Pics & Pieces

Another from January 19, 2012

2012-01-27T00:55:00.002-05:00

One more picture from a few days ago....I am really beginning to think this is the most snow we are going to see this winter. I don't think it has completely quit raining for over 24 hours. We drover over to the super Walmart in a nearby town, and took some back roads. Water was every where. It looked like regular little streams through some of the fields...fields that you would have thought was flat.
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I chickened out on my computer...I did take all the screws out of the back...and took some little panels off....but neither one gave access to the fan. I have saw a video of how to clean the fan, but not one of how to get to the fan. I have found instructions, but not one single picture is included. And so many things have to be disconnected...if I was familiar with it all I could probably do it. And could probably do it if I had pictures to see...but for now I am not that brave. So far it hasn't quit on me again, so hoping it lasts a while longer.
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I did finish cutting the rest of the strips for Roger's quilt. My friend was talking about pioneer women and what a job it was for them. And wondering how they got enough fabric to make one. I have wondered forever how they did it all. I think back then beds were smaller...when I was young having queen and king sized beds was not the normal thing. Not in our area anyway.

Mom did save every scrap of fabric, and was tickled to death if anyone happened to give her a few. I don't remember it taking her very long to cut out her pieces for a quilt top. She always used a piece of cardboard to make her pattern, and would layer 3 or 4 pieces of her fabric...and she just held the pattern and the fabric together in one hand, and cut around it.

It is a whole different world now...she never went to a quilt shop in her entire life...there wasn't even a good general fabric shop around down there then. I think she only every had one thimble...I bet I have had at least 8 or 10 different styles. I don't know that I ever saw her buy needles...except for me for Home Economics...and maybe some quilting needles. She just kept up with her stuff like that.

And I have said it before, but will say it again...I would love to know how many miles of sewing she has done...both by machine and by hand.

A few visitors...

2012-01-26T00:29:00.006-05:00

I happened to spot the pileated woodpecker across the street, but it was slushing at the time and I dared not get my camera out in it so stood on the porch and shot through my wisteria vine. Slushing is my word for when it is the stage between rain and freezing rain...we had freezing rain, rain, slush, and a tiny bit of snow this evening...
Anyway, trying to do a quick post of a few of the birds that came...is the above a white-capped sparrow? Haven't had time to look...will explain that on farther down.
There were a couple nuthatches to visit,
chickadee/s...didn't see no more than one at a time so don't know if it was just one coming back or more than one.
And there were three pair of cardinals out there at one time...not like we used to have at home by any means but it is the most I have ever seen together at one time here.
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So, I couldn't sleep last night, went back down stairs and cut strips to length from about 2:00 a.m. to after 4:00 a.m., came up and went to bed at last...

Have did laundry, dishes, etc and also been back down there a lot in the afternoon till about 8:00....came back up to sit down and rest. I got my laptop and had not been sitting there any time till it just quit....overheated I am sure. So, am hurrying to post this in case it decides to quit on me again.

I have got to take the back off and see if I can clean out dust and that help. I am sure it is full of it...just no way it isn't. I have a couple posts scheduled for my other blog, but if I don't post for the next day or two, you will know what that something is up with this computer.

Edited to add that My North informed me that it is a white crowned sparrow...I had a feeling I might be wrong but couldn't think what else it could be called.

Seen in an antique shop...

2012-01-24T22:28:00.005-05:00

I don't know why I have never made one a Dutch Girl quilt...I have always liked them.
Mary and I have been talking about making a bucket list of quilts we want to do...
I don't know if I will ever actually do it. I know I won't live near long enough to do all the quilts I want to do.
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I am still working on my latest project. I have made 16 blocks and need to make 2o more. I have had a few days where I haven't touched it...some because I was busy and others because I wasn't in the mood. For the most part though I have worked some on it every day...sometimes not a lot, but others have been down there for hours. I have started cutting more strips...I stood down there for at least two hours cutting tonight and still have a long way to go.

I am wishing I had a couple more light fabrics in the Civil War reproductions, but will try to make do with what I have. I am a quilter, but am always amazed at how much fabric it takes to make a quilt.
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The plans right now are that we are going to have visitors this weekend...a certain little munchkin is coming. Keep your fingers crossed that nothing happens. She has not been here since before Christmas. I have play dough waiting for her, and another little game.

She is still into 'pink' big time...and still plays dress up most days. Sarah got her the movies Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty...she watched Cinderella 3 times and Sleeping Beauty twice!

Images converted to B&W

2012-01-23T14:45:00.004-05:00

This old house above stands across the road from the bottom photo shown in this post.
And the photo below is from right beside the cows in that same photo.

It is a lonely place....but I imagine at one time this old two story home was full of kids....and that there was a lot of living going on here. Did the children get tired of living so far from everything or did they simply want a different way of life than what they had? Or is it possible there were no kids, and the old folks died...and some other farmer on down the road bought the place. I would love to know just how long it has been since anyone lived lived here...I have been passing this place for at least 6 years, and no one has been there.

At least it has not been sold and divided into lots to sell. Yet. I know people have got to live somewhere, but it sort of upsets me to see places that were farms sold and turned into a subdivision.

I go home to Tennessee now, and the places I used to play have homes on them...oh, it is not a subdivision...I/we had a BIG playground. We knew all the people that owned the neighboring farms and were free to roam their land as well as our own, plus the a national park bordered part of our property.

We were not allowed to just run all the time. We all had chores...from a fairly young age. I think I started washing dishes in about 3rd grade...and of course for me there was making beds and sweeping and dusting...though mom was not big on dusting...but the beds were made every day, and the living room and kitchen were swept at least once, and I think the front porch was swept most days....but I cannot remember that for sure.

My brothers all had chores, too...depending on the season....there was wood to cut, and wood and coal to be brought in--first for the stove, and later we had a wood/coal burning furnace. When we got the furnace, I remember really feeling it was something to not have the stove standing in the middle of he living room....

Also, I usually had about three pair of socks to last me a week in school...and I washed them out by hand at night and laid them over the vent from the furnace. Back then everyone wore knee-highs...I don't know about anyone else but me and some of my friends used rubber bands to keep them from sliding back down our legs. We would put the rubber band about an inch from the top...and fold the top down over the band.

Back to the subject...there was work galore on a farm. My brothers did the heavy work...and there was lots of it. We didn't have all the equipment for baling hay, so my brothers always helped other neighbors/friends put up their hay and in return we could use their equipment to cut and put ours up. Usually someone else would run the haybaler...not because my brothers weren't capable, but because their muscles were needed to load and haul the hay in. I can remember one time I think my two older brothers along with someone, maybe my other brother, driving the tractor and wagon...I remember it as they put up 1500 bales in one evening/night..I am saying night also cause they didn't come in till about 10:00 or 11:00...they had worked long after dark.

I am afraid I cannot imagine a 3 boys under 25 yrs. of age doing that this day and age...there are probably a few but sure none that I know. I just remember even back then being so impressed by them doing that. I don't think Neal remembers it, and not sure about George. They had did the field there by home...and the field that belonged to my brothers...so I am pretty sure I have the number of bales right.

Anyway, when we did have time, we were allowed to roam at will...and like I say we had a big area. I was going to get a map from google, but in looking I just could not do it justice on here.

A face in the tree....

2012-01-22T02:43:00.002-05:00

Roger noticed this...not me...someone's homemade version of those eyes and noses you buy to put on trees. Do you know the ones I am talking about...go here, scroll and see some samples of what I am talking about. Who would ever dream of making these things and them selling? I have a friend who has a face on her trees, and I have seen other just cannot think where.

I am tempted to get some or have Roger make some to put on the crab apple tree. The same crab apple tree I vow to cut down every year, but every year I let it to another year. Yet it never gives me the blooms that my mom's always had, and even though it is never loaded down with blooms, there are still plenty of the apples to be a mess.

We have two chainsaws and both are hard to start...so hard that I cannot start them. Even Roger has trouble with them. One is a dream to saw with once it is started...it is balanced just right. The other was from Sears....and it was always so easy to start till we let someone borrow it. Ever since then, I have had problems starting it. Prior to that it was a darn good saw, too, and has cut a pile of wood in our younger years.

Anyway, the point of the story is if I had a chainsaw that would start, that tree would have done been down. I make up my mind to do it, but Roger won't be here when I come to that conclusion. By the time he is available, I have put it on the back burner to think about a while longer.

The way....

2012-01-19T23:07:00.002-05:00

This is what the roads looked like north of here...we had just come up this road. I stopped to take photos of cattle, and old farm house, and could not resist shooting the road.

We ened up in Covington, a small town north of us about 30 or 40 miles...we ate at a little restaurant there, and went in a couple antique shops just to look. I always like looking at old things...some of them bring back memories for me....while a lot are older than that.

In both shops we stopped at, we talked to the owners...had fun visiting with them.

On the way home...

2012-01-18T22:23:00.002-05:00

When we came home from Sarah's the other day, we left while still daylight...but as you know night falls quickly in the winter.
We got to watch a beautiful sunset from beginning to end...I snapped a few shots. they are not the greatest, but still you get the general idea. Oh, look hard at the barn in the second picture has a quilt square on it. It has one on each end...
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I sewed a little more on my newest quilt project. I am relieved to know I figured lengths correctly. Until a few years ago, I would have did that all in my head, and never even questioned it. I guess my head is so full of other stuff, that I have to have a hard copy to focus on!

Peek-a-boo!

2012-01-17T22:57:00.002-05:00

This is how Bubbie does my quilts if he gets any chance at all...I usually keep it folded over he rack and pinned in a couple places. I had had it off, and put it back over the rack but I had not put the pins in place. I came in and Roger told me to look...and there he was. He always works and gets under stuff...sometimes it is a throw rug, which always leaves his back end hanging out. Or he will go in the bathroom and pull the towels down and crawl under them.
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We had thunderstorms before daylight and lots of rain. The rain cleared out early in the day, and the wind started blowing. The morn was shirt-sleeve weather but by evening, a coat was needed. The wind felt like it went right to the bone. I only know this from letting the cats in and out, and feeling the cold when Roger came in and out.

I had 3 or 4 days of not working on my quilt, but got back on track this afternoon and finished cutting the dark strips for the main part of the quilt...and even did just a tiny bit of sewing. Let's hope I get back on track with that...

I'm signing off for now...I have a jar of tomato juice waiting on me in the fridge....there is just nothing like home-canned tomato juice....

Prized Sunday shots...

2012-01-16T17:59:00.003-05:00

I just love both of these photos...in the top one she is giving papaw lips with her fake lipstick. Any time she sees someone with chapstick, she has to have 'lips.''
We had not seen the Toot since the day after New Years...so were very lonesome for her. Sarah called Saturday night, so made plans to go over there Sunday...we got up early, I fried a bunch of chicken legs, and we were on the road by 8:00...or maybe 8:05.

We got there about 10:00....just so wonderful to see them. Lorelei is just changing so much and saying so many things. I don't even know where to begin. I almost need to make notes when she says them.

She was looking through her little old kaleidoscope, and she says "THAT's GORGEOUS!"...emphasizing just like that... and she said it three or four times when she would change it.

Then later we were sitting in the living room, almost ready to head home. Lo had been sitting with me for a while, then got withher mom, then her mom got up, and Lorelei was talking to me. Well, her mom came back and sat down, Lo ran around to the side of her chair and said, "So, you got something you want to give me?' And yes she said it in the form of a question. Sarah laughed and said what would I want to give you or what do you want me to give you....and Lo says "Candy!" and it is the way she says it...just funny. And she also said 'chocolate.' This is just a couple of the ones that tickled us the most.

I am not kidding when I say it was love at first bite as far as Lo and chocolate are concerned...

Well, I am running late...had company today...didn't feel like posting last night so going to get this posted, and try to get something ready for Time Stand Still...

Saturday at the strip pits...

2012-01-15T00:46:00.004-05:00

I ran through the strip pits...and for just a few minutes here and there, there would be this fine snow...making forthese misty pictures.
I couldn't help but snap a few...and I will say it just may be a personal thing with me...you may not like them at all...
And I just love this one. Click and enlarge it, or better yet, right click on it and open in a new tab till you can see the full view of the size I posted. I love how all those cattle on the far hill, are all lined up going in one direction. I could see no reason for them to be doing that, but if you will notice they are all the way across the scene. I could actually see the first cows, but could not really see the tail end of the herd.

Visitors....

2012-01-14T00:10:00.002-05:00

There was lots of activity at the feeders today....including cardinals,
bluejay(s), I actually think only one...
nuthatches,
And tufted titmice...
Oh, and here is another view of the cardinal....

Winter has arrived!!!

2012-01-12T23:40:00.006-05:00

I say that winter has arrived...and it definitely feels like it. It was so windy and cold today...the wind blew so hard that it was hard to stand still to take a photo during some of the gusts.
We ran through the strip pits just to get out a little bit...on entering we started seeing Northern Harriers right away...they were almost hanging in air with hardly a flap of their wings or anything. Just staying in place....
Other than the Northern Harriers, we saw several swans...I am not sure if the majority of them are tundra swans or trumpeter swans...probably tundra but I really don't know how to tell the difference.
But the pair above are mute swans...you can see if you click to enlarge the photo...

and again, more of the tundra or trumpeter swans...both flocks were too far away to get a decent photo.

So far, we just have a skim of snow...but the cold has settled in to stay it seems. And still are supposed to get more snow tonight, but I will believe it when I see it.

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2012-01-12T02:02:00.003-05:00

From a couple years ago...but with any luck, we might see some snow in the next couple of days. I am hoping the forecast is right...we are predicted to get 2-3 inches in our area. It has felt so strange to not have had a snow by now....something more than just a skim.

I spent 4 or 5 hours cutting fabric today....I am close to have enough strips cut to do the center part of the quilt. I got all the lights cut to length today...and got most of the 2 inch strips cut from the darks, plus as I cut them, I also cut one of the lengths. Hopefully will get them cut to length in the next day or two. I have to cut both the each one into 8 different lengths....so it is time consuming.

New beginnings....

2012-01-11T00:16:00.002-05:00

The fabric industry came out with all kinds of Civil War reproduction fabrics....I liked them, but told myself I did not need them. But Roger loved them and wanted a quilt from them....so I have been collecting them for a while. Oh, not all I see by any means but a yard here and and a half yard there...and maybe a fat quarter or two the next time around. I have been looking at different quilt patterns and giving him choices of what he would like made...
and today the cutting began. I am using the log cabin block...but will not show what I am making with it till I am done. I first began by cutting the 2 inch strips from my lighter fabrics....and even began cutting them to lengths. But I have a ways to go before they are done. But the majority of that work is done...at least for the lighter side of the first part of the quilt.
Here is just a small sample from my darks...I have also have blues and a green or two and purple....I think I have more darks than I do lights. But that is okay.

It feels good to have the decisions made of what to make....and to have sat down and figured out the sizes I need to cut of everything. Now if I can just keep from getting distracted and cutting wrong...it s so easy to do sometimes. Especially when all three cats come down to see if they can help. I usually use something and mark my ruler, and I very well may do that tomorrow if I get to go back down and work.

