Hot, Hot....Cool

We got up real early so we could get to work on the pool set-up.
We got to this point and had to wait for the sun to come up a little more to warm up the pool fabric so we could add the rims and legs.

In the mean time I tidied up a much neglected flower bed.  That's when Erin showed up.

We had that baby standing up in short order.  Erin helped hubby with the pump and filter and salt water filter system, while I tried to keep my head in the shade.  Boy it was hot.  I think it reach 103 degrees today--Weeee!

We found a way to cool off-----

---at least Erin and I did. 

I finally talked hubby into a swim later, but his poor head was cooking, so we got out and took showers, then Celeste and her family showed up for a sweet surprise visit.

 My hubby is quite a fella.  He got us breakfast, and lunch while we swam, and he smothered.  I think the pool is about 2/3's full right now.  I think this calls for a night swim this evening.

Pool Time Coming

Look at our elephant ears this year--Whoppers again.  Although we have been having a very long extended heat wave, they are still doing well.  Sometimes we have to water them twice a day though.  I planted them a month late this year, but they seem to have caught up anyway.

I have been working mornings getting the ground level for our pool that is coming.  It has been terribly hot, and I wondered about why didn't I do this in the Spring--But I know my ankles wouldn't have allowed it.

It's nice to have that part done.  Next I will put pavers where the posts go, but I must receive the pool first to know where to put them.  The delivery man just called (Mr. T), and said it would be here in 25-30 minutes.

My hexies for my red bag are coming along slowly because with being worn out from yard work, I'm not particularly motivated to work very much on them.  I'm working on rows ten (of twelve)--that means two more rows on each panel, then the quilting will begin.

I'm still not sure how I want to quilt them.  Next week I can hopefully decide, after my swimming time in our new pool---tee-hee!  I'm so excited.

Yard Projects

We've started a new project.  We ordered an above ground pool, and should get it in a couple of weeks.  We started working on getting the ground level this morning.  Hubby rented a sod cutter which made quick work of getting the grass up.  Next I will work mornings to get the ground level.  I'm excited to swim; I think it will help my ankles to improve.

Here we are cooling off in the shade.

One glorious self pic of me---whee!

Last Saturday, Hubby and Erin cut down a dead tree of hers.

I got to watch--with Mac on my lap occasionally.  The last time I helped clear a downed tree, I messed up my ankles--so I decided to watch.

My Brother-in-law came a little later to help haul off all the brush.

My red bag hexies are moving along a little bit.  I'm on row eight.   I have four more rows on each panel.  It's gonna be a fun bag.

Making Bags

All my Apple Cores are done!  I machine quilted them, then made this bag today; it's nice to have it finished.  It's a pretty good sized bag.  I wasn't sure what kind of handle I wanted on it, so I just went with this kind since I had some on hand.  I can always just change it if I don't like it.  I kind of wanted straps to fit on my shoulder, but it would have been a lot more work; I just took the easy way out.

I've also been making more hexies for my red bag.  Progress is slow since it's all handwork.

I might go with over the shoulder handles, but maybe not.

I tried to upload another picture, but blogger is being stupid again, so I won't.  It was a picture of the red bag I'm making.  I guess it will just be a mystery for a while.

Hexie Project Progress

I really need to get better acquainted with my new camera.  When our family was watching fireworks on the fourth, I spent more time trying to figure out my camera's settings in the dark, than watching the display.  Sheesh!  Here is one of the good shots I got, thanks to Erin's help.

I am making some progress on my Red Purse.  I have all the hexie's covered, and am now stitching them together.  I'm about 1/8th done.  This part is the easier part of English Paper Piecing, in my opinion. 

I'm not sure what I will do next---maybe my MIL's unfinished quilt.  It needs two borders, one of which I need to buy, but I'm without a vehicle today.  (Hubby's pickup wouldn't start, so he took mine---it's probably the battery.  We've had a lot of hot weather lately, and I think hot weather is hard on batteries.)  I think I will quilt it on the machine because I like to have two projects going--one hand project and one machine project so when I get tired of one I can work on the other.  I would like to do some machine work now, but that's just too bad.



Apple Core Adventure

My Apple core Table Runner is finished except for the label.  I took 2 days to assemble the backing, layer, baste, machine quilt, and bind this quilt.  I finished the binding last night in bed just before midnight. It's my Americana Table  Runner.  I also have an Apple core Flag I finished earlier this year.  The last of my Apple core projects is a bag---it's ready to quilt, then I can make the bag.

I started this adventure on July 1st last year.

I posted about it here: apple core runner.

It's nice to have another UFO done. I can strike two UFOs off my list for June and now, the fourth of July.  By the way, Happy Fourth.  We have nice family plans for today which include making my MIL's potato salad, and BBQ burgers on my part, and of course fireworks.


Gardening in the Heat

Well, I finished up on the back yard--yea!  I got the weeds and flowers pulled up from the pavers, so now it looks like someone lives here.

I also planted my pots in the front with begonias.  I got them for 39 cents per 4-pack and they looked so poor that the checkout lady said--You think they'll make it?  I said sure--not knowing about our nasty heat wave that was coming.  I'm not so sure now.  They don't look so good.

Here's a reminder pic of how it looked in the back yard area before I worked it over.

Ahhhhhh! Much better.