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It was Friday the 13th, so I guess I wasn't going anywhere

Category: Random bulletins from my brain | Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2006 3:36 am

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We left this afternoon a little after 4 p.m. to visit my Mom 2 hours west of here. Something had been niggling at the back of my mind all week about this trip. I wasn't afraid of a disaster, just something was not right.

It took us 2 1/2 hours to make the 45 minute trip from our house to north Ft. Worth. We stopped for dinner at Ryan's Buffet to let the traffic clear out some. Other than the meatloaf I had that keeps reminding me of it's after taste, the dinner was good.

We made it to Weatherford, about 45 minutes from where we ate, just fine and in good time. Then the headlights started blinking, the AC started going off and on and then the battery and alternator dash lights started flashing. The trip from that point to my Mom's is desolate and very little chance of a cell phone signal making it passed the hood of our car so we turned around and headed back home. 1 1/2 hours later (almost 5 hours after we left home) we limped back into the driveway. I kept the car running while Randy moved his pickup out of the driveway so I could pull in, got the car in place, killed the engine and good bye power.

So tomorrow morning, he makes a trip around to find an alternator in stock somewhere for under $300. If he finds one we make the trip to Mom's later tomorrow.....if not, he orders one and we make the trip next weekend.

Something tells me I should not have voted in the superstition poll Frank posted this morning. :)

Last edited: Sat Oct 14, 2006 3:52 am

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These three wall hangings were just for me

Category: My Crafty Side | Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:42 am

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This is my folk art double log cabin and trees. The background blocks are called Log Cabin, with machine applique log cabins and trees. Hanging in the livingroom behind the non-working wood burning stove.



This one is a giant Dahlia directly across from the work table in my craftroom area (behind my computer desk)



This one was made to be a curtain for the sliding glass patio door off the kitchen. It was there for years and is now hanging on the wall of my craftroom.
Those bright square within a square flowers are supposed to be primroses, sure wish I had used a darker fabric, this one looks like dayglow.



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Second contest entry......

Category: My Crafty Side | Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 3:32 pm

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The second contest entry I made didn't win anything but it did get invited to spend July 7th,2001, hanging from a tree in the north woods of northern Wisconsin viewed by over 1200 visitors to the woods and have a chance to win.
When I sent them the wall hanging I included a disposable camera and asked if someone could take pictures of some of the quilts on display and mine of course. There were several quilts that were just drop dead gorgeous so I do understand why mine didn't win. They also sent me a show booklet with the descriptions and narratives of all the quilts. I wasn't the only one who submitted a really long narrative....next years contest rules specified that the narrative could not be more than 150 words.

The Trees for Tomorrow organization in northern Wisconsin sponsored the contest "A Walk thru the Northwoods" Having never taken a walk thru the north woods I had to really use my imagination. My entry was titled "One Day a Texas Quilter Took a Walk Thru The Northwoods" The narrative begins at the cabin in the upper right and ends at the quilt shop at the lower left. The words in quotes are the names of quilt blocks or applique animals scattered among the pine trees.

A cold "North Wind" blew in during the night bringing the first snow of the season. It's early this year and starting to come down heavy at times. I need to make a trip to the store for the necessities of life before the snow makes traveling impossible. I love making this trip in any season of the year but especially in the late fall/early winter. Everything is so quiet, the wind blowing thru the pine trees is heavenly music.

My favorite "Goose on the Pond" has finally flown off to warmer weather. I can hear her and a few other late travelers honking in the distance. I will miss her good morning greeting but she will be back in the spring.

The "squirrels" are busy gathering up any nuts hidden under the newly fallen leaves. My part of the woods is mostly evergreen trees so these "Maple Leaves" must have blown in from further north last night.

Even the "birds" are heading indoors today. The snow isn't as heavy over here, I can still see the tracks made by "Bear Paws". The "Duck and Ducklings" left the area several weeks ago, but there will be more in the spring.

The "mooses" (moose..meese..I can never remember what the plural of moose is) don't seem to be bothered by my being here, guess they are finally used to having me around. I love all the trees I have in this part of the woods..so many different kinds, all the shapes and the variety of greens are just gorgeous especially with the large fluffy snowflakes landing on their branches.

There are some "Turkey Tracks" almost hidden in the trees, hope the turkeys that made them are hiding too, Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away.

Now, why in the world are there "Hovering Hawks" over the path? Good thing I thought to bring my umbrella with me :) Well, I'll be.....so THAT's what "bears" do in the woods when humans aren't around. I'll just tip-toe quickly and quietly passed them.

The store is just around the bend, I can get a cup of hot coffee, stock up on the supplies I need to make it thru the long winter ahead and get back home.





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First contest entry got an Honorable Mention

Category: My Crafty Side | Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:46 pm

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Between January 1986 and January 2003, I was an avid quiltmaker. If I could remember all the quilts I had made, ranging in sizes from 40 inch square wall hangings to kingsize bed quilts, I could probably come up with around 200.

