I Like Thursday #164

 What a week!  A week full of pineapples, wisteria, pool prep, groundhogs, and honeysuckle!  Welcome to my 164th post for LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color, and I Like Thursday.  What is I Like Thursday?   It is a group of bloggers that share things they have found that they like/love during the week.  

I have been trying to grow a wisteria for several years now.  I had one that made it 3 years and after the chooks escaped, they made a quick meal of it last year, they took out my hydrangea too at that time.  I am told that wisteria is poisonous, but it didn't seem to affect them.  So I bought another, planted it and even put a trellis up.  I babied it all winter, and it was starting to show some growth at the end of April, when boom we had a couple of hard freezes.  Looking at it I was sure it was good and dead.  I hadn't pulled it up, but I did buy a new one (which I have yet to plant).  Imagine my surprise  when today, while I was outside working on the pool, I spied my old sad wisteria.

I am serious, a couple of days ago this was just a stick.  Now I need to figure out what I am going to do with my other one I just purchase.  Sigh. 

Every day I worked at getting the water and all the leaves off of the pool cover, and every day we would have rain late in the afternoon.  My day off it was raining and hot and humid.  It became a sew day.

I finished my green block.  

 The green row.  I actually used the black and white photo editor to arrange the blocks from light to dark.  

Then on to the blue blocks.

And the blocks all laid out. 

I started working on the purple blocks the other day, and have them all cut out, just need some time to sit and sew.

While prepping the pool yesterday I noticed a huge hole dug along my foundation.  A little further was another, and one more by the back porch! A big, deep hole!  A ground hog has been trying to create a new home, by infiltrating mine.  I think not!  So I put out the live trap, outside the biggest hole.  Imagine my surprise when I got home this afternoon.

I felt bad because it was so hot, even though it was in the shade, and it's toe was caught where the cage came together.  We managed to get the toe loose without harming the groundhog, and it was rehomed at the local nature area which is called a marsh about 5 miles away.  

I have been wanting to start on the knotty basket, but had a couple of challenges.  Thanks to Cheryl of Cheryl's Teapots and Quilts for suggesting Sallie Tomato.  This little shop has all sorts of notions for making purses, and bags, and they even had the Bosal that I needed sold by the linear inch!  My next challenge was the 3rd color which would be the bottom and the knots going around the basket.

I think this will be my choice.  The bright green on top will be the bottom of the basket and the knots. I am trying to be disciplined and finish the pineapple quilt top first before starting this project. 

Some other things that made my heart happy this week was this Lantana which is blooming.  I bought a pot at work with some pretty sad looking plants on closeout.  I planted them in a container and waited. 

I just loved the light pinks of this Lantana.  There is also a geranium, and some petunias in the pot.  

I had a couple of old galvanized buckets that I use on my steps, they are planted with more Lantana and petunias.

 One thing every year that makes me smile is my honeysuckle.  Once it starts to bloom my porch has the most wonderful scent all summer long!

Another thing that made me smile is this awesome cross stitch piece that I won during the It's a Wild Life blog hop a couple of weeks ago.

 I read a couple of books this week.

The Sleeping Goblin by April Fernsby.  This is the 4th book in the Brimstone Witch series. 

Cassia is a witch whose job is to protect the other enchanted beings of Brimstone.  A Goblin that works at a local hotel as a bedwarmer has been found dead.  The zombie in charge of the hotel causes lots of complications selling peeks to ghouls, causing Cassia's investigation no end of trouble, especially when the Goblin's body disappears.

Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delaney.  Gemma manages her great uncle's book emporium which specializes in all things Sherlock Holmes.  When a rare magazine is discovered in Gemma's shop, which she is positive is not part of the inventory,  Gemma  is determined to return the magazine to a woman she had noticed the prior day that had been carrying a grocery bag.  The problem is when Gemma locates the lady, she is dead.

The Snowdonia Killings by Simon McCleave.  DI Ruth Hunter arrives in rural North Wales hoping to escape the crime in London and start a new life.  Ruth arrives just as a murder of a prominent teacher at the local school has been reported.  Working with a difficult deputy Ruth hits the ground running.  

I also read A Brush With Death by Anna Lee Huber, the 6th in the Lady Darby series.  Kiera and Gage are summoned to his grandfather's estate, a place he has not visited since the death of his mother.  Langston Manor is dark, and foreboding, and the local women tell Kiera to take care and be careful of the darkness.  

 Quick update on my dad.  He is still in the hospital, the sepsis is getting better, but he is being pretty uncooperative.  Because he is being uncooperative, the doctor says they cannot send him to rehabilitation, but he can't go home either because my mom is not capable of caring for him physically. 

Now head over too LeeAnna's and check out the other I Like Thursday posts!