I'm So Excited.....And I Just Can't Hide It.....

(Snicker....now get that song out of your head.)

I'm in the middle of a quilting project and I'm excited about it.  I don't think I've been this pumped up about a project in a very long time.     Many, many years ago I bought some fabric at the Quilted Moose in Gretna, Nebraska (I believe it was) that was diagonal striped fabric.  Fell in love with it so I bought the fabric and a number of coordinating pieces.  They have been stored together since then.  When I was trying to decide what I wanted to stitch on next, I pulled out that fabric and decided that was it.  

I chose a very traditional pattern shown in homespuns and dark fabrics.  Not in the same universe as my fabrics.   Got it figured out and blocks laid out ready to stitch together. 

Can't wait to get it all together and see the end result! 

We're getting rain almost every day and can I say I'm tired of it?  Yeah, I know.  Once it stops I'll be begging for rain.  The flowers (and weeds) just keep on growing in this wet warm weather.  We are still having cooler than normal weather but I'll take that happily. 

Hubby made a run to Walmart the other day.  I think he loves me. 

Y'all stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones

The New Nornal

Well, here we go.  I've been seeing bloggers who have already switched to the new Blogger format and are not happy with it.  Figured I'd better get aboard and see what the fuss is about.  Besides, I'm way behind on posting anyway. 

My days go by so fast.  They all seem to be duplicates of the one before so much that I'm tempted to call them all Ground Hog's Day.   I went on one social outing to my sewing group where we all pretty much sit far apart anyway.  It was good to see the girls again but don't know if we'll do it again.   Since more things have opened up here in Georgia, our little county shot up from about 30 cases to nearly 60 cases with an additional death.  Of course, folks from the Atlanta metro area and Florida and other places are coming up now, so that expands the risk for our residents. 

I've been over to the park only once in the past several months.  I missed most of the flowers there.  The mountain laurel was still blooming but the rhododendrum and native azaleas were already done. 

The creek was running beautifully though.  It is a lovely park and it was a factor in our choice of places to live.  

My husband had hernia repair surgery at the end of May and is doing well in his recovery.  The first week or so he was pretty sedentary but he's now feeling much better and wanting to do things.  I have to ride herd on him sometimes due to his tendency to overdo things, even when his health is normal.  He still thinks he's 50 years old and he's not.

We've had a lot of rain this past winter and spring and the woods around us are so thick and lush.  I love all the shades of green and all the shapes of the various leaves and plants.  Just wish some of those plants wouldn't grow where I don't want them, if you know what I mean!  Pulling weeds is a constant job and it can get away from you easily.  

I'm having lovely flowers this year.  I finally got my hydrangea to grow and look like its supposed to. 

  Here are some of the others that are in bloom right now. 

Taken near dusk

Hummers love this red salvia

Pentas, stokes asters, yarrow and penstemmon

Crocosmia nearing bloom, butterfly weed, blackeyed susans and coneflowers

The asters are blooming out more every day and the crocosmia will be doing its thing shortly.  My knockout roses had a glorious first wave.  They are putting out buds and will be waving proudly soon.  I try to keep them going until the fall and they will do that if I can remember to keep them fed on time.

Now, if I could get deck plants to look as good I'd be pleased.  One thing I'm not pleased about is how quickly the landscaping timbers on the above bed have deteriorated.  This bed was put in place in 2015 I think it was and some of the timbers have already rotted.  We have a carpenter/contractor coming soon for some other work and hope I can get them to do repairs on these beds as well.

This covid 19 virus has us all in turmoil.  Our lives have been rearranged without our permission and it all takes some getting used to.  It makes me wonder what normal will look like going forward.  I know we've cancelled a number of plans due to it, including attendance at our granddaughter's wedding which is out of state.  My husband just does not feel safe taking the risk, considering his age and health issues.  It breaks our hearts not to go.  

I hope all of you stay safe and as happy as you can be. 

Y'all take care 

Spring?

Spring has been trying to get here to stay but we had freeze warnings last night with temps down to near freezing.  Sheesh.  Today its near 70 degrees.  We've had the most unusual weather.  Now that Easter is only a week away, let's hope we can count on spring to be going full bore. 

I actually have a clematis blooming!  I love those things but have never had good luck with them.  I put out three  last year and they hung in there right through the winter.

