On To The New Year---

So I thought I would spruce up the blog a bit. With the help of Kim of course.

The family was here and gone and it was so good to have our son here for 4 days before Christmas and then all of them after. Since I showed Hubby and I and our two children I will show how big our grandchildren have gotten. Course they aren't children anymore.

As you can see they are almost all the same size. This is the way we used to line them up when we went to beach when they were little. The two boys on the left are only two days apart with the smallest one the oldest. He and the girl in the green next to him are my son's children. The other four are my daughter's. They range in age from 22 to 14. All three girls are in college. They look a little stiff here but what more can you expect. The girls did the dishes and all had lots to eat.

My son slept in the basement on my daughter's bed and drug out another quilt to keep warm. I liked it so much on this old bed that I'm leaving it there. I don't think I had showed it before.

This was a top that the quilt group had made and everyone that made a block got their name in the pot. They picked a winner which was me. That was about 1995. It is a difficult block as you can see in these next two closeups.

this is a closeup of the block. See how the colors are arranged. ? Was hard to get all the blocks correct. One was not but it's in the quilt anyway. You can see how I quilted it.. m Also in the second picture how different the blocks are.

Finally I think I have the pictures right thanks to Kim. It seems that I wasn't able to move the pictures around like they should have been. It all froze up on me. Next time I'm going to move the pictures first and then do the writing. Live and learn and this is an ongoing learning job.

Just a personal note to Anne in Texas. Thanks for the picture Christmas card. It's been neat learning to know your Mom and her blog. I know that a number of my relatives so is a good way to keep in touch.

My son and family got home last night so the kids are all back and hopefully have a little time to relax before going back to work.

Hope I can get back before New Years but if not Hope all have a Happy and safe New Years. It will be quiet in Boonsboro. Thanks to all for the Christmas greetings. I love the comments

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

From my porch to yours, Best wishes to all,

Have had a wonderful 4 days with my son. He has been such a help and seen a lot that he didn't know about concerning his father. We are blessed and will be on Friday when the whole gang will be here.

This is last years tree but it's the same this year. Just a different quilt being quilted.

Hope you all have a wonderful Day with your families.

It's Christmas Time

That means family time. This year is very special as my son came in yesterday to spend a few days before Christmas and also our daughter came up for overnight and we were the four original family

But first, our neighbors had sent us a package from Omaha Steaks with quite a variety of meats. So my hubby says, why don't you invite them over and let them pick out one of your tops in the basket and you can machine quilt it for them. Wasn't that nice? How many of you have husbands so generous with YOUR quilts. I thought about it and decided I had a queen size quilt that I had machine quilted by a good friend and I really had no place for it. So I put it on hubby's bed and invited them over to see if they would like it. Silly question for anyone who likes quilts and has a China quilt on there bed.

So they came over Sat afternoon and she was still bearing gifts. for me this time. The steak were for hubby

This is one of the things she brought me. It's a Longaberger Christmas purse with a wallet
inside. She kept begging me to look inside. Well in the wallet where you keep your bills she had a gift certificate to my favorite quilt shop for $25. What a gal. Also gave me a new quilters daily calendar with all those nice blocks on it.and a cute candle vase with cutouts that says friends.

So about that time in walks my son. A little earlier than we expected and I had to go to town and get the oysters for dinner today and stop at the Chinese buffet and get us supper. Then we got serious about working on the new laptop. In no time at all he showed me how to hook up the printer, and it works, Uploaded all the pictures on two disks and showed me how to use my wireless mouse instead of trying to use the one on the laptop.

So as you see I've loaded the very first picture on my blog. Gee, Thank You Kim for doing that all these months.

My daughter got here about 7 pm and finished up the Chinese and then we had a great visit and at 11 this is what they were doing.

Just like days gone by playing backgammon on the floor. While I'm showing pictures, this is one that my neighbor took and sent to me. Hubby blinked when the camera flashed. He doesn't always look like that.

I still have plenty to learn on here. In fact yesterday I was in someplace and put a lot of my blogs in thinking it was the bookmarks.

