Introducing Rosie

The kids had the opportunity to get this poodle/chihuahua puppy a while back and took advantage of it.  Lo has been wanting a puppy for a long time....

Here she is snuggle in with Uncle Otti on the way here a couple weekends ago...

Look at that face!  Lucky for her she has Uncle Otti....he is just so good with her.

I wish you could see her in action...it is so funny...she will be after Uncle Otto and then Kitty Soft Paws will walk by or come in to watch.  Rosie will see her, and its on!  She runs to tackle Kitty Soft Paws...Kitty S.Ps swats her, but only with her paw.  No claws at all.  Then she will take off running with Rosie in hot pursuit.  It cracks me up to watch them.

In a minute, Rosie returns to get after Uncle Otti again, and in a minute, here comes Kitty Soft Paws back.  The same thing happens again...this one time, I was watching Rosie.  She was busy picking at Uncle Otti, she looked and seen Kitty, went back to Otti, then stopped and looked at Kitty again and could no longer resist.

And Sarah says at times Rosie will sometimes be laying still, and here will come Kitty Soft Paws and will pounce on her.  Never a dull moment.

She loves to snuggle into Uncle Otti to sleep in their cage...if she gets put in with him.
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I am worn out this evening...in and out with laundry all this day.  But that is not what I want to talk about/ask.  What do most of you use to clean the doors, etc. of your kitchen cabinets.  I usually use Murphy's Oil soap, but wonder if there was something better.  Tell me what you use and why.

Turrets

The other day as we came home from the heron viewing station, we came back through Paris, Illinois.  I managed to snap these pics...they are through the windshield...we were going slow of course.  This first is/was a corner business.  I honestly cannot remember if anything is there now or not.

Then on a block or two south of the business is the First Baptist Church.

I don't know if this was just a single dwelling at one time...I assume it was.  Now it has appartments...those are mailboxes on the front porch.

Then there was this place...I think a regular home but not positive.  I just love the looks of it.  All of these were taken within 4 or 5 blocks...I think that is a lot of turrets within that short distance. 
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We made a quick run to stay with Tootie on Thursday, she had coughed all night long.  But went to school the next day.  We waited and brought her home with us Friday night.  Of course with school, she had to go back home today.

This is Rosie, her new puppy!  More of her tomorrow...if I don't forget.

Not much going on...

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We will be heading home here in an hour or two...with Lorelei.  She wants to spend the night with us.  She thought it would be fun.  So do I...just a bright spot in our life.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Washed and dried...

This is the little rag quilt I finished yesterday.  I have not measured it, but would guess it is about 40 x 48 inches.  I should have taken a photo of the back but did not think of it.  It is more appealing in real life than it is in this picture.  And oh, so soft and cuddly. 
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We have been gone most of the day.  I got to try out my little camera a bit more.  So far, I am fairly pleased with it.  But have a hard time seeing the screen when out in the sunshine.  Does anyone have any ideas of how to deal with this cheaply.  I have not looked into it much yet.  I was hoping someone could tell me how they have dealt with the problem.   I will probably always take my regular camera for 'just in case.' 

The plus side is how lightweight it is...it is like I am not even carrying anything.  I think it will be wonderful for quick pics of Lorelei or the kitties. 

End of the day approaching...

I'm grasping at straws as to what photos to show.  Can't do a post without photos, can we?  This is my phlox...it is slowing down...but it sure puts on a good show till it freezes.

I can't resist posting photos of the hyacinth beans...

a photo of a single flower of the hyacinth bean.
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Even though it has been an absolutely gorgeous day, I have basically not did much other than sew.  And cut.  I made the little rag quilt...although I told Roger I should call it a coverlet since it does not have a batting.  It was so simple is why I was able to finish it in one day.  I got the seams clipped and it is in the washer as I type.

Hopefully I will have a photo to share tomorrow.

What's happening...

I have a friend whose daughter is expecting her first child...this is going to be a quick rag quilt for her.  Some of these belong to the front and some to the back.  I got them cut today.

