Egg-gads!

Have you ever seen as turquoise/blue as this robins egg is?? Click on the photos and look really close at the marveless nest building she had done! It took her 2 days to gather all of the ingredients and then another day to do the "plastering" of the mud and then the next day to add the cushy dry straw material before she decided it was "just right" to start her family!!!

Robin and Mini's!

Okay, I have to say there is never a dull moment around here!!! Last week as I opened the living room drapes to greet the morning, there was this bunch of "weeds" stuck in the ribs of the umbrella!! Now I know they were not there the day before! As you can see we have a Robin who is claiming this "spot" to build her nest!!! She was undaunted by the tilt of the umbrella and when the gust of winds we had tipped the table and umbrella over, didn't phase her! I ran out and straightened it up! Boy, that just was ok w/her!This spot is usually where we enjoy our morning coffee! It will be awhile before we can claim our "spot"! I thought these photo's would be in seqence, but I think you get the idea of the progress.

Robin does not mind that we are living in "her space". Even our little Skipper dog looked up at the construction w/wonder!! So meantime....I am working on my mini baskets and watching one of God's creations unfold practically in the house.....!!!!! DH has taken over the photo documenting, I'll post the progress.

More Fun Views!

Okay, I know I get all giddy in the spring! I just can't help it! Yesterday was our first 100" of the year and I was afraid these Iris's would wilt before I could capture them for the "archive"s! Then of course this is my first year that my Lavendula is really struting! Can you see

the little honey Bees?? Of course the Lilacs are almost done, but boy is the fragrance overwhelming between all the flowers!!! Swallows actually are in the bird house nesting. They have for the last 3 years!!

But really, I did sew today! I am confessing it is a UFO from exactly a year ago! I promise not to post anymore flowers .....until the roses come into bloom that is!!!

Spring Is Bustin' Out !!!!

This is my new Birdbath I recieved from DH for Mothers Day!! Now I have 4 of them!! DH took these wonderful 'shots' of the nest of baby Grosbeaks. He snuck in the overgrowth at the creek bank and found them just hatching. Doesn't the closeup of the Bluebird look unreal! They are nesting in a old mailbox ! We have so much fun just birdwatching! I really need to put the pedal down and do some "pieceing". It will be "showtime" before I can snap my fingers and I will not have anything to show!!!!

Mother Day!!!

What thoughtful kids I have!! The UPS came rolling in on Friday late and handed me a great big green box! Inside were 2 dozen of the most beautiful roses a MOM could want from our DD & SIL and Gkid in Oregon. They were carefully wrapped and the stems stuck in wet florist foam. The vaase was wrapped separate and then tucked in also was the box of the most delicious little chocolates ever!!! Then the little booklet that told how to cut the stems and arrange them and put the special flower preservative that was included! They actually smell like roses!! Then Saturday afternoon the local florist truck came while we were away and left the other lovely assorted flower arrangement on the porch! From the DIL and DS that live a mile away, who were out of town attending a car race in Redding. On Sunday morning I woke up and shuffled out to the kitchen and looked outside to see what the birds and bees,etc world was like and right before my eyes was a beautiful dark turqious ceramic bird bath sitting where the other leaky one was! Wow, how did that get there without me knowing about it??? Well... unknown to me Saturday night while I thought DH was on the "web" he was out in the dark hauling this "bird bathtub" out of the pickup and setting it up as quietly as he could. I didn't have a clue, just watching a old movie and didn't even know nothin was going on!!! I really was surprised and so out I went in my 'jammys" and slippers and examined it and then DH and I sat on the patio drank coffee and waiting for the first bird to take a drink out of it!!! So fun!! Well, as if that was not enough attention, our other DS and his girl friend hosted a delicious Tri-tip BBQ for me and her Mom and her other family members on Sunday. Then as if that wasn't enough excitement I get a email from my good friend SuBee whom I share our love of quilting with. She tells me to go look at her blog and I of course did and found out that I won the drawing of some most adorable sewing critters shelf sitters she had for her celebration of her 200th published blog http://pieces-of-time.blogspot.com/ You can see them on a previous post of hers. Sooo darn cute! Well, you can imagine that I feel so honored. Thanks to her DGD Madeline who drew the lucky "ticket"!!! What a day!!!

My House!

I have always prided myself to "soldier on" when ever I am presented w/challenges in life. I say this sincerely. I have faced a few "dark days" in my life and then the "sunshine comes"! Of course I always credit all the "sunshine" in my life to "Him"......who never would or has given me any task I couldn't handle.... until now! I don't think "He" knows about "mini paper piecing" quilting!!! (I am not shouting, really!) Our "mini" class was told by our teacher that we would be more "challenged" this year. She wasn't kidding!!! I was very anxious to do the house blocks and we have the option of creating a "Christmas sock" or a "mini" quilt. I opted for the quilt! So, here is as far as I have gotten! Eeeek! As you can see this "block" is 3 inches. The inner block, the house is 1 1/2 inches. The house alone has 15, count them, 15 pieces! "Oh," you say, it is paper pieced". Yes, but, I was frazzled just trying to choose colors, you know I am "color challenged"! I have seven more to design. The block is somewhat "wonky" besides! So....I think this is going to be a long time in the making!!! I am exhausted just thinking about it! Of course I could make them look all the same, but, would you live in a house that was painted like your neighbors?? I don't even know if this is a 3 bedroom 2 bath home!

President Dottie's Block!

This is my contribution toward our http://llqg.org President's gift of the guilds namesake block! aka "Ladies of the Lake".

We were asked to create it out of "poka dots" w/white on white as the background. Even though she is going to serve a second year we do this after the first term! It is supposed to be a "surprise" at the May "birthday" meeting! I hope all of the members can contribute one block! That should put about 90 blocks at her disposal!! I need to "autograph" this before I turn it in! Wouldn't that be a super sized quilt!!!!