A LITTLE VISIT

My quilting buddy, Mary, invited me into a trip to the soon-to-close JoAnn's store, about an hour away.  I didn't really feel like going but I did want to pick up a few backing and background fabrics

 so I pushed myself per doctor orders. 

 Off we went-I haven't been there in more than 6 months!  

On the way, we saw this sight--very unusual for us--it's a rather grand pile of rocks!  Some company much closer to the coast must've been doing some construction (digging a foundation) and needed a place to store it before they resold it.  Where I live, you can dig more than 100' and never run into a rock but along the coast it is a different story.  The pile is 100' long and about 50' high--

a really big pile of very large boulders!

The fabric supply was fine at the closing store. I found just what I had written down to purchase but as for notions; very slim pickings!!!  The lines were atrocious--easily and hour and a half of our visit was waiting for the cutting counter and then again to cash out!  Yikes!  It was good to be with my friend but I was exhausted and glad to be back to my bed, too!  Let's be honest.

 

A DAY OF REST

The irises are everywhere!  So beautiful!

The rocks I brought home from Lake Ontario; 

 mostly granite with jasper, quartz and basalt.

Being silly because we can be together!

Another pair of mitts just fell off the needles!

A LITTLE OF THIS AND THAT

I do still work on the rocks but it is only for a few minutes each week as I change the grit and water out for the next weeks spin!  The large green rock at the top is green jasper from Washington State and the rocks at the bottom of the pan are from

 the left-over pieces that line the bottom of my shower! 

 Mostly jasper and quarts with a few pieces of basalt!

It is fun to work with the rocks still!

I have the family of gingerbread men all stitched-I will go after church and buy some candy canes so they are ready

 to hand out/mail out to my grands!

Look at this guy!  I will make a few to give to the four grands

 that will be here for Thanksgiving! 

 The slot will have some mini-candies tucked it!

 

HOARDING THE LAST HOURS

As I walk around the yard and enjoy the flowers-the hydrangea,

and the balloon flowers, I remember that Central NY in July is one of the most beautiful places you can be!

I organized my rocks by type--it is hard to tell what they are when they are dry.  I did manage to find two that are granite with garnet chrystals--very pretty!

How can you tell what a rock will look like polished?

You give it a quick lick!

We head back to Florida this evening!  This has been a precious visit.

 

TUMBLER TUESDAY

The bottom of the sieve holds the rocks I brought home from Washington. The top are the rocks that were included 

with the purchase of my new tumbler last month. 

Grit 2 is churning now for both drums.

I am enjoying a nice visit from the three men of this family!  There was a storm brewing so we had a campfire a bit earlier than normally but still just as relaxing! 

The aloe are getting ready to bloom; 

 the hummers will find it in no time!

I've found a little time for knitting on the new sweater-a little time cuz we are being busy!  My pulled muscles in my lowerr back are finally letting up enough to move without pain! 

 Finally and just in time to enjoy some family time!

 

GOING IN LOTS OF DIRECTIONS

We have a fellowship meal after church today and while cooking isn't my favorite way to spend and hour, I did make something I have been hankering for!  It is called Zippy Copper Pennies.  I did have to buy the  carrots but it has diced green pepper and banana peppers from my garden in it!  (I also made a large meat loaf but that was a boring photo-you know what it looks like!)

It was also time to change the rocks yesterday-they are finally done! 

These are the ones from my granddaughters when I went to Washington in April.

And these are my rocks from their creek--I am going to begin their 6 weeks of tumbling now!

I also finished piecing the courthouse steps blocks with the 'fancy' shoes in the center of each block.  I did have just the right color green for the solid blocks but I didn't have the orange or blue so this will be on hold until I get to the quilt shop this week.

I finally bit the bullet and ripped out all of the stitching and then loaded it on the frame, even though it was trimmed already, and it lined up and stitched beautifully!  Phew!

Many years ago, my daughter gave me a very long piece of fabric to make one 'everyday' size tablecloth and one very long one for when I have the whole gang here!

The everyday one is completed and instantly cat approved!  The stinker had wet feet, too, from the rain storm tonight!  Gotta remember how much I love her!

 

TUMBLING TUESDAY

This batch of rocks is on its last week-next week will be the big reveal!  I have chert, petrified wood and some other fun rocks!

This was the mystery mix from the RockShed--oh, so pretty after only one week of tumbling!

As long as we are in Spring now, I thought I would show you my veggie beds--and I have green poking up all over!  

Look hard and you can see the beans here!  See-we don't have soil here-we have sand with lots of decaying material in it!  Very different to work with but I have high hopes!

The last block is finished!  Now I have to decide how to attach them to each other--I'm pretty sure I will be crocheting the blocks together--it is easiest and looks good, too.  

I'm off to Quilting Group today; I made some

 machine/ hand needle cushions for the original four of us! 

 I made it out of canvas squares filled with walnut shells.  

The lines are inked on with permanent marker.

  The pile of threads are from the 'fringing' I did to the sides!

 

ROCK TUMBLING TUESDAY

These are shaping up nicely!  Pretty exciting to wash them off and see what changes have taken place since last week!  It is hard not to peek too soon, either!

After washes off the dirt and grit from the last week's tubling, I add the next weeks' grit and mark each barrel.  The one on the left is getting polish--the last weekk for this one!  The one on the right is getting week 3 grit-it has two more weeks to tumble.

Both get loaded back on and will tumble until next week's bathing ritual again.  I have been taking a course on minerals on YouTube and am really getting a handle on this finally!  It is very interesting!!!

Oh, yeah, and just to prove I still work with yarn, too, here is a hat for my son-in-law who loves both the Buffalo Bills....

and SU (Syracuse, NY)!!!

 

TUMBLING TUESDAY

Isn't this a pretty sight for the last day of February!?  The more rounded rocks on the left are some more from Lake Ontario.  The brown one on top and the ones on the right are some that are no completely know-two are petrified wood, one is chert and the others mysteries!  Fun stuff.  They are reloaded for week 3 for the lake rocks and week 2 for the mystery load.

My order of rocks arrived today!  Bill says he is feeling flummoxed over me paying for rocks!  Well, I did and I will be doing it some more until I get to a place where I can rockhound for myself!  These are from the Rock Shop, which has a great variety and wonderfully fair prices!  I bought some blue quartz, green quartz, Amazonite and a mixed bag!  You will be seeing more on them in the future!

And this is a great way to end the 'love' month--a blog friend sent some sock scraps for adding rows to my sock scraps blanket!  Just in time to finish up the row to make it wider!  Thank you!