Summing Up Summer

Summing Up Summer 

"It's really hot but I'll take it" seems to be the mantra these days.  We all want to prolong summer and do anything to delay the cold weather that will surely come.
Still summerish as I write this summary.

One of the best things about this summer was I did get home to visit my parents and they loved having their littler great-grandchild visit.  Mom still talks about how lucky and blessed they are to live to see great-grandchildren.  And they are!

Stitching

My two WIP's are still WIP's.
 That would be the Strawberry Thief and my blocks for Hazel's Summer Wildflower Quilt.  As disappointed as I am that these are not done, Thief is getting there as I showed you recently.  Mostly the edging left to work and I am stitching Block 4 of 6 for the quilt.  I did lose time with my hand, bad hand and had to go easy for about three weeks.
 But I had thought these two projects would be done by now.

 Why does it always take longer to finish than we think it will.

 I did get in a number of good sessions of free motion quilting practice though the basement sewing room is less than ideal. For some reason this year, it has begun to smell worse than usual.  An air exchanger and generous sprays of Febreeze hasn't really helped.  And we can't keep the windows open because that adds  moisture to an already dampish basement.  I'll have to re-evaluate the sewing room situation which probably means Dining room will be pressed into sewing service.

What I Thought I'd Be Well and Away With

The Granny Stripe Crocheted Blanket
I finally just got a start made in September.   I really did think I was going to get that up and running long before now but didn't. Now it slides into the autumn slot.

As you know, I've bought my own copy of Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt book.  I had the first 10 patterns downloaded and all ready to begin the paper piecing process.  It's been sitting on the living room table in front of the big window for a couple of weeks now waiting patiently for my inner quilter to leap out.  Any minute now...


Garden

Geraniums are always the winners in my garden.  They will bloom until October when I will repot them to bring them inside.  Gotta love a plant that keeps on giving year after year, all year round.

My Morning Glories were a bit of a bust this year; not nearly as many flowers as in other years.  For the second year in a row, some insect has eaten the tiny plants; why it leaves some, I don't know.
 The Lupin still eludes me.  As a perennial I'm really hoping for next year. 

Other flowers, the annuals such as the Impatiens, Cosmos, Marigolds, Butterfly Plants, and Begonias  grew well.  All the perennials returned and bloomed in turn.
All in all I think the flower garden was a success this year.

My Giant English Daisies, just about the last of the flowers to blossom and linger.  Another wonderful perennial.  They helped me wave good bye to the summer of 2015. 

Earlier I showed you a picture of one of the apple trees in glorious bloom.  We had high winds and a sudden temperature drop right about that time, and it had a disastrous effect on the blossoms of all four trees.  Most of the bloom was destroyed with the result that only a few apples have appeared.

I may get enough for a pie or two.
So Summer of 2015 was not good at all for our apple trees.
 The tomato plants have all sprouted fruit but I just may have to put them in the greenhouse to give them a chance to grow bigger.  The continued warmth is doing wonders for them though. 

We have enjoyed lots of fresh vegetables thanks to the farm stands around here.  It is a real summertime treat to have fresh from the field produce.  Going to miss that soon. 

 So overall, it was a good summer.  And better yet, it isn't quite done yet. 

British Show To Stitch To and Free Pumpkin Pattern

This was recommended as one of those British shows to stitch to... Death Comes to Pemberley.

And I gave it a go as you can see.  However, I found it wasn't that suitable for stitching to.  Being a period piece with all the costumes and beautiful homes and such makes it a visually enjoyable program.  I found I kept wanting to look at it all and couldn't do the two things at once, note the dresses and pretty shawls and stitch too.  I'll have to save it for night time viewing is what I decided.

My Strawberry Thief has not been neglected.  Bits of leaves and the edging left to do which is really the most boring part, but with no counting involved which is a good thing for me.  LOL

34 degrees C  yesterday when I took these pictures.  The heat pump was sending cooler air through the house but it is no match for that very large bow window and the solar heat it generates there in the living room.  What you can't see is the tall tower fan Hubby bought me so I can use the living room despite the heat.  It's been getting a real workout the last couple of weeks.

I use a fishing tackle box for my embroidery threads.  I bought this one at Walmart across the border for $15 five years ago.  Unfortunately when we got Murphy, the first day she was with us, she jumped onto the flap and broke it.

So it has not worked exactly as it should despite Hubbys' efforts to fix it.  I've looked but not found a large box like this anywhere only small ones.

