170th I Like Thursday Post

 Life has been busy, really busy.  My oldest daughter was coming to Michigan for 48 hours to pick up the grandchild and carry them home.  In order to spend the optimal time with her I asked for a weekend off which meant that I worked 7 days in a row.  This is the first time one of my two older children came to visit since I moved to Michigan over 18 years ago.  Throw in arranging for a last minute flight to Oregon for the youngest daughter since their grandmother on their father's side was placed in hospice it was even more chaotic.  The house is quiet now, Bobbin is missing her people to hang out with, and life is getting back to normal.

The baby chicks are getting big.  We tried to put them in the pen with the rest of the chickens, and the next thing you know, they are out and about.  I think one of them is a male, it is always standing off from the others almost like it is on watch.  That is what roosters do. 

I have taken a few days to clean up a bit, work a bit and figure out life a bit.  

Do you Tik Tok?  I am not a creator, but there are so many fun thing--Funny things, educational things, informational things, just to name a few.  One of my favorites is hikingtok, especially women that hike and travel alone. All of them have said....life doesn't always turn out the way you imagine.  If you wait for the right person, or the the right time you miss out, so you must learn to be fearless.  I have seen several creators refer to All Trails, it is an app which show trails.  Imagine my delight after downloading the app to see many hiking trails nearby.  

Since my diet and weight loss has kind of stalled, and it is important to keep moving, and frankly when it is hot, the treadmill is just not cutting it. I know that I am going to have to start going to the gym sooner than later, and to quote Game of Thrones "Winter is Coming" I knew I needed to make some changes.  Today I decided to go for a hike at Point Mouille Loop using the All Trails App.  It is a 3.8 mile easy hike through a wetland, down the estuary of a creek that empties into Lake Erie, along the lake, then circles around and comes along the wetland.  I checked the weather before I left, loaded up Bobbin, a gallon of water, a travel dog dish, and doggie bags.  The walk was hot, but windy so it wasn't too bad.  There were some neat flowers along the way.

Gorgeous pink morning glory.

Purple Loosestrife

 

 Spotted Knapweed.  

There were tons of bees, butterflies, and dragonflies of so many colors--,blue, green, black, brown, even an orange looking one.  I just wish they sat still long enough for me to get pictures of them.  

With the wind blowing the lake had waves that reminded me of the ocean.

Unfortunately Bobbin was not thrilled with the hike.  We hit a spot and she found some shade.  

I just can't go on mom.....

You go on......leave me here.....save yourself. 

I picked her up and carried her for almost a mile.  Then I got a chime on my cell phone, which indicated that a severe thunderstorm was on its way.  We needed to get back to the car.  Let me tell you, adding 12 lbs of dog and about 6 lbs of water helps you get zone minutes easily.  We got to the car just as the skies opened up.  I think I may need to buy a doggie backpack.  It is a pack that carries things, but also can carry a pet too.

My hydrangea actually bloomed this year.  I was so thrilled.  I will say there is a lot of weeding to do, I started to weed yesterday, but suddenly there was a huge ant's nest and they were having none of it, at least me disturbing their home.  Soon my legs and feet were covered with tiny biting ants.  I read recently if you use artificial sweetener that it will destroy ant nests.  I used to put Sweet & Low in my coffee, but over the past few months I have began using PureCane sugar which is made from sugar alcohol, so I have plenty of artificial sweetener to use on the ants. 

Hopefully it works. 

I have a pile of mulch that needs to be spread, but it has sat there, and has some volunteer plants growing, yes it has been there for a while. 

I decided to leave them and the sunflower has many heads waiting to bloom, but this one opened up today.

I finally had some time to sew today, since Bobbin seems to think that 5 am is a great time to get up.  

I made the 4th block to a QAL I am doing with a girlfriend's group on Facebook.  It has taken me almost a week to just cut this out and sew it.  I have been that busy.  I will say that it only took me about 1 hour to make it once I sat down to sew. 

The name of her QAL is Joy in the Journey.

These are the four blocks that I have made so far.  I am still a couple of weeks behind.  Week 5 has four sets of blocks, I have one set cut out, chose fabric for the 2nd set and will shop my stash for sets 3 and 4. 

I also managed to make another 6 1/2 inch pineapple block.

I have many more to make.  I do like that I have been using up scraps to make these.  I have a lot of strings that are 1 inch to 3/4 inch which I need to start to use up, perhaps making string blocks. 

I did manage to finish something recently.  All the quilting was done in August of last year, even the binding was on, I just needed to hand sew it down.  Vintage Glory.

