Lorelei....

This was taken Wednesday by her dad....she had to go to school Thursday.  Soon as she got home from school, we headed home.  She watered the flowers and garden soon as we got home and watered them again this afternoon.  Always busy and willing to help.

From Sarah's yard

This is from the snowball bush in Sarah's yard...to me it is and always will be associated with older people.  All the old folks down home had snowball bushes.  It makes me think they must be easy to grow, and maybe even easy to share.  I think when examined closely, they are gorgeous.

Just simply beautiful...
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I will not be blogging much the next few days.  At least I don't think I will.  We will have Lorelei in a couple or three days.  Sometimes I get a lot of stuff done and others not much at all.

Not a good quality photo

This sign is down below the road as we leave the strip pit area...well, one way we leave.  I have wondered about this sign for ages and ages.  I always wonder about it....about who put it there.  I really need to start photographing more signs. 

When we were first married and lived in Terre Haute...there was a house we would pass fairly often.  One time we would pass, there would be a post hanging on the porch that said 'Monster Mash', the next time we would pass it was no where to be seen.  We watched it for almost two years and it was like that all the time.  We always assumed it was a signal for something.

At least the Manhood Tr. sign is always there.
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We are both dragging tonight.  Roger tilled a new little garden spot today and we got a dozen tomato plants and 8 bell pepper plants planted.  We did that this morn.  Then we waited till late this evening and made my new little flowerbed out front.  I sure hope that everything lives.

Roger says the minute he lays down he will be asleep...I didn't say it but that probably holds true for me, too.

Library

This is the public library, in Spencer,Indiana I believe. 

I just have to show something in each post...I don't think I have ever published these, but have always meant to.  I think it it has appeal with all those windows.  I can't remember where we were going, but wish I had taken the time to go inside and check it out.
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We have been on the go most of the day.  We went to the greenhouse and bought a few plants there, including a few tomoto plants.  We came home and dropped them off and sat for just a few minutes, Then next was Walmart where I picked up several plants...all flowers.  We were in the Rav, and decided we wanted pavers for the new flowerbed. 

We came home and unloaded those plants, measured, and decided how many pavers we wanted.  We did take time to eat a bite, and then got the truck and returned to Walmart.  Roger started loading while I went in and paid...but we have decided to wait till tomorrow to do all the work.  I think.  It will be tempting to get out after it has cooled off.

Old dishes

These were some pretty dishes we seen at the flea market...there was a whole set...the guy said he would give them to me for a good price.  But I have no room for them.

I have been trying to declutter for the past year or more.  I have been doing it in fits and starts.  I told another blogger that it would help a great deal if I could miss it when we hauled a truckload of stuff away.  And that is about the truth.

I worked in the old garage-catchall place last summer and we can actually tell that I got rid of a lot of stuff from there.  But I have probably gotten rid of more stuff from within the house and we don't miss a thing.

I don't think I have hung on to any clothing items in the hopes of losing enough weight to fit into them again.  I have gotten rid of extra pots and pans.  I have thinned out the books till I just cannot part with any that I have left.  Well, if someone wanted to buy some of my quilting books, I could part with a few of them that way.

I have years and years of collections of quilt magazines....I even have a few years' worth of Quilter's Newsletters that were my mom's....and my mom passed away in 1996.  They are a last memory of her sort of...when we would go home every summer, I always sat and looked through them when we sat and visited.

I haven't gotten rid of anything in weeks...maybe I should get busy with it again.

Edited to add:  We were gone for a couple days and I got posts up and ready to post over at Time Stand Still and I put this post  up...kind of as a joke and kind of we were having some hot humid weather and the photo did look appealing. However the joke is on me...I think the high today was 52ºF....and it was windy and too cold to be outside for long without a jacket.

Don't you love that smile?

This was sent to me a week or two ago...I don't know why I haven't posted it.  
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We had to go to Indy to be there to get Lorelei off to school this morn and to get her off the bus this evening.  Both her mom and dad were away for training...her dad had had to spend the night away.  Was she ever happy when he got home this evening. 

Snuggle time

It was snuggle time at Lorelei's house today.  I had these in message...always LOVE to open up and there be pictures.

 I think they both look happy, don't you.

I love it when we are spending the night and sometime during the night, if the door is open to our bedroom, or if we are sleeping on the couch, at some point Otti will come and see me.  He will just lay his head on me waiting for a bit of loving.  I will generally pet him a little, then will just leave my hand laying on him.  Sometimes he just slowly melts to the floor and I make sure my hand stays on him.  He is just so funny and so loving.

A blast from the past....

