Big day in Iowa today – the University of Iowa in Iowa City played Iowa State University in Ames. Game was won by Iowa State like last year with a long field goal – by the same young man.
Hank visited today because Mom and Dad went to the game.
And a “good time was had by all”.
I continued to clean plants and move plants inside – tonight temps will dip into the high 30’s – low 40’s, not good for tender succulents so I’m glad I worked so hard. But next week it’s going to warm up again – this happens every year. Sigh.
I think Keeper is so smart he knows when I put my music bag by my purse that the next day is Sunday and he has to stay home.
Early church one more Sunday and then back to 10:30 on Rally Day, September 14. To be honest, I’ll be glad.
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom!
For the rest of you blog followers who have not had the pleasure of meeting Mary’s dogs……Keeper is a sweetie!!! He always comes running up to me for some loving. Hazel sometimes needs some loving as well, but more likely she is barking at me because the 2 big dogs are playing and it’s not part of her plan. Or she’s barking because she wants me to throw a stick. Either way, she’s barking. LOL
Mary’s is Hank (ster’s) favorite place to go. We only live about 5 miles apart and when I make the first left turn onto the highway, Hank perks up in the backseat as he knows where we are going. As soon as I stop Hank is jumping out of the vehicle. You’ve never seen 2 happier dogs than Keeper and Hank when they first see each other and take off running-side by side.
Thoughts and prayers, Mary! Hanks mom taking you?
Joy – actually she’s going to pick me up – Becky will take me. Thanks.
I love seeing pictures of Keeper and Hank having so much fun.
We arrived in Michigan today and will be here two weeks. Hopefully, we will see some color change. It is cool here; I loved wearing a sweatshirt this afternoon.
Mary, Hope all goes well with your surgery on Monday. Janice Traverse City area
I’m not stressed, but that’s my kind of diet! I love it!
Oh dear–I’ve always had porch envy when I see your pictures, Mary. Now I am suffering from clean window envy, too!
I agree with everyone, the picture of Keeper just steals my heart. What a good boy. Then again, just thinking of Hazel’s shenanigans brings a smile. What a pair! Barney seems perfectly comfortable in his new home. So glad he joined the “flock.”
When I’ve been clicking the ads on the blog this past week, they are mostly for Pendelton Woolens and Jamaica vacations! Another sign of early winter? 60* outside and 70* inside right now. Fleece weather for sure!
Fran, your quilt is striking. A perfect use of solid colors. I’m still chipping away at my scrap bins making strippy quilt tops for LWR. Not too exciting, but a good feeling when finish one.
Thanks as always to everyone who sent pix and to Mary for keeping us posted on the plants, pets, and projects. Kris in WI.
Fall seems to bring the happy end to summer. And the cooler days are absolutely wonderful. A person can enjoy the outdoors in comfort. A light jacket or coat doesn’t bother when it is so pretty.
That diet sounds perfect, especially if the oreos are chocolate! I don’t know what is so great about chocolate, but I love it. If I’m dying, feed me lots of chocolate.
Getting ready for the 2 nieces visit in a couple weeks. There is a simple bed frame with springs and mattress downstairs and I found out I can’t move that bed. Guess I’ve never moved it since it was set up. Last Fall the water heater was replaced and it has to go in thru that room. The plumber, who was at least twice my size) really pushed it farrrrr out of the way. Thank God for neighbors. Luckily, I’m not one to move the furniture around. It just stays where it is put.
Mary, I know we are all thinking about you and hope you come thru this better than ever. But you will not be able to move or carry heavy stuff for a couple months……… And we’ll all be waiting for your reports. Do you have any idea how long you will have to stay in the hospital? Don’t forget your books to read. And I hope you have nicer nurses this time. Good help must be hard to come by? I find it very hard to hear that Rochester had such crappy nurses.
Take care, everybody. Betty in Rapid City
Prayers for your surgery. Prayers also for your doctors & nurses
Reading the blog yesterday and today, seeing photos of Three, Barney, Keeper, houseplants like the Hoya, I have decided that Mary is a life preserver!
Dot in NC – haha! Guess I do like to take care of things and I really don’t like to give up
Great game yesterday. Nice here today. Should be nice enough to pull weeds and clean up in the garden. May get to those windows, too!!
Getting a new refrigerator. Have to do the swift over tonight. 😝
Always like to see the dogs. They have a great life in the country. That Keeper is a sweetie!!!
