Happy 83rd

Happy Birthday Mary!

we thought Richard could start your day

with chocolate and strawberries

for breakfast in bed

1953

just love your fashion statement

you were such a fashionista even then

yellow rose from our garden for your special day

stylish to the max

pink roses from the garden just for you

1957

family portrait you made Richard and Rick sit for?

so sweet and so good

flower cupcakes for lunch

gorgeous light pink peony especially for you

the 1980s

Richard's smile is getting closer

our luscious dark peony just for you

2003

He found his smile!

birthday cake for dinner

with your own special wine glass

We hope you have a great day and

many more wonderful years!

Love June, Jennifer and Sandy

Thrift Find & Finally Organized

A thrift store has opened up down the road from work and I finally seen their sign and stopped a couple of weeks ago. While there I noticed this great filing cabinet and asked the price. The little ole guy said $45 but if I would come back on the following Tuesday it would be 1/2 price. I couldn't wait for Tuesday to get here and low and behold no one had bought it.

Mine

my awesome bargain for $22.50

folded the legs up and the tabletop fit perfectly

and the rolling cabinet will roll right out of the way

my latest find at TJ Maxx

perfect for some of my scissors and accessories

looks so good above the bookcase

everything finally has it's own place

material for quilting out of the way

I really love all these roll around cabinets

cast iron hat rack finally has a resting place

will be great for little baskets and ribbons

view of my awesome new corner

even left room for the spare bed to the left

another rolling cabinet for odds and ends

only have a small stack of books and patterns

left to sort and file

bookcase for hardback books

needlepoint, cross stitch, quilting and gardening

pretty boxes for special threads and bookmark supplies

I love working in my corner now. I just need to make labels for the drawers so I can remember where I have put everything since nothing is even close to where it used to be. It is amazing to be able to see what you have instead of going through totes to try and find something only to realize you need the bottom tote instead of the top one. I even have room for more stash. Can't get any better than that!

Enduring Blooms

Despite the heat and lack of rain we do still have some blooms in our garden.

petunia - from last year's plants

trumpet vine on outside edge of garden

crape myrtles in the garden

more crape myrtles in my reading corner

they seem to thrive in this heat

We finally got some much needed rain and clouds Tuesday evening and most of Wednesday. What a welcome relief!

Heat Wave Continues

According to our local news we are about to break our record for consecutive days over 90 degrees and with very little rain in our area. We have had several occasions that the sky darkens and thunder rumbles and it cools down some but no rain for us. It is taking a toll on our garden.

our little pond dried up Sunday morning - first time since we built it about 15 years ago, thank goodness I was taking pictures so got it filled back up before the water hyacinths died

new peonies not taking the heat very well

weeds appreciate the watering

hydrangeas looking limp

at least they do perk up when watered

its really bad when the weeds starting looking limp

bald cypress trees

looks like winter approaching

So far we have chances of rain for every day this week with Wednesday being the best shot we have. Hopefully they are right as watering is not nearly enough.

Hot Summer Blooms

The hot hot hot dog days of summer are still with us. We have been in the 90s most days with the heat index close to or over 105 since June and our flowers just keep on blooming.

pink geraniums by driveway

Mom's surprise lilies

ice plant by little pond

butterfly weed with butterflies

amazing how many are attracted to this flower

swing fixed and ready for Uncle Richard and Betty again

Cross Stitch Finish

American Cancer Quilt Block

Patchwork Roses

Cross Stitch Flowers by Jayne Netley Maynews

14 ct White Aida, DMC Floss

Getting Organized

Trying to get my stuff and Mom's stuff better organized is a job all by itself. We are fortunate to have an extra room upstairs where all her crochet afghans and yarn goes along with my cross stitch files, supplies, quilting material and computer stuff. And we have all our gardening books along with the cross stitch hardback books and quilting books. Too much stuff and not a big enough room. I am finally making headway and we can actually find something when we need it. Thank goodness for Walmart and the back to school specials on tubs and cabinets that will work great until I find what I really want.

finished baby afghans

easily accessible

yarn that Mom can get to

containers marked with what is in it

blocks ready to be made into afghans

everything in containers or bags to keep them clean

misc cross stitch stuff fills this trunk

computer table cleaned off

so I can get to the keyboard

and my new corner with tables to work on

Now I just need a free weekend to dig out all my cross stitch and quilting supplies from their hiding places and start putting them in my new cabinets. Mom and I screwed the small red ones to the wall and I will be putting my extra DMC floss, specialty threads, trims and small projects in them. Found some red metal hanging file holders at JoAnn's for current projects due for my kids squares and rolling cabinets under the tables for quilting material and projects I want to make for Isabella. Can't wait to get them all filled up.