Becky and I went to Thursday Night On Main in Clear Lake last night – the first we’ve gotten to all summer! And it was so chilly we had to leave early – and I even had a long sleeve sweatshirt on!!
Today will be a busy morning as Sarah and Josh are coming to clean the barn. I won’t do any scooping or lifting but I’ll move stuff and herd the chickens.
My cousins from California joined us last night – we only see them once a year and it was so good to catch up. Jill is going to be a grandma this fall and was telling us that her friends had a “gramma shower” for her. Does anybody else in this group have these showers? She got things for her house that she’ll need when the baby comes to visit.
Sad news – I just addressed my card to Linda last night and I got an email from her this morning. Her husband of 53 years passed away last week and of course she simply hadn’t had a chance to write and tell me yet. So my card, like yours, is not a sympathy card but a note of encouragement which I explained to her. My intentions were good.
Everyone asks me if I’m in pain – I am not in any pain. I feel completely normal and will continue to feel fine unless that tumor moves or starts bleeding again.
Reader photos
So sorry this is late – too exhausted last night to write but ready to go again this morning. Someone wrote and asked if I could sit still and my answer would be that it’s hard. Seems like such a waste of time when I could be doing something.
Thanks for staying in touch!
Yes, my golf group does Grandma showers, all the time. Also, we give a book, instead of a card. Our next grandma shower is at the end of the month.
I’m with you, when it comes to sitting still, can’t do it!
Glad you’re feeling better, and yes prayers were answered.
It’s so nice to know you were able to go out an enjoy your evening. Hurray! Gosh and what’s going on with your weather? It seems so odd it’s been so cool in Iowa when the rest of the country is boiling.
Your hens look great. Do you still have the rooster and does he crow and wake you up?
The cat is beautiful
It’s good your helpers are coming to help you clean the barn.
I’ve never heard of a grandmother’s baby shower. But I think that would work. Ha!
So far we’ve gotten 4.5 inches of rain from 2 different systems. No damage here but other areas nearby suffered quite badly with downed trees and lines.
Hope Saturday is a good day. The northeast is really having a time of it with the flooding. Watched buildings on the news and houses just lifted up off their foundations and floating away. I can’t imagine.
Hope you have a good Saturday.
Pat in Md.
A summer concert sounds like a swell event, so glad you felt up to going. It has been chilly here the past few night and early mornings. The card is a keeper for sure, it needs to be saved. We have been busy cleaning up the yard from the trees we had removed, lots of raking and just tiding the woods. We discovered we also have poison ivy in our woods, ask me how I know, ha. Once it’s cleaned up we will spray to kill it and hopefully get some wildflowers planted this fall. It’s been perfect weather to work outside.
Mary,
Glad you enjoyed the music out with Becky. My husband and I went to music in the park on Wednesday night in our downtown. Biscuit went with us and he enjoyed the kids who petted him. There was one little girl who had just finished an ice cream cone and dripped a lot of the ice cream down her shirt. Biscuit was up to the task of cleaning up her shirt!! He made her giggle, too.
Cindy, that fox is really cute! Great job. I love that cat’s eyes! Mesmerizing!!
I remember seeing a butter cow and calf at the Michigan State Fair many times. And your chickens make me laugh….is it necessary to be in the dish to eat the food?
Have a great weekend everyone.
Happy to hear you went out to enjoy an evening doing things you would normally do. It is good for the soul to continue to have normal days. Always enjoy the pictures you post on the blog. Thank you Mary.
Our daughter-in-law didn’t want a baby shower, as they have already been given so much from friends, so they are having a family get-together (her parents and siblings live 5 hours away) with everyone for an afternoon celebration. The invitation says:
“If you would like to bring a gift for the baby please bring a book and write a small message of wishes or wisdom inside the front cover. Your favourite book as a kid, second hand or new stories welcome.”
I was delighted to read that – you can never have too many books – and we get to catch up and meet family that we rarely see.
Pauline in South Australia
What a beautiful cat! Does she (he) have a smidge of Siamese? So pretty!
Love that adorable fox. Much patience to make it, I think.
And, those healthy, happy chickens! Are they laying now? Almost looks like a white egg in the grass.
Glad you and Becky had fun last night. Seems strange for it to be so cold this time of year. Is fall upon us already? Maybe we will move into a lovely Indian Summer.
I did not even know you could carve a huge butter statue without it melting all over the place. Nice!
Sue – oh, it’s in a refrigerated case – go to Iowa State Fair and read about the Butter Cow and more.
Hi Mary, the blue eyes on the cat are beautiful! Caitlin for president!haha!Busy day yesterday, put final border on quilt found the black wool batting l have had for 25 years and pinned the string star quilt and quilted the first block! Today lwill bake a bacon and egg pie to take for lunch with my little sewing group, so time to get moving, take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Sandy! Please don’t be such a tease! A bacon and egg pie? You must share the recipe!
What a beautiful cat😊
I know what you mean about not sitting still and not doing anything! One of my boys says that I am like a border collie — can do anything except nothing. Always have to be moving around and doing something! Why is it that people like us marry men who can fall asleep in 4 seconds and sleep anywhere at any time of day? I’m sure that I irritate him as much as he irritates me! LOL
Susan – yes, why is that? Rick snoozes in his chair all evening, gets up and falls asleep immediately in the bed. A 30 min cat nap at 2 pm will keep me awake till 2 am! Ugh
Mary, I’m so glad you are not in pain. You can do things and feel like a regular person. Sounds like you and Becky had a good time.
The butter statue is perfect. What an honor for Caitlin.
My small quilting group has had “grandma “ showers. We pitched in and got car seats and high chairs. The grandma’s said it was wonderful, not having to switch car seats all the time.
