this and that

For someone that decided he didn't need any plants this year, I sure bought a lot of them.  I'm putting in a few veggies and herbs, hoping for a little more success than last year.  And a few flowers.  Mostly things in pots.  Yesterday,  I bought a bonsai.  Of course, I didn't think to take any pics, but I have a pic of these Amaryllis that went nuts this year.  

And, this very early iris.  I've had several things bloom really early this year.  None of the other iris or daylilies have put up a scape except Stella D'oro, which will likely bloom at the end of this week.  

The mock oranges are in bloom.  This is one of my favorite shrubs, but sadly it only blooms a couple weeks a year, so I spend 50 weeks a year looking forward to it.  

The Japanese emperor maple is having a great year.  We saw these in a nursery yesterday and plants this size were more than $300.  Mine was smaller and a lot less expensive, but it's grown into a beauty.  It came with a common pest that damaged the leaves.  I read about the pest and how to get rid of it and treated it last year, and this year, no damaged leaves.  It was the first time I'd used a pesticide other than a little Sevin dust in the 25 years I've gardened here.  

I also spent a lot of time sewing, but nothing got to a point for a photo.  That's definitely because I'm working on three quilts at one time.  On the anniversary quilt, I'm making the last 12 blocks.  Because of the haphazard way I've gone at the quilt, assembling in the order I wanted to so I could see results sooner, I got to the end and had to go back to the beginning and piece two arcs that were damaged early in the process and had to cut out those last two centers (which turned out to be 3 for some reason).  Things I knew I'd eventually have to go back and do, but they slowed progress.  And, there's all that pinning.  And, because my head is so into the precision of that quilt, I'm even pinning the leader/ender I'm working on too.  I'm pinning everything.  I even pinned a block to my shirt the other day.  

That might have been because I was pinning during a meeting.  

I got really frustrated last night.  I'd felt frustrated all day.  Everything I tried to do, I had to do something else first.  Something I should have done a while ago and knew I was going to have to do, but put off until I had to.  That is a familiar frustration and it means something I don't fully understand.  It's something related to clutter, probably clutter in my mind that I can't separate from the clutter in my life.  The anniversary of my Mom's death was last Friday.  I didn't know what to expect and took the day off.  I called my Dad.  I worked in the yard.  I sewed.  I sailed through it.  And, I'm pretty sure that yesterday was the reckoning of that.  It's my pattern.  Being aware yesterday meant I could make sure I wan't accidentally aiming that at my husband.  

I read an article the other day about trump's popularity and why he still has loyal supporters.  People love to watch the destruction of things they feel excluded from.  So, if they can't afford the Kennedy Center, burn it down.  If they're not on medicaid, burn it down.  If they're not collecting social security and have no hope of collecting it when they retire, burn it down.  If they can't afford to take vacations, then get rid of public spaces.  And, trump is doing that for them.  Burning everything down to create a nation of people that enjoy wrestling and racing and wife beating.  The bro lifestyle.  Beer and showing off.  Bellies and making fun of the handicapped. 

We're watching the end of law.  What trump likes is legal.  What he doesn't illegal.  If the federal govt won't prosecute you, one of these law firms that's toadying up to him will.  They don't need to win, just destroy people they take a dislike to.  There's plenty of ways to legally destroy someone's life without winning in court or deporting them to a gulag.  

I didn't mean to say last week that people that are carrying on don't hear the klaxon.  Just that I don't understand how they're carrying on.  I feel stuck.  Unable to move.  And yet, I carry on.  I am surprised by that every day.

Carry on.  That's all the encouragement I have for this week.  Carry on and survive and find joy in every day.  Because every day that we survive means there's a possibility for a better day in the future.  It's only when we give up that we're defeated.

Lane

Get moving

 I realized the other day that I've been sitting still, waiting for the end of the world and maybe it's not going to happen that way.  Or, based on the stock market's reaction to the lunacy, maybe it will.  But, either way, I need to keep us ready.  And, that means keeping up with doctor's appointments and having the warranty work done on the car and knocking out that project at work.  And, most importantly, I have to stop reading the news and get on living.  

But, I also have three quilts in the works for distraction.  And, it's working for me fine.  

We needed a little bit of an adventure this weekend, so on Saturday, we drove to the suburbs and had lunch in a cute little old-fashioned diner.  It feels weird to call something from the 80's old fashioned, but it is.  The colors, the menu, the smell of maple syrup and coffee.  Even though it was lunch, we both had breakfast.  I ate as much French toast with eggs and sausage as I could manage and still left a half a slice on the plate.  It was fun and kitschy and good food with a waitress that had been doing that a really long time and knew just how to handle every table and create a relaxed and fun atmosphere.  Then a quick trip to a Goodwill we don't visit often for some things we didn't need, didn't know we needed and/or probably could have done without...but Rob looked really good in that red and green plaid flannel shirt this weekend,  Reelly good.  