I am in a reminiscing mood, been going back through my posts about childhood, and noticed this had not been seen by many of my viewers now. So thought I would copy and paste it here.
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These photos were taken long before I even thought about a camera, and at least the top two maybe before I was born. But I am not sure about that. The top is our horse, Old Bob, and that is our dad. Neal nor I know who is on the horse...not any of us kids. And if you look close you see a little girl standing behind Bob. I have no idea who that is either. Bob looks like he is either getting ready to go to work, or coming in from working...notice the collar, etc.

I did not think I had a picture of Bob, but my nephew reminded me of this one. And I had it...but I did not have the one I wanted and of all the photos I took once I got a camera, I cannot find one picture with him in it.

The photos below are taken looking down the hollow from our old home place....all the fields you see plowed up were probably all the work of Bob...as Neal mentioned in his blog, Bob probably kept us from starving. And though these fields don't look very big, it is still a lot of work for one old work horse.
I am sure my brothers could tell you much more about it than me. Each year the ground would be turned over with a plow, which a friend did that had a team of horses, followed by Bob pulling the disc harrow, and maybe pulling a drag over it after that. I barely remember the drag...I don't even have a clear picture in my mind. So I hope Neal or George will pipe in here and explain it. I guess you would call it an implement to pull over the ground to level it out more and maybe to help get rid of the bigger clods of dirt....

I know this picture I am painting is about as clear as mud, but still maybe you will feel some of the same feelings I have when I look at these old photos. It is a time gone by that will never be again. And especially for us that know this place, it does not even look like the same place today. It seemed so big back then, and now when we go up there, we wonder how they raised all the food that they did there.

Plus there was tobacco to raise and field corn for the animals, and probably corn to raise to for cornmeal. I don't know if we raised hogs when we lived up there, but I think we did. When we moved to the new house...we raised and butchered 4 hogs every year...or at least most years. But I will save talking about that for another day.

It is later....I wrote the above this morn and I have just got off the phone with my brother. We were reminiscing. He reminded me a bit back about how Old Bob did not like to be spit on...I don't know if anyone ever actually did. But he got mad if you just made the sound like you were spitting. You ask how do you know he got mad? Make no mistake--he had body language. His ears went back and you could tell as plain as day. I can remember seeing him get mad at someone, but don't remember who or what for. The funny thing about it, I told Neal I never had him get mad at me...I think he would have bit someone had he thought he could get by with it when he was mad. But I tended to spoil him what little I could. He was done getting age on him by the time I got very old. I can remember riding on him a few times when I was very little to get from the old place to our new house and I can remember my older brother plowing the garden a time or two with him...but basically I remember him being retired for the most part since I was old enough to start remembering much.

See the ants....

I had gotten out my camera to take a picture of the spider seen here and decided to take a few more.  The peony is slow blooming this year.  I did not notice ALL these ants till I focused in on it.  I knew there were a few on it, but did not dream there was this many.

I cropped the photo in Picasa, and thought to hit the infrared filter and the above is the result.  Click to expand the view and tell me which you think the ants are more noticeable.

Willy Nilly Friday 5...

1.  My irises have been started blooming, however they are not blooming in their normal order.  This one does usually bloom first, and it did this year.  Next usually comes my peach irises, and some that are so dark purple that they almost look black.  They have always bloomed together.  The peach ones had their first bloom a few days ago, but the dark purple ones have not had a single blossom open.

2.  For all the women for a fun read, go read This Post by That British Woman.

3.  This cow's hairdo made me think of Our Gang's Alfalfa.  Honest to goodness, that was my first thought when I saw her.

4.  Do you stop and ask for directions when lost or unfamiliar with the territory you are in? Do you ever travel with someone that refuses to ask?  This video might explain why some men won't stop to ask for directions. 


5. Does anyone else remember this video/song?

I always wonder how many trys it took to get this right.  If you have not seen it, watch it...what they do is pretty complicated.

Linking with Tanya's Willy Nilly Friday 5....

Just a little post...

We have been going the same route to visit Lorelei for several years now...and I had not really noticed these two barns.

They do sit back off the road.  To be honest, I think maybe they were not very visible.  When I noticed them a few weeks ago, there was a bulldozer there where they had been clearing out brush, bushes, etc.
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I decided to make a run to Walmart today to pick up some graduation cards and another small gift.  Then thought of half a dozen other things.   I can never go out there without finding more than I original went to get.  The only time is if I am in a hurry and Roger is waiting in the car.

I have not been doing a lot on Rachel's quilt...I finished 12 more  of the squares, and I cut out enough jewel pieces to make 12 more this evening.  Hopefully I can get them made in the next few days.

I also have been trying to decide what to make for a baby quilt...I have a few months for it, but would love to get it made and ready.   Or at the least, know what I am going to make.  I am definitely keeping it simple. 