I took pictures of my sewing/quilting rooms and tried to label them. I couldn’t figure it out. I think they used a special “Apple pencil “ to edit the pictures on an iPad. But, I’m not very techy.
It has drizzled rain for 2 days here. Total of 1/4”. It did cool off.
Jo – please just send the pictures – we will all enjoy them!! I think a grandma shower is just perfect!!! Nope, no pain – I just helped clean the barn and now it has sweet smelling cedar chips for bedding.
I’m so glad you got out last night and that you are not in pain! I feel the same way about just sitting and not doing anything, although I need to sit every once in a while, because my back hurts so bad. Such a waste of time. I need to have something for my hands to do.
It’s very overcast this morning and cool. I have my windows open before it gets into the 80’s today.
Have a great Friday everyone.
Im so glad you got to go out and have fun. When medical things are going on it feels like all you do is go to doctors and not feel up to snuff. That is funny that you had to leave early due to being cold. This summer the weather has been very different. Yesterday it was 107 here and today it’s supposed to only get to 92.
I think a grandma shower sounds like a fun way to celebrate a new baby in the family. I know among my friend group we are all so excited to hear about a new grandbaby.
I finished two commission quilts this week and ship them off today. I’m working on binding on a quilt for myself. Pictures to be sent next week.
We’re headed back up to Iowa this next week. Plumbing will be hooked up in the bathroom and kitchen. It will be the first time we can actually stay in the house and not in a hotel or my son’s basement. Air mattresses and folding chairs for furniture until the new stuff is delivered. I wanted to order it much earlier but hubby didn’t. Now we have to wait 4-6 weeks which puts it into September. 🙁
Susan K – sounds like a husband! Why hurry into anything?
Susan what part of Texas do you live? My daughter is in Rowlett.
She is going through Breast cancer and meets with the surgeon next week. She has had two rounds of chemotherapy. She has been a real trooper and doing well.
I live in Coppell. I know where Rowlett is. I know a young woman who is now 12 years cancer free. She had a very aggressive form of breast cancer at a young age. May your daughter do as well!
Sharon thanks for the reassurance. It’s been quite an unexpected journey for someone so young. They have a 8 year old and he is doing so well with all that is going on. So proud of the whole family and the support they have in Texas with their friends. Most of their families are in Iowa so the support they have there is so precious! Again thank you?
Rita my son lives in Iowa but all family is in Texas. We bought the house across the street from he and his family as a second home. He has many friends and now his wife’s family there in Iowa. They have been such help for him through several hard times when his family is far away. So yes friends can be a big help when you’re far from family.
Bless your daughter for being a trooper. My daughter had breast cancer in her 30’s, very aggressive and she was on chemo for a year following surgery. She worked through the whole time and keep a positive attitude and is 14 years cancer free.
Mary, so glad you are able to enjoy some of the summer! Outside music always is fun. Your chickens look so big and healthy. A Good decision on your part as I know they make you happy. I am glad the pain has subsidded. Enjoy this br e so ion the weather, I sure am. Love to walk my dog around the block and feel the cool breeze.
Take care.
So glad you and Becky had a sister’s night out! We are headed to the fair on Tuesday. Really looking forward to it. That fox block is adorable but 43 pieces! Never heard of a gramma shower and I agree it’s ridiculous. We get up at 5:30 and walk during the week. It was cold this morning at 60 degrees. That’s crazy in the middle of August. So glad you aren’t in any pain but definitely don’t overdo it.
Definitely frame that red truck card. Just perfect for you.
That fox quilt block takes a lot of pieces but, sure turned out cute. I’m not a paper piecing quilter so, sometimes you can get the same effect with regular piecing but, usually takes many small pieces. Sometimes it’s worth the effort.
Glad you’re getting out and about and also having great company. Cool temps here this morning and, dare I say, a Fall feeling in the air. I’m not ready for that.
So glad to hear you have no pain, indeed a large blessing! Keeping busy seems like the best procedure at this point. You will be productive and keep your mind busy. My grandmother always said she felt better when she was working even if it was just piddlin’,
The butter statue of Caitlin just made my day! I haven’t been to any fair in years but always had to see what the butter statue was when I did go. Caitlin certainly earned that honor.
Summer is drawing to a close; grandson starts school next week and the following week is my birthday and then the next week is Labor Day. Whatever happened to those lazy, hazy days of summer? They just go by so quickly any more.
DebMac- I have lost the summer of 2024! Dang
Gotta love a carved butter statute at a state fair. Always went to dairy barn at Ohio State Fair to see it plus buy an ice cream cone🍦
Never heard of Gramma shower. I used what I had leftover from my kids for my granddaughters. I then bought and/or went to yard sales. That borders ridiculous. Never had a second shower for the second baby either. That borders on greed.
Don’t overdue it. My son had bariatric surgery and started feeling really good. Started exercising too much other than walking. He has felt stiff and sore for several days.
I took my grandson to the fair yesterday. We had a blast! To see the fair through a 5 year olds eyes is something special. I got a 3rd place ribbon on my table runner.
My sister in law across the street was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer last week. Started chemo yesterday. She had colon cancer 2 years ago, but then had sepsis and was too ill for chemo. This is just rebound from that. She’s strong and vows to fight it.
Take care of yourself and rest when needed. Glad you are not in pain. Small blessings, right?
Diana – yes, I’m sure a 5 year old would see the fair as quite an adventure! And 3rd place ? At the state fair? Well done!!! Sure wish I could see all the quilts. I’m so sorry to hear about your sister-in-law – sounds like she’s a determined woman if she’s been fighting this for 2 years. Yes, small blessings are good.