Scappy Nine Patch

I have been trying to use up all the scraps that I had cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. I had so many of them, so I decided to make this scrappy nine patch to use up as many as possible. And I did it! I used them all. It is about a twin sized quilt, great for snuggling under on the sofa during the winter. I really enjoy the hand quilting part of the process, and that is what I have been doing for the last couple of weeks. (I do have other projects to work on for a change of pace.)  When this is done I'm thinking of a big log cabin quilt to be my winter project. Can't wait to shop for the fabrics:)

 

A couple of weeks ago we watched Tad for the day and he helped me make a chocolate cake. We had so much fun and of course he liked licking the spatula. I have pictures of my own boys doing this same thing. Wouldn't it make a great scrapbook page to show Tad and his daddy at the same age with their faces all messy?

Meet "Pat"

 Do you remember Pat from Saturday Night Live? Well, that's what we had been calling this chicken until a few weeks ago, when he/she became a definite Patrick. We haven't had a rooster in our orders of chicks for many years, so we were actually surprised to get one this time. Not that we will keep him. He's too loud and upsets the hens. But I kind of get a kick out of his crowing - at least for a little while:)

Here are the hens in their enclosed yard. We have some things for them to climb on and my husband digs up the yard occasionally so they can pick at the worms, etc. We let them free-range during the day most of the year. But we can't let them right now; they'd eat all the produce! We give them the peelings, rinds and leaves from the garden and they are very happy chickens. Today, we got the first egg from this year's pullets. Tiny little brown eggs. So now we have white, blue, and brown ones. Love our home grown eggs!

Pickled Peppers

To my husband surprise and happiness I made him some pickled pepperoncini peppers. We love to make Italian beef sandwiches and you need these to make them. Sometimes they are hard to find in the stores (or I forget to buy them.) And they are not so hot that you have to dress in a hazmet suit to work with them!

We have about five butterfly bushes around our little pond besides several others around the yard. Lately, at any give time, there are 5 or 6 swallowtail butterflies on them. And they are huge this year! They are also hard to photograph. They flap their wings like they are frantic to get all that nectar. There are others that I don't know the names of, like that blue one above. So pretty!

This has been the most perfect garden year here in Indiana. The weather has been mild, with rain right when we need it. I heard on the news that crop production will be the best in 25 years. This is a view of our veggie garden border. It is lush and full of flowers, insects and hummingbirds. What a beautiful time of year!