I've been busy, busy here of late working on quilts for family members.  Got to have 12 of them ready for a gathering on May 20.  All but two are done through the quilting stage with only 5 left for the hand binding work.  Two more tops will go to the quilter on Monday.  Nothing like a little pressure to  get me in gear. 

Hope everybody is doing well.  Y'all take care

Perfect Day in the Mountains

Oh, my goodness.  It is the most beautiful day here in the mountains.  About 68 degrees, sunshine, some puffy clouds floating high above and a bit of a breeze.  It's as close to a perfect day as I've ever seen. 

The hummers are still buzzing around, although not as many of them as in the past several weeks.  I've tried and tried to get pictures of them on the salvia but no luck getting anything I'd show to anybody else. 

My new flower beds put in this year have done nicely.  I'm hoping for even better results next year. 

I'm a nut about coneflowers.  They just keep on and on with their loveliness. 

A lot of the flowers have done their deed for this year but there are a few that are still blooming away.

Hubby pulled out the tomato plants this morning.  They produced fine but something just decimated the tomatoes before we could enjoy them.  No horn worm but something would bore a hole in the top of the tomato and there'd do.   I doubt we'll plant any next year.  I'll just devote that space to more flowers!!!

Hope everybody is doing well.  I've been keeping up with you guys but have had a really hard time coming here to post.  Please forgive me. 

Oh, we went over to a neighboring town last night for a songwriters' showcase.  We figured on a two hour show.  Wrong.  By.  A.  Lot.  The music stopped 4 hours after it started.  Poor performers were pooped.  That was our first time at that performance hall and it's a jewel, especially for such a small town.  

We're headed to another small town in the opposite direction next Saturday night to hear a jazz guitarist.  Good stuff. 

Y'all take care. 

Hello and Thanks

I'm still alive and well.  Seems my posts only appear in my head and never on here.  

I'll be back soon to try to catch up.   Thank you to all of you who have hung in with me.  

The view from below (on the walkway downstairs)

My knockouts came roaring back after being pruned severely.  Now, I'm afraid the Japanese Beetles have found them and I'm fighting that.

Y'all take care

Just Checking In

Oh, me.  Where to start.  There's lots going on here.  Won't go into details until later but let's just say there's lots of boxes involved.  

When I was at quilting retreat, I worked on a pattern called Falling Charms.  It was SO easy.  Its one of those things you can do and still talk til your heart's content.  My kind of pattern.  This lousy picture does not do it justice.  I really like this one. 

It's a very large throw size, or nearly a twin size.  

Also, had a real treat this year gardening wise.  I've had this plant for many years and mostly because I neglected it, it has bloomed only once before.  It was given to me by a lady I dearly adored when she moved to Virginia to be near her daughter in her last years.  This year I paid attention to it and was rewarded grandly.  I don't remember the exact number of blossoms it finally put out, but was between 15 and 20.  

Each of these blossoms is bigger than my outstretched hand, so probably about 8 inches across. 

I also had the girls over for lunch one day.  Figured we'd do a lot more talking here than out at some restaurant.  And I was right about that!!   Can you imagine four women talking a lot??? 

Lots to do around here, so I'm off to get the day started.  

Y'all take care.  

Home Again, Home Again

We're home after two months of escape from the heat, humidity and endless rain down here.    I have mixed emotions about it, though.  I love having so much space and all my "stuff", but its rough when you poke your nose out the door.  

We did not do all the normal tourist things in north Georgia or Asheville.  We've been to both locations before, so they weren't new to us.  We spent time exploring the local activities and places near Asheville.  We didn't hit I-26 a single time during the whole month there.  It was wonderful.   And, we went downtown only twice during the month. 

There is such a difference in the terrain that it make the whole atmosphere different.  I love, love, love those smoky colors over the layers of hills.  We were fortunate to stay at a farmhouse apartment out in the Cane Creek Valley and we have fallen in love with it all over again.   There were days when we definitely needed the A/C, but there were also days when the windows were open to catch the lovely breezes.  We spent a lot of time on those days either on the patio or up top on the deck.  

View from the back deck 

Now, if we could only win the lottery or something so we could easily buy something there.  It's not unusual at all to see homes ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars up to near ten million dollars with hundreds of acres.   

There were also produce farms nearby too.   We drove by a tomato field most every time we went in and out.  They were planting something else on the other side of the road and at first I thought it might be strawberries, but I'm really not sure.  It's just that they looked like the raised rows where strawberries are planted.  