This is the focus fabric.  We don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl...so I thought this could be for boy or girl.
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I got a new toy today.  A Canon SX700--shown here.  I can done tell you I am going to love it for taking pictures of quilts and fabrics.  First of all, the lens will open out wide enough till I can get the full quilt easily.  Secondly, its autofocus seems to work wonderfully.  I know there will be things I don't like probably, but I wanted it to fit in my purse to take shopping or to flea markets, etc.

The shots above are taken with it as well as the following shots.

Roger is busy in his shop today.  He has been out there most of the day.

Do you see the visitor?  This is cropped a tiny bit.  Not much.

Puss has just been hanging out...I did have to distract her from the goldfinch earlier.

It's been a beautiful day for hanging out clothes...I have did two kind of small loads.  Too much for one load, so just did them in two loads. 

Remains of the flower garden

I think the clematis if for sure done blooming now...it has these fuzzies all over.  Well, they are starting to fuzz out.

My coneflowers are not what most people would call pretty now...they are has-beens, some heads are black, all the flowers look as if they have been too close to flames.  But I still like them.  I keep meaning to take some of the flower heads and cast them beside the roads at the strip pit in the hopes they will take off out there.  Also meant to do some sunflower seeds that way but didn't.  Maybe I will get it done next spring with the sunflowers...as for the cone flowers, the fall is not over.

Opposite of yesterday

I had planned to get up and finish some sewing...instead we have barely been home today.  We first went south to Terre Haute...then back home and to Arthur, Illinois.  The above photo was taken over there.  The main street is so pretty this year.  With those hanging baskets and with pots of flowers.  It is wonderful to see that when entering the main part of town.

Right now, it is wonderful to be home.  I am worn to a frazzle...I don't have anything interesting to tell or say.  So what are you doing this weekend?  Anything exciting happening?  Any sewing being done by anyone?

A little bit of rust...

Visit the past...

All seen in Rockville, Indiana.
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I have basically did nothing but sew today.  We ate leftovers.  We did not go anywhere.  All in all, a wonderful day.

How about you?  Do you enjoy a day where you don't have to do anywhere, or do you need to get out for it to be a good day?

I call this co-operation.

I happened to walk into the dining room, and there on the window was this guy/gal.  I had my camera laying right there, and got a couple different snaps.  It kept closing and opening its wings.  I don't know what kind this is, do you?  It took off and I did not get a good look at the top side.  I am thinking Hackberry Emperor.
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Nothing lost today.  So far.  The day is not over:-)

A friend stopped by and informed me they are moving...though we don't visit often, I will miss them.  I will miss just knowing they are there.  But they will only be about 4 hours away, so not impossible to visit.  Shoot, we may end up seeing each other more after the move than we do now.

Without flash, with flash--today's project

I finally made up my mind I was either going to make a zippered pouch or quit thinking about it...

I did not have a pink zipper on hand, but had green, blue, red, orange, and this yellow.  So, I chose yellow.  Since it was my first time making this boxy-pouch, I wanted to use what I had on hand.

The first two photos are without flash--the last is with.  The real color--somewhere in between.

I used this video by Melanie Ham to make this project.
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Oh, and BTW, I finally found the organza I have spent so much time looking for.  Up here under the extension table of this sewing machine up here.  I thought I had brought it up here, and looked in the drawers I have dedicated to sewing.  So thought I had just remembered wrong and still left it in the basement in the drawers down there.  I am so relieved to have found it.

Etc.

I have posted this graph before...but it so fits my day.  Actually could have used it one day this weekend.  Between the two days, I have spent hours looking for this piece of organza or voile...don't really know which it is.  I think organza.  I have had it for years, and used a little bit of it.   And I wanted to use it in an fabric collage thing I have been meaning to try for ages.  But could I find it..no!  I have always kept it in a drawer, not with my quilting fabric.
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This little critter is still living in my flower garden.  I think it is just a tiny bit fatter than when shown here.  I wish I could figure a way to show you its web.  it is almost as if it has built it as a cage around itself.  there is web in front of it and there is the web behind it.

