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It was such a joy to see the outdoor Lego exhibit at the North Carolina Arboretum, as well as visit the grounds. Every time I go, the landscaping is better than the time before. Lots of good work going on there.
The hummingbird and flower have 31,565 Lego's.
The sculptures are mixed throughout the landscaping, in beds or water features.
This gardener was my absolute favorite. At first glance, you'd never know that it isn't a real person.
Visiting time in Asheville goes by so quickly, and it's nice to take a minute or two to just revisit.
During the North Carolina visit, we added the kids' heights to the wall. Aaron at nine years is taller than Nora was at ten years.
Today is Aaron's birthday. He got a surprise slice of birthday cake at Apollo Flame just before we left Asheville. He was clueless - when he heard the clapping and singing he said, "Oh, it must be someone's birthday," then a delighted look came over his face and he said, "Oh, it's mine."
This is a tired week for me, but so worth it. Today I really do need to do the dishes. I had a sink full of dirty dishes when we left, but it seemed more important to mow the lawn. That's what happens sometimes since I live by myself, things get set aside. And I worked on Friday before we left and then again Tuesday after we came back.
Today I want to get over to the Taft Museum and get a membership, then schedule a visit for the Downton Abbey exhibit. The venue is relatively small, hence the need to schedule in advance. I've seen the exhibit once before at the Biltmore House but this will be a totally different experience.
I always love the Christmas exhibit at the Taft, plus it's so close to home, so I'll try a membership this year. I have memberships at the zoo and aquarium but others come and go. This was the first summer in awhile with no Kings Island passes, but the summer flew by without our even thinking about going.
A visit to Hendersonville, NC, and the grands spent an entire day floating on the lake in one form or another. Here Aaron is in one of the kayaks and Nora is being towed behind. Aaron even had his lunch in a kayak, not wanting to spend any time away from the water. You can see why Sarah and Winnie visits are such a treat.
This small lake is perfect for kayaking and paddle boating. There was also the new fire pit with s'mores and badmitton in the side yard. Walks with the dogs. Movies at home. Staying up late instead of early bedtime for 7 a.m. school for Nora. Quite a weekend.
And the weather, oh, my goodness. A lovely break from the heat and humidity of these past weeks.
It wasn't easy to get up and go to work yesterday, and I'm sure that everyone in the family felt the same about going to work/school after that glorious weekend. Thanks, Winnie, Sarah, and Walt for all that fun.
I kept waking up last night thinking I heard the wind blowing through the trees. In fact, I'm sure it was the air conditioner turning on, but I think it's a signal that my body is happy for September. Cooler temperatures (maybe after next week, which is supposed to be a high 80's/90 week once again,) windows open, pleasant to work in the yard.
My co-workers gave me two lap quilt kits for my birthday, one in pink and one in green. I split them with one of my baby quilt friends, with a pink/green combo for each of us. Of course, she finished hers weeks ago, but I'll be taking mine, above, to our next meeting.
Ohio Valley Quilters is starting a Northern Kentucky presence and I went to a sew day on Monday. I saw numerous friends, and it was nice to just sit and sew for a few hours. As is usual for me, I was grabbing projects at the last minute, including this quilt. I forgot to bring my walking foot for the quilting, just used the regular foot, but it is fine, no pleats. Forgot to bring a ruler for another project and didn't bring the bag of fabric for a third. I'd be concerned about my memory if this wasn't my normal. My sister says we are dreamy, and I prefer that word to some others.
I realize I've been pretty quiet, but all is well. I'm happy for September because it signals longer days in the studio again. I've been sewing downstairs because the studio space is so hot, which means lots of running up and down stairs and not having things close at hand. Yes, I know I'm spoiled, lots of people do this all the time. And I have space for a table in my bedroom, lots of people sew on a kitchen table and have to put things away every time they sew.
I'm looking forward to some Asheville time coming up and a chance to visit and reset.
Thinking about my dad today. He loved football, rarely missed a high school or college game when he was retired. He would be so proud of these two, shown here with their dad. My dad had three granddaughters and was super proud of them. No grandsons. Aaron is the first boy in the mix.
And no,by the way, Aaron hasn't caught up with Nora yet. They were standing on a slope. For now, he just keeps up with her. One of these days she will have a growth spurt and leave him behind, but only for a little while.
I am used to softball/baseball games, which have rain delays and make-up games. Not so football. When it rains, as long as there is no thunder or lightning, they play on. My feet were squishing in my shoes by the end of the day, and Nora's were many times worse. I was under an umbrella, she just had her helmet for protection.
Early in the morning, Nora set off for her first day of middle school, which is sixth grade here. She needs to be out the door by 6:30, earlier if she rides the bus. The three girls on her football team decided to wear their jerseys on the first day.
Aaron's school starts at 9:15, and he was very reluctant to give up his summer.
Looks like he managed a bit of a smile as he dodged the raindrops. Probably no recess for him on this rainy first day. And that boy loves his recess.
And just like that, summer is over. We did go to see Pete the Dragon yesterday, my favorite of our summer movies.
After the recent string of long hot days, looking out at the rain feels glorious. I am hemming a white dress, which has a lining, so basically two hems. It's very circular, lots of hem to do, but it can all be done on the machine with a very slender needle.
As always, I loved our baby quilt group today. And, finally, I had a baby quilt to take since I put on the binding this morning. I had a charm pack, cut the squares in half, and inserted cream solids.
I'm not sure why I feel like I need a close up, because you know by now that much of my quilting is done with the walking foot.
Maggie left for home last night around 1 a.m. Her family gave her so much love, and she absorbed it all like a sponge. She was one happy dog.
I just vacuumed up so much of her dog hair. I work at a store that sells vacuums and never really appreciated the value of a vacuum that does a great job with pet hair.
Yesterday I used my Joann coupon for a ruler that has pink markings. Someone brought one to one of my classes and it seemed like the perfect ruler for dark fabrics. I always have to look twice at the black markings when I'm cutting navy, dark green, or black fabrics. I'll let you know if I love this.