 

Full of blooms

This clematis is full of blooms....I am so pleased with it.  I think I planted it last year.  We  had gotten one of a different color and it died.  I picked this one out, and Roger of course told the greenhouse owners what had happened.  They tried to give me this one free, but I think we settled on half price.  I did not feel it was their fault that the other one died...and Roger didn't either. 

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I did not get any planting done but I did do some weeding!  We mowed the yard.  I don't know if any of you remember me having trouble with my shoulders and having to go to therapy a couple different years....well, they are not exactly normal now, but close.  Every now and then I get real stiff and tense and feel them worse...sometimes one side, sometimes the other.

Well, the point of this is this:  helping mow the yard does wonders for it.  I don't know if it is the physical work or if it is that I just get totally relaxed.  But it really does help.  

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It was almost on the chilly side here today.  I think the high was about 65ºF.  And it was quite breezy all day.  

From the vase...

I made out like a bandit for Mother's Day...I got to actually see Sarah and Tootie on Saturday...they gave me gift cards for Mother's Day.  And I got beautiful flowers from my other daughter.

I had them in the sink adding water, so paused to take a few pics of the different flowers.

These are a richer, darker red than showing here.

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Has anyone bought tennis shoes lately?  There are pink, there are purple, there are orange!  There are teal green. there are gray.  A few black and a few white ...but not a single pair did I find that felt good enough to spend the money on.  Not the black, white or gray that I really wanted, and none of the ones that make a fashion statement.

And have you ever noticed that the places that have the name brands for less than normal...none of those have arch support.  I am convinced the companies make a run of shoes that are sub-standard.

Anyway, I left without any...not to mention I had wanted to find a new pair of slip on shoes that still had a bit of support.  Didn't find any of those either.

We stopped to get a bite to eat and while there, I happened to think of Gander Mountain and their hiking shoes.  Thankfully, I found a pair that seems to feel extra good on concrete.  I could hardly stand to shop long enough to find these...being on concrete really bothers my back and feet.

These are the ones I got...I do like the looks of them and they look so good with jeans..  But I cannot tell you how many pair I tried on before I settled on these.  Most of the others were definitely not an option because I have a problem with one foot.  Do you have trouble finding shoes that fit and feel good?  Every time I have to buy a pair of shoes, I dread it so bad cause I know it is going to be hard.  I think this time was the hardest yet.

More 'creatures' from the Trader's Fair

I am not sure just what this is supposed to be.  I first thought it was a grasshopper.

Now what do you think this one is supposed to be?

Is this one a scorpion?  And did you ever see allen wrenches used in this way?

Our sunshine....

We had to make a run over to Indianapolis the other day...

I took a few pictures of our ray of sunshine...

She was having fun with dandelions.

I think I will put the other two over on Time Stand Still....so go on over there to see the other two.

Another mural...

This is another mural in Brazil, Indiana.  I was snapping while sitting at a red light...through the window.

1.  The funny for today is from Lorelei.  The other night she had had her bath, and was ready for bed.  Her mom told her to come and get her hair brushed.  She wanted to just go to bed.  Her mom reminded her how tangled it would be in the morning.  I can't recall the exact sequence, but it was about she was tired, and her mom told her she was tired, too.  Lorelei's reply was "But you just pass out money all day...I go to school all day and learn math and learn to read!"

2.  Deb told me about this song because of a post I did the other day.  I loved it from the first notes, then the words.  They will strike home for any one that has been involved with farming and loves it.


3.  Is it too soon to complain about the heat?  Just wondering.

4.  I am embarrassed to say I have not planted a single tomato plant nor new flower.  Hoping that changes next week.

5.  I just read East Wind, A True Story by Jacqueline Richards, Lessil Richards.  I really enjoyed it and wished it were longer.

Linking to Tanya's Willy Nilly Friday 5.....

Places like this

Places like this call to me...I want to explore along the banks, I want to fish in the stream.  I want to turn over rocks and look for crawdads...basically, I want to be a kid again.  I can't remember where this was taken...I wondered if I took it after a recent rain.  I went and looked at photos taken the same day and other photos show another creek that is really dried up.
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I have not done two cents worth of anything today.  It is funny, one day I will accomplish a lot and the next day I don't earn my salt.

I did finally go down and sew on 'the quilt.'  I have not sewn on it since I ran out of fabrics, even though I have gotten new ones.  Seems like any time I get stopped on a project, it is hard to pick it up and start again.  But oh, it feels so good to have started again.  It won't be long until until I have to pause and do some more cutting, but at least I have fabrics to cut.
 

A bright and sunny day

It was a bright, sunny, really warm, day....I hung out a couple loads of clothes.  I took the first load out, and started the second load before I hung the first out.  By the time the I hung the second load out, the first load was almost dry.