Now we can't find that particular file. It was one that came up for that purpose but with this being a lot of google stuff hard to tell where it is.

So far Christmas has been good. Had a nice package from Kim but I'll let her show you what she sent me.

Hope everyone is almost ready now for Santa to come.All I have to do is buy groceries for dinner when all the grandkids will be up with their parents. On the 26.

Thanks for stopping in and another time I will have some quilty things to show.

Attention Cheryl

The email addy did not work. I want you to email me privately at lilsis1930@msn.com
and give me your mailing address. I cannot send you the pattern unless I have that.
Thanks Eileen

And The WINNER IS--

First I have already emailed Ila that she won the trees pattern and I will get it sent when I get her address.

Yesterday while at the local Quilt Shop they had the trees quilt hanging on the wall and had the pattern and kit's made up. So since I had so many comments from you gals wanting this pattern, I bought another one and have picked the second lucky lady, But she happened to be an Anonymous commenter and must get back to me. It was number 25 on the list and Cheryl You must send me your address. If I don't get it before Monday the 22nd, I will pick another number. This is why you need to leave an email Addy If you don't have a blog one.

Thank You one and all for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. It is good to know that some like to read it. Hopefully I will soon learn how to upload the pictures I want to put on, myself.

Hope you all have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS

It's Here

Yes, I'm on my new lap top and it is going to be a long hard pull. Kim says to get the Dummy book for computers and I think I really need it. What all these symbols are for? I have a good friend Roben that was over last night and got me started but it's pretty hard to teach and old dog new tricks. I think it has to be a trial and error.

We did get a few things bookmarked and I was able to find them but the two icons she made for my two users go to the same home. Hmm.

For those that asked about the pattern in case they didn't win.
It is a Pieces from the Heart pattern by Sandy Gervais.

That's all for tonight Have to watch the final of Survivors, Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Something New and Something Old

First of all, I want to say that this might be my last post on here using my MSN. Just got notice via my son that my new laptop has been shipped yesterday and will be here tomorrow the 12th. Now this blog may not be published till tomorrow either. Depends how soon that Kim gets the pictures in.

Here is the start of my Christmas decorating.

I went looking for a 3 foot tree for this spot with the lights on it. Went to Michael's; Nothing but pink or yellow. The rest all too big.

So stopped at Joann's which was on the way home and this was the best they had. It's nice and full and really doesn't look bad after I went to the pharmacy in Boonsboro for medicine and looked for a short string of lights which they had, but also up on top of one of the display cabinets was a line of these cute little trees with white lights. UGH why hadn't I looked around there this past week. I'm in there at least twice a week.

I got the colored lights and it really looks cute but will be better with a few tiny balls which I haven't brought up yet from the basement.

The next thing is I have most of my trees made. Need two green and one red for that 6th row up and down.

My version and it is looking better all the time. These are so much fun to sew. You don't have to be perfect about them. Only getting the tree tops to come out not cut off.. These have not all been squared up but there is plenty of room on all sides to make them the size you want.

I think I will put a single inner border and then use all the scraps left from cutting these out of fat quarters to make piano keys for the outer border. Might not have enough to go all around but will fill in with pieces of fabrics used in the blocks.

SO this is what I'm going to do. Kim said she would do this if I wanted to send the pattern back but NO. Why shouldn't I have a pattern give-away?

Yes, Starting with this post if you would like to make these trees like Kim and I have made, just leave me a comment saying you want it. On next Wed. the 17th of Dec. I will pick a name from all that want it and it will be sent out as soon as I get your address.

So check on Thurs. the 18th to see if I picked your name. I'd love to beat Kim in the number of comments she gets on her blog. I think she is getting a little big headed. LOL

Kim, you know I love you.

Now here also is some more of the old templates.

Seems like this one could be used a number of ways. In the corner is a McCalls pattern for making a all over quilted quilt. We call them now WOW or White on White. Great for showing off you hand quilting.

This is a closeup and the stamped pattern is inside with directions. I've done two of these. The first one I bought the pattern in an Amish community quilt shop in Ohio. I marked it all myself copying it on the sliding glass door. I love that quilt. All hand quilted.

