Strawberry Season!

Strawberry season always gets summer started!  My girls and I made 2 batches of  Strawberry-Rhubarb jam today - 24 half pints.  It's the hottest day of the year so far (ugh) 96 and humid!  Tomorrow my plan is a batch of plain strawberry jam. One daughter has huge rhubarb plants, and my coworker gave me beautiful berries from her home garden.  Enough for LOTS of jam - I will share :)

I can't believe it's already July 4th next weekend!  Wedding plans are getting serious now - lots of planning getting accomplished!

New Grand-Dog

Meet Capone, our new Grand-Dog!  Isn't he cute?  As soft and cuddly as he looks, too.  The engaged couple decided to add him to their "zoo" - he has 2 sister cats who are not too sure they like him. Capone is Boxer/Bulldog and maybe something else.  In any case, he is well-loved.

A little drawing this week - not nearly enough, but it's that time thing again. This is a tangle that reminded everyone of mummies.  Baby mummies in this case, LOL. It was suggested I use this as a Halloween card and add a little orange. 

Still reading, not much time left for tangling or tatting or sewing this week. 

It's great to have options!

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Slow Year of Blogging?!

Well!  It's been a loooong time since a blog post - almost 3 months!

Originally, I started blogging just to keep a record for myself of my progress with various hobbies, and it was a bonus to meet and get to know others. It's so enjoyable to interact with others that have the same interests! It turned into so much time reading everyone else's blogs and wanting to try absolutely EVERYTHING I saw, that I really spent more time browsing the web than actually working on the hobbies. But honestly, I just don't think my life is interesting enough to blog about too many details.  And there are times when I feel like every blogger or Facebook friend is trying to sell me something.  (Yes, I tried that too - not my bag.)

Truthfully, I miss keeping the sort of journal it creates of my own life - to look back and be able to say "wow, I really did that and it's really nice!" is so gratifying.  But, it does take some time, and leads me to other unnecessary surfing (ha ha!)  So, I guess I will keep on blogging, but will keep it more journal-like.  Maybe I will figure out a system for just posting pictures and not trying to write so much.  (But I need to explain!!)  

So, for the past few months, I have been doing a little of everything.  I've done a little tatting of cross bookmarks to have on hand - they are so handy to have to pop in a card to someone I know that will truly appreciate it. Our Twin Cities Tatters will meet tomorrow - that always inspires me, though I can't seem to tat and talk at the same time, so I make many mistakes. I have so many patterns I want to tat, but . . .

I've been doing a LOT of drawing, (not to mention gathering pens, pencils, blenders, sketchbooks, and spending time in art supply stores!)  I really do love the "zen" in zentangle.  Check out what ZENTANGLE is - anyone can do it! Even us perfectionists, with a little practice :)

I go through stretches where I read alot, and then I don't read for a few months.  I'm on my 3rd book in about month right now - another stretch of reading underway.

I'm still having some fun with photography, though I've stopped the photo challenge I started.  It was getting to be too many staged photos that I just don't either have the time, the equipment, or the location to get the assigned photo.  I don't want to take photos just to fulfill the assignment, I want the photos to be good ones, and ones I can be proud of or maybe hang on the wall.  But, the challenge did give me some other perspectives to think about when taking photos, so not all is lost.  So, I just enjoy looking back at some of the fun photos I've taken in the past, and just try to snap a few more when the opportunity arises.

Wedding plans are moving right along, and the next 4 months are going to go FAST.  I will be cutting into my wedding dress soon to work on a hair piece/veil. Yikes.

And, did I mention I'll be going on a quilt shop "shop hop" with my mom the end of July?  Imagine the inspiration.  I haven't been sewing much lately, but I'm sure I'll find some irresistible fabric.  Or pattern.  Hee hee!

More another day.  Maybe just a picture or two.  Enjoy the weekend!