And despite the heat, the season is moving into fall.  With that in mind, you should check out McCall's free patterns available for downloading, one of which is this one of pumpkins and gourds. 



Pumpkins are such happy looking vegetables and one of the things I love about fall.

Crocheting Again

The Labour Day Weekend meant for us three days off with no duties or appointments.  I'd made my list of what I wanted to accomplish.  It went like this, in order of importance.

I was up early on Saturday morning and began immediately to set my action plan in motion.  The washing machine was whirling all day with the last to go in the dogs' blankets from their crates.   It was great to be able to air dry in the sun the covers and blankets.  I vacuumed and mopped the floors, changed all the bureau cloths, and dusted all the prints and mirrors.  I dry mopped under both beds and found enough hair to make Rex a brand new coat. I wiped all the skirting boards and cleaned under the sink where Hubby had everything apart putting in the new dish washer.
Even though cleaning the house was the last on my list it felt really good to get it done and out of the way.  The house felt cleaner than it has in ages.
 I made a lunch of peanut butter and banana on pita bread with a big cup of Earl Grey Tea and plotted the rest of the day.  Too hot around mid-day to walk the dogs, so I felt I had no choice but to start the Granny Stripe Blanket.

Crocheting again, yah!

 This is the rather famous project begun by Lucy at Attic 24 in 2010.  This many years later and some of us are still following her tutorial and making the same blanket. I know I'm not alone in this.  Here is hers...




I decided right away that I wanted to follow Lucy's lead regarding the order of the colours; she has a wonderful sense of colour.    So I went to one of the three posts she has written about this project and found the one that detailed the order of colours.  Here's what I did that hopefully will keep me on track with my rows of colours.

I cut the colour name from the label and taped a bit of the yarn to each and numbered them 1 to 15.  I really will go wrong if I don't take extra precautions you see, just maybe, this will keep me on track.

Then I had to chain 240 with the pomegranate which is a pretty pinky colour.  That's a lot of loops to keep exact.  I counted and recounted and counted again.

Here is my very, very long chain.
Hope to goodness I have it right.  So I'm off on another project and really looking forward to working in wool again and having a project that is portable.
That's three WIP's on the go, but who's counting.  

Monday Melange

Happy Labour Day to those who are celebrating this holiday. Long weekends are so good.

My Monday Melange includes this poem by the wonderful Mary Oliver.







 How could she know these words so describe me!

The wonder of what knitting/crocheting fingers can do.  In this case little nests for the wee birds at the Ottawa Wild Bird Sanctuary.  The staff report that they love these.





 What a popular trend adult colouring is turning out to be.  I recently looked through a huge display of adult colouring books at Chapters.  Some of the art work was incredible and I could be very happy colouring pages such as this below. The link to an article on Craft Gossip is HERE.




 And a little sweet instead of a bikkie to go with a cup of tea...Cherry Blossom Snowballs.  I make Chocolate Snowballs all the time mostly because no baking is involved; mine do not have cherries. Must try this variation sometime perhaps for Christmas.

 


 The recipe is found at Saltjunk, a site featuring good old time Newfoundland recipes.


 I love owls.  I'm  not sure what it is about them that I like; maybe just the big eyes that appeal. But I have watched this little video many times and it always delights me. Hope you like it too.

Getting Lost Literally

"Getting lost is just another way of saying 'going exploring'. "

                                                                                                 Justina Chen

I've spoken about my directional deficit before. A number of readers wrote me to say they have the same deficit and that there is research to back up the fact that women have a terrible sense of direction. 

This week it was in full play when the dogs and I did our usual walk. We'd walked to the top of the trail and I decided on the way back that we could go off the path and walk through the woods sort of parallel to the path.  It would perhaps give Murphy something different to sniff.  I also had my camera and thought I might see something a little different to photograph.  Somehow I got turned around and spent what Hubby and I figured out afterwards was an hour and half lost.

I should explain there are about 65 acres of bush behind us and to the left so plenty of space for me to lose my way.  This acreage at this time of year looks more or less alike with no distinguishing land marks to get your bearings and farm houses are sparse.

I had two moments of panic, first when I realized I was really lost and another time when I thought of the neighbour telling us about several bears in those woods.  The dogs were no help; Rex was running all about generally loving the new woods we were exploring.  Murphy on the lead, was following her nose, continually wrapping the lead around branches.   The thick brush made hard going too with so many prickly branches and fallen logs and  general rough terrain.  Most places you couldn't see a hand in front of your face.