My hyacinth bean....I don't know who the resident is.  I did not notice it when I took the picture.

Unpredictable day

We got up to an overcast day...I thought, well, I cannot hang any laundry out.  And up in the morn, Roger decided to head to Terre Haute for some dry ice.  I had to get on line and find a place to get some...found it after the second call, though it was not crushed.  So looked a while longer to try to find it in crushed form, but no luck.

It had turned sunny by then, but I didn't know if it would last...but it did.  So, when we got back I hurried and did a load and hung them out.  Thinking I could just forget about them till late.  They had been out about an hour and seemed almost bone dry...I fooled a bit more and decided to run to the grocery.

Now, it is a good thing I can be there in 5 minutes, and was in and out in probably half an hour.  When I came out of the store, it had darkened up, the wind was blowing, and you could almost feel the rain in the air.  I did not speed on the way home but I sure wanted to.

 I hurried and brought my bags in, and ran back out to gather the clothes in...took them down to the dryer for a few minutes....I did not stay down there to pull them out...but came on back up and it was raining. But could now see the sun.  And that is what it did yesterday evening about this time.  I was so glad I  had hurried through the store...I just hate my clothes getting rained on.

That is about as adventuresome as it gets around here...and I am not complaining at all.

Little pink flowers...

I have no idea what this is...I have not even taken the time to try to identify it.  I do think it pretty though.  This was taken up be low the dam shown in yesterday's post.

I have not did much at all this weekend, nothing much interesting to tell.  I was going through some old emails to delete.  Got to laughing at some of the things Lorelei had done.   Remember the time I had just given her a bath, and came in and set down with her wrapped in a towel....and she asked her Papaw to scratch her toes?  I forget what was said, but I remember her saying, "well, they're right there!"  as she was stretching her foot over to him.

And another time she had fell over into something and got sort of stuck, and cried for her mom to come get her and when Sarah lifted her out she said, "LikeHumpty Dumpty, Mommy!"

Yesterday Sarah said Lorelei told her that her teacher had threatened to move her 'clicker' down, whatever that is, if she didn't stop giggling so much at the boys.  And she said, "But mommy, they are so funny!"  I think the 'clicker' is some kind of way of encouraging the students to behave.  Her teacher this year is the same one she had last year, and Lorelei totally loves her. 

The Big Raccoon Creek

We drove up to the tailwaters of the Cecil M. Harden Lake yesterday,known as Raccoon Lake by some.  The above is where they let the water out of the lake...these young people did not stay there long...they had big sinkers on their lines but the water was too swift even for them.

These photos are maybe 200 yards downstream from the damn.

Normally I can stand down on little sandbar right close to the above tree and fish.  And over across at the trees out in the water...there is usually a Great Blue Heron that wades the water along through there trying to catch its own dinner.  You can see it here...it is on up the creek a little farther than this but not by much cause I stood not too far up from this tree to take that picture.

 After leaving there, we drove on down to Mansfield...Roger took these too pics.  Normally there is a rock ledge down that the water rushes over...look here for a pic when it is normal.

Notice where the water is at under this little footbridge, then look here to see what is closer to normal, but even in it, the creek is up.  Look how much lower the water is under the foot bridge in it.

Needless to say, I am beginning to think we will get to wade this creek and fish this summer.  And I doube that we are going to get to take Lorelei there to fish and play.

Yellow flower...

Fall is approaching and along with it, a lot of yellow flowers...

I am not sure of the name of either of these first two.

Believe it or not, this one is goldenrod.  I saw my first a week or two ago, but did not stop to take pictures.  I could not resist this single stem of it today.
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We took the day off and did nothing at all here.    Hopefully tomorrow I will do something worthwhile.

The skies, the skies!

This was taking yesterday, but as I sit and look out my window, the sky is just absolutely gorgeous this day, too.  They have been this way for at least the past three days...I posted some taken day before yesterday on my Time Stand Still blog.I am so tempted to grab my camera and go.  On the other hand, my bottom is almost glued to this chair with super glue.

