Still without focus

 I'm not accomplishing much at the moment as I've lost all focus!  I was so focused on the garden jobs that once they were completed I am lost.  Oh, I worked some on stitching, Ryan's sock in particular.  Mostly I'm getting the house back in shape.  Cleaning just doesn't thrill me!  I had, I'm afraid really let things go while I was working in the garden and it's taking more time than usual to get back where I like to be.

The veggie garden has some green beans showing on the plants, some cherry tomatoes, and now the squash have blossoms.  I think I'll pick some of those and try frying them.

The flower pots will need a trim next week but the purslane is looking really nice at the moment.

 There are three tiny hostas in that garden -one is called mouse's ears, and one tiny tim I think.  They bloom purple while all the other have white blooms.

The weather has turned really hot again, and humid.  At 6 pm CDST it is 88F/31C with a heat index of 94F/34C.  The heat index is calculated by using the actual temperature and the relative humidity I just figure the weather guessers at the local TV station know how or the National Weather Service.

We are sure to have a Heat Advisory again this next week. (I looked up how a Heat Advisory is issued:  here's what the National Weather Service says:  a Heat Advisory is issued within 12 hours of the onset of a heat index between 105F/41C and 115F/46C for no less that 3 hours a day or when nighttime lows are above 80F/27C for two days.) We did have about an inch of rain this week, which we needed.  Could actually use more.  Missouri is such a weird place weather wise-last year we had flood warnings from March through September this year it's horrid dry.

I'm heading out in my camper this Friday.  I try to leave home over the 4th as Quinn goes quite insane with the fireworks, thus making me insane!  We'll be back on Monday.  I have some projects to do in the trailer while I'm gone.  I need to go our for a week and just work on the remodel!  First, I need to quit adding new things to do!

Covid cases are on the rise again, not surprising as no one wants to wear masks.  The mayor of Kansas City has required masks in all public places (even the Zoo requires them in some areas.)  I don't live in KC but I expect my county to follow along soon.  They are hoping to stall the rise so they don't have to shut everything down again.  I knew it wasn't over with they started letting things reopen!  I'll still be a hermit at Christmas at this rate!

Friday Night with Friends

Thanks to Wendy there is another Friday night to sew with the international girls!

As usual I stitched on both Thursday and Friday evenings-cause, time zones.

On Thursday I worked at back-stitching on this

I had to change to the top of the chart!

Another few days and the backstitching will be finished,

then it will be just his name and the beads.

I confess, I cannot make a French knot.

Well, I CAN but it won't stay.

So, long ago I began using seed beads instead.

I heard about a different knot which I'm going to try but not on stockings.

Then, Friday I worked on that math mosaic-sorry no photos.

Progress, I suppose.

I'm beginning to think I should have done this as a cross-stitch piece.

Earlier in the week I finished with these

This months flipflop blocks and 

A pink placemat.  

Well in real life it's pink!

Since I finished all those outside projects I'm sort at loose ends.

No focus, 

probably because I don't have any more big projects!

I'll get back with it soon!

Veggie garden and the final projects

 In the corner of the veggie garden I have some very large pots.

It seems that I still do not have enough garden boxes built!

Not doing anymore this year.

The biggest pot is sweet potatoes-thank you Denise for inspiring that!

The white pot has gourds that have just popped up since yesterday.

The other two have runner beans and nasturtiums planted in them but they haven't broken the surface as yet.

These two boxes have the four  blueberry plants in them.

That was quite a job getting those in the ground, 

not the least of it was finding Canadian Sphagnum Moss!

(I'm never going to learn to spell sphagnum!)

 This one has blueberries on it.  

I should (and will) pluck them off so the plants can just set out roots.

It's gonna hurt, I love blueberries.

These two beds are intended for strawberries (above) and raspberries (below, one lonely "Volunteer" from elsewhere in the yard)  Both beds had green beans planted and up  

as I can't source the berry plants until the fall.

Above are sweet peppers, beans, squash and cucumbers.

Below are tomatoes and basil.

I read that basil makes the tomatoes taste better, I'll let you know.

There's also some radishes and beets sprinkled in there.

The cherry tomatoes are already setting fruit!

The final section here is for the projects I've finished.

The wall to hold back the dirt so I can open the gate enough to drive the truck into the back.

The Hosta wall, hoping to keep the dirt in place.

The front garden without the boxwood bushes. 

Just need to figure out what to do there now!

Those Stargazer lilies don't belong there, 

I think moving them will happen in the fall.

Finally,  the meter area which had sunk to the rear.

Now, a lighter hose keeps the hose hanger upright.

 Flowers have been added, 

as well as bricks to divide it from the yard and the splash block has been unearthed.

