? Instead I have weeds and leaves in the flower beds and a new bed only about 1/3 started. With rain all weekend, I won't get much done to correct that. I did get the grass mowed last night and (hurray) remembered to put stabilizer in the gas can that I filled up. I used to start my own plants inside with grow lights and have such a pretty yard. I wonder now how I had time for all that.

2. If wishes were horses, I'd need lots of oats. I have lots of wishes.

3. I'd like to see the wildflowers in the Smokies. Two years ago I went to the Smokies with Bridget and Helen in the spring and there were so many different wildflowers. The creeks were roaring, which they always do, but they were especially exuberant in the spring. We stayed in a little motel right on a creek and the motel had a coffee shop that had a wonderful veggie sandwich on the menu. There was a fire ring outside our back door - just like camping with soft beds and good food.

4. When I was a teen, I thought that my family would be around forever. Now I'd like to go back and pay better attention to some things and ask some questions.

5. One of my mother's favorite sayings was . . . . . my mother wasn't big on sayings, but my grandmother would say, "things can't always be the same." I think of that often. She meant that change would need to be dealt with, although I think of change as bringing newness.

6. I'd have a hard time doing without my sewing machine(s). I get up early in the morning just to be sure I'll get my sewing in. If I'm not sewing, then I'm figuring out what to make next. This morning I finished a shimmery little thread basket and the colors are so pretty.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm planning to stay home and catch-up on some projects and assignments, tomorrow my plans include a trip to the art store (where did that come from? It just popped into my head.), and Sunday I want to have everything ready for Journey Group at my house.

Happy Friday, everyone.

Litttle Apron

Maybe because I have a retro kitchen, I enjoyed making this little apron. I needed to make something with bias binding, and I like making my own bias tape. Very simple, and it matches and doesn't have that hard texture that purchased bias tape has. The foot I used to put it on was wonderful.

Last night I got to spend some time with Nora and Aaron and watch them playing with their two neighbor kids across the street. Aaron loves to run and at 2 1/2 does it well, with his feet skimming over the ground and not bothered by changes in terrain. He ran and ran. Mike's always said Aaron would be a wide receiver and it could be true.

The ice cream truck came along and all the kids got some. For the three boys, their ice cream hit the sidewalk fairly quickly and they went on with their play. Nora was very patient with her snow cone, sitting on her scooter and enjoying the taste and watching the colors blend together.

I have no pictures because I forgot to take my camera when I went to work in the morning. My little cameras don't seem to have a long life and I noticed in the instructions that it says to not keep them in a pocket and to avoid rocking motions (sounds like walking to me.) I got a nice little bag with a neck strap but find that I don't carry it with me. I'm not sure a longer life with fewer pictures is better.