It is supposed to start raining, so it will be a good day to work. We are also lonesome for Lorelei...she called me night before last and wanted to come to my house. Or us to come there. You just cannot imagine how sweet it is to hear her little voice...and she will talk to her Papaw a minute but then she wants her Mamaw back...oh, and she is still dressing up every day as a pink princess. I thought the newness of that might wear off but it hasn't.

I guess we will see what tomorrow brings....

Space Bar

2012-01-09T18:03:00.002-05:00

This is not just a shiny spot on my space bar...it is an actual dent/worn spot. I had thought it was just a worn spot, but happened to catch it in just the right light and seen it is an actual spot that is worn down. Does that mean the keypad is cheap or does it mean I use this keyboard a lot...I dare say it is the last option. (sorry it is so grainy...and not the best quality...the dent did not show with a flash and had the ISO at 1600, and the shutter speed real slow)
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It was another beautiful day...I just got our heat bill. It gives the average daily temp or the month plus it gives it for this month last year. Our average this year is 37ºF....last year it was 24ºF. Quite a difference I think for this time of year. If I was not too lazy I would go back and see how long it has been since we had temps like this.

I had books to return to the library...I did not want to check any out so just ran them in. (Kindles are wonderful--I never thought I would live to see the day when I didn't want to go to the library, but I don't now.) Anyway, we left there and decided to drop by some family, but they were not home. So we ran to Green Valley and even threw our fishing line in a few times. No hits, though. But so nice to be able to do that.

It is supposed to change drastically Thursday....and supposed to have some snow. I don't know if they expect some accumulation or not. With the weather we have been having, it is hard to imagine any snow at all.

Time...

2012-01-08T13:12:00.002-05:00

I am showing these from the strip pits....
I wanted to show them sometime....
I just had not planned on it being today.
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I have just wasted at least an hour on here looking for that little pie chart that shows time spent looking for stuff. Just because of the last few days I have spent oodles of time looking for a pattern, among other stuff. I am talking serious looking time. And I thought it so appropriate.

Then, I realized how much time I was wasting looking for the pie chart. I have used it before and it is somewhere on my blog. So decided to just get to the point and post something...I feel so strange if I don't post a picture of some kind, even if it is unrelated to the post.

It is another pretty day here in west central Indiana...I have a quilt hanging on the line to dry. It is one I keep hanging on a quilt rack, but a certain Bubbie cat goes over and pulls it down, then crawls under it. I usually keep it pinned till he cannot do that, but for some reason had had it off there, and never put the pins back in. It needed washed anyway, so took it down and threw it in the washer and put another little one up there. He has done been over trying to pull it down, but I thought to pin it.

I think I am going to go down and sew some spare blocks I have together and make him his own little quilt. It needs to be big enough for him to crawl under.

Well, I am headed down to sew, hopefully I won't get detoured into looking for something else!

Cox Ford Bridge

2012-01-07T09:49:00.004-05:00

This is the Cox Ford Bridge in Parke County, Indiana, built in 1913 by J. A. Britton.
We try to always carry our rods with us...Roger threw his line in but did not have any hits.
This is looking up Sugar Creek...a beautiful place to be.

We used to come here and wade and fish...now there are signs that no swimming or wading is allowed, and inform that violators will be prosecuted.
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I am getting ready to hang out clothes! Supposed to be close to 50º F. today...I had to wash my tennis shoes since I had walked along the sandbar and my feet sank above the top of my shoes. So I always wash them with towels...figured it would be a good day to hang the out.

The cats are wanting us to come outside and play and I am not joking. They won't go out alone, but when I went out to wipe down the clothesline, all three came out to see what was happening.

Life at the strip pits

2012-01-06T09:35:00.002-05:00

I ran out to the strip pit area night before last to see what I could see....as you can see by the photo below we have had some cold weather.
If I had to title this photo, I would call it Teepees on Ice...just reminded me of an Indian village if I use my imagination.
There were several geese out as the sun started to set...I suppose they were coming in from the fields.
I am not sure if the above will show on your computer...it is very dark at best. So I hit the auto levels button and got the bottom photo...not your greatest photo but it shows the geese better.
I always wonder what they have seen in their travels to get here.
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It is supposed to get up in the high 50's today...I am trying to make up my mind if I want to stay home or want to get out and go while the going is good. I actually wish I could do both, cause I really feel like staying home, yet I feel like we should take advantage of the nice weather and get out while the getting it good.

Pose! While I take your picture...

2012-01-05T11:07:00.005-05:00

Someone got Lorelei a toy camera for Christmas...this is how she has us pose when she wants to 'take' our picture. Sarah has no idea where she got that this is how you are supposed to pose...she makes us lean our heads to the side and pucker our lips! Just so hilarious.
And remember how I told you she wanted everything pink and wanted a pink princess Barbie...
well, how about a pink princess Lorelei...oh, and by the way that is what she calls herself sometimes...
Like any good princess, she loves chocolate!!! I think it so funny, one little taste when she was maybe a year or so old, and she was hooked. Notice her princess dress came off before she was given the chocolate.

She was sick again over Christmas...I don't know if you can tell in these pics...well, the top one was taken January 2....but the other two were at Christmas...I still think it shows in her eyes in the one above.

And the one of her in her princess outfit..she did not want me taking pictures--I took the one and she was like 'no more, Mamaw.' I did not force the issue...but you can just tell that she was not feeling good...normally she loves having her picture taken.

The old and the new....

2012-01-04T09:09:00.005-05:00

First I thought I would show you a quilt top for a baby quilt that I made sometime in the past year or so....I really can't remember just when I made it. It might have been closer to two years ago. I had totally forgot making it....it was made with no baby in mind. I did have a couple girls in mind that I thought might be starting a family sometime in the near future, though.

I have a hard time getting a good overall view, so I took a couple pics of it.

And here we have the small 4-patch quilt top I have been working on...over the past fall. I have worked on it here and there...till last week I got serious about finishing it. It is meant to be just a small quilt for the couch....or maybe a kid. Who knows. The 4-patches are 3 1/2 inches square when finished. And the top itself is 49 inches x 59 inches.

We won't tell about the fact that I tried a new pressure foot on my machine...and they were originally going to be 4 inches finished, but due to slight variation in size, I had to resize all the blocks I made. And we won't tell about the hours I spent ripping out seams the last evening or two. More ripping out than I normally do in a year...probably even in two or three years. Not that I don't make mistakes...I usually just catch them before I compound them.

I started making the 4-patches from scraps from other projects...then I got into cutting a few squares from older fabrics that I just want to use up. Still, most of them are from scraps...however the background squares are about half and half. I think I would have liked it better if I had used one main fabric as the background. And I will say that I think the pictures make it look prettier than the actual top is. But usually things grow on me when I quilt them.

I need to get another batting or two...I have a queen sized and I have queen sized tops, but I want to quilt some of these small tops, plus I also have one or two that are skimpy full sized tops.

After I got this last little top done, I have been working on cleaning up my sewing area, and even went so far as to organize some of my fabric by color. I think I could spend all day working on getting my fabric organized. I sure wish I had a place I could organize it all in one spot. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I even have a place to leave my sewing machines set up.

Roger's latest knife....

2012-01-02T23:15:00.006-05:00

Roger finished this knife and sheath for my nephew a while before Christmas...but I didn't want to show it till he got to give it to him.
He used an airbrush to spray on the special finish...and then it is baked on. It is a finish used by the Navy Seal team....so it should stand up to a lot of wear. As you can see the blade is approximately 5 inches long.
Roger's name is etched in it but you can only see it at a certain angle.
The handle is wrapped with parachute cord...it does not slip out of the hand.
I think it is one of his best looking knives!
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I have been busy with other things...not sure if I am quite ready to get back to blogging, but thought I would give it a shot tonight. My oldest daughter just left today...kind of got the blues about that. Did not get to spend as much time with her as I would have liked...but that is life. I am blessed to have seen her at all.

Just a little charming barn ornament....

2011-12-20T01:04:00.003-05:00

Lorelei's mom saw this ornament and got it for me because she knows how much I love barns...

I have been so preoccupied with other stuff....I have not looked at blogs, not sure if I will get a chance to before Christmas. I am hoping I have time tomorrow night. But in case I don't, I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas.
I also wanted to show a picture of the Christmas tree that I took without the flash...you can still see the Christmas tree skirt. That is how Bubbie keeps it. I straighten it and he manages to almost wad it up into a wad. I straighten it out, and he messes with it again. I have decided to let him have his way. I almost put out presents, but have been so glad I didn't.

I do not know what is going on with the cats...Bubbie wanted out Saturday sometime around dark. He was gone for around 24 hours....he is never gone. For sure not like that. He will go next door, and every now and then he crosses the street...but he is never gone for long. Not like his brother who was responsible for a lot of gray hairs. I really thought something has happened to him. He had a 'garage' smell when he came in...oh, not strong...I had to get down with my face in his fur to smell it....but feel sure he was locked in a neighbor's garage. Just don't know which one.

Before that he was picking on the other cats, almost tore the tree down. He was even playing with one of the cat toys by himself, and usually the only time he plays with one is when we have it tied on the end of a fishing line and swing it around for him.

Then the Puss Puss has just been into every single thing...and she cries...I honestly think she wants to be a mommy. I don't know if it is possible for her to have that longing since is spayed, but she will get stuff and carry it around and cry part of the time. And she has done that lately, but she has also just gotten into everything. No matter what I am doing, she is there sticking her head in to see if she is missing anything. I sure know where the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' came from.
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All this time away from blogging and I have not been doing much. I have spent hours and hours yesterday evening and this evening/night looking for a pattern. I feel like i am always looking for something.

And I was looking through a lot of my fabric....and I found a baby quilt top that I totally forgot about making. And it has not been that long ago at all that I made it. If I had not run across it I would never have remembered it. I will have to take a picture of it next week if I can remember.

Roger has made another knife...I will be showing it sometime in the near future. It is one of the best looking so far.

I need to get to bed...oldest daughter and I plan to make cookies tomorrow...just what I need. Something I can't resist. I think we are just making three or four kinds. Anyway, I need to get to bed till I can get some sleep...
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Lorelei is wanting everything pink for Christmas. We do not know where she came up with that....she wants a pink princess outfit, a pink Barbie, a pink car, and I don't remember what all else she wants. And they were out shopping the other day and Sarah found some pink wrapping paper with princess and she got it and Lorelei was so excited....Oh, mom, you are the greatest...I love you!

Lean on me.....

2011-12-15T16:55:00.004-05:00

,This post is entired due to Sarah sending me stuff to post....just thought they might tickle your funny bone.

Now, weren't those short but sweet! Don't you just love that face in the one...I know you know which one I am talking about.

On the way....

2011-12-14T13:58:00.005-05:00

We went to the strip pits one day last week, and right before we got to the area, we pass this field...first I spotted this small deer...took a couple photos...and said out loud, 'now where is your mama?'
Just a few feet farther on, Roger said, 'there she is.' We were gone at least an hour and a half or two and came back through there, and they were bedded down at the edge of the field. There is a house that sits at one end of the field...I don't know if it is 100 yards away even....
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I got my living room windows washed today...actually I did the one the tree sits in front of before I put the tree up. However, I am in a pickle now. The drapes I use, I washed...they are the type that has the rubbery white coating on the back...I cannot think of the word for that for the life of me. Now, I have washed these drapes numerous times...and they are old. But the ones in here in the dining room look good as new. Two pair in the living room look basically new.

Not the other set. When I went to take it out of the washer...it was stuck to itself. I don't know how to explain it other than that. And when I pulled it apart it pulled the back coating off. Just the one pair. I have no idea why. So, now I need to go find something new. And have I told you how long I have been looking. I even thought one time, well, I will just spend whatever it takes and get what I want. I couldn't find anything I actually liked.

So, I have put them back up for now, till no one can see in. But thinking about heading out here in a few minutes to see what I can see.

Our wild child....

2011-12-13T10:54:00.005-05:00

Edited to add: Sandra first suggested for me to try Firefox, which is normally what I do at the first sign of trouble. It is all I use on my normal laptop. I took the time to download and install it and the problems seem to be solved. I guess we will find out for sure if this update will post from it.
As you may guess by these pics, we went to Indy for a couple days to see everyone....our granddaughter was especially charming. Her headdress is her own doing....and she was real proud of it.
She loves to play pretend...sometimes she will play and play by herself...she will have the characters just chattering away to each other.
Other times she wants one of us to pretend with her. I have to admit, I do not have near the imagination that she does.
This is her little smile she gives every time we tell her to smile.

She ran to get her Barbie to show us some time after we got there...it is a Princess Barbie. She told me the crown was broken. Jeremy told her to tell me who broke it....she looked at me and told me, "Papaw broke it." As serious as she could be...and he said no I didn't and she argued and argued with him that he broke it and it was the first time he had seen it.

Then, another time she was climbing in my lap, and I did not even touch her...she looked at me and told me "You hurt me." There were several other incidents of her saying things like that....so, I think her imagination is working over time.

Oh, and she wants everything pink for Christmas...she wants a pink princess dress and pink shoes, and pink doll house, and I forget what all she wants, but it is a long list and everything has pink for the color. She was first talking to me on the phone the night before we went...Sarah told her to tell me everything she wanted...so she started with pink car, pink princess, etc...and each time she said pink she changed her voice to this high sort of screaky voice.

I am here to tell you, I have not laughed so much in so short of a time as the past couple of days. She is like her mom was in that the more you laugh at her, the more she will try to make you laugh.
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Computer question now to any of you that might have a clue.

I have a little netbook that I keep downstairs with my sewing, and it also goes with me to Sarah's now. Does anyone have any idea why I cannot post to my blogs on it. And more than half the time I cannot post a comment to blogs from Blogger...I can post okay to wordpress or typepad blogs...just most of the time not to Blogger blogs. I think I can occasionally but it is so rare that I even wonder if I ever have...maybe I just thought it posted and click out of the window before realizing it didn't post.

And when I try to do a post on it, I can usually save it...I just cannot publish from it....this is just so weird. I thought the first time it happened that it was just instance of blogger being messed up, but now I think there is something about my computer to change, but I cannot think what. Especially with being able to access it, but just not actually post.

Feed them and they will come

2011-12-10T13:17:00.004-05:00

I saw this single goldfinch day before yesterday and managed this capture....
also, the red-bellied woodpecker was here for a few seconds. He does not hang around long enough for me to take very many pics.
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Shopping is nearer done than it was...got just a bit more done yesterday. However, I am not doing anything on my quilt or anything else. I need to get refocused in that direction but having a hard time settling down to anything at all. I also need to sit down and make a grocery list...or start it...for what I will need for the Christmas dinner. It will be at Sarah's, but still we try to talk on the phone and make our list. We both do the cooking...

She and Lo both have colds right now...so hoping they get over them soon. She put Lorelei to bed the other night, and had no more than got back to the living room when Lo started yelling, "Mommy, I need my Barbie! Mommy, I forgot Barbie...Mommy, I cannot sleep without Barbie!" Over and over...it did not take Sarah ten seconds to find Barbie and take it to her, but she said she bet Lorelei yelled that 15 times.

