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.