Copper, at his job

 I really need to get some photo software that I like....I won't go into details...but I was too lazy to go to my old computer to edit this.  It us just show Copper, on the job.  He keeps watch over the front yard.  And also all the neighbor's yards within sight.  And the sidewalks. 

He is always so happy to see his mom come home...his eyes are always watching her.  He does not like her out of his sight.  When she mows, he goes from one window to another trying to keep her in sight.

 We have been having weather that changes but thankfully not the violent weather that some are having.  It was so strange...we had thunder and lightning, but could see sunshine through the storm.  I have seen rain and sun at the same time plenty of times, but don't remember seeing it storming, and wind blowing like crazy but able to see sunshine on past it.  It was as if just a few of the houses had it.  It lasted a few minutes and the rainbow appeared.  There was actually a double, but doesn't show here.  

*********                                                                                                                       I vacuumed this day and ran to walmart for a few items, balanced checkbook.  Does anyone else balance their checkbook?  I never hear anyone mention it, and several say they just glance at the statement to see if they see anything they don't recognize.  

Of course I had dishes to do.  We have a dishwasher, but I just always seem to do them by hand.  When I was a kid, washing dishes after the evening meal was my job.  I hated it...and would try to put it off.  Mom would always say that I could wait, but that I would have to get up and do them the first thing the next morn.  If I had had a dishwasher then, it would have been used.  There was always something more fun to do than wash dishes.

That is about it for today...

499, but who is counting....

 The numbers slowly go up.  I don't recall if I sewed over a day or two last week, but did spend a couple hours upstairs the past couple days trimming blocks to size.  Unlike most quilting blocks, these are just using up odd bits of fabric.  Most blocks you cut the components to a set size and when sewn together, the blocks should all be the same size.  (If you are a quilter, you know that is not always that easy to do.)

With these little blocks, the center 'square' is first of all, not always the same size, and it can be a rectangle if you want, or if that is all you have of the fabric you want to use.  And they don't have to be a perfect square or rectangle either.   So that is why they are first made and then trimmed to size.  

It has been a quiet day in the neighborhood...after storms last night as well as fireworks.  Copper was not happy.  I hate it for him so bad.  He isn't as bad as one Collie I had...she was absolutely terrified of storms.  And the last dog we had before we moved here was fine with storms, but did not like howling wind.  Even with that, she was fine if I slept on the couch, she would sleep on the floor up against the couch and was fine if I were there.

Blooming now....

 Neither of the pics show the true color...specially the Asiatic Lily above.  It has a more pink hue than this shows, and is not near the color that it was last year.  I still like it.

Below is another Asiatic lily, and while it is closer to the true color than the above, it is almost too pink and vibrant.

Even if they change from year to year, it is fun to see how they come out each year.

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It just stormed for a bit...Copper was not the least bit happy.   I sure feel bad for him when it storms or when there are fireworks.   

I have not done a lot today...made an apple crisp this afternoon.  I want to make some peanut butter cookies sometime in the coming weeks.  I forget how much I love them sometimes. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend...

UFO

 I was upstairs last night in some of my sewing stuff...I am calling this a UFO...in quilt lingo that is Un-Finished Object.  In reality I think it was just a practice piece of free motion quilting.  I am not sure what I will do with it.  So I put it back in storage.

I seem to stay busy....went upstairs and vacuumed this morn, after stripping our bed and throwing it in the washer.  Normally I wait and put the sheets right back on the bed, but this time I went ahead and put a set on soon as I got the load started.  I feel like I am wrestling an elephant when I put the fitted sheet on.  I measured the mattress and it is 13 1/2 inches deep so it is quite feat to get the last corner on sometimes.

It rained during the night...actually stormed but I did not hear the storming part.  The day was sunny and warm and windy, but in a matter of minutes it clouded over and looks like rain again.

I need to go give meds here in a minute and see if Roger wants some strawberries and cool whip...not sure what I will do then.  

Finished

 Another finished puzzle.  This one was a bit of challenge but still so fun to work.  I have had it out for probably two weeks, but did not work much on it till the past two or three days.  I think I do better if I just pass by and stand and work a few minutes on a puzzle.  But when it starts getting about a third done,  or a bit more, I find myself wanting to sit and sit at one.  It seems like the only time I can sit and sit is at night when the lighting is not good.

We have tried to find a puzzle table that is adjustable height and would love to find one with a BIG board that will hold 2000 pieces.  I think it is going to be impossible to find one for 2000 pieces.  So for now we just use the dining room table.

Photo from the afternoon...

 I am so glad I still get to see birds like this...it is always exciting to me to see them.

I have been busy today but not much to show for it.  I filled syringes/Levemir, and made up meds.  And two or three other little jobs.  And then watched horse racing!  They are just all so beautiful.  

I also sewed a few lines, and am getting ready to work on the puzzle a bit. 

What I would love to do...

 Have you seen those big metal roosters for yards? Ones similar to THIS?  the ones I see are between 3 and 4 ft tall.  I wish I knew someone that had one I could borrow and put in the back yard.  I would dearly love to see Copper's reaction to one.  I really do not know what he would do, but I bet it would be fun to watch.

This morn he found a nest of baby rabbits right at the corner of the patio in under a clump of daisies.  They were not baby babies...he does not have the instinct to kill that Delta did and pokes at them to get a reaction.  Rachel put him back inside and they hopped out of the yard.  But they were still little...mabye 5 or 6 inches long!

Another shot of one of the begonias...

