Day 187 of 2026

I have found a few notebooks and notepads that have notes and lists 

from previous trips I've taken. 

This one was from a trip to a quilt show almost ten years ago 

at which I took some classes.

 The part I like the most is at the very top. 

We were told to quilt the big designs first, then filler designs 

and then (my favorite part) grid where you forgot to fill. 

I did not have a problem with today's picture. 

Tomorrow I'll go back and see if I can get the others to work.

 

Day 186 of 2026

Today's throwback is from July 4, 2014. 

Please see this post 

if you missed why I'm giving you throwback pictures.

 

Day 185 of 2026

Today's throwback is from July 3, 2015. 

Please read yesterday's post 

if you missed why I'm giving you throwback pictures.

 

Day 184 of 2026

My computer is doing things I don't understand. 

I think I'm going to have to go talk to someone, 

but since this a holiday weekend, I'm not sure when that will be. 

As of right now, I can't get my pictures here. 

Until I can remedy that, 

I will post a picture from the same date in a different year. 

This one is from July 2, 2016. 

It was not picture of the day but an outtake 

from the photo shoot of this quilt that did make the blog that day.

 I will replace these temporary pictures 

with the ones I have taken on the correct dates 

 as soon as I am able. 

In the mean time please enjoy these blasts from the past.

Day 183 of 2026

The volunteer walnut tree next to our deck 

has started producing fruit for the first time

 after years of growing. 

I suspect it will be a mess below, 

but it has finally become a great source of shade 

so I'm not complaining...yet.

 

Day 182 of 2026

I love seeing all the planes lined up at their gates.

Luckily, there was a family pick up to be done today.

 

Day 181 of 2026

Every laundry day I start out with eight of these dryer balls. 

Sometimes I end up with eight. 

Today I ended with six. 

I am curious to find where the others went. 

 

Day 180 of 2026

Color two went pretty fast and 

I have decided the rest of the order of colors. 

I've started color number three 

and have finished a few rows already.

 

Day 179 of 2026

Today's work in the studio was all about patterns. 

I'm nowhere near done yet, but gathering, sorting 

and decisions about which ones to keep are happening.

 

Day 178 of 2026

I've started color number two on this knitting project 

and was able to get a few rows in today.

 

Day 177 of 2026

It looks like it may become the summer of the hat.

 

Day 176 of 2026

When I fill the bird feeders, as I did today, 

there is ultimately some spillage of seeds. 

I leave them on the deck so the four-legged critters can enjoy it. 

Today the little red squirrel was the first one to notice 

and benefit from my plan.

 

Day 175 of 2026

I've been checking for buds on my hydrangea bushes, 

and today is the first day I have found some.

 I can't wait to see the blooms I get this year.

 

Day 174 of 2026

Fireball and I got a sweet note from GB#3 in the mail today. 

It came on this adorable note card. 

This art is called "Ukulele Airplane Cats" by Pepe Shimada.

 

Day 173 of 2026

We're headed home and decided not to take the interstate 

with all the slowdowns due to summer road construction. 

We're taking the state and county roads

 that have similar travel times. 

This way we can enjoy the expansive fields, farms and sky.

 

Day 172 of 2026

We're on an adventure today and got to meet up 

with someone we haven't seen for years. 

We accidentally both wore our super hero sweatshirts. 

I had to document it.

 

Day 171 of 2026

I've started something new. 

I think I finally have a system to remember what to do 

on each row thanks to the alternating colors of the markers. 

One color is for right side decreases 

and the other is for the wrong side increases. 

Day 170 of 2026

I'm making some pudding to keep in the fridge for emergencies.

 

Day 169 of 2026

It was a dark and stormy night. 

I went out front to see how hard it was raining 

and was distracted by the pretty ferns lit by the porch light 

and showing off new growth. 

 

Day 168 of 2026

Cardinal at the feeder. 

He also spent a good amount of time on the ground 

under the feeder.

 

Day 167 of 2026

I saw a woman online take an orphan granny square

 and attach it to a baseball cap with a logo she didn't like on it. 

It occurred to me that I had a tote given to me

 that had a blacked out name on it. 

Then I remembered that I have a bag of orphan granny hexies

 that were meant for another project that I will never finish.

I had quite a few that were good options

 but ultimately chose this one which gives me bright summer vibes. 

I sewed it on with a large zig-zag and matching thread 

and now it feels like a new tote.

It already has a knitting project in it.

 

Day 166 of 2026

Today I tackled the thread drawer.

Most of my quilt piecing threads will go into the drawer I have emptied 

instead of being scattered in various places on the sewing table. 

The full spools of the type of thread pictured above 

that I use for clothing, topstitching and other sewing 

that needs matching thread will be relocated. 

I will be trying to use up these almost empty spools 

for things like basting and bobbin thread. 

I'm not sure how I'll store them yet.

 

Day 165 of 2026

GB#3 performed tonight with his summer theater group. 

They had a great time and we really enjoyed watching him perform.

