Over on Facebook, a friend I met as a customer at the market, "challenged" me to post a nature photo for seven days. One photo a day...I cannot remember the last time I took only one photo a day! That said, over here on my blog I can post as many as I want and I will continue to do so until such time as either my eyes go bad, or my finger will no longer push the button!! Alas, let's begin with a nature photo shall we?
Is that not the most gorgeous color you have ever seen?? Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, however, when I saw pots of this at Publix, labeled azaleas by the way, I could not resist. Turns out there is obviously a scientific name, but for our purposes, it is called a Rozalea. I purchased it nearly two weeks ago and the blooms are still coming! From what I've read, the blooms can last for up to a month!
So, there is that, and here is our Mama Cardinal sitting on her nest. In all the years that I've been photographing birds, by golly, this is the first time I've been able to see the pupil!
Should you care to see it for yourself, and assuming the image is too small, you can always click on any of the photos and they will become larger. But you probably knew that already, didn't you? Returning from my bicycle ride this morning I wanted to check in on her. While doing so the fellows who were working on the street drain called out saying, take our picture! And so I did. Mike and Keith for the curious amongst you.
This is not the first time that someone calls out to have their picture taken and I suspect it won't be the last but it is kind of curious, don't you think? Nonetheless, they look happy doing a dirty job so that's a good thing. I showed them the nest and asked that they might be careful. I dare say they were pretty excited seeing her.
Nearly a year and a half later, I finally did something about my bicycle basket. The basket is good, don't get me wrong, but my manner of carrying my camera was not. I have been entirely too cavalier about putting a camera, that costs nearly as much as my new sewing machine, into a metal basket. Metal against metal is a no-no. Here's what I'd been using to cushion it.
Yup, a red Christmas kitchen towel that on most days bunched up just as you see it. The glove held my keys that also were not good for my camera. Of course there's some water, a coin purse, and a scarf given to me by Jonathan and Alissa from their honeymoon in Japan. I am so bummed because the other glove has gone missing! Anyway, I finally decided to do something about it yesterday morning. Well, actually it took me hour,s but I did begin in the morning....
Some quilt making woman of the past, and I'm not being sexist here, mostly woman made quilts, however there is a growing movement of men who do so. See this YouTube video channel for more!
Oops, lost my train of thought on that sentence. Okay, so they used whatever they had, making up patterns as their fabric dictated., thus the name patchwork. One of my least favorite parts of quilt making is the MATH involved, meaning I generally have cut too many pieces for whatever project I'm working on. With that in mind, I went to the box that held my red and blue fabrics from one of the quilts I made earlier this year. Fabric in hand, now what? Turning to Bruce he said he would make a pattern, but in lieu of that, here's how you should go about it. Using his advice, I began by just putting pieces together willy-nilly. I used one long piece for the bottom and ends, and two side pieces. Giving little thought to it, I came up with these.
The cover to my old machine on the floor to the right of the table was used as inspiration for the construction. If only Bruce were home all day, I've no doubt it would have gone a little faster! Alas he was not.
Once the fabric was made, using the term loosely, I wondered what I could use for backing before quilting the project. Aha...
For Christmas I'd made a table runner for Matt's in-laws that I was not in the least satisfied with, however, in a stroke of luck, I had not thrown it away. Perfect!! Once I cut it up it was pretty much the same size. Deciding it didn't really matter how it turned out because I'm the only one who will notice it, I tried my hand at free motion quilting with limited success. Still it was fun enough, and everyone has to start somewhere.
It was much more difficult and time consuming to put it together. I won't bore you with all the details, but I will say I had to cover both the outside and the inside seams with bias tape. As well, I used some old rick rack of Bruce's Mom for covering the bottom seams. Now I can have Judy along for my rides! Here is how it all turned out.
Using it this morning, I was pleased to be using the ties on the upper sides, (not shown) for my keys. Not as pleased with some movement of the front of it from the wind, which I'll have to think about. Better yet, I'll ask Bruce for a solution!!
In other sightings on my bicycle rides, it made me happy to see this in someone's front yard.
From my vantage point, it looks like a Nine Patch to me. I like to imagine children out in the yard playing, a sight rarely seen anymore by your roving reporter. In what seems like a very recent phenomenon, what do you think of this kind of yard sign?
I'm very okay with a little bit of bragging about your kids to your family and friends, but to complete strangers? Weird.
So, today is my darling's 63rd birthday. He's working, of course. In fact, the interior designer of his project is in town for a plan review with the architects of the upcoming project in Plano. The day very well might go long. The other day I said to him how the skin on my face is getting sort of saggy. Not denying it, he said to me, "when we were young, we never thought about getting older much." No, I don't guess we did. But, and I'm going to get all philosophical here, there is beauty in aging, you just have to look harder. I do so love that man.
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