Feels Like Spring

Thanks to Mary Ann P., my Red Hat Secret Sister in 2009, I have this Apple Blossom Amaryllis blooming right now. Two blossoms are on one stalk. And there is another bud on a second stalk.

I have the pot on the kitchen table where it gets the sun each day. The amaryllis is a spectacular plant to bring joy to our hearts this time of year.

It must be time for the seed catalogs to start arriving, something a gardener looks forward to.

I'll be potting up my geraniums at the beginning of March. Last fall I pulled them out of the pots and tucked into brown paper bags. They are hanging in my daughter's cellar until March.

I wonder if lettuce would germinate if I planted it now. Last summer I had a Mesculan mix of lettuces in a long planter all summer. (It was a cool, wet summer which helped.) Maybe I'll give it a try.

Chris

Happy Birthday to Me

My birthday was January 19th. It's been a tradition for a number of years now that Mickey & Jack (my daughter and son) cook a dinner for me on a Saturday near my birthday. That happened last night. We had Mexican type appetizers followed by a big salad, chili and corn bread. Later we had cake and ice cream. The top picture is of Aaron (my computer guru), moi, Nikki (the blonde joke queen) and Becki, the pregnant one. Second picture of the three stooges, SweetOldBob in corner, Jeremy and Mike, the grandsons in law.

Dody and Joe, my sis and brother in law came across the road to join us. Brother Bruce was home sick with a bad cold but he called and sounded terrible. I didn't get a picture of my favorite son in law Eric.

The other picture was taken after Christmas at Lois Ann's home in Harford Mills. Her orchid had way over a dozen blooms. It does well in her bay window.

Chris

Busy, Busy, Busy

Peggy is a member of our Glorious Grannies Red Hat group. She was diagnosed with leukemia last summer. She's back with us and in good spirits. This picture was taken in November at Fran's house. We are so glad she is back with us and joining in on our fun.
We met again on Tuesday at Mary Ann's home and made Stone Soup. We all declared it excellent and not a case of too many cooks spoiling the soup. The girls surprised me with a birthday cake. As is Red Hat custom, during our birthday month we go to meeting dressed in red and wearing a purple hat.
It sure is great to have warmer weather after the hard winds and cold the past several weeks. It hit 40 here yesterday and looks like it might get there again today.
I've been shortening flannel pants and sweat pants for Bob. But first I washed and dryed them to shrink them. One Sunday he put on a pair of blue flannel pants with a lime green plaid and missed the solid colored shirt I laid out for him. They hadn't been shortened so he rolled the legs up. He coupled the pants with a black, brown and red flannel shirt. My son in law Eric stopped by that afternoon and asked "Playing golf today, Bob?"
Chenango Piecemakers sent out a call for donation blocks. I had one made for BOM, made a couple more blocks and then went into my block box. Have a few more ready to go to guild meeting tonight. We'll assemble the blocks into tops and then into quilts at Super Sew Sunday on February 7th.
Triangle Guild's February BOM is a pieced heart. I made three and the second one was a teensy bit under the 12 1/2" size. So I added a strip of the background fabric to two sides. Happens in the best of families.
This month I happily turned over the office of secretary and newsletter editor of Triangle Guild to JoAnne. She turned program chairman to me. I think I have programs in place thru July. (To any Chenango Piecemakers reading this, no, I don't want to be your newsletter editor. Elinor T. is doing a great job.)

Happy New Year

It's 36 degrees and a few snowflakes are fluttering to the ground. Parades and football on TV today. I'll watch the parades and Bob will watch football.

All the Christmas decorations are put away. The cards are down off the wall and being reread.

I nearly lost my July Challenge fabric for Chenango Piecemakers. I took the FQ out of my Go To Guild bag and put it in a drawer. Then when I typed the minutes I noticed I had written that Joy had the challenge fabric. Pulled the FQ out of drawer and attached a note to it. Hmmmmm....What shall I make with it. I have a few ideas.

Lois Ann and JoAnne are snarfing up Chicken Casserole and Waldorf Salad. Ella Mae is busy doing the same. JoAnne brought us Blueberry Wine from a local winery on Hoxie Gorge Road. June and Jeanie were there also that day.

Today I need to shorten several pairs of flannel pants for Bob, or sew together ends of legs so he has footed pants. Guess I'd better not do that. Don't think he'd appreciate that.

Chris