 

Day 164 of 2026

My daylilies currently go on for days.

 

Day 163 of 2026

Today was the strawberry festival on the circle. 

We went early this morning 

and avoided the biggest crowds and lines. 

 

Day 162 of 2026

My studio has a set of cubbies 

along the back edge of one very deep desk. 

My original bins are two different turquoises and red. 

The red ones have started to disintegrate 

so I am replacing them with white bins

 as I continue to clean up the room. 

I should have enough white bins to replace all the bins 

if more start to disintegrate.

 

Day 161 of 2026

GB#6 has a front row seat as we watch the truck outside.

 

Day 160 of 2026

The yucca has suddenly bloomed.

 

Day 159 of 2026

Fireball and I took GB#3 to Indiana Comic Convention today

 to celebrate his birthday. 

We had a good time and he seemed to be quite knowledgeable 

about most of the characters walking around. 

He was excited to get his photo taken with this one.

 

Day 158 of 2026

 Fireball and I are working on a long procrastinated project today 

and needed some supplies from the local home improvement store. 

It is amazing how many boards will fit in a small car 

when the back seats will flip down revealing the trunk. 

These 8-foot boards spanned the distance from the back of the trunk, 

almost to the radio past the console

 and to the tops of the seat backs.

 

Day 157 of 2026

This chipmunk has been chirping on the deck for a while. 

He has moved to the edge 

and is ready to sprint for the bird feeder.

 

Day 156 of 2026

I filled the feeders today 

so I spent some time watching the increased activity. 

It may not be especially clear to see, 

but the adult woodpecker (stripes showing) 

is feeding a young one (belly showing.)

 

Day 155 of 2026

I haven't seen a nuthatch in a while, 

so this was fun to see.

 

Day 154 of 2026

It's on my list to learn how to solve my new puzzle tomorrow,

but I accomplished the task early.

 

Day 153 of 2026

Happy Birthday, Big D!

 

Day 152 of 2026

I have so many daylilies with buds on them, 

it's not possible to get them all in one picture, 

so I decided to concentrate on the one

 that is most likely to open first.

 

Day 151 of 2026

I have acquired two new puzzles. 

I've scrambled and solved the holiday cube,

 but it's going to take some research and practice 

to get the hang of the pyramid one.

 

Day 150 of 2026

I've been cleaning in my studio to enable me to get in there and sew. 

I found this under a stack of fabrics. 

Do you remember when I did the repair on the front of this quilt? 

After that I was stumped as to how to repair the batting and backing

 in a manner that will allow me to hand quilt the areas

 that are missing their quilting due to the original damage. 

I have an idea how to approach it, 

but for now it will have to go in a queue 

while I continue to clean up and out the studio.

 

Day 149 of 2026

I made a copy of a favorite salad 

from a restaurant we sometimes go to. 

It was really good 

and definitely needs to be on the menu again soon.

 

Day 148 of 2026

Puffy Checks Socks update: 

I promised to let you know 

when I reached the straight foot section

 of these socks. 

The decrease section on both socks is done, 

and I have am halfway to the toe section on my first sock. 

It feels like real progress.

 

Day 147 of 2026

GB#6

Swinging at Grandma's house

 

Day 146 of 2026

Fireball and I did some assembly today 

and are now ready to provide some ice cold drinks 

at our next family get together.

 

Day 145 of 2026

This is one of the two fruit boards my DIL and I collaborated on 

for our Memorial Day and Indy 500 family gathering. 

They were a big hit.

 

Day 144 of 2026

We went to our first farmer's market of the season 

and were still there when the vendors 

started breaking their booths down.

 

Day 143 of 2026

We went out late in search of specific things. 

The above items were not found,

but we did find the stores quite free of crowds.

 

Day 142 of 2026

I feel like these socks are coming along like

 The Little Engine That Could. 

I'm done with the heel flaps 

and these adorable little pink heel turns on both socks. 

Now I am going to be chugging away

 at the gusset decreases for a while, 

but I know if I keep chugging, I'll get there.

I'll let you know when I get to the straight foot section. 

If you weren't sure, 

the picture yesterday shows magnetic water balloons.

 

Day 141 of 2026

We're having a family gathering on Sunday. 

I'm hoping the weather is nice so we can use these. 

Do you know what they are?

 

Day 140 of 2026

I've been seeing a lot of peonies in bloom lately. 

I finally got a chance to get a photo of one. 

It has been raining a lot here lately 

and the extra weight of the water on these large blooms 

always drags them down. 

I don't have any in my yard, 

but always love to see them out and about.

 

Day 139 of 2026

We had thunderstorms today so I took the opportunity 

to listen to a book 

and work on my mending project.

 

Day 138 of 2026

Fireball and I have been married for fifty-one years.

We had a great day together planning some backyard projects, 

grocery shopping and having an anniversary dinner out. 

Exciting. I know. 

But we have fun hanging out together 

and find ourselves laughing a lot. 

Maybe that's the secret of 51 years -

 hang out together and laugh.