Bumper Crop

We harvested our first two squash a few weeks ago, and both boys were quite excited, sure to point them out to Daddy when he arrived home the evening of the day we picked them. It's fun to see their interest in our tiny garden. They help me water the plants and like to walk over to "take a look" at them. C fried those squash up recently (using an egg from our neighborhood for the egg-wash before flouring). They were yummy.Plants aren't the only thing growing around our home. Looks like my oldest is going to need some new pajama pants come fall.




















These are some berries and berry stems off a few of our trees. On the first day he began picking them, H explained that he's making a few collections for me because I am special. Then a few days later, he was gathering some more and said, "You're our mom and Dad's wife, so you are special." Now, hearing words like that is, indeed, a bumper crop.

What to Make, What to Make

Aahhh, and this is just how they were stacked in the package. The colors flowing into one another (well, except for maybe that bottom, Denyse Schmidt, one). That thing in the background? It's a fabric catalog. Yes, you read that right, a fabric catalog. Who knew these existed? It's like a book of dreams. When the catalog came out from between the layers of fabric, I exclaimed, "Look at this! Do you know what this is?" H said, with matching excitement I might add, "A fabric magazine!" That's my boy!

I'll blame this fabric purchase on two blogs: mmmcrafts and her co-conspirator ViolaAndPearl. That's where I read about the sale, and so I went to just look. I resisted for a whole day, but then I was left in the house with only W. He was happily playing...I was happily shopping. I did at least wait for C to tell me I wasn't going to break the bank with one more fabric purchase before actually hitting the Buy Now button. However, I have a terrible non-use problem going on here. I love buying the fabric, but making something with it? Ehh, not so much. I completely planned to tackle Weekend Sewing's Yard Sale Wrap Skirt, but when I look at pictures of this skirt that others have made (via Flickr), they don't look so great. I mean, they are not very flattering. It's not just that they emphasize one's waist, the length doesn't look right. So, what to make? I am thinking the Weekend Sewing Trapeze Sundress. We'll see...

When A Blog Disappears

I don't mean when Blogger is having problems. I mean when you go to check out a blog you read and, in this case, WordPress gives you this message: The authors have deleted this blog. The content is no longer available. What is one to think? Is something wrong? Have they moved to a new blog? A new state? No, that wouldn't matter in blogland. Why no forwarding address and most importantly, why no explanation? Of course, paranoid folks like myself wonder if something scary happened. Did someone make rude or frightening comments (this was a family's blog with pictures of their beautiful children). I just want to know if everything is okay. I didn't check this blog daily but fairly regularly, and I don't think I missed a post where they said were going offline. Don't their readers (me) deserve some sort of farewell post? It's funny how I feel like I need closure over a "missing" blog. Oh well, maybe I'll find them out there again someday...

It is July!

July

When the scarlet cardinal tells
Her dream to the dragonfly,
And the lazy breeze makes a nest in the trees,
And murmurs a lullaby,
It is July.

When the tangled cobweb pulls
The cornflower's cap awry,
And the lilies tall lean over the wall
To bow to the butterfly,
It is July.

When the heat like a mist veil floats,
And poppies flame in the rye,
And the silver note in the streamlet's throat
Has softened almost to a sigh,
It is July.

When the hours are so still that time
Forgets them, and lets them lie
'Neath petals pink till the night stars wink
At the sunset in the sky,
It is July.

by Susan Hartley Swett

*sigh* I found this poem in the 1967 Childcraft The How and Why Library which I believe came with a set of World Book encyclopedias my grandparents bought. As a child, I loved these books, and when we finally gave away the encyclopedias, I could not bear to part with these. I believe it is a set of fifteen volumes. This one is the Poems and Rhymes volume. Don't you love the Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe illustration? I know just how she feels. Hooray for "vintage" books!

If you'd like to read a blog entry that will take you straight to a summer day at the lake/river, go here and Blue Yonder will take you there. Happy July!

A Little Good Stuff

A few things that are making me smile. This sign on my neighbors' mailbox:
I think that's a deal for fresh eggs, and as a gal who helped her brother run an egg business (picture an eight year-old pedaling her pink bike with a couple of dozen eggs in her little plastic-flower-decorated basket), I want to support the two boys who are behind this enterprise (which includes a blog and home-delivery). After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I've been buying range-free, cage-free eggs, so to buy some from right down the street is even better!

Then there's this fabric I bought for half-off! I thought it was too cute to pass up (and Mel got really excited about it).
Sorry for the poor picture quality, and for the placement. I've been having a harder time than normal moving my pictures around in posts (must speak to IT aka C).

This evening I am headed to a knitting class. Looking forward to learning new skills and making something for myself with said new skills! Also, looking forward to asking a few questions on some WIPs I have.





Lastly, I am awaiting several packages (and who doesn't love packages? we've discussed this here before). One is the above book Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy (underline isn't working today either by the way, but it will underline a link it seems). I saw this book mentioned on BluebirdBaby's blog (sorry no link, pressed for time here). It's about gardening with children, and since the boys have recently discovered the fun of the water hose, I thought it might be beneficial. Another package will be bringing some fabric


It's called Fortune Sea by Anna Maria Horner, sigh, isn't it lovely?

Friii-i-day In The Park

I think it was the 3rd of July...

We took the boys to a park today since C was off work. C and H played miniature golf, and H got a hole-in-one! We even let W take a few hits on the last hole. It was fun! The weather here has been beee-yooo-ti-ful, but today took the cake! 77 degrees at noon on July 3rd and crazily not humid?! Unheard of around here. Sorry, if anyone from Maine is reading this I know some of the bloggers I read who reside there have been bemoaning constant rain. After the park, we went to a local deli restaurant and ate outside. Yes, even C. You know the weather must be nice if we talked him into sitting outside. He does not like heat. Then we came home, and I spent way too much time on Fabricworm dreaming... Hope everyone has a great 4th of July. I think we may try to catch a parade and watch some fireworks from afar.