Blooming

 The azaleas are really making their presence known!

 Even the bees are coming out to enjoy them!

 This is under my magnolia tree, coming up the driveway.

 The bromiliad clump is in bloom, too.  (Bill suspended it in the old bark of a palm tree-they don't need soil, only water!)

The dogwood is beginning to lose its bloom as the leaves come out.

It is looking like Spring on the inside, too; the orchid is doing its thing-the blooms are larger and hardier looking this year-the plant is larger so maybe that is why.  I love to wake up to these blooms!

Another Week Unfolds

 We have been adopted by this neutered male cat-very sweet and very hungry.  I think the people down the road moved and left him behind.  He comes and visits in the house but does prefer his freedom.  And for the record, I am not the one that initiated this adoption-Bill is the father of this adoption!

 I made a matchbook type fold of this cardstock to make a sewing kit for the bride of the family wedding next month.  I have never been to a wedding where there wasn't a last minute panic for some pins or needle and thread so I thought this might come in handy.

 I included already-threaded needles with the colors in the wedding party,

 ....and some safety pins for the last minute mend!

 I loaded up Mom's wall hanging on the frame.  This will be quilted to match the quilt already finished .

 While hunting for fabric for the wedding ring pillow (more on that in the near future), I found my bag of sewing knick knacks to go in the shadow box.  Now that I can see what I have, I will be able to add to it at the local antique stores.

 I blended several fibers for this skein of yarn made from the undercoat of my sister-in-law's beloved yellow lab which died, a little bit of wool and some seacell fiber for softness.  I will be knitting a coin purse for her.

 This afternoon, Mom and I went to her church's sewing group to make sleeping bags for the homeless in our community.  We had a good group and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company.  (old ties are used for securing the bags in their rolled up state)

We also got two sleeping bags finished!  Many hands make light work, indeed!

Valentines' Day Project

I started the day with a little sewing while Bill was getting ready........I finished the quilt of Mom's on the frame and loaded up a little one for Mille and finished it!

A nice all over meander if just right for this one using variegated purple thread.

Then we tackled a big job today-I started out myself but ended up needing some muscle.

And things really moved along when Bill joined the team........

We have 3/4 of the room finished....we have to enclose the area around the air handler before I can lay the rest but I am thrilled with our progress today!

Isn't the wood much nicer than the cement!!!  Now I am off to my ibuprofen dose again-I am sore everywhere.  (This room is going to have  a desk for Bill and some exercise equipment.  It also doubles as a guest room when we overflow the bedrooms!)

The Rest of the Visit

 The girls went shopping for wedding appropriate dresses and

the guys whipped the van into shape.

 Then girls made quilts and

The guys did some fishing,

 We even sat for a concert from the kids.

 We did s'mores one night,

 and I got some knitting done in the evening.

A new quilt from Mom is on the frame.

 One of the blessings of having my daughter here is the joy of working together-I mean, I know what it is like to have a clone because we just work so well together it is like having two of me--not just to  get the chores done but also to savor the joy of company for the rest of the day, well, it is beyond words.   Yes, the week rushed by but we cherished every minute.

Happy Birthday to you.......

 I did a marathon  of quilting to get the table runners done while I waited for Marsel and kids to get here yesterday!

 The first one was an all over pantograph and this one was free motion quilting.

 Millie brought me this Quilt for Kids top on which I used a bumblebee panto to quilt it.

 Nyki helped me unload the air mattresses to get ready for two of my sons, Cassandra and her two sisters to come this weekend-Hotel Minota is almost at capacity!  Musical beds anyone?!

 Today, we went to the Main Street Grill in DeLand to celebrate my Dad's birthday!  We did a little shopping afterwards to walk off the calories.

And then back to their house to open his present and enjoy cake and ice cream -so nice to share the day!
Happy Birthday , Dad!

Tourist Time

We started the day pretty leisurely with a good knit and gab session at Mom and Dad's.  I didn't have quite enough of either of these left over skeins but they worked together so I have enough to make a pair of socks for David!  After lunch, we decided to go to the flea market in St. Augustine.

I found this ceramic fish figurine at one of the stalls.  (about 7" tall)

And this was a find for only a few dollars.......it is about 16" tall and is sitting on my mantel right now!

I think it is made of plaster but it looks like wood and I will probably tweak the color after I look at it a while first!

As we came into Palatka, we decided to eat at Corky Bells.  It was a perfect afternoon as you can see in this shot of the shoreline.  It would be a great jigsaw puzzle!

See the happy, FULL, contented family photo!  We went back to Dad and Mom's for some games, and Bob won both-he and Shelly have to travel back to NY tomorrow; we haven't heard word about the house purchase but do have high hopes for a good word on Monday!

House Hunting by Proxy

 Since we have been doing a lot of on the road stuff while looking for a house for my brother, simple knits have been our mainstay.  I finished this pair of fingerless mitts from the alpaca I spun.  The pattern is a a free one from Ravelry, Accidental Girlie Mitts with some changes in the thumb and palm.
                                                
 I have also made some more of the frilly scarves.........

I just can't seem to stop making them!

Quilt Time

We enjoyed some sewing time together today to make table runners.  This pattern wasn't a very well written project-when I get over the irritation of it, I would rewrite the directions and change several steps to make it easier to piece!  Sometimes things get more complicated than they need to be!

  But Mom and I persevered and have two table runner tops to add to the quilting frame queue!!  Mom's is the top one in the picture, hers was a kit, mine is from scraps in my stash.

Dad was busy painting the trim and outside walls.

Bill was up the chimney at our house revamping a firewall that the inspector said we needed!

Quotidian

I just learned this word and it fits where I am at right now.........

 Knitting and

time with my parents.........

A Rainbow!

It is rare to get to see a rainbow in my part of Florida-there is little rain and by the time you get your camera, the conditions have changed and you missed it!  Well, Bill called me outside this morning to see this one!  We were just getting sprinkles but the sun was at just the right spot on the horizon and it shone brilliantly.  Beautiful inspiration of color and love to last the whole day through!

Frill Seekers

 I have been enjoying having my parents nearby!  We visit almost every day.  Mom and I have done some sewing and knitting. I have finished this pair of silk fingerless mitts.

 And started this pair of mitts from alpaca.

We even enjoyed a Ladies Knitting Day and learned how to make the trendy new frill scarves!

 I finished mine in the evening and immediately started a second........

.....and then a third!  Very fast and fun knit!  It is wonderful to get together with friends!