May Happenings

Happy May!  May is always our crazy month.  We have seven birthdays, our anniversary (53), Mother’s Day and then First Communions (2), Confirmations (2), and graduations (3).  It seems like it is party after party for the entire month.  There’s never a dull moment with a large family.

Sewing seems to take a back seat for the month of May.  I did manage to get my selvedge quilt quilted and bound.  It was a love/hate relationship.  I quilted the entire quilt and was not happy with the quilting.  I spent two days ripping out EVERY STITCH and requilting it!!!  The backing is a great Kaffe wide back that picks up all the colors on the front.  

Our granddaughter made her husband a pair of fleece pants for Christmas.  She left the extra fabric in my sewing room!  Their son turns one this month so I used the leftover fabric to make him a matching pair of pants and a robe that matches the pants.

My niece (in-law) cross stitched a stocking for her mom for Mother’s Day.  She asked if I could sew it into a stocking for her.  This was her first cross stitch project and I think she did a great job on it.  That metallic thread is difficult to use and all of the music is done in metallic gold.

Our momma tortoise celebrated Mother’s Day in her own way.  She laid 12 eggs this year.  

Workmen have kept us on our toes this month as well.  A new a/c unit was needed and replaced.  Of course, it’s never a “simple” replacement.  Ducting had to be replaced so there have been people inside, outside and up in the attic.  As well, we are replacing our sand volleyball court with something more practical.  After 30 years, the softer sand has blown away, leaving the court feeling more like gravel.  It isn’t a lot of fun to play on that surface.  I'll be glad to have them finish.  It’ll be nice to get rid of everyone and get the house back to ourselves.

I had a "new to me" visitor this week.  This little guy was on my path to my car.  The photo is enlarged, but it was really only about 9" long.  I loved the red band around the neck so I had to come in and look it up.  It was a non venomous ring necked snake!  The underside is a brilliant orange.  I am NOT a snake person, but this little guy was kind of cute.  He was much less intimidating than our resident five foot gopher snake that keeps scaring me in the backyard.  Although, he too, is a "good" snake.  

 
There is a field across the road from us.  The crops are rotated in it, but it is mostly planted in lettuces or cabbage.  They recently cut what we thought was a cover crop.  I thought it was such a lovely view with all the bales.  Except for the hilly background, I could imagine being back in the Midwest.