Row K is finished!

 

It's been a busy week, but I managed to peck away at Row K for Dear Jane here and there.  I'll continue to do the same on the next two rows, but I think this weekend I'll work on binding Double Date which I picked up from Marie the quilter.  She did a wonderful job, and I can't wait to finish it.

I missed the first Heart of Vermont guild meeting of the year, but response to my email to the guild about a round robin activity has been good.  There are now six of us planning to join in.  I don't know two of the people, but that will make it all the more fun.  I enjoy meeting people in smaller groups, especially because that guild has 60 members.  It's hard to get acquainted just at meetings.

We had a very nice time with my brother Rob and his wife Linda early in the week.   We took a guided tour of the Vermont State House, visited a sugar shack for maple ice cream, visited the Vermont Granite Museum, and took several nice walks in the sunshine.  Of course, meals out together and a lunch at home were fun, too.  Rob is totally immersed in changing his house over to solar power and driving his new-to-them electric vehicle.  The learning curve appears steep, and I'm not sure I could deal with it all.

Vermont is experiencing a drought, and our plants are all in need of soaking rain.  The foliage is changing color rapidly, but I don't think it will be as vibrant as usual.  Still, the visitors are beginning to come, including the tour buses.  That's our "bread and butter"!

Aging and the aged

This week we were busy helping friends who are just a few years older than we are.  One is in a nursing home after breaking a hip.  He'd like to come home, but after taking him and his wife (who is fine) out for lunch, we realized that he can't go home.  His physical and mental faculties have declined.  Is the latter due to being in the nursing home with very little stimulation?  Perhaps it's due to his declining hearing? 

A few days later, we had lunch with a friend who passed out at the restaurant, requiring an ambulance to the hospital.  We stayed with her in the ER until it was decided to insert a pacemaker at the university hospital in Burlington, about 45 minutes away.  Paul drove her car to our house, and two days later, we picked her up and took her home, along with her cute yellow car.  She was very perky by that time, but now we hear she has had another episode.  Perhaps the problem is more complex than the need for a pacemaker?

It all makes me very glad that I am still walking, talking, writing, reading, sewing!   My A1c and weight are both down, and the doctor has reduced my diabetes med.  She promised that it may be removed all together if I continue on this downward trajectory.  My visiting sister-in-law noticed the difference which is nice to hear.   She and my brother are visiting from New Jersey - early leaf peepers!  The fall colors are beginning, but it will be a few more weeks until peak foliage.  Still, visitors, including busloads, are arriving.

All this activity has slowed down my sewing, but I did manage to make a few blocks for Row K of Dear Jane.  Just two more full rows after that, and the center will be done.  I'm now thinking about a modern border instead of the triangles.  What would Jane have done?

I finished a sweet little burgundy hat for "Bags of Love," which makes three for kids going into foster care.  The picot edge on that hat will look cute on a little girl.  I have some variegated green yarn to make another hat, but it will have to wait.  I just started a striped sweater for myself.  Not sure i like the yarn, but if not, I'll make a few scarves and more hats.

Busy week ahead

We are heading to Burlington this morning for Paul's regular Retina Center visit.  I'm packing my Kindle and saving my New York Times puzzles for their always chilly waiting room.  Tomorrow I have a pedicure scheduled, Thursday and Friday we're meeting various friends for lunch, and Sunday my brother and his wife are coming for a few days' visit.  Fall foliage season is beginning!  We play catch up with old friends and host visitors.  Back in our B&B days, I took two weeks off to help Paul make up beds, do laundry, clean the house, and cook breakfasts.  It was a whirlwind time, but now it's just fun before the snow falls!

Over the weekend I started on Row K of Dear Jane.  This row has quite a few paper pieced blocks which can be tricky.  Yesterday I made a 36 patch block (K-2?) which turned out so small that I had to add coping strips all around.  What a sense of accomplishment one gets upon finishing each little block.

