Birthday Cake, Carolyn's Everglade, Feeling Low

 On the drive to our place there are lots of fields, farms and horse ranches. Many of the original zigzag cedar rail fences built by the pioneers have been maintained.  

I had my late August birthday too...73 trips around the sun now. Beth made me a wonderful chocolate with marshmallow frosting cake.

The butterflies were edible! Very special and on such an occasion good to take stock and feel so thankful for the folks in my life.

It is my habit to choose a theme for each year and this years' is music. I love music but I don't listen to it as often as I should. So I'm making a point to have music accompany my early morning rituals, my workouts, etc. I used to use music for those times and had gradually moved to listening to you tube videos. 

My new sewing area is taking shape. The furniture, two small tables, two narrow storage closets and a bedroom armoire, have been moved into the new space and I've begun filling them up. I'm trying to sort as I go and so far, I've filled a bag to go to donations as well. It is very satisfying to do such a clean sweep, as it were. It really is wonderful to go through every piece of fabric and dream about how it could be used. I'm still on the fabric fast begun last year and probably this will be permanent, not a diet. I have great fabrics on hand that definitely need to be worked into a project. 

With that in mind, I put aside a bundle of autumn fabrics...colour wise. I've had Carolyn Friedlander's Everglade Quilt pattern in my drawer for a few years. Seeing it again gave me the impetus to try it out. Here are the first four appliqued blocks. There are a few different options for arranging these unique shapes and I like all of them. An interesting design. 

On a personal note...I've shared before how I overthink things, usually at 3 am but something different is going on with me these last weeks. I'm finding it a bit of a struggle to maintain a good mood. I'm not having bad moods, just feel low if you know what I mean. ( While writing that the old Eno commercial jingle popped into my head; remember this....feeling low, take Eno.) For me right now, it's a general lack of interest in things even blogging that is not like me. I keep thinking I will snap out of it. I'm trying out all the usual antidotes especially exercise which always worked for me. Has this happened to you and what did you do??? I'd welcome any advice you are willing to share. 

Meanwhile, my hope for you is that you are enjoying every minute of every day!

Thrifting, Gardening Hazard, Autumn Slow Stitching

The Japanese Anemones are making the late garden shine again this year. A reader told me mine are called "Splendens" and splendid they are! Their leaves are also a pretty shape and shade of green. And the bees love them too. 

This patch is the result of transplanting a couple of summers ago. They have spread!

The lovely American Goldfinches have also been plentiful lately. Lots of thistle around the property to meet their nesting needs. 

 I did get to go thrifting this summer and had great luck. I've always loved Charley Harpers' birds so this book just had to come home with me. 

I found this great summery Cobble Hill jigsaw and when I checked it out at home...they put an elastic band on them there... the pieces were still in their original bag, unopened. 

Here is something interesting, a needlepoint piece I saw but did not buy and now kind of wish I did.  The inside framing is folded yellow material. Clever and pretty. I've never seen that done before; have you? The frame was quite heavy and that alone probably worth the price. I wonder about who made this.

I looked for this version of  sunflowers but couldn't find the exact one. It reminds me of the older Dimensions kits. I'd thought the turquoise background would be a help but it turns out to be a favourite colour to set the bright flowers against. In my search I found many beautiful updated, more modern kind of renditions. I'll share a couple here. 

The Needlepointer offers this lovely Sunflowers Pumpkin pattern.

And KC Needlepoint had this very cute little angel wearing a skirt of sunflowers and again with that deep turquoise colour for contrast.

Remember my Autumn Quakers from Rosewood Manor?

 I'm adding a few more motifs to it. Such a large over all project but I'm still loving it. Each motif sewn gives a feeling of satisfaction. Acorns are fun to stitch especially in autumn shades. I love the variegated threads.

This was the worst season for mosquitoes we have ever experienced. The constant downpours of rain, interspersed with intense heat and humidity seemed to provide the perfect setting for them to thrive. I had lots of bites but nothing as bad as a late July encounter with a wasp or bee. During weeding in tall grass...actually tracing a plant to find its' root, something stung me through my pants and just above my knee. It really hurt, then grew red and hot.