Lorelei calls me once or twice and week and just talks and talks...and tries to show me stuff on the phone....I just cannot believe how fast she is growing up.

An added highlight to the day

2011-12-08T18:54:00.002-05:00

Just got an email from my sister-in-law...they had taken Jackson, their grandson...(my great nephew) to a live nativity scene. It was like they were walking through a crowded street of Bethlehem.

Then they got to the part where there was Joseph and Mary with a donkey. When they got to them Jackson said, "Ride 'em, Cowboy!"

Color from my world...

2011-12-08T17:33:00.002-05:00

This is not from tonight. It is from another night we ran through the strip pits...but not a night I have shown. Who cares either way...there is very seldom a night that isn't beautiful out there....if I will just have the patience to wait for it to come.
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So, we went Christmas shopping...got the majority of the rest of it done. I done had Lorelei's done as well as her daddy's, but that was all. Now the major portion of my shopping is done, and this is one tired gal.

It is strange...I do have trouble knowing what to get for people, but still, I enjoy Christmas shopping. The mall was not crowded today, and everyone I ran into or almost ran into, or who almost ran into me...we were all on our best behavior and smiled, apologized, and went on. That is easier to do when it is not crowded. Though, most times now, I make up my mind before I leave that that is how I am going to act.

It seems to me, even if you treat an old grouch the way you want to be treated, that they will respond in kind.

Now mind you I am not bragging....not by any means. I still have to fight frustration when I get behind two people that manage to take up what is room for four-six people to walk. People that are walking so slow but are weaving so bad you are afraid to try to pass....then you realize they are moving so slow that if you time it right you can zoom on through.

You just know they are wondering along, thinking about who all they have left to buy for, and trying to make up their mind what to get. At least that is what I am doing, when I am the one in a totally different world.

Visitors....

2011-12-07T21:56:00.002-05:00

These photos all enlarge, and there are a couple more photos over on Time Stand Still of these sparrows in the brush...also, all of these do enlarge.

I had been meaning to photograph them for a while...and this evening I was sitting here with Bubbie in my lap. He was snoozing...I glanced out there to see the evening light hitting the sparrows and though what a perfect time to shoot them. But I didn't want to make The Bubbie get up, but Roger came in and it startled him so he jumped up on his own. By the time I got out there a cloud or two was passing through and I missed some of the best light. But at least I got some.
The nuthatch flitted in and out so quick it was hard to get a photo of it at all...not sure if it is only one or if there are more than on.

The tufted titmouse was slower showing up than the other birds...but eventually there were two or three of them at the feeder...

I don't know if the cardinal had been there earlier and i missed him, or if this was taken on his first visit...he did not stay long.

I sit at my computer and cannot do anything on it because I am so preoccupied with the birds. The minute I put my camera down, the red-bellied woodpecker came but he flew with my slightest move. Also a blue jay flitted in and out of the view a couple times.
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I passed the 10,000 photo mark on one of my cameras today...it started over with Image 0001....I think my other DSLR has over 9,000 photos on it. Can you image what that would have cost to take all those in film and had them developed? That alone would be crippling to the budget, let alone if you have photos printed of any of them.

Where does time go?

2011-12-06T18:56:00.003-05:00

I warn you ahead of time...don't bother with enlarging this photo. It is no better enlarged than it is the size you see it. But there is something about it that I like anyway....

There was no way to get away from the sun being right in front of me when I took it...
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The days come and go so quickly now...just like John Denver says in Poems, Prayers, and Promises. See, I told you that song always goes round in my head in the fall. But that is beside the point.

I did manage to wash a couple windows today...we have the kind that flip in but with my shoulder I have not been able to do it. I was just going to use a ladder today, but decided to give it the old college try just one more time. With the advantage of standing on a step stool, I was able to get them flipped in and washed, got the curtains/drapes washed and put back up. Now I should be able to photograph a few birds.

I did put out some birdseed for the first time in quite a while...a red- bellied woodpecker was out there in less than 10 minutes. I expected the house sparrows, but was amazed when I looked out and saw him hanging upside down. I hope that he is a sign of good things to come.

I have did a couple other loads of laundry, and have made a few more little 4-patches. I am getting ready to sit here and count how many I have if I can wrap my mind around it. I am in the mood to get it done and move on to something else. Not sure what I am going to do with it, but I am in hopes of making the top and quilting it.

I have been sitting here looking at songs from our youth...and finally came across youtube version of Whippoorwill by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. There are at least half dozen songs by them that I absolutely love, but this one is probably my favorite...someone did a slide show to the song, and it is worth watching. So I will say good-night and embed the song here.

Warm or not warm?

2011-12-05T17:21:00.002-05:00

The day I took this picture was not as cold as it is today, but I wonder do the feel the cold. Their fleece is such a mess, I really wonder how it feels. I assume it is warm...but, oh, do I bet it is smelly when sheared.

It has rained the whole day long. Cold rain. Not one ray of sunshine. However, they were predicting a wintry mix tonight and tomorrow and for now, that has been dropped. If we get sunshine, I will dance for joy....at least in my mind.

I have not done much today...Roger had to run to Walmart so I ran with him and picked up a couple things...one of which was a sketchbook. I cannot draw a straight line without a ruler, but I still wanted one to jot down ideas I have. The only thing is, I need one that I keep near my chair, one near my desk, and one down in the basement.

I also ran to the library to get some 'how to' books...that was all I got. I do not need any other books to read. I have enough on my kindle to last me a year. Instead of the old saying of 'she who dies with the most fabric wins' now it will be 'he who dies with most books on his kindle wins.'

Country critters....

2011-12-04T14:05:00.005-05:00

Remember I went to the strip pits the other evening and saw 10-12 deer? Well, the next evening, Roger and I were coming home from the super Walmart in Paris, and decided to swing through there. It was really getting late...just almost dark. We saw a couple of the owls right away...both not even close to being within distance for the camera. We eased on along, not seeing anything for a bit...then we started seeing deer.

By the time we had passed all the way through, I am sure we saw probably 25 deer, at least. The last place we saw them was just as we left the place. I could determine some were bucks, but couldn't determine the size of their racks due to it being so late and almost dark and they happened to blend in with the background so well.

I could see this fellow, though...but it was still too late for my camera to get a good capture...this was totally black till I hit the button 'auto levels' in photoshop elements. With that being said, I hope he shows on your computer.
These two country cats we saw while on a drive the other day...the black one ran across the road in front of us...he kept watching the one below.
Soon, we were stopped to photograph a barn...and in front of that barn was a pasture.
This horse was one of I don't know how many....I am not saying there was a lot...just saying all I saw at first was him and another one, but as we went on I saw at least a couple more. I think they are all much loved horses, cause they kept nickering to me...and this one started up the hill two or three times, convinced that I had something for him. How I wish I had...
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I spent over three hours in the basement yesterday...doing laundry while I messed with my sewing. I did some more cutting and sewing....so much fun. It makes things feel back to normal for me. I want to go down in a bit and see what else I can do....

I have been cleaning off a desk...does anyone else have clutter control problems? I sure do. Seems like I have so much stuff I want to keep, or maybe just afraid I will need it.

Then there is the problem of books...even though I have went through my books till I just have just kept my very favorites, I still have plenty. I keep debating on whether I want to buy new books for my kindle or buy kindle editions of my favorites...I did buy the kindle edition of Giants in the Earth by Rolvaag. When Roger and I got married, he had an old copy of it...I finally got around to reading it and it is one of my favorite books of all time. I read it every few years.

I look at it as I can buy stuff I am not sure I will like, or I can buy old favorites that I know I will enjoy reading again.

Time for catching up...

2011-12-03T14:29:00.003-05:00

So, I have not been in a blogging mood here of late...just had things on my mind and things I wanted to do....and reading. Not sure if the kindle was a wise gift or not. I just want to read and read and read.

Then, I really got thrown off track last weekend...Sunday night to be exact. And I have debated on whether to tell this or to keep silent...but wanted to explain part of my absentness this week.

I discovered a lump....yeah, one of those. Quite by accident. Sunday night, after Roger had gone to bed. The lump was on the same side I had a stereotactic biopsy in 2007. Which was negative for cancer, I might as well add.

Well, we were heading to a hand to-shoulder doctor Monday morn for a knot that Roger had on the underside of his wrist...right where his hand joins to the wrist. So, I did not say anything to him...just went on with him...it was just a ganglion cyst and the doctor drained it right there in the office, and we were on our way. We did a couple stops, and came home, and I called to get a mammogram. Got it set up for Thursday....still didn't tell Roger. Stuff like that just really worries him...

Then Tuesday morn, they call me about the mammogram...since I had had the biopsy, I had to see the doctor and get orders for a diagnostic mammogram. So, I called the doctor's office and got in Wednesday....I did tell Roger what was going on then. The nurse practitioner didn't really read me the riot act like I was afraid of...not when she remembered all that had been going on in the past year or two.

They were able to reschedule me for the mammogram on Thursday, just an hour later than I had originally been scheduled...and scheduled an ultrasound at the same time. They are over and done with...it is only cysts...the one I found is about the size of a quarter and there are at least a couple more about the size of a pea.

I don't think I will let anything slow me down from getting those mammograms now...I felt so dumb that I had put it off for so long. It could have turned out so different. I want to encourage all women to schedule their own mammogram. And to follow through with whatever the doctor tells them.

I am heading down to the basement to sew a little bit and try to get back to feeling normal...will probably try to catch up with everyone later tonight.

Strip pit report....

2011-12-01T11:15:00.003-05:00

I haven't been going to the strip pits as much as normal, and when I have, there hasn't been much to report. Most times I have been lucky to see anything at all. I think it has been due to the time I am out there...I have either hit it too early or too near dark. Last night was different.
I had barely got to the first pond that is right near the entrance, when on in the distance I saw a Northern Harrier...I raced down to try to catch it. Then there were what I took to be three of them....they had moved on farther from the road and where swooping and circling...and just moving all the time. It did cross my mind that one was definitely darker than the others, and bigger...but I didn't give it a thought that the two smaller ones were owls till I downloaded the photos. You will probably have to enlarge this to even see the birds.

The birds drifted even farther away--I headed on down the road, but no more than started, till I noticed the two deer above....they were too far away to get a good shot, and started retreating soon as I headed their way. I passed a small pond that had swans on it, but they were too far away to get a good shot... I went on to the biggest pond near the road....water covered the road there and was a little deeper than I wanted to venture across, though I really think it would have been fine. It isn't like it is flowing....it just gets up and stands in the road.

I turned around, and headed back from the direction I came...when I got back to where I first saw the Northern Harrier and the other two birds, there were the owls! The short-eared owls--there was four right there, they swoop and fly low to the ground while they hunt. Now two of these did light on the ground...not like they were catching something, but they just set and looked all around...

I saw four right there, and then two more on down the way....so they are back in full force. I did go back to the entrance, turned around and drove back to where the water was across the road in hopes of seeing one sitting on a fence post, but no such luck. I did see more deer however....though I lost count. Oh, it was not 20 or 30, or any number like that...but thinking along the lines of 10-12...

There was actually a 3rd deer with these, but didn't get a good picture that showed it because it blended in so well with the background. And I think these are the two that are in the other photo above of deer...they are in the same place where I saw them.

There were also a few geese, and then there was flocks of some other type of duck...with as small as they were, they were too far away to get a decent picture of...there were about 3 different flocks in the air...each one probably having at least 100...and a few little groups of 6 or 8 or 10 'ducks.'

It was sure good to see some wildlife once again...

Don't it warm your heart

2011-11-30T01:46:00.004-05:00

No matter how many times I come in and see one of the cats under the Christmas tree, it is an ahhhh moment for me. I took the one above and Roger took the one below.
They all lay under it a little bit here and there, but Bubbie does probably spend the most time.

Bright-eyes

2011-11-28T17:49:00.002-05:00

Just a photo or two to brighten your day.....can you look at that smiling face above without getting a smile on your face?
She is to the point that she will let me take a photo or two, then she wants to come see what I have taken. And the day I took these, she wanted to take some of her own. I did not let her, but it won't be long until I start letting her with some supervision.

She is makes life so much more interesting...she just called me a few minutes ago just chatting away. She wanted us to come over or her to come here.

Then her mom got on the phone talking to me...and she had to think. She knew there was something else she wanted to tell me. Something that Lorelei had done. Finally she thought of it:

They have a friend visiting them...he had been gone. Well, Sarah was doing laundry--she was sitting in the living room folding a basket when he came in. Well, there is this step down into that room, so he just sat down there talking to her and Jeremy.

Well, Sarah had a sports bra laying in the bottom of the basket...Lorelei ran and grabbed it and put it on, then turned around to their friend and called him by name, and said "don't touch my boobies!" Told him that a couple times...which of course it set Sarah off to laughing and she just totally stunned her dad. They have no idea where she got that...

Just thinking

2011-11-22T13:04:00.001-05:00

This song fits into my thinking right now...holiday are always a time for remembering for me. And this song always goes through my head at these times.

Not mine!

2011-11-21T19:11:00.002-05:00

We decided to clean our living room carpet today, and when we got done we ran up to Rockville to get a bit of dinner. After eating, we took a little rambling drive through some of the Amish farms. I saw several homes with the laundry flapping in the weather...and it made me glad to have my basement and my dryer. It was misting most of the time we were out, and I wonder how these will ever get dry.

Speaking of laundry, I probably need to go do a load or two of my own. And I have not touched my sewing today, so will either sew or cut some squares. It is amazing how much can be done with just a few minutes here and there. While talking to my brother last night, I cut quite a few squares...I cannot hear to talk on the phone while sewing, so cutting is all I can do.

I may not be blogging much the next few days...have seriously been considering taking a long blog break just to try to concentrate on other things. So, if I don't, don't worry, there is nothing wrong...just wanting to do other things.

Etc.

2011-11-20T12:19:00.001-05:00

Tip: The other day a friend wrote me that she was having trouble viewing the image of the scanned plover story. So I told her to right click on the image, and then click to view in a new tab or view in a new window. She then made the comment in my comments about it working, and from the result I saw that that was a new tip for some.

But, this not only works with pictures in blogger, if you are shopping on line, reading an article with a link somewhere else, and get tired of going back and forth between windows and having to wait for one to reload, you can always right click on any link, and click to view in another tab or another window. If you have a slower internet connection, or a page has a lot of images to reload when you go back to it, this can really save time.
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Since I keep talking about the 4-patches I have been making, I went down and took a few pictures..and yes you can right click and chose to view in a new window or tab if you want to see the full sized image.

I think I have made 112 of them so far....they are 4 inch unfinished. I was making them to be 4½ inches, but was trying out a new pressure foot on my machine.

And though it is really operator error, enough of them were just a couple or three threads under the 4½ inches till I cut them all down to just 4 inches square..

I have been playing and playing with my computer program, called Electric Quilt 6, or commonly called EQ. It allows me to play with quilts before I ever even touch fabric. But I am more apt to go down and start making a bunch of quilt blocks, then come up to play with the quilt program to decide how I want to arrange them.

