No eclipse in North Iowa – it’s raining steadily but I did watch on TV.
Just FYI – the quilts I showed yesterday were on display at the Expo. They were not our quilts nor were they part of the trunk show. That’s why I said I wish I would have asked someone to take pictures during our presentation. Connie and I were too busy talking and showing quilts to remember to take pictures.
Reed was here last week – he loves Ernie Joe Mauer and it’s mutual!
I threw out almost every jar of hot dog relish because I would not have wanted to give it to anyone – it was just too hot! So today I’m making another batch with SWEET peppers.
Hope you enjoyed the eclipse – that is IF you could see it!
That picture of Reed and EJM is precious! We are in sw Montana for two months and enjoyed the eclipse with friends at our campground; it was about 90%. Good luck with your relish.
We had a perfect day in Dallas, Oregon to watch the total eclipse. We felt very fortunate to be able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We certainly won’t miss all the hype that preceded the event!!
Here is SC-we were in the direct path of the eclipse. Needless to say-traffic is a nightmare and every campground and field is full of campers and tents! I stayed at home.
It got almost totally dark and all my solar lights and street light came on. Also, the chickens, ducks and guineas went to roost. The dark lasted about 2-3 minutes and I could hear fireworks and people hollering all around. Everyone came back out of the chicken house and one of the roosters crowed as if to say what just happened?
Been raining in Des Moines off and on all morning. Brief glimpse of the eclipse as I was heading to the fair to retrieve my quilts.
I made 2 batches of your relish last week. Big family dinner yesterday and it was a big hit, thanks for the recipe! I only put in sweet peppers, no hot ones.
Oh Mary!! The eclipse was so beautiful! I live in Omaha, Nebraska. We stood on our deck & watched the whole thing – in total awe! 🌕🌘🌗🌑
Could you cut the too hot with the sweet–maybe 50/50? No clue if that would work. The eclipse here in Central Ohio worked a little. We had lots of clouds, but we used a pin hole box and it worked😃 I remember the one in 1979. Seemed like some of the reporters weren’t born back then and think those of us who were are ancient–LOL!! We all might even be here in 2024!!! Did anyone else’s pet act strangely? Squeak jumped me and bit me 3 times– not her usual MO.
They said we were to have 95%, but I don’t think we did. The clouds lifted just in time, so we did see it, but it just got dusky or very low light. What I noticed the most is how much colder it suddenly got. The cows in our field had been laying there chewing their cuds, and they did not move. Just kept on chewing their cuds. My chickens got quiet, but didn’t go to roost. The shadows were odd, I noticed. And, then it began to get lighter, as if a cloud had passed over. I didn’t have the glasses, so I didn’t look at it.
I am going to make bread and butter chip pickles this afternoon.
Lots of people in Nevada would have loved your hot relish. Cannot believe you threw it out after all that work making it.
Didn’t see the eclipse here either but watched the NASA streaming live video. What an age we live in today.
I will enjoy seeing your neighbor boy Reed grow up through you pictures of him. What a nice boy he seems to be. Saw the eclipse here in Huntington Beach, CA.
Hi – enjoyed seeing the pictures of your presentation.! Wish we could have been there to ‘talk about the good old days”….back in 1981. How fun is it that Country Threads and Little Quilts started at the same time. We started with that same style hand written patterns!!! Whoever heard of computers? If I win the Power Ball Wednesday nite….,I’ll fly us to be together for a reunion!!!! What fun would that be……Country Threads and Little Quilts!….a great lecture!
I’ll be looking for my airline ticket – would be such fun!!
The picture of Reed and Ernie Joe is so dear. For me it could win a prize.
No eclipse but EJM is definitely over the moon for Reed who is going to grow up to be one fine handsome young man.
Yes, not only handsome but a very nice young man!
What a dear picture of Reed and Ernie Joe Mauer! It sure looks like a ‘mutual admiration society’ for sure – what a cutie that Reed is! The look on the cat’s face says it all.
