Here’s my parakeet for those who asked. The shelf above the cage is a cat perch – cushion is in the wash.
This was our fun today – here’s the old tire filled with dirt.
She got three mice!!!
Reader photos
It’s late – good night!
Another Late Night, 8-21-24
Love all the pictures, the quilts are beautiful the animals to, but the truck is the best, LOL
Mary,
Beautiful photos today! I love the zinnias, and would love to duplicate the shade garden in my backyard around a maple tree I have. The wooden archway garden is lovely as well. I get so many gardening ideas from your blog, too, Mary!
And now the quilts shown today. Absolutely beautiful, all of them! I enjoyed the sewing room photos also. The tree is a great idea and I am going to look into getting a copy of the Bunny/Quilt book.
Hazel, she’s a hoot! Love Akita’s picture too.
Hazel and Keeper in the tractor tire having fun is just so cute. They have a great life with you, Mary.
Your zinnias are beautiful, one of my favorites.
Take Care, 🥰
Vickie, I have a special folding clothes dryer rack like you mentioned in your post today. My husband made one from very large dowels. The rack is much sturdier and larger than the old clothes rack I used to use before having an electric dryer. I can hang eight queen/king sized quilts on it in front. I don’t use the dowels in back because the quilts hung there would not show. I’ll send a picture for Mary to post. He also made the shelf above the rack and made one like it for each of our married grandkids before he passed away. So the grands each have a quilt rack to remind them of Grandpa and a quilt or two from me to remind them of me when I’m gone. I love old fashioned things like that drying rack. Jeanne in Co.
We had a parakeet too. His name was Jerry. Try saying it without opening your teeth…just lips.
He was full of personality. He lived to be about 12-13 too. He said his name all the time.
I watched the convention on my iPad from PBS last night and it got over an hour earlier that national tv. Both are live?? Anyway, I did enjoy Oprah.
It is extremely smoky here. The news is reporting it’s from the fires up north. Betty, in Rapid City, is close to the area burning in Wyoming, I hope she’s doing ok.
One of my quilting customers came to pick up her quilt and brought me the most beautiful tomatoes and cucumbers. Prize worthy.
Miss Hazel is so busy digging. That girl loves the farm and all its dirt.
The quilts today are sweet, thanks to all for sharing.
Years ago, when we still had kids at home, I decided it would be fun to give them a pair of lovebirds, Peaches and Cheeky. Lovebirds is certainly a misnomer for those nasty little bas…..! Every time we went near their cage, they would squawk and flutter and spread their crap everywhere! I don’t remember how long we had them … maybe a couple of years. I eventually packed them up with all their paraphernalia and took them back to the pet store where I bought them, and begged them to take them off my hands, which thankfully they did! I guess birds are not my thing!
I have two budgies. I wasn’t going to have any more birds but my son had a budgie and two cockatiels that were very young and the budgie was being very mean to them so he gave her to me. Of course I thought, she needs a friend, so now I have two. Violet and Lemon drop. My son named her Lainey,
but when she was very young she used to fall off her perch, so he nicknamed her lemon drop. She is a yellow budgie. Too funny. Violet is white with a violet colour on her lower back. Not too creative but it works. Our last budgie lived to be 11 or 12 so they’ll be around for a while.
I now know what Hazel thinks is a perfect day. Her instincts are a sight to behold. Perfect time of year for zinnias. This variety is a colorful addition to the landscape.
Love the flower pictures, especially the zinnias which have so many colors. I enjoyed seeing the clothes drying rack in one sewing room. I have one of those off to the side in mine, on which I place fabric I have ironed in preparation for cutting or backing. They are “old fashioned” functional things that were handed down to me. 53 degrees here this morning. To warm to 75. It feels like fall. To be beastly hot and humid again this weekend, so I will enjoy today.
Beautiful quilts Marie C. Enjoyed all the pictures today. Thanks for sharing. Mary what is your Parakeet’s name? Going out for pizza tonight celebrating our daughter in law’s birthday. Blessing to all.
Sally – sadly, the parakeet has never had a name -probably because there were two identical birds to begin with. When I feed him I tell Hazel when she jumps repeatedly that the Big Guy is hungry so maybe his name is Big Guy
Marie C — I love, love, love your quilts, but especially the Faith, Hope, and Charity one. Do you possibly know the pattern name? I very much want to make one or six.
~~ I was interrupted ~~ why am I surprised? LOL
Mary, that Hazel is living her Very Best Life! I have kept Westies for years and years (maybe decades and decades by now), and her terrier ways are so full of Westitude. After raising a houseful of boys and a tomboy, the Westies keep the house lively and dirty —
Linda, I love your goldfish story! Things like that happen to us too; one of my boys ended up as a veterinarian probably due to all of the creatures that have joined the zoo here throughout his early years. He used to promise that he would Never Have Cats, but his fiancee is a Cat Person. He now has his own kitten named Pierogi that someone abandoned at the Vet Clinic. Life sure is surprising!
Susan in AL – I love stories about people who swear they hate cats and will never have one – I laugh and laugh! Hazel got a real soaking bath last night between speeches at the convention – she is so white!! And after being so dirty – the dirt was down to her skin, not just hair and her nose and mouth and chin area were black! Why does she protest so? I’d think she’d feel so much better after the bath.
Do you have a Westie now? Maybe we’ve already seen a picture?
Hi Susan Thanks for liking my quilts. The pattern you are interested in is called “Faith,Hope,Love” by J. Michelle Watts. it’s from 2009. I did see it on Etsy. I originally got the pattern from Annie’s craft store online
Thank you so much! I’m ordering a copy today.