Enough for this time and hopefully when the weather clears I can get some more pictures of the old Hotel. It looks terrific. Hoping to open in Mid February now. Keep coming back to see and don't forget about the giveaway.

A New Experience

I am on a laptop learning. I have a New Dell coming just before Christmas so Have gotten the wireless router set up and my friend Roben brought over her old laptop so I could play.



That's what I'm doing. Have gotten into some of the blogs and read. What a difference than on my MSN2. I wanted to see how different the set up on here was, so figured I'd do a short post.I have never had a compter so this is all new. I'm sure I'll have plenty of mistakes but I imagine you will all excuse me.



The main thing I want to be able to do is put pictures in when I want them. Instead of having to wait for Kim to put them in. She has been wonderful. I am very excited about getting this very special present.



My son has only had Dells and I asked him to check into them for me. At first he said he thought could get a better deal by going to Best Buy. which I did last Wed. But they had just a few and not the size I wanted. so emailed my son again and he then called me and said what he could get. Ordered and it's to be sent on dec. 16. My son will be here to visit then on the 20th in time to get me started. A friend came over the other day and hooked up the wireless router. That's how I am able to use this machine.



so stay tunned, I will be back

Finds in the garage

The other day I had to go looking for something for Hubby in the garage, which really is more our storage room. Didn't find that but did find these things in a box.

Probably more that 20 years ago when I used to go to lots of Estate auctions, I can remember going to one in Frederick on a Sat. The yard was packed with boxes which are so much fun to go through. You check out what you are interested in and stay close till it is sold. This one big box was full of this

Paper patterns and this box full of the type of patterns we used to use for cutting out blocks and for marking quilting patterns.

This is a few of the cardboard patterns in this little box. I really like this one for about a 10 or 12 in. plain block. You can see it was used good. We only used to use pencil. Not the blue ink we have now.

This picture shows how she keep these small circular one together.

Opened up they make a nice design of fans. Wouldn't that take a lot of time? Some of these in envelopes had "For [a name]" So I imagine this lady made quilts to order. Wonder how much she got? If I remember right they had some of her quilts that they sold and they went high for then.

Here are a few of the other pieces that are easily recognized. The clamshell is a neat one not seen to often.

I thought some of you that are interested in the antique quilts would like to see these. I haven't gone through them all so I might have more later.

We had a nice Thanksgiving on Friday when our daughter and her oldest daughter and youngest son came up for overnight. I really thought I was going to have a lot of help with the dinner but-- Seems she did a dandy burn job on her right wrist when she slipped and the hot ravioli spilled out on her wrist and ended up with a 2nd degree burn. Looked terrible. No water and it hurt for her to try and peel potatoes. At least Ashley my GD did all the dishes both for dinner and later for supper. Oh, DD dried them.

They left Sat. morning to drive up to Philly to take Ashley back to Art school. Then drove back down to Southern Maryland where they live.

I've been doing a little sewing. Kim sent me her Trees pattern so I have been sewing trees. Mine look altogether different than hers as I used darker colors. Think I like hers better but. She suggested that when I finish with the pattern that I have a giveaway of it so stay tuned.

I have another appointment with the chiropractor on Wed. so am hoping with each one that things get better. Didn't seem much better this weekend but that last cracking of my back sure felt good.

Hubby has been pretty good lately except for his blood sugar. Seems it doesn't matter what he eats; sometimes it's low and other times it's high. Most of the time he has to have two shots a day and of course I have to do them. Not my favorite thing to do.

Thanks for all the nice comments. Love to read them even though I don't seem to find the time to go reading other blogs much. Course have to read Kim's every morning.

Marcie's Christmas Sparkler

Yes, I have finished my version of Marcie's Sparkler quilt. Have used a variety of Christmas prints. Most of the new line of TB but then some are from a jelly roll that Kim had sent me and then for the border I dug down deep in a drawer where I had some Christmas fabrics and found this one.

I wanted this to put on top of an old spool cabinet we have in the living room. Thanks Marcie for the cute free design.