I had a bunch of wedding ring blocks that were nearly ready and I finished them on Saturday and laid the blocks out.  And, yes, I realize how dangerous it is to make a black anniversary quilt.  I think our relationship is strong enough to stand up to a little quilt lore.  

After that, I finished 12 more blocks, but when I went to lay them out, I had made an error on 6 of them.  Fortunately, if I make the corresponding error on another 6, it will negate my original error, and you know what a negated error is?  Not an error at all.  12 more blocks to go, but for them, I need additional wedges, and for additional wedges, I needed more joining squares, so I cut them and got started on that.  I've made significant progress, but there's all that pinning and pinning and pinning.  

You're wondering what my error was, right?  See how there's a convex curve on the left side and a concave curve on the right?  On two rows, those will be reversed...but since I'm going to add a wedge to all those concave curves and make them convex before I assemble the rows, you'll never even know.  

I was asked about the kit I bought at the Georgetown quilt show.  This is the picture.  I was fascinated.  The seller from thecottoncupboard.com (I have no affiliation) said her son picked the fabrics for this one.  They're all from a line by Seth Apter.  The prints are much too large and abstract for the small pieces, giving it this quilt a slightly insane look that I love.  

This is the first block.  They're a wonky 9 patch, made of what the pattern calls log cabin blocks, but they're not really.  When I made this block, I made the sections in tandem, but I found that it's easier to cut out all 8 blocks and make 8 of each section, then assemble them.  

This is the pattern.  How do people pick fabrics to make something that looks like this look like that?  That's part of the art of quilting that I missed out on...but I can draft a block like nobody's business and that's become a lost art.  

And, the third quilt is a little leader/ender.  Years ago, I was making a feathered star quilt.  When I'd do business travel, I'd go to quilt shops across whatever state I was in and gather 4-6 fat quarters and I'd do the same at quilt shows, then I'd make a feathered star block out of them to commemorate the event.  I was supposed to be able to remember where each fabric came from (hahahahahahahahha!)  That quilt is assembled and awaiting quilting but I still pick up little collections of fabrics at quilt shows and like to make a small one block quilt from them.  These are from the Georgetown Quilt and Stitchery show 2022 (I already made the quilt for 2023).  I ran out of white and had to add a fabric from my stash to fill in those last 8 squares.  Is okay.  I always seem to end up adding a little something.  I pick the fabrics, then I find the block.  I've already found the block for the 2021 quilt, too.  These are just a little bit of fun to commemorate a a good day.  

Yesterday, it was cold so I cooked instead of working in the yard.  From left to right, a frittata.  I make a frittata every Sunday and it feeds three men breakfast all week (me, Rob, and his co-worker).  Next is a chicken and pasta casserole that I can't wait to taste.  An original recipe.  There's a pan of cornbread above and to the right are a bowl of chili, because it was cold and Rob asked for it.  And a bowl of sloppy Joe.  We were in the store and saw this new sloppy Joe mix and even though it was unreasonably expensive for what it represented, it looked fun.  So, tonight we're having sloppy Joe, which I haven't made since Sydney lived here.  

This clematis bloomed.  This was in one of those boxes of tubers that you can get at a garden center.  There were two kinds in the box.  I found it at my Mom's last year, when she was passing and asked if I could have it.  I brought it home.  One was too far gone, but this one came up and last year, it put on roots and this year, it's leapt out of the pot and already put out a bloom.  I need to find it a permanent home in the ground.  

I don't have anything witty or clever to say about politics.  I watch the people in my life going on about their day, planning for the future, and I realize I have to move forward with them or risk getting left behind.  But, in my head, there's a klaxon sounding; run/hide, run/hide, run/hide.   I can barely move and all I want to do is be self-indulgent and eat all the cake and ice cream and Doritos I can get my hands on.  I am filled with barely suppressed anger and grief over the future I built for me and Rob.  And, I'm having trouble changing my ideas about what that future looks like so I can start preparing for that.  

be well!  

Lane

Going places

On Saturday, we went to a quilt show.  We met friends that don't quilt there and walked around the show and did a little shopping.  I bought a quilt kit because, as Rob so eloquently said, we are about to run out of fabric.  

Butt.

But, if it comes out right, it will be a very pretty quilt.  

This is a small show.  It benefits a business that sells people's handcrafted items and provides education, community, and services to seniors.  And, there are always beautiful quilts.  