The stress of getting one room painted, plus then switching rooms has left me worn to a frazzle.  I could climb into bed right now and think I could go to sleep for the rest of the evening.  However I have a load of clothes to put away that I just brought in from off the line.  I should be busy with other things, but may end up taking the camera and leaving.  Or I might sew a bit.  Or even blog a while...I don't think I have visited a single blog today!

There is always so much I want to do that it is hard to choose.   I guess that is better than being bored.

Letting go?

In switching bedrooms, I came across a box of cuttings such as this.  I didn't take this picture then.  Just happened to find this in the archives.  These are all leaves, etc that my mom sat and cut.  But in that box are all kinds of cardboard templates she has made.   I am not sure what I did with the box, but will try to take more pictures at some time or other.

Back then there was not near all the magazines, etc available about quilting.  I was probably in my late 20's at least and possibly 30's before there was many.  So, when mom wanted a pattern, she came up with it herself.  There was no magazine, no quilt shop to go to.  Back then it was such a big deal to us if one of the women's magazine featured a quilt.

Anyway, we got the other bedroom back together yesterday, and I was thinking when I come across the box of bits and pieces of patterns, that I will just give them a pitch.  No one else will want them, and I don't get them out once a year even.  But looking at this pic, I am not sure I can let them go.  Quilting was mom's one hobby.  She really loved to quilt, and would talk about how good a quilt would feel on a cold winter night.  She made some thinking how pretty they would be, but I think she enjoyed making quilts and thinking how they would keep her family warm.

So, now I don't know if I can let go of them or not. 

A Tennessee scene

I have been posting Tennessee barns for The Barn Collective...and came across this.  There is something about it that is restful.  I have cropped it a little bit.  For a better view, click to see a bigger pic.  To see more of the Tennessee barns, click HERE....the first 7 posts are Tennessee barns from April 26, 2011...as is this picture.

It was one of the best days for barns...I just thought to count how many different barns I captured that day and it was 61!  Granted, they are not all good enough to post.  I also got at least half a dozen old houses/shacks. 

We did nothing here yesterday...well, I did give a desk away.  It is out of the house and gone.  It was sitting in my kitchen, so glad to have it out of the way.  Hoping we can get started after while and get a bit accomplished today. 

At the end of the day

This is an old shot, from 2011...and while it isn't near this pretty out, it is the end of the day.
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We have moved everything out of the one bedroom, and gotten it painted this day.  But we are not even starting to put anything back in.  We are both too tired to move.  I am so relieved to have things this far along.  The worst part is over with as far as I am concerned. 

I don't know about anyone else, but I am thankful for the angled paintbrushes.  We call them cutting in brushes.  I am not too picky...with this old house, it doesn't pay to be.  But the cutting in brushes are so much quicker to use, and actually better results than when I have taped things off.

Flower garden spider...

I have not looked for it today, but it has been out there for well over a week.  I am hoping it stays the rest of the year.
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Nothing much accomplished today and I feel like I have not stopped.  We had to go to Walmart, then I had to get my hairs cut...and we ran to Menard's in Terre Haute and I did pick out paint for a bedroom.  That is such a chore for me to decide.  Hoping we can start on that tomorrow, but not sure we will.

I just finished up a load of clothes I brought in earlier.  They had been on the line for at least 2 or three hours and had not dried completely.  I just wanted them done.
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Remember the look Bubbie was giving me in the picture yesterday.  Well, last night he ended up in our bedroom, and here he came and jumped up beside me...and would not let me stop petting him for quite a bit.  Then he snuggled in next to me as hard as he could and put his head on my arm/shoulder.   He is so plush, though, that  I cannot stand the heat he generates....so I eventually picked him up and carried him out. 

Bubbie....

He was as disgusted with me as he appears...he did not want to look at me.  And jumped up and walked away within a few seconds.  Any other time he would have demanded that I pet him.