My trip to the chiropractor on Friday went well. I'm just getting old. Nothing serious, Just those lower vertebra giving out and giving me some tingling in the legs, aches and pains in my thighs after I get up from sitting for awhile. But he says a few treatments should help.

He put the electrodes to my lower back for about 20 minutes. Says it helps to stimulate the nerves. That's a big problem in my body since the nerves in my feet are pretty much shot. It's called neuropathy and is usually something that diabetics get later on. But I'm not.

So will have some treatments and report back. Next week I go Mon. and Wed. but found out that the Monday appointment is for the same time my hubby has to see his urologist so that will have to be changed.

I'm thinking about getting something made for my College granddaughters for Christmas so that is the next thing in line to do. If I can find some of the material from their quilts.

Winter has really settled in here. Been below freezing for a couple days but sunny. Hope it is nice where you are. Thanks for stopping by the porch.

And So It Goes

My daughter was up over the weekend and telling her about my aches and pains, she said I should see a chiropractor. She had the same type of aches and migraines, found a chiropractor in Annapolis that worked her over and the migraines disappeared and so did her aches.

So Mom has to do what daughter says now. It's turn the tables when we get this age.

I had to go to a funeral Monday morning and when I got home my husband said he had found a doctor that I could see in the morning and I should call and talk to her. He'd just looked in the phone book and called a couple asking if they took Medicare patients. This one did so I called. Went in for a consultation. Sure was different than any doctor's office I've been in. The receptionist came in and he dictated to her what he wanted to be written down.

He said it was not muscular but the lower disk problem and would want X-Rays to see just what was going on before doing anything.

So off I went across the street to the Diagnostic Imaging for X-Rays of my lower back. So will see. I have another appointment on Friday. Stay tuned.

Later found out that my friend Roben had gone to this Doctor and he said right away what her problem was. Treated her and she was pleased. So nice to know someone else who had gone to him.

But I did finally finished the binding on my Orange Crush mystery quilt that Bonnie had a few months ago. I had sent it to Florida so my friend Patty could quilt it. She did a terrific job with an all-over design.

Now my daughter has asked for it, as they have three cats that like to sleep with her and she doesn't want them on her good quilts. Can't blame her and the cat hair sure won't hurt this quilt. Besides some of the fabric I used was hers. Like the orange. The backing is what was left of the orange and blue dot.

Hubby is doing as good as can be expected. We have had some very cold weather. Was below freezing last night. Did warm up today with the sun shinning but they are still calling for some snow, maybe. Had flurries the other day. Don't need snow yet. I have running to do on Thursday and Friday. Every day this week. Haven't even had much time to read any blogs.

Thanks for visiting and hope you can leave a comment. I like to know when you visit.

Rantings of an Old Lady

I had an email yesterday from my younger brother in Ohio. He said he'd checked out my blog and nothing different. So D. this is for you.

Only have a couple not so good pictures to show you. What I am preparing to get ready to machine quilt next.

I took these when I was marking this quilt top on my island. It makes a perfect place, although not as big as it could be. Just the right height.

This is the Chexx Mixx blocks that the Hollow swapped a couple years ago. I did a double batch so had lots of blocks to work with. I made a shower curtain out of some the rest of them after setting this top. I got the idea from one that Tazzie showed. Since I am a blue person and had lots of TB blues it came together easy. It's all marked now and just waiting for time to get the backing pressed and to pin it.

The things I'm working on right now I can't show or talk about as it is for our secret sister for the holiday swap.

The reason I'm saying I'm an old lady is I am but have been feeling more like it every day. I can sit in my lounge chair for a couple hours and quilt and when I get up I can hardly walk. Aches and pains in my muscles. Dr. said it was the sacroiliac and I should start walking again. Gee, Dr. if you would like to come and take care of hubby in the morning then I could go walk for the 45 min. I used to walk before he ever woke up.

Then Hubby was looking for a chiropractor for me to go to. Nope don't need that. But maybe a good massage would help. What do you think, Ladies? There is one that comes into the beauty parlor on appointments, Shes even a quilter, big strong gal, I bet she could really make or break. Have to check into that.

