Read-a-Thon

I've been enjoying a marithon of Mark Schweizer's cozies featuring Hayden Konig, an organist-police chief in a small North Carolina mountain town.  There are 9 in the series; all delightful, with a touch of humor. 

Royal Clematis Purple

The clematis are in bloom.   This is the classic Jackmanii -- "the best known clematis of all time. "  Easy to grow,  @ a 130 year-old variety.  

I need this rich purple color for Granddaughter's quilt.  

But as so often happens, another "little" project has been inserted into the quilting lineup.

 

Summer Begins

Flowers, Anniversaries and Shooting Stars plus two Birthdays.  That's not a bite out of the heart, but a ring on it.  This banner fits above my kitchen entry-way bulletin board --where calendar and appointment cards are posted.  In keeping with the calendar format, the banners for this area are season related. 

Triple --Header Day

Two Chipmonks running across the patio, Groundhhog gorging on grass and a Deer grazing at the end of the woods.   Each took a turn having a meal in the back yard.

 

Today I didn't run to get the camera, this photo was taken a few years ago.  Today's deer was an adult.  If she had a baby with her, it stayed well hidden.

Tri and Goldie watched the chipmonks -- they aren't quite certain if the Chips are playmates or food "on the hoof" -- not that they are going to work for what comes in a tidy bowl at standard times, without fur or bones. 

Fictional Shop Name

Although the heroine is owner of an embroidery shop, there's a neighboring quilt shop named: Batty About Quilts.  Isn't that a great name for a quilt shop!

At Lights Out, Goldie and Tri felt curling up close was the best place.  The flowering shrubs withstood the brief moment of hail yesterday as well as the heavy rain. 

Need to hang my Summer banner -- have to get it out ; one of the few I didn't get a photo of yet.   

The Mt. Laurel is beautiful this year.  The faint red blooms are a red version of the laurel.  While I purchased the red one, the "parent" Mt. Laurel was on my In-Laws CT home.  Its blooms brings memories of them and that home.  Guess that ability puts the bush into the same catagory as a pass-down heritage quilt -- one that was used so it has good memories of family wrapped in it. 

First Summer Storm

Summer's first heat ended in a serious thunderstorm -- dark as night, a downpour.  Goldie and Tri vanished into their "safe place", under the bed, while I closed windows.   Fortunately we didn't lose power.  And I didn't hide under a quilt.  But enough with these weather extremes -- from blizzard to heat wave to thunder & lightening. 

Reading through Heat Wave

AC is running & I'm camped out close to it reading A Stitch Before Dying by Anne Canadeo, not the first by her that I have read & just as enjoyable as the others.  It's a knitting stitch, not a quilting stitch, but the knitting group is very much like a quilting group.  Other than the murder mystery, of course.

Goldie joins me -- his napping spot on the couch top is directly in front of the AC.  He steadfast refuses to even consider having a "lion cut".   

Have begun to collect purple FQs for Granddaughter's quilt.  Unfortunately purple doesn't seem to be an "in" color this season so it's slow going.  Need to check out some on-line sources.