It is hard to believe that I started this quilt the end of November, 2009. I was in Austria and my husband had just come home from the hospital after having a 6.6 pound cancerous tumor removed. It seems like a lifetime ago. DH continues to be in good health and life continues to be busy, and this quilt top got put by the wayside.
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I stopped working on it in Austria because I wanted 1 more row of blocks for extra length... and all my fabric was in Canada. I really like my toes to be covered! So, it got packed up and moved back here with me last summer, but I arrived at the height of my busy season and hit the ground running. I had thought for sure that I would be able to work on them in the fall, but you may remember I had a flood in my house and the fall was spent doing renovation work. Ah, incidentally - these blocks are laid out on my new maple floor! And then it was heading into winter and I was on the Cape.
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But it is a rainy day in early June now - can't scrape paint, work on the windows or in the garden. So, I got it all out last night and proceeded to start making a big mess! I guess that is how a quilt will eventually get finished - a little bit at a time. But - I am on a mission to get wrapped up so I can get re-organized.
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Sewing takes up so much room! Unlike my small little knitting bag that always seems to have a pair of socks on the go tucked in there. I have knit quiet a few pairs of socks over the past winter... here is the latest pair that just came off the needles - 100% pure merino wool and oh, so soft! The skein is a bit on the short side so I buy 3 - 2 in the main color, one for the stripes and the toes once the main color runs out. These are my very favorite method K2, P2 for 2" and then switch to K3, P1 - rib all the way down to the toe. The K3, P1 works up waaaay faster than K2, P2 all the way. Trust me!
Spring is such a busy time of year for me! I am so busy doing, doing, doing that I just don't have time to sit down and write about everything. But - I've been taking photos. Every chance I get I run outside and snap some photos of the flowers growing like crazy, the birds, the renovations that always seem to go hand-in-hand with Spring. I love Spring! Busy, busy - that is me. The other day I sat down at my desk and just thought I would put my head down on my arms for a few moments to rest my eyes - and when I woke up I had huge crease marks all across my forehead! No telling how long I was snoozing away.
A large flock of goldfinches entertained me for about 2 weeks before they moved onward in their northern migration. They sure are bright this time of year!
And everything is growing so fast! My rhubarb plant on May 3:
And my rhubarb plant on May 30:
I have all my flower baskets planted - as soon as they are a bit more established I will move them to the front veranda. Oops - messy photo, but hey, at least I am trying!
My new hosta bed - this is a shaded weedy patch that I have neglected for the past few years, but this spring I moved a bunch of hostas over here and have now added some impatiens and salvia. Way over to the far right is oregeno, thyme and some kale. The front ends of either side have small bushes. I think this new bed is going to be a huge improvement!
Speaking of improvements... my new decking on the veranda (whooo-hoo!). Yes, the very same veranda the hanging baskets will be moved over to.
And a new roof over my bedroom!
Plus my business is up and running for another season and that keeps me hopping. I never complain about that though - you never can complain about business and I would welcome more! I can sleep all winter, right? Yup - it is a busy time of year around here!
It is beautiful, spring-like weather here, which means we are burning brush. One of my sister's was burning brush today, I stopped by and stayed all day. Later, another sister asked me how the brush burning went. Huh? I didn't know how she knew - but she knew because she knew the other sister was burning today and she just knows that I can't stay away from a burning brush pile. Well, can you blame me? That sister of mine moves an entire party down to the brush pile - picnic, coolers, even s'mores fixings. The dogs even have their own water cooler and bowl! Well, that smoke does make you thirsty. Here is a photo of our party after the pile was pretty much burned out and we were winding down for the afternoon.
And just in the woods there - off to the left there was a fox for a while - watching us. Curious fox! My nephew's keen eye spotted it... look how perfectly it blends in to where it is standing.
My sister took this photo of me so I can send it to my son and DH.
And when we were all done burning, the 2 of us pulled this tub over to the fire and flipped it on top of it. I have the funniest photo of my sister pulling it! I am sure we will laugh at it for years to come. My nephew dug up the dirt and covered all the air holes. We use this tub all the time and I never realized what it was until I asked my sister today - it is an old oil tank cut in 1/2. Sometimes we pile stuff in it. Other times we have our fires in it. Today we used it as a cover for the fire. Leave it to my Dad to save everything! Who knew an old oil tank could be so useful!
Yup, brush burning is one of my favorite outdoor parties! Oh - and I almost forgot - while we were doing that I was cutting lengths of bamboo for a solitary bee habitat project I am making. I will keep you posted...