The stress diet recipe is good for a chuckle, thanks. I also like the quilt that was shared today, what a nice use of solid colors and the gray background is perfect. Today is the day to clean out all the flower pots located on the front porch and back patio. Need to empty and scrub them down and tuck them away for another year. I have one pink geranium that is going strong so I will put it on the front porch and call it good. No mums for me this year, less is better. We have been cold in the morning but by early afternoon its sunny and just gorgeous outside. Love this time of year. We trimmed some dead branches, dug out a tree root that was an issue when mowing and put down some bug granules for the fall.
Kim – I don’t know about bug granules – in the grass to kill them next year??
I have been loving this fall weather. I start the day in a fleece cardigan and take it off by noon. It is such a pleasure to be working outside on days like this. Our high temps will move from the 60’s to the 80’s again in two days, so I will make sure I enjoy these last two days.
The frozen cheesecake from the stress diet made me smile. I do love cheesecake. The rest can be divvied up to other people, as far as I am concerned. I will guard that cheesecake for me!
I love this time of year. Cooler temps and the leaves are already starting to change colors. Reminds me of all the things that need to be done before winter. I was planning on doing some sewing yesterday but, got sidetracked and started cleaning the garage. I’m trying to finish a quilt I started a couple weeks ago but, ran out of the background fabric and, was hoping to get more at Hobby Lobby. They were out of the fabric I needed so, going to try again later this week. Hopefully it’s not discontinued. If so, I’ll have to pivot to a new plan for the finish. Haven’t seen any geese flying south yet but, my hummingbirds seem to have moved in.
I just love to see your dogs and their pals romping around at your house. Pet play dates are so cute. My husband and I loved having our granddog for sleepovers. Sadly she passed away a few weeks ago, just shy of her 13th birthday. She had a wonderful life and brought so much joy to all of us. The stress diet was spot on. Thank you for your blog. Really enjoy it.
Slow moving this morning. Yesterday I did not do much coming off retreat, Still don’t have things back in the sewing area. On my list.
I would have loved being Hank and the other two yesterday. I love these cool days
And the quilt, love it! I was trying to figure out how it was put together, but my brain is not awake yet and it too is old!
Fran-
Thank you! It is the pattern “Plus Charmed by Quilty Love”.
The diet cracked me up! It’s pretty much my diet. I have great resolve every morning, but it falls apart as the day goes on.
Stress? What stress?? LOL
Hi Mary, I think I’ve been on that diet a time or two! 🤣 I went to a small quilt show yesterday and saw some beautiful quilts on display. I’ll send you some pictures. There are so many talented quilters!
Keeper is such a great dog! It’s great that all three get along so well.
In Monrovia? I was at the high school for the Friday night football game. My husband had me as a fill-in on his stat crew. I saw there was a quilt show, but I didn’t think I had time to go exploring. Next weekend there is a quilt show at the Frankfort (Indiana) library. That group’s first since before the pandemic.
Hope to get back to sewing soon. It has been a busy summer. Garden produce is about done, or I’m done with it. Our fall garden is starting to produce, but that is easy. Pick radishes, lettuce, spinach; wash and eat. Easy. I took care of a dishpan of tomatoes yesterday. Saved three to slice to take to our church carry in today. Came home with an empty bowl.
Mary, I have been enjoying your plants all summer. You have some unusual ones and others I remember from growing up but I don’t have in my home.
The dogs are sure having a good time.
The stress diet sounds like a winner!
Yes, I wish I had a Keeper too! So smart, loyal and kind. You can tell it in his sweet face 😻. Penny and Lucy are saying “no,please “.
Our temps are in the 80s now but may still get some 90s . Autumn is my favorite ❤️! We are getting a few pieces of okra here and there and I fry them with zucchini and sweet onion 🥰. I found an okra pod on the kitchen floor this morning with a few fang holes, I wonder who……
I think her name starts with a P.
I ran out of the light blue Kona for Darrell’s flying geese blocks and had gotten all they had at Longview. I went to the Texarkana Hobby Lobby and the price has gone up to 9.99 from 7.48 a yard! The discount has dropped to 30% but it was not on that week. He’s lucky I love him 😍!
Pamela – you know I’ve never eaten okra – I’m not a fan of vegetables however. Yes, prices are rising on everything – I hate when I have to buy two of something to get the best price.
