It was terribly windy today but we went out to the hay ground for a little exercise.
The big pile on the right was bedding hauled outside in spring 2023 when I had goats in with the chickens making much manure and used bedding.
The medium pile in the middle was hauled out this spring after a quiet winter. And the pile on the left got hauled out last week – what a difference! The chickens were babies and then have lived outdoors. The dogs love sniffing through these piles – of course! Cleaning the barn is hard work and I am lucky to have help.
Then we had to check out the pampas grass that got unloaded – Rick will burn it someday when the wind isn’t blowing 40 mph!!
Then back through the wilderness trail –
And here’s what your kitchen could look like if you really love your dog:
Hazel was positive she heard something in the cupboard – she was whining! – so I let her in several hours ago and she’s still keeping watch. I’ll have to put my kitchen back together before I go to bed.
Reader photos
Beryl sent this picture in late October of part of the 360 miles of bike trails near her home in SW Ohio. Look how gorgeous it is!
And now….
Still beautiful in its own way.
Watching Iowa State playing Cincinnati –
I found our next card recipient – or rather, she found me. Coming up next! Let’s send her a card. Post coming later tonight.
I love the redo of the Christmas village pieces. They are so beautiful in their updated state. Wonder what the process was for changing them to the white/grey?
Hazel is such a curious dog. That is so awesome that she can play in your cupboards and all around your yard. What lucky animals you have!!
Thanks for your blog,
Debbie in Iowa
Mary,
Sure looks like the dogs had fun outside and then Hazel’s fun continued in the cupboards! The village transformation is beautiful and I also love the snowman and little boys picture behind the village pieces.
Ron is as cute as can be! The cards are so nice. All the quilts are wonderful! So many talented readers.
The bridge pictures are gorgeous, less than a month apart and so different! Teresa, your granddaughter is precious!!
Enjoyed the blog so much today.
Teresa, Your grand baby is precious, just a little doll!
Mary, you are so kind and patient with your pets. Hazel is a lucky little girl to have you for her mom. My cabinets also looked like that when my kids were toddlers—anything to keep them happy. I would have done the same for my dog. 🤣
Thanks, Mary 🥰
The last time my kitchen looked like that was when my son was 2 years old! He loved to get out all the pots and pans.
Years ago, my sister had a little dog like Hazel. Once, he started sniffing at an electrical outlet in her kitchen. He kept it up for several days, so she asked her husband to check the outlet. He scoffed and said that there wasn’t anything wrong with it, but took off the cover plate, and there in the outlet box was a dead mouse!
I loved reading the post today. You put together such entertaining arrays for us to enjoy. I loved the blue and white Harry Potter quilt as well as all the others. My favorite thing is to look at the beautiful Hazel. She reminds me so much of my Samson, whom I miss so very much. Thanks for doing such a wonderful job. I am thinking about you and how hard you work and hope you can keep up your energy.
The photos were such fun today! Such a variety! I love seeing bits and pieces of lives of others. I think of my life like that. Ron reminded me of my hubby with his blue jeans and flannel shirt which was his style after retirement. He retired at 55 and lived only to 72 so I am thankful he did retire early.
The quilts are great works of art. That cat one made me smile. And being outside with the dogs or on the trail in Ohio is right up my alley. I miss stuff like that. Lately I have been so busy I can’t seem to get outside for a walk. I want to walk through some leaves on my little town’s sidewalks. It’s as good as it gets.
I am hoping soon for a day I can spread a puzzle out and work on it for hrs without some deadline looming or running to the city which ends up taking my whole day away. I keep looking ahead to see when that break is coming.
I think Hazel is helping you clean your cupboards!
Oh how I smiled when I saw the Hazel in the cupboards pictures 😁 you are the bestest doggie Mom 👏 I’ve had dogs all my life and what we do for them! But they bring us sooooo much joy don’t they?
The red and green star quilt caught my eye – beautiful! And the redo of the Christmas village is stunning
Thanks for all you do in keeping us up to date and entertained! I so look forward to reading this every morning! Pls don’t overdo!
The updated Christmas village pieces are truly beautiful! And I recognize the picture hanging on the wall behind the updated pieces. I have it hanging in my home as well. In fact, I have three of the artist’s (Robert Duncan) hanging in my house. So many quilts to enjoy today.
I plan to clean my medicine shelf today. I have cough medicine in there that is years old. Time to throw it and a bunch of other stuff. Not a fun job, but will be nice to have it done.
I quilted and bound a wall hanging yesterday. It was great to do this as I had been looking for the creativity “release” that quilting brings to me.
Hi Mary- Thanks for a wonderful conglomeration of pictures and inspiration as always! The redo of the Christmas village really caught my eye today. Who ever did that – I just love how it looks now! Would like to attempt that myself.
I am also a quilter who never gravitated toward the color red but again – after seeing your creation I am really rethinking that.
I cracked up when I saw the pictures of Hazel and the open cupboards. What we are willing to do to keep our furry friends happy is just amazing. Too funny.
Is Hazel good about coming back to you when you call her? My terrier mix would sniff and sniff all day if we let him. My dog like Telly is so obedient and turns right around and comes running back in when I call her but not our little guy. Give him a scent in the fenced in yard and he’s smelling every single blade of grass while we’re standing there freezing. Oh the joys of dogs. I loved my cats for cuddling. Miss those moments.