Debating on joining one of the Random 5 things on Friday...may just try to come up with 5 but not join.

1.  Finally, got the desk ready to be taken out of the house, and I have carried the file cabinet out.  I got most things in a new home or else if possible, disposed of them one way or another.  Plus a few more things are gone.  Remember I said few.

2.  So, what is new?  Jeremy and Sarah will be moving back closer to us.  Probably within half an hours' drive.  Jeremy will be starting a new job nearby before the month is out.  Their house went on the market today.  If they don't find anything between now and then, they will stay with us till they do.  He was not actively looking for a job, but a friend said 'Hey, why don't you put in for this?'....he did and he got the job. 

3.   Sewing/quilting is on the back burner right now.  I have the desire but the body is weak.  Or lazy.  Sometimes it hard to tell the difference.

4. I am sitting here wondering what everyone else is reading while trying to remember some of my recent books.  I just finished one from the library:  Immigrant:  A Memoir Across the Atlantic by Sally Bennett.  While I don't regret reading it at all, it was not one that will stand out as a great book.  A book I really enjoyed much more than I expected was When I Married My Mother...by Jo Maeder.  It ended up being much better than I expected.  And I would not fuss if I had to read it again.  (Please feel free to tell me what you have been reading.)

5.  Fall is in the air!!!  You probably didn't need me to tell you that, but I so love this time of year.  I think I always have.

  And just so you know, I made a big pot of hamburger vegetable soup this morn, and I have ate more than enough for two or three people!  Well, maybe enough for two people.    I always wonder if I made things I love more often...maybe I would not eat as much.  I can at least hope it would change things.  With this pot, I will have enough to freeze for another day.

Roger don't mind soup every now and then, but would not want it 2 or 3 times a week.  I could about live on soups...I love my vegetable soup, potato soup, broccoli soup, chili....give me any one of those and I am a happy camper. 

Wishing....

I thought I might as well share some of my wishful thinking...every time I have turned around this afternoon, my thoughts have run this way.....

.....I wish I had all the fresh, from our garden tomatoes that I could eat.  I think I could easily eat  a peck of them in one day.  I would be thankful for just a couple that were thoroughly ripe and had good taste.

...........I really wish I could snap my fingers and have shopping done.  (Like in I Dream of Jeannie.)  (I have been thinking about her lately...wondering if Lorelei would like that show.)

..........I wish I had the de-cluttering done enough till I felt like I was close to being done.  Have only done a little today since we went shopping this morn.

.........I wish when autumn comes, it would come slow and last a long, long time.  There is a feel of fall to the air and the sounds are there.  And while it is my absolute favorite time of year, I don't really look forward to winter.

...........I wish I had time and felt like doing everything I want to do.  I have never, ever understood being bored. 

Is that enough wishful thinking for you?  Want to share some of your wishes...tell me in the comments.  I do enjoy reading them so much.

My very first attempt at watercolor...

About a month ago, after watching and watching videos of watercolor painting, I did my first attempt....this was the result.  It was using the color gray.  There are some definite goof-ups...but I do like my fence...sort of .  I wish I had planned the posts better in relation to that tree! 

I got up the courage to show this after Barb showed her first attempt here.  I love what she did, and what she did with them digitally and think she could be on to something there.  I have not had time to try that with this, and don't even know how it would work with it being in grays.

And I want to make another attempt at something...I guess I did one day while Lorelei was here....but I was just messing with doing trees and a gate.  And have not taken a photo of it.

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Still working on rearranging the clutter I guess you would say.  I have got rid of very little today but I have condensed some.  And Roger has taken a couple of three things for his workshop area.  Going through all this piddly stuff is just so tedious.  

I have enough staples to supple everyone that reads my blog.  I am not sure where they all came from...maybe the girls left some here.  I don't really think that is it, but I cannot remember when I have bought staples.  I do not use them that much.

Well, that is it for now...want to get back to my task.  The end of the desk is in sight.  I would love to finish it tonight.