I've had very little time for quilting lately. Other than some handwork at Tuesday quilt group and on the plane to Texas I've done nothing in the last few weeks. Yesterday I did revisit a primitive quilt shop I'd been to once before. Our dog groomer moved out to the same
town so I'll be there about every 6 weeks with 90 minutes for amusing myself. I'd been there once before last fall on opening day and was very disappointed. She had very little stock, and nothing new. Since I had 90 minutes to amuse myself while waiting for the dog I decided to make a second visit. Big mistake! She's added so much more since fall, and has started printing her own patterns. I loved almost every one of her patterns. I was in the shop for 20 minutes - 20 danger-filled minutes - and came out with a large sack full of three patterns, an EQ5 CD of blocks from 
The Civil War Diary Quilt, and some homespuns, prints and hand dyed wools for on of the patterns I bought. I went right back to the parking lot of the farm store to wait for the dog. I decided it was much safer sitting in the car reading a book than shopping. And to think I'll be out there about every 6 weeks now!Yesterday afternoon all the kids came over for a belated birthday celebration. We played lots of game, including a round of miniature golf at a
fairly new course we've been wanting to try. We had dinner at Applebee's, then came home for "birthday cake". The traditional "birthday cake" 
at our house for 
almost 30 years hasn't been cake at all, but a Fudge Nut Round from Baskin Robbins. The birthday person gets to choose the flavor. I chose Peanut Butter and Chocolate with fudge frosting and chopped nuts on the side. It was heavenly! And of course they took out all the calories because it was a birthday cake.Since I've done almost no quilting I took some pictures of the flowers in our yard for your viewing pleasure. I tried to avoid taking pictures of the weeds as much as possible. Seems like it's been months since it wasn't raining hard on the weekend or way too not. Both conditions make it impossible to get out to pull weeds. It doesn't help that our soil is heavy clay. I've put additives in it - compost, grass clippings, manure and gypsum - for 32 years and it's made very little difference. Every weed needs to be dug out with a fork and hoe - even after a heavy rain. The water
just doesn't soak into that clay much at all. I swear we could make bricks for a house from it. It's very discouraging for a gardener, but I keep trying. Our spring flowers are the prettiest of all so I love to take their portraits.I have a customer quilt to do today - a rush job - so I'd better get busy! I'm so glad the weather has cooled.
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Gratitudes:
1. Baskin Robbins Fudge Round "birthday cake".
2. Having all my family around me for a day3. Discovering a new quilt shop all over again
4. Two Mariners wins in a row!
5. Hot tea with milk on a cloudy morning
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9 comments:
Hi Patti, so happy to hear about the job for DS..what a relief! Been there, know what you've been going through. Even rougher without a severance package!
I love your flower pictures!! I do miss my flower gardens. But when you sell the house, the gardens tend to go with them. In the first year, the new owners had plowed under 5 years worth of collects flowers that come back each year. Very sad to see my old place now, with just lawn and a BIG new 3 car garage.
I look forward to seeing what you do with those Civil War blocks from the CD. I don't know about that book you mentioned...can you tell me more about it??
WOW, what lovely flowers. I especially like the pink peony, and the irises.
We have problems with clay here too, in Memphis. The gardeners around here say sand helps, but I think it just makes concrete. :)
Your flowers are very nice.
the flowers are gorgeous and you certainly have worked hard to have them. We've got the good old red dirt that is hard a rock too but the fire ants find a way to dig in it someway. Worse after it rains.
Beautiful flowers.
I haven't quilted much in the last couple weeks either and tonight now that I'm finally home from the condo and Keith has left for a trip to California - I find I'm not in the mood!
Thank you for posting the gorgeous flower photos, they are wonderful, including the peonies. My peonies barely bloomed this year, in fact, one died and I had to replace it. I hope I didn't make the dreaded mistake of planting them too low. They've been there for years though. The quilt shop excusion sounds great; what are her patterns like? Can you post a pic of the ones you got? K.
Oh Patti - the flowers are so beautiful! I especially love the purple bush ones in the first picture - what is that! It is really gorgeous.
And now I"m dying to know the name of the quilt shop and the patterns you got! You have to scan or take a picture of them so we can see!!!!!
Really love that red iris!! I wish you lived close enough so I could come and steal a tuber!!!
love all the flowers and rhodies! I have been meaning to get out and take photos too-missed some of the early blooming already. I have found taking out the clay about eighteen inches down and mixing it with clay buster and good soil has been the only way to get "good dirt". What fun you obviously had back at that quilt shop...
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