I started out using scraps of fabric left over from other projects, but have also been adding a few others. I started out cutting 2½ inch squares from the scraps...I cut and cut and cut. For each 4-patch it takes four of the little squares, and that makes over 400 I have cut just for the finished 4-patches.

This is some that I still have to sew together. And who knows, I may end up cutting out more s2½ in. squares...
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It is rainy and dark and dreary here....just the perfect day to go down and sew. The cats are all quiet, but you can bet money that Bubbie had me up before daylight. I wish you could feel just how heavy he feels when he walks on me in the wee hours of the morn...it actually hurts enough till I am sort of amazed that I am not bruised.

2011-11-18T23:59:00.001-05:00

We went down to little Nashville today...just to be out and about.....we saw lots of pretty things, but I only bought a few little items...nothing to show on here.

I really wanted to look at some things in this shop, and we did go inside, but she had Elvis singing Christmas music and it was just blaring. I just was not in the mood for that so we turned around and left. If it was a big place, I could have understood it, but it wasn't.
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The other night I was actually talking to Sarah on the phone...and some to Lorelei, too. Mostly though, I could here her in the background. She was just busy...and having a good time. Sarah told her. 'You're full of bologna!' Lorelei said, 'No, I not!' Keep in mind I am hearing all this...

Sarah asked, 'well, what are you full of?' She says, 'Macaroni!' Of course, Sarah and I lost it then...it is good thing neither of us were drinking any sort of liquid.

For your reading pleasure.....

2011-11-18T07:52:00.001-05:00

I have always wondered how legal it is to publish this...but it is old, and it still has the guy's name that wrote it...it is hilarious. You will have to enlarge it all the way to be able to read it. I think it is well worth it. It was in our little paper years ago and I cut it out. Then I wanted to share it with a friend so I scanned it and sent it to her...since then, it has been sent out in a few other emails.

My Life As A Turkey....

2011-11-16T23:14:00.001-05:00

I saw the preview for My Life as a Turkey just the other night....so made sure to record it....I did not want to miss it. I suggest you click on that link, in addition to watching the video below.

If you will click on the link in the first sentence, you will see and maybe feel what drew me in. It made me want to laugh out loud, but also I had to see it. I didn't know if it would be as good as it sounded, or be something that I would feel a waste of time.

Well, I am here to say that it was not a waste of time...it was very well done, fun to watch as well as interesting. I would not have minded if it were longer, but I suppose there is only so much to show. If you get the chance, I would encourage you to watch it.

Originally posted

2011-11-15T20:27:00.001-05:00

I feel like I am breaking some unwritten rule if I don't post a photo each post...it is totally unrelated to the real post.

I was trying to visit a few blogs this morn, and ran into A Funny Deer Tale...I thought it was hilarious. It remind me of the following post that I did in August of 2008. Everyone that hears this story and knows Roger, gets a good laugh from it. We even bring it up when it is just the two of us, and still laugh about it. so surely between the link above and this one of mine, you will have a smile on your face.
So here goes...and keep in mind that it is my husband that it happens to...it was originally called

A Hunting Story...

Abraham Lincoln of the Brookville Daily Photo wrote a story about one of his hunting excursions. Being the wife of a hunter and sister to hunters before that, I could identify with a lot he said. About 5:00 being the witching hour for hunters, or for my husband when he is meeting fellow hunters it is sometimes even earlier. Also, unlike rotten apples to disguise the human smell, hunters now have doe urine. I wouldn't want to mistake that for my perfume, now would I, but that is besides the point.

This is a story of one of my husband's hunting trips. A few years ago he decided to hunt out on property near the orchard where I worked. It actually belonged to the brother of my boss. A day or two before the planned hunting trip, he and his buddy went out to decide where they were going to put their tree stands, and in so doing had to hack out a path through some of the undergrowth.

On the morning of the hunt, they met here before going out there...it is at the most 10 minutes from here. They get out of the truck out there and the farm cat greets them. It is young, not even a year old. Roger pets it just a second and he and his buddy proceed down the path...they get to the 'y' in the path and his buddy goes one way while he goes they other. The cat follows my husband.

He is hunting with bow and arrows, and hunting from a climbing tree stand. So he gets to the tree he has chosen to use, and gets his tree stand situated on it and climbs up the tree. I am not familiar enough with the process to paint a good picture, but it is a tree stand that he does the physical climbing with. It has two parts....one part is the actual seat and the other is the part he stands on....THIS is a video from you tube and does show how his works.

When climbing up to a tree stand, he always ties his bow to a long rope and once he gets up as high as he is going to go, he pulls the bow up with the rope. He gets up and gets situated...he hears this meow. It is still practically dark, so he kind of looks but doesn't see anything. He sits back, and he hears it again! And he can hear it so plain...he does not have the best of hearing. So he gets his flashlight out and bends way over the tree stand while shining it all around and still doesn't see anything.

He sits back again and hears it again! And he felt something on his legs...he looks down at his feet and there sits the kitty! It had sat by his feet as he climbed up the tree. It proceeded to climb up into his arms, purring all the while, and doing the rubbing thing that cats do when they are happy to see you. He held it out at arm's length and dropped it!

Did it run for home you might ask. The answer would be no. It played around the bottom of the tree my husband was in, chasing leaves or anything else that caught it's imagination. After a while of playing, it climbed out onto a dead log and went to sleep!

This is an honest tale; I don't have the imagination to make something like this up. And this is only the tip of the iceberg--things like this continually happen to my husband, my older daughter, and my husband's cousin.

Ready to walk down the runway...

2011-11-15T00:31:00.001-05:00

I got this in my email yesterday...she is so much like me in that she loves purses and shoes. Or I used to...yet I was never one to have a lot of either. However...I think Lorelei will want them all...I have never seen a kid her age love shoes as much as she does.

And Lorelei kept wanting Sarah to put up the Christmas tree and the 'decowations'...
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I am continuing to make 4-patches a few at a time. I still am undecided about what I am going to make with them. I am thinking I will play with ELectric Quilt and experiment with different layouts, etc.

It has been windy but warm here today...we did have a crash or two of thunder...but other than that all we got was some rain.

Our handsome Bubbie....

2011-11-13T23:04:00.001-05:00

First let me say that all photos were taken by Roger....

Every night, at some point in time, here comes Bubbie to get in my lap. Roger got tickled the other day cause I was in the recliner asleep, and Bubbie was stretched out on me asleep.

He can get in some awful uncomfortable looking positions and just snooze away. This evening, however, he just looked relaxed...

don't you just think he looks almost like he is smiling? He for sure rules the roost around here....if we don't pay enough attention to him, he doesn't hesitate to let us know.

I will tell you this...I think the money we spent for fixing his broken leg was money well spent...but then, kindness never hurts whether to a human being or to an animal.

And I do know that my care for him during that time made a bond between us that will last a lifetime....we have so many names for him. We call him the court jester, I call him Khan, also think Harley would have been a name for him....as well as Bocephus...so at one time or another he does get called all of those and more, too, just can't recall off the top of my head...but mostly we just call him 'Our Bubbie.'

For Jackson

2011-11-12T20:30:00.001-05:00

I have been waiting to show you the project I just finished a few days ago...I was sending it to my little nephew Jackson and wanted to wait till he got it before I posted it.

I did not have plans to make this...in fact I had plans for something entirely different. But in going through my fabric shelves, I ran across the animal flannels. I had made Roger a rag quilt with them...which is another story entirely.

The minute I saw the fabric, I knew I had to do something with it for Jackson. He will be two years old next month, and gets so excited by anything to do with hunting, going 4-wheeling, and Santa Claus. I just had to throw the part in about Santa Claus. But it is the truth....he L-O-V-E-S Santa.

I knew it would be the frayed edge style, or rag quilt. I first cut bunches of squares, paired them together with no batting between, and sewed them together. A BIG bunch of them together. I did not like that...thus I ended up sitting ripping out a LOT of stitching.

I also decided sometime during all of it, that I didn't have near enough fabric...even for a toddler's quilt. So, I ended up buying about three more yards of fabric. I proceeded to cut it all up in 6½ inch squares. As I cut I made the decisions of which fabrics I wanted to go to the back and which to the front. after cutting the fabric, I cut batting in a smaller size...then paired a fabric for the front with a fabric for the back, sandwiched the batting in between, and sewed an 'x' across it. I did them all at once.

I sat and counted how many squares of each fabric I had...then set with graph paper and decided how to arrange the blocks. Then the stitching the blocks together began....contrary to most sewing, the seams are supposed to be on the front with the rag quilts. The first row of blocks I sew.ed, I sewed just the opposite of that...actually I sewed it twice. Cause each of the seams from this point on are sewn double...for strength.

After a couple evenings of concentrated sewing, the above is the result. This is after it is washed and dried. It is all soft and snugly. And below is the back of the quilt...

It finished about 44 x 55 inches....so hoping Jackson will get use from it. I really think he will like all the animals. He has done been 'shooting' deer....when he was in the stores earlier last month I think it was, and he saw Santa's reindeer, he would 'shoot that', this after going through the store yelling HO! ho! ho! and hollering for Santa throughout the store. Then at Cracker Barrel where they have a deer head mounted, he 'shot that,' too.

I finished it Tuesday I think it was, washed it twice with color catchers, and to fray the edges, dried it, and put it in the mail Wednesday....

This is the Princess Pussycat

2011-11-11T21:52:00.001-05:00

Roger got out the ladder to do one thing, instead we ended up trimming back my wisteria and cutting some limbs from the crab apple.

Before I got out there Roger had leaned the step ladder against the house and went to the shop to get something. When I first got out there, Puss Puss was up on the top of the stepladder. I ran inside to get my camera. When I got back out with it, here she came to meet me. I kept talking to her and she climbed back up, just not all the way to the top.

She is a very petite little kitty...we call her Puss Puss. She has got to be most curious kitty I have ever seen. If a door is opened, she can be clear at the other end of the house and she is right there within two seconds to see where the door leads. If a drawer is open, she is in it and climbing over the back of it the drawer below.

If it is cold, she races us to bed; and she does want under the cover, between us. She will have none of that laying on the edge of the bed. She wants her back snuggled against one of us with her feet pushing into the other's side or back. And she will stay there for hours...oh, and beware of her if she you sit down near her with bacon. She will snatch it right out of your hand.

2011-11-10T23:51:00.001-05:00

Not much new here in my little corner of the world....I sewed more 4-patches and cut more 2½ inch squares. I have no idea what I am going to do with them, but that is the way a lot of my projects start out. In fact, I tend to like those the best...that just develop as I go along...I think it might be a little bit of rebellion in me. Just a little bit of freedom I enjoy.

The quilt above is nothing special...but it has been on our bed ever since I made it. I went to Good Will and bought all the GOOD flannel shirts they got in...and usually got them for $2 or less. I went when there was a sale, and I only bought Large and X-large...I love how snuggle it is. And it is just so simple...

The quilt above I have shown before...but it started out with little 4-patches as I am doing now. I was working at the time and thought I'd make the 4-patches because at least I would be sewing. And I didn't have to think. Then I decided to make a 9-patch with a 4-patch as the corner pieces of the 9-patch. That probably sounds like double talk to those that don't quilt...and maybe even to those that do....but that is how this developed. I made all the 9-patches and decided to add more....but I won't go into details. Just saying that sometimes flying by the seat of your pants works out good.

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Sarah said they had big old flakes of snow for a little while. We had little snow balls...no joke....kind of like tiny hail only it was snow...from about B-B size to not quite pea sized...and though stuff started to get white, it only lasted a few seconds and melted just as quick. I had the thought to grab my camera but it was gone before I could really act on it.

I would love to go down and sew a bit more now, but think I will go read for a bit before heading to bed.

Another day come and gone....

2011-11-09T23:03:00.000-05:00

First off just have to share the above photo with you...of Otto with Lorelei and her friend, Emily. He has to be in the middle of all that they are doing...what more could you ask for in a dog.

I have to tell you that Sarah went to her job today...since it was Jeremy's day off, Lorelei stayed home with him.Lorelei had not gotten up when Sarah left for work, and Jeremy woke up to Lorelei standing in the doorway whimpering "I can find my mommy anywhere." Gosh, I could have just bawled when Sarah told me. I know she was fine in probably a minute or less...cause she sure loves her daddy, too. But oh....it sure made me feel for anyone that has had a child lose their mom....or for a mother that has lost their child.
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Lately I seem to be more interested in reading and quilting than anything else...my mind takes such flights of fancy that I cannot settle down to blogging. I have trouble coming up with something to blog about....so just going to blog about life.

We seem to have to go somewhere every day...I think I could go for days and not leave the house and be happy. I had to go to the post office today...I had been getting one package ready to mail last night when I ran across a book that belongs to one of my sisters...I thought I had mailed them all back to her but apparently one of the cats had knocked it down. (They were on a desk by a window...as anyone with cats knows...they will get to that window no matter what!) So that made two packages to mail....and I picked up a couple books of stamps. We stopped at Walmart to pick up a couple things, and then by the grocery....and finally home at last.

I don't even remember what we done when we first got home, just know that we both ended up down in the basement...he at one end and me with my sewing machine. I cannot settle on my next project, so I sat and made some 4-patches from some scraps I had cut a while back. I am not sure what I am going to do with them...but just feels good to sew a few lines.

Somewhere during the time of it all, we had a grilled cheese and tomato soup. Does anyone else have certain foods they associate with certain people, or places and time? I associate tomato soup and grilled cheese with working at the orchard...and winter. It just felt so good to come in to a hot bowl of tomato soup with grilled cheese on cold days. I like it any day, but especially on cold days.

It is getting late...I want to see the local news....

Home again.....

2011-11-08T13:58:00.001-05:00

We got home from Indy yesterday afternoon.

I started laundry almost immediately. I don't know about most people, but I almost always can find a load of laundry. My neighbor used to say we were either awfully dirty or awfully clean, but I really think we are just average.

I stayed in the basement and worked on my sewing project for at least two or three hours while doing laundry, then brought it up here and finished it later last night. It is in the washer as I type and probably ready to be thrown into the dryer. It is nothing fancy...just something fun. I am glad that it is done...just hope it doesn't bleed in the wash.

It was rainy and misty all the way home...all our leaves are about gone. Just a few spots of color here and there.

There is just something about fall...it is always a time of thinking and remembering for me. I long to reach back across time and connect with childhood friends...to be with my brothers and sisters. I want to sit by the fire and maybe roast a potato in the coals...or to gather around the table and work a jigsaw puzzle together.

I think about standing in the barn and grading tobacco all day long...and though it can be downright cold, sometimes it can be fun depending on the mood of everyone grading. One of my earliest memories is grading tobacco, and we had taken our dinner with us. What that was I am not sure, but probably bologna sandwiches. We had milk, and to keep it cold, it was set in the spring house.

I also want to read and read and read...and to sew and sew. And there is never enough time to do all I want. It makes me wish I had a maid to do the everyday household chores...but since I don't, a lot of it goes undone and I chose to do some of the fun things.

