Surrounded by crickets!

Wow, it's really loud around here. The crickets are chirping for all they're worth outside, and we have the windows open. We can hardly hear anything else! Crickets are a sure sign that we're nearing summer's end.

Blogger is accepting my photos for the first time in two days, so I'm catching up. This is the finished I Spy - yay! The cat was trying to climb up it while we were taking pictures. I tried doing free motion quilting, but my machine jammed about a dozen times, so I went back to my tried and true grid. I'm just glad to have it finished!

See this good looking guy? We went to pick blueberries at a friend's house, and came home with seven pints. The pipes you see here hold netting to keep the birds out.

After ten weeks off, school is starting tomorrow. I have to remove the "Ahhhh Summer!" wall hanging from the bulletin board at work and replace it with this. I don't want the school children to feel badly. :>} As you can see I was really enjoying this design.

Take care, and thanks for stopping by.

A Poem for Mom

I sent out a plea for help with a poem I started but couldn't get to sound right. My sister, Sara, did the most amazing job with it. It is a gentle reminder to the staff where our mom lives.

My parts have served me well for years
But now that is not so
Just when I seem to need them most
That's when they choose to go.

My eyes no longer see you;
It really seems a shame,
I'd love to stop and chat a bit
If you'd just say your name.

I know it seems redundant-
I should know who you are,
But all's a blur inside these eyes
I can't see near or far.

Then when you tell me who you are
Please speak up nice and clear,
For though I used to listen well
I now must strain to hear.

And if you see me oddly dressed
For morning or for night,
Don't scold or hold me up to scorn;
I tried to do it right.

The flowered blouse, the pajama top,
The shirt that's striped in blues;
My clothes all look the same to me,
So would you help me choose?

My mind, too, often lets me down
Though once it worked just fine.
I pass the rooms but can't recall
Just how to get to mine.

So if you see me wandering
Just take me by the hand
And help me back to 148
I'm sure you'll understand
That losing track of where I am
And where I meant to go
Is not a bit of fun for me;
It's really quite a blow.

I can't walk fast, or stand for long,
My arms don't work the best,
And though I love to exercise
I'll quickly stop to rest.

But what remains of what I was,
My strongest working part,
Is where I feel your love or scorn-
I feel it in my heart.

I laugh and cry just like I did
When I was twenty-five,
And just like you, I need some love
As long as I'm alive.

You cannot tell by looking
But I still dream and plan,
And inside all these failing parts
I do the best I can.

*******************

Sunday thoughts

Good morning on this lovely Sunday. Blogger is being very stubborn about posting pictures so we will do without. I finished the I Spy quilt - yay! I like the black binding a lot, and will post a photo eventually.

Larry and I were invited to a friend's house to pick blueberries yesterday, so we'll be having more cobbler today. Come join us!

I practically never go to those parties where you have to buy something; you know, Tupperware, Party-lite, etc. I did make an exception this week when our next door neighbor invited me to her Pampered Chef party. She's the one who called 911 for Daniel on that very bad day back in 2007, so I didn't want to turn her down. Also, I needed a Pampered Chef microwave pan. I had one, but once when David was moving it moved with him, and then he moved back without it. Have you been to one of their parties? Well, let me tell you, they know how to sell. The gal demonstrates by letting the guests peel carrots, core cucumbers, make a green pepper into a darling little dish, grate cheese, and more. I peeled the carrot, so the fabulous peeler went on my list. I have peeled about 9 million apples in my life, and this peeler is the best I've ever used. The evening continued like that, and I bought a few useful items, but the point I'm trying to make is:

WHEN are they going to come up with parties like that for useful sewing gadgets?? If you could just try some of the nifty little gizmos you'd know in a minute that you couldn't manage for another day without it. A really great seam ripper, the most versatile ruler, and an opportunity to try all the sizes of rotary cutter to see which you like best; all these would be dandy party demo items. Let's see, different kinds of quilt batting, a few specialty threads to try, and a great big basket of delightfully coordinated fat quarters. If you hear of a party like that, I'd like to be invited!

Have a great weekend wherever you are, and I hope to see you soon.

THIS is summer!

Here it is past the middle of August and it's finally warm enough to swim. Yay! How do you like our "water sculpture"?

Tomatoes: 17 Pumpkins: 0 Quilt Top: 1

I finally finished stitching the I Spy quilt top. Now to add the batting, backing and binding. The back will be orange and the binding black.

While still on the (temporary) design wall.

The morning glories are so beautiful!

Pretty lily!