 We wondered why some have the single layer of petals and the others multiple layers?  

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It is raining here....had been raining since around 10:30 this morn.  But it sounds like it is raining heavier now. 

I ran to Walmart before the rain really started...it was misting a bit and by the time I got home starting to actually sprinkle.  I went upstairs to vacuum before I brought Copper up.  He does not like vacuum cleaners, among other things.  And paces and paces if I vacuum when he is near.  So, I thought I would just leave him in his 'room'

By the time I got him up, it was raining...he had to go out.  And of all times he just took his time.  Came in pretty wet.  We keep towels hanging by the door just for him.  So dried him down as best I could.  He enjoys the drying process....LOL  Needless to say, I did not choose to stay outside any extra this day....on sunny days we both like to go outside...he to sunbathe and me just to enjoy being outside and maybe reading a little.

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Yesterday I cut pieces of the little blocks and made 10...I started sewing more today but I was just chain piecing and only got one step made for about a dozen more blocks.

Sunday coming to an end...

 Just had to show a blossom from the hanging baskets the girls got me.  I have always loved begonias.  I told my daughter she would have to help me keep them growing.  I am not always so good at flowers in planters these past few years.

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I hope you have all had a good day, a wonderful Mother's  Day.  It was good seeing the kids...Lorelei and her mom had had a cold...Lorelei got over hers easily, but Sarah was a bit slower.  She was fine today as far as that goes.

The daughter I lived with made this Honey Dijon chicken...I think she tried the recipe the first time after we moved here.  It is delicious.  I am thankful to have both daughters that like to try new recipes...they both come up with some good ones.  I have tried glancing for the recipe and don't see the one she uses.  I suppose any of them would work.  The chicken fixed like this also warms up an is just as good as when it was first made.

That is about all I have for right now...

One of the many little blocks...

 This is just one of the many little blocks I have made....

And above are few more...I cannot think if they are part of the 450 in my art bin storage or not.  Either way, I made 4 more little blocks last night, so slowly, slowly.

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I took Roger to see his cardiologist one last time...and tell him we have moved and won't be coming back.  He was glad for us to be with family...said that is what life is all about.  He did not know any cardiologist over here but said he would help us find one, but we would be better to ask our primary doctor or friends who they liked.  Which I know he is right there, I was just hoping he knew someone personally.  

He said he had wanted to do another evaluation the of the valve that doesn't close good, but he won't start that now...to let the new doctor we find know about it and if the new doctor wants our records, just have him send the request for it and he will get it right out.  (Of course there are papers we have to sign)

He is just the best dr...he ask us to send him a card/post card every now and then to let him know how we are doing.  And that we can call him at any time, and he will talk to us and give us any guidance he could...he said I know I won't be your doctor but I will help you any way I can...and he gave us a hug good bye.                  **************                                                                                                           Even though the trip back home is only 60 miles, it never fails to take us but what it takes an hour and a half to get there...and I always go the speed limit or above if possible.  I seem to always get behind a slow driver though...or the ones today would speed up to at least the speed limit for a few minutes and then back down below it.  And it is a two lane road so cannot just pass.  

All that to say I was worn out after we got home...and have not done a thing.

 

What would you name this picture...

 We were at Lowe's over the weekend and my daughter pointed out this sight to me.   Maybe  Duck, Duck Goose security?  

440 Little blocks

 I wonder if I will ever reach the 600 number.  That was the original goal, but now I am thinking I might go with fewer.  I am not even sure what size quilt 600 would make.

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I took Roger to have labs today.  They had been predicting rain to start this morning so I was dreading it all weekend.  I worried for nothing.  It still has not rained, though it looks like it might at some point before the night is over.

I fixed burgers on the grill and Roger wanted a smoked sausage.  The burgers were delicious.  If I will leave them alone, I can have a couple tomorrow.  Burgers off the grill are one of my favorite meals.

It is the end of a tiring day for me...I do not have much to say.

Latest puzzle

 I opened this puzzle today.  With the off chance that my daughter might want to work on it, I now at least hunt out the edge pieces, and if she does start to work it, I will put them together.  I still prefer to work sections and get them in place before I put the edge together because they are easier to slide around.   But I am flexible and will gladly work one either way.  The one thing I have often wondered is could a person ever work a jigsaw puzzle while only looking at the backside of the pieces.  She does even want to try.  I would not mind trying on a 500 piece puzzle...but it may never happen.

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At least one of the little squirrels keeps coming out back...maybe to get water from the drain...so my daughter put out a bowl of water.  If Copper sees it he is wild to get out to it so we really have to watch when we go to let him outside.

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I did watch the Kentucky Derby.  And I probably always will if I remember...I had forgotten today till my daughter reminded me.  But used to, the couple hours before the race was spent telling about individual horses and their owners.  The horse's personality, how he was acquired, maybe who his sire was, etc.  The past 4 or 5 years at the least, has slowly gotten till I don't even care if I see or not.  It is all about the stars who are there, and who is wearing what, etc.  And I just don't care who is there, I don't want to see them.  I want to see the horse, and the owners and the riders...they tell a little bit now, but nothing like they used to.  

And I am apt to walk away and do something else...and miss what little they do tell.

I would have loved to meet Secretariat and SeaBiscuit because of their personalities...

From my son-in-law

 Jeremy sent this pic last night...he found this little guy in the parking lot when he was leaving work yesterday.  He took it to the river and left in the grass near it.  I hope it survives.  Isn't it adorable!