Hammock time!!!

It's MUCH too hot as I write to go outside and lay in the hammock, but I have been lucky enough to find a few hours of Hammock time this summer.  It is glorious- one of the most self indulgent things I do in the summer!  For any who don't know, my house sits in what used to be a cornfield.  I waited a LONG time to have a shady place to set  it up.  It's only a few short feet away from my front door, but when I'm out there, I feel like I'm on vacation!

Watching the Poplar leaves rustle in the breeze

The leaves make a soothing sound as they dance in the breezes we enjoy out here in the boonies.  It's kind of hypnotic, very relaxing!!!

Home Sweet Home

Looking toward the garden that needs so much attention

I couldn't get closer to them.  All four eggs have survived!

The mockingbird babies are growing quickly and will soon leave the nest, thank goodness.  The parents are quite aggressive in guarding them and have been chasing me right out of the gardens, even around the corner from where the nest is!!!

Daddy taking off to dive bomb me!

We had our meeting of the Art C Girlz at Lori's rental cottage on Silver Lake.   Those of us who had finished our "book page" challenge piece shared them. That was what I could not show last post.  So here it is for you now.
I had bits left over after I trimmed the patchwork, so I made a second smaller piece.  I call the small one "view from the Interstate"
The challenge was to take a portion of a picture and blow it up, then use the basic shapes in the picture to create a small quilt for a book page.  (We use old upholstery samples since they already had the grommets!)

Hard to see the part I used- it's the curved bridge way in the background!

My picture is one I took as we drove out to Portland, Oregon last July.  I think this was near Akron, Ohio.  The visual texture of the urban landscape appealed to me.  I had a blast making this piece and am thinking to do it again on a larger scale.








The green tip of the week- since I have been doing this myself to keep my flowers alive in this extended period of hot dry weather- is to save the water from doing dishes, or take a bucket in the shower with you to catch the run off.  Use this water in the gardens.  It conserves water, and the soap can actually keep pests away!


I am grateful for:
The summer TV season has finally started on the cable networks.  (LOVE "Wilfred"!)
Iced tea made the way my Grandmother made it.
Cool summer salads.
My Zinnias and the one Angels Trumpet blooming in spite of the weather.
The luxury of a nap in the hammock!

What a difference!

Just a few short weeks ago, I was saying how wet the back flower bed was and that I wished the rain would let up for a few days so I could work out there.  Now, it's so dry I need a jack hammer to work out there!  No such thing as a happy medium, I guess.

So, in spite of the fact that I have to watch for wilted flowers like these,  I also have volunteers like the snapdragon above!  I'm saving water from dishes  and showers to water the flowers with. (I have never had to worry about my well going dry and I don't intend to test it!)







I had a relaxing holiday weekend last week.  I worked outside in the mornings when it was cool, doing my best to keep up with the weeds, who are not bothered by the lack of moisture.  Then I spent as long as I could in the sewing room, which gets very stuffy in the afternoons.  I'll show what  I made soon- it's kind of a surprise for the "Art C Girlz".

I am also addicted to the flowers from the book I showed last time.  Here are a few more.  At some point I'll figure out what to do with them!  I hope to make a bouquet of them for my desk at work.












We're still "enjoying" visits from our natural neighbors.

This guy came for a breakfast of grubs or beetles I guess- he rooted around out there for about an hour!

This time it's Mockingbirds nested in the Magnolia tree right off the front porch!

I'm happy to say the nicotiana is doing well- and matches most of my summer wardrobe!

I couldn't resist buying this lettuce at the farmer's market!  Isn't it gorgeous???










I decided to add a "green tip" of the week.  Nothing you haven't heard before, but we all need reminders of the basics now and then, right?  This week I'm reminding you to buy the largest size possible at the store.  If you use small portions, split a large package of product into small reusable containers when you get it home.  Less packaging means less materials and energy to produce, less to throw away and less cost to you in the long run!

I am grateful for:
Quiet time in the garden and the sewing room.
Visits with my sons both far and near.
Friends who understand and support you when you need it.
My bursitis subsided without having to get a shot!
Doing "nothing" with my hubby!