This angle makes my leg look huge!

 I briefly thought of going to the pharmacy because here pharmacists can diagnose and prescribe for a variety of minor items. The next day tiny little blisters covered the area and it felt swollen and tight. I was debating what to do but I felt fine and sure enough, it all eventually cleared up. However, my skin is still a little discoloured in that area and I'm thinking these many weeks later, that it will remain that colour, a little reminder. 

Ah well, tiny in the scheme of things and a likely hazard that has not kept me out of the garden. Hope you are staying away from stinging critters, keeping busy and loving whatever you are doing these days. I know I am. 

Simple September Terrific Twos

 In twos...

The two of us went down to the pond early evening during the time some call the Blue Hour.  As we turned a corner of the skating shack, I saw clearly two fawns lying together in the tall grass at the far end of the pond. Luckily Ned was entranced with something on the ground and hadn't seen them. I watched for a minute, then pulled him back to quietly exit the scene. No photo, just the beautiful image still in my mind. 

My indoor Geraniums have put on quite a show outside this summer. The heavy rainfalls did not affect them. Such a hardy and colourful plant when in full bloom.

And my Madagascar Jasmine also flourished in the summer heat and rain. These flowers have a waxen feel and love rain.

It is basically a vine and sent out a shoot that wrapped around the neighbouring Black Eyed Susans.

Several times this summer, I've spotted two fox travelling together. At the first sighting one was notably larger but now they seem to be the same size. I think they are litter mates. Here is a photo from early June when they are "blowing their coats"( shedding the winter fur) so appear very scraggly. 

I've spent most of my stitching time with two projects since I last wrote to you. 

My progress on the cross stitch project, Tudor Bee, has been slow and interrupted by travel. It went with me but I didn't lay one single stitch while away. Here is how far I am with it...

I was so unsure of what colour to use for the solid alternating blocks in the 3 inch EPP Tiny 9 Patch Block challenge. I tried a blue then a green but they didn't really grab me. I was tempted to just go with white like the original antique quilt that was the inspiration for this project. But I also kept returning to look at the red which seemed to make the scappiness of the blocks shine. Btw, the red is not this orange/red as showing. It is what I call a true red.

So far, I am liking it and finding the red cheery to work with. I did a wash test with it and it is, importantly, colour fast. What do you think?

I am sad that two of my favourite blogging friends have decided to give up blogging.

 Jenny of Jenny of Elefantz has decided to say farewell for now after blogging for many, many years. I was a member of her stitching club for a year and have purchased several of her sweet designs. I loved all that she shared with us...her tidbits about their life including the struggles of living in northern Australia, her garden photos and the wonderful recipes she also so gladly shared with us. 

The wonderful Weaver of Grass, Pat in the Yorkshire Dales, has decided to stop blogging. She has cancer and is receiving end of life hospice care at home. She is 90 years old and I have been reading her words for almost two decades. Her wonderful musings and terrific advice, descriptions of food and flowers, love of her dogs and the monarchy, steady focus on the positive, her will to keep the body moving...all inspired and often prompted me to buck up and get on with it all myself. Her final note...it is better to travel than arrive. 

My goal for August was to keep things light. I failed miserably at that having been downright emotional at times and letting my feelings seesaw so much my head felt tired of it all. That ever happen to you? You just feel tired of juggling all the thinking about all the things all the time. But I'm putting a stop to the moaning and groaning right there. Yes sireee, September will be super I'm determined and so far, so good. Do you feel like this statement too?

"September is the other January." -Gretchen Rubin 

 And there's stuff to be done here. I've decided to downsize my sewing room and move it back to the tiny room I had used originally when we moved to this house. I'm basically only in the sewing room when at the machine and I don't need much space for that. I've purchased a bunch of those under bed containers to sort fabric and projects and store them properly and hopefully, more efficiently.  

Thank you, friends, who reached out and sent kind words of encouragement during my little blogging break. Stitchers are wonderful people!