This one was a fave.  The quilter took a class to learn multiple quilting patterns and then used a different one on each petal of the poinsettia flower.  

This circle quilt was all quilted in circles.  I love doing things like that.  

Wool applique on a black flannel background.  What a lot of work, but so beautiful.

Everybody was blown away by this one.  One of the first things our friends noticed that we explained was flying geese.  Then we saw a quilt that was paper pieced.  This quilt let me explain paper pieced flying geese.  What a lot of piecing.  

Yesterday, Syd and I went shopping together.  We don't do things like that often enough.  She needed clothes and clothes was what she got.  She fell in love with a little straight line skirt.  Would have looked great on her.  And, then I explained that she was going to need stockings and nice shoes with it...and it went back on the rack so fast, it was like a blur.  She was definitely in a girlie mood and bought several dresses and skirts, along with a couple pairs of mix and match pants and tops.  We didn't find the plain black slacks we were looking for.  And, we didn't find any shoes.  She desperately needs shoes but most stores don't carry her size.  (Girl got some big feet.)  We had fun.  We talked.  We had lunch.  

She may have picked dresses because she's looking for a better job.  I encouraged that.  This was always supposed to be a starter job.  She needs more people to teach her about life and work and what gets rewarded and what does not.  It is going to take a village and the school of hard knocks.  She's a good kid, as long as it doesn't take a lot of effort.  And we'll never have to worry about her finding the initiative to overthrow a government.  Whew!

It was good to get out and do some shopping.  I even picked up a couple things, some shirts and a pair of slacks and shorts to walk in.  Or maybe not.  They may be too short.  For $5 I wasn't going to try them on in Goodwill.  

I realized at book club the other night that I don't get out enough.  I've lost touch with the world.  I shopped Amazon and had it all delivered.  But, there's just something about being in a store with other shoppers, looking at the same things, wishing I'd seen that first.  But, by time we were done, I was pooped and just wanted to sit and watch some TV.  

Everybody have a great week!  Find something you love to do and/or someone you love to do it with and get at it!  It did my mood good and I'm ready to mix in with the world again.  A little bit anyway.  

Lane

No politics this week...I just can't be bothered.  I'm tired.  

All about the flowers

 I feel like we're at that point where we need to enjoy things like it's the last time, just in case, so that's what I'm doing with my garden.  Spending time in it.  Spending time working in it.  Watching the plants come up for no other reason than it's spring and they have to.  Trying to remember what I planted and where without the map.  Knowing I need to pull out the map and keep it updated with things I already put in this year.  

Pink Witch Hazel.  I don't remember this plant blooming this early in the year.  Several things feel like they're blooming a little off cycle.  But, I'm certainly enjoying it.  This used to be 8 feet tall, but then it just died for no reason I could figure out and came back from a branch nearer the ground.  Again, not minding that.  I guess sometimes everyone needs a fresh start.  

I took myself shopping one day and stopped by Lowe's and found some poppies on half price.  They were so sad, but I found two that still had several flower stalks on them.  They had too much soil in the pots, so when the store watered them, the water ran off.  The young woman that checked me out asked if they were on half price and said they should be.  I told her I'd bring them home and sing them a little song and they've be fine.  And, they are.  I've never had luck with poppies.  They say full sun, but they can't seem to handle that much, so I've put them in a mostly sun spot.  We'll see how they do.  

The spirea is in bloom.  This one came from my Aunt Jane's yard and has been here for almost 25 years.  When it's not in bloom, it's a green ball, but the weight of the flowers bends the branches and I never know what the shape will be.  I remember my Grandmother cutting these and putting them in a vase of water with a little bluing in it (if you don't know what bluing is, ask you mom) and I'd spend the whole day watching the flowers change color.  

The citrus trees are in bloom and the butterflies are loving them.  

We had people over weekend before last and they brought us flowers.  I have really enjoyed watching these huge lilies bloom.  There were several unopened in the bouquet and they've all opened to be about 7 inches in diameter.  This arrangement is about 10 days old and still going strong.  

Okay, I splurged and bought this peacock fern off the half price rack.  It was yellow on the outside, but there was a ton of healthy green growth underneath.  It didn't have a plant tag, so has taken me a couple days to figure out what kind of fern it is and how to care for it.  Now I know that the yellowing is from overwatering.  And, I can see why.  It was the opposite of those poppies and the soil was soggy.  This is from the day I bought it and it already looks better.  I'll keep trying to dry it out and I'm looking for the perfect bowl to put it in.  (Okay, maybe looking for a bowl is a little premature and I should see if it lives first.)