I wasn’t sure if y’all could grow okra up there, they love the heat and we have plenty of. Fresh okra, cut 1/2” slices, shaken in a baggie of cornmeal. I just fry it and the zucchini slices together till crispy, yummy 😋! The frozen okra and battered at restaurants I just tolerate. Will have to plant more plants next year.
Pamela – I live in Iowa and we have been growing okra for several years here. It was slow in coming on this summer, but now it is going full steam ahead. The weather is cooler now, so it may slow down a bit. We like eating it fried in bacon grease along with onions, but I don’t put any breading on it at all. Usually we add zucchini and yellow summer squash with it, but the okra was late in coming on this year. I love fresh veggies from the garden, but am glad we are about to the end of harvesting. We have a few tomatoes yet as well.
As always, enjoy the blog everyday, Mary.
Hi Mary, it’s 44 here in southeast Michigan. I have just a few plants to bring in. I was wondering if you or anyone else knew what to do about little Knats in my soil of some of my plants. They don’t hurt the plant but they are a nuisance when I bring them inside. I have changed my potting soil and I have also used peroxide in a spray bottle as they recommend. Vinegar doesn’t attract them either. The darn things keep coming back. I read they like wet soil but I have to water my plants so….. I don’t know 🤷♀️
Anyway I would appreciate any ideas that anyone has.
Hope everyone has a great Sunday! Enjoy your day!
Jo – funny you should bring up gnats – I have them, too, but I went on Amazon and bought little sticky traps to stick in the soil – I put them in just yesterday and they’re working. Just look up gnat traps for houseplants.
Thanks Mary I will order the gnat traps today!
“Knats” darn spell check 😆
I purchased Neem Oil, Ortho 3-in-1, and Natria and the yellow sticky traps. I had those black gnats/flies too, I had to apply the neem oil spray a few times. This saved a little rose plant I got from my daughter, Katy, for Mother’s Day, it got aphids about 2-3 times. Now I am fussy about the soil I use as well. I will send Mary a photo of she wants to put it in the blog on the products. any garden or hardware store should have a variety, I think I got mine at Menards. One plant I plan to put in my Zinnia garden next year is Mexican Sunflowers. When we went to Henderson, MN to see their hummingbird gardens, it was astounding at the number of Monarchs and Swallowtails on this flower. They must grow to 6’ tall! I am also going to do more pollinators like salvias also to attract hummingbirds as well! Beautiful day here in SW Minnesota, absolutely stunning. No winds, mild temperatures and a sunny day. I am going to work on my log cabin project today.
Thank you Cynthia for the info.
I will try a the traps for sure and maybe the Neem oil too. Thanks again.
Autumn right around the corner for sure, this morning it was 39* when I awoke and got my iPad. Yesterday I brought all met plants indoors from under the deck. I have four larger potted Jade plants. They seemed to enjoy being outdoors this summer! The largest one must be the mother plant, won’t move this one outside next year, getting to large to handle. I will be checking into growing lights as they are too large to put in the windows. Clay County Fair starting in Spencer, IA, plan to go on Monday as it is Veterans Day there to honor veterans. I heard the weather and it’s supposed to read 80* on Monday. I am collecting cosmos seeds but not going to have the crop I had last year. Soon enough the harvest will begin once again. Seems to happen more quickly each year. I noticed quite a few fields of soybeans are starting to yellow while I was on my drive to Walnut Grove gor a monthly card-making class I enjoy going to. We make and take -six greeting cards and I make sure I use them, too nice to hoard! I am working on the remake of the log cabin quilt squares and have two projects waiting in the wings! I am lacking motivation, however. Our lawn and yard with my gardens are looking so good I have enjoyed them this year. Adding a Zinnia’s Only garden next year!
Cynthia – the gardens and outdoor hanging pots always look their best when it freezes. I really hate it because it means months of being in the house. I know I can’t move my plants outdoor next year – yes, they’re too big and I’m too old. Thanks for the nice card!!
Hi Mary, Keeper is such a handsome boy! I have started ordering my groceries online, then my son picks them up for me.Today l ordered 31 pears! Forgot to cancel the 1 and put in 3, thank goodness he checks my order! That sounds like the kind of diet I want, but doctor says no! Fed up with salad! Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
That is my kind of diet.
Great pic of Keeper. Love the Stress Diet!