Word Gets Around

What is it about summer that if you are busy normally it is even crazier? 

I discovered that one of DH friend's wife was part of the Monroe County Quilt Guild.  At the last Monroe County Quilt Guild meeting she asked if I had any extra machines I would be willing to sell, she heard that I had a lot of machines.  Do I have any extra machines?  Unfortunately at that time I didn't but I told her I would keep an eye out for one. 

A few days later DH brought this home.

Not only was there a machine.  There was a case, and all of the accessories.  I sewed with it, adjusted the tension, checked that the cams worked.  I called and left a message that I had a machine if she wanted it.  She was thrilled to have it.  It is for her sister who is very ill and her sister was ecstatic about hearing that she had a machine which would be delivered in the next few days. 

A couple of days ago, another one of  DH's friends stopped by with a bag of stuff.  For me!  What was it?  It was boxes of machine parts.  One of their friend's wife collects antique needle cases and needle cards.  People send her boxes of stuff, including all of these machine parts.  She heard I collect antique machines so she sent these to me.  

Isn't that cool?!?!  There is a buttonholer, a zigzag attachment, ruffler, piping foot, blind hemmer, and a bunch of other attachments. 

I have done a bit of sewing, but not too much.

This is called the 10th star from Quilter's Cache.  You can find the pattern here. It took me a couple of days to paper piece the corner blocks.  Ugh!

I have made a few connector blocks also.  

I am working on a new version of the snails trail/ monkey wrench.  We will see how it works out since I am kind of just winging it.

I see on the news that many places throughout the US are either having extremely high temperatures, or a lot of rain.  We are having neither.  Mid to high 70's but no rain, but they keep saying it will rain, and it doesn't.  When I go to water, the wind is blowing and it is just kind of crazy.  So my garden looks pretty bad. 

Today I decided I would deep water my plants.  The buckets which we have been using are just the thing.
The buckets have a few holes in the side a few inches up from the bottom, and a bit further up.  The tomatoes were planted around the buckets and caged. 

The plants look like this now.

Yep in that tangle of plants and weeds, are the buckets and tomato cages.   I threw plant food into them and filled the buckets up.  While they were filling I picked.

Sugar snap peas

Zucchini and summer squash

and tomatoes!

Guess I will be blanching these and getting them ready for when I can.  They are not as big as the ones last year. 

I think zucchini bread is in order. 

I am almost finished with my training.  The last couple of days I have been running some of the bus routes, to the far flung corners of the district.  I am getting much more familiar with all the back roads, and because of that I finished early today.  When I pulled into the driveway DH truck was at the ancient Aunt and Uncle's house.  He was not home, and so I instantly knew that there was some sort of emergency.  I called DH, the Ancient uncle has been having some breathing problems so DH took him to the emergency room.  They are keeping the Ancient one overnight.  The MIL will be staying with the ancient Aunt. 

The girls are getting big.  I now let them out to free range, because if I walk outside with a little dish full of dried corn, they will follow me anywhere.

This little lady found the fish flies/mayflies which covered our garage a few weeks ago.  She is in chicken heaven obviously since she actually lays in the pile to eat.  I love their fluffy behinds!  They remind me of a dress with tons of crinolines underneath. 

Does summer seem to be flying by to you?