Saturday, June 2, 2012

Iris Garden visit

Today we went to the Iris Garden and flower show at Keizer.  The garden under blue skies looked like a rainbow exploded.  This Iris  may be the beginning of a new quilt....wish I could remember the name.

I have no clue how this is going to post on the board, in fact I think it will be magic if it comes out right side up.

Rosey, the Cottonwood is the state tree of Kansas, the fuzzy stuff that blows around our neighborhood is the seed from the female tree...so we just have too many ladies in the neighborhood.  They can grow to be very large.





              

Cottonwoods are blooming

and we have to keep the garage door closed to prevent drifts of fluff which we have to vaccum.  Half of the people I meet sneeze before saying hello.

School is almost out so the household is busy taking kids to do last minute things, planning summer camps, summer work schedules, etc etc etc.  Our area has had a number of contract negotiations with threats of strikes during the  last month, so there has been some tension about whether or not the school year is finished or will finish.  Everything is settled and we hope next year will only have budget problems.  Several of the activities the grands are involved in will be raising money to continue this fall.  I know water polo isn't critical to education but my GD loves it, so that will be my focus.

I'm looking for a big table to baste a queen sized quilt for hand quilting.  It wouldn't be hard if I thought I could finish the project in a day, but I know that I'm not likely to be comfortable sitting in a chair for 8 hours or more so the top  sits in a box all marked and pressed while I make some more tops for charity quilts.

Jane, I thought long and hard about coming to the NC show, but I think I have just about enough energy to do the one day at Sisters, providing the forecast isn't for 95 plus temps on the Saturday of the show.  Anyone else planning to go?



Thursday, May 31, 2012

Here's a post from Mary from the yahoo group that she asked me to post: Thanks, Jill

Would someone who can post on the original page please tell Rosey I wish I could post on that page, it still won't let me. But tell her, I do read it often. I have a feeling most of the others have the same problem. I wish it were easier to post, I just can't figure out what to do.
Jean, you and Roger have been in my prayers. I am so thankful that you have given Gucci the wonderful life she has had. This is why DH won't let me have a dog anymore. He says their lifespan isn't nearly long enough, we get too attached to them. He's right, but the love they give us while they're here is worth it to me.
Mary in KS

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

This amused me...

I KNOW that this isn't a "joke " page but I have just received  an email from my DD, containing "one-liners" Some of them are very funny , this one appealed to me. I hope it gives you all a chuckle too.

" I was at a cash pint yesterday when a little old lady asked if I could check her balance...so I pushed her over."


Marion (running for cover)

Storm passed over

We are safe here, no trees on the house or other problems.  Were without power for only 4 or so hours on Monday afternoon.  At our house we had about 5" of rain.  Some parts of town had 2-3, other 10 or more.  Near Amelia Isl. several large oak trees downed power lines and they have been without power for 3 days.
Monday evening about 5 we drove back to the beach to check on damage--thankfully none.  We were worried about the wind blowing the rain under the sliding glass door.  DH had bought a door brace to put in the track, so it didn't open or leak.  There was just a bit of dampness on the towel I had placed below a west facing window.  It's old and the seal isn't tight.
So, we are back to "normal".  I haven't seen my Mom since Friday, so will go today.  The bridge across the river is one of those very high ones, and didn't want to drive in the wind and rain with the SUV.  I had been putting off oil change, tire check for several months, and the dashboard lights finally bugged me, so between the squalls yesterday I took both SUV and DH's truck in.  I had a nail in each of the rear tires!  Goodness, no wonder the lights were on.
DOG advice--anyone use the Potty Patch or something like that?  The dogs don't want to go out in the rain and wind, I have to drag them down the street to "go" between rain bands.  I thought if it was by the back door, or just outside the door under the overhang it might work.  How do you train them to go there?
Our guild is in charge of the quilt show this Sept. in town.  We are making paper palm trees for the food area, to be on the 60 tables.  So, each person is asked to make 2 or 3.  Using the cardboard inside of a paper towel roll, cover with brown fabric, make green leaves, hot glue, etc.  The model was cute, don't know if mine will be a good.
Time to hit the day and pay for Mom's first month in the nursing home.
PS-to Laura in Ala. thanks for the head's up about getting ready for a storm.  Although I was out of a lot of things had stocked up on dog food.  Peanut Butter & jelly, etc.  Will have to do more stocking up this week.
Paper towels, TP,paper plates, bottled water and gator-ade or sports drink.  Put together a bag of work clothes for outside clean up. etc.
Sara in Fla.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Thank you Rosey, for posting that beautiful photograph. Jon Katz does us all a favour by letting us have access to his photos. He catches very special moments  and he has a great eye for colour.

