Monday, August 18, 2025

Can You See It?

 


Can you see it?  Dark space at the bottom, under the sewing table.  Little package laying on the sewing machine. new package of pins, thanks Diane.  Far left, sewing machine needle.  Horizontal slats, window  blinds.  Blue on the slats, stained glass quilt block.  Top, sewing machine top.

All of which means that I was actually sitting there today.  And catching up on one Moda Blockheads block.  There are three more to catch up on, maybe I can do another tomorrow.  For today, I'm content.


Saturday, August 16, 2025

Special Edition

 


Ale 8 1 is a local soda, sort of a ginger ale.  I'm a little surprised that it's sold at my local Kroger, it's more of a central Kentucky kind of thing.

Sarah asked me to get some of their limited edition pawpaw flavor.  Pawpaws are native to Kentucky, and are usually harvested from late August to October.  Kentucky State University is known for its pawpaw program - the taste is described as banana mango flavor.

I'm wishing now that I'd bought some for myself - there will probably be a trip back to the store.

The Cincinnati Nature Center has pawpaws along a discovery trail.  There is a sign with a button to push, which was always a favorite back when I'd take the grands because it played the song with the lyrics "Where oh where is pretty little Susie, Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch."

I think I'll need to get some of this special edition for the grands too.  I'm sure they" remember hearing that song.

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Cutting Flowers

 


One of my goals for the year was to plant some cutting flowers.  I didn't do a great job of it, but some of the perennials came through.  And, there is still a little time.

Today I drove to meet my retreat friends for lunch.  And then tonight, to Aaron's scrimmage in the opposite direction.  Those were the first trips out of my "neighborhood" since the surgery. 

What I need now is to just relax, to go back to my life, to trust that all will be well.

To start sewing again.

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Certified

 


How wonderful is this?  My garden has been certified as a Plant for Pollinators Garden by the Cincinnati Zoo.

Sarah helped me register my plants and find the milkweed plant, which with the Baptisia is a host plant for several species of butterflies.

And thanks to Kristen for sharing some seedlings and seed pods from her lovely garden.

Of course my garden looks so much nicer than it did when Sarah arrived.  Along with weeding, she moved around a few plants.  Last night there were a couple of wrens flitting about and eating echinacea seeds.

And now to settle in for the quiet days, after company.  I haven't tried any sewing yet, that will happen, but probably not today.

Monday, August 11, 2025

Saturday


Sarah left this afternoon, and the house is way too quiet, of course.

But, my energy is returning and it's been fun getting out and about.

Saturday morning we went to Aaron's scrimmage.  His school is large, and the team was divided into two teams for the scrimmage.  I was glad we got to see Aaron play.

After the game, Sarah wanted to go to a large nursery north of the school because they had the milkweed plants we wanted.  When we got there, they were closed, I'm not sure why.

There was an injured morning dove in their driveway.  It could fly, but just barely.  Sarah has a tender heard for injured critters.  She put it in a box and called around to find a rehabber.

There was someone about an hour up I75 so off we went.  We dropped off the bird, visited a nice local nursery that had the milkweed plants, and had a good dinner before we started for home.

And that was Saturday.

Thursday, August 7, 2025

The Great News

 


We had two nice days in a row with nice rain showers.  I loved the water droplets that stayed on the plants overnight.

The new air conditioner has done a lot of dehumidifying but little actual cooling.  And that's fine with me.  The ten-day forecast shows temps in the high 80's but no 90's.

But the great news - I had a good eye doctor visit today.  The gas bubble that held the new piece of cornea has resolved and everything looks good.  The post-op drops have been decreased from four to one.  No more restrictions, and I no longer need to sleep flat on my back.

And, I can cut off that green bracelet warning that I have a gas bubble in  my eye, contact ophthalmologist on reverse side of the bracelet before treatment.

I don't have to go back until almost three weeks.  Hopefully now I can relax and not be as anxious.  I didn't expect that anxiety, but it's probably normal after last summer's repeat eye surgeries.

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Surprise

 


When Sarah came last night, she brought this delightful piece of pottery from a gallery display that I'd enjoyed.  I'd especially liked the shiny leaves.  It was the nicest surprise.

On her way, Sarah stopped in Berea to run two miles on the college track.  (This is not a surprise.)  She never ran track, but she did have one year of college cross country, different track though.

I'm doing well post surgery, just more tired than I expectedAnd bored, there's that too.  I see the doctor again on Thursday and am hoping to be cleared to do a little sewing/piecing. I'm just not sure if that would be too much bending, but I'll find out soon enough.