peace

gift project

Here is the beginning of a gift I am working on. It is from this book, which I picked up at the library sale two weeks ago. I'm using two yarns - a red cotton with a silver metallic thread running through it and a homespun singles wool. It is much sparklier than in the photo.

There are disadvantages to using such a lively singles. It has a lot of energy and I keep having to untangle it. However, that makes the repeating stitch more interesting, even if it does slow me down.

See the little bit of white fluff at the top? That is a bit of angora fur that managed to sneak in somehow. Gotta love those bunnies.

The rain was wonderful this morning. I sat out on the back porch crocheting and listening for a half hour. A dove was cooing, the rain was misting down steady and sweet, running into the rain barrel and plunking off the porch roof into a plastic bucket. We have been in drought for so long, I feel as thirsty for the sight and sounds of rain as the plants must.

Tornados and Fay

Woke before the sun this morning. Guess I was slept out. Last night went to bed early, even missed Hillary's speech. I'm sure I was fatigued due to all the tornado excitement of yesterday. Buddy, Kamath and I hid out in the downstairs bathroom for half an hour as the local weather was broadcasting to "take cover".

A tornado actually touched down in Clemson. As far as I know, no one was hurt, but a lot of trees were downed and it did some damage to an athletic field and knocked a lot of power out. I hear there are trees down again this morning. Many of the trees around here are weakened by the years of drought and when the soil gets soft, they just can't take it anymore.

The rain barrel worked well, although we just kept the valve open and let the rain run out into the garden via the hose. Today I will close the valve and maybe we will get enough rain this morning to save up another barrel.

Scary afternoon, but on the up side we did get lots of much needed rain. Perhaps that will take us out of the extreme drought category. Hope, hope.

I feel for everyone who has suffered so much damage and flooding due to Fay. But the silver lining in these clouds, for us anyway, was some critical rain.

Girl Scout Uniform 1923

This is the two-piece version. There is also a one piece, looks very similar.

Scouting for Girls 1923

Garland for a City

Bubba

Bubba posing on the piano as the precursor of Halloween 08.

Christmas Apple

To discourage squirrel and birds, I hit upon the plan of draping the apple tree with yarn. Seems to work as squirrels are afraid of snakes. Ha!

Well, this morning Bubba jumped up on the Butcher Block for breakfast and broke a coffee cup of mine. It had a loon on it and said Minnesota. I was contemplating giving it to Melissa since her son is going to be moving there. Wonder if there is some karmic lesson in that?

It was windy out this morning so it had the illusion of being cooler anyway. The air was fresher than it has been for a month or so, so I opened a window upstairs and turned on the attic fan to pull some of the fresh stuff from the coast in. Thanks to Fay. Although we could really use rain, hope, hope. It reminded me of that morning I woke up in Carmel when I was with Greg and Cristin and Sarah Grace. Same feel. Different smell, tho.

I persuaded Brian to help me "yarn" the apple tree. It does seem to be keeping the squirrels away. Looks a bit Christmassey, I think what with the green balls of the apples. Maybe the origin of Christmas trees....not.

Found a good sized green pepper in the garden along with the usual tomatoes and okra. Think I will make kasha for dinner. With an Indian okra side dish.

Have enjoyed being able to electronically chat with Cristin this morning. Wonderful technology, to enable that. Got a facebook friend invite from a friend who used to live up the street, but has moved to Ohio. Miss her being around although I don't correspond with her as much as I should. Just get in a rut of housework and gardening.


Well, onward and upward. The dehydrator needs attention. Maybe I'll finish that mitten today.

Thurs, August 21, 2008

Well, it looks as though Fay is going to give us a miss. This morning in the garden was nicer than usual due to a little cloud/fog cover and a breeze. Thanks Fay. Now for some rain. Hint, hint.

Tomatoes are still producing nicely. Think I will crank up the dehydrator again today. Apples juicy and still green and tart the way I like them. Brian is waiting for them to get more goldeny delicious.

Okra is doing what okra does. Keeping up a steady production as long as I keep it picked. Finally, finally there are some peppers. Had an egg with okra and peppers for bkfst this morning.

Saw the wild brown bunny in the garden yesterday and B saw him/her near the magnolia. Think that must be the hidey hole as I have seen Wild Bun run in under the low branches there myself.

Working on my second knitted angora mitten. When I get both finished I will post a picture on my blog. They should be good and warm for someone this winter.

Am sick of my own cooking these days. Maybe we will go out tonight, or I will just fix steak and some boxed scalloped potatoes.

Got a letter from Melissa yesterday. She sounds very sad. Is having trouble with her teeth - implants falling out. Can't think why they don't just pull her remaining molars and give her bridges. She has had trouble with her teeth for years.

Well, the sun in shinning. I'm going to spin up what I brushed from Pinky (formerly Angel) and then cut up tomatoes and apples for the dehydrator. After that it is clean kitchen and do laundry.

I have been avoiding the garage, hoping that if any yellow jackets were alive after being stomped inside B's shirt they would die or find their way out.

But since complaints have been made about a lack of underthings, I must enter the (possibly) danger zone today.

Oh, the hazards of keeping a house and garden! LOL

Make it a good day.

young buns

It is hard to take pictures of bunnies, as they sense you want them to stand still. Being the personality plus beings they are, they see the camera and think, "oh, move quick, she might capture our soul."

Today I am tired from not sleeping well and getting up very early. As in while it was still black early. But I can't seem to nap, so will trog, I mean, blog on.

Have gotten things accomplished in the last 2 days, although it doesn't feel like it. Dug the lavender plants i bought in by the drive before the rain and planted asiatic lillies while it was raining. I know it is the wrong month to plant bulbs, but since these are left over from spring, I figured I'd take my chances in the ground rather than drying out in the bags.

I should have taken a pic of the bulb bags spread out all around my computer chair as I pondered what to plant when and what to give whom. But it was a bit overwhelming and I have cleaned them up.

B said there were spiders in his motel room last night and a fridge that churped like a cricket. I bet he didn't get much more sleep than I did.

Managed to get two shelves of tomatoes in the dryer and one of apples. I think they multiply in the kitchen overnight. Maybe that is why I was having trouble with sleep. Too much multiplying. LOL.

Got enough field peas for a mess for dinner, not that I haven't been eating bits for a while. Got a handful of okra too. It is like tomatoes. Once it starts producing, you had better keep up with it. The green beans are on pause because of the heat last week, but if it stays this cool, I'm sure they will start up again.

The seeds I planted in the tray thingy are already up and enjoying the light on the front porch. I have others to thin and transplant. Never ends, this trying to grow your own food.

I am really grateful for yesterday's rain. There is a slim chance of a thunderstorm this afternoon. May that slim chance grow fat with water and thunder and park itself directly over my house.

There is some water in the rain barrel from yesterday and I will release that to the garden tomorrow if we don't get rain today.

Life goes on whether I am sleepy or not.

8/8/08

Nearing the end of sunflower summer. I won't miss the heat, at least for a while, but I'm always sad when the fresh tomatoes run out. May they last until Christmas.

Greyboy/Smoke

Should sell this guy, but he is soooo cute!

another view of squirrel

squirrel eating sunflower seeds

grrrrr

another view

aug 1

August 1 arrangement with new curtains in background and lavender and recently finished centerpiece also. Granny Grace's teapot on left.

homegrown lavender for cooking

new kitchen curtians

Handmade. Not bad for a $3.00 yard sale fabric find.