Greenery

No more was accomplished in the sewing room yesterday. When I got home from the grocery store, I was completely wiped out. After putting away the groceries, I sat with a cup of coffee and put my feet up. Then, in an act of stoutheartedness, I resisted the urge to take a nap by going out and watering the annuals. (This made my little cat very happy since he could go with me.) My thinking was that after coffee and activity, my desire for a nap would decrease. It did not, and I gave in after that.

The grocery store has always been my bugaboo as long as I can remember. There was a time when I sat in my car in the parking lot, steeling myself to go inside. There is no rational explanation for this, but I've always thought it's the many decisions one must make once there. It starts the instant you drive into the parking lot...choosing a place to park. Once inside: cart or basket? Fresh or frozen?

Corn or peas? Chicken or beef? The decisions are endless, right up to the point when you unload your groceries from the cart. Paper or plastic? And don't even get me started on people who seem oblivious to others who are also shopping, blocking the aisles with their carts while they chat with someone. It seems ridiculous that it tires me out so much, but I've given up thinking it will be different. The only reward is the feeling of power I get when I'm all stocked up and the groceries are put away, and I don't have to go back for at least another week. Please tell me there are others who feel the same way. 

So even though there was no sewing, it was a good time to finish up Block #5 for the Bee-utiful Quilt-A-Long. This block is called "Bee Courteous". Those little honeycomb hexagons took forever to stitch.

While I was at the grocery store yesterday, I picked up a catnip start and a basil start. My basil is resisting efforts to prevent it from blooming. Once they bloom, they turn bitter, and they're not much good for cooking...especially when basil is the star of the show. The catnip was for the catio. This morning I headed down to the greenhouse to pot them.

Along the way, I noticed that another sunflower has opened. This one is called Floristan.

Also, I noticed that the hydrangeas are claiming their turn to shine. This purple one was a Mother's Day gift from Erik and Mae. I keep thinking it will change color, but it's been in the ground for about three years now, and the purple is as bright as ever. 

This one has pink, lavender, and blue flowers all on one bush.

This is our largest plant, and it didn't bloom at all last year. I think I might have pruned it a little too vigorously. This year, it's covered in flowers, and they are huge...about the size of a volleyball.

Here's my new basil. I've taken to buying the living basil in the produce section, and then potting it. It lasts longer that way.

The tomatoes continue to amaze me. I'm so glad I switched to Romas this year.

The foliage is looking beautiful and they are covered in flowers.

While I was in the greenhouse, I noticed this at my feet. Obviously, a squirrel has been hanging out here using it as his private dining room.

And there's the potted catnip for the kitties. Mike is going to work building some shelves this weekend. In the meantime, we've put a chair and an upside-down trash can with some cushioning for napping. Also, I put a little crackly tunnel and an empty box. There's also a ring toy with a ping pong ball. I have yet to see either of them use any of it, although Sadie spends quite a bit of time out there. Smitty is staging a boycatt.

The next block for the quilt along won't be released until Saturday, which gives me some time to get back to work on the Gingerbread Square block. And that's where I'm headed next. Before I go, however, I wanted to share this product someone posted on Facebook this morning. She said she had washed a quilt and had red run into white fabric. This seems to be a common problem, and so I'm sharing this product. I can't vouch for it, but the original poster said it worked to solve her problem.