Update on life

Finally getting back to posting a little. Haven't had the time to do much sewing.but I did get the June block done for Carol Doaks Block of the Month.Used some more of the fish fabric and the bright orange batik. This will be a wild quilt if I ever get it put together.

Two more months and we will have 12 blocks.

This past week has had it's ups and downs. Hubby was doing really good and then all of a sudden he started to keep to much fluid and with a heart patient this is not good. His feet and ankles swell up and drastic measures have to be started. He decided he needed to go to the ER at 1 in the morning. Called 911. Thank goodness our daughter was here for the night and she did the driving. Really thought they would keep him but nope after we had come home and almost in bed. The call came to come get me. Doctor figured he would do as well at home than in the hospital except there are no nurses to take care of him when he can't sleep and need help getting around. Really hard not to have but a couple hours sleep in a night and then keep going during the day. Daughter had to go back home to get ready for a trip tomorrow to Texas with the church youth chorus called the Voices of Praise. This time it is 14 year old Dan that is singing in it. Since his sisters graduated he finally said he would join.

They are going to Austin and visit the capital and sing in the rotunda plus the church they attend on Sunday and several other places. Going back to San Antonio in the middle of the week and spending a day at Six Flags. Sounds like a lot of fun. Daughter likes to go along as a chaperon and also takes care of the girls dresses.

She called this afternoon to say she had the job she wanted. After all those nights going to school getting her Master's and Education certificate she finally will have her very own class. She interviewed for four different ones and the one she got is the one she really wanted. This is in an elementary school so the children will not be as physically handicapped as at the school she has been an assistant at for the last seven years.

Really is good to see your children grow up have wonderful families and then get to do what they really enjoy to make a good living.
At least the teachers salaries are a lot better now than when hubby was teaching.

Hope I can start getting back to some sewing. Need to finish up this Orange Crush top and the Plaid blocks that I started a long time ago. All I need is to finish the last round on them and it's all sitting on my sewing machine.

Guess I should get off the Internet and do something else. Thanks for stopping by.

Family Time

Things seem to be getting better at home with hubby, Had a couple days that were rough but guess that is to be expected.

Then Sat. evening we had company. My great niece and her family from near Colorado Springs came for a few hours. Her Hubby's Mom and Sister live across the Potomac from us and they come every couple years to see them and always come over.

They have four children ages from about 10 to almost one. If you are a reader of my blog you might remember last fall of me making a baby quilt for a new great-great niece named Simile, pronounced to rhyme with Emily. I had also quilted a blue and white quilt for Briana that she had taken about 10 years to piece. So now it is on their bed.
Briana home schools the children and the two oldest play the violins. Their father is a music teacher.

Her she is playing with her Dad's toes. This is the next one in line Sequoia on the right. He was the baby 2 years ago when they were here.

Here she is pulling herself up on DH's wheelchair.She will be walking soon. That's the legs of Soquel, the oldest girl on the couch.

I had made chili for supper with some garlic bread and jello salad and she got up and took her dishes and her brothers to the sink and washed them. Then she ended up washing them all. Guess when you are the oldest of 4 you have to help Mom a lot.

I finally got a good one of her looking at me. I took several but every time she would turn before I got it clicked. Isn't she a doll.

We had such a good time. After playing on the floor for a good while we went outside and they planted the two pots of Spider plant that they brought me. Now can't get any better than that.

Poor Soquel didn't like all the bugs. So she went inside. The two little boys. I didn't mention the older boys name is Squire. They went hunting rocks to build a little well around the plants to help hold the water in when it rains. Not hard to find rocks on this mountain. They grow here. Can't dig a shovel in the ground without hitting a rock.

So with hubby taking a lot of time and company I haven't had much time to sew. Did get a little quilting done on my feed sack quilt. One of these days I might get it done and get something a little easier to hand quilt. I'm just doing to much quilting on this.

Another beautiful day in Western Maryland and hope it's been good wherever you are. Thanks for stopping in.

Moving Day

Today is the day my hubby has been waiting for. A trip in the car and home to some relaxing and a little more control over what goes on.

He has been in the nursing home Rehab for a full month. Hated what some of the stuff they put him through but did it.

They wanted him to push up out of the wheelchair and it was a struggle. His shoulders are a problem. That's why he got the lift chair so enable him to get out of the chair easier but the PT's think he shouldn't have to do that. Well, I think Hubby won out on that one. They don't realize how bad the arthritic shoulders can be.

He surprised me yesterday by getting into bed without wanting an aide . Just swung his legs up and there he was. So will see how things go when he gets out of the car and takes a few steps to get into the house. Only one step up and that is it.

