Looking for Inspiration?

Sometimes it's just fun to see what others are making. Check out this blog tour. Day one showcased some new-to-me designers and beautiful original blocks. This is day two and links to blogs in the industry are filling my head and sketchbook with all sorts of ideas.

Let them inspire you too! [Click on the picture to go to their site OR click HERE.]

Oh yeah...did I mention they are giving away prizes every day?

Random Thoughts about NOTHING

Caffine. Hate to admit it but I'm addicted. I nag my other half about drinking Coke with all the caffine and high fructose corn syrup. It's not so much the high fructose that scares me - it's the potential GMO corn ingredient. Plus, can four cans of any kind of soda a day be good for you? 
Yet I drink coffee.  I drink sweet tea with processed sugar... the kind of tea you only drink before 5 p.m. or you'll be awake until 2 a.m. Hot non-herbal tea when we dine out. Cola from time to time when I need the sugar; Pepsi if I'm lucky. Yes. There is a difference in taste. I prefer Pepsi. It has nothing to do with them sponsoring Jeff Gordon. (Have you seen this funny video?)

NPRs "The Salt" has an entire week dedicated to coffee. Check it out here .

*****

The neighbors on two sides mowed their lawns. Guess they thought that since the borough mowed it was time to have at it. You can imagine what it looks like after being cold enough to frost for three days in a row. Meanwhile, those of us who waited to mow are seeing lush green and hoping the rain stops before it needs bailed.

*****

Why is it that the cats always lay on my freshly made bed? Is it the cotton sheet tossed over the spread so their hair doesn't get on the bedding? Cats sure do make nice foot warmers! Not as nice as Corn Bags though.

 *****

Hope you have a great week. Here's a song to get your heart pumping: Manic Monday

Sunday Morning Walking

This is the day. 

This is the day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

 How many of you remember singing that catchy little tune in Sunday School?


Fortune smiled upon us the day this small home became available. Despite the high volume of foot traffic, most mornings find us thankful that the local rails-to-trails project is so close by. Early morning is the absolute best time to be out and about. The only sounds around are the tchik of Red-winged Blackbirds, Chickadee (chick-a-dee-dee-dee or fee-bee), the 'scrunch' of gravel and sand beneath our feet and the tinkling stream meandering alongside the path.



More photos of yesterdays hike below. May your day be filled with family, friends and blessings!

p.s. (On the "grand experiment": Today is the first day that the absence of TV was felt. On Sundays past the sounds of CBS Sunday Morning echoed from the walls. Ninety minutes of current events, biography, good (or bad) deeds and insightful, opinionated commentary. A short digest of a rather wide range of topics. Put together by a group of Marketing personnel to capture as wide an audience as possible and thereby retain their market share and six-figure salaries. Ack! Too cynical for a pretty Sunday morning.... All that to say I miss watching the program. The first time in a week that I've actually missed having TV. Comforting to know "this too shall pass".)

Spring Walk; Spring Flowers

This has just been the best day! We were on our way out the door when my love called to say he was taking a break from splitting wood. He popped over for a couple hours - just to say hello. A card from Mom, my love saying hello and a gorgeous day for a hike. Life doesn't get much better than that!

Pictured here is Coltsfoot getting ready to go to seed. This clump is in the direct sun and therefore a bit further along in the maturation process. When Coltsfoot go to seed they closely resemble Dandelions - a bit more graceful perhaps. You can always tell them apart by looking at the stem. The stem of the Coltsfoot has leaves all the way to the flower head.

This dainty little grass has a pretty yellow flower. Absolutely no idea what name it answers to. Pretty none-the-less. You'll have to look very closely at your surroundings to see this little plant. Below is a picture of my fingers behind it to give you a sense of scale. Let's just say that one finger section equals one inch. Tiny, tiny.

Sometimes looking around while tying your shoe sometimes pays off.

I am so grateful that my Grandfather taught me to notice the leaves of plants and remember them. This my friends is wild columbine that's just broken through the leaf mulch. In another week or so it'll have a nice bright reddish orange flower. Will start checking every few days so as not to miss that. Haven't seen any Wild Columbine since moving South in 2000. It's good to be home.

Skunk cabbage. Isn't it neat how the leaves are being held together by a fallen leaf? This plant is only about ten inches tall - they grow much bigger. I'll take another photo when the flowers emerge. Again - another week or so.

