50 YEARS

May 1, 1976 Phoenix, NY

May 1, 2026 St. Augustine, FL

After shedding our wedding day duds,

 we enjoyed several hours at the beach!

I enjoyed finishing the first coral beach sock. (Yarnalia Stormy in the Cherry Blossom colorway but I like my name better)

The ocean was turbulent--

wonderful to relax to the rhythm of the surf.

The colors of my latest blanket in Mandala yarn perfectly matched the colors of the sea and sky

especially as the day drew to a close. 

 You can see that the crowds were not a problem for us!

What a beautiful day we enjoyed together!  

 

MAY DAY 1976-2026

50 years ago today....

pictures of our day will be posted tomorrow!

Yesterday, I finished the frame quilting on this QAL from Alycia and only have the binding to do.

And I layered the April FQC table runner and just did stitch-in-the-ditch on my regular machine.  I did get the binding on this one.  

 

SHOP HOP 2026 ENDING

Mary and I shopped for our last hurrah and enjoyed the day together!  I will use the charm pack on the right for another charity quilt and the one on the left is r/w/b to supplement the QOV in the works.  The fat quarters are a delightful new Moda selection that will also be used for a QOV idea!  We did a good job of pacing our shopping this year and will use the same plan for next year!

We also stopped at Hobby Lobby where I bought the wooden tray for a project idea and some pin backs for our name tags.  I also bought some additional floral things for Ethan's grave side bouquets.  I find comfort in arranging it each month for him.  

 

WOOD ON WEDNESDAY

I used a small branch to make a little pot with a lid.  As is my style, I like to leave some of the bark on for interest!

A very cute little piece---6" tall and 3' at its widest.  

Sycamore wood.

 

ANOTHER ENDEAVOR

I wanted to make name tags for Mary and I for our QOV sew days.  I much admit, the machine embroidery unit for my sewing machine had a lot of dust on it--it has been years since I have used it.  I did take way too long to figure out how to make these but I persevered!  I just need to purchase some pin-backs 

so we can wear them!

I need more Mandala yarn for the granny blanket I am making so I dug this skein out of the stash to start a new one 

but the color changes are too close 

and didn't look as good as those long color changes!

I decided to make a C2C and it is so very nice in this DK yarn!  

 

THE WAY BACK VIEWS

This tree is a favorited of mine-a nice shape now but in the Fall it turns red!  I've never taken the time to see what kind it is, though.

But when Bill and I took a walk the other day, the honey bees were very active around this tree--it was humming! 

 We looked closely and found these 'lily-of-the-valley' shaped flowers and the even smelled lovely!  

I had to google it and I learned it is a wild persimmon tree!!!

My Muscadine grapevine is off to a brilliant start!

And even has some very newly formed bunches!

(look closely!)

The pond, unfortunately, is shrinking! 

 We just had our first measurable rain in 6 weeks! 

 I am hoping for a normal rainy season this summer

 to bring all our water levels up.

The Elderberry trees have all bloomed 

but their little berries dried and fell off without the rain. 

 I'm hoping that the recent rainfall will help the late berries!

The aloe are happy and so are the hummers who visit it!

This rose bush is from Bill's Mom who planted it at her winter home here in FL many years ago.  When the house was sold,

 Bill took the root ball and has nursed it back to health!  

It is stunning! (6' TALL)    

Bill has also cultivated several large plots like this for vegetables and it was very happy for the rain,  also! 

 We are eating radishes from it already!

 

A DAY AT THE ISLAND BEACH

Caleb and family brought us to another island-

this one they call Shark Tooth Island! 

It was much smaller than the other island we explored 

but there were cedar trees in the center of the island 

and a lot of trees have become beach wood where trees have fallen as the beach has eroded.

Eli chipped away at some of the branches and the cedar smell was released--such a good smell!

There was a good variety of shells and shark's teeth!

Bill found his very first shark's tooth!!! 

Cassandra found a prehistoric horse tooth fossil and that was very exciting!  (a museum quality tooth btw at 2 1/2" x 1 1/2") 

But Eli found the fossil of the lifetime--an Allosaurus claw!!!  It was amazing to think of the journey this piece of history has taken!  There is a local museum where Cassandra and Eli will take their finds for authentication!

And another family first happened---Ella has officially passed me by in height and in the four months since I last saw her!!!!  (She is hoping to be as tall as her Aunt Marsel who is 6' !)

 

NEW YARN PROJECTS!

First, a new pair of socks because I love to make them, not out of the necessity of wardrobe but only of the making! 

This is the new yarn I bought at the yarn shop in Jax I visited in March.  I'm just getting around to using it!

I chose this skein I received in December to make my favorite shawl pattern--Twilight Sonata by Kay Meadors.  It is a crescent shaped shawl with a large lacy hem which includes beads.

  This yarn is Stroll in the Red Wing Blackbird colorway--which is perfect because I enjoyed seeing and hearing them when I visited Mom and Dad; it's a going to make this a 'good memory' shawl!

And lastly, I pick up my G-hook for another Granny Square rectangle blanket from Lion Brand Mandala yarn.

 

FRIDAY FELINE!

So, after I finished the two placemats for my chess lovin' guys, 

I laid them out for a photo shoot--

and Miss Lena jumped right up and owned them! 

 It will give Will's cat something to think about! lol

We had a great lunch and some putt putt golf time!

It was perfection on every level!

PIECES

I made the binding,  backing and cut the batting for the table runner so when the frame is cleared of its present quilt, 

I can load this on and get it on my table!

I also enjoyed arranging and piecing two simple placemats, 

and used the leftover charms and a bit of fabric

 to make a matching table runner!

We also had some rowdy guests at the bird feeding station!  On top over the bird feeders, we have a heavy metal pan we use to feed the crows but today, a committee of turkey vultures moved in and knocked over the pan and had quite a picnic on the spillings!

 

You can see the crow on the trellis to the right of the bird feeders---he was waiting his turn!

SETTLING BACK INTO MY WORLD

Someone (Lena) kept asking me to make a 'lap' for her

 and I finally gave in--we savored an hour together!

 And then I played in the studio with the latest Fat Quarter Club that arrived in the mail! I enjoyed a beautiful time playing with the strips of fabric to make a good fade table runner!  

And then I finished the pair of socks I was knitting on the airplane! It's Stroll Handpaint in 'Left of the Dial' colorway.

Though the second sock ( on the left) pooled very differently from the first sock and I might just rip the leg out and do it again to force the yarn to make a similar pattern to the one on the right!!!!