I have a funeral to go to again this week.  It's quite sobering isn't it ?  We all know that we get older every day but to contemplate the fact that we are drawing closer to the end of our time here, is quite another thing !!

The news of the DGS with the collapsed lung is all O.K.  Seems that it isn't a rare occurrence in tall, thin adolescents. He is back at school and, seemingly, none the worse for the experience !.


Loved the photos of the beach too.  We are only twenty minutes away from the coast but we rarely go .  It's a great place to go to walk and think. Usually there is nobody else around.


DH had a rush of blood to the head on Monday and decided that he was going to " clear out the garage..."... I had cartons of food (tinned) there, ready for the next emergency. (remember the Bird ' flu scare ?)  Out they went (to the food bank) Evidently we are not due to experience "an emergency" in the near future.?!?.. I hope he's right !!  I got my own back then, by emptying the cupboard with his "work clothes" in and asking him to only put back the clothes which still fit him (most of them didn't for the very reason that when he was "working" he was considerably slimmer !!  ) Now he has a tidy garage and I have a tidy cupboard and we are both happy..!!!.....little things....


Time to get dinner.
Marion.

Alligators are not my 'thing'...



Another of Jon Katz's marvellous photography, I could not bear to look at that alligator any longer. We'll push it to the bottom of the page and eventually it will run off the page. This is much nicer to look at don't you think?


The rain storm that was predicted amounted to nothing more than a f*rt in a windstorm...dribbles of rain fell but a cool front came in just after it relieving us of the humidity that we've been experiencing.


The night before last I woke up for my potty break in the middle of the night and without my eyeglasses on saw huge bright lights coming towards the bathroom window. We have very tall spruce trees in front of this section of the house and while I knew it was not so, for all the world these flashing lights looked like the headlights of a small aircraft shining through the branches of the evergreen tree. On closer inspection, I found the source of the bright, flashing lights.....fireflies. The last time I saw them was on Siesta Key many years ago. The flashes were almost blinding, they were so bright. Small pleasures amount to big things. I felt privileged to be part of this vision.


We're at an age when our friends are slipping away and this morning a call from a longtime and dear friend came with the news that her husband had died. I remember when they were courting, all those many years ago. A routine shoulder operation gone awry, he never recovered from what had been a scheduled three hour operation which ended up being six hours long. The anesthetic played havoc with his body. Life becomes more precious the older we get and the cycle repeats itself. Talking to my son today, they are busy with their teenagers, as Marion's grandchildren are...one in football; another in competitive dancing, the little one, swimming lessons and traveling here and there attending to the kids activities. I remember when this was my life, too. I know why, too, God gives children to younger parents.

Rosey

Sunday, May 27, 2012

3 ft. alligator found in Brampton, Ontario

Brampton is a city about 3/4's of an hour n/w of Toronto. This photo was taken off the internet and taken by a neighbour. One of the articles from the newspaper:

"An alligator first spotted roaming in a Brampton neighbourhood has found a new home.The six pound reptile is now in the care of the Indian River Reptile Zoo, east of Peterborough.Assistant curator Kyle O'Grady says the alligator was discovered sunning itself in a Brampton backyard on Tuesday.He says the reptile was originally a pet, but the city has a ban on residents keeping exotic animals in their homes.He says the reptile has posed no problems so far, but if it were to bite anyone, the victim would need stitches"

Sometimes things come out funny in articles...the last part of the above sentence struck a humorous note...might need stitches if the alligator didn't eat you right up..!!


