Mid-July chaos!
The boys have been off for a month now, Will has a A for English so that should wipe out the F! Matt’s been to marching band camp and now we have a whole 10 days when we are all together. I’ve been on the usual mother nag for tidying bedrooms, cleaning out school bags, dumping last year’s work and finding all the dirty washing hidden in corners and under beds! 2 Loads came out of Will’s room and I haven’t really dared set foot in Matt’s pit!
Redlands coming down route 38 from Angelus Oaks – yes the white is the marine layer that we drove out of into glorious sunshine.
These lovely yellow flowers lined the road from about 3000-5,500 ft. They were wonderful and the air smelt heavenly.
I’m waiting to hear from Art for Heaven’s Sake, while involved with finding artists for this year’s 4th annual Artists for a Cause art show in November. Adele and I met with the San Bernardino representatives from the Children’s Fund and to our delight they decided to be our recipient charity for our show this year.
In the back of my mind I’m thinking about making bracelets and earrings and Christmas wall hangings but have nowhere really to start working until the studio is up and running, hopefully sooner rather than later!
Our focus of the summer was getting a new floor down in our upstairs room, all 450 sq feet of it which we did many thanks to Candy Andrew, Liam and Logan for all their help (see last 3 posts). This week we bought the pine to make our own skirting/base boards. Geraint decided to use his router and with 2 coats of printer on I think they are ready for the top coat. Will and Matt got stuck in and helped Geraint paint them this morning. Geraint is also making the bull nose edge for the top of the stairs and the long stairwell side.
This week I’ve crashed, exhausted from it all. Geraint installed the new pool filter (not in the budget) but I so wanted my Hockey painting back and to be able to swim!
The pool after 10 gallons of chlorine killed the wildlife thriving in the pea green soup
In quiet moments I’ve practiced wire wrapping and its improved. I think the new style bracelets are almost there – or were until Will knocked the tray of buttons and sent them everywhere.
It seems like the marine layer is going and summer heat is starting to kick in – oh how spoilt we’ve been, I’m not sure if its hot flushes or just the heat! I’m looking forward to some family time at the beach with the ultimate luxury of FULL hookups. I hope my veggies continue to thrive while we’re away for a few days.
Commercial tomatoes just starting to ripen, self seeded mini roma toms starting to ripen!
The main veggie plot by the pool: toms to left, peppers in the centre and clumps of basil
On top of all this the rumour is that the REV marching band might just be marching in the Washington DC 4th July parade next summer…I guess we will have time to rearrange the budget but no surprise tuba for Will this Christmas and of course Matt will be going as he will be a freshman at REV next year. If the boys are going then I would like to go and so the expense mounts up but what a chance and memory for us all. I think that Geraint will be more than happy to keep Mei company and water the assorted triffids next summer and visit DC another time of year.
I must take some photos of the front garden. I cut the California poppies right back and they’ve returned with a vengeance and have already started self seeding now the irrigation is on and I’m watering the bed regularly. But I just love them so I don’t mind. I planted 4 tomatoes plants in the front bed because there wasn’t room in the back and they are thriving and what I thought was one zuc’ seems to be a round zuc and a possible butternut squash but at this point it is only blooming! The white buddleia has gone wild and I can’t bring myself to cut it back while its blooming. I’ve seen a humming bird and a butterfly around it.
So looking back at my July list – Thankfully I didn’t make it very big in retrospect
Boys bedrooms – 25%, Will had a clear out with my help but it needs cleaning, Matt’s??????
Pink blanket/bag – going with me in the RV to finish in the evenings
2 new bracelet designs – getting there – oops Will accidently sent the buttons flying!
Possible new earring design – done to match the new bracelets
Pool filter – in and working –thank you Geraint!
Pool pump & filter house, removed to the back burner, Geraint managed without taking it down!
Christmas quilt design – 0% will get round to Candy’s and go and dye some fabric for it.
And I had an idea for a post about joining an art show for the first time and what was really needed. I’ve jotted down some ideas and might actually publish it.
In the mean time housework calls…
Hi, my name is Liz and I love to quilt, knit, sew, but last year I discovered a new passion - button jewelry. Its fun to wear and lovely to create. Its given me a new impetus to trawl through the thrift stores and antique shops for that special "something" I can't live without. As if that's not enough I enjoy dabbling with family history and writing. I've started the sequel to my first young adult novel. And then there are my two teenage sons and all their band activities and I mustn't forget my adorable, patient husband.
I am always looking at blogs related to quilting gardening.
I enjoyed hearing about the wonderful life with teenage boys, that
time for me is past. I am fairly sure the yellow flowers on your picture are
commonly known as ‘broom’. The wonderful smell claims to tame horses.
Also as you are a writer (no unkindness intended) the word smelt…does not
refer to the act of smelling, check it out
Hi, glad you enjoyed my post, and I had wondered whether the flowers were gorse but check out “smelt” in a British dictionary – past tense and past participle of smell! Have a fun Sunday.