Now on this end, back to cooking, UGH, I really don't like to cook but you have to do what you have to do.

Then we have some company coming on Sat. so have to get ready for 4 little ones for supper. Figure they would like some chili. sure hope it doesn't get to hot. But with the AC on in the house it should be fine. This is a Great niece that just had her 4th, a little girl who is going on a year. I had made her a quilt a few months back. They are visiting the daddy's mother and sister that lives in a neighboring town.

Then because they homeschool the children, Oldest is about 8-9 they are going to spend a week at Williamsburg. Then home to Colorado Springs in the plains.

No pictures today, Just wanted to update on the things going on in my life.

Oh, I should say it's early in the morning and the hummingbird is busy out getting breakfast from my hanging plant.

Time to get ME going . Hubby said to be there by 9 AM. Don't think he is anxious to get out of there. Thanks for listening.

The Making of a Garden

What are these you ask? My bucket full of Naked Ladies bulbs of course. I had already taken the top layer off before I thought about taking a picture.

Here's the holes I have dug to put them in along he side of the lower drive. Under the dogwood trees. Planted them and then covered with more mulch which was from the cut down trees two years ago.

This is on the other side of the drive by the house. My perennial garden, Lots of blooms and about 3/4 of this was covered with the downed tree and limbs. So none the worse for wear. Just glad to see some flowers blooming.

After I finished along the drive I dumped them out as there was a lot of dirt on top of the bottom pile. So now to get some holes dug along the side of the carport wall.

Here's one, but the next one I couldn't get the pick to do anything

That is a hosta and in the front a butterfly weed which hasn't bloomed there at all.
So went farther up and got another hole dug

Plus a rock and along the way a few weeds and dandelions and--

here in the middle of vinca a lone sunflower coming up. Get lots of them but never get big. The two feeders above keep dropping them or at least the birds don't seem to be able to keep them in their beaks long enough to crack them open. At least some of them as the carport floor by the car is usually loaded with hulls.

I got these planted and then on Sunday afternoon while my daughter was here she dug some more holes out along the fence by the road and I put the bulbs in and covered them up. So hopefully in August I'll get a couple flowers. If not this year , Next year.

We had another nice rain this afternoon and now the sun is shinning in saying I should get back to sewing those Orange Crush blocks together. I started a row while waiting for my daughter to get up this morning so we could go to Curves. She went to sleep in her fathers lift chair last night with the TV on and didn't go down to bed until 4 AM Guess she felt she was on vacation, away from kids and classes.

One of these days I hope to have a picture for you but then the outside border using those leftover blocks will take more time and I know I will have to make more.

So hope all is well in your world and thanks for stopping by.

Storm Clean Up

Eileen--It would have made for a more interesting blog post if these guys would have taken off their shirts--particularly the guy in the lime green! ROFLOL!

This is what Kim left for me when putting these pictures in the blog. Figured I'd leave it here. Sorry I didn't think if that Kim.

Finally , the day came when the first crew arrived. Much to my surprise one of this crew was the daughter of the owner. She's the one that answers the phone. Guess they needed help. She looked like she was used to it but not really loving it. Also was very hot

Course they had to start and clean out the top of the drive first. Really didn't take them too long. Cutting up those two trees and chopping up the limbs. Surprising how big that chopper will take.

Unfortunately one of the big logs from the upper tree rolled down here and crushed the Rhododendron that my daughter gave me for Mother's Day. The gal asked what color it was and said it would be replaced. Hasn't been yet.

This is the mess before they started up this machine. The good old chopper. Makes good wood chips to let set and turn into mulch, if there are no termites in it.
The one in the green shirt is the women. Course you see the lime green, had a neat handkerchief tied on his head. The other man in the owner. Which I'm afraid has really over charged us.

.Then another crew came with the trailer to take away the logs.
They really knew what they were doing. The big ones are to come.
See the big split. That's what came off the oak tree outside my window. I'm standing on the porch taking this. One of the guys saw me and waved. That big arm pulls them up and with guidance in they go. They got all the logs on that one truck.
I had to leave before they finished loading that truck. Then this is the next day with the truck with the bucket. He was getting himself around and up to that tree to the right to take off a large limb that was hanging. Did it so neat. Hard to get a good picture looking up like that.
This is how it looked on Wed. when I came home from town.
Can't even tell where the Tulip Poplar broke off. It's the last big tree in the middle of the picture. This big slit in the tree on the left is the first one that fell. I heard the crack. These steps go up to the little porch right outside my quilting porch. There are windows all along the end of the house. My perennial garden is right below along the side of the house.

Now to get the small dogwoods back in an upright position and growing again.

