Slowing down...

     There have been some rather slow days around these parts the last week.  All the coming and going with scheduled obligations are coming to an end this week and it is a very welcome part of the calendar.  Everyone was starting to get burned out with all the expectations, obligations and so forth.  It just got to be too much by now.

    This week was a good one.  Two days of events away from home.  All the other days have been filled with puttering around the house, doing what needed to be done and more of whatever we wanted to do.  The weather towards the end of last week was beyond perfect for Summer time here.  Cooler temps, pleasant breezes and windows open for two whole days.  It was an absolute dream.  Quilt washing was taken advantage of on both those days.  They all smelled heavenly after drying in the sun.  One person was overtaken by it all and had to sit all wrapped up in her quilt so she could sniff it and feel the warmth of it drying in the sun.  Whatever works for you.

     I finished up one project and continued to work on another.  I like working on whatever I want, whenever.  Especially outside with the weather just perfect.  It was hard getting anything accomplished with the whole knitting thing while outside though.  Flowers are blooming and the bees are all over them.  I'm so glad we planted more plants and flowers this year that attract the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.  It's so peaceful to sit and watch them all doing their own thing.  Seeing all the different kinds of bees has been exciting for us.  Baby bees, honey bees, bumble bees and even green bees come around everyday gathering all the pollen they can.  I sometimes wonder how they can fly with all that pollen loading down their legs.

     Reading has been accomplished during the slower days also.  I even sat and read a book in one afternoon that was checked out for the girls.  I just adore books like Brambly Hedge with all the cute stories and the adorable pictures.  Such a wonderful imaginary place.  The afternoon made even more pleasurable by sitting out back watching and listening to all the bird friends we have this year.  Completing the afternoon with glasses of iced tea and my most favorite of summer snacks, fresh tomato, onion, cucumber salad.  There is just no match to fresh grown veggies and being able to pick something off the vine and munch on it immediately.  Perfect.

     Now I just wait for the last day of scheduled busyness to pass tomorrow and hopefully more days like these last few will be ahead of us.

~*~

Kar

This week...

     This week was busy week with so much going on.  But it was also one that made us stop and relax in order to recharge.  And relaxing was one thing that we were not about to complain about.

     A very special quilt that I had been working on was sent out and received by the "Fantasticly, Fabulous Miss Freddie".  She is my Mom's best friend/next door neighbor and it was a special gift that was long over due for her.  A gift that hopefully lets her know how much we all love her.  A gift to let her know that she is part of our family, whether she likes it or not.  From what I could tell from the phone call the other night, she loves it.  That was thanks enough for me.

     When the heat made us retreat back inside yesterday I just had to start working on another project that has been floating around in my head.  With scraps all strewn about on the craft desk, work was started and as of this morning I am quite pleased with how things are turning out.  Too bad I can't cancel all of tomorrows plans just so I can work on it non-stop and finish it.

     Even though it was quite warm today, I felt it was perfect for washing beds and drying everything out in the sun.  And my king sized quilt finally got it's proper photo shoot, with the help of one of my handy dandy quilt holding helpers.  Not sure how laying on the floor of the deck is helping but I'm not complaining.

      A couple of days kept us in due to all the smoke in the air from all the wildfires in the region.  So with that a knitting project was started and lots of reading was accomplished by the peeps.  Slow, calm days was just what we needed after all we had done the days before.

     I had received an email earlier in the week from one of my bloggy friends, Judy, whom I have had the pleasure of chatting back and forth with for at least 4-5 years now, to let me know that she and her husband were taking a trip out to my neck of the woods and would like to meet up.  It just so happens that they were going to stay with another bloggy acquaintance who lives just around the corner from me.  Small world!  We were able to get together for a couple of hours, not nearly long enough, but enough to know that she is as nice and sweet as can be just like she is on her blog.  Both our husbands seemed to have a wonderful time chatting together while us girls chatted away.  How could they not have a wonderful time chatting when they both are die-hard hockey fans.  Piece of cake.  Judy even brought some homemade maple syrup that they make themselves and the cutest little quilting kit for me.  So sweet!  And the maple syrup is to die for!  Hands down.  What an absolute pleasure it was to meet them both.  I just hope next time we are able to get together it will be for a longer amount of time.

     The rest of the week was spent enjoying the outdoors when the temps were still comfortable.  Spotting rainbows when the sprinklers were on and watching bees do their work in the evenings.  Watching them go from one flower to another is quite relaxing.  And rather neat to see how fast they gather pollen on their legs.  Absolutely fascinating.  And enjoying a quick rain shower this evening, 15 mins worth.  But enough to cool things down and have the evening air be enjoyable.  I might even try to have to windows open for the entire night.  A simple pleasure that is surely missed right about now.  

