Saturday Snooze

Yesterday I planted my tomato plants.  All six of them.  I think they look lonely.

Will I harvest any tomatoes before it freezes?  I hope so!  I'm hungry for a tomato sandwich.   Ken is spending time camping doing what he really enjoys---

Napping!  There's a husband under that blanket somewhere.    Tonight we'll grill burgers--Ken LOVES burgers.   Baked a hot milk sponge cake and the grocery store had wonderful strawberries on special.  A quiet weekend camping for Father's Day.   I wanted to sew, but I might wake him, so I'll read blogs instead.  I'm almost caught up with my google reader!  

Do you have plans for Father's Day??

Auction Treasures

Ken and I met at an auction earlier this week.  There was a lot of "stuff".   Ken scored a $2 wooden stepladder.   Several tables with household items.  I love old dishes.  Pie pans.  Bowls.    I waited 3 hours for these--

A Pyrex nesting bowl set in primary colors.   Of course, several other bidders had waited along with me!   This set was in very good condition, no scratches and the color hadn't worn anywhere.   You often find individual bowls, in the years of use one or more of the set gets broken.   Yes, I had the last bid and they will go on my shelf of "precious treasures".   Sometimes its not the value of the item, but the memory that makes these things precious.  My mother and grandmother never had a set of these--but I know they would have loved them.  

Do you collect anything??

Where's Mr. Rogers??

Its a beautiful day and the ditty "its a beautiful day in the neighborhood" is running through my head.  Sunshine, a breeze and about 75F.  The windows are open and the birds are singing.  

The extra water here on the Missouri River keeps everyone busy.   A short conference over a water problem was held in the office.

Blake, Diane and Katie studying the problem

Can you guess what the topic was?  Maybe another pic---

Katie chasing Thelma with Diane supervising

Cleaning the fish tank!  Thelma, Louise, and Tetsu haven't been put  in the pond yet, they spent the winter in a tank in the office.  

Blake--isn't he cute???!!

Blake did the heavy lifting!

The day was very busy after that--but I did catch a photo of Kristie from the National Park Service doing a program on Invasive Plants.   

Yesterday while I was sitting at the table on the phone with Henrietta, I saw this out my window---

Sorry the picture isn't very clear, I shot it between the window blinds through the window.  Must have been some tasty leaves--A whitetail doe stood on her hind legs munching away for quite a while. 

And Linda asked for a new Dam picture.  

I shot this while walking across the parking lot.  It may not look it--but that's a lot of water.  145,000 cfs (cubic feet per second).  I looked up a few figures yesterday--Hoover Dam was releasing 18,000 cfs.  Niagara Falls averages 100,000 cfs.   

Today I will run into town and see if I can find some tomato plants and maybe a few flowers for the volunteers campground.  I know the nurseries are picked over, but the weather hasn't been cooperating.  It rained early this morning a bit, and in watching the weather over noon I see Ken at home may get 2 inches today!    I know the lawn will be getting very green and growing, and Ken will be cussing the fertilizer we applied a few weeks ago.  

I am thinking of sewing this afternoon--but the weather is SO BEAUTIFUL I may just play in the dirt and read a book.  What do you have planned?  

 

Strange Weather

Strange weather for South Dakota (or Nebraska).  Its raining and chilly enough at the camper I have the heat on.  56F outside.   Last year I missed the peonies blooming, so I picked a bouquet and took them along.  They smell heavenly and brighten my mood. 

Ken said the local garden man came and tilled my garden.   I will pick up some tomato plants and plant them the next time I go home, with a little luck (and no hail) we will have tomatoes to eat fresh.  Will plant a few cucumbers for eating, and maybe a hill or two of pumpkins.  It may be too late for the pumpkins--not enough growing season left--but I will try. 

No sewing at the moment, those totes are still in the car and I don't feel like getting wet!  What's happening at your house??

Garden/Flowers

This has NOT been the year for a garden or flowers.  After two very hot windy days, it is cool enough you need a jacket.  My garden isn't tilled.  I've planted no flowers.  Today I will put in a few flower seeds--some Morning Glories and Moonflowers to climb the deck.   I might plant a few tomatoes in my the garden.   It will be "survival of the fittest" sort of garden!  The perennials  around my house were dry and I spent yesterday giving them a soaking.  Sounds strange with how wet its been, but there are large overhangs from my roof, and the gutters direct the water away from the house.   But one clematis is blooming--its a hardy one that must like where it's planted--

I think this is a Nelly Moser--the blossoms are as big as my hand.   The peonies and columbines are blooming--but are pretty ragged after two days of wind/heat.  

Busy Weekend

Its been a busy weekend.  Laura Beth was here to attend a baby shower, and Mason and Nick came along.  Mason is still fascinated by a camera--he took pictures with grandma's help.  

Laura Beth wearing a Target sack

Nick covering up with blanket

 I don't think his parents were quite ready for portraits!

And then grandma showed him how to take a self portrait---

Mason took LOTS of pictures--of the ceiling, the floor--I think the phrase--"point and shoot" describes his style.   


I did manage a few shots--

 

 

The weekend went by too quickly.   


I planned to work on my blue/white blocks after they left.  But the new blue and white fabrics were left in the camper--again!  I decided to make sample blocks with some scraps---

 
The blocks are to be blue and white--and a star pattern.   The first one is okay, I think the color values are not like the pattern.  And the second block is nice--but there are a gadzillion pieces.  59?  60?  Whew!  They both squared up nicely--perfect 12.5".  

