July 24th, 2011

Today's my Birthdayyyy, Happy Birthday to meeee! 67 and counting.
I want to start over with my "365" project that lasted about 5 days last month. A picture a day, I'm sure there will be one today. I will post later and see how I did.

June 21, 2011

Summer officially begins today, it already has by now, and it's all downhill from here. Don't mean to be negative, but I always think about the days getting shorter again, and we've had such a wet and cool spring, now wet and humid summer coming. I love summer, I was born in the summer, that's probably why I hardly ever wear shoes. Well, in the house anyway.

My header picture here changed now to one of my favorite flowers, the zinnia. It is named "Blaze" and would have grown to 3 feet. It's probably not even available anymore. The seed packet is an original that came out of a catalog my daughter bought at a garage sale several years ago. There were several seed packets in it, no seeds. These were to be shown to store buyers. The company is still operating in Faribault MN, my home town, and I actually grew up on the same block as the nursery. We lived in a corner house from the time I was 3, til I moved out after my wedding day, at age 19. The house was demolished a couple years ago, and now the area is used as a supply yard. I have stories to tell about that place, and I even worked there as a teen and again as an adult. This package is probably from the era of my youth, with it being 35 c. I use many of the seed packets as decor in my house, there are flowers and vegetables.

I now have orange zinnias all around my little garden, and in pots, because I bought 2 dozen of them. I had good luck with them last year, and wanted to have a whole border of them this year. They are called Profusion Orange, are small, grow only to 10-12". I have 4 in one pot, a little tight, but had leftovers, I put the picture above this post. Don't know why, but these flowers remind me of the sun, and the lion's mane. I am a Leo, born in July, and have always favored the sun and the lion, hmmmm. I'm not fierce, and hardly ever roar, but am family oriented and protective.

So, welcome, summer!! I will make it thru with ac and projects to keep me busy, family and friend get togethers, and quiet rides on the lake.

4-1-2011

Happy April! Rain overnite, and some sun forecast for today. Hope so, could use some. I'm almost finished with my sports bear I'm making for a fund raiser. Shameless advertising. But it will go to a good cause. I'm tempted to bid on it myself, and bring it back home. Event is tomorrow. I'll post photos when it's done. Then, on to other organizing, sewing, and spring prep. I'm hoping to get everything out of our storage unit this month, so I can stop paying for that. Will sell, give, throw, and pack away the rest. Some stuff I just can't seem to let go. My little garden is all bare now, and I'm tempted to go scratch around, but there are perennials I don't want to disturb, so that's a good reason to wait. It's wet now anyway. Busy weekend ahead, so will get to it now.

3-21-2011 ~ Soggy spring days

They make me sore in the joints. Well, something is, but I'm happy to have rain and not snow!! Our snow on the south side of the house is gone, and the river is rising. Our spring birds are here, robins, redwing blackbirds, great blue heron. Some odd ducks, like the wood ducks and canvasbacks are on the river occasionally, along with the Canada Geese and mallards. Those ducks have been here all winter.
Well, after a year we're going to go unload the storage unit, don't want to pay that anymore. Stuff it in the garage, re-stack and go thru it, sell what needs to go, and give other stuff away. Just can't keep it all and pay to store it. Losing money on that. It will mean lots of work, going thru all that stuff again. I think I have more wool there, want to make some more bunnies. Use it up, but then, I went and bought more coats. Couldn't pass them up at 33c. each. They are washed and dried, now to cut up and press. I like working with wool, but have a ton of cotton to deal with too.
Today is my dad's birthday, he'd be 102, but has been gone almost 30 years. He died in '81. Miss you, dad.

3-4-11

Here's the quilt I made for Judy Neighbors, a quilting friend in VA. She sent me the "rainbow" fabric and the green at the tips of the shamrock. I made it with those and some of my own fabric, it's table topper size. I have one I made for me too, and will post a pic. Hers is so much brighter. Mine is older, made it several years ago, but I still use it on the big white table in the living room. Searched for some Easter stuff yesterday, found my little leprechaun and green shamrock beanie bear. I'll post photos soon of it all, including the bunnies I made from old wool skirts. Doing some rearranging in the guest room. Going to see if I can do some scrapbooking there. It's hard having it in the dining area, and having to put it all aside for eating at the table is a pain. I have so many boxes of stuff that crowd the area, so that will be hidden upstairs and away from our living area. Some of our snow melted, but now we may get more over the next few days. Just can't stop snowing. Will we flood? Hope not, we're not buying insurance, but we have no basement, and we could sandbag if necessary.

3-1-11

Yup, it's been a month, glad to have it behind me, but March can be a challenge too. New month, new eating plan, new vision for the rest of the year, life, etc.
Gave myself a few days, now am taking the doctor's advice and eating better, hopefully. After last night's supper with the Lions Club, broasted chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy, I'll need to fast a day or two. But I didn't, had yogurt. Yum.
Hopefully will finish my shamrock quilt for Judy Neighbors, and post that as my March photo. Then some mending and other sewing that needs finishing. Not too much on my calendar for the month, yet, a few meetings. First is our Friends of the Waterville Library, which we call FOWL, on Thurs. evening. We'll assess our fundraiser, and plan for the rest of the year.
Lent begins on Wed. the 9th, and that will bring us to a very late Easter. That's good, so we can hope to have nice weather for that and our family celebration on May 2nd. I guess that's the plan.
So, now, onward and be healthy. Wish we'd get some melting so we could walk outside, but the streets are still icy and we are forecast more snow soon. We are hoping not to have flooding here. Bring in the sand bags!! Work time!!

2-2-2011

January is gone, but Feb. has started out cold, so no big changes.
I got a nice thank you card in regard to the bears I made, and appreciate that. I'm happy that they are happy with them, and I know they will be loved. I loved making them.
Getting stuff together for our tax man, hope it's not a paying-in year. It will be different with us retired and getting social security.
So I haven't done much but work on the computer, doing some ebay selling. Not much sewing or crafting, did some mending and that takes time too. Has to be done, and more stuff out of my sewing room. Will be moving it soon when Brent moves out and I can put my junk back in the storage room. I'll be able to move around then, more productive that way, when I don't have to squeeze between boxes, and worry about them falling on me. Time to think about making some supper. Have a ham so will use that for starters. I see a pan of ham soup in my future. Have to go get more groceries for the weekend, lots of food moves here.