I thought for the first while I was going in the right direction towards home.  Hubby and I looked at it on the computer later and Google Earth showed me I was in fact at that point walking in the opposite direction from home.  I came to the back of a property I didn't recognize and realized I'd somehow made it to the road well behind us but at least that helped me right myself in the direction of home.  I never did find our own walking trail during all my blundering about. In the end I somehow emerged from the woods onto our main road well away from our house but close to the nearest farm house which I was so thankful to recognize.

When I walked up our lane, Hubby was just getting the 4 wheeler out to come look for me.  He'd  started his nap when I left the house and had no clue I was gone as long as I was. This is the second time I've lost my way in those woods.  Last time it was fall and I could see through the leafless trees so I was lost for just a half hour or so.

Anyway, we've agreed that I will take my phone with me from now on when I go up the trail.  Not a big phone person so I guess that's why I never thought of that before.

This week has been a bad week with the news dominated by the story of 9 million Syrian refugees fleeing their country and seeking entry into neighbouring countries.  My heart goes out to them. 

  It sure puts my 90 minute adventure thrashing around in my own back yard into perspective, doesn't it?

I Know I Am a Wildflower

Parents of school aged kids are quickly approaching "The most wonderful day of the year" as their little ones return to school.
  I'm here giving my head a shake.  Where did summer go?  I'd really thought it would hang around a lot longer and see me through a few more projects both in the house and in the garden.  Is it just me who feels like time has begun to feel like nothingness, a day begins and winds down in what seems like mere moments.  It makes me think of the saying from the Bible

"The life of mortals is like grass; they flourish like the flowers of the field."  

Since moving here to this property, I have a deeper understanding of just how short lived those flowers of the field or wildflowers are.  They don't get the protection of a gardener's care with soil and water and specially chosen site in the garden.  Some survive mere hours.
 But yet they return each year, they 'abide' as the Bible would put it.  So I guess there is comfort in that.

Speaking of abiding...

My orchid continues in a state of bloom that is a little confounding, but enjoyable.  That is my little sprig of coleus beside it that has greatly benefited by summer sun. Nothing I did.

Do you notice something else in that picture?  Outside on the ground; yes those are fallen leaves from the birch tree.  It is always the first to drop its leaves and yes, drats, it is a sign that the season is changing.  

I've had to repot all the African violets as they've also grown and multiplied; amazing what a difference the longer days of light can make.  Two new ones...

And more violets. I especially love how my little sprig of a shamrock there on the right has flourished.  I did discover that it doesn't 'like' direct sunlight; prefers the indirect light and also light watering.  Mine had white flowers all summer.

Here are flowers of the field on fabric, namely my Block 3 of Hazel's Summer Wildflowers Quilt.

I am keeping consistency throughout the blocks by using mostly the same colours and stitches. I am halfway through the embroidery stage of this project and still enjoying it very much. The flowers definitely have a vintage 'feel'.

All Over the Place

Week 2 of kitchen like this.  More or less in slings.  

Our twenty year old Mielle dishwasher is broken.  I'd been present several years back when it broke down and Hubby was able to fix it that time.  But he doesn't think he can resurrect it this time.  The big motor is completely kaput. Having the dishwasher pulled out revealed lots of evidence of mouse families making cosy homes beneath it.  Oh dear, there are always mice here.
Some weeks are like this...a little more inconvenience and upset which is very little in the big scheme of things.

I must show you this.  The very last nesting bird is in the sumac tree in the back yard and regrettably I don't know exactly what kind it is.  I thought it was a cedar waxwing because we always have a pair in that area of the lilac/sumac in the back yard.  However, I watched it fly to the big pine tree and could see clearly it was not a waxwing.  But it is a fruit eating bird because I watched it pick at some tree berry one day and like the waxwings, it must nest later when the fruit are ripe.I think there is one chick in this nest.

Lunch yesterday.  Daughter had given me a head of cauliflower she wasn't going to get to so I used it to make a cauliflower and cheddar soup, one of Hubby's favourites...especially with the bread.  It did have a nice flavour; I roasted the cauliflower first and you have to be very careful not to let it scorch which I find it does easily.  But I think that step of oven roasting vegetables is worth it as it deepens the flavours somehow.
The oven won't be pressed into service for the next several days as the forecast is telling us we are headed into another heat wave. 

I wrote a post about everything Scandi yesterday, as in Scandinavian which is so popular these days.  I opened one of my embroidery sites today and there was a tutorial on Scandi style embroidery.
It was found at Hoogally and Susan offers another tutorial of Christmas Scandi style embroidered hearts which are red and white and pretty. Worth taking a look.