The Internet

I have been having computer problems and I was suppose to get a new computer. As with all things new in this category, nothing ever works out the way it is suppose to. The old computer is still here, sort of, as all it is doing at the moment is powering the wireless router. I have lost all e-mails from the past week and that account is non-existent at the moment. Hopefully this too will be resolved shortly. I do not like change when it comes to things like this simply because it is a pain in the butt!!!!

I have been sewing this past week. Need to do much more in that area. The journal classes are not going so well since I have not been home much this past week and I can't access the last lesson, due to the e-mail difficulties. I did find some fun papers and found some great sale items while in Denver this past weekend. I also keep thinking I should be using at least one of these journals I have made.

The garden has finally taken off as it is warming up. There are 3 baby zucchinis setting on, along with numerous tomatoes. The cucumbers in the garden are slow as are the green beans. We have been eating English cucumbers that are grown in the greenhouse. They do not like the Colorado climate outside the greenhouse.

I have gathered some flowers and have pressed them. I believe they are dry enough to use in the paper making at this point. I have wanted to do this for some time so will attempt it soon and post the results. I would also like to do some dyeing this week, it has been months since I have dyed anything.

That's enough

I have decided that it is time to clean off the top of the desk. I also need to back up files on the main computer. I have decided these two jobs go hand in hand. I get distracted with the cleaning part and don't pay attention to the computer and it has time to slowly do it's thing without me impatiently clicking on the mouse. Right now it is not co-operating, which is very typical. The desk is doing much better. I would say that I do know more about the computer since it doesn't like to do much of what it is suppose to and have to figure things out on occasion to make it work. Not anything very deep, complex or involved, but a few things.

I have also been busy on several other projects. The journal class is moving right along. Journal 1/ 2 is now completed. Lesson #3 was posted Friday and it is now Tuesday. So need to get on that and back to the wedding dress quilt project. I also need to clean the counter off in the sewing room and find a few things that I could not find last night when looking. Fortunately it had not been that long since I used them and remembered that I do have it someplace down there.

The outside garden is growing. The tomatoes are slowly issuing new growth and are still setting on those little tomatoes. Squash, beans, cukes and dill are all up now. We had our first cucumber on Sunday, it came from the greenhouse. One of the cucumber plants in the greenhouse has a 'cable' stem. Will try to remember to get a photo of it and post it. Very interesting. Something didn't get read correctly when that thing started growing. Hmmm, reminds me of the computer.

Back to work on this desk/computer project. It is something that I need to finish, as quickly as possible too. Both drive me crazy.

Almost Summer

It is hard to believe that it is the 12th of June already. I guess that is what today is and the year will be half over in 18 more days. That is what is really amazing to me!!! I told someone if I am ever knocked unconscious not to ask the date or the day. I won't get them right. I am lucky anymore if I know what year it is, I put '07 on a check the other day.

I am having technical difficulties when posting photos. They all end up at the top of the post and then I can't move them. One of those things I will have to work on as time goes by. I originally had three photos on here and now have one. I was doing good to get it down.


To the right is a photo of the journal I made in Sue Bleiweiss' mixed media journal class. I used batik fabric for the cover which is the fabric with the squares on it and you can see it on the tags. The lining has the floral image stamped on it. The tags are made by fusing fabric to card stock. These are kept in pockets or envelopes on the signature pages. I did sew the signature pages into the journal. I do like this method.

I need to start working on the next one as our third lesson will be posted tomorrow. I am also taking her other 12 week journal class and it started last week. The best thing is that I can use the journal I need to make for both classes this week. Wasn't that thoughtful of Sue?. Several of us are in both classes. So more journals to come and hopefully I will figure out this photo business.

Goodness time flies!!!!

I couldn't believe it had been so long since I posted. As I said, time flies and of course I have been busy starting a few things.

I did sign up for a fabric painting class on QU. I guess the thing it did force me to do was get the discharge paste out that I had had for awhile and had not yet used. Other than that, I guess I had learned most of the other things in Sue B.'s class and from the Dyehard lists, we do learn a great deal on those from one another.

I have also signed up for a couple of Sue Bleiweiss' journal making classes. Probably shouldn't have as I have more than plenty to do and it is summer, but I enjoyed the mixed media class I took last summer and want to make some more journals. It is an aboslute must to get the garden and all the planting finished before Monday.

The photo will give you a good idea of what I have been up to since I have been home from KY.

There are few tomatoes left in the greenhouse, but at the time this photo was taken there were 76 on the bench. We did plant 38 last week and I just about killed them, but they are tough and came back. There are three more that need to be planted outside. Half of the peppers have been planted outside.

The plants on the shelf are the flowers for this summer's hanging baskets and pots. They were rather tiny as I didn't get anything started until April 6th this year, but have grown and are still sitting on the shelf. I did get 33 pots and hanging baskets planted and we have taken those to our daughters, NOW to do ours. I started on that process this morning, but only have 5 done.

Today is a beautiful day. One of those late spring days that we cherish around here. The wind isn't blowing like a banshee, as it has many days this spring, we still have a few birds still passing through and the ones that live here are singing away. There are some big white fluffy clouds showing up, sure wish some would get together and produce some rain. Very, very dry.
As to interesting birds during this year's migration, we have had several new ones. One is a Blackpoll Warbler and the other is a Prothonotary Warbler. We did have a female Western Tanager and my favorite a Lazuli Bunting pair. It has been years since I have seen the the buntings. They really liked the dandelions that had gone to seed. A good reason not to get in a big hurry and remove all of those things. We have had numerous Yellow Warblers and Flycatchers this spring. It is the best birdwatching spring I have had in 8 or 9 years. It has also been fun. We have also had some Yellow breasted Chats and another favorite, American Redstarts. The Grey Catbird has been around for some time, a Mocking Bird, Brown Thrasher, different kinds of Thrushes. The regulars--Robins, Great Tailed Grackles, Mourning Doves, Eurasian Banded Dove, King Birds, Barn Swallows, and House Finches are busy with their babies.