We are not horse people at all, but there were beautiful equestrian estates just down the valley from us.   And long horn cattle!!!  I love those things.  I think they're just magnificent.  

A couple of days before leaving to come home, we packed a picnic lunch and took a drive northward on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It was glorious.  There were wildflowers all along the road and on the mountainsides, even though I didn't get good pictures. 

When we got up to the visitor center at Craggy Gardens, the clouds were playing on the mountain tops and it was wonderful. 

When we left Asheville, it was about 84 degrees.  By the time we got up top, it was about 68 degrees and breezy.  The sun was in and out as the clouds scudded through. 

I promise I'll be back soon with a bit more of our trip.

Y'all take care. 

A Giveaway

I've never been inclined to do a giveaway, but I think the time might be right. 

Anybody want some squirrels?

Pot # 1

Pot # 2 

Pot # 3

And Pot # 4 now looks like 1 & 2. 

Not only did they break these off, THEY ATE THE PLANTS!!  I have never seen squirrels so much as bother my geraniums over the past 14 years and suddenly they decide they're gourmet fare.   I'd had some of these plants for close to ten years.  

I can only count 10 of them at one time some days. 

Y'all take care. 

More Lovely Flowers

I am continually amazed at how fast time seems to fly by.  Seems we just arrived in Vermont a few days ago.  Now, we have only a few days before we leave for home after having spent two months here!!!  

Our campground has been a joy.  We're at Moose River Campground in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.  In addition to the beautiful Moose River at our door, the grounds have some lovely flowers. 

There are no fancy plants here, just tried and true varieties that thrive in this good soil.  Aren't these lilies just the most gorgeous things.  A day or so later, the other three buds opened too.  

These are all in addition to those lovelies posted in I Love Flowers.  

We've enjoyed a time of mostly wonderful cool weather and that is why we came. 

Y'all take care. 

I Love Flowers!!

One of the joys of traveling is the opportunity to see flowers in bloom that might not be abundant at home.  I have some daylilies, but certainly none like these.  Aren't they just lovely?

It had been raining off and on most of the day and finally stopped late in the afternoon. 

And some gardeners do grow columbine at home, but I don't have any. 

Such loveliness is a real treat. 

Y'all take care. 

Lunch in the Log House

There's been lots happening, so let's start getting caught up.  We headed out traveling for a while and stopped near Wytheville, Virginia for a rest.  When we went into town for lunch, the first restaurant we came upon was the Log House Restaurant. 

Log House Restaurant 

This started out as a very small settler's cabin around the time of the Revolutionary War, but was completed later. 

Over the 200 plus years, it has been added onto in a higgledy piggledy manner and is now an absolute warren of rooms and passageways and nooks and crannies.  And it's a fabulous place.  Most of the interior was such close quarters that I couldn't take any pictures with my lens.  There was an atrium, brick floors, woodwork and all manner of whimsical decor.  


The other end of this "booth" just inside the entrance faced a fireplace.  That makes sense since it would trap the heat and make the eating place warmer.  I'm sure there is a name for this arrangement, but I don't know what it is at the moment. 

And I was transfixed by the dried roses in the light fixture. 

As we were led to our table, I almost gasped.  We were seated directly in front of a log cabin quilt that had to be at least 100 years old and it was hanging on the wall as decoration!!  As a quilter, I was both pleased and appalled.  I was pleased to see such a treasure, but appalled that it was being displayed in a way that allowed it to get dirty and be exposed to rough treatment. 

After lunch, we were invited to wander the grounds and take as many pictures as we liked.   We explored the whole place and it was made up of many small rooms, hallways and niches.  

Then we went outside and I was in heaven.  The entire garden was bursting with shrubs, flowers and statuary of some sort. 

View of back door of restaurant and dovecote

The dovecote (just to the right of the blue door) had white doves inside.  Then brick paths wandered throughout the garden.  There was one surprise after the other.   

Grinder man in the rabbit pen 

Entrance to gift shop and bar area 

Its too bad that the gift shop was closed.  And, who wouldn't love to have a glass of something on this porch. 

Part of the outdoor bar area 

It was such a wonderful surprise to find all of this, because from the street you can only see the front of the building.  We had no idea how big it was and how it stretched and twisted, or what wonderful gardens were behind it. 


So, all I've got to say is that if you are ever near Wytheville, Virginia, go find the Log House Restaurant and see for yourself.


Y'all take care.