This is a May Apple. Highly poisonous. It grows about a foot tall and the leaves spread out flat like an umbrella over the blossom. The blossom is yellow and looks 'waxy'. I'll have to check in a few days 'cause this plant doesn't bloom very long.

Grandfather always called this 'trout leaf'. It's really called Trout Lily - guess 'cause the leaves are spotted like a brown trout.

This is one you'll have to expand to see clearly. I'm guessing the weed in the water is water cress, but that's really a wild guess. I didn't want to get too close (it was pretty far off the path). I thought the way the sun played off the stagnant whatever-it-is on top off that muddy bottom was really pretty. In a 'Spawn' kind of way.

That's all for now. Took 76 pictures. Will sift through and find the best to post tomorrow.

Sweet dreams y'all.

A Closer Look

What a perfect day to be out and about! Sunshine, birdsong, a gentle breeze. A few people about, but not enough to break up the show Mother Nature is putting on.

At first glance you may be thinking "Why in the world would you take a picture of something like that?" Especially if you expand it to full size. Look at the peeling bark on these trees. Wild. They're obviously dying. Not quite sure why.

This is what you see when you look a little closer. Doesn't it make you think of an elephant with his trunk raised and mouth open? Or am I watching too many Disney flicks? Regardless - the patterning made by the peeling bark and weathering is so cool. I can just imagine a downy woodpecker inside. Am thinking it's a bit too close to the trail for that. Too much foot traffic. Not too much for the ol' imagination though!

Will soon be sharing some photos from our lunchtime stroll. In the meantime, have you told someone you love them today? Now would be a good time.

Springing into Saturday

We rose before the sun this morning to a frosty lawn and the hope of another glorious Spring day. Stopped at the PO to drop off the DirecTV receivers. This lovely card made by MOM was waiting in the POB.  It says They say "This too shall pass". They just never say WHEN. On the inside: Hang In There. Mom is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator - just one of her many creative talents.

The card was such a nice surprise that I decided to pay it forward and take Bandit for a longer than normal morning walk.Went to one of the side roads off Drowny Road. Found this heart shaped rock just laying in the middle of the path. Kept it as a memento. Guess I'm picking up Bandit's rock hound habit.



Lots of new growth out there. Trillium's are budding, buttercup leaves galore and a few remaining spring beauties. Plus one plant I didn't recognize. The camera was at home (along with ID, cash, bottle of water, whistle, compass -- DUH!). Will be taking all with us later this afternoon and post some wildflower shots.

Have some Red-Breasted Grosbeaks at the feeder. Keep trying to get a good photo of them, but they're fast.

Friday Foolishness - April 26, 2013

Are you ready for the weekend? Am hoping one or more of these puts a smile on your face.

This picture was downloaded from Life With Dogs on Facebook. Things like this are one of the reasons I have a Facebook account.

For some odd reason, poop has always made our family laugh. This image is from Dump A Day. 

For Ally Cat 'cause I know she loves her Winston.
Source: The Meta Picture.

Ironically enough, this image came from Evercats.

This last image is located on Ebaum's World.

Y'all have a great weekend!

HIKING

I'm your basic day-hiker. I prefer easy meandering hikes that aren't too difficult. A little bit of up and down is fine, but truth be told the scenery and wildlife matters more than the exercise. Sometimes it's just nice to get outdoors and commune with nature. I'm working on hiking links for this local area and will add more to it as time goes along. In the meantime I hope you enjoy what I've posted on my HIKING page so far.

Now get out there and enjoy your day!

Review: Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns

Barbara Brackman is to be commended for her work in the compilation of this encyclopedia. What a daunting task she took on when creating this work begun before the Personal Computers were common and affordable.

The 552 page book contains over 4,000 block patterns. Twenty-five different pattern categories group the blocks together. Simplest blocks in the category are shown at the section beginning followed by those of increasing complexity. Instruction is provided for how to locate any specific block.

The table of contents is indexed by category, type of block, major seam division each category having its own "Key". Two indexes round out this major work: an alphabetical Pattern Name Index and a Pattern Category Index. Resource references are noted for those wanting more information.

I could (and have) spend hours leafing through this book. Looking at the visual block representations. Reading all the different names for the same block. Comparing differences in blocks with the same name. Imagining what kind of overall pattern can be created by combining different blocks.

I highly recommend this book for your personal quilting library. Think of it as inspiration at your fingertips.