Sure glad that mess is gone and I know I'm going to have a lot more light now.

Am working on sewing my OC together. I'm finishing it like Bonnie did. Even to the borders. Not sure if I will use the bright orange but that might work.

With going to the nursing home twice a day I really don't get much else done. I think my hubby will be coming home next week sometime. They evaluated him this week and he has shown a lot of progress. Just needs a little more.

Thanks for stopping in. I have fallen way behind on visiting blogs. Seems by the time I answer my mail and write to my friends I'm ready to go to bed. Till another day.

This is how the drive looks today. Lots more sun getting into the carport with that tree gone.

Some progres

. I have been sewing since my hubby has been in Rehab. Got these blocks out after I got the board cleared off and laid them out. This was our Quilter's Hollow Friendship swap we did this year. Thought this was a good setting to do some quilting in the light sections. It isn't finished. I am putting a 2 inch light border on and then piano keys of assorted fabrics for the outside border. Put a floral up with it but just didn't work. These are all Thimbleberries prints that really show up as solids.

So on to make lots of strips.

Then I also finished last night this last round of the Yours Truly Round Robin. Otherwise I made it all but Carol Doaks gave us the guidelines for each round. Of course it had to have paper piecing in it and Carol's patterns

I love the softness it represents. Used only about 5 different fabrics. The flowers are mostly hand dyes that I have had for a long time. Now to get it quilted.

But first I have to sew another quilt together. Yes, Bonnie gave our last round to the mystery Orange Crush quilt. I got the blocks laid out on my wall but will have to look for a bit and make sure the colors are OK. Don't like to have the same prints close to each other.

I also found three of the pinwheel blocks that I had set wrong.. Easy to do on blocks like this . Picture later.

Now if only the Tree guy would call tomorrow and come by and let me know when they will be here.This is leaving a whole lot of dead leaves in my yard. That is suppose to come in the fall.

We Had a Storm

WOW, what an afternoon Wednesday was. I was sitting here writing to Kim and saw the sky get dark and all of a sudden it started to pour and the wind started to swirl. Didn't really think any thing of it as this happens and it blows over. Then the lights blinked and then went off.
This first picture was taken from the window after the storm left.

This is the bird feeder minus the glass jar that holds the seeds. Didn't take long for the squirrels to find they could get in it.

All of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I saw a huge limb fall off the closest oak, then heard the crash of another tree. Some limbs hit the roof of the porch but that was all. Didn't know until it was over that this was the top of the Tulip Poplar. A friend said it looked like the stump was 60 ft. high so you can imagine how high the top was. Another picture has it.

Then I decided maybe I ought to go to the basement but then it was over. Bet it didn't last 10 minutes.

Of course I had to go outside to look and this is what I saw beside the carport.

Just snapped this tall oak off about 6 ft. from the ground. It hit another one down farther and knocked it down.

This is that tree across the top of the lower drive. If the school bus had been there it would have been totaled. Fortunately she had taken it back to the owner. This was the last day of school.

This is the end of that tree knocking out a section of the rail fence.

This is looking down the lower drive. You can see my porch. I'm on the top level. See the large tree with the light colored area? That's where the limb fell off. taken some of the dogwood tree with it.

This is a closer picture. In the upper part you can see the splintered tree. That is the poplar and where it broke off. At least the lower part is still there. DH likes to watch the squirrels play on it. See how fortunate I am that it didn't blow over to the house?

looking closer now that is my perennial garden at the back. I did get most of the limbs and leaves off the flowers. They were just starting to bloom nice. The Dianthus and coral bells. A little area I couldn't get to. Too big a limb.


I took this from the lower porch that goes into the flower room. Wanted to show how the flowers were coming along. Have a few lily's that should be blooming soon.

Another view of that tree that snapped off.

Across the road and up a bit in the woods is a huge oak that came out by the roots. Along the drive going up the hill there was 6 trees blocking the road. all out by the roots. I didn't think you could see them in a snap shot.

This left us without power still two day later and the cable was out also which has my broadband so I just got back online this morning.

I have contacted the tree guy that took down a few for us a couple years ago. But since no damage to buildings or really necessary to remove them immediately it will be about a week before he comes to clean up this mess.

I have been doing a little sewing but now have the last o f the OC quilt setting so
will want to get to that. Too much to do and so little time. DH hopefully will be able to come home from rehab next week so I will have a little more time. That is IF we get out power on. We are fortunate to have a large generator which is running this right now. It makes it possible to flush the toilets and have a few lights on at night. The microwave works also. But not the AC and we are needing that now.

Hope to have a little quilting to show the next time. Thanks for stopping by.