This is the first wall hanging I made as a contest entry. The fabric maker, P & B Textiles, produced a series of fabrics with wildflower prints and several coordinating tone on tone prints and solids.

Back in the 1960's when Lyndon Johnson was the US president, his wife Ladybird started a program to get states to sow wildflower seeds along their highways. I don't know about other states, but Texas highways are absolutely gorgeous in the spring because of it.
So it just seemed obvious that my entry for this contest should be a pattern some times called The Lone Star (it has a few other names in other areas)
The four stars at the corners have also been called The Lone Star by quilters over the last 200 years.
By the way, Texas is the Lone Star State because our state flag has one large white star on a blue field down the left side of the flag, the right side being divided into to horizontal rectangles - the top is white and the bottom one is red.

Anyway, the wall hanging is titled "Thank You Ladybird Johnson"

I submitted a picture and it was selected for the final judging. It won an Honorable Mention and spent that next year traveling with the other winners to quilt shows around the country.





Last edited: Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:51 pm

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Rainy Day Reading Place

Category: Puttering Around The House | Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 3:46 pm

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After the crash incident last year and the rebuilding of this room, I wanted a comfy chair of some sort to be used for napping or reading in private. The Futon in the livingroom is the right size for that room but is not comfy for napping and definitely not when it comes to spending a rainy day reading.

We found this chaise lounge at a thrift store last spring, perfect size and very comfortable. It is pink and I do not like pink...but being a really pale pink in a pretty small area between my computer desk and the wall of bookcase it helps make the space feel more cozy than a dark color or print would have done.

Anyway, to the point here. Yesterday we received about 3 and 1/2 hours of steady rain, totalling almost 1.25 inches in the really large rain gauge out back. After the rain ended, it was still overcast and beautiful outside.
So I was finally able to spend the day sitting and reading and ocassionally looking out the window in front of me to see the rain. I tried to take a picture of that too but forgot to put the card in the camera so the picture is in the camera memory and I don't know how to get it on the computer from there.
Will have Randy help me tonight.

I have a small round table on the other side of the chaise with a stack of books, a small vase with stems of rosemary that were in bloom and room for a nice glass of wine or cup of coffee.





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This week in the garden

Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 4:10 pm

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Got a Mexican Heather in the ground this morning. Also moved the white Autumn Sage from the planter box out front where it was not getting enough sun to the back garden. Divided the Liatris and replanted on the other side of the headboards, I had expanded that area earlier this week too.

There is a new Nanho Blue Butterfly bush where the Liatris used to be. And a Guara "Ballerina Rose Whirling Butterflies" not far from the wheelbarrow.
Also got 34 Daffodil bulbs in the expanded bed in front display of my Dad's birds.

Sorry to say I had better not buy any more plants, at least until spring. There are several things that have to be moved, especially from around the Oak tree that has been growing like a weed this year inspite of the drought. I want to get them moved before there is a chance of damaging the tree roots. The two Mealy Sage, Texas Betony, Blue&Black Salvia and a Coreopsis will need new homes this spring. By the time I get those moved around, there won't be room for new ones..............until I get a couple of new beds made :) And the Rosemary is now reaching 4 feet tall and wide, I need to trim it.

Now I need to get started on dividing/moving my precious Iris, moving the lilies to a sunnier spot and digging up the Cannas/dividing and giving some away/and replanting them.

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Have fork will expand

Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:48 pm

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Whether it's a dessert fork and half a chocolate cake or a garden fork and untilled land, expansion is inevitable.

But in this case I am referring to the new garden fork I bought last week. A nice strong one.....Randy was with me and forced me (picture me holding out my arm so he can twist it and make me to buy it) to buy the good one, lifetime warranty and really nice. If I had been shopping alone, I would still be forkless because I wouldn't have spent that much money on it.

Along with the fork came the required new plants....4 small pots of Snapdragons, two pinky-purple and two dark wine red...a pot of burnt orange colored garden mums...and a Hyacinth bean vine which even tho it is an annual in most parts of the northern hemisphere can be a perennial here if the weather conditions are right....and 10 bags of cedar mulch, three of which are on the newest bed expansion you see.



The snaps are in front of the wheelbarrow, the garden mum is in the "witchy" planter to the left and the vine is planted way in the back hopefully to climb the purple "fence" trellis.

I started expanding over on the far side of the bed but found an ant bed, sprinkled some power on them and will get back to it when they are gone.

Worked on expanding the bed at the back of the house where that holder of my Dad's birds is, but the sun came out, I started smelling something burning, figured it was me since I can't stay in the sun for very long and left that one for a cloudy day.

So I moved and started on the expansion to take place on the other side of the headboards and was just way too sore and tired to do any more. Will get back to that part tomorrow.