The coleus is coming along nicely.





Our one tomato plant has 17 green tomatoes on it! Our pumpkin plants have 0 pumpkins on them.

small sewing

Who knew I'd start a third wall of small quilts?

This is Jodie's saying again. Don't you love these colors? Nice and manly for another birthday coming up.

One of the ceramic buttons I found at The Knit Shop a while ago.

Summer is going by far too quickly. It will be time to change the bulletin board at work soon to something more fall like.

2009 Twins Days Double Take Parade

Twinsburg, Ohio has been celebrating twins for 33 years. The Wilcox twins founded the city back in 18 whatever. The city is about five miles from here, and the weather was perfect for the annual Twins Days Double Take parade. The theme was the 1950's and we saw a lot of darling costumes. Some busy seamstresses whipped up the most adorable poodle skirts. We stopped counting after awhile, we saw so many.

The parade royalty.

1950's television costumes - cute!

With a little help from their mom, these gals were able to ride their scooters along the parade route.

Twins of all ages took part.

Even a set of triplets! Don't you love their vehicle?

Most everyone seemed to be having a good time.

I wish you could see this better. It was a library float, and behind the truck were about ten book carts being pushed by willing personel.

Do you have the Geek Squad where you live? They fix computers and get to drive the cutest little cars!

Who knew the Twinsburg Police Department had a corvette??

Twin lions brought by the Lions Club. One of the twins is nearly out of sight on the far left.

What a cool looking vehicle. It ran on two car batteries and was soundless. I've never seen such a thing before.

Somebody got tired of her shoes.

We even saw a quilt in the parade. Nice!

Awwww - so cute!

Suzanne, thank you! Your wonderful package arrived in the mail. Your card is darling, and I love the note you wrote. I always admire the detail you put in your cards.

Suzanne's mum has been busy knitting again.

She made this adorable baby sweater (they call it a jumper in Australia, isn't that neat?) and booties. Her son told her it is silly to send a baby jumper to someone without a baby, but I have a bear! These colors are so beautiful, and can be worn by either a boy or girl. My nephew and his wife are expecting a baby in February, and if I'm feeling very nice I will pass these on to them. :>} I'm glad I have several months in which to admire them!

When I mail a package, the postal employee just puts a sticker on it that states the price. I need to ask for stamps next time. It makes the package even more fun. Look at these gorgeous Australian stamps!

The butter mystery and more.

After Suzanne said butter comes in packets instead of sticks, I started wondering what kind of packet? Larry can't believe how silly I am being - you know, taking a picture of butter. Around here butter comes in one pound boxes. (454 grams). Each box contains four one pound "sticks". They're not really sticks at all, but that's what they're always called. :>} Anyone willing to take up the challenge to photograph your butter packets?

My nephew is a young single guy who goes to church dinners. I needed an idea for his birthday, so his mother (my sister who was visiting) said perhaps something to keep his dish warm while he takes it to church. I found the tutorial by checking Google, and found some nice manly fabric in my stash. The directions said to use a shoestring to tie it closed, and I can't tell you how happy it made me to find that we had one the right color! It is the little things that make us happy, don't you agree? I realized after I took the picture that I left the bow's end askew, but it really does lie down nicely underneath the bow.

Joys of Summer

The joys of summer are plentiful! We love blueberry cobbler, and while blueberries are 99 cents per pint, we are making it often. I'll share the recipe with you:

3 pints (6 cups) blueberries
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal (I like quick oats)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 stick butter (3/8 cup)

With a wire whisk, mix together flour, sugar, uncooked oatmeal, salt, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until crumbly. Add the blueberries, stirring in gently. Bake in large buttered casserole for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool. (baked blueberries are HOT!)
You can speed the cooling process by serving it with vanilla ice cream! :>}
Yummy!

My sister, Sara, is visiting, and brought her fabric stash along. Our handsome cat didn't want her to go home without plenty of black hairs on her fabric.

We went for a delightful walk and saw this baby deer.
The hibuscus are in all their glory. Those red blossoms are bigger than my hand.

Easy and inexpensive belt tutorial

I needed some summer belts. All my new Goodwill pants have belt loops. 39 cents for ribbon, another 39 cents for two D rings, and less than five minutes of time.

Just slide the ribbon through the D rings, fold the end, and stitch in place.

Hem the other end.

Presto! you have a belt. I saw one like it in a catalogue for $27. Who-hooo, I just saved over $26.

This is my lovely sister, Sara, who came to visit, and also needed a belt.

It was so easy I made two!