Friends, Family, Flowers and Fido

The last three days have been spent cutting out pieces for quilts. My next quilt is all cut out and ready for assembly, and today, members of the guild cut out 20 kits to make the quilt I will be demonstrating next Monday.
Yesterday, we had a surprise visit from a Florida friend with her husband and daughter in law! Andrea just graduated from her nurse practitioner school and they were celebrating the event. I showed them the studio and the house, and we caught up on all the news from 'Down-below'.

Andrea, Jeanette and Me

Today ,while I was at the cutting extravaganza, Mr Wazoo made a trip to Greenville, SC to visit his 93 year old mother. I used to teach school in the classroom next to hers long before I knew Mr Wazoo. We have been friends for 39 years, and family for 33! I couldn't ask for  a more active and spirited Mother in law. She is a gem.

My good friend and Mother in law, Pam

Two of my favorite people!!

When Tim got home, we spent some time on the porch watching the squirrel siblings rollicking and frollicking in the tree. Mama squirrel took a trip down to the corn cobs we hung at the lower part of the tree, but the babies don't go down there.

Keeping an eye on things outside

Meanwhile, I got some lovely flowers from one of my twin girls for Mother's Day. She and her twin just had a birthday on Tuesday. I can't believe my babies are 37! My oldest daughter is 41, so the feeling of geezerness has already set in.

And they smell terrific, too!

The youngest of my four kids in a birthday selfie

Molly spent the afternoon close to her bed, afraid of the thundering going on outside. Mr Wazoo is happy his garden was watered for him by the rain!
Tomorrow, SHOP HOP!!!

My timid little girl

Vintage quilt rescue and some squirrly neighbors

Today was another vintage quilt day. A friend of my sister in Texas went to an auction and bought what she thought was a vintage quilt in a box. She paid $1 for it. It turned out, there wasn't a quilt in the box at all, but six quilt tops ! She really wanted the quilt she saw in the box, but isn't a quilter. Enter Wazoo. In exchange for quilting and finishing her quilt, she gave me the other five tops. I have been doing one every now and again, and today I finished and quilted an on point 9 patch which dates to the 1950s. I added two borders after squaring the top as best I could, and then did some nice quilting in the open areas. I've been working on the hand sewing during some PBS shows, but I will have to finish that tomorrow. I'm pooped!

Hey! Molly photo bombed my picture!

That's better. 

I added the red and floral borders

Fun quilting

I added the polka dot binding, too!

Also today, the squirrels who live in the tree across from our front porch came out to play! I never would have guessed there were four of them in that tree, but I saw them all come out of the hole this morning and grabbed the camera.

Can you spot all four? One in the hole, one next to the hole, one on the branch and one going down the tree.

You go first! No, you go first!

Siblings hanging out

I only have a point and shoot camera, so the photos are a bit fuzzy. I hope they come out again tomorrow! The frolicking and leaf chewing was so much fun to watch, Tim and I spent nearly an hour at the window.

Lovely day for some sight-seeing

It was too beautiful a day to stay home and quilt, so Mr Wazoo and I set out for Brasstown Bald. With it's strange name, Brasstown Bald also climbs the title of tallest mountain in Georgia at 4784 feet! We drove to the parking lot about two thirds of the way up the mountain, and took the shuttle the rest of the way to the top.
The view in every direction is glorious! The bluish haze over the mountains is an atmospheric occurrence caused by rotting vegetation (so the guide says), and that is why these mountains are called the Blue Ridge. From North Carolina up, they are called the Great Smoky Mountains. The guide also told us that on a really clear day, you can see the skyline of Atlanta, 80 miles south.Tim surmised that from an unobstructed window in one of those skyscrapers in Atlanta, you must be able to see Brasstown Bald! Hmmmm...I wonder if that would be true?
We toured the museum, walked all around the observation deck, watched the movie about the seasonal changes on the mountain, and then skipped the shuttle ride, choosing to walk down the trail to the parking lot. It was very steep, but really interesting. There are many types of little wild flowers, trees and birds to enjoy on the way down, so it wasn't too bad. Next time, we will walk up the trail. I know I can do it!
After leaving Brasstown Bald, we wound our way through the Chattahoochie National Forest to Hiawassee. On the drive back to Blairsville, we stopped for an early supper at Brothers restaurant outside of Young Harris. Yum.
Molly was jumping out of her fur coat with excitement when we got home, and was rewarded for good behavior with a giant peanut butter dog cookie from the garden center! I put my souvenir Brasstown Bald magnet on the fridge with the others, and then made you this slideshow.
Enjoy!!

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