I started these photos as just a record-keeping exercise.  I wanted to leave the boys some information about each one for when I’m *gone*, and I didn’t take any special care in the pictures so I apologize for the randomness in the photos.  Some teapots are special mementos, some were gifts from special people, some are from TJ Maxx, and at least one is from a garage sale!  I love them all.

–Sue

This is just getting ridiculous!  I was on the roads around noon today, and the roads were pretty greasy feeling with this new snow coming down.  Not good.  It’s been snowing continuously since this morning.  Rush hour must be a mess tonight.

And the Vikings-Bears game!!!  Being played at the University of Minnesota’s TCF stadium (because of the deflation of the Metrodome roof from the last storm)!!!  Yes, it’s an open stadium.  The game should be entertaining, from a weather standpoint, at least.

–Sue

DH and I also chose a new refrigerator today to replace the dying one after looking in SIX appliance stores!!! I’ll feel much better when the new one is delivered and happily churning out winter in a box.

–Sue

- Fat Tuesday:  Last report for a while.  Lost another pound for a total of 11.  I’m going to continue on my “health plan” as best I can during the rest of this busy summer and only report periodically.

- The Scott County Fair starts tomorrow.  If you’re going to be at the fair on Friday, our DayStitchers group will be doing handwork in the creative activities building in the afternoon.  Be sure to say “hi”!  (And a note to DayStitchers:  We won’t be at the library Wednesday.  Call me or another member if you don’t know the location.)

- Our refrigerator is dying a slow death.  The repairman came out yesterday and gave us the bad news.  It’s only ten years old *sniff*.  Looking for a new fridge today.

-Photographing the wild flowers behind us has been so much fun.  The “garden” changes from one time of day to another, and from one day to the next.  Yesterday It had a real autumn feel to me all of a sudden.  Some flowers are looking “done”, and there were hardly any insects.  Photos in a later post…

-Yesterday was so hectic, I never did make my Design Wall Monday posting.  I finished the Opal Harry Potter socks just in time to get them entered in the fair.  The stripes turned out pretty well, they are the same size, and there are no holes in them!

This week I’ll pick out a new skein of sock yarn to start another pair, find the book our newly formed book club is reading this month, make my two blocks for my Farmer’s Wife Sampler, and I need to go downstairs and reacquaint myself with Elvis.

-In case you thought you heard wolves howling last night, did you see the moon?

-BONUS!  I get to meet a fellow blogger today at the Mall of America, plus I’ll sneak in a side trip to IKEA.

–Sue

Song composed while in traffic Saturday.  It helps if you sing it out loud to the tune Turkey In The Straw. Go ahead, even if you’re at work!

If you only had a brain,
Then you wouldn’t drive so strange.
Then you wouldn’t cut me off
so my undies need a change.

But you never got a brain,
Nope, not even a grain, ‘Cuz
You weren’t at the station
When the Brain Train Came.

This is a photo out our back window, looking from the mowed yard, into the wild flowers, down into the weeds and woods.

This is the prettiest time of summer.  We’ve had lots of rain, plenty of heat, and everything is lush and green.  Once we get into August, well, it just won’t be so pretty.  And speaking of pretty…

…we had the prettiest sunset Sunday night.  It started out to be a pretty pastel sunset.  Then, this rich color which only lasted for a minute.  I went to get another picture and *poof* it was gone.

–Sue

And a sewing note:  I made my dress and veil, and both my attendants made their own dresses.  And for those who say, the heck with the people…what kind of car is that?  It’s Best Man Larry Sullivan’s 1967 Mercury Cougar.

Jim and I met at work waaaay back in 1969.  Two and a half years later, we married.  And they said it wouldn’t last!  Well, I don’t know if anybody actually said that, but probably somebody did!  Here we are two Christmases ago (I can tell because I was still coloring my hair!)

I’m so grateful for a wonderful husband who has put up with me lovingly supported me in whatever I’ve wanted to do (secretary, stay-at-home mom, student, court reporter, personal assistant, legal admin assistant, QUILTER!!!) these 39 years. 

–Sue

On my longarm is a quilt I did some time ago.  Click here for a picture.  It’s from a free pattern on Judy Laquidara’s site, and I believe she calls it something like “Out of the Bag”.  Super easy and super fun, plus it’s a great stash buster.  Now it’s finally getting quilted!  To find the pattern, go to Judy Laquidara’s site, Patchwork Times, and under “Free Patterns and Projects”, click on “Out of the Bag”.

And my crab tree out our kitchen window is just about ready to explode into bloom, quite a bit earlier than normal due to the early spring we’re enjoying.  C’mon, Hummingbirds!!!

–Sue

When I took this picture, I was noticing that the Black-Necked Stilts and the American Avocets were out of the water and standing on the sandy point with the Roseate Spoonbills.

As I got a better view of the point in my pictures, a big white bird entered into view.  I didn’t notice it at the time, but viewing it on the computer monitor I thought maybe it was an albino!!!

What the heck?  Then I started looking for this white bird in other photos, and I could see it was a White Ibis, doing wing lifts just like the spoonbills.  (Albino!  What was I thinking???)

I enjoyed getting a better view of a Black-Necked Stilt right on the point of the sand bar.  (The Black-Necked Stilts look like they are wearing tuxedos.)  Look at those skinny, long legs!  (The Avocets have the white horizontal stripe on their wings.)

Another computer monitor surprise was the big turtle in the midst of all these birds.  Do you see him?  He on the far side of the sand bar.

What a busy little piece of real estate.

–Sue

Kerry is an accomplished musician, and has a professionally done CD of her original arrangements of traditional Christmas music available.  AND she’s giving away three copies of her CD on her blog.

If you’re lucky enough to win one, you will be delighted with the music.  It’s all I played last year.  I believe Kerry has a link to a sampling of some songs on her posting.  Be sure to check it out.

–Sue

PS:  I should mention that I used Kerry’s photos with permission.