Well, this morning after watching Sunday Morning with Hubby and the doctor on Fox, I decided it was nice enough outside to take a walk. It's chilly, definite winter in the air, leaves have fallen down steady now for a few days. Nice walk out though the woods, up and down so if you walk at a good steady pace it is a good workout. For days when you don't go to Curves.

Hubby is doing fairly well although his feet and legs are swelling again. I just don't think his heart is strong enough to do all the work that it should. But as long as he gets up and walks a little each day and lets me sleep; well once a night I've had to get up and help. At least I can go back to sleep.

Gee, it's a football Sunday and none that I want to watch. Redskins have the week off. Have to get reset for next week at home with the Cowboy's. A must win.

Oh, I got my Orange Crush quilt back from the friend who quilted it for me on her long arm. It looks great, Now have to get the binding on and sewn down. Then I will get a picture. Thanks, Patty for the quilting. It's such a busy quilt it needed a good overall quilting job. Love those Bonnie mysteries.

So glad you stopped by and will try to have something more sooner this week.

Did You Turn Your Clock Back?

I didn't!!!

Very funny. I got to sleep till 7 am this morning. Very unusual. Hubby called and asked why do those 2 clocks have different times. He didn't want to call me until he was sure.

Hmm. He has a clock I set in front of the TV and then the clock on the cable box which sets itself. It dawned on me that for the first time we hadn't turned our clocks back. Hubby always went though the house early turning them the way they were suppose to be. But yesterday he hadn't felt good so had forgot all about it. At least to remind me.

But getting up when it was actually daylight and OH what a golden light there was across the woods. Just had to get my camera and get some pictures.

First this one right straight out that I see from where I am sitting. That red tree is my large old dogwood tree and then with the golden tree in the distance.

Turning to the north the woods behind on the right and the golden Oak tree, Oh if they would just stay like this but in about a week I bet they will be gone.

Then looking across the road and up the mountain where the picture I had on a week ago taken last year. It is all in color now.

The last one is taken of the front yard. This is what happens to the leaves. covering the azalea plants already and a good protection from the winter.

Now here is what I've finally finished--my Buzz Saw quilt. I machine quilted it and tried a bit of free motion on the middle of the blocks but had put a design in to follow on the dark ones. Sort of winged it for the light blocks. These are blocks that the Yahoo group I am in swapped last year for our yearly Friendship swap. All Thimbleberry of course.

Ah, sweet smells coming from the oven. Am trying the apple cake that Kim had on her blog about a week ago. She had made it and taken to the office one day. Almost done. Hubby had be wanting some coffee cake so hope this hits the spot with him.

Thanks for stopping in.

Christmas Cactus

Things seem to be going better in my house this week, at least better than I expected. Hubby has gotten stronger each day and at least been sleeping better and not waking me at night. That means a lot.

Fall has definately come with a vengeance. At least we didn't get the snow like the north east did. Lots of beautiful red leaves out in the woods.

About a month ago when it started to get cool I brought in my three Christmas Cactus plants from the back where I put them for the summer. It didn't take long for the buds to start coming out so when they got showing some color I

brought them up and put them on the window sill that separates my kitchen from my porch. I've taken several pictures as they have started to open

First the white one opened and the red one was just loaded with buds

These were taken about a day apart. These stems are so fragile that as the big blossoms open them just bend down.

Now the red one is really starting.

This last one I just took this evening, The white one is starting to get a lot of dead ones, not looking so good. But boy is this red one is really something. I bought it at the grocery store last year about this time. Seems to like my house.

I still haven't finished the binding on my Buzz Saw quilt but promise I will have a picture of it the next time.

Now I have to work on some Christmas things. See I said Christmas is coming. I know all Kim is thinking about is Halloween but it will soon be gone as well as our daylight time. Get an extra hours of sleep tomorrow night.

Hope all is well in your world. Thanks for stopping by.

Update on Things

I've survived the dental surgery, but OH that bill for a half hours work of torture. He really had a hard time getting those buggers out. But the gums have healed and guess I will survive.