I have my chicken pillow to finish, and I recently purchase some really cool fabric for the back.  I love the packaging that it arrived in.

Books, oh boy have I been reading and listening to books.  I discovered ways to listen to my books on my Iphone and so I listen to almost one book a night if not more at work.  

Not my normal type of books which are contemporary romance but I read two in this series by Jill Shalvis.  

Instant Attraction---Katie Kramer is a a good girl and after a traumatic event has decided that she needs to make some life changes and live life "balls out".  Her first change is she quits her job, and after landing in Wishful, California with a job as a temporary bookkeeper at Wilder Adventures and Expeditions.  Katie wakes up one night with a gorgeous man standing over her.  The man is Cameron Wilder, a one time bad boy snowboarder and thrill seeker.  Cameron needs to get back on the snowboard after a terrible accident, and come to terms that he is no longer the number one snowboarder in the world.  Can Cameron help Katie learn to live in the moment, and can Katie help Cameron get back into his world of adventure?  I will say that I enjoyed the book, and the Wilder family and everyone that works at Wilder Adventures and Expeditions. 

Instant Gratification is book 2.  Cameron and Katie are off on a pre honeymoon world tour rock climbing, hiking, and enjoying life.  Dr. Emma Sinclair has returned to Wishful, California to cover her father's medical practice, and urgent care while her father is recovering from a heart attack.  Enter Stone Wilder who is brought in by his brother T.J. after a hiking accident.  Dr. Sinclair has to deal with Stone's injuries, while Stone thinks a band aid will be enough.  Emma can't wait until her father heals enough she can return to her New York life, and the adrenaline of the emergency room. 

After losing a bet Emma has to learn to loosen up a bit and Stone is losing his heart to this woman that is planning on leaving soon.  

Over Her Dead Body by A B Morgan.  Gabby Dixon is dead which is a surprise to her.  After her recent divorce and the loss of her mother, she is trying to start her life over, when everything stops.  Her bank accounts are frozen, and then mysteriously all of her personal identification is stolen.  How do you prove who you are when you don't have all of the necessary paperwork.  Gabby who is always in control and life is completely planned hires Peddyr and Connie Quirk to assist in finding how this all happened and to get her life back.  

The Shadow Catcher is the 3rd book in the Sheriff Lansing mysteries by Micah S. Hackler.  Single father, rancher and Sheriff Lansing is facing a serial killer that leaves an owl feather and a young boy that seems to foresee the deaths.  What I really enjoy about this series is that it covers several different Native American cultures and their legends.

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia Manasala. This book was read by several people recently and has been considered a hot summer read.  I will say the book is written well, I enjoyed the characters and the humor. 

Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor.  London September 1666 during the great fire.  The son of a disgraced printer, James Marwood is watching St. Paul's burn.  In the aftermath of the fire a body is discovered and Marwood is tasked with finding the killer.

Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent.  Violet Morgan is an undertaker in Victorian London.  Violet's husbandGraham is more interested in elevating their position within society, while Violet is cultivating a sterling reputation for Morgan's Undertaking.  Graham all but abandons Violet as he schemes revenge, and Violet begins to suspect some of their recent cases were murder.  Violet receives a royal commission and tries to find a murderer. 

Fellowship of Fear by Aaron Elkins.  Anthropology professor Gideon Oliver is offered a teaching fellowship at US Military bases.  On his first night he fends off two black clad attackers in his room.  He soon discovers the previous two professors met untimely deaths.  

Murder on Mustique by Anne Glenconner.  Anne Glenconner was a lady in waiting for Princess Margaret, and recently wrote a book called Lady in Waiting.  This book is a fictional account of a murder on the Isle of Mustique a real location that Anne Glenconner's husband developed and the ultra rich and famous lived and played.  

Their Chilling Fall by  Mary Ann Trail.  This is actually a 2nd book and takes place with a shipwreck off the coast of Cape Breton in 1804. Georgina and Jeffrey Chadwick are on their way to Boston to start a new life.  After being shipwrecked on Cape Breton, there are a few people who died, but one was definitely murdered.  The survivors walk the 25 miles overland to the biggest city, Sydney which has a fort.  Jeffrey Chadwick is tasked with finding the murderer.

I chose this book because I spent a month in Sydney, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton when I was working for GM, so I thought it would be a fun read.  

Thank you LeeAnna for encouraging us to find things to like/love during the week to share with others.  Now head over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color to check out the other I Like posts.