There's another pot of daisies that will go into the area as soon as they are large enough.

I hope you enjoyed the visit to my gardens!

The flowers of my gardens

This my favorite plant.  Double Many Bells.  I have two exactly alike and they are the only ones I even saw when I was buying plants.

Most of the plants are either Many bells or Petunias in a variety of colors.

There are two Geraniums, one Moss Rose, one Portulaca and one Mexican heather as well-Photos next week.

This red geranium has been absolutely gorgeous.

Here's the view down one row of flowers.

I do have some purples out there!  

The Hostas began blooming this week!  

This is the fourth summer for this garden and they have mostly reached their mature size.

Some are at least four feet across and the leaves overlap. 

That does not keep Quinn out of there! 

 I have added branches and sticks and large upside down flower pots in an attempt to keep her out. 

I don't even think there's room for her but she finds a way.  

It must be really cool in under those leaves cause when I catch her in there it's like she pops up from nowhere!

It's peaceful out on my patio with all the flowers around,

It's still cool enough in the morning to drink my coffee and watch the day arrive.

Sometimes, in the evening I sit out there as well but the bugs drive me inside.

Friday Night with Friends-the Virtual edition!

Actually it's always virtual but it sounded more fun this way!  I always sew on both my Thursday and my Friday nights-cause Cheryl is "Down Under" and it's confusing.

So on Thursday night I finished these:

Then began the twosies for the flip flop blocks.  On Friday I finished all those and began the foursies.

I should get them all sewn together today but then comes the spin, press and trim for what seems a million four-patches!  At any rate I should get them finished this week.

Otherwise, I finished ALL of the garden projects this past two weeks!  Now there is only: weed, water, feed, repeat!  Okay, I do have some small chores-laying the soaker hoses, and straw over the veggies (if the radishes and beets will ever get big enough!) In there fall there will be a few more projects but for now I'm done.  I'm planning to show you my garden tomorrow!

FNWF Chook Shed style!

Friday night (for me) was spent in a Zoom meeting with Chookyblue and friends!  Along with all the usual virtual folks over at Friday Night with Friends!  

I was such fun to actually see what bloggers LOOK like and to chat about, well,  Everything!

I worked at the backstitching on Ryan's stocking made some really good progress.

  I'll soon be flipping the page over!

On Saturday, as the Chookshed party continued I finished these for last month's RSC.

Hey, they're done!

Eleven flip-flop blocks. Which I find very fiddly and slow for some reason!

This last one is for the placemat set.

The photo's dark but the block is dark so it is what it is.

After I finished those  I worked on the Hashtags for this month.

All pretty in pink

I found 6 more strips today so those will also get done, maybe tomorrow.

I've been hard at work in the yard each day and it has gotten REALLY hot!

I'm pretty exhausted now!

Only two more blueberry bushes to get in the ground tomorrow.

Then one more project out there and I'll be finished until fall, 

well I'll have to water and weed and all that stuff.

Tomorrow, I'll be off to read everyone's blog from the big party!

  Isn't ZOOM amazing?!

What to do in June!

I'll begin with the garden/yard stuff which has some priority to it as the hot is arriving this week!  First, I'm going to install the remaining raised beds and get them planted this week. This will require a trip to the lumber store for screws and 3 more pickets, of course.  Then, I'm off to fix this mess.

 The ground has settled around the foundation so it's lower than the yard which means water could get in the basement-NOT good.  I'll raised the splash block, fix the hose hanger, divide the area from the main yard for ease of mowing, since I'm making a trip to the lumber place I'll pick up some pavers as well, and plant some flowers in there.  Sounds like a lot but I think it will go pretty quickly.

After that I'm going to take out the boxwoods on either side of the round spruce tree/bush.  You can barely see where the two meet and I think I will like it better opened up.  Again, something that will go quickly as I'm just sawing them off and leaving the stumps for a bit.

 After that it's the pesky walls!  One here and the lower part leveled.  I think it might take a bit of work to get it done.

 I want to replace that log with  timbers and add a bit of dirt there.  Plus that bed needs weeded, again.

For something different, I want to attempt to replace the fabric on this patio chair

 which also needs painting, if it works I'll replace the fabric and paint all the chairs on the patio at some point over the summer.  If it doesn't work, well I've not lost anything as the chair is useless as it is.  Since that's sort of stitching,  the goals there are much the same.  The hashtag blocks, the big blocks, the flipflop blocks, 31 rows added to the red, orange and black secret squirrel, and Ryan's stocking finished.Anything more is gravy.

Here's something to look at that doesn't need anything done to it!  I enjoyed my coffee out there this morning!

Blogger is doing weird things to the finished post!  I have no idea what it's going to look like until I publish it!