Typical fall day....

2011-11-06T19:10:00.000-05:00

We are at Sarah's house....as you can see I am at blogger! They got a router, and I brought my net book so here I am. For how long I don't know. The toot is napping...it is late...we don't know if she will just sleep through the night or if she will wake up and then want to stay up all night.

It has been a typical fall day--beautiful weather to be outside in. We sat for an hour or two out back...laughing at Lorelei and Otto...

Roger and I went for a drive yesterday...didn't really see much...except a lot of buzzards. We went over into Illinois and then back north of Danville to that Eagle and Heron viewing station, that we went to a while back. And it just this second dawned on me that I forgot to take a picture of the viewing platform...again. For someone who likes to take photos as a way to document things now, I can sure ignore the obvious sometimes.
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I wonder...what are your reasons for taking photographs? It is hard to explain how I feel about photography. I like to take pictures to show the beauty of things as I see them...to capture a moment in time.

But more than that, I feel this need to document things as they are now. Yet I don't do enough of the actual documenting. The little town I live in has changed so much in the past 35 years....you just would not believe the changes. It is hardly recognizable in some ways. The main business area is only about three blocks long....one side of the street hardly has any buildings left that was there when I moved here. The other side has several buildings missing...and I don't have a single photograph from back then.

Then there is photographing people. I just don't take people's photographs. Or very, very seldom. Oh, I don't mind Lorelei and Sarah and Roger...cause I know they don't mind. Nor would Jeremy if he were there when I had the camera...but other than them...I don't have the nerve. I think because I always hated my own being taken. Though I did not mind so much if someone snapped a photo while I was doing something and did not ask me to pose.

Yet I love looking back at old photographs of people....and places and things. They are a way of connecting with our past.

2011-11-04T16:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday, but due to weather and Jeremy working, we met the kids Wednesday to have lunch together.

Yesterday I returned ALL the books to the library...and I did not even go inside. I figure I will be pretty busy with my kindle for a while to come. I know the newness will probably wear off, but right now I would just as soon not have to worry about getting books back down there.

Anyway, have been looking and looking at books on Amazon...still haven't spent a dime. And really, as much as I have on there...I won't actually need to buy anything for a long time to come. Still, I looked at some of the books I already have in actual book form to see if they were available for the kindle...some were and some weren't.

Anyway, while I was sitting at the computer, I had a notice that Sarah had posted to my face book wall...this is what she had posted. Be sure and have your volume turned up and listen closely at the end! I have smiled and laughed at this over and over.

2011-11-03T00:14:00.002-04:00

Have you thought about the fact that Christmas is less than two months away? I used to get an early start sometimes, then the longer I worked at the orchard, the less it happened. Partly because I aged and was just too tired. Apple picking started at the end of August and ended the last of October, or first week of November, but there was still grading to be done. Part of it was that more trees matured and there was actually more work to do, so I had a reason to be tired.

I have been looking at things for the toot....got one thing picked out but cannot decide about what else. I have no idea what I am getting for anyone else, either.

I did see something for my older daughter, but on closer inspection it was one of those special care deals....so I didn't get it. Does anyone else get tired of those items of clothing that say hand wash and lay flat to dry...or even just the lay flat to dry part. Who has room to lay everything out flat to dry anyway?

So, what is on your Christmas wish list?

2011-11-01T20:46:00.001-04:00

First let me say that the pictures of Lorelei are from Sarah and Jeremy...and sorry about the size of a couple of them....that is how they saved to my computer. They are from Halloween.

As you can see, she had a good time.

I would love to have seen her....

There were several pics and hard to choose just a couple or three. The first is probably my favorite...
the one above is a favorite of course...as well as the one below.

This one will at least enlarge if clicked. She was a monarch butterfly in case you cannot tell.
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We got most of the leaves corralled today...there are a few in front but the worst of them are done. For now. We will have to do it again because there are still a few on the trees. I have 5 big bags of leaves to be picked up, plus we put more on the garden spot. That is not many compared to when we had two big maples to the side of our house. I can remember raking 28 bags in one evening, and that probably being only 2/3's of them.

We came in, tired but feeling good to have accomplished something. Roger took his shower and came in the living room about the time Bubbie wanted in. He opened the door for him and Puss Puss rushed out. Before he could sit down, she was up in the chair on the front porch....the one that sits in front of the window looking in as if she wanted back in.

Well, Roger can really start on things...I wish you guys could have been here. He is like 'NO! I'm going to hurt you!" He looked at me and said, "I just let her out....did you see that....I just let her out." He walks back over to let her in, and she just looked at him. I told him she wants him to come outside...so he walks out there and she jumps down and starts strolling off.

He came back in, and right up in that chair she jumped, looking in at him. He turns his head away sort of and puts his hand up beside his eyes to block his vision of her and says I am going to have to start watching TV like this...

I am not remembering all he said, but I laughed so hard...he said he was going to write a book titled something like The Things My Cats Will Let Me Do....
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I have been sewing a bit the past couple of hours...I will soon be done with the sewing part of this one project....feels so good to accomplish something in that department.

Oh, and I will give a little report on my kindle---I LOVE IT! I have finished one book on it...have another started. The one I finished is one I had wanted to read for a long time...it was a freebie. It was Ox Team Days on the Oregon Trail. It was a fair read, but not as good as some others I have read.

I think I can read longer on it without tiring ...but maybe that is the newness of it. So far, haven't been at all disappointed with it at all.

A little this and that...

2011-10-31T18:07:00.001-04:00

Roger wanted to run by the place he hunts to see if the corn had been harvested, so I tagged along with my camera. I wanted to run over to Green Valley to see if all the walnuts were gone, and to see what else we could see. The first thing I saw was these turtles...so Roger let me out and he ran on and parked.

I took their picture before they slid off the log into the water...I was strolling along the edge of the lake and came around glanced up and look what was coming over the hill to greet me.

They came right on up to me, and I talked to them and they listened so intently.

I don't know if they belong to the farm that is near there...I have never seen them before so don't know what to think.

I went on the Rav and they followed right behind me...I was hoping I had some kind of treat left. I carry dog treats for emergencies...and not the kind you think about. But lucky me, I had some catfood that I had been going to take to a stray, starved to death kitty I had seen.

You talk about being spoiled, they knew I was getting it for them...they got right at my feet doing this light hissing talk while I got it open.
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The dog treats for emergencies are not for a dog that is growling...thankfully I have not run into one of those before. But I have ran into a dog or two that wanted to get in the car with me. Actually, once at work there was a stray that came. I thought it might belong to some visitors. For some reason I was leaving at noon, and came in and it came running to meet me. Well, I talked to it and gave it few friendly pats. I opened the truck door to put my water jug in, and it hopped up and over on into the passenger seat.

I went around the truck to get it out, well, then it jumped behind the seat cause it thought I was going to sit there....I could get it out but could not get in the truck without it getting in with me. Thankfully, I could get someone to hold it while I got in and got the door closed. A treat would have been real handy right then.

Another time I stopped to take a picture, and here came a big old Great Dane...he wanted to get in the car so bad...I was lucky he didn't make it in ahead of me. At that time, he probably weighted as much as me.....that was another time I wish I had had something to distract a dog.
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Sarah and Lorelei came down this weekend...I wanted to get some photos but it didn't happen. However, I have to share a happening that Sarah told me about.

One night last week, Lorelei was starting to stand up on the couch. Sarah told her she needed to set down, and she did. In a bit, she got on her hands and knees, and was playing around...kind of bouncing about. I assumed she was watching TV, too...Sarah thought she would be fine and stepped into the computer room for a minute. She stepped back to where she could see just in time to see Lorelei flying over the end of the couch....her little feet sticking up in the air.

She landed between the TV and end table...not really hurt, but crying cause it shook her up. Well, my family has this horrible habit of laughing if we someone isn't seriously hurt...so Sarah ran to get her but was laughing...she set down on the couch with Lorelei and Lorelei started laughing, too....and looked up at her mom and said something about 'like Humpty Dumpty, mommy?'

The thing of it is is she makes the connection...she has made comments before to me about Humpty Dumpty in relation to me almost falling and something else but I can't recall all the times or what they were about.

When they were leaving, Roger said something to her about having her own Humpty Dumpty moment and she said 'yeah.....'

I can think of her telling her mom the Humpty Dumpty line after her fall, and I will start laughing every time.

I finally made a decision....

2011-10-29T01:04:00.001-04:00

I have been debating on getting a kindle for quite a while now...I mentioned it a few days ago. Roger kept encouraging me to get one and to get the one I wanted....he was thinking I wanted the Kindle Fire that is coming out soon. Well, it would probably be okay...but I really wanted something light weight that would not be bulky in my purse.

I also considered the Nook from Barnes & Noble...and though it used to be my favorite place to shop for books, when they changed their website a few years ago, I switched over to Amazon. I very seldom even glance at books there. So after much debate, I got a kindle keyboard....it was Roger's early birthday present to me...but he would have wanted me to get it whether my birthday was coming up or not

From across the state line

2011-10-27T19:43:00.000-04:00

The other night when I went out to the strip pits, by the time I left the cemetery the sun was starting its descent. I hurried on down the road...wanting to get to one of my favorite subjects over there in Illinois...by that I mean this house below.

I always think of it as the Little House on the Prairie. I have seen it in all types of weather, at all times of the day and it always appeals to me. I would love to know the history of the place.

That evening, on the other side of the road...farmers were busy. I have no idea how big some of the fields are over there but they are huge.

You may not see it but there is a combine in the photo above.... it is to the right of the sun, almost but not quite in the center of the photo...I will try to post a different photo of it at another time.

Today has been dark and dreary part of the day, and a real chill in the air. I really feel like we are seeing the last days of autumn. We were out today and saw geese on the wing. I suppose they are ready to start their migration. I am thinking if we want to see the sandhill cranes that we should be heading up north before many more days are over.
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I am still working on my sewing project....in the final stages of it now. I will have to admit I had to do some more ripping out of stitches...and this time I did mind cause they were a mistake. Funny, if it is a design decision, I don't get upset with myself, but when it is a dumb mistake...I grumble all the time I am taking them out.

That is about it from my corner of the world. I am going to sew a bit more, then going to try to catch up on all the blogs I follow...so see you later I hope.

From the road

2011-10-24T18:37:00.000-04:00

As some may have noticed, I have been sort of absent from blogging...I did do the one post last night but the others at Time Stand Still were ones I had scheduled. We had went to see the kids Saturday and did not get home till late yesterday evening...we pass the barn above when we go to see them. The road it is on is a busy road, and no room at all to pull off to the side. I have tried to capture it before, but always something drastically wrong with the photo.

We still have not figured out what goes wrong with Sarah's computer when we visit blogs...so I am not able to visit any at all, at least not blogger blogs. But I need to get to my dashboard to get to my list of blogs. Besides that, we are there to see them...and just grab a minute here and there for email.

Lorelei is changing in ways that are hard to describe....she has a big imagination. For a while she played the big bad wolf all the time. Saturday when we got there, it was not but a few minutes till she was pretending to be an elephant. Sunday, she was a dog. Or she gets her animals or dolls and carries on conversations between them...or wants one of us to pick up one and pretend with her. Just constantly in action.

She also likes yanking our chain...she will go along and be working a puzzle fine...then she will look at us and purposely put a piece in wrong sometimes...or pretend she is going to. She will look at us and say, 'does it go here?' You can just tell she is wanting to get a reaction out of us.

There is just something about her little voice when she says 'come on mamaw.' I think she could about talk me into anything then. Up in the morn Sunday, she wanted to go to our room. She would cover her baby up, then cover herself up...then want me to get her piggies. And the giggles are just so contagious. Sometime during all of it, her daddy got home from work and got his shower...and started playing with her.

It is impossible to describe....she was following him and imitating all he done...if he took big steps, she took big steps. If he took itty-bitty steps--she took itty bitty steps...if he marched, she marched....and if he ran from her or chased her, she screamed with laughter. He is such a good daddy to her...he can be playful and have fun but he is a dad when he needs to be.
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I have been trying to catch up around here today and we had company for a while. Just one of Roger's buddies but we had not seen him for a while so sat and visited. Other than that hung a couple loads of clothes on the line, mopped and vacuumed...just the everyday chores. I was so glad to be able to hang clothes out again...it had been so rainy last week when laundry need to be done.

I have not touched sewing yet...I have headed down there two or three times and got detoured...so hoping to go down and at least touch some fabric in a few minutes. I feel so much better mentally when I sew a little each day...

At last.....

2011-10-23T20:39:00.003-04:00

First, be prepared for a strange sort of post....and no it isn't a Halloween one.
For a while now, I have been wanting to figure out where I want to be laid to rest...when I die. I have considered two or three options other than this. And both of them are still possibilities. But I went out to the strip pits this evening, and was leaving them by this one road I have only been on one time...and that was coming home from the opposite direction I was going tonight.

So tonight, nothing at all was moving out at the area, so I thought I would head over into Illinois to see what I could see. I had not more than started down the road and there was a sign for the Shirley Cemetery. It almost looked like a long private drive, but down it I went and found this little cemetery.

I have been telling Roger for a year now, at least, that out there at the strip pits is the only place I really want my bones to lay. His cousin has property out there, that actually has a little cemetery on it...but they are old and just maybe a dozen or so graves there. I did not want to ask him for such a big favor.
These are some views...you just feel like you are away from everything.
It was not deep woods by any means, but it was pleasant.
This big old maple tree was out near the entrance of the actual cemetery...not at the beginning of the lane. I wish i had taken a shot looking down that lane...you would see why it looks so inviting.
And there was this little chipmunk chirping because I was there.....

I do not know who to get in touch with to find out who runs it, but I really want to find out if there are burial plots left! It would be a weight off my mind to have that settled.

Now some might think I am nuts to be worrying about this now, but it would be so nice to have it settled. It sounds crazy, but I am just thrilled to have found this place.

A no photos post, or simply miscellaneous thoughts

2011-10-21T19:21:00.002-04:00

I have not done enough today to earn my keep, as I have heard my mom say. Literally nothing as far as accomplishments.

Oh, wait, I did need check registers since the place we get our checks quit supplying them. I had been playing on the computer beforehand, so when I realized I did not have one anywhere, I proceeded to find some on-line. That led to e being at Amazon which is a real no-no for me. I cannot go there without looking at books. I always click on non-fiction, because I have a thing about buying nonfiction. Not sure why....but I cannot remember the last time I bought a non-fiction book. It was probably a Stephen King book for my older daughter.

So, looking at books sometimes leads me to looking at Kindles...which happened today. I half way think about getting one, but then think do I really need it. I decided to download the app for PCs.

Let me tell you, that may have been a BIG mistake...besides libraries starting to have some books for Kindles, there is the Project Gutenberg ....then there is Amazon itself. I had glanced before at what they had available, but let me tell you, now that I have spent some time at it, I am in hog heaven. And it is free stuff! I probably could not find a lot of them in actual book form, and one I downloaded I noticed was $30 to buy. And it is non-fiction stuff, which is even better. First hand accounts of pioneers.

