Ok...is this normal??

 Last year...maybe the year before...we planted this hydrangea plant...it was purple...we bought a pink one for the back yard...this one is on the side yard...now all the blooms are pink...

Do they change?? Is this normal?? I never had one of these before...but I have a lot of shade and thought it would be a nice addition to the yard...but we didn't want two pink ones...what do you think??

It's been getting pretty hot in my neck of the woods..we need to get out a lot earlier and finish our walks and gardening before noon...it's getting too hot to get much done outside after that...and dry...it's so dry...and I  am not a fan of watering...it takes so long...but it will be like this until fall so I guess I better just get used to it!

I am teaching a sewing class on Saturday...more of a demo class at the local fabric store in town...it's the first time I have done this...I'm sort of nervous...there's 10 people signed up as of last weekend...that's what makes me nervous...it's not so hard to talk to you all through the computer...but I'm a bit shy in public...I hope it goes well...I'm teaching how to make a simple zipper bag...I'm as ready as I can be...

Not much else happening here...just walking, sewing and gardening...

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

He's the Grill Master...

 Have I ever told you that Don is the Grill Master...well...he is! This past Monday he made some more of his amazing ribs for our family gathering...and yes...that is probably one of the oldest grills around...it was my Dad's for years and he gave it to Don about 30+ years ago...he has taken it apart...cleaned and painted it many times over the years...my sons both want it!

 But I'm off point...Don cooks the old fashioned way...with briquettes...he says the secret to ribs is slow and low...

 He is quite amazing if I don't say so myself...

My family brought some great side dishes to go with the ribs and I made strawberry short cake...I just forgot to take pictures of that...and all my family!! I was too busy enjoying the time with them!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Happy Memorial Day....

Today as we have our barbecues and picnics...let us not forget the reason we give honor to this day. I celebrate the fallen...the servicemen who gave us the freedoms we love so much by giving the ultimate sacrifice...their lives. I give special honor to my brother in law...Captain James Raycraft, who gave the ultimate sacrifice 41 years ago while serving in the United States Air Force...you live on in our hearts and in your daughter and grandchildren.

Until next time...enjoy your day...and thank a soldier while you're at it!!!

We got a new fire station!

 We got a new fire station in my neck of the woods...it's beautiful...and there was an open house...we have been watching this building go up for the last couple years and we were excited to go to the open house...

 It replaces an older station...it's about a block or so away from the old one which they tore down a while ago...and it's so much bigger...

 All the trucks were outside...so pretty and shiny!

 The perfect place for a photo!

 Each fireman...or fire lady...has their own bedroom and bathroom...there are 3 shifts so there are 3 lockers to keep their stuff in ...they used to have a big dormitory...they were excited to have their own room. We were told it was actually less expensive to build it this way...as well as better for the fire fighters...because if one gets sick...he won't give it to the others and also someone snores...the others won't lose sleep...pretty smart!

 The kitchen was beautiful! There's even a grill out back...we like to grill our food outside here!

 Lots of fire trucks to look at...

 We even got to climb up and sit in the cab!

 This nice fire man spent so much time answering everyone's questions...

 This is the inside of the big one that goes off road...since we are close to the mountains and fires happen there...this one is very important!

 This is the area out back...so much room...they built this place to grow!

 Here is the very first fire truck of the town...her name is Betsy!

 Isn't she a beauty!!

We even got to meet the fire Chief...his name is Mat...he was really nice...he said we could take a picture with him, but since I hate to have my picture taken...I declined...and Don was busy looking at fire stuff! We had a great time touring the place...we walked all around...nothing was off limits...they hadn't moved in yet...that's supposed to happen sometime this week. Everyone was so nice...don't you just love firemen...I think we never get too old to be in awe of them!!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!!

Such a pretty visitor...

 I went out early this morning to garden for a few hours before it got too hot...yes...it's been really hot the last week here in my neck of the woods...My next door neighbor had the sprinklers on and this little guy was just sitting there enjoying the tiny bit of water that was spraying on him. Just a few drops hit him every once in a while...he sat there fluttering his wings for quite a while...long enough for Don to run in and get the camera...and take quite a few pictures...

 He didn't seem to mind the attention...I think that butterflies are used to the attention...they are the super models of the bug world ...this one was no exception...he was quite large and oh so pretty!

I saw him later fluttering around the flowers...my guess is that he was getting a drink from the sidewalk...

Don and I have been keeping busy...mostly hanging out at home..getting things done...organizing...he builds the shelves...I fill them up! We have some space in the garage that I thought could use more shelves...he has the wood...why not use it!!

We went to the farmers market the last two Fridays and bought a few new herbs to add to the garden...things I have never grown before...cutting celery...have you ever heard of that...I hadn't...but it is now part of our garden...stevia too....and a German Stripe tomato...I thought it was too late to add another tomato...but the herb guy said no...so we shall see...

Until next time...enjoy the day!!!

This and that...

 This morning after I did a little gardening in my back yard I played a little with my succulents. I have found some cute litle containers for them at yard sales, rummage sales and at the flea market ...I got this one on Sunday...and planted it with a few babies...

 This yellow one is just like the brown one...more babies in this one. They both have small holes at the bottom so I put a small piece of screen in there...I only paid $3 for the two of them...so that's a good thing...they are small and cute!

 Here's the little measuring cup I showed you before...I was tempted to just use it as a measuring cup, but it was so dirty when I bought it and the stains wouldn't come out from the inside...so here it is as a succulent pot! I fit 3 little babies in there!

