Tuesday Tidbits 6/14/11

WEATHER
The beginning of last week was unbearably HOT and HUMID. My car thermometer said:


A few days later...


The past couple days the temps have been in the lower 70's with no humidity. My kind of weather!


BIKING
Finally, the weather has been *just right* for a bike ride. I mean the pedal kind, not the motorized kind. lol

I feel lucky that I have a beautiful bike trail nearby. It's surrounded by trees, creeks, pasture, and fields. You can't go far without seeing the local wildlife: chimpmunks, squirrels, cardinals, red-wing blackbirds, and more. For the first time since I've been riding the trail, I saw a mama deer and her fawn. It was very cool! The Jane Addams Trail is rich with history, too.

On Saturday, I rode 17.5 miles. What a stupid crazy thing to do my first time out this season! My legs felt like jello by the time I got back to the parking area. As the evening wore on, my legs thighs ached more and more. Around 8:30pm, I had to take three ibuprofen. I took three more when I went to bed. In addition to the aching, my legs felt like they weighed 50lbs each. I was still recovering yesterday when I went to work. I was glad I have a job where I sit! Today, I'd say I'm 98% recovered.


HOMESTEAD CHRONICLES
When I blogged about my shelf project a couple weeks ago, there were a few people who asked what was going on them and/or *expected* to see stuff on them, lol. For inquiring minds, behold...

These are things I gathered up from various other places in the house. Places where it didn't make sense to store them. You can't see it, but my iron is next to the spray starch and wrinkle releaser.


GARDENING
I'm happy to report that the seeds I planted are starting to come up! Yay. In addition to the veggies I planted, I also planted the sunflower seeds Betty in NV sent me in the mailart exchange. Those, plus the watermelon and cucumbers are up.

Here are more photos of the flowers I have planted at The Homestead:

These are Double Knockout Roses. They bloom all summer long. They are doing very well this year!

A couple years ago, I was driving down a country road one day and another homestead had some roots in a plastic bag with a "Free" sign on them. I took them home not knowing what they were. These are sundrops, I think. They open up when the sun is out and close up at night. Toward the back of the photo are Coneflowers, which aren't blooming yet. Both perrenials are spreaders.


STITCHY STUFF
Thanks to a couple of my blog readers, I've found out the kitty I rescued last week is part of a series called "Cats, Baskets, and Quilts". Originally, it was a series in a stitchy magazine. Now, it's sold as a kit.


Edgar from Blacksheep's Bit of the Web received the HOE snowman-themed ornament I stitched for him. I had a hard time sending it off cuz it's so darn cute!

Design: January Stamp Flip-It
Designer: Lizzie Kate
Fabric: 32ct Silkweaver Solo Evenweave (Turquoise)
Fibers: GAST and DMC
Embellishments: Tiny Snowflakes
and Runched Ribbon
OK, I lied last week when I said I was going to put Blossom on the back burner while I stitched on the mailart. She now has a hand!




I stitched on the mailart, too. No pics, though cuz it's surprise! Whoever sent the frogs my way... Thanks. Thanks a lot! I stitched an entire leaf in three colors and ended up frogging it all. Good news is... I've restitched the entire thing and then some.


Until next time,