Thankful Thoughts - April 23, 2013

This morning started out quite brisk. Frost had painted the grass white and the blades arched under the weight of the frigid water. In the predawn hours the birds were squawking and tweeting their morning welcomes from branches barely budding with new growth. Year long residents of those same branches followed our movements with keen interest as they waited for the magical feeder to re-appear on its hook.



A few days ago two Northern Flickers were worm hunting with the Robins in the front lawn. Purple house finches have joined the group at the feeder which includes Juncos, Black-Capped Chickadees, Sparrows, Tufted Titmice, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Goldfinches and the ever-present-and-just-getting-fatter Mourning Doves. The Blue Jays seem to have found other feeding grounds.

I took the day off. I mean - I've been unemployed for a little over a year now. Usually I'm driving myself crazy trying to find work. There are a couple dozen sites I look at every week. Trolling for work. Plus I research. Plus I try to work on at least one craft per day (usually more). Write at least one post for this blog.

Today I went for a few walks. Talked to my daughter. Leafed through some quilting books -- for fun. Played with the dog. And looked around me. On April 23rd (today) it is 70 degrees outside.WOW. Spring has really arrived.

Tonight when I took down the magic birdfeeder and locked it in the shed (there's a local bear) I was barefoot. In April. In Pennsylvania. The birds did a re-peat of their morning performance. Bandit and I watched them from the warm side of the screen door long enough for me to see a bird gliding into one of the Arborvitae border that are lined up like sentinals guarding the neighboring property. The sun faded from rose to purple to deep blue twilight.

This morning I was thankful for my Carhartt jacket. Tonight I'm thankful for ears to hear and eyes to see all the bounty around me. It must be fun to be a bird and glide through the air.

Can you see anything beautiful near you? Enjoy your evening.

Current Live-Ins Part Two: Bandit

There's two stories that explain how Bandit got his name. The first explanation is that he stole my heart. Which he did, but it's not the whole truth.

Bandit was born May 16, 2012 on a farm owned by Mennonites just outside Lake Keuka, NY. His sire's name is Mailo 1; mother's official name: Twin Oaks Queen. A full-blood, AKC registered German Shepherd with decent bloodlines. We met August first.


I had been searching for a German Shepherd to purchase after the loss of Bear-the-Wonder-Dog, a nine year old Border Collie/Flat Coat Retriever mix. I was inconsolable. I had lost my job in March and was having trouble finding gainful employment. Also coming out of a rough Winter and suffering from seasonal depression. The loss of Bear was more than I could bear. No pun intended.

The SPCA was the first stop in said search. They had a full-grown male who walked well on a leash and seemed to be somewhat trained. That dog's history is what stopped me from taking him home. His former owner had beaten him unconscious with a baseball bat and he had a bit of brain damage. While my heart went out to the dog, we just didn't 'click'. Fears of him turning and biting one of the granddaughters solidified my decision to walk away. You just never know how an abused animal will react (that dog has since found his 'forever home').

I looked locally and actually 'met' a different German Shepherd named "Thunder". He seemed like a nice enough dog. Good size. Raised with small children and other pets. At ten months Thunder exhibited little signs of training. I moved on.

Searching the Internet provided several potential breeders. Most in the Philadelphia area. Gee whiz. Sure didn't want to drive five hours to an unfamiliar city to pick up a puppy. Then a miracle. An advertisement for puppies only a couple hours away in a familiar area: New York wine country. The finger lakes.

I spoke with the owner and made arrangements to see the puppies. Printed out directions to the farm and set out bright and early the next day. What a day it was. Cloudless blue sky. Very little traffic. Smooth road once the major highway was reached. Good classic rock station on the radio. Zoom, zoom, zoom.

A little over two hours later I was pulling into the drive of a huge farmhouse. Sitting in the laps of two sweet young girls were the pups. One was black with a small white blaze on its chest. One was black and tan. I watched the pups for a while and played with them in the yard. They were your normal, bouncy dogs. Both sweet. Met the momma dog with the classic saddle markings - very Rin Tin Tin.

I chose the black and tan pup because the black pup reminded me too much of Bear. He was also the runt of the litter. Quite a bit smaller than his brother and sister.

On the way home we stopped a couple times for potty breaks. As expected, the puppy puked all over the blankets laid across the back seat. Once back in PA he seemed happy enough. I was prepared to care for him. I didn't expect to fall in love with him. To be honest it wasn't love at first sight. Puppies can be a pain at first. Housebreaking. Training. Cleaning up puke and urine and poop. Getting up in the middle of the night to take him outside. There's a lot of work involved. It took time for us to understand each other.