Then Hubby came along so good and started walking some the last three days that he came home yesterday. Still needs a lot of therapy but will get that in the coming weeks with the Home Care. Thank goodness for Medicare and the programs they have.

I also got down to the basement a couple times and just this afternoon I finished quilting that Buzz Saw quilt. So on to getting the binding made and sewn on and down.

Thursday I had to go to the post office so took my camera to get an update on the hotel. It is so neat to watch it looking better and better every day.

This day they were finishing the outside of the porch roof. They had spent several days putting the inside roof on both of the upper and lower roofs.

This is a front view as it is now. Also showing the side where they still have the scaffolding up. All the windows are in and look closely you can see the third floor windows have copper roofs and talking with my favorite cabinet maker, who is also doing some of the inside detailing, He says the whole upper roof is copper.

As I walked across the street to get a better shot of the side of the building I noticed a man up putting the siding on that third floor. I asked him if that was slate? Yep, sure looked like it. It's on the front also. Took looking closer on the side to notice it wasn't just some old shingles.

Had to go around to the back to see how that was coming. Yep got the stairs up and all the balconies. Those two upper floors will be the rooms. Also there will be a library for the guests to use, I'm sure full of Nora Roberts books. The cabinet maker is making all the shelves and wall pieces.

He had replicated an archway that was the only thing on the inside that she really hated loosing. Not much of the original insides was left when she bought it.

The entire lower floor in the back which has an enormous fireplace will be a sitting room. It was a billiard room.

He doubts that is will be finished by December like they have said. To much to do inside yet.She seems to be doing it up right.

This has been a gloomy day with much needed rain. Looks like it is clearing off now and I better get busy on supper. Our daughter is coming up this evening for overnight.

Winter is Coming

Guess it is time to let you all in on what's been going on in my neighborhood. Weather, frost the last couple days. Was 30 when I went through town this morning but the sun has come out nice.

Here is what it looked like last year. Colors were just beautiful. But this year it seems like they have just gotten brown.

This tree which I saw last year has started to drop it's pretty red leaves so quick. Just looking through the window I see lots of different colors but pretty hard to get a good picture for the distance.

Then right now I really am in no mood to take pictures. Woke up with a tooth ache last night. Guess I should have known it was coming. Had two teeth that had broken off at the gums in the last couple years. The roots were still good and the dentist said as long as they didn't cause any trouble to forget them. Well they are trouble now so called and got an appointment to have those babies pulled out tomorrow. They are teeth before the large molar. Just old.

This is really a good time as I had to take my Hubby to the hospital on Thursday as he had again developed congestive heart failure. I was afraid of this as his feet kept swelling. Sure surprising how fast they can get that fluid out once they get a catheter back in and push the meds. I imagine it will mean back in Rehab again for 6 weeks.

At least it is giving me a break to do more sewing, quilting etc. Yesterday I finally finished the Lil Red from Schnibbles by Miss Rosie.

I put my own border on. With all those HST cut off these blocks I wanted to use them and there was enough for that inner border. I really like the effect. Don't have any idea how to quilt this one. To many seams for hand quilting. It will wait a bit.

I've gotten down to the basement to machine quilt on the Buzz Saw quilt that we swapped the blocks for at the Quilter's Hollow. Still have some left to do on that. So a picture will follow.

It has been nice to get a full night's sleep. But the second night he was in there he called me at 6:30 in the morning (he thought I'd be up because I always got up between 5 - 6) to fix his regular 2 scrambled eggs and sausages and bring them in as the pancake he got for breakfast was to dry to eat. Now aren't I a dutiful wife?

Talking to a friend about this who is a generation younger and he said no way would his wife to that. Guess it is a generation thing then. We do what our hubbies ask.

Guess I won't feel much like posting for awhile. Course it has been over a week since my last post. Hope you are all feeling better than I am. Thanks for listening.