Most days, I feel like Dottie and just can't be bothered.  She goes to the vet for her one year checkup today.  She's the only pet I ever had the enjoys going to the vet's office.  We'll see if she changes her mind after today.  

Quick update on the double wedding ring quilt.  There's lots of pinning to make these.  Last week, I pinned during a couple of meetings I needed to listen to, but not be seen.  Then, I sewed for 45 minutes and ironed for 45 minutes and then sat down for more pinning.  I pin until I run out of pins (I have a lot of pins).  And, I'm making progress.  I need about 97 of these and have made about 60.  I meant to name this post 'just keep pinning, just keep pinning...'   

Just noticed this pic isn't very flattering.  I promise the seam lines are nice curves...the distortion is because of the way they're stacked.  

Bernie and AOC out there kicking ass and kissing babies.  Every day, I pray for their safety.  Even surrounded by armed protectors, there's got to be a level of fear involved in getting out there and speaking truth to power.  

Everybody have a great week!  I hope you're able to find some peace and a way to relax.  Something that reminds you of what normal used to be and makes your heart rate slow down and your jaw relax.  

Lane

Something else

I am sitting here, desperately trying to think of something to blog about that's not politics.  But jeez, donnie takes up all the energy and space.  He's so busy making a hateful noise that there's no air for other ideas.  

We had guests for drinks and apps on Saturday.  We found other things to talk about.  The garden, plants, the greenhouse, the food...I gotta brag that I was on point with the food...the dogs, the wind.  There's a wildfire not too near us, but the wind was so brutal that there was ash in the air floating like snow and a faint smell of wood smoke.  But, mostly we talked about donnie-do-wrong and what's happening in our country.  Their fears are a little more extreme than mine.  And, their preparation is a little more extreme.  

I think some of that is berause they're more active in the protest and we're more 'protect the home front'.  I don't know that either of us is more right than the other.  I know that I have to look for space between lil donnie's temper tantrums to find some peace.  Some distraction.  A little time for my heart rate and adrenaline level to come down a little.  Or I would go crazy.  And, not in a good way.  

Quilting, gardening, cleaning, cooking, watching a pair of cardinals play in the birdbath.  Whatever it takes to be calm and relax for a little bit.  

The orange and lemon trees are in bloom.  The bees be buzzin' all over.  They don't care what baby donnie does.  

And, this really big moth was going after them like a hummingbird.  Pollinate, baby, pollinate!

And, the violets are really starting to kick off.  

I bought an orchid on sale.  Not usually drawn to pink orchids, but this one was really pretty.  

My white iris aren't putting on the show they usually do.  Not sure what's up with that, but plenty of other things are getting ready to pop.  

Dottie, trying to catch the water coming out of the end of the hose.  She bites at it, like there was something she could catch in her teeth.  

I watched this guy take the sun the other day while I relaxed on the deck.  That was peaceful.  

It's spring.  Every year, the garden renews itself.  It doesn't care about who's president or what laws are being broken.  It just needs sun and water.  

But, you know I can't pass up a good meme.

Everybody have a good week.  Find something that gives you peace, even if it only exists in your mind.  Find a place for peace in your life, even if it's in short bursts.  A place you can relax and just be you.  

Lane

little things

 It's funny how much can happen in a week.  Monday was busy, Tuesday I had to go to the office and then had a rage when I got home.  Wednesday was book club and the evening was filled with laughter and good food.  Thursday was a crazy day for work and Friday, there wasn't much to do.  Saturday, we did our first run to Costco.  And, yesterday, I spent too much time in the kitchen and not enough at the sewing machine.  So many things happened.  And, it happens every week.  I just don't always appreciate it like I did this week.  

It was a taste of the good old times.  Like October 2024.  Before the orange nightmare began.  

I enjoyed looking through my pics from last week this morning.  It was a little adventure.  My favorite was this walk with the dogs.  Dottie is 1 year old and Bella is 16 so they don't spend a lot of time walking side by side.  

And, this highly suspicious picture of me at the office.  I don't take a lot of pictures of myself.  Never really got into the selfie habit, but once in a while...

The Forsythia and white flag iris are the first flowers of spring here, so it's official.  

The first violets bloomed, too.  

And slowly, my garden is coming back to life.  I'm enjoying the constancy of that.  

And, Saturday night's dinner was pretty spectacular.  I've found the healthy option at a Mexican restaurant.

One evening, I picked up the fox toy and laid it so it was looking up and then I watched Dottie stare longingly into its eyes for at least 5 minutes while I got ready for bed.  

It was a lot of little moments that got me through.