Today Ken is planting beans.  This picture is for Lee---

I head back to Yankton tomorrow.  If anyone has seen South Dakota in the news--I volunteer above a Corps of Engineers dam.   The dams will not "break".  I personally am high above the river.   


No goals--its going to be busy.  I hope for odd bits of time to sew.  


What's it like at your house??  Are you sewing?  Vacationing?  

I've Tried!

I've always said Ruby is "my" dog.  I picked her out as a puppy.   I fill the food dish, talk to her, and pet her lovingly.   But she's not "my" dog.  Traitor!   Ruby came with Ken to the camper on Friday.  Oh, she loves to travel!  The vehicles have hair and "Ruby Snoozles" on the passenger windows.  She's eager to come inside and immediately stakes out a spot under the table.  Until she sees Ken packing his bag.  Then she does this----

She finds Ken's shoes and lays on them.   She knows he has to put them on to leave, and she doesn't want him to leave without her.  Does she ever guard my shoes?  Never!   And she does this if she thinks he's going to leave---

She sits with her nose under his elbow.   Does she even like me?  Oh yes, I'm second best, but she's well mannered and good natured.  When Ken left she begged him with her eyes, (all you border collie people know exactly what I mean) she didn't bark or fuss when he left.   She just laid down and stared at the door for a while.  Hoping he was just running errrands and was coming back.   She stayed with me because she has an appointment at the groomer today--she'll be all "frou-frou" pretty this afternoon.  

Thursday--Beautiful Weather

The weather was absolutely perfect today.  Mid 70's, sunshine and gentle breezes.  I had the camper door and windows open and I actually SEWED a little.  Here is my progress.

 

One block.  Quit laughing!!  Well, I said it was a beautiful day!!  I spent a lot of time organizing and enjoying the weather.  I had forgotten all my new blue fabrics and the white and WOW backgrounds at the camper when I went home last week.  No sewing at home!  Today I sorted thru them and made this block.  Among my UFO's I counted 21 blue/white Jacob's ladder blocks from either a swap or I won them in a block lotto A LONG time ago.  30 will make a nice setting, so I will make 9 more.  

Yesterday I ran errands in Yankton.  Now this is in my camper----

There isn't a good, reliable option for internet at my camper so I decided to try MiFi.  Setup was fairly simple, although I did have to call customer service for help.  Honest, I didn't know most "Key" numbers are all capital letters!  But it's up and running, and I'm curious how it will perform.  


How did I spend last week?  I took my dad shopping for new shoes.  I caught up on some cooking---putting some small meals in the freezer for "later".  Ken and I made a platform for below my camper steps.  And, we survived one of those times guaranteed to test a marriage.  We put together a treadmill.  Ken supplied the muscle, I read the directions.  I must have looked terrible by the end, Ken hugged me and gave me a kiss.  Yeah, I needed it.  I just wish the pictures looked like the parts that came out of the box.   We saved $150 doing it ourselves.  $1,000 would have made me feel better!   Sorry honey--I should have hugged and kissed you too, you were trying to follow my directions all the while.  I tried the treadmill and everything seems to work.  Amazing.  


Tomorrow should be another nice day, but then its going to cool off for almost a week.  I've had the heat on every night, and most days at the camper.  Unseasonably cold weather for South Dakota.  While home I did catch up on my Google Reader.  Next weekend Laura Beth, Nick, and Mason will be at our house.  I don't think much sewing will happen, I volunteer a lot before that.   That's OK, summer is short!

I Used the Oven

Baked a casserole.   Do you know how loud a smoke alarm can be?  Luckily it was nice weather and I could open the windows. 

Monday Check In

Summer is slowly arriving.  It has rained off and on--but now the weather is clearing.  Hopefully I will be able to turn my heat off in the camper.  

Sewing--well, I've thought about it!  Moved my totes around.  Used my seam ripper to remove the hem on a pair of pants.   Does that count??  

I volunteer early in the week, and then will head home to help Ken with farming.   He SAYS he just needs help moving equipment from field to field.  And lunch.  

Weekly Goals--

1. Applique on Cherry Tree blocks
2. Plan Blue/White swap blocks
3. Sew on a UFO 

Yes, the same goals as last week.  

I have been experimenting with my gas oven at the camper.  Last night made a small pan of peanut butter bars.  A bit overdone, I need to bring my oven thermometer to check the temperature.   Tonight I will try baking a casserole.  

Monday Checking In

Today is more like spring.  76F, windy, and possible thunderstorms later on.   It was so cold one night last week my water hose froze!  Spring has been so late, we probably will jump right into summer. 

There wasn't much sewing last week.  A few pieces sewn on my Cherry Tree blocks.   

Goals---

1. Applique on Cherry Tree blocks
2. Plan Blue/White swap blocks
3. Sew on a UFO

Ken is waiting for fertilizer, so farm work is the usually "hurry up and wait".  

Mother's Day Ken and I drove to Sioux Falls, ate lunch, did a bit of shopping.  I stash enhanced--10 yards worth.  

The piece on the left is a green print.  The others are blues or lights/blues.  I will use them in my blue/white swap blocks.  I found some blue/white Jacob's ladder UFO blocks.  There aren't enough to make a quilt (I won them in a block lotto, I think) so I can use the blues to make a few more. 

10 yards in this week
24.75 yards In YTD
10.25 yards Out YTD
Stash Increased by 14.5 yards

A sample block---

I'm not sure about this block.  It's OK, just a bit "blah".   I have a few more star patterns I can try.