Monday, July 20, 2015

Gettin' Ready

Since returning from MAQ, I have been getting ready to go to the AQS show in Syracuse.  It's amazing all the little details that need attention.  Making labels, printing patterns, stuffing patterns, counting patterns, making signs,  checking reservations,  and making new samples.
 I just finished quilting and binding "Hot Stuff".  I made the top in Key West using flamingo fabric. It's the quickest quilt ever and it only needed 1 yd of the polka dot background, 1 yd of the flamingo applique and 1/2 yd of the hot pink fabric.  I stitched it in an afternoon.  If you have made anything with Curvalicious, you don't need any directions.
I am working on a really cute project that will surprise you.  I'll share it as soon as I have it done.  Maybe Wednesday.
In the meantime, I have been contemplating my suburban Philadelphia wildlife sanctuary!
In the Spring. a misguided robin made a nest on the railing of our deck underneath some lilac leaves. There were 3 beautiful blue eggs, that hatched into 3 baby birds. 
(Photo credit: Olivia L.)
Unfortunately, they were easy prey for some animal  One morning, the nest was empty and there was blood  and feathers on our deck.  I will spare you from the photo.

I have been very kind to the deer this summer.  We ripped out some old shrubs around my house's foundation and I decided I wanted to grow some Brandywine tomatoes.  They are my favorite.  I really thought deer were not fans of tomatoes, but I guess I was wrong.

3 tomato plants and a cucumber plant look just like this.  I did discover that deer do not  like basil and eggplant. I just fenced in the "garden", if you could call it that at this point, with netting.  I don't know if it's too late or not, but I thought it was worth a shot.

We did have some wildlife success.  Check out this window well.
For those of you that don't have basements, it's meant to keep water from entering the  basement though the window.  I saw a toad one morning in the mulch and thought it jumped in there by accident and couldn't get out.  I was busy tending my "garden" and forgot about taking the toad out.
When I went back the next morning, I saw a couple of toads, partially buried,  peering at me.
There were baby toads too.  I did a bit of research and learned that toads multiply by laying eggs.  I don't know how many babies there are.  I just hope they escape anything that may jump in the window well and eat them.

I look forward to summer so that I can have my favorite meal of the  entire year.  I call it "summer on a plate". Brandywine tomato, mozzarella cheese from Trader Joe's and fresh basil plus an ear of delicious summer corn and a few slices of toasted french bread brushed with oil and garlic is a meal that I could eat very single night.
 (But some nights there's no lovely bread and an english muffin will do.)
I'm drooling.

3 comments:

  1. The deer are devouring my tomatoes too? not sure why???
    That dinner looks divine!
    Have fun at the show!

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  2. We've been eating exactly the same thing every single night! Except we splash balsamic vinegar on the caprese salad too. Yumm!

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  3. In my old house, I had a toad that lived in my window well. Each year it got a little bigger.
    When you were in the cellar it would look at you through the window.

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