All Ahead Slow

The day got off to a good start yesterday. I started with a little slow stitching, working on making my way around the binding for the Poppy Mosaic. Before I needed to leave, I turned the first corner, and was closing in on the second.

Before I go on, I want to address this email subscriber issue one more time. I'm hoping this is the last I'll need to say about it. So, the Follow.it emails seem to be arriving. They are in my email inbox, at least. I hope they are in yours too, if you subscribe that way. (And, again, how would you know if they aren't?) So anyway...if you've replied to these emails the traditional way in the past, by hitting reply, and simply emailing back...that isn't going to work any more. These emails are no-reply to the recipient. If you want to respond to something I've written, you'll need to do this: Click on the title of the post (indicated with a red arrow below). 

Then, you'll be taken to the actual web page, where you can leave a comment at the bottom of the post.

The only other thing you need to know about this is that the emails will go out approximately an hour after I've published. Previously, they were all sent out around 2:00 a.m. and so they were in your email inbox when you opened it in the morning. Now, you'll receive them just a little after I've written them. I suppose that's both good news and bad news, depending on your point of view. Okay, and so now I think I've covered it. Please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions or you're having some kind of problem with this.

All right, so back to the farmer's market...it was the first time I'd been to the Beaverton Farmer's Market in these COVID times. Masks are still required, and the aisles were roped off and marked so that everyone walked in the same direction. Also, most fresh veggies were behind a counter, and so we just pointed and asked for whatever we wanted. It all ran smoothly. I was only looking for a couple of onions, but it's always just fun to visit the market and see what the vendors are up to. Erik and Mae bought me two pretty bouquets of spring flowers.

They'll make a pretty table for our get-together this evening. I have one bouquet on the table, and one is on the breakfast bar.

Arriving home, I found Sadie busy nibbling at some grass in preparation for barfing back inside the house...on the carpet, of course. Sheesh...what cat worth her salt doesn't know where to make her deposit?

When she saw me, she considered running in the opposite direction. (Isn't that one white whisker so funny?)

Meanwhile, Smitty was surveying the landscape wondering where he should set up some sprinklers.

Recent rains have kept everything watered pretty well. He's appurreciative of this brick walkway so he avoids getting his white peets muddy.

The two of them together worked out a plan to capture the gopher leaving mounds along the sidewalk.

I took a little walk around to see every blooming thing. The Bleeding Heart is having an excellent year.

The third rhododendron has produced some flowers. This one is my favorite. They look like orchids.

Also, the first flower has appeared on the fourth rhodie. 

There is still one more dark purple rhodie that is still in tight buds. It's also in contention for my favorite, but it won't open for about another week or so.

The potted geranium has produced another flower. When I planted these last month, the squirrels immediately ate every flower. I'm hoping they'll leave this one alone.

The lithodora has produced a carpet of deep blue flowers. 

There were some housekeeping chores to take care of inside, but eventually, I made my way back to the poppy quilt and finished off the binding. Of course, Sadie was there to help every stitch of the way.

I wasn't expecting to finish it, but there you go...all four corners.

And that's a finish. This is a pattern by Jane Kakaley. It ends up at 34 x 47 inches.

Here's how it looks from the back:

This is my project for May's

so I'll link up to the party at the end of the month.

This morning, I finished off the middle of the 6th plate for Pieces of the past.

Now, I'll just start working my way around the edges of the plate to finish it off. I expect it will take a couple more days.

With so much slow stitching, I'll be linking this post to

Today will be both busy and not. I need to bake a pie, and that will take up the bulk of the morning. We have seven coming for dinner...our family of five, and then Matthew will be bringing his main squeeze, Lyndsay. She's freshly back from Bali, although she's been back about a month now. Mae is bringing her mother too. Everyone is vaccinated. Such a relief.

Dinner will be prime rib and the usual sides. I made a green bean dish yesterday. Mike is smoking the prime rib. Mae is bringing a salad. Aside from the pie, my only contribution will be the mashed potatoes and gravy. I'm looking forward to having everyone together for the first time in a long time. We got together last month for Matthew's birthday, but Lyndsay wasn't with us yet. It'll be good to see her again, and I'm betting she'll bring along those beautiful fabrics she purchased before leaving Bali. As a reminder, she chose a selection for a landscape quilt I've been dreaming of making for a long time.

Aren't they pretty? I can't wait to lay hands on them.

So, a busy and fun day ahead. Happy Mother's Day, everybody! I hope the day treats you well.