Pictures like this make me want to start quilting

The front of doll quilt for swap III
Originally uploaded by upstatelisa

I saw this linked on one of the many blogs I regularly read, Reclaiming The Home and it struck me as just the right combination of modern and old-fashioned. If I were in a position to add any new hobbies to my already backlogged life, I think quilting would be at the top of the queue.

Gardening is hard work

I spent 3.5 hours mowing, then weeding, planting, weeding, and transplanting. And it still mostly looks the same as it did this morning. A few weeks ago, we removed the grass from an area outside our back door. My mama dug up a few of her perennials for me, and I finally managed to get them all in today. I put in two rudbeckia plants last week, then today I put in the coneflowers, the peonies, and some dame's rocket. That was seriously toilsome work, as the soil there is pretty hard packed and rocky (it's right near the gravel drive and alley). Mr Deplume tilled it for me, but the poor little tiller had a hard time with all the hackberry roots in the way. So it's up to Normpower to dig holes big enough, then add enough compost and garden soil to allow the plants to grow. There's at least a 68% chance that everything in that new bed will die this year and we'll have to start over in 2009.


Since the kids were playing nicely outside still, I started efforts to fix up the back garden. It's pretty overgrown with grass, and weeds. Until last spring, there were giant yew bushes int hat area, until Mr Deplume borrowed a chainsaw. Now we only have giant stumps. Taking those things out will be unfun. Since I prefer fun, I'm ignoring them, and planting stuff around them. Luckily, the soil there is nice and black and loose, and has very little foot traffic. After clearing a good-sized patch, I put two peonies in (I know it's the wrong season for peony planting, but I had them, so in they went), moved a volunteer heirloom tomato plant to another location, and left one where it popped up. There are still about 50 tomato seedlings in the other end of the bed, but that will be work for another day. At least there is progress. I'll be taking a second shower today as I completely reek, primarily of creeping charlie.

I was going to share a picture of my newest knitting project, but I've prattled on too long already, and still I need to run to the grocery then shower. And my hands hurt. And by now, I've lulled you all to sleep anyway, so it would be a wasted effort. If you have read this far and are interested, you can go look it up on its Ravelry page. :)

Drive-by blogging

I just got started in a shawl for me. It's in laceweight, but I decided on a really simple, mostly-stockinette pattern. Why? Because as much as I love the process of knitting lace, I'll never manage to finish a whole patterned shawl while my kids are young. I've had to accept my limitations, and go with something attainable.

But once the kids are both in school all day long, watch out! I'm going to be a lace fiend. I hope it's not out of style by then.

City-wide garage sale is this weekend. I have lots of pricing and purging to do before Saturday. Why do I do this to myself?? At least I have some furniture-like stuff that will make the yard look full without being a PITA for me to deal with. This afternoon I hope to put the 1960's formica kitchen table together so it can go. I love the table, but just have no place for it in my house. I bought it at auction 6 years ago and have not once used it. Bah.