~*~

Kar

     

     

 

Early mornings, late nights...

     Since Spring we have certainly turned into people who want to be outside more than inside.  We were spoiled with such gorgeous weather for 4 months and we loved every minute of it.  Then the 1st of July hit and BAM! the heat hit us right in the face.  Stopped us dead in our tracks.  We think it's Mother Nature telling us that we have had enough of that heavenly weather and now you need to pay for so much giddiness, so much happiness.  So we have been up very early in the mornings to do periodic baking, yard work and just to sit outside in the cool air.  At least till about 8am and then someone turns the furnace back on.  Some mornings we push our luck and stay out until about 10am.  But by then we are sweating buckets.  It's a beautiful thing to see.  We hibernate inside the house until late evening when the sun starts to go down and some how in all our insanity we think that 90 degrees at 9pm is cool enough to go sit outside for about an hour.  What the heck happened to make any of us think this way.  I even started a knitting project.  Why the heck not.  It's the perfect thing to do while sweating in a heat wave.  At least I have a beautiful Goldfinch that visits the Coneflowers every morning that makes staying inside worth while.

     Over the weekend our town had its yearly Summer celebration.  Again it was way too hot for us (105) and there was no way I was going down the hill to stand around in that heat all day.  We at least left the house to go watch the fireworks display, which did not disappoint.  Two weekends in a row with fabulous fireworks.  Awesome!!!  Then it was back home to sit out on the deck to watch the moon for an hour or so.  Completely gorgeous.  So worth staying up late for.

     We woke up the other morning to learn that a passing storm that went through the mountains started nearly 20 fires just north of us.  Not something we like to hear about.  While we are not dealing with smoke down here in the valley, you can definitely tell it is in the air.  Last night we saw the familiar orange glow in the air as the sun was setting, all thanks to the smoke.  Pretty but sad at the same time.  Our beautiful mountains on fire again.  Here's hoping that the new approach to wildfires will get them out soon.  No more of letting them burn.  And there is a pretty big grass fire burning (7,000 acres) just two hours east of here.  Lots of praying that it is contained soon and it doesn't get close to the town that is nearby.

     So while we wait for the so called cool down in a few days, 92 degrees, we will consume lots of popsicles (in all their funky flavors) while sitting outside when we should really be thinking about going to sleep.  We will take what we can even if it means it will be at odd hours of the day.  I personally think we have lost our minds.  I blame it all on the heat.

~*~

Kar

Hot days of July...

     We are definitely into the hot days of Summer here in our parts.  It is not my favorite thing about Summer, the heat.  So I get up as early as possible so that the windows can opened and I can enjoy the cool morning air as long as possible.  I drug everyone out of bed early Saturday morning just so we could take a walk down the hill and through town before it got to unbearable outside.  It was a wonderful way to start the day with my crew, even if they happened to bunny hop through one of the crosswalks in town.  Apparently their theory is that no one will hit a cute little bunny in a crosswalk, so they hopped all the way across the road.  I ignored them while rolling my eyes.

     We had a rather enjoyable 4th of July.  We woke up the sounds of hot air balloons all around our neighborhood.  One ended up landing on the street around the corner of our street.  I so wish I could get everyone to move that fast every day to get out the door or just to get the day going.  One can hope and dream.  At least hot air balloons can make that happen occasionally.  

     There was a casualty found in the greenhouse one afternoon.  A pretty swallowtail found its way into the hot little greenhouse and did not make it out before the heat got to it.  Very sad.  The girls now have it in a safe place so that they can look at it whenever they want.  If it weren't for the Asparagus plants that are doing splendidly in the greenhouse we would close it up for the season and not have to worry about little mishaps like this.  We are all on butterfly watch now.

     During this time of not so lovely heat we have been using the deck off my room a lot lately in the evenings.  It was a spur of the moment idea one cool early morning that made me get outside and finish off the "floor" of the deck after deliberating about it far too long.  After a quick couple of coats of paint, bringing up unused patio furniture, placing a brand new brightly colored umbrella in the perfect spot, and bringing up some plants, we were in business.  It has now become a favorite place for us to sit at the end of the day.  It's just perfect after the sun goes down behind the trees and houses.  The evening breeze makes it all the more better.  It has turned into the favorite reading and writing spot for us.

     Now I have to figure out how to turn some favorite casserole meals into skillet dishes because there is no way that the oven will be turned on in the afternoon around here.