Daughter visit

Daughter is coming up today and bringing the kids.  Hopefully we can keep them busy.  If the day is nice I'll suggest the park.  They seem to like it there.  It's always nice to have K visit.  I really appreciate it when we have a day to ourselves.  I miss that.  Before she gets her I'll have some picking up to do.
Ordered some heirloom seeds yesterday.  May order more.  Some veggies, some herbs.  I really liked the pear tomatoes, they just keep on comin'.  I'll have to find a way to preserve them.
Speaking of seeds I gathered some old-fashioned hollyhock seeds and will try to get them to grow next year.  The plants were outside the gallery and were volunteers.  Because they seem to enjoy the shade more than full sun I'll plant them on the north side of the house and see what happens.  I have a LOT of zinnia seed heads which I'll be sharing with friends.  These zinnias were amazing.  Some were taller than my 5'8".  Wonder what would happen if I scattered seeds in a section of my land that doesn't get mowed?  I'm going to give it a try.  I have Cosmos seeds I can scatter also.
Well, y'all have a productive day and remember:  live.

Made it through

I made it through yesterday without buying any fabric!  Or notions!  Wow.  I did, however, purchase a couple of stocking stuffers for my grandson.  I shop early.  My friend and I had a very pleasant and delicious lunch which she was kind enough to pay for in return for me driving.  It was a good day and my friend was able to vent (I usually let her do all the talking since she doesn't really have anyone).  We visited the two quilt shops.  She bought yarn for making slippers (yes, one of the shops sells yarn as well as fabric, a most dangerous combination) as well as fabric to back a quilt some senior citizens have made to raise money.  After lunch we mosied around the square checking out some of the shops.  Shoes were a big item on her agenda, it seems.  She bought three pair and it only took an hour!  Then it was on to another shop so she could get some long-sleeved t-shirts.  That didn't take any time at all.  The drive home was uneventful.  I dropped her off at her house and went to the market to get some much needed items (of course, I forgot the shampoo).  All in all a good day even though my ears were tired.
Y'all have a peaceful Sunday and remember.....someone out there needs you.

Shopping trip

It's Saturday and that usually means a day at home getting some things done.  Not today.  Around 10:00 I'm picking up a friend who didn't want to go fabric shopping alone.  She wanted to drive, I told her no way (she slower than a snail and talks constantly while gesturing).  I have to have a lot of patience when with her which is a lot easier when there are just the two of us.  When there are other people I'd like to converse with it's very difficult.  Also she has one of those voices.  You know, like fingernails on a blackboard?  She is a nice person and I'm glad she considers me a friend.  She has taught me a lot about tolerance. 
Back to fabric shopping.  It's like taking a kid into a candy store and saying go for it.  I do not need any more fabric, however.......I know I'll see some I fall in love with and just have to have.  This is not a good thing.  The Georgia ,Quilt Show is coming up in three weeks and I'll be there all three days.  Sooooooooo much fabric!  And notions, must not forget the notions.  Sigh....I'm doomed.  I cannot tell you how many unfinished projects I have or how many kits and patterns I just couldn't live without.  Hopefully, keeping in mind that I have to save lots for a special trip in 2014, I'll refrain from bringing home lots of stuff I don't need.
Y'all have a productive day and remember:  he who dies with the most toys.....is still dead.

Deluge

Rain...lots and lots of rain.  Not gentle.  Nope.  A regular deluge that made going back to sleep this morning impossible (my room is right under the roof).  We need it, though.  The pond is lower than normal and the main pond in the community is really low.  The silly cat wanted to go out so I let her out the back door.  Although I haven't heard from her I don't think she'll stay out long. 
It's quilt guild day and daughter is coming up to join me there.  A nice day together without kids.  I think she deserves at least one day a month without them.  Don't know if she can stay later but if she can we may go to the local knit shop and visit for a while.
Y'all have a glorious day and remember:  believe nothing of what you hear and half of what you see.