I was making a late run to the supper walmart, and ran through the end of the strip pit area.  I paused to snap a pic of the frog above...I did not see the second one till I downloaded the images and looked at them on this computer.  You may need to click and expand the view to see it.

And then this fellow paused long enough for me to take a couple quick pics.

All three photos have been cropped and played with in Picasa.
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As I went to Walmart, I was going through farm country, and saw several farmers working.  But if it had been totally dark, I would have known they were or had been working...the smell of fresh turned soil was strong in the air.  In one area, I could smell where wild onions had been disturbed.  I did not find it an offending smell...

Fishing lures

Saw these old lures at the Trader's Fair...thought they were a good photo for tonight.

We went fishing late this evening...Roger spent more time untangling one mess of mine than he did fishing.  I would have done it myself, but he knows how much I love fishing so he just gave me his rod and took mine.  I really don't know how it happened...I had just caught and released a bass, and started to wind the rest of the line in and boy, did I make a mess.

I caught another big crappie, but not as big as the one a few nights ago...and had another crappie on my line and lost my lure.  The crappie wrapped itself around a limb/small bush....and it got off the lure, and left my lure stuck in the tree.  It was a top of the water lure that had two treble hooks, so it got stuck good.  I have had it for years...not sure what it was called. 


It was very much like this one...it has caught a lot of fish.  Mine was even light blue, with a white bottom.

Are you ever at loose ends

I should be sewing on 'the quilt,' but other than shopping for more batiks and cutting some more of the pieces, I have not touched it in several days.  Maybe I will get started again in the next few days.

This afternoon, I thought I would just play a little bit.  In cutting the pieces for the quilt I am working on, I have all these equilateral triangles left over.  I decided to play with them.  Not to really make anything...I just wanted to sew with no real plan.  That way no worries about anything going wrong.

I pulled out a fabric to fuse them to, got the fusible on it and place the triangles on it and pressed into place.  Then I got out my bobbins and found thread that went with them, or else was close enough.  I plugged in my trusty sewing machine and began to use a few of the decorative stitches.

I don't know what I will do with this.  I do wish I had planned it better...I did not know that I would really like it as much as I do.
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Other than this, I have also had the fishing bug the past few days.  I fished for a couple hours the other night, and when we went to Linton the other day, we went on to Goose Pond...and we went fishing yesterday.  The night I went by myself, I caught several...Large-mouth bass, bluegill, and one single crappie but it was the biggest I have ever seen.

Down at Goose Pond I caught two little yellow catfish...I had rather catch nothing as to catch them.  I can barely stand to handle them to get them off the hook.  They are about as bad as creek chub.  It seems like the older I get, the more I hate to handle them.  But if you catch them, there is no getting away from it.  And yesterday, I caught a nice Small-mouth bass at Mansfield.

Since Roger does not care for fresh fish, it is strictly catch and release.

Why blog?

Fabric I purchased at The Busy Bees Quilt shop in Linton.


The other day I read this post over at That British Woman's blog...and I thought it was a good topic.  I would love to hear everyone's reason for blogging. Or write your own post about it.


My first post was May 30, 2007... I started out to encourage myself to take more pictures to post, and also do more quilting to have to share on here.  Hence the name Pics & Pieces.  Photography and Quilting.  My mom and her friends called it quilt piecing...I don't hear that term any more.  If anyone says it, it is me.

I also started it to have a record of my days...though I don't share everything on here.  I wish I had the nerve to share more.  Though I guess I share enough...maybe more than people want to hear when everyone is getting sick.

I found people I love to visit...and when I have been away from blogging for a bit, I usually go back and see what they have posted in my absence. One or two blogs I have went back and looked at ALL their posts.  And there are more that I would love to do that with, but just don't have the time.

I just simply love seeing everyone's world...there are blogs I visit for their photos.  There are blogs I visit to read.  Some blogs I would visit whether they have a photo or not...it is the reading material I go for though I do enjoy their photos--they are so interesting to me I would visit photos or not.  Some I go to for the reading, and the photos.  I would visit whether it was one or the other cause their photos are interesting without the stories behind them. And the words would stand alone, too.

There are one or two that provide comedy relief...

I also have a long list of quilty blogs I visit...two or three I visit almost daily to see if they have posted, but I do have a separate folder of quilt blogs I visit maybe once a month...and I just go back through till I come to a the blog post I seen last.  I seldom comment on these blogs...not even sure why.  I will come nearer commenting if they don't have many comments.
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I not forget my granddaughter...her mom and I and Papaw love to click on the label Lorelei Rose and then just sit and go back through time and see how she has changed. We don't do it every week, maybe not every month...but we do do it now and again and enjoy it.  Sometimes we go back and just watch the videos.

There are more reasons I blog, but right now these are the ones prominent in my mind.