How did it get to be Friday already??

Where did the week go??  I guess time has a way of getting away from you when you are busy, both inside and outside the house.

Wednesday I finished up the chopping back of the weeds on the bank.  Who knew that there are raspberry vines buried in all that thatch and old kudzu vines??  I didn't care though as I sprayed insecticide anyway.  I learned my lesson from the day before and slowed my pace, going out quite early to just cut.  I cooled off a bit and then ran to Lowe's for another gallon of Roundup.  Just spraying was not as difficult as trying to do both jobs at one time.  I hope that task is done for a few months.

Of course, I am so out of shape that I ache just about everywhere --the back of my legs, my back but mostly in the muscle in my forearms from using those big clippers.  LOL, I don't know what the real name is for them.  I know from when I used to try to trim down the holly bushes in the front of the house that they were hard on my arthritic-y thumbs but I had forgotten about the arms.  I could barely stand to carry my purse today.  Forget about carrying anything!  Right after I was done with the work, I had such fine motor tremors that you would have thought I had Parkinson's.  This yard work is not for sissies!  How in the world did DJ do all this with his chronic heart valve problems. Paced himself probably and just sucked it up and did it.

Yesterday the inside tasks began but then my day started really early.  Skyler was insistent on my getting up a little after 5.  When it became clear that going back to sleep was not going to happen, I was up and looking for a Chevron/Streak of Lightning pattern that I knew was in one of the Judy Hopkins' books.  They later combined the patterns from three of the books into one large one that has been quite the popular book in the Belles library.  Theramae made several pattern from there and when she passed away, the book was added to our collection.  She had made that Streak of Lightning as a matter of fact with some bright colors and dotted fabric that turned out pretty cool.  I am considering that for Baby R's drag around quilt.  I had the dog walked, the floor vacuumed, a load of wash done and the dishwasher going all before 7.

Later,  I cut and kitted--------after doing some calculations and how many strip sets etc for each color I cut out the modified Loop the Loop for the guild challenge piece.  I don't think the quilt will be completed but possibly I can have the top done anyway.

I cut out my picnic quilt hop piece and even have the backing cut and ready to seam.    I'll be sewing it as soon as I get the wall hanging quilted.  No, you have to wait to see.

My friend Mary Frances is back in the area  for a few days.  She is originally from Indiana though she and her husband Lynn lived here in Calhoun Co when his job brought them to the area.  They moved back when Lynn retired.  It did not seem possible that they have been gone for 12 years.  I have seen her in the intervening times since we did the Collinsville retreats some time back but we never seem to quite hit the right schedule for when Bama Belles are meeting.  We met Thursday night for dinner at Top of the River along with two of the Belles that knew her and Mary Frances' friend Judy who lives in the Georgia side of the line.  Good to get out for supper and visit with my friends.

Today, I went over to the church to pin my Storm at Seas wall hanging.  My table in the sewing room is as wide as the tables at the church and it is elevated BUT I cannot use clamps on three sides of it nor can I get on the other side of the table. It sits in the corner of the room but the underneath part if so loaded with supplies that it cannot be moved without moving all of it.  Not worth it.   It is just easier to drive the 12 miles or so to the church and do it there.  I considered the saw horses outside and the use of the old laundry door out there but even that sounded to complicated.

You would not believe how well this backing fabric matches the body of the quilt.   One of the Belles will be relocating in the next couple months to Ohio to be closer to family and she donated some of her fabric.  This was one of the pieces in there.  There is also a larger length of more blue shade of the same line.  I've got most of the stuff I brought home with me washed but not pressed.  First of all, DJ was always the one to help me get those long selvages lined up.  2nd, it has been hotter than nine shades of hell already.   I  had enough of standing over the steam iron when I cut out the two quilt kits!

While I was out in area, I ran over the Publix for a few groceries.  It being the holiday weekend, I decided I was going to cook out and be a little indulgent.  I have been eating meals from the freezer essentially for a week and half.  Sunday dinner last week was a couple of corn dogs so I thought I could do a little better than that!!  I got a nice looking t-bone, a bunch of asparagus, a cantaloupe and few ears of corn.  Now I got to tell you, I do not cook steak often enough to be very confident that I won't ruin a nice piece of meat!  I pulled out one of my grilling cookbooks and it had a dry rub recipe that sounded super peppery and in fact they called it "T-bone Picante"   Surely I could dial back all the pepper and use it.  Good choice!   I ate the filet part tonight and part of the rest of the meal,  tomorrow the NY Strip part.  DJ would have loved the meal--well minus the asparagus, I'm thinking.

When I was out grilling Oscar was romping around playing with his rawhide bone and showing off.  Forget the rawhide thing when he got that real bone from the steak!   I went out later to walk him, got the leash on him and I swear he was going to take the bone along with him.  Or preferred to stay in the yard with it!   Normally you cannot keep him away from the gate and he is hopping up and down like a dog on a pogo stick.  Nope, not tonight.  Yes, the yard needs mowed and the clover has really taken over the whole yard.  He is back in the house now minus the real bone and already sacked out in his crate with the door open.  Poor doggie is beat!   We walked in the park this afternoon thinking that there might be a bit of shade (not much) and that nice breeze from the past few days, non-existent---two laps around between the tree watering stops and a hair over a half mile total.

Meanwhile back in the house, Skyler was working over his scratching pole and chasing around a rubber band.  I took it away from him once he managed to bite through it.

...........and then this is what he managed to find to occupy himself once I took his "toy" away.  My sewing machine carrier for the Singer.  Nosy, nosy boy.

 I haven't seen the kitties for a few days but assume that everything is okay there.  Mamacita didn't show up for me to feed her till the middle of the afternoon.  Usually she is here about the time I take Oscar out for the day and feed him or chases over when we go out for the first walk of the day.  LOL my morning routine though Skyler always gets first dibs on me.  Always!

I had planned on at least sewing some binding and seaming up the back of hop quilt but that didn't happen.  My mom called and Oscar needed one more walk before he came in, etc.  Next thing I knew it was almost 7:30.  Out of the notion now but then I have a whole weekend to fill.  Why not sew?