Oh, I have downloaded some fiction...but am afraid I will be tempted to look for books more than I read..

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Then a friend of mine, Carletta, almost lost a few month's worth of photos. So we have been talking about online storage...I have thought about it for a long time but continue to put it off. Has anyone else used on-line storage....for anything. I would just want it for my photos.. I have looked at Carbonite and at Mozy...it is very tempting since I know that some of them do it automatically every time you are on the internet. I would still want them backed up on my own external hard drives.

And that just now led me to remembering I can make a back-up copy of my blogs...maybe I should look into that.

Anyway, one thing has led to another and I have not done much. Oh, I did come down here to download the kindle app on my netbook, and I did sew a few lines...

A gray sort of day

2011-10-20T17:48:00.007-04:00

Its another gray day here in the Wabash valley. The above photo was taken day before yesterday, but it looked just about the same yesterday and today. Though it wasn't actually raining here when we left home this morn, by the time were up the road a few miles, it was misting rain.

It is the Covered Bridge Festival in Parke County this week...we have been to different places on three separate days. The first day was a useless trip...I had a horrible headache when we left home and it did not improve, so we no more than got there till we just came home. That was Monday and it was a pretty day...that was why we attempted to go that day.

Tuesday we went to Rockville in the misting rain....they have a big tent set up with several vendors in it. Among them was the gourd lady...I bought half a dozen from her. I think I will make birdhouses out of one or two, and give the others to Sarah to paint. The gourd lady is a fun lady to talk to. We have been by her farm numerous times but have never stopped...I am thinking the next time we will.

But back to the focus of this post....we ventured farther north today to what is usually a big flea market. As I said earlier, not raining here when we left, but did not get very far from home till it started misting. We continued on, knowing that some would not be open. The bottom line is that hardly any vendors were open....I found a couple books for light reading and Roger found a few little things he could use in his shop.

I could not help but think how thankful I was to have a car that had heat, and how thankful to come home to a warm house with warm, running water. I almost always think about these things when I am out in cold nasty weather...and think about what it must have been like to be traveling in covered wagons and no place to really get away from the cold and rain.

As we came home we stopped by the grocery and got the fixings for a big pot of vegetable soup....my house smells soooo good right now. I wish we had scratch and sniff applications for our computers. I think I am going to go up and have a bowl...then come back down to my sewing.

I leave you with one of my favorite barns near here...I snapped this on the way home today.

the last time these will be photographed for a while...

2011-10-20T01:35:00.002-04:00

For a while these yellow flowers were everywhere we went that had any water, or had had water. I never tire of them...but think it will be a long while before I get to enjoy their beauty again. They are all gone now.

And after today, I bet a lot of leaves are gone as well. It has been rather chilly the entire day and I don't think it has stopped raining the one single time. Everything is dripping water. The cats want out, we open the door for them--sometimes they go on out and others they start out, pause and sniff and look and feel...they turn around and go back inside. If they do go outside, they want back in before 20 minutes pass. They have us so well trained...

I have spent a big part of the day with fooling with fabric and with sewing. I did sit with graph paper and started figuring on how to arrange the colors. I was dreading that part, but don't know why. It is just squares of fabric...but I am working with a limited amount. It is fabric left over from another project. I did buy a couple other pieces to go with what I had...

Leftovers from the strip pits...

2011-10-18T23:56:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I go to the strip pits and see very little, sometimes I see a lot. When I was there last week, I also saw the Northern Harrier above. Not a very good shot. This is a cropped portion of the original. He was all the way down at the other end of the pond...and seemed to be fishing. He even sat perched on a dead tree for a while...one that stuck up out of the water.
Then at the other end of the area...actually over in Illinois, I saw these three turkeys...this is a regular farm field. I don't know if it was originally part of the mining area or not. If it was, it has been back in regular use for a long while. It always has soy beans or corn planted here. And when the crops are down, or before they grow very tall, if we go by there in the evening, there is almost always deer or turkeys there.
The two deer above were in the same field, only 2 or 3 weeks prior to the shot of the turkeys. The past few times I have been out there, I have not been seeing near as many deer as I always have before. Go Here and scroll down to see how numerous they were a couple years ago.

An Indiana farm

2011-10-17T20:30:00.004-04:00

On a recent drive we came across this farm...I liked the whole view of it. Wouldn't you like to be sitting there at the picnic tables?
And here is another little house with that huge front overhang in front. I have wondered was this at one time the smokehouse or was it a summer kitchen. I really have no idea what it was used for...but it reminded me of the little house I showed here.
Even though the fence could have used some TLC, the barn was well taken care of. It is metal siding, and sometimes I don't like that but in this case the barn still had a lot of character.

A gathering of spirits...

2011-10-15T20:24:00.005-04:00

The above was taken a couple weeks ago...I think in Illinois. The rest were taken at the strip pits this evening..
Every fall I look forward to the birds gathering together...even though I look forward to it there is an element of sadness about it for me. I don't know why. And every time I see them, I think 'a gathering of spirits.'

They also make me think of that Norman Rockwell's The Gossips....chattering back and forth and getting all excited over nothing.
They came and went from this dead little tree as long as I sat there...which was only 5 minutes or so...but were still coming and go when I left.
As I was about to leave the place, down the road there was another gathering...a big gathering. Even if you enlarge it, I don't know if you will realize they are having a great time in a mud puddle! That is what the mist is....
They would leave in waves and come back in waves...so much fun to watch.

Now the photos below definitely have to be enlarged...not because they are so good, but because there were two bald eagles out there! I saw one from a distance and flew down the road to try to arrive at the strip pit it was headed for but before I got there I saw another one fly up from the pond...and if you haven't guess by now I did not make it in time to get a shot while they were close to the road.
The one I first saw was not even flapping its wings....he was just gliding for the strip pit....I was flying down the road with the dust boiling behind me--I know I had to be going 50-60 mph...just thankful nobody else was out there. Still, by the time I got there and got slowed down they were at the far end and circling and rising to move on out.
But I did get proof that I saw them...I drove around a while hoping they would come back...I did see them way, far away but they never came back near me. Such a thrill to see them!
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I leave you with the song A Gathering of Spirits by Carrie Newcomer...it is where I got the phrase a gathering of spirts....

New to me!

2011-10-14T23:44:00.003-04:00

Ever so often, I google 'Simon's Cat' to see if there are any new videos...look what I found!

I hope you enjoy it half as much as I did.

Oh, yeah...here's this one, too.

They so remind me of my cats! Never a dull moment.

More from yesterday's drive...

2011-10-14T00:24:00.003-04:00

On our way to Goose Pond, we rambled around in the Greene=Sullivan State Forest. It was started with 3,000 acres donated by various coal companies. It now consists of over 9,000 acres and has over 120 lakes.
I don't know why I chose to photograph this one...probably because it was all the dead trees, etc. It had atmosphere.
I bet in warmer weather it is teaming with wildlife...for some reason I imagine lots of turtles here.

We normally have our fishing poles in our vehicle at all times, but had taken them out when we went to Sarah's last weekend and had not put them back in. I regretted that all day long. We did not see near all the lakes, but we sure saw some pretty ones. And lots of them looked like ideal places to fish. I am thinking I will be wanting to head back down there before cold weather hits.
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Just a little note here...I bet I spent at least two hours ripping out sewing that I did. It didn't have to be done....but I decided to do something different. I think that is the most ripping out I have ever done.

It rained lightly off and on today, but the sun came out this evening...supposed to be clear the next two or three days but turning cooler next week.

A little road trip....

2011-10-12T19:34:00.002-04:00

Since it is supposed to start raining tonight, we decided to go for a drive today. My friend, Mary, had went to Goose pond and told me about her trip. I had been anxious to go, so today was the day.
We saw plenty, but all at a distance. I saw a few frog's peeping up from the depths...but not a single one along the banks.

We saw several egrets, with this being the only one within shooting distance. I watched and watched for him to catch something all to no avail. Plus we were watching for this bald eagle...and he came close, but not close enough for a good picture. It was a juvenile. Still, it was very exciting to see it.

There were lots of blue herons, and a couple cormorants, and a couple other birds. Just so frustrating that all except this egret were too far away. I told Roger I would love to take his hunting blind down there and set it up and see if things would come close with us sitting in it.

This is from today...I should have kept a copy of the original...to show you...I just hit auto levels to get this till you could see the milkweed seeds in flight. I don't care how old I get to be, I will love shaking them loose to fly on the wind...in this case Roger shook them loose for me to try to capture.
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The past couple days prior to today, I have spent a lot of time in my basement. And should I admit that a lot of the time has been spent looking for things...namely two or three different fabrics? I found one of them right where I first looked...it had just got squished down between two others...but I didn't find it till I had looked through every other place. Does anyone else lose things like this?

In finding the one fabric, I thought of another fabric that I had not seen in all the searching...I did not go back looking again. But I have been searching for a quilt backing, too...no luck with it either.

Fall foliage

2011-10-10T23:07:00.003-04:00

I just thought I would show some of the fall foliage that is now showing in our area. I don't think one single one was taken during a good time of day.
I think you will still get a good idea of how fall is unfolding.
The photos above were taken this past Thursday and the one below was taken Friday on our way to Sarah's house.
I have been pleasantly surprised with how nice the season is. I was so afraid it was going to be short and not so sweet.

Guess where we have been??

2011-10-09T15:31:00.002-04:00

I want to urge you to click and enlarge this one...just look at the gleam in her eyes!

Yeah, we went to visit daughter and her hubby and of course Lorelei. Sarah had a job to go to on Saturday morn early, and didn't want to have to get Lo up early....plus they wanted to go out Saturday night.

We just got home a bit ago...was a beautiful drive. I haven't got everything even put away. We had had a power outage while gone. So have got the clocks reset...but that is about it. The Colts are on, so we are just ignoring everything till it is over.

Another fence shot...

2011-10-06T19:06:00.002-04:00

I should save this for Friday's Fences, but just have to share it now--I have an entry for it already at my Time Stand Still Blog...

Anyway, we were out for a little rambling drive around here just to see some fall color. We happened upon this fence...it brought a smile to my face immediately. If you will look closely, down towards the barn, there are birdhouses on several of the fence posts.

We are going to be busy Friday and Saturday so may not be making any comments...but should be back in action Sunday night I think.

Heron County Park

2011-10-04T23:34:00.003-04:00

Heron County is the name of the place...not the county it is in. It is in Vermilion County, Illinois..notice their Vermilion only has one 'l' and Indiana's Vermillion has two. But that is beside the point. We happened across this place quite by accident. It has an eagle viewing tower and this wetland boardwalk.

Much to our sorrow not a single thing was moving, but it was a beautiful day, and there was all these water lilies. I think they look like they are saying 'take me to your leader.'

I can't wait to go back there another day...it was so windy that day not even butterflies or dragonflies were moving. I have a feeling in wetter times that it is teaming with wildlife.
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I spent the day in the basement...made a pair of pillowcases to go with the quilt I posted yesterday. Not sure, but may get it in the mail tomorrow. I sent my daughter pics and she liked how it looks..

I am looking for ideas for my next quilt...not that I don't have a million. I am looking for ideas on how to use a specific fabric I have. So far no luck...but I will force myself to keep looking.

Photo overload

2011-10-03T23:15:00.006-04:00

I could not decide on just a couple photos so am giving you lots of choices...you can click and enlarge any of them.
This is the quilt I have been working on forever it seems like...it is for my older daughter. In fact, she bought the fabrics at least a couple years ago. I thought the original plan was for her to come here and us work on one together...instead her life got awfully busy. And ours was pretty full for a time, too. So the fabric just sat.

After designing a couple or three different quilts in Electric Quilt, and showing them to my daughter, she chose this design. It is basically a Double Irish chain, only in a real Double Irish Chain, the blocks that are almost all tans here would be one fabric. And there is a difference in the choice of dominant fabric placement....and a couple other differences that doesn't make much difference anyway.

This quilt is machine pieced...and machine quilted. Free-motion quilted. That means I drop the feed dogs on my sewing machine, and put a special foot on the machine, and I feed and guide the quilt sandwich...I have to try to keep my foot pedal speed in sync with how fast I move the quilt under the needle, all while following the design. If I move too fast, while sewing too slow, I will have long stitches.

The reverse of this is if I move the fabric slow, but put the pedal to the medal, the stitches are one right on top of the other...and impossible to rip out. There are not very many stitches that are too long, however it would be impossible to count the times I sewed too fast for the speed I was moving the fabric under the needle...but at least those don't really hurt anything.
I forget where I found the fleur de lis...I took it and had it enlarged, then used poster board to make a stiff pattern that I could lay on the quilt and trace around to mark the design on the quilt. Let me tell you, that was time consuming, plus after it was done the markings were hard to see.

If you will enlarge this and notice the fleur de lis on the edge, you will see it is a bit different from the others. I had to redesign it to fit the space. The other fleur de lis go into the adjoining blocks a little bit...

The above photo is after it was washed and dried. It started as 87 1/2 inches. Quilting causes a little bit of shrinkage in size...but should have been much on this since there is not a lot of quilting. But I washed and dried it in the dryer because that is how it will be dried from now on...and its final finished size was 82 inches square. The batting said 3% shrinkage...but I don't prewash my fabrics either so some shrinkage there.

Possum grapes and grapevines....

2011-10-02T18:41:00.004-04:00

A week or two ago, coming home from the strip pits, I noticed these wild grapes. We called them possum grapes when we were kids...they are about the size of a big pea...some might be a bit bigger but not by much. I don't know about my brothers and sisters, but I always had to eat just a few of them. Were they ever tart!

I did not taste these, but I used to see them at the edge of the orchard and I would try them every now and then. I don't know if they were filled with seeds when I was a kid and I didn't notice, or if I caught them earlier than the ones I tried a few years ago. The ones at the orchard were so full of seeds that there was basically no taste to them.

And then there are the vines they grow on...they will get huge if left alone. At least 2-3 inches in diameter if not a little more. When kids, we usually had one somewhere that we would go and swing on. We would cut it off, and give a few test pulls on it to make sure it was not going to pull loose from the trees...almost always they were on the side of hill.

Either before I was born, or before I was old enough to remember, one of my sisters swung out and the vine broke with her. It swung way out and was long drop to the ground...it is a wonder she was not seriously injured. Heck, come to think about it, with the things we done it is a miracle that at least one of us was not seriously hurt or killed by some fool stunt like that.

Years later when I was probably 10 or 12, we had a grapevine swing just over from our house that swung out over the creek...a friend of the family was at our house...Leonard was about as close to family as you can get without there being a blood tie. Anyway, it was up in the day and I still wonder what he and my brothers were doing over at the creek at that time of day since there was always work to be done. Anyway, apparently I was following them. He decided to swing out on that grapevine. We had not tested it that summer....he swung out and it broke with him. It wasn't a big creek and not a big drop, but I can still see him landing on the gravel bar and laying there just a second before getting up.

