It Looks Like a Real Live Quilt!

Ah, finis! As I type this, it is with a certain sense of relief.  The Marine Quilt is made and, wonder of wonders, it looks like a quilt!  After I washed it, to my surprise, it actually took on that crinkly, quilty look, just like it was supposed to. (What did I expect?) I am most satisfied.  Now I wouldn't exactly enter it in my County Fair--it could hardly stand up to that sort of scrutiny, but all in all, for a first try...

The recipients of this piece of love are my daughter and her very-soon-to-be husband.  Soon, as in this Friday! Future hubby is the Marine (has already done three--that's 3--tours in Iraq--yikes!), hence the Marine material.  They spent a pre-honeymoon in Hawaii (wasn't planned in that order, but whatever), hence the Hawaiian print. The squares are supposed to just tie everything all together. The back is the Pledge of Allegiance, which seemed to fit in, all in all.

*** Semper Fi ***

It's Come to This

This week had us enduring 95 degree days with high humidity and gusty winds--we broke down and turned on the air conditioner.  We cooled off and the house dried out (it was so sticky!) Now this morning I am wishing the furnace was on. Sweatshirt, socks, hot coffee--all are needed for Saturday morning comfort; and mi esposo brought me toast (with coffee re-fills) on a platter, so all is well. Now I can do some thinking.....

...a decision has to be made. I'm finishing up the "Marine Quilt," which is the Boxed Blessings pattern by the talented Ingrid Barlow.  (As I've said before, I'm not really a quilter, so I'm sort of winging it at this stage.  And, I humbly suggest my photo doesn't do it justice; the fabrics combined for a rather attractive, quirky design.) So....do I quilt it in straight lines running at 45 degree angles criss-crossing the entire quilt, neatly intersecting the blocks at their centers and corners; or do I quilt in a higglety-pigglety squiggly fashion all over the design, thus contrasting with the straightness of the fabric pieces?

Aaarggghhh.... more caffeine, please! 

We Must Cultivate Our Garden

Ah, everything is so green and beautiful in the backyard--the triumph of spring indeed!  For instance, take a look at what our dormant fish pond looked like on a glum day in March....O, such a depressing site!  It all seemed a bit hopeless at this point...                                                                                                              

If winter comes, can spring be far behind?

                            --Percy Bysshe Shelley

A vast improvement wouldn't you say? Now the fish just have to migrate from the aquarium and a few more annuals have to be added; then all will be as it should!

We've spent a lot of time out here the past few days--much has to be done before gnats and no-see-ums arrive to make us irritable. Hostas have been split and shifted, Coral Bells with deep bronze-colored leaves have been added, and Sedum has  been transplanted hither and yon (locating them all for watering is something of a memory game). A myriad of different Coleus plants await their fate. Who knew there were so many different colors?--this is but a fraction of what was available!: 

While doing all this, we were repeatedly serenaded by some very melodic Baltimore Orioles, of which we seem to have many this year.  We often joke that Orioles sound like they're desperately searching for a tune--they pipe out a series of sweet, clear notes & trills, but it never quite forms a melody. We must have a very precocious flock this year, as I swear they are singing the first six notes of The Mexican Hat Dance.  (Go ahead, run that through your mind--but I warn you, it's an earworm.)  I know Orioles go south for the winter...I'm convinced this group goes South of the Border! Ole!

And on that happy note.....I shall literally & figuratively go cultivate my garden...in a Voltaire-ian sort of way.