GRADUATE PREP!

Our dogs are tired....it's been a good day of cleaning 

and decorating!

We willl have the food set out here...

The dining area is pretty, too!

The area where pics will be taken...

And look-I am able to crochet again!  

My hand is healing in measureable amounts each day!

(but it still kills me to type;  I have to rest after every sentence!)

FUR FAMILY, TOO

Mindy is the queen of the household at 13 years old.

This is Felix, a Manx, who is 9 years old!

And here is one of my latest Noah pics with Dad and big sisters!

 

SONGBIRDS

 The songbirds are so numerous in the front yard feeders!  I willl try to get better pics soon.  This Evening Grosbeak is not common for us in Florida so it is a real treat!  I counted 11 different birds at one time but I ran for the camera all but this guy had flown away!

WE DID IT!

 Might I mention, that traffic was a bit crazy for us on our 8 hour trip!  We haven't seen this many cars all of 2022 as we have seen while travelling!  Give me podunk any day!  lol  After Atlanta, which is what we were approaching in this photo, we still had an hour and some until we arrived at daughter's home but we did it!  Hugs abound amidst laughter and smiles.  It is good to be here!

A TRIP!

The boys have been safely delivered back home

 and now we are ready for another adventure!

 It's been many years since we have mustered the strength and the ability  (Covid) to travel to Georgia

 to see my daughter and her family!  

There's so many things to catch up on 

-and then the highlight of the trip is the graduation for my grand- daughter, Abigail!  Well, you will see that later in the week!

We have someone to take care of our cats and home

 so we can go without a worry!  (mostly!)

WE SAVORED THE SATURDAY

It was a good day for hanging out, riding the golf cart,

  eating and even playing some golf!

Grandpa gave them some tips for form but mostly they liked seeing how far they could hit it!

I sat in the shade, finished my Tunisian square

 and watched the budding golfers!

A good swim cooled down the bodies before we had dinner!

And of course, we enjoyed a campfire!  What a full day!

 

PREPARING

We have the privilege to have these two grandsons for the weekend!  Dad is out of town so we get to spend some intense togetherness time; we have a ton of fun planned!

 

BOOKENDS

Youngest granson, Noah Henry, has joined the family almost a week late!  He was born on our oldest grandson's birthday (19th)

 only 20 years apart!

 

BACKING IDEAS

I found some fabric for the backing.  And then I got an idea...

...I thought about using the leftover pieces in the backing so they are not 'wasted'!  The idea was as far as it went for now.

This was the distraction!   I had bought this panel of Monkey Sock poses at the Daytona Quilt show and decided to cut them apart for planning purposes;  they will be the center of star blocks eventually using the centers at 6 1/2".

I played with the graph paper and even tried the HST's that will be needed to make sure they work.  I'm ready to get to work!

Unfortunately, a doctor's appointment and then PT will keep me out of the studio for a while!

 

FLOWERS

My little violet it blooming superbly again!

 It is so pretty in my kitchen window!

I check my pots for the calladium bulbs every morning 

and find new ones waking up each time!

This one is always first and largest;  

I did lose one because of too much rain! 

 The pot held the wter and rotted the bulb! 

 These plants are used to a much dryer Spring!

And this beauty is so pretty in the bright red/orange....I love it!  This is another gift from my daughter and family for a past Mother's Day!  This kind of gift just keeps giving the love!  

 

YARN IN HAND

Can you imagine my joy when I tried to do come tunisian crochet and it worked.  Since my thumb is held immobile in the brace, I wouldn't be able to strain my thumb by accident!  Those three fingers of the right hand held the hook and my left hand danced the yarn arouond it!  Bliss!

 This month's block for the CAL is honeycomb stitch 

and it is very sweet to work on! lol

TAMMY'S DAISIES!

 It was a challenge to paint the daisies

 (from a photo on T's Daily Treasures)

on my own but a lot of fun. 

 It took longer than I expected, too.

Several days in fact!  

But it's done and I'm happy!  

I might not be able to garden yet, but I can play with flowers!

FRIENDS

Lena likes to visit me for breakfast...

She waits under the table runner...

and smiles a morning greeting when I find her!

Out on the front porch, I am still battling the wrens who fill each pot with twigs and leaves.

I always check to make sure it isn't a completed nest first.

This one has occupants!  I will check it out every few days to see if we get to see babies hatching! They only need to sit a few weeks before the big event!

 

PIECING TRIUMPH

Against all odds, I finished piecing the rest of the top!  And then when I stood back looking at it on the design wall, I groaned!  See what's wrong?!  

There was nothing for it but to rip our

 and exchange the two apple core shapes!

The left side fourth from the top piece is wrong, too, 

but that is because I ran out of that fabric

 not because I goofed! 

Now to think about the borders...

 

ANOTHER KINDA PAINTING

 This acrylic painting was done while watching another YouTube session!  She is doing a painting a day for this month.

I enjoyed the vast differences between this 

and watercolor and just relaxed while I painted with my right three fingers and using my left hand for details. 

 I can't wait for the next painting! 

I have another YT picked out already!

WATERCOLOR WEDNESDAY

I watched one of my favorite watercolor artist on YouTube and decided to give it a try!  The paper is 8 x 10" .  The parrot was drawn in ink and then painted.  I used the middle three fingers of my right hand;  they are getting better at doing what I want!  lol  

I didn't do the wet -on-wet technique quite as well as the teacher but I enjoyed myself immensely!

 I would love to see one of these birds outside of my window, wouldn't you?!

NEVER GIVE UP

I was looking for a pot for a new plant and took this one out of the group of failed seeds.  I couldn't believe it when I noticed a little green sprout!  I put Lupine seeds in this pot last year and we immediately had a downpour and it must've driven the seeds too deeply in the pot.  It remained empty all last year.

So you cam imagine my surprise when this one seedling has grown several inches now!  It's good to learn to give things a chance before you toss it as worthless!

 

I'M LOVED

Daughter sent me a pair of left handed scissors!  This is a treat because I have been unable to use them for months now!  I cut off the bottom of this dress that is just a smidge too long.  Not any more!  I cut off a few inches and then hemmed it on the machine.  (Hand sewing is still impossible!)  I hemmed two dresses which was very satisfying!

This another gift of love from daughter and family....the dwarf thunbergia--it is so happy, it has grown right up its upstairs neighbor!  They seem very happy because both are blooming happily!
 

APRIL SHOWERS

Our April showers are bringiing April flowers! 

This is the dwarf  hydrangea .

It is a deeper color than last year's bloom.

And the large prayer lily is going full steam ahead .  So pretty!

 

DIFFERENT STITCHING

I saw a cute bee pattern for machine embroidery;  one done on rope coasters.  I couldn't resist!

Soon, I had a coaster made and embroidered!

Since I had used water soluble stabilizer, a quick soak removed that and then I made the other one. 

They sat outside to dry!  Now they are ready to gift to my bee keeping friend!