The corn is small, the weather has not been kind to it. The wheat is still hanging on as best it can due to lack of moisture. That is life on the farm. Until later.

Guess What???

I was finally able to load another photo. This is of the balloon I painted in the dye painting class I took from Hollis Chatelain. It still needs to be quilted.

I started a QU class this morning. I have been very good about staying away from QU classes this year, until Thursday night. I had a weak moment, checked out the classes and ended up signing up for the Playing with Paint class. Sounds fun or maybe the paints were wanting some quality time. Nevertheless, I only have to purchase one thing for the class and maybe that is another good reason to have taken it, to gain more experience using the paints on fabric. Something I vowed to do this year, use what I have, learn how to use what I have and refrain from getting new things.
Many of the lessons appear similar to swaps on the Dyehard_Surfacing list, but I haven't done those swaps, so another good reason to take the class. Being in a class or swapping techniques helps me focus on learning that technique.
When I signed up I had planned on doing the lesson this morning, BUT I am a day behind as I forgot to get the yearbooks made for the quilting guild I belong to and the meeting is Monday night. I had forgotten all about them until I came across the folder in the file drawer yesterday morning when looking for an address. I worked on them most of yesterday, last night and finished them this morning. The best part is that I won't have to do them next year!!!! Yippppppeeeeee!!! They are a pain in the butt.
Had to stop quilting on the turtle for a few days as my back was bothering me. I thought that wasn't suppose to happen when working on a domestic machine. The reason I am trying to learn how to quilt on it since I can't do as much on the longarm anymore because of my back. My back is a pain as well.
So I am off to work on something, maybe clean the house? Sounds gruesome, but necessary. Still trying to catch up.

Hmmmm, started several things

Yesterday is the day set aside to rest and that is what I did. Today is a day required to catch up on things that have been put aside the past 10 days. It really wasn't too bad, Joedy kept things up very well while I was gone.
I do need to get out to the greenhouse tomorrow and transplant the tomatoes, clarkia, a few petunias, and verbena. It will be time to transplant everything into the planters shortly. It is the 5th of May. Everything is growing rapidly at this point.
I did work on quilting the turtle I painted in class this past week. Exciting to see it come to life. It really is hard not to work on it. That is a good thing, might be one of those things that actually get Finished!! What a thought!!!
I unpacked the treasures purchased in Paducah today. Always fun to touch fabric and think, that was a good thing to pick up. Ordered a couple of books we discussed in class and some print paste from ProChem. Have to have that on hand to paint more fabric pieces.
The photos are not co-operating tonight, what a surprise. So will sign off until tomorrow. Hopefully it will work when I finish the turtle. I would hate to finish something and not be able to prove it!!!

Recovering

Thought I would start off with some photos of the trip. This is the Kensington, an assisted living facility in Hastings where I stayed the first night. It is a fantastic old hotel that they have converted. The chandelier is quite impressive looking into the lobby area from the 2nd floor. The marble stairs are worn from the many hotel patrons of years ago. Sharon is the director of the Kensington. One of the vehicles they use to take residents to appointments is a PT cruiser. Looks very cool with the name 'Kensington' done up in script on the side. It was a fun experience.





Our first stop in Padcah Friday night was Caryl Fallert's. We then went on a walking tour in the lower downtown art district where the homes are being renovated through their artist program. The baby giraffe is outside one studio/home and on the opposite side of the sidewalk the mama stands, stretching her neck up to the 2nd floor porch. One of my favorite pieces of art in Paducah.

It was somewhat depressing when I turned onto the gravel yesterday for the last stretch of the journey. In less than 24 hours I had come from a lush environment of dogwood, azaleas, trees trees and flooded fields to a scoured, wind whipped landscape.
The only thing that looks better now than before I left are the pastures. They have started to green up, but due to lack of rainfall and the horrific winds the day before on Friday, everything else is going backward. The wheat is showing signs of stress, tumbleweeds, corn husks, wheat straw and dirt are in places they don't belong and are not wanted. The fields that are conventionally tilled are a mess. This is a fragile area we live in and sometimes it is pushed too hard by the elements and man.
I remember my grandmother saying that when they left Iowa all those years ago and headed west, through Nebraska and on into eastern Colorado, she thought she had fallen off the face of the earth when they arrived and had gone to hell. She was around 10 and walked behind the wagon most of the way. As beautiful as this part of the country can be, it can also be harsh, brutal and unforgiving.
Due to the 70+m.p.h. winds on Friday, our crab apple tree is now one third smaller. I guess we won't have to worry about it hanging out over the driveway any longer. Fortunately the grill was not torn up when the wind blew it over and with some adjustments, the satellite dish is back on its signal. Really glad I missed all of the action on Friday. I do need to dust however.
The plants in the greenhouse have grown rapidly, good thing too as I need to start planting them into their respective pots. The monthly bills showed up while I was gone as well. It was fun while it lasted.
Time to unpack the treasures and start catching up to life once again.