Random Life

It has been hot here.  The cats have been feeling it and are hogging the cool air.  This is a position I find Mr. Nibbles in quite often.

I went and got a henna tattoo with some friends on Friday.  A gal around here does it for a free will donation to Voice of the Martyrs.

I have been forcing my children to play Settlers of Catan.  I like playing games, but I have a bit of an addiction issue to video games, so I tend to leave them alone.  I suspect that I will have to start paying them to play Settlers with me in the future.  Here is a board that Iris won.  We know that it was not following the rules precisely, but she liked the way that she dominated the board.  She is the white pieces.

My garden is producing alot of tomatoes and green beans.  I know what we will be having for supper.  This is today's and yesterday's yield.  I have been playing the part of the "tomato fairy" frequently for my friends.

I am glad that I planted a cutting garden this year.  It is nice to have some fresh flowers around the house.  I often but some basil in the arrangements and that makes them smell very nice.

I have a better idea of what to do with the garden next year.  Number one on the list is plant less tomatoes.  I am also going to try to have a better variety of vegetables.   I suppose I need to write these things down before next spring comes and I go buying 10+ tomato plants again!

End of Summer Happenings

Wow!  We have been busy.  All within the last month we took a mini vacation with just me and the kids to Missouri, kids have started school again, and in general been very busy.  We went to Silver Dollar City.  We were brave and tried riding powder keg again.  Last summer when we were at SDC we rode it and a sensor tripped and the ride stopped at the top of the highest hill.  We had to climb out of the ride and walk down the side of the track.  I was proud of the kids because they did not panic.  It did give us a great story though.  This is the first time back on it and as you can see Iris is a bit apprehensive.  We ended up riding 3 times.  Kids loved the roller coasters this time around.

 We also went to Bass Pro and Lamberts with grandma.  I should not even buy a meal for Zadok, he eats only the rolls and we bring the rest of his meal home with us.

 On the way back to Iowa we go through the Osage Beach/Camdenton area.  We stopped and went through Bridal Cave.  The kids went through the cave at SDC earlier this spring and it really made an impression on Zadok.

 We also stopped at Ha Ha Tonka. Zadok thinks we should live in a castle like this. 

Living in Iowa, I miss having lots of interesting things within a 2 hour drive.  Anyway....

Kids started school two weeks ago, but it has been difficult to get into a routine.  We still have days that are beastly hot and most schools around here do not have air conditioning.  The first week of school they got out early two days and again two days this week.  I do not blame them.  By ten in the morning some of the classrooms are close to 100 degrees.  Z's school does not have air conditioning and I can tell that when I pick him up he is exhausted.  I did not get very good "1st day of school" pics.  Iris rode her bike with a friend and Z and I walked to his school.  Here is Iris looking pretty in her new clothes.

 She had a flat tire, so she watched while her friend pumped it up.

 Here is Zadok all slicked down and clean.

You would think that with kids back in school I would have more time for cleaning and such, but no.  I have been home for about two seconds in the last two weeks.  I am hoping to have more time in about two more weeks.  I help with AWANA at church and we are getting ready for kickoff, so that is where most of my time is spent these days.  I am ready to get into a routine and for the weather to be a bit more fall like, except that means winter is around the corner and I am not ready for that!

Unfinished....

I don't know if there is a psychological condition that manifests itself in chronic unfinished projects.  If there is, I have it.  I have an unfinished dissertation, unfinished house remodel, unfinished quilts, unfinished everything.  I admit that my favorite part of anything is the planning and the design.  Actually doing the work to see completion, not so much the favorite.  Anywho...I wanted to post some unfinished projects, hoping that this will spur me to a great personality change and lead me down the road to finishing.  Probably not.

Our unfinished office:

Don't you love the pink flowers?  I have paint colors chosen, light fixtures and fabrics bought, extra desk procured, etc.  Just have to do it now. 

These are some of the quilt blocks that I have made:

 Stars made from charm packs.

 This is supposed to be a quilt for Zadok. I have to add sashing.

 These are fun string blocks.

 I have to figure out how to incorporate these fabrics and blocks together.

 Star experiments

Lots of green....

I also have quite a few quilt tops done, I just have to quilt them or have them quilted.

 These I set on point,  I actually really like the way this one turned out.

 Arkansas Crossroads.

 A purple quilt for Iris

 A fallish type quilt that the cat likes

 A simple Irish Chain

 Film Strip?  I liked the fabrics.

 A kaleidoscope quilt.  I might make another one of these someday.

 One of my own designs

 Underground Railroad.  I call it my Pond Quilt.

 I call this Garden Windows, also my own design.  I messed up the squaring up of the blocks and the seams do not match.

A rainbow quilt, also a favorite of the cats.

There are some quilts that I am putting a little more thought and time into and these are the ones that I am most likely to finish soon.

 This is my clamshell/log cabin quilt.  I need to finish sewing the rows together.  I WILL have this one done by the Tulip Time quilt show.  Each of the strips for the log cabin finishes at either 1inch or a 1/2 inch. 

 These are kaleidoscope blocks all made from one fabric. I am not real thrilled how this one is working out.

 This is my neptune quilt:  I love this one also.  I made three types of blocks for this one:

 The field is a type of star.

I did paper piecing for the corner blocks.  

I did a series of greekish type blocks for the outer border.The issue with this quilt is figuring out the measurements for the sashing and such to make it all go together.

Everything would go much quicker if I could just teach the cats to quilt.

They love to lay down on whatever I am working on.

City Museum - St Louis

Last weekend we went to St Louis to make a kid exchange with Nathan's mom.  We went to the City Museum.  We had never been there before because there are so many good free things to do in St Louis that we never went to the things that cost money.  It was actually pretty cool.  It was basically a giant artistic playground/jungle gym.  It would have been a blast to go to when I was in high school/early college (when I was significantly skinnier and more flexible).

 It was almost impossible to keep track of kids there.  There were tunnels under the ground and in the ceiling.

 The artwork and sculptures reminded me alot of the "Dragon Park" in Carbondale and I wonder if the same artist might have had a hand in it.  Most everything there was made of salvaged materials.

  All the floors were elaborate mosaics.

It was really a beautiful place. 

 

There was a lot of concrete sculpting going on. This was in the "caves".  The caves led to a 10 story slide made out of a garbage chute.

 There was also a large section that was all architectural ornaments off of old builds.  Lots of gargoyles and such.  Iris thinks that we need some for our house.

This is a great place if you have kids old enough to listen really well, and kids young enough that they are smaller and pretty fearless.  I saw several experienced patrons wearing knee pads.  Knee pads, really good shoes, and lots of training before you go (My quads were screaming after 30 minutes of constant climbing, crawling, scooting, etc.) are essential.  The kids really liked the place.
Now the kids are gone for a week, I am off to enjoy the silence.....