A Trip around my garden

I went out the other day with my camera to get some pictures of my perennial garden. With all the rain we have had this summer it has flourished. Remember this is the space between the footer of the porch and the driveway. The stone wall was up already but there were three huge shrubs and this stump. A few bulbs and a Hosta which I moved along the side of the carport wall and the deer keep eating it off.

First coming down the drive is this zebra plant, really Polemonium. I bought it the first of the summer because I like the foliage and it has done well.

Next is one of the Dianthus that just keep blooming. The first year they did nothing. A couple died but have about 3 that have really taken off this year. Behind it is a Lavender plant and the lighter plant behind that is a herb, which I can't think of the name as I don't use it. It's what they use in India. Really smells but thought it a neat plant.

The next flowers are not the color that they should be. Don't know why it came so red. The ones behind are orange double Impatiens and have bloomed all summer like that. When I put Impatiens in the front yard they did nothing. The blooms in the front are another Dianthus.

Now here is my love. It has taken over the garden. I know there are some little plants under it but the light color and the way it is growing down around the rocks. Love it. Called Goldilocks. lysimachia nummularia
I saw this at the nursery early in the spring and just thought I would try it. Have cut a couple pieces and planted them in some bare spots and they are growing.

Here's another Dianthus with the silver leaves and it really just started to bloom a little towards late summer. It is a new plant this spring so am hoping it grows more for next year.

Last and at the corner of the porch is my white bleeding heart. It has been blooming most of the summer once it started. Now to get a red one. Behind it is a fern I got last year and really thought I had lost it. Those varmints (chipmucks, I think) that dig around the plants had a big hole dug but was surprised that it really took off. I think the water we had this summer has really helped everything to thrive.

Will go back to that nursery in the spring for some more unusual perennials.

Now to show you I have been doing some sewing here's all the blocks done for the LIL RED by Schnibles. I have been slow in getting these little 4 in blocks finished as they aren't the easiest thing to make.

This is not for the new quilter. It uses charms and I had a set that had been sent to me by a friend that knew I liked blue and then I supplemented with Thimbleberries. Have a lot of 1 1/2in. HST from making these and been thinking of a way to use them in the outside border. These blocks have not been sewn together. Just up on my board. but wanted to show it so far.

Enough for now, Thanks for stopping by.

FALL IS HERE !!!

It has turned cool and beautiful outside. Had a gorgeous sunset this evening; not quite as good as the picture in my header.

But the woods are starting to change like this:

It was taken last year but just as pretty this year. The dogwoods are all getting red.

Yesterday I was out with the weed whacker--my lawn mower--and got all those tall weeds that were going to seed. Still need to get the soaker hoses in as won't need them any more. The back perennial garden is really filling in. Should get a picture as there is still color. That will be for the next time.

I have been doing something. Here is one of the minis I put together a good while ago and finally got it quilted.

The center blocks were leftover funny shapes so tried to make a face with them. I still have loads of those HSTs to do something with. Maybe Bonnie's new book will have an idea only mine would be using 1 1/2 in. instead of 2 1/2 in as she usually uses.

I have sent my Orange Crush off to my quilter in Florida and hopefully she will have it back soon. She said she broke a needle though and it went down where she couldn't get it. That's where Hubbys come in handy.

I have also started on my new hand quilted quilt. It is one I put together a couple years ago using the stars we swapped over a years time. Will get a picture of that also later.

Got to quilt on it for most of the day today. We like to watch Sunday Morning and then the Redskins played Philadelphia this afternoon and I quilted. This one is much easier to quilt than the Feedsack quilt.

Then I have my Buzz Saw quilt that we exchanged blocks last year, getting it pinned to machine quilt. Want to try and find a design that I can follow free motion. Just not good enough to go alone. May end up just doing in the ditch.

Then Hubby hasn't been feeling too good the past couple weeks. Got another infection so have to deal with new meds. He takes soo many. But certainly doesn't complain.

I'm just looking forward to the visit my son is planning for around Thanksgiving. He's had to postpone it from the end of last month when a big project came up at work. He's been working 12 hour days 7 days a week to get it done. He will need a vacation.

I will try for some more pictures the next time. Thanks for stopping.