Another summer when my nephew was spending the summer with us...the nephew that is the same age as me...we decided to go find a grapevine to make a grapevine swing. Well, it was a ways to where we went...probably a mile, give or take a little bit. It was up on the side of ridge...not all the way to the top. We swung a few times I am sure...I don't remember if it started to rain or if we just suddenly knew it was going to rain.

We headed home and before we even got close, it was pouring the rain....the way I remember it, it was one of those times it was raining so hard you couldn't see very far. We were soaked to the bone before we even got close to home. We had to cross a barbed-wire fence, then there was creek to cross. Normally we walked this log across...not this time...we just hit the creek running.

I don't know if there was thunder and lightening...I don't remember being afraid at all. I just remember laughing and the water running off us. And don't remember mom being upset at all.

A touch of fall

2011-10-01T10:33:00.002-04:00

We wanted to go somewhere yesterday, but didn't want to drive too far...so we headed up the highway.
After about 20 minutes or so, we headed off on side roads...even though we were farther north, there was not as much color as around here. We did find an Illinois heron viewing station, but not one single thing was there...at least not in the wildlife department.
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I was relieved to hear that several of you have the same troubles with followers posts not showing in your viewer....I thought I was the lone ranger in that department. I am not glad you are having the same thing happen, yet I am glad I am not alone.

Now to something new...as most of you know I have Time Stand Still on a totally separate account. The other day I had posts scheduled and wanted to change the view date of a couple...I could not change that....I could access the post, but when I changed the post date, and clicked publish nothing happened. I tried clicking 'Save' and nothing happened. So, I thought it just a glitch...thought it was not that important. I thought I would come back to it later, and everything work.

Then night before last, I noticed I forgot to change the size of the photo to 640 x 427, and tried to change it...again I could access the editor, but could not change it. I have tried it on two different computers...one with Vista and one with Windows 7, so I don't think it is my computer. Any ideas???

I have one post scheduled on it for tonight, but haven't had time to see if I can set up any more. I am wondering will I be able to post anything after the one tonight.

Could you sleep like this?

2011-09-29T00:40:00.003-04:00

Could you even come close to getting in this position IF you wanted to sleep like this?

This is our Bubbie who I talk about fairly often. I was in here in the dining room and Roger said look at this. I got up and walked over where I could see and here he was all curled around in the basket. BTW, that is a pillow under him. A bed pillow. He is a big boy.

Anyway, Roger started to pet him and I told him to wait a minute...he did not move when I took the photo.

Then tonight the joke was on me...we have a fridge in the garage and we just put our cases of Coke in it and got get a few when we need them. Well, I turned on the light out there and here came Bubbie to go out as I went out. I did not really pay attention to where he went....just made sure he did not run in the garage ahead of me.

I got the Cokes and came strolling back down the walk and he rushed out at me from hiding at the end of the garage...I did not drop the Cokes but I did squeal. I had just totally forgot about him....
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I got the fleur de lis all quilted this afternoon/evening. Now to think about what to do to fill up the blank spaces on the outside blocks. I am wanting to get this done till my daughter can have it....plus she wants pillowcases made.

After that I have so much I want to do...and am really in the mood to start a new project. I need to do more quilting, though. I have several tops that are waiting their turn for free motion quilting.

Another fall day...

2011-09-27T21:16:00.003-04:00

Another fall day here in our corner of the world...it has actually been on the cool side all day long. It was overcast most of the day and even got a sprinkle of rain this evening. I stayed inside...I think I was outside just a couple of times.

Other than that and a friend stopping by, I have been quilting on my quilt. Not one single fleur de lis is quilted perfectly...but I am hoping once it is washed the mistakes will not be so noticeable...and really, they don't glare at you now unless you look for them. I have half of them quilted, but then there are 8 blocks that have only 3, and those 8 blocks have one side that I have to design something to fill up the space.

This quilt is made up of two different blocks...and the way I am quilting the fleur de lis...the tip of each fleur de lis fits into the block next to it. That is why only 3 will fit on the 8 blocks on the outside.

I am getting anxious to finish the quilting. I had help this evening...Bubbie came and laid on it the last one I quilted. He was testing it to make sure it meets his approval. It is usually Puss Puss that does the serous testing.

I should go down and mark some more for me to do tomorrow. I am pretty sure it takes as long to mark them as it doees to quilt them.

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So, is anyone going to try the Dynamic views with blogger. I tried viewing my blogs with them, and the one thing I noticed was I did not like the comment form...it was the embedded form. But maybe if we actually used one of them, that coudl be changed. There was so much about it that I had questions about I am waiting to see someone else use it. But to be truthful, I was not crazy about any of the views.

And does anyone else ever have times where they follow someone, but they don't get the new posts? I have that happen every now and then with first one person and then another. Then the other morning, I signed in and none of the blogs I followed were there! Talk about having my heart sink for just a few seconds....but I hit the refresh button and they showed up. Thank God for that simple fix.

Getting creative...

2011-09-26T13:39:00.003-04:00

Sarah had a baby shower to go to this weekend...the baby's room is going to be done in birds. She decided as part of her gift to paint another gourd birdhouse. I think this is gorgeous! I just took a couple quick snaps of it while she was here.
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Below is my work.
Or at least the beginning. It takes as long to mark the fleur de lis as it does to sew them..or almost.
I am using a variegated/multicolored thread. It is a personal choice. I was not sure I would like it so did a sample first and I really like that it shows up. Part of what shows here is the pencil marking...hoping it comes out in the wash as it always did for my mom.

There are other markers out there, but am always afraid I won't get chalk out....plus, if it came off easy, then afraid it would get brushed off before I got the quilting done. And there is a blue marker...kind of like a magic marker...you have to get it out with plain cold water first, but have heard some people say that the marks come back. So, didn't want to try that for that reason, but sure would have liked it for others. The pencil markings are so hard to see...

Going to be here in a minute

2011-09-24T11:45:00.002-04:00

Her mommy just called from a nearby town...she did not want to eat this morn...wanted to come to Mamaw's house! We on the other hand, have been counting the days. And it was only last weekend that we saw her.

Jonalicious

2011-09-23T22:38:00.002-04:00

We were out and about today...stopped by the orchard. I was on a mission...hoping to find Jonalicious apples. Roger had never tasted one but had heard me talk of them. He has a new favorite apple now! They are simply wonderful...sweet and tart and the juice just runs! Not supposed to be good for baking, but who cares. They are just a wonderful eating apple. And yes, they are a cross between a Jonathan and a Red Delicious apple. And no, I don't like Red Delicious...even when I worked at the orchard, I could not eat them. If I was test tasting them, I took a bite to see if the sugar was coming in to them, but spit it out, most of the time. And if I wanted an apple to eat, I would get down and go find another variety.

Flurries.....

2011-09-23T11:21:00.006-04:00

TexWisGirl used the term flurry the other day to describe something...and since then I cannot get it out of my mind totally. So, out at the strip pits the other day while I was looking through my camera lens trying to decide what kind of water fowl these were, they took flight and I snapped a photo. It isn't the greatest but I like the feel of action that it gives. And I love the yellow in the background.
These yellow flowers are every place you look...I think they are a type of coreopsis...but please feel free to correct me. I was hoping to find butterflies or dragonflies on my last vist but all that seemed to be stirring were some bee/bee type insects. I saw one dragonfly and that was it.
Anyway, the flowers blow in the wind till it is near impossible to get a really good shot of them. That and the fact that I just cannot seem to capture their full beauty no matter what.
And every time I see them, I think of a song by Coldplay and wonder if these yellow flowers everywhere are God's version of the song Yellow...

Peek-a-boo

2011-09-22T07:34:00.003-04:00

We had to run to Walmart last night. We decided to run through the strip pits first....not much was moving except grasshoppers. I stopped to get a picture and Roger pecked on the window. The praying mantis had landed on the windshield.

The photo below is from when Mary and I were out there...the yellow flowers were and are just everywhere. They are so bright and cheerful.

But seems I just cannot capture all their glory.
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I am trying to sew a little...I actually made a sample quilt sandwich yesterday and quilted my first fleur de lis...it was not too bad. It could have been better of course, but but was not as bad as I was afraid it would be. So, I proceeded to mark a few on the actual quilt. The first three were along the edge of the quilt and not too bad.

Then I did two more late...I decided to quit till I was not so tired. Just a little bit disappointed in those but hoping once it is washed that they don't look so bad.

And all the time I was trying to mark them, Puss Puss was trying her best to help. All my quilts are Kitty Tested, Cat Approved.

A year ago...from Georgia

2011-09-20T23:31:00.003-04:00

First of all, let me tell you that this is the Appling County Courthouse of Georgia...they are drive-bys, not such great images...but still wanted to show it.
A year ago we were in Georgia on this date...
we went down to see our daughter graduate from some training...
It was just the start another huge change for us...

She was home for just a very few days and headed to the west coast...

Lorelei and her mommy and daddy had moved two hours east of us almost a month before....
at least we can see them fairly often.

Photographs and memories...

2011-09-19T15:31:00.003-04:00

I have been sitting off and on all day long looking at photographs...originally looking for something for inspiration to blog about. Looking for photos from home. Instead I kept pausing at all the kitty photos...
especially the ones of Puss Puss and Cougar II....I have never seen any two cats closer than those two were.
They were always piled up together, whether in playing or in rest and relaxation.

I lost Cougar just a bit back...and I still really miss him. So it has been bittersweet seeing all the photos of him. It also made me wonder if Puss Puss misses him at all...when Bubbie and Mama Cat came to live with us, their closeness seemed to come to a halt....we would just occasionally catches glimpses of them being like they were the first few months we had only them. But only on rare occasions.

I wonder if anyone else feels as I do about photography...I know since digital cameras I take a gazillion pictures compared to what I took with film. Just because of economical reasons. Whether I blogged or not, I would still want to go on photography trips every chance I got. I feel compelled to capture things...things as they are now as well as to capture things that are about to pass away. I want to leave a record of our time.

The one thing I have trouble doing is capturing people in an everyday environment. That is the one thing I really need to focus on. A hundred years from now, I wonder if our blogs will still be here...and will people be looking at our photographs with the same rapt attention I look at old photos now.

No longer a baby

2011-09-18T13:20:00.003-04:00

We went to see 'that mean old baby' who is no longer a baby and of course, she never was mean...it is just something her papaw used to say. He would look at me and say I wonder what that mean old baby is doing...or he would asked if I wanted to go see that mean old baby. Even though we seen her last weekend, it just wasn't enough to last.

She is all into spiders now, and finding spider webs...as well as playing wolf with the little girl Sarah babysits. And sometimes Otto is the wolf....the two girls ran circle after circle in the yard Friday. We got tired just watching them.
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The Colts are playing...I have got to sit here and cheer for them. I am going to try to catch up with everyone during commercials....

Special day...

2011-09-15T22:58:00.004-04:00

Any day we see an eagle we consider a good day...well, imagine how special it is to see two eagles with a blog friend!!! I have been visiting Mary of Faith, Fabric, and Photos blog almost since I first began blogging. We have wanted to get together for along time, but things kept happening on my end that prevented it when it should have been so easy.

So today, her husband had to be up this way...she emailed me to see if it was convenient, while apologizing for such short notice. Well, for us, short notice is almost always best.

We talked, and laughed, and showed each other our quilts....I even showed her the part of our basement where I do my sewing. And let me tell you, that takes nerve, cause it isn't very pretty down there.
But it serves its purpose.

After that, we headed out to the strip pits...the first thing we saw an eagle up high. The first time I glimpsed it, the way it turned I saw the sunlight reflect off the white tail feathers...I took pictures but I had forgot to reset my ISO and shutter speed so they are not good at all...see the photo below. It will enlarge, but let me tell you, it is hardly worth it.
Then right as we left the strip pits, we spotted the eagle in the first photo...we only had just a few seconds to snap a couple photos...as it was turning away from us.

I think we are both hoping this is the first in a lot of visits...

Not much to say...

2011-09-14T22:36:00.003-04:00

First, a picture from a couple years ago...a sunrise as we traveled north. I think heading to Mackinaw City, Michigan. I didn't have anything new to show, so thought I would use this.

It has been cloudy and overcast all day, with a few sprinkles thrown in for good measure. I had to let a kitty in a little bit ago and it is down right chilly out there. There is not doubt fall is here. I don't think we will have any more of the extreme hot weather.

I am getting in the mood to really get busy and finish quilting my daughter's quilt. I did finish the binding the other night. Now I have to decide how to transfer the other quilting design to the quilt so the quilting can be finished.

And since I don't have anything interesting to say...I will leave you with the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band....I heard them a couple weeks ago on one of the PBS shows and fell in love with the song Night Prayer...this video also includes a second song that I like almost as well. I hope you enjoy it.

Vigo County Courthouse

2011-09-13T22:01:00.002-04:00

As we came home from the family reunion the other day, the sky was overcast...I grabbed these shots of the courthouse...
it is a beauty. But I see it so often, I fail to notice it.

In the doghouse....childhood memory

2011-09-12T11:48:00.003-04:00

Well, actually, I am sitting a few minutes here and a few there...doing laundry and hanging it out to dry....trying to think of a picture to go with what I want to tell about but don't really have any. I took this picture of this log cabin a few days ago. And we are wondering what is going to happen to it...it has a new roof, but doesn't look too well cared for otherwise. I would give anything to have it...I would love it so!
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Now to the story behind the title of this post. I have a niece whose dad was in the Air Force...she is a few years younger than me, maybe 3-4 or 5...cannot really think and too lazy to go look it up. Due to places her dad got stationed/things he had to to, there were a couple or three times in her life when she lived near us, and one time they even stayed with us a short while. I think her dad was going to some sort of schooling at that time.

Anyway, we were close back then. We would roam the hills, play in the barn, play I Spy,
and she is the one that played in the hallway at home that I mentioned here...I cannot even think of all we done. But we did a lot...

Now my oldest brother was/is a coon hunter...so he had coon dogs. I am not sure which dog it was, but he built him a heck of dog house. It was probably at least 40 inches wide and even longer than that. It was built for a dog to stay warm in. It had a peak roof...from floor to peak of roof was probably at least 30-35 inches....and I think the walls were about 24. You got to understand I am seeing this through a teen-ager's eyes...not real sure of the measurements.

Anyway, he built it and for the longest time, none of the dogs would even use it. They had rather lay on the ground. So my niece and I used it. We could just barely fit through the door...had to get down and crawl in....

Well, I am not sure where we got the candles, but we would have a candle or two in there, and we would have crackers. We would toast the crackers over the open flame and kind of scorch it. At that time, I had a huge wart on my left hand...I would hold the candle till the hot, melted wax would drip and cover that wart. Hoping to kill it I suppose. Or I would sit and pick at that wart and we would just talk...maybe even try to read.

Well, we had made a trip to the neighbor's dump on his farm...I suppose he was trying to fill in that ravine. It was just their own private place to throw junk. We found a shiny, gold trophy. We took that home with us. We thought it was made of metal...to this day that is sort of embarrassing cause I was old enough to know better.