Such wonderful pictures your readers share with all of us. It’s a joy to see the trees, the bridges, Teresa and her granddaughter together, Ron and the joy we brought him with cards, the quilts and homes of your devoted readers. We are one lucky group of friends to be in Mary’s circle of goodness.
Hi Mary, that’s one way to do spring cleaning, get Hazel to search for rodents!Have you got a trap you can set overnight? I have just been to see a comedian l found on Facebook, lsmo, he is Finnish and so funny, next week it’s Abba tribute band.Its nice to be able to go to shows after yearsof stress with my husband’s dementia. Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Ps, the red tree is spectacular!
That cat quilt is an absolute hoot! I so appreciate everyone sending in the photos of their creations, and the time and effort you put into sharing them with us.
The red maple tree is in my back yard and every fall when it turns this bright red it always looks like there is a light in the back yard. I just love it. And now all the leaves are off. My granddaughter, who was 1-1/2 at the time, loved being dressed up and had so much fun at her uncles wedding. I was excited when she was born with red hair like me. My son and daughter in law both have brown hair. Our younger son got married in July. You may remember I made their wedding cake and my son and I did all the flowers for the wedding.
Teresa – oh, that’s right! I thought you might have been a bit crazy to take all that on – ha! See? It’s fun to put a face with a memory!
beautiful post with beautiful pictures/quilts/animals/villages. the red/green star quilt really caught my eye. right down my alley. can you share what size square you used? i’ve figured it out in 4 different sizes but am curious. would be great in lots of different sizes. i recognized the cat pattern immediately. i bought it but have done nothing with it. too many times i just grab squares and start stitching. you’d think i’d learn not to buy patterns but it doesn’t stop me. haven’t stopped buying fabric either. one must have variety, right? of course!
it’s late and i’m tired. didn’t do much but the ordeal with the cat tooks lots out of me. of course, he is still in hiding. maybe he’ll come out tomorrow. or while i’m sleeping. they come to clean again on monday and i can surely smell the dust in the house. mr. ed can’t but it is really bothering me.
i have noticed there are Christmas decorations up in my neighborhood. the street lights in the town are covered like candy canes. way too early for me. let’s do thanksgiving first and celebrate that. very little decorating for me as i get older and it’s harder to do things. it’s okay. we have a charlie brown tree with two ornaments and it makes me happy. sweet dreams. mary, save your strength. patti in florida
Patti, when you buy fabric on line do you ever treat yourself to one of the Moda scrap bags some companies offer? I only buy about twice a year fabric on line and this year it’s been both times a fat quarter bundle I want to admire and use someday. I am lucky to have quilt shops close by me and I am able to get out to but I like the thrill of opening a Moda scrap bag and finding strips of some line I can use in a log cabin or sting quilt or cut 2 1/2” squares with. Only once in my travels did I find a shop in Ohio in an Amish store that had the little bags so I bought a couple.
That’s just so sweet that you let Hazel snoop around when she has a mind to. Pets are the best at keeping us entertained.
I wanted to tell you Mary how much I love your red floral quilt you made. I love your choice of all the other fabrics that you put with it. I never would have thought that would work together, it’s sure does though. I need to find my florals and see what I can do with them.
Kathy from Ohio
Kathy – I made all those 9 patches as just busy work using any square I had and it did work by using the red to tie it all together. Don’t be afraid to use mismatched blocks – try it, you might like it! And yes, Hazel is truly a snoop!
Kathy – meant to tell you the piano quilt is on my winter list!
Thanks for selvedge edge..Three Sisters has done beautiful fabric for a long time. Red is, or was not, a color that usually caught my shopping eye, so I doubt there is any lurking here..nothing in mind for a project. I just get really curious when I see another quilters choice and project! Glad yours is now in plain sight for you to admire and enjoy! Thanks for sharing with all of us.
If anyone else is interested in a brownish red floral fabric I found the one I saw. It is Three Sisters also if you can find it. Rendezvous Moda, SKU 44300 13. Crimson.
Great images today. Thanks to Hazel now I have another to frame. Tearing the kitchen apart is a great way to clean and refresh, isn’t it?
Li -yes, I will be cleaning cupboards tomorrow afternoon – it will be a good job to be done and it was easy to just close the door – my walls inside the cupboard are over 100 yrs old – cupboards are about 80.
That Hazel is a busy dog and needs a job. I guess that is what you gave her when you opened up the cupboards for her to inspect. She is such a driven little dog. Are all JRT’s like this?
Pat – yup, they’re all like this and the person who told me 8 years ago that I couldn’t keep up with a JRT was right. Haha! I didn’t think so at the time but Hazel is a demon – has more energy than any dog I know unless it would be Finn – yup, Finn has unlimited energy. When Hazel crashes, she’s done.
Oh Mary
Hazel and Keeper? had fun on the trail and exploring the farm. I see Hazel isn’t finished….she knows there is a mouse somewhere???
I love that red n green quilt with the stars…striking!
Ahhhh Veterans!! My husband is a Vietnam vet and helps out those who are not as fortunate as him..
Love the bridge in Ohio and the fall leaves.
I worked on a large 40×40 wallhanging today. All quilted. Tomorrow will put the binding in it.
Pattern is Moonstone but I put a couple 12×12″ pieces of my Japanese Yukata cotton in it that have butterflies on them. I am happy with it. I will try to send a photo.
Have a fun evening with Hazel!!!
Shirley – and she’s still in the cupboard!!