Laura, when I see pictures like those you've posted, I long for Siesta Key and Sarasota where we vacationed for years. The beautiful blue sky, white sandy beaches...how lucky you are to be so close in driving distance. And Marion, not a minor earthquake at all. When you wonder will it all end? I'd be tempted to collect the family and move up to Scotland to be near family there. And Sara, I hope you get the rain expected with the storm with the drought you've had down there in Florida.


I was wondering what my other friends in their early 70's might be doing as I shoveled coyote scat which Annie zeroed in on and gleefully rolled in just before we drove out to the glider club for a pot luck supper last night. Needless to say the windows were all open in the car going out.


Rosey

Tropical storm Beryl

Good Sunday evening to all.  We had a long holiday weekend planned for Jacksonville Beach, but are now back home.   At tropical storm is upon us, and is making landfall exactly where our beach condo is.  We left there about 4:30 PM, and the gusty and rain bands were already starting.  We don't have a good track record with condos and tropical systems.  In 2004 or 05, I forget when we bought the place in Daytona Beach just before Hurricane Charlie hit. 
It was interesting to see the life guards take the heavy wooden life guard stands onto a flatbed trailer to remove them from the beach.  Even the surfers were not out as the ocean was like the inside of a washing machine, just churning.
Thankful that it isn't our full time home, and that it is "only" a tropical storm.  Winds under 65mph.  Our city is full of bridges, the interstate bridges, the large and smaller bridges over the intercoastal and St. John's river, and when the winds get up to sustained 40mph the state closes them for safety.
So tomorrow I will stay home and hopefully quilt.  Read a fluff book.
BEARS-there is one wandering around in and out of some suburban areas, thankfully not too near me.
We took the outside potted plants and chairs into the garage this evening, and hope that no tree limbs fall.  On a bright note--this area of Florida has been under a drought, so that will be over in about 24 - 36 hours.
JANE-do you own a handgun?  And no, I'm not thinking about the bears.
If we have power in the next 24 or so hours I'll post again about the storm. 
Sara in stormy Fla.

Animals

Alligators in Canada! good grief...We've had some coyote issues locally, but other than that the wildlife here is pretty small. Deer are always a danger going to school in the early mornings, but thank goodness we don't have too many predators threatening our pets. Here are a couple of pictures from my day trip to the beach last week.
They were flying the yellow flag (moderately high surf, caution) and the purple flag (dangerous sea life) while I was there. I think I saw one jellyfish, so I guess that was the dangerous sea life. The waves were definitely higher than I am used to seeing. The birds were unusually cooperative this trip.
I've been off from school for a week, and have accomplished nothing but a visit with my parents. I hope to get a little more done this week and in the upcoming weeks, because I was crazy enough to accept a part in the church dinner theater, which will go into production after school starts. I hope to have everything possible completed before school starts. Take care! Laura in Alabama

I'll try again....

I had started a post when I must have touched something I shouldn't have...  The machine made an interesting noise and the page disappeared..  Has it posted itself ? I've no idea..

I had been commenting on the wild (and I do mean wild..) animals around... Jane with a bear running around her property at night and Rosey with alligators and coyotes to deal with ?!   Earthquakes seem very tame by comparison ! (we had a 5.2 shake on Thursday)  Keep safe ladies. I don't think I would be very happy with a bear the other side of the door.  I hope the problem of the honey will be addressed soon.  Of more concern is the thought of crims tracking you down Jane.  You do live on the edge !!!

All is well on our patch.  The winter weather shows signs of arriving , we've had a few frosts but they are usually followed by clear, sunny days. We don't usually light the fire before four in the afternoon. The sun keeps the house warm until then.  I seem to have spent a lot of time racking leaves, We do enjoy the trees but they do produce an enormous amount of leaves.  Some will go on the bonfire and others in a sack for springtime mulch.
My  early spring bulbs are up already so the transition from one season to the other is very gentle.

Had a quick call from DD#1 in Scotland, to say that her 16yr old son had been taken to hospital with a collapsed  lung.  No more details so I am wondering what on earth could cause that and is it serious ?.  Hoping for more information soon.  DGS in Auckland (12) broke his arm playing Rugby last week .. I suppose that's how it goes !

Will finish before it all disappears again.  Have a good week.
Marion.