Well, I don't know if it was that day, or another day, but of course we had the bright idea of using it as a candle holder in the dog house. And we were in there, had the candle going, and just stuffing our mouth as full of crackers as we could...stuff you might expect from a boy but not from girls.

The trophy was not made of metal---it was plastic the candle burned down to below the rim, and it caught on fire! We could not blow it out because all we could blow was a few cracker crumbs. No room for air in a mouth stuffed with crackers! This was bad. I grabbed it and headed out the door with it...of course I had to get down and crawl....I remember us bursting out of it and after we got out, we just died laughing....and of course we never told our moms. I am not even sure if I ever told mine later in life.

It is a wonder some of us weren't killed...

Don't forget the books!

2011-09-10T23:22:00.004-04:00

We were gone today...we had a little family reunion today...there are four sisters plus one brother that lives in Indiana...and two brothers live in Tennessee. We decided to meet at Spring Mill State Park in southern Indiana...as you can see by the above photo there was a chance of rain. Lucky for us, all we had was a few sprinkles.

One brother and his wife came up from Tennessee, and the rest of us, minus one met there before noon. I got up and made enchiladas this morn, while Roger loaded the Rav with the other goodies, and we were out the door by 8:30....but it was still close to noon before we got down there. We did get behind a tractor for a while in the rolling hills down that way. After a bit we were able to pass and continue on our way.

Sarah and Lorelei were able to come....and some other nieces and nephews....one niece I had not seen in years and years. We all sat and talked and laughed...and talked some more...and discussed books and returned books, and laughed about things that had happened.

Lorelei was a little shy at first...she would not even come with me after she seen all the others...she eventually got over it. She wanted Sarah to come to Mamaw's house, but Sarah did not bring clothes for her....but I keep hearing 'want to go to Mamaw's house' over and over in my mind.

How wonderful to be loved by her...

And how wonderful to have family. To feel that secure love, of knowing that you are accepted just as you are, with all your faults and funny ways. Wonderful to have someone that knows your history...that shares the same genes as you.

Morning glories

2011-09-08T23:45:00.002-04:00

Someone fixed a spot of beauty in their yard...morning glories.

Down home when I was a kid, they grew everywhere...and a lot of years, if not all years, mom also had them growing at the end of the front porch. I don't know if she planted them or if they just came up.

I don't know if it is still the same way now, but they were always in our garden and in the tobacco patches. They just seemed to want to grow everywhere. At least they are pretty...and hummingbirds like them.

Pulling fence posts....

2011-09-07T21:32:00.003-04:00

NOTE: this is not us...just a you tube video

We have been taking down a section of old fence between the house and the garage. I think that was about 6 fence posts....and this is the method we used. Our posts were in the ground farther, but it worked like a charm.

The chain is wrapped around the post down close to the ground, the tire is placed in front of the post and the chained pulled up over it and over to the hitch on the truck. Roger held the chain in place over the tire while I eased and took the slack out. When it was tight on it, Roger moved away and I put the pedal to the medal and out they popped.

One gave us trouble, and we had to leave it while we removed the rest of the posts...then when we could pull from a different direction it popped right out, too. It was in the ground at least 3 feet.

It was so heavy Roger had to use the chainsaw and cut it into pieces to load it in the truck. When he started that chainsaw...you just cannot imagine how it was music to my ears. And the smell! Brought back so many happy memories of working at the orchard. I remember at first being so afraid of cutting out stuff, afraid I was hurting the trees...then it got till I felt like an artist at work pruning and cutting out branches.

Other than sometimes being out in the bitter cold, I did like pruning. Actually I liked almost everything I did there...except making cider. And even that was just the noise...the job itself was not bad.

Anyway, we are glad to have it this job done...not sure what I am putting back, if anything. It is another job for another day.

Interesting skies...

2011-09-06T20:17:00.003-04:00

The sky has really been interesting the past few days....this was taken yesterday. I never tire of looking to see what is going on when the sky is like this. I actually waste a lot of time going to the door to look out or looking out the windows.
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To those of you who have asked about Lorelei, she is feeling better. She is still on antibiotics...has a few more days of them left.

She started feeling better just in a day or two after starting them. As you read the following, keep in mind that she does not take naps now, and still will want to stay up till 9:00 sometimes. I think it was about the second night after she started the antibiotics, she came and got her mom's hand and said 'Tickle my Back!' and started leading her down the hallway to her room. Oh, I guess I should tell you, that we always rub/tickle her back just a few minutes when we put her to bed.

Roger asked me who started that....I don't know if it was me or Sarah. When Sarah was little and felt bad, she liked for me to do her face just real lightly with a finger or two...and I know I have always did Lorelei's face and back, but more her back....but I think her mommy has, too.

Anyway, her daddy was up by then, but still had time before he had to work. (he works nights--10:00 p.m/ -10:00 a.m.) Anyway, she stopped to hug him goodnight, and he told her she didn't have to go to bed yet. It was not even dark! She just insisted on Sarah going down the hallway with her, she got in her bed and had Sarah tickle her back about 10 seconds, and told her that was enough, and went on to sleep and slept till 8:30 the next morn, and was only up once during the night.

So, she is doing better with rest also.
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We ran out to the orchard and I got apples to make a pie for Roger this evening...I have not even tasted it yet. I really like to have vanilla ice cream to with pie...so I have been holding off.

It was an absolutely glorious day here today...hoping we have several more of them to come.

Another view

2011-09-05T09:48:00.001-04:00

I posted a photo taken from a different angle here at Time Stand Still...my other blog. I would love to be able to get a photo from this side without all the wires, etc. But this was just a drive-by on our way north. I still cannot imagine going to a high school that looks like this.
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It is kind of overcast here today....I have been sitting here catching glimpses of leaves as they fall or are blown along. I think we are headed for a short fall season, but hope I am wrong. We had a little bit of rain night before last but not enough to make a difference. I guess the farmers can use the dry weather to get their crops in.

All the corn is either already turned brown or starting to turn...but the soy beans are still green for the most part. I think because the rain in the spring slowed their planting.

Here at home, the tomatoes are about at an end...there is enough to eat and that is about it. The plus side of that is that they are still delicious. In years past, at the end of some seasons they have been watery and flavorless. I think it had to do with the amount of rain. Whatever the reason, I am so glad to be able to enjoy them. And I sort of wonder what I am going to do when they are gone.

Yesterday I did the first round of sewing of the binding on the quilt...but did not start the hand sewing part of it. I love to do that when I have good shows on TV to watch/listen to. Lately, there are just so few things we like to watch. Maybe tonight will be different....at least football season is starting soon!

Bubbie in a basket

2011-09-03T23:34:00.004-04:00

A little bit of history first. Lorelei's cat, Diesel, is always stealing Otto's bed...so Lorelei's mom got this big basket and put a cushion or blanket or something in for Diesel to sleep in. Did Diesel appreciate the effort...not at all. But he will sometimes sleep in a box that is laying on its side...but for the most part he still prefers Otto's bed.

So, Sarah gave me the basket...I put an old pillow in it and Bubbie and Puss Puss both love it....
Above is ~~Sleeping Beauty~~ sleeping Bubbie....
ahhhh, stretccchhhhhh.....that feels good....
Then he gives me this look....what the heck are you staring at?

What an end to the day

2011-09-03T00:09:00.002-04:00

We took off on a rambling drive today looking for a barn a friend told us about...no luck with it but did find several other beauties. They were not the highlight of our day though.

On our way home we decided to check out Wabashiki FWA in Vigo County...actually right on the edge of West Terre Haute. I have never seen so many blue herons and egrets in one place...all with no way to get close enough to get a decent photo. I encourage you to click on the above just to see all the herons...but don't expect the quality of the photo itself to improve.

The photo above does not even begin to tell the whole story...this is right off a busy highway. before we got to the spot to pull off, there were small ponds of water on either side of the highway and the birds were standing almost shoulder to shoulder. On one side was more herons and on the other were more egrets. And no place at all to pull off to take a photograph. And back just a bit from these ponds of water....which actually could be backwaters from the Wabash River...but just a few hundred feet were some trees. In those we saw two juvenile bald eagles...we could tell by looking through Roger's spotter scope and my lens.

We drove around to find another entrance, and we did but seen a kid there who was from Texas but going to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. We talked to him he thought there was something wrong with the place...he took us and showed us. No herons or birds of any kind, and the stench was almost unbearable. The pond of water was definitely more than mudhole, but still not great big. Dead fish were all along the bank...and fish were hitting the top of the water constantly. Roger thinks they were dying from lack of oxygen.

Oh, well, what an end to the day....I could not get that smell out of my head till I came home and took a shower.

Where has the time gone...

2011-09-01T21:40:00.004-04:00

The above photo was taken two years ago on this day....and the one below was taken a month ago today. It is hard to believe she has changed so much.
But she still has that big, beautiful smile.
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Lorelei has another cold...this is the third one in about as many months. Her temperature went up to 103ºF yesterday sometime and was still up this morning so Sarah took her to the doctor. Keep in mind she has had her mommy up down the past two or three nights till she has not gotten much sleep. They pulled into the parking lot and Lorelei said, "Mommy, I tired." Sarah said, 'So you're tired?' And Lorelei said, "yes, I don't want to see the doctor."

So, Sarah said well, can we go in and tell him we are not going to see him...Lorelei says "Oh, okay." So he seen her and went ahead and give her an antibiotic since she still had the temperature this morn.

Then this evening, well before dark, she wanted her mommy to come tickle her back...she likes that as she goes to sleep. So, Sarah asks "You want your back tickled...you don't want to eat a salad with me?" No, she wanted her back tickled. She went and told her dad good-night, and went and got in her bed. Sarah turned the light off and tickled her back about ten seconds and she told Sarah that was enough...

It isn't even dark yet...it wasn't dark by the time Sarah called me, even. I am hoping they both get a good night's sleep.
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I have been sewing off and on all afternoon and evening. I am doing some of the quilting on my oldest daughter quilt. So far, so good. I tried to stop and take breaks but it is hard to when things are going okay. I did diagonal quilting...all the diagonal quilting I had planned, but not so sure about it now. Almost thinking it might need more. Though she don't want it quilted real close.

I am thinking about putting the binding on next till I can trim the edges off and remove some of the bulk. There isn't a lot to cut off, but every little bit will help. And I love doing the binding anyway. It is already made, so wouldn't take too terrible long to get it done. I could do the first round of sewing in an hour or two...the part where I sew it on with the sewing machine. The part where I flip it to the back and sew it down by hand will take several hours.

It feels so wonderful to be doing something a little bit creative...I need to make the effort do do something every day.

Bridgeton Covered Bridge today....

2011-08-31T22:22:00.002-04:00

We ran by the Bridgeton Covered Bridge in Parke County this evening...Roger has went fishing this morning...he and a former boss met there and waded the creek. He could not wait to take me there.
The above is a normal summer scene...there are always pretty flowers planted.
And here we have the bridge and the dam.....notice no water coming OVER the dam....this is the first time we have ever seen it like this. I don't know if it has happened before and we just never caught it or if this is an actual first time...

Also, notice the bridge is repaired...go HERE to see what it looked like back the first of June after a tornado passed through there.
We both threw a line in the water a few times...Roger caught this small one this evening...I didn't catch anything here but had a couple hits....we went on to Mansfield where I caught one tiny Pumpkinseed bluegill...

Drive-bys

2011-08-30T19:11:00.002-04:00

I have seen these barns 3 or 4 times, and I am never prepared to get a good photo. They are just there and gone too quick. I have no idea what the top one is used for...I think every time we have passed it, it has had cars in the parking lot.
The bottom one has the sign about Ring of Fire, the music of Johnny Cash...what that means I do not know. Maybe it features someone playing his music...that is my first thought.
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It has been a beautiful day here...low humidity and mid 80's for temps. We are going to have one more day of it and then back to the 90's.

I hung out two loads of clothes, I put the second load on before I brought the first one up to hang out. By the time I hung the second one out, the t-shirts in the first load were almost bone dry...except for where the clothespin held them on the line and they are the sleeveless that has that ribbing around the armholes...they were not quite dry.

I am enjoying sitting outside and reading....just so lovely these past few days. I hope after this next days of 90 degrees that they are the last of the year. I am really, really looking forward to fall and hope it is a long one. But if we don't get some rain, I am afraid it will be here and gone before we really get to enjoy it.

Yardage

2011-08-29T10:59:00.003-04:00

I took photos of the new fabric I picked up in Shipshewana...thought I would show it on here. I have at least one blogger friend that will probably enjoy seeing it.
The two above are half yard pieces and the red doesn't show true on this computer...it is more of an orangy red. So if that is what yours shows, it is showing it more true to color. Reds with a hint of orange is hard to find and I always buy a piece if I find one. This one happens to be a Christmas fabric but I did not notice that...and will ignore it when I use it. The orange...well, I use a lot of brights in kids quilts and would love to someday make an orange quilt like THIS one. The only thing is I can never hold on to orange fabrics...
The one above is a Kaffe Fassett fabric...and I LOVE it...I don't love very many of his designs, but then there are the ones that are just fabulous in my opinion. I use a lot of yellows in my quilts, but going to be hard to use this one. I just like to look at it.
The three above were from Little Bit of Lolly's...the others are all from Lolly's fabric. Both are in Shipshewana...the ones above are on sale...the two outside ones I got because I always need lights. And the other is a bright that will look good in a child's quilt. Quilters have a tendency to buy mediums and darks...they are the ones that are irresistible...the ones you just can't stop yourself from buying. But I have been trying to make myself buy a few lights along. That is one reason I use yellows in my quilts...yellow will brighten an otherwise drab quilt.
The two above are batiks....batiks are not printed...they really don't have a right side and a wrong side. They are stamped with a resist and then dyed. The resist blocks the dye from taking in the part that it covers. Sometimes the resist is then removed and it is dyed again...giving us a range of colors. I am building a huge selection of them...I find them hard to cut...
And the two above also came from Little Bit of Lolly's...they are Civil War reproduction fabrics...I have a good collection of those. Roger wants a quilt from them so that is one that is on my list of 'to do' quilts in the future.
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Every time I get in my fabric, I think of my mom...I don't think she was ever in a real quilt store. And she would have thought me foolish to spend the money I do on fabric. I bet there was never a year went by that she didn't make at least 4 or 5 quilts and probably more some years...with at least a couple being quilted by hand. She tied some quilts, and gave a lot of those away as gifts.

She had boxes of scraps...and I remember us hunting for scraps of a fabric...just to have enough to do blocks with. Sometimes it was hard to come up with enough of one fabric to do a block...but it was fun to stir around in the scraps and try. She never even thought about trying to get things on the straight of grain...there was just no way.

And she would cut her pattern from a piece of cardboard...the kind like cereal boxes are made of..of the back of a composition book. And she would just hold it and 3 or 4 layers of her fabric and cut around it with scissors...This is one of her quilts....as I told in that post, I do not know where she got all the red fabric. She made another quilt with that red fabric and it was just one big lone star. My brother Neal has that quilt I think...I know he was always meant to have it. If he does, he should take a photo of it...anyway, just saying that any time I am messing with fabric I think of mom.