I think that's what I'm going to need.  Because apparently there won't be social security or medicare or medicaid or health insurance or health care or life saving vaccinations or science or weather monitoring or privacy or elections or credit or shopping or eggs to fill my time anymore, so I'm going to need little things to keep me busy.  

And, someone had to say that because 

Oh, and I made 18 horizontal wedges for the double wedding ring quilt.  This is the boring part, so there may not be many pics for a couple weeks and then we'll "spring forward".  I hope.  

Everybody have a great week.  Find something small to celebrate.  Make that something small into something big, just for you, even if no one else even knows it happened.  

Lane

Ashamed

 I'll talk about quilting in a minute, but I have something to get off my chest first.  I've mostly always been a proud U.S. citizen.  Yes, there have been some embarrassing moments, but for the most part, I have been proud of my country.  

Not so much anymore.  

I am ashamed of the viciousness of the perverted unwoke minds of trumps loyal toadies and grunts.  It was one thing when he was going after us, but he has clearly put us on the road to being a russian satellite state by selling out our friends.  He is selling us and selling our country to a dictator.  Because the dictator is more powerful than him and he's so weak that he can only pretend to be as powerful by sucking up to him, not realizing that makes him look like a cheap whore.  It's pitiful and frightening to watch the leader of a super power kneel to the biggest dictator and the richest man.  Because every time he takes the knee, he sells something that we hold precious and he places no value on.  Our loyalty and pride.  

Last week, someone commented and asked me what right we had to destroy a person's business just because we lost an election.  

Here's the thing.  I have the right to choose where I spend my money.  I choose not to spend it supporting businesses I don't agree with.  I didn't spend a dime on Friday.  I haven't bought anything off Amazon since the inauguration.  I haven't been in Hobby Lobby since the first trump fiasco.  I haven't eaten at chick filet since the Obama administration.  I don't know how long it's been since I was in a walmart.  It is a fact that none of those companies misses me.  But, holy crap do I feel good about myself and where I spend my money.

And, I plan to do all I can to make the trump economy look like the joke it's going to be.  I plan to hold onto every dime I can.  And, it's a bonus that not spending means not giving the state its sales taxes.  Because TX government is fucked up too.  

I can't bring down a big business or a change a government.  But I'm not alone in trying.  And, while it might not feel like a lot, I know I'm doing my part.  Buy small.  Buy local.  Even in a big retailer's store, there are employees that need their pay.  

We are thinking about a Costco membership.  

I'm not saying that others need to do what I do.  But, I am saying that you can let your conscience guide your spending.  

Okay, so not much progress was made on the double wedding quilt, despite the fact a lot of time was spent on it.  This weekend, I focused cutting more centers and wedges.  I ironed out 2 yards of fabric and was able to trace pieces for 27 blocks out of it.  I'm nearly done cutting them out now, but wish I'd taken a pic before I started.  Showing them all traced out would have been really cool.  

This is a strip with pieces for four blocks that I cut after they were traced.  I'll cut this strip into chunks and cut the pieces out of those smaller and more manageable chunks.  

The fabrics have gotten pretty wrinkled from me manhandling them to cut them out.  I probably could have done a better job of that, but it's okay because I'll press them before moving forward.  Press.  Not Iron.  When I iron, I use the iron to push the wrinkle off the edge of the fabric.  But, that will stretch the fabric.  I don't want these stretched so I will lay them out and press the iron on top of them to get rid of the wrinkles.  Up and down only, no side to side movements at all.  One of the first things I used to explain when I taught was the difference, and how you iron yardage to get it flat, but press piecing so you don't distort the shape.  

Here's my stack of cut pieces, ready to be pressed and have arcs added.  

I've been studying how others quilt their double wedding ring quilts.  There are some beautiful quilts out there.  But most of them have elaborate quilting and this is supposed to be a bed quilt, so I'm going to want something more plain.  But, not too plain.  

There's a lot of fabric left from the original set of fabrics I planned for this quilt, and I'm likely going to end up making a lap quilt out of that.  It seems like a good use of it and it will keep it in a grouping.  I also have this small grouping for a holiday table runner.  What to do?  What to do.

Other than some petty name calling memes and a couple recipes and pictures of other people's quilts, that's all that's in my photo library from the week.  I spent some time in the garden both days, just moving things around.  Our cold weather is over, so I'm starting to pull plants out of the greenhouse and put them back in their places.  I found a really huge flower pot that someone was throwing away last week and brought it home.  I can't wait to see what I decide to put in it.  It's big enough for a small tree.  

Everybody have a great week!  I follow a guy that ends all his posts with "relax that jaw" and I'm thinking that's really good advice.  

Lane