Who could ever resist a sweet little face like this? Or the sweet, silly personality that goes with it?

Little by little he won my heart.

Now I don't know what I'd do without him.

His name? How did he get his name?

Take a good look at the first photo in this post. Notice the car? A black and gold 1994 TransAm? Classic car. Immaculate. That was the car my love loaned me to drive to Lake Keuka. Now think of the movie "Smokey and the Bandit". I don't smoke, but we sure did see a lot of 'Smokey Bears' on the drive home. Naming him Bandit only seemed natural.

Here's a couple more pictures of Bandit. He's grown a lot over the past eight months. Still cute as a button!

Quick Mug Rug Project

The other day I decided switch gears away from quilting but hadn't decided on a project. After looking at some of my daughter's stump work and crazy quilt embroidery, I decided to work on some needle painting.

I went to Trish Burr's website and downloaded the free pattern for a pansy (really beautiful). Gathered my supplies and started embroidering.

Hours later I had completed the stem and part of the leaf, but wasn't very pleased with the results. Needless to say that project is 'on hold'.

Today while doing laundry (Monday is the traditional wash day in this household) I noticed how worn my potholders are getting. Knowing I have high loft batting and fabric galore, I decided to make a few.

But what pattern to use? I didn't want it to be too labor intensive, yet it needed to be pretty. I looked through my pattern books and decided on a hex block -- a pattern I've always wanted to try, but looked like way too much work for a big quilt.

The Encyclopedia of Classic Quilt Patterns had a template (which I modified).

Here are the little sixes all cut out. They're about an inch on each side. I tried to do a little "fussy" cutting to make the design more interesting when finished. Discovered that my small scissors did a better job of cutting the pieces than the large ones. No strip piecing here!

After hand sewing the hexes together, the batting and backing had to be cut to size. It was at this point that I realized the finished block would be way too small for a potholder. I could have added more hexagons to make it bigger, but couldn't decide on which fabric would work. Too much thinking for a Monday.

Here it is finished. It's the perfect size for a rug mug!






NOTE: This project took a lot longer than anticipated. Several hours actually. To make it go quicker next time I'll machine piece them instead of hand sewing. The Mug Rug is an inexpensive gifting project.

Less Traveled Hiking Paths

I grew up in an area now referred to as "The Wilds" -- surrounded by Pennsylvania State Parks. Patterson State Park, Cherry Springs State Park, Leonard Harrison State Park and Kettle Creek State Park to name a few. According to The Pennsylvania Wilds it's "a two million acre landscape composed of twelve distinct and beautiful counties, each with its own unique heritage, character, charm and outdoor adventure."





I also grew up poor. But gas was cheap back then. Lots of lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer would find the family piled in the car with the windows down. Driving around some back road to see where it came out. Circling around to find the best spot to see the sun rise or set or 'how many hills can we count from this vista?'. Followed by a visit to the Tastee Freeze for a small cone before heading back home.

Once home we'd sit on the front porch. Grown-ups in the chairs. Kids staggered on the stairs and stretched out on the porch. Watching the sun set over the hill. Listening to the birds sing their "thank you for another day" songs as they bedded down for the night. Pink sky fading to deep blue and then to black. Then the tree- and bull-frogs would come out to serenade us with their orchestra. Unless they felt a vibration or heard a noise. Then there would be silence. Only to start again moments later - tentatively at first. Growing louder until you could hear them echo off the surrounding hills. Feeling the evening breeze caress our skin as it carries the light scent of  old-fashioned Sweet Pea flowers that Gran had trained into a lush foundation planting. Knowing that all was right with the world. Enjoying the moment of being safe and secure and content in the world.

Being poor taught us to enjoy the simple things in life. Like moon rises. Like corny jokes.

With memories like this it should come as no surprise to find that I'm a nature lover. (Ya. I agree - abrupt transition, but it brought you back around to reality, eh?) With the exception of the dead of Winter, Bandit and I are usually out and about: Exploring.

I still live in the Pennsylvania Wilds -- just a different county than the one I grew up in. Here there are so many developed hiking trails it's a wonder anyone is overweight. There are also miles of unused dirt roads built by the oil and gas industry. Here are a few pictures from our last exploration of one such road in LaFayette Township.