Another week goes whizzing by

So what have I managed to get done this past week?

My house is reasonably clean now, LOL. That was a several day proposition since I did the kitchen and living room one day.  Bathrooms, another day.  Bedrooms on still another. I got a new vacuum cleaner as I could no longer use the on-board tools on our old one (something wrong with the hose??).   I need the crevice tool etc for cleaning around the baseboards and so forth.  This one is much lighter weight, bagless and narrower across for getting in tight spaces.  I still hate vacuuming but at least it is no longer killing my back.  It also has some pet tools which will be good for cleaning the upholstery.  I used the brush deal on my lamp shades as Skyler has gotten those a bit furry especially since he has decided to sleep on the pass through near one of them.  SIGH

Paul, my neighbor's son and my friend, had told me if I needed any help with something to let him know.  He thinks he needs to do something for me for helping him out with his disability papers but he doesn't.  Glad to have helped wade through the paperwork.  The vacuum cleaner came sort of assembled but sort of not.  I asked him to be on stand-by in case I couldn't figure it out.  I also had a tiny repair job on the laundry rack--missing bolt, needed a longer screw maybe.  He fixed it later after seeing to his mom's car radiator emergency but I got the cleaner assembled myself.  Once he finished that little job, he said he was ordering pizza and cheezybread--come on over to his mom's for some when he got back from picking it up.  Glynda and Robert joined us.

No more antics canning but I gave away most of my output from the Zuke and/or Cuke-Carrot Relish.  Maybe a good thing it might 8 pints!  I've barely cooked anything lately really since this is prime salad and sandwich weather lately.  I grilled a ham steak and nuked some corn on the cob but the leftovers turned into ham salad.  My relish is good in THAT too.  Oh, I did make a batch of Hummingbird Muffins but that was mostly to get the bananas out of the freezer since they kept falling out of the door. I farmed some of those out and stuck the rest out in the chest freezer.  I have all the ingredients on hand to make some Pad Thai using this recipe for Colorful Shrimp Pad Thai but thinking of doing it vegeterian using some tofu instead of shrimp.  Maybe tonight, but more likely tomorrow.

It has gotten so hot, like today my phone says it is 95 while my thermometer says 98-99.  We need rain.  I think we are officially in one of the drought counties.  The yard has gotten even more brown and crunchy than it was.  The Rose of Sharon is in bloom while the gardenia is about done.  It still smells good in the back but the blooms are drying up.  The main thing in bloom right now are the Mimosa trees with their fern-like leaves and pink feathery flowers.  I think they are actually an invasive plant like kudzu, Chinese Privet and the like as you see them on the roadways in spots where folks obviously did not plant them but they came up anyway.  Donna says that they have a sweet smell but I can't say that I ever noticed that.  I know that the blossoms are slippery to walk on along the walking trail when they fall and get wet.  No rain, that's not likely to be  a problem.

I was able to get into the dentist's office this week once they returned from their week off, first thing on Wednesday morning.  You may recall my mentioning that I had a back crown pop off over Memorial Day weekend.  At first I could put it back on but of course, it would not stay in place so I placed it in a clean condiment cup and tried to avoid chewing on that side of my mouth.  I got some of that repair stuff but then worried about getting it on wrong--not easy to get my fingers back there to place it in the first place.  I let the expert deal with it!

Margarita had called and needed someone to ride along with her to the Ashville Quilt Shop on Wednesday. I told her I would be happy to go but I probably could not leave till after 9 since I had that dentist appointment.  Shop doesn't open till 10 anyway and it would take about an hour to get over there.  I guess she is really directionally challenged so it is wise to travel with a buddy.  Some of the girls from the Heritage group in Attala meet in the classroom there on Wednesday including Jennifer who does some of our long arm quilts.  Margarita had two quilts to pick up--those two I had helped her with the pre-sashing--and a third top was ready to deliver to Jennifer.   I needed some background fabric for "Strips Plus" that I would like to make down the line.

The following day I was back to the same block as the dentist office.  On Friday the doctor's office had called and said I was supposed to have a thyroid ultra-sound.  The radiologist advised it be repeated at 6 months.  First I had heard about it! Neither the MD or the endocrinologist had said anything about that at my appointment.  In fact, the endocrinologist had sort of minimized the size of the nodule and said it was not the cause of my current over-activity.  I didn't refuse to have the test done but had to voicemail them and see if it was necessary, etc before I scheduled it.

I went to the Friendship Quilt show on Saturday with Jane, Aline and Donna.  This was our old guild in Pell City so we saw a lot of our old pals at the show or working in some capacity.  I have some pictures to share of my favorites but will do that in a separate post.   A couple of the members of the JOY Guild were vending over there.  I got a couple of Rachel's Peek-A-Boo animals and probably should get a couple more for the other great-grands that are on the way but I can get with her about that over-sight.  The dog and panda are adorable!

The fabric on the back flips over to cover the little faces making the Peek-A-Boo.

AND, yesterday I was finally able to get in the sewing room to finish up my version of Floating Squares.    It is much prettier in person.

The backing is prepped and the binding made and pressed too.  This was some yardage that Marilyn had given us/me for Belles to use on our donation stuff.  I finally found a top it would work on though it had to be pieced.  My top measures exactly 45 inches and too wide for the standard usable width once the selvages are off.  This was the "before" shot but I was able to piece it so the break in the stripe was not too noticeable.  Even though I got it a little out of sequence you can't hardly tell it on the side "end to end" piece either.

Since I had combined two different charm packs to make the Floating Squares top, I knew I had enough of those for another top.  What about the background yardage?  Would I have to order a bit more?  This morning I counted up and was about 7 blocks worth short of the background components for the pieced blocks.  I cut through the scrap pieces and available yardage and eked out all the 5 inch squares with 4 extras.  I even managed to get two strips out for the top/bottom borders.  If I don't mind more than one seam in the long vertical, I could eke out on one side anyway--but I do mind!  Plus the least you can order is 1/2 yard.  I hit the sale section of the shop for something that should work for the backing.

The batting is all fluffed up and cut to pinning size.  I'm taking it to Belles tomorrow with the other two I have ready to pin, if we have time and inclination.  Lois has some tops to deliver so I will need to get pictures of those and log them in.  Also Margarita may need some cutting help/advice since she said her next project is a D9P for a family member.   I'll be on stand-by, LOL.   My traveling machine is in the car as it always is and I tossed the Seas The Day stuff I had prepped recently in there to sew though I may not have time.  I'm thinking that the Layer Cake Lattice I cut out at the last meeting might be my next "sew at home" project, right after I change the needle and de-lint the Singer.

I am also considering doing the Moda Bake Shop Bee-utiful Quilt-a-Long.  Pamela Morgan from Sweet Little Stitches has designed some really cute original embroidered blocks that all have a bee (or two) somewhere on the block with some pieced sashing.  The resultant quilt looks fun though I don't care for the busy handwriting print around the embroidery but could sub out for that.  The first block "Bee Curious" was just posted last week--a cat with flowers and a bee.  Might be fun!  I love embroidery and have not done much of it lately for some reason.  See what I have in the way of a white or light background fabric that is not committed elsewhere......

Guess that's it for this installment.  Hope you have had a good day---