We didn’t really see much for an eclipse either but I did watch it on TV.
Wish I had seen your presentation – I’m sure it was wonderful.
Cloud cover and rain in Minneapolis! Disappointing! In fact the only time we see the sun, lately, is just before it sets. Wish I could send this rain to British Columbia!!! My cousin needs rain!!!
We sat and watched the eclipse from the front yard. No traffic, yeah! It was quite spectacular, all 2 minutes and 19 seconds worth!
I did take a break at school to check out the eclipse. We viewed through a welder’s visor since we have construction workers on site finishing renovations. Mostly we noticed the temperature dropping quite quickly. Hope your new batch of relish is better. And, Reed seems like a young man with a kind and caring spirit. What special friends you are.
Fantastic view of the eclipse from Silverton in Oregon: clear blue skies. My third total eclipse: I think the darkness rushing towards you is almost more spectacular than the total eclipse itself: although that was a amazing too, beautiful corona during the 1minute 46 seconds of total. I feel an eclipse quilt or pillow coming on!
Oh, yes: fnished up the day by driving to The Stitchin’ Post in Sisters and purchasing some really great fabric and stuff. Great day all round!
Fiona – tell me why you’re in the States and about your trip.
Hi Mary,
We have been holidaying in the Pacific Northwest: the eclipse was part of the plan, and for the rest we have been touring round Washington and Oregon: we flew in to Seattle, then spent a few days in the Olympic National Park hiking and admiring the scenery and animals, before travelling down the coast to Oregon (took in Center Square quilt shop in Cannon Beach en route) and to Silverton to stay with friends for the eclipse. Then we crossed the Cascades to Sisters and Sunriver before heading back north via dramatic groges with painted hills, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and Mount Rainier, ending with five days in Seattle.
Oh, dear, I have a feeling that hot dog relish would have been a hit at our house! I don’t think my husband or son Ervin have found anything too hot to eat! lol
Ours too!! Around here it’s “The hotter, the better!!” One Christmas, I gave my oldest daughter a stocking stuffed FULL of all kinds of hot sauces! She still tells people about it 10+ years later! She had her 1st (1/4 tsp!) taste of hot sauce when she was ~15 months old (Not by THIS Momma!!! 😒🔥😨). Her reaction was, “More!!! PEESE!!!” Hahaha!!
[I was still mad at her Daddy tho!!]
Oh, we have pickle relish in the fridge right now called “Devil’s Spit” HAHA!!
I just finished reading a good book. Thought I’d share. It is “small great things” by Jodi Picoult. I was mad and sad but the ending was worth reading.
We also could not see the eclipse due to rain and clouds. I feel for you on the pickle relish…it is such hard work and then you had to throw it out. My mom and I sure struggled with peppers when we made salsa for the first time…our hands were burning for a long time! Now we know to wear gloves!
All you would have to do with your HOT relish–just put out the word “free hot relish” and it would have disappeared in a flash! Our brother-in-law from Texas loved anything hot. My friends in Des Moines always planted the hot peppers far away from the sweet peppers. They said if they were next to each other, everything would be hot. I don’t know. We used to go to a very big abandoned park on the north side of Des Moines to hunt mushrooms. They would make a sauce to eat on bread or meat out of the mushrooms and pepper sauce. That has been over 50 years ago???
Wasn’t the eclipse wonderful? Not a political word from anybody all day!!! It was supposed to be 96% here in Rapid City and we just watched it on TV and out the window since we didn’t have the glasses. We didn’t look at the sun. It didn’t get dark, just kind of yellow. We’ve had thunderstorms that make it go to night. Still it was fascinating for those who didn’t have rain or clouds. The TV pictures and coverage was wonderful.
I almost cried to read that you threw away your hot relish. You could have thrown it my way. We love hot stuff here and it would have been great with hot dogs.
Look at sweet Reed and EJM, such a good picture. Animals are so wise and loving. No eclipse for us, watched on TV. We had heavy cloud cover and finally rain.