It's been a long ten days since I was last here. We had a busy holiday and few days leading up to. Lots of family, food and (illegal) fireworks. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of the "three Fs." Once people arrive, I never remember to get my camera out -- just too much too do, cooking and playing.
So, there is a lot more brain dump than camera dump to this post.
I have been sewing a lot. I finished that baby boy quilt, but didn't want to post photos until I knew the recipient received it. And he did. He's such a cutie.
On my birthday, I decided that all my skirts needed a "cut" and I cut eight inches off all of them. They are now knee length and I feel a lot less dowdy. They are not short, by any stretch, but I think the length they were was fairly matronly. Since then I stitched another blouse for Faith, some cloth napkins, and added some pretty fabric to some hand towels for the half bath. I have fabric for two blouses for me, one more for Faith, some little drawstring bags to hold some little Folkmanis hand puppets for birthday gifts, and I want to try making covers for the Magnificat -- maybe something for the shop. I'm never short on projects. I also have seven scapulars to hand sew.
We had a big crowd for the Fourth. I cooked for two days preparing drinks, dinner, and desserts, and we had travelers from Maryland, Kentucky, and Cincinnati. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. We decorated more than we usually do for the Fourth, and the flower arrangement above was a sort of "test drive" for wedding arrangements. The blue color is from Water Gems -- cool, huh? As usual, Doug had a lot of fireworks, most of which were illegal in Ohio, but please don't tell the local police. Our new neighbors from California said they have hardly ever seen fireworks because there is usually a ban on them where they are from because of the fire hazard. And the girlies next door, the twins, saw their first fireworks right out in front of the house. They loved them!
Speaking of the girlies, one of the twins had open heart surgery today. I don't know what the name of the condition was, but the surgery was partly repairing a hole in her heart and partly something else. I went over at 5 this morning to stay with the other little one, as they had to be at the hospital at 6. Shortly after noon, I got news that the surgery was over and was a success. The doctors called it "textbook," so now we're praying for a textbook recovery, as well. I think I'll be in bed early tonight -- it's been a while since I got up at 5 a.m.
Before my brother Jeff left town for Maryland, he bought and delivered a new bike -- for me! I was stunned -- I can't remember when anyone gave me such a generous gift. He is a serious cyclist and I had asked him to look at a bike we got second hand from my in-laws last year. I wanted to have it fixed up so Faith and I could go riding. He went to a bike repair shop and found out many of the parts are not made anymore, and since I wanted wider tires on it, they would pretty much have to remake the bike. So, he bought me a new one. Today I bought a basket, and a helmet, so I am ready to go. I haven't ridden in more than 25 years, so I think I have a steep relearning curve ahead. But once I am back in the saddle, so to speak, I think it will be fun to get around on two wheels. Our small town has a lot of bike paths, so we should be able to travel quite a bit by bicycle.
I think that's quite a bit of excitement for the last ten days! At least it feels like I need a short vacation now. Or maybe just an early bedtime.
I'm exhausted from our week, too! Nothing to show for it, just lovely family memories. Love the bicycle--it is perfect! I want one like that, too!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see your Magnificat covers.
I hope you are feeling better.
Fortunately our brains hold on to those pictures almost as well as photos do, right Jennifer?
DeleteBiking together is so much fun and something we miss here. We did lots of biking in Georgia and in Illinois, and even more in Germany, but it's too dangerous here. Narrow, hilly, windy roads... drivers would never see us in time and there's no way to pull off the roads.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to make cloth napkins, too. Have you ever made just frayed-edge ones? I'm not sure how they'd hold up, but they are super easy. I might just try a couple and see!
My brother rides his bike on the bake roads of Maryland -- they are windy and hilly, too. He makes me really nervous. Once he had to go off the road and off the road was down a steep embankment. I think he messed up his shoulder (though he messed up his shoulder so many times I can't keep track). I am definitely a bike trail girl. Especially since Faith wants to ride -- no way we're going on streets. My brother rides fast and he said people on our bike trails were giving him dirty looks. Sad to ride the streets because people can't behave themselves.
DeleteI've never done frayed edges -- I just turn under the edge a quarter inch and then another quarter inch. I imagine if you stitched a line on each side for a "stop" the frayed edges would work fine. It might take the right fabric though -- a looser weave.
I enjoyed the photos and love your new bike! I just gave mine to our 14 year old son as an "in between" bike - a mountain hybrid that fits him perfectly. I no longer found it very comfortable but would like to find something for our rail-trail rides.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing the Magnificat covers!
This bike is rather heavy, which actually makes it pretty easy to ride, but I think I need a "grown up lady" seat. ;-)
DeleteI love the bike! There are lots of places to ride here, but getting up and down our hill has stopped me from testing out the trails. I used to ride all the time in Georgia. We lived on post and could bike just about everywhere we had to be.
ReplyDeleteI would like to make some cloth napkins. Are you repurposing or did you buy lovely new fabric? Ours are starting to fall apart from daily use.
Sadly, we had a friend give us a box of restaurant napkins - in dark green! - and they just won't die. I have no excuse to get or make fresh ones.
DeleteI had some fabric left from a project that never happened. I bought several pieces of a yard+1/4 to make pillowcases and then didn't. I can get four napkins from each.
DeleteI guess is should say that our napkin basket is a mixed bunch. On the rare occasion I go into a store that sells linens (Kohls or World Market are really the only ones I shop at) I always check the clearance section for stray napkins. If they are under $1.50, I take them. Maybe you can find some interesting napkins in Germany which will always remind you of your time there.
DeleteI like that idea about finding some here in Germany! And I did the same thing back in the states. We have quite a colorful collection of napkins!
DeleteLovely 'dump' of pictures! Your quilt is so cheery looking. Those flowers look pretty cool too. I hear you on the too-long skirts! Maybe you could make a quilt or something with all the cut-offs. And hooray for your spiffy new bike! It looks great! I recently got a new bike too - my husband had to pick something out of a gift catalog at work and the bicycle was the only desirable thing in there. I keep forgetting I have it though, as it's down in the cellar. I hadn't had a bike for decades either!
ReplyDelete