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The more rain we get, the more garden plans I come up with

Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:46 am

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It started just before 5:30 a.m. this morning, Sunday, Sept. 17th. Thunder that rattled the windows a couple of times, a few lightning flashes and rain...beautiful, wet, heavy rain. When I got up there was almost an inch in the really large rain gauge out back.

Today is my second favorite kind of day. Heavy overcast all day and several really good soaker rains. It ended just about 6:30 p.m. leaving 1.5 inches on my yard. We met Lisa,Kenny and the boys at The Flying Fish for Kenny's birthday supper and I let him know that only someone important could get me to leave the house on a precious rainy day.

Tomorrow will be too wet to work out back, that's okay since I broke the handle on my garden fork last Friday and have to buy another one before I can start working on the expansion plans I have been thinking about.

The rainy day gave me the time to get my gardening notebook caught up. I know, I tend to get a little carried away with organizing things sometimes, but this way when I have a question about the care and feeding of one of my plants I can go to the notebook. I started it last year when I began planning on applying for National Wildlife Federation certification.
I have printed out info sheets on all the plants I have out back, except the annuals that won't last the winter and will print new ones for the herbs and annuals I actually buy next spring. And I have info sheets on plants I hope to get next year. I have them in the notebook by yard sections, even have some different types of gardens in the planning stages for next year.
For instance, around the wishing well I will build next spring, I am going to have plants/flowers that correspond with the birth month of close family members. There will be honeysuckle climbing on the well for June (Lisa and Amanda), Larkspur in blue for July (Randy and grandson Nicky), Red Carnations (or dianthus if necessary) for January (Randy's Dad), Daffodils for March (Randy's Mom), Rain Lily's for April (Me), Daisies for May (my Mom), Asters (Texas (Fall) Asters)for Sept (Kenny) and a Dwarf Burford Holly for December (oldest grandson Austin).

I started printing out pictures of plants for the secret garden and the herb garden and the new garden out front. Even printed out info sheets on plants I want but have no idea where I would put them.

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New life out there and it's not even Spring

Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:32 pm

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I have been stopping at the various garden centers lately to see what they have on sale. I have gotten 8 perennials that are still in good shape and were 50% off. Since our first freeze normally doesn't happen before mid-November, they have plenty of time to establish themselves and have a head start come next spring. This week I have brought home two Blanket Flowers, a Plumbago, two Lipstick Autumn Sages, a Scabiosa, a Mandevilla and a Hyssop. Last week it was four chrysanthemums whose buds are still so tightly closed I do not know their color, 4 petunias, three Lavenders and three Sweet Potato Vines.

I was getting the newest 8 perennials in the ground this morning and noticed that the Fig tree is setting fruit again. I was looking forward to having figs for jam and maybe extra for drying but didn't think there would be a chance of it happening in Sept or October since the tree was under such stress this summer, it lost all it's fruit before it had a chance to ripen.

One of my early spring posts included pictures of the maroon colored glads that started life as a bag of 10 for $1.00 at Dollar General. This morning I was digging them up so I could move them to the back fence later and just lost track of how many bulbs were there. Some were smaller than a piece of aquarium gravel, there were several dozen about the size of a sweet pea and the sizes went up from there to 2"-3" across. I know I didn't find them all because when I planted the Blanket Flower plants in that spot I kept finding more of the teeny-tiny ones. It will be interesting to see if they come up next spring. I still have the patch of pastel colored Glads to dig up tomorrow too.

The wheelbarrow (now planter), held Thyme, Petunias and a Phlox this spring and early summer. All of that died and has given the Purslane a chance to come back yet again and it is covered in buds. The wheelbarrow was filled with it three years ago and it just keeps coming back.

Tomorrow I will be digging up the Iris bulbs. I am thinking of moving them to the space in front of the rose bushes. Dividing them should give me plenty for a couple of nice full rows. The Fig tree is taking over their home and I can't see several of them when they bloom.

I do not yet see buds on the dwarf Hollyhocks, but the new growth has just about taken over that bed again.



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But on the bright side of this past week.....

Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:03 pm

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I have been able to do some cleaning up in the flower beds, pulling up the dead plants- not perennials, just some vegies and herbs that didn't make it thru August.

Found out that the Sweet Autumn Clematis I have had out back for 3 years will finally be blooming this autumn, it is covered with tiny buds. Really looking forward to that.

Pulled up the dead zinnias and daiseys I had left to go to seed. There are several new zinnias coming up and there is a really long, tangled Cypress Vine in that bed too. It is now climbing up one of the ladders I painted last spring. I never realized that Cypress Vine seeds were so prolific, haven't had one sucessfully flower out there in two years but the seeds from that last blooming plant still come up in unexpected places all summer long.

One of my Basil plants is coming back now that the weather has changed.

I also did some plant relocating out there. One Lavender was getting too much water where it was so I potted it until next spring. Found a small Snapdragon under the Lemon Balm so it is now potted until spring too.

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