What a fabulous blog this morning! Your parakeet is like Fred my goldfish, I never wanted to have goldfish again. I hated having to send them to the river via the toilet when my boys were little but I happened to win Fred at Meijers when I went grocery shopping. To young fellas were giving them away as part of the re-grand opening after a remodel if you tossed a ball in a red solo cup – like beer or tea pong! I didn’t want to play but they looked so sad when they said no one would play for them. First darn toss! Here comes Fred in a plastic bag so off to home goods I go to find some sort of container for him that I could reuse when he went to the river. Well, Fred is in a 10 gallon tank now with friends he needed, Poppy and Emmett. I think I am going to have to expand their home because they are all getting huge! Didn’t want Fred, but after four years we are attached. They come to the edge of the tank when they see me and they do entertain the cats. I’m always adding water between cleaning the tank because all the cats prefer their water to drink instead of out of their bowl. Parakeets are dirty but they are like other pets, they are company and fun to have around.
Love the pictures of Keeper and Hazel. I didn’t realize Keeper had all that brown, I thought he was black with a bit of white. Hazel looks like she had a ball! She digs more than Sammie and Nelson!
The flower beds are fabulous. I love the zinnias, they were moms favorite and daddy always grew a bunch from seed for mom. They are so beautiful but they should smell as pretty as they look!
Love the flower basket medallion quilt, I love to applique so that one is my kind of eye candy. And then beautiful Akira who looks so much like my Elliott I lost last summer. There is nothing like a golden, best dogs ever – all furry love and devotion.
Thanks Mary, hugs and prayers to you and the kids!
Linda – I assume Keeper’s coloring is brindle – I almost feel sorry for him wanting to be so attached to me. He doesn’t have much fun. To feel that much love for his owner becomes a real responsibility and one I always feel guilty about if I’m in the house working, reading or sewing. Oh, yes, the fish tank water – I always leave a bowl of water in the sink for Millie even tho there are numerous buckets around the house. My cats also want to drink out of my watering can! Yes, Fred, Poppy and Emmett are living the same sort of life as my parakeet – with no name. Hugs to Sammie and Nelson – I’m so glad his leg doesn’t give him problems – but that was a scary time, wasn’t it?
What great pictures! Love the quilts by Marie C., especially the flower basket one. Beautiful job! And the lush garden filled with flowers is so pretty. The sewing room pictured is great too. Thanks everyone for sharing.
Hi Mary, thanks for showing us your budgies(Australian parakeet),what colour are they, and do they talk?My sister has had several of themas pets.
My carpet looks great after shampooing, hopefully no more me spilling drinks or pet accidents.Hazel certainly has fun in the tire!.Take care everyone ,best wishes from Sandy
Patti, sending prayers that God will show the Drs. what is wrong with your retina and that the problem will be repaired. Oh Hazel, what a great mouser you are. Were they all found in the dirt inside the tire? We’ve caught two mice in the house these last couple of days. It is the time of year when they instinctively know it’s time to find a nice warm spot to spend the winter- – – but, I hope anot in our house,.
Jeanne in CO – there must be a cavity around the edge inside the tire because that’s where she was digging. Keeper just likes to supervise.
Saw the book Bunnies By the Bay Meets Little Quits in one on the pix. It was fun designing quilts to go with those beautiful bunnies.
It is me Mary Ellen, your Little Quilts fan in NY. That is my favorite miniatures book which I have used to make Garden Fence Quilt in green florals and took to a doll club meeting many many years ago. A librarian begged to buy it right then and there for $50 to display with her books. I never thought bringing it for show and tell was to sell it but she didn’t sew so I did and don’t regret making her very happy. I should make the Bunny Harvest quilt in the book as I love embroidery and then use fall fabrics to border. Your tiny carrot print fabric would be a dream to find someday.
The tree is a tribute to my grandmothers and aunts sewing trinkets and notions so I light that in honor of the ones who inspired me to sew as a young girl. I’ve since made one for a friend when she handed me an old sewing basket of her sisters notions to hot glue them to a little tree.
Did your book have patterns? I looked up the book on the website for Thrift books, it said no patterns are in the book.
Cindy,
There are 7 miniature quilt patterns in it. Plus other miscellaneous patterns for hats, pins and a cute chick. The pictures are darling in the book.
I will see when the book arrives! Thank you for replying!
Mary Ellen- I noticed it, too, and was going to bring it to your attention but decided I’d wait and see if you were reading – and you were! Thank you!
Mary Ellen,
Were the black and white cat stuffed animals pictured in the Wash Day photo yours or some that Hallmark made? My Bunnies by the bay stuffed animal came from Hallmark store but my book is another prized possession I’d never get rid of. So many cute miniature quilts you designed for this book.
i agree late nite. was that truck at the convention? all those garden/floral pictures are fantastic. i love the ones that look like huge platters.
marie c. bravo, bravo. sweet akira is beautiful.
i have an appointment with a retina doc in the morning. will be nice to know what is wrong with my eye, but am nervous also. will keep you posted. no stitching today at all. everything i touched broke – egads. hugs to all, patti in florida
Patti – hope your retina doc can help you! Let us know.
Patti, truly hope that your doctor can help you with your eye. No doubt this is very frustrating for you particularly if you like to do handwork/quilting. Hope to hear that everything will be okay for you.
Carolyn Howard
Patti, I hope all is well with your appointment and will be an easy fix. Thinking of you.
I am seeing a retina specialist treating wet macular degeneration in my right eye and dry macular in my left eye. I am getting different injections in each eye. My vision is amazing and I rarely wear my glasses. I started treatment every 2 weeks then 4 weeks and 8 weeks. I will soon be scheduled every 4 months for life. The alternative is blindness.