Here are most of the blocks in Row J.  That empty space, J-11, was a work in progress so didn't get into the photo.  I had to add that I cut some corners on J-9 and J-11, eliminating some fussy little melon appliques.  I decided to add them with quilting.

I watched Ricky Tims' unveiling of his new quilt, The Visitation, yesterday afternoon, and all I can say is "Wow!"  I wish he still sold his hand-dyed fabrics.  It's on You Tube if you want to watch.  

Fall is in the air

 

We took our daily walk around the neighborhood yesterday, and this is what we enjoyed.  It's an early tree - most have not begun to change colors although our burning bush has really begun turning red.  We do get some lovely views in the fall in Vermont.  This is the time of year when we're happy to live here.  During blizzards, not so much!  Leaf peepers will begin visiting soon with a vengeance.

I woke up early this morning so spent some time catching up on blogs.  I got an idea for something I can make for tonight's dinner with leftover chicken and looked at other quilters' works in progress.  I don't know how some people get so much done!  I am dawdling around with Dear Jane these days and taking my time reading a new mystery by Elly Griffiths.  I do a little housework and cooking here and there.  Where does the time go?  

I did get out and do about half an hour's worth of gardening yesterday before Paul's nephew stopped by for a visit.  We had some rain over night so I'm not sure I'll get outside today.  Yesterday I planted some iris and crocosmia, a new flower my neighbor introduced me to this year.  And it is lovely with leaves that resemble gladiolas.   They seem very hardy,

Making progress

 I made a number of Dear Jane blocks for Row J in the last few days. 

Unfortunately, blocks #10-12 require hand applique, so progress will slow down for a few days while I add a jillion orange peels to two blocks and the handle on the very sweet little basket block.  I wasn't thinking clearly when I said Row J will be easy - it has its high and low spots.  I'll get them done, but slowly!

Outdoor work

There is a touch of fall in the air which isn't unusual.  Years ago (40+), I lived in the country at about 2500 feet, and we often had a bit of frost around Labor Day.  Those days are gone, but it is quite cool in the mornings anyway.  Today's fog will burn off to a sunny, lovely day, I'm sure.  When it warms up a bit, I will do a little gardening in the back yard. 

Chris is coming over later to help me dig out some hostas that encroaching on the blueberries.  We'll grill burgers for lunch.  Yesterday I pulled out a lot of lilies of the valley that were choking other things out front.   I left a few because I like them, but I need to stay on top of them every year.  I have ordered more daffodil bulbs for that spot, but they haven't arrived yet.   I decided not to try any more tulips out front since the deer just won't leave them alone.  They haven't discovered the early blooming ones out back, thank goodness.

I hope to get back to Dear Jane in the coming week.  I have made five blocks and find Row J a little easier than Row I which is a relief.  That's the next block I need to make - J-6 - which should be easy.  The photo is from the Hobby Stash website where I get my paper piecing patterns.

I was running low on black/white prints for backgrounds, so just ordered another yard of pin dots and also picked up two other half yards at the quilt shop.  This quilt takes a lot of fabric, especially when one makes most of the blocks by paper piecing.  

A dry spell

 As I write this, it's finally raining.  I don't know how long it will last, but our grass can really need a good soaker.  It crunches underfoot.  I have been very lazy about doing fall gardening.  There are plants I should remove (e.g., two big hostas in our blueberry patch) and move (e.g., ladies' mantel in a spot that's too shady).  And there are bulbs I've ordered that will be coming in mid-September (I hope).  The rain will make all this easier to handle, and I'll have no excuse but to get outdoors and work.

I've been lazily reading and working on Dear Jane these last several weeks.  I discovered a mystery series by Paige Shelton called Alaska Wild and am on the latest book (#6).  I seem drawn to books about Alaska, and these combine all the elements I enjoy in cozy mysteries - interesting characters, unusual setting, not too much danger, intricate plots, a librarian with a sideline (not the main character), sweet dogs, etc.  I finished book #5 and immediately started on #6, just published.  Hope this isn't the end of the series...