That should have been my word for this year -- and probably every year. I seem to be behind all the time and nothing ever gets caught up.
I have no pictures for this post -- I left my camera full of pictures of our grandsons at my daughter's on Wednesday. I thought I could use my old one, but the battery had run down for lack of use and is now getting charged. And hopefully, Steph will bring my camera with the pictures tomorrow to Steve's as we celebrate Steve & Kim's 11th anniversary, Father's Day and my birthday.
What I've been up to: doesn't seem like much, but I've been busy. I did finish 7 or 8 small quilts/wall hangings and gave them to Steph for her garage sale. I quilted 4 lap quilts for a friend as gifts for graduates, I have a quilt on the frame ready to be quilted and it was on the list today, but I don't know if I'll get any of it done or not.
Today I made potato salad and baked a loaf of bread for tomorrow. I swept the front porch because it is absolutely beautiful outside and I needed some fresh air. I even pulled a few weeds. I need to spend a few days outside pulling a lot more, but the weather hasn't been cooperative at all. (I'm grateful we aren't under water. Bill's brother & sister-in-law live in Cedar Falls, IA -- they're okay but the whole downtown is flooded.) I did pick a colander full of strawberries this afternoon -- and that's about the 4th batch we've picked so far. Love the taste of home grown sweet strawberries. We've been eating home grown asparagus most every day also.
Once again I've started walking on the treadmill (and may get some outside walks in as well) -- I'm trying to establish a good habit to counteract the hours spent sitting at the computer and/or sewing machine. I made an appointment with a new doctor today -- I'm so fed up with my regular family practitioner I was not looking forward to going back to him. I did make an appointment with him and then found this new one and canceled the appointment with the old one. (He had gotten so arrogant as to be not patient-oriented). I'm already impressed with the new office staff -- they told me ahead of time to fast because they will be doing blood tests that same day I'll be seeing her. The old office could not possibly plan that far ahead and had to reschedule lab work for a different day (even when I fasted and was prepared for blood work). One more thing that I simplified.
I'm paring down my to-do lists and trying to take some extra time for myself this summer. I make myself crazy sometimes with wanting to do too much and then feeling the pressure I put on myself to finish ufo's or do something I really don't need or want to. The quilt tops that are stacked waiting to be quilted will wait. If I feel like starting a new quilt, why not! If the "spring/summer/fall" cleaning doesn't get done -- so what. Shorten the list and simplify! I'd rather spend my time enjoying my husband and kids and grandkids. I've turned off the tv and have been reading every night the past few weeks -- it feels great to pick up a book and actually finish it. It feels great to start another one right after that.
We have a pair of phoebes nesting on the thermometer on the back porch. It is directly across from the kitchen sink, so we keep an eye on them all the time. They seem to understand we won't bother them -- they keep an eye on us too! I love to see their babies -- when they first start leaving the nest they look like they have crewcuts -- their feathers on top of their heads stand straight up! We still have eggs right now, so it'll be awhile though.
We also have some happy wrens nesting in various birdhouses Bill has put around. One birdhouse is a log cabin and the wrens moved right in this year. We also have a pair of bluebirds -- their house is down by the road, but they come up to the trees in front of the house every afternoon. And of course we have robins -- two pairs have nests on the overlapping logs on either side of the front of the house.
And we have a single, solitary deer roaming the woods here. She/he is young -- not fawn spotted, but not much older, and seems to have lost its mother. She/he walked across the front yard toward the back at dinner time two days ago. Yesterday I spotted him across the road walking along the edge of the woods and today Bill spotted him walking through our woods.
Simplicity -- I'm enjoying the slower pace of summer and all of nature this year.
This piece is a panel that Kris, the hostess with the mostest gave me as a challenge. I have 3 fabrics that will go with the 3 colors and I think I'll cut the bottom flag out and border with 3 borders. Kind of boring, so haven't decided for sure. Don't have a clue what to do with the top flag yet either.
Today I worked on the guild's newsletter and then got to play with the Five and Dime quilt. I hope to get the borders on it this week - maybe even tomorrow afternoon. I'd like to get one of the flag quilts finished this week too. I like to decorate with patriotic quilts, which I have already hung all through the house, but I really need a new one and would like to finish it before the 4th.
