Me in My Thrift Find, Hand Stitching Progress and Cake Too

 The only constant in my days is that they are flying by. Does time speed up in the summer months I wonder. We had Tony's birthday celebration last week and he is now 87 and counting. It was a somewhat sad day as he reflected on all the people he has lost including another good friend in recent months. Things brightened up though when we went out for a meal to a nearby restaurant with Beth and Brad. Beth made him a beautiful chocolate cake, his favorite. She uses Barry's recipe found at his site, Rock Recipes, and it was very moist and delicious. 

Everything is in full bloom which is beautiful. This means the weeds are also doing well. I've had to pull out a lot of Manitoba Maple as well as a new weed that grows straight and tall. Every day, I pick a part of one of the gardens to work on and spend about twenty minutes tidying it. Here is the view from my kitchen window these days with the Hydrangeas putting on their usual amazing show.

I said this would be the summer of dresses and I've added a couple to my wardrobe. This mauve one is a thrift store find from Old Navy. Though it isn't slimming, it is light and airy making it perfect for an Ontario summer. And this is as long as I'm letting my hair grow- to the bottom of my earlobes. That Smoke Tree is enormous. 

I'm happy with my summer of 2026 hand stitching progress too. Summer Feels is almost finished. I've just a few stitches here and there to add still. And I've finally gotten a photo that shows the true colour of that background linen. It's such a pretty shade. I've added three butterflies that weren't in the pattern. That is something I would never do in the past but now my thoughts are different. Who cares if I do that? No one is who. What's a summer garden without butterflies and they filled in sort of blank spaces. 

I'm finishing my appliqued Quarter Dresden project too. The last ten blocks are getting appliqued this week. I was aiming for 50 and I think I've sewn more than that. Such an enjoyable stitching project and I've loved every minute of each of the stages creating these blocks. Next will be layout decisions.

I've also been adding to my Liberty Puddles WIP. This was a SAL in 2022 run by The Strawberry Thief over on Facebook and there are videos available. I'm on the sixth panel now. Surely my scraps must be diminishing with all this scrappy stitching. You'd think, right. Here it is on the chair where I'd been stitching on the patio. 

The dogs are loving getting out for a long walk early morning before the day heats up. I shake a Bear Bell to warn any critters that might be about. A fox has been visiting the yard regularly lately and I really would not want an encounter with the dogs.

 They are so joyful running about and that always puts a smile on my face. 

I hope you are smiling too. 

It's a wild world out there. Is it just me or is it getting wilder??? Take care of yourself!