6/23/21

Early Start

Another day without jury duty. Wow. I'm living a charmed life right now. Four more call-ins, and I'll be finished. It's hard to imagine I'll make it without reporting even once, and the numbering system tells me that I'll be in the next group if there are trials to be held. Up to now I've escaped mainly because cases have been settled without going to trial. Fingers crossed my luck holds. 

No jury duty, but that didn't get me excused from PT. It's my last session today, so that's something worth celebrating. My shoulder still isn't 100%, but it's pretty good. I still have pain reaching over my head, but it's giving me steady improvement. At this point, my thumb is the most troubling part of those two injuries. It is improving too, but I doubt it will ever reach 100%. Time and patience...that's all I can do for it right now.

It was another warm day yesterday, but not as hot as Monday. We finished our grocery shopping, and then headed for home. When things were put away, I got busy watering the flower pots, and then made my way into the sewing room. With the A/C running, it gets like a meat locker in there, and so I donned a sweatshirt to avoid freezing to death. Smitty was my helper cat for the day:



There, I finished about 25% of the bear quilt:


Smitty thinks this could easily be a mouse quilt. I'm hoping to get at least another 25% finished (halfway) today. 

That seemed like enough machine sewing for the day, and I needed to go upstairs and warm up a little. So I spent some more time on the binding for the farm quilt. Surprisingly, my two lengths of thread took me around the fourth corner. Now I have just about 50 inches left to stitch. I should be able to finish the binding today.


It was late in the day by then. I went outside to check on the cherries. Oh my...they are getting close to ripening. With a hot week ahead, I'm hoping they'll be ready soon. I have lots of ideas for these.


On the canning list, I'd like to try some sweet cherry pie filling and some cherry salsa. Also, I'll do some in simple syrup. I use those for my favorite cherry cobbler. We're down to just one half-pint jar of sweet cherry barbecue sauce, and so it's time to make some more.

While I was out, I noticed another flower on the Stargazer lily, and a third one is coming. 


Also, the second bud on the Garden Treasures peony has opened. It's looking a little worse for wear from the heat. This is the last peony of the season. I'll be deadheading the remaining spent flowers, and that'll be the year in peonies.


I've had no response from the growers on my Rosy Prospects peony questions, and I've requested they answer my first email sent three weeks ago. It would be disappointing if they don't respond. I'll give them another week, and then let them know I'll be shopping elsewhere from here on. Poor customer service doesn't fly here at the Three Cats Ranch.

Okay, so my early start means I'm getting out early to hoe the weeds in the vegetable garden. I need to leave at 10:30 for my PT appointment, and I want to get the job done before the heat sets in. I'm pretty sure I'll finish off the quilt binding today, and I'll probably finish off Calendula Patterdrip's third block today. Sounds like a lot of slow-stitching in today's activities, doesn't it?

How are things at your end? Are you keeping cool?

6 comments:

Barbara said...

It was luxuries like air conditioning that brought down the Roman Empire. With air conditioning their windows were shut, they couldn't hear the barbarians coming. ~ Garrison Keillor

Lyndsey said...


I've been called for jury service three times. The first time I was pregnant with older daughter and my delivery date was in the middle of the dates I was given, the second time they had to close the court because they had a serious water leak that caused a lot of damage and the third time was for the Old Bailey. On the Friday before I was due to start they rang to say all cases were ongoing so I wouldn't be needed.
I love the star gazer lily and the cherries look good.

Julierose said...

We had a major cold front sweep through last night and winds are now out of the North and we've just about reached 70 with low 56 dewpoint...lovely day.
Your bear is coming along so well--this will be so cute!!

Hugs, Julierose

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Beverly said...

It is cool and low humidity today in my area in North Carolina. The perfect day for outdoor work, which I have done. I have never had stargazer lilies and peonies at the same time. My lilies are really slow in blooming this year but are beginning to swell and may bloom in a week or two. Those cherries are lovely - wish I had some.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Cool here too - but supposed to warm up again towards the weekend. Hope it does!
As for your sewing room being cold with the a/c on...could you cover the vents? When my dad lived with us, his 'digs' were in the basement and it got quite cool so we cut pieces of corrugated cardboard to cover the vents and then sealed the entire thing with good ol' duct tape. Easy to remove and a cheap solution. Mike has probably already thought of that.....