Fun at the park

Yesterday daughter brought up her cargo trailer to park it in the yard for the winter.  The kids were with her so I thought it would be cool to take them out to lunch and, since it was a very nice day, go to the park so the kids could play.  The place where we had lunch has just opened and it's great.  Real soda fountain drinks (of which I had one Friday night) and good sandwiches....not just hamburgers and hot dogs.  After lunch we took the kids to the local park.  My grandson soon found a boy his age to hang with and my granddaughter was happy to play on the small slide.  After about an hour it began to feel just a tad too warm and daughter had to get home since a friend was coming to visit her so we called it a day.  Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of granddaughter on the slide (she's 19 months old) not only going down but learning to climb back up.  I wouldn't have been surprised if daughter told me that both kids slept on the way home.  The highlight of the afternoon?  My granddaughter taking my hand and having me go down the slide with her.
Y'all have a loverly day.

Slicing

Day before yesterday I was slicing apples to dehydrate using a kitchen mandolin.  It has no guard.  I now sport a bandage on my right index finger where I took off a small chunk.  I'll be lookong for something to use as a guard before I use the mandolin again.
Daughter and enfants are coming up today so I have to move some things around so the little one can't get 'em.  It'll be nice to see them and I hope it's nice out so we can stay outside...maybe go to the park.
Y'all have an interesting day.

Goin' with the "girls"

Won't be going into the gallery today.  I'm taking the day off and going up to Franklin, NC with some of the ladies from the quilt guild.  It's the monthly birthday girls trip to a couple of quilt shops up there as well as having a lovely lunch.  The neat thing is is if it is your birthday month you get a significant discount on anything you purchase at one of the shops (the discount equals half your age).  The other shops gives a simple discount to everyone.  I don't really need any fabric but, of course, one never knows what new designs are out there.  D and I will be stopping at a couple of other places on the way home.  I want to get a ginormous skein of yard wound into a ball and the yarn shop up there has an amazing winder (it's motorized!) and can wind very large skeins.  The one I have may be a challenge though since it's about 2,000 yards.  Imagine trying to wind a skein of yarn that's over a mile in length!  My arms would fall off.
We had a very nice reception at the gallery last evening.  I was good and stayed away from the fattening stuff and drank tea instead of wine.  Sometimes I wonder why I bother but then I realize that if I want the weight to stay off......
One of the artists is a lady in her 80's.  She has had an amazing artistic journey.  She painted, made beaded jewelry, made pine needle baskets, wove fabric, quilted.  Sounds kinda like my travels in the art world.  Mine aren't as extensive as hers but if I keep going......
I need to get a move on if I'm going to be ready when D comes to pick me up.  Y'all have a gorgeous day and forgive your enemies....it messes up their heads.

Going to the nut house.

I'm picking up my friend Jaymi (she's the fearless director of the gallery I'm always mentioning) later this morning and we're going to Franklin.  We'll have lunch and wander around downtown to see what there is to see.  I've not been able to do that when with the quilting gals as there is a set route we take and quilt shops we stop at.  Usually there isn't enough time to just window shop, etc.  Sooooo.  And on the way home we'll stop at what Jaymi calls the nut house.  It's really a shop named A Room Full of Nuts.  There one can find just about every nut there is in existence and then some.  Also found are chocolate covered fruits, dried fruits, etc.  I loooooove the dark chocolate covered cranberries.  Good for the soul but not the waistline.  The store carries lots of gluten free products.  One of my favorites that Jaymi's daughter introduced me to is Blue Diamond Pecan (or Walnut) crackers.  Yum!
Hey, I'm not trying to advertise anything here, just letting you know of some things that I like at a store I don't get to too often.  There's a lot more I could tell you about but I just wanted to mention my favorites.
I like going on adventures with Jaymi.  We have fun and get to talk. 
Read a short article this morning about a teenager who died when he stuck his head out of a roof hatch on a party bus and his head hit the overpass.  The teens had been warned on numerous occasions not to fool with the hatch, but apparently this guy thought he didn't have to listen.  While I feel sorry for his family, maybe it served as a lesson to the others.
Y'all have a safe weekend and remember:  stupidity kills, just not often enough.