 Here's some of my containers all made...I need some little things to put in the pots and find homes for them too...but they are happy here right now.

 I also planted some more babies in my cups the kids got for Don's party in March. I had to transplant the violas in the yard...they dried out too quickly in these little cups...but I think the succulents will be quite happy!

 Here's a close up of how they look right now...soon they will fill in and look really great!

 The eggplants are flowering...soon we will have yummy eggplant...one of my favorites!!

 And we have tomatoes...we've had them for quite a while...Don likes to pull them before they are completely ripe and we put them here until they ripen...They tend to crack for some reason if we keep them on the vine until they are completely ripened...I have no idea why...I garden by the seat of my pants...I see what works here and what doesn't...I have no clue what I am doing sometimes...just what works in my yard!

A little gnome guards the radish pot...I thought I'd try them in a pot to see how they do...I have some salad mixes in other containers too...this way I can control the shade and sun they get...we'll see how this works out...and the bugs don't get in the pots either...I have them on the back porch and we turn them everyday too...I thinned the radishes out...I hope they grow OK in the pot...have you ever grown them in a pot?

It's warming up around these parts...when I came in to eat lunch ...it was 90...a little warm for this time of year...but this has been a weird winter and spring weather wise...It's supposed to cool down a bit by Friday...I sure hope so!

I'm ready to get back to my sewing machine...until next time....have a great day!!!

Mothers Day fun...

 The Rose Bowl in Pasadena has a flea market once a month and we try to get over there 2 or 3 times a year if we can...this month it fell on Mothers Day...but that was OK...my youngest  son loves flea markets and everything old...so he and Anna met us up there. 

 I love all the activity in the front as you go in...

 This is Dennis...he was really nice...he works all the fairs...does balloon shapes for the kids too...that is a really tall bike...he would let anyone get up on it and take a picture...but I was a coward...it was really tall!

 Anna and I kept bumping into each other with our big hats!

 We took a peek inside to see how the renovation is going...they are really changing the place...

 The first Rose Bowl game was played in 1902...it holds 125,000 fans in here... amazing place...such history!

 I tried...I really tried to get a cute picture of Stephen and Anna...but he said he couldn't get close enough to her because of her big hat...not to mention he's a big goof!!

 After our looooong morning at the flea market...we went over to my sister's house...she made dinner and my Mom and niece was there...but silly me...I bought the camera...but didn't take a single picture except for this cute bird's nest on her front patio. Not a great picture...the eggs are actually a very light blue...but it was very high and I couldn't really see very well in there.

 I've been busy making more diaper bags...this is a custom order I made for a client in Central California...she wanted green and purple and butterflies...so this is what I came up with...there is a matching butterfly pocket on the other side too...and side pockets...I hope she likes it!

Here's a closeup of the butterfly...I couldn't believe how many shades of purple there are...luckily I had a few wool pieces that matched the more reddish purple in the fabric I chose...the inside is not quite a sold purple...and the cotton is so soft...it almost feels like silk...it was wonderful to sew on.

This morning was more gardening...and then Don made us both a nice lunch of chicken sandwiches and fruit salad...it's so nice having him home and feeling better! We get so much more done around here with two of us and frees up our afternoons for sewing...and he reads...he loves to sit out in the back and read and listen to baseball on the radio. I bought him XM radio receiver as a gift years ago...complete with a boom box to play outside on the back porch because they have all the baseball games...he will  listen to any and all of them! And the best part of it now is...a couple years back they offered us a lifetime fee...it was not too bad so we paid that and get it for life...or as long as they are around!

Now it's time to get busy on another custom diaper bag...this one is going to be simple...except I had to order rick rack on line and I can only get so much done until that comes...but I love buying things on the internet...I couldn't find any here...our local quilt shop closes at the end of the month..so with the price of gas and time...I can get what I want on-line...boy am I rambling today or what!!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Some fun at the baseball park...

 Don and I were pretty busy last week...doing pretty much fun things...Thursday night we decided to go to a baseball game. The nice thing about where we live is that there's so much to do. We live just a few minutes away from the 66ers stadium. It's a single A division base team that's affiliated with the Angels...so we get to see the up and coming players. The San Manuel Indian Tribe sponsors the stadium...they sponsor a lot in our city...it's a small tribe with a big casino in the north part of town.

 Thursday nights are called Thirsty Thursday...beer and soda is $1

 It's a nice stadium...only a few years old...we used to have one a little further north...we went to that all the time when the boys were young...fun times!!

 Of course there's a crazy dancing mascot...his name is Bernie...

 Thursday the game was against the Bakersfield Blaze...their manager is Ken Griffey Sr...Ken Griffey Jr played at the other stadium when they were called the Spirit...our sons still have his Spirit baseball card! The Blaze are affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds...here they are exchanging line up cards before the game... 

 In typical minor league ball...the players buddy up with the Little Leaguers before the game...the wee ones are so excited to be out there getting tips and meeting the players!

It was a nice night for baseball...a little chilly but fun. The final score was 4-0...the Blaze won...they scored all their runs in the 5th inning. 

Don spent some time talking to one of the ushers by us and thought it might be fun to work there next season...to be paid to watch baseball is tempting to him!!

Today we gardened a bit in the morning ...then I was off to the sewing machine and Don is out on the back porch reading...what a life!!We are truly blessed!!

Until next time....Enjoy your day!!