Priceless Treasures

"My Sister's Quilt". The twin to the one I made for my Sister.

Now that fall is in the air it is time to pull out all of the quilts. There are always a few favorites that remain out through the summer. But with the coolness in the air coming on, all of the others get to come out and be used in some place or another around our home. I have a small handful of heirloom quilts that are at least 100 years old. These hang on the wall or stay folded in a nook in our den where they can be seen and appreciated but not used. Many of the quilts I have were made by my Mother-in-law who is an expert quilter and several others were made by my Mom who is an accomplished seamstress. So one could say that the crazy-ness of cutting up perfectly fine fabric and then stitching it back together again runs in my blood. One of my most favorite quilts is one that I made for my dear Sister. Actually it was two quilts that I made at the same time. Twin quilts. One for her and one for me. This quilt, "My Sister's Quilt", is one that is always out and always on the end of the couch or in the chair where I happen to be sitting in the evening. My Sister keeps hers in the same place and uses hers like I use mine. I find comfort in this quilt knowing this and her love for her quilt. Even in the summer I cover up with it. I have made several others as well and sent them to loved ones out of state. I have also made some that have remained here in our home. There is something therapeutic in this crazy-ness of cutting up perfectly fine fabric so it can be stitched back together again. I can't really put my finger on the exact reason why, I just know that it is. Receiving a quilt that has been stitched just for you runs parallel to receiving something priceless.                                 

Summer

My goodness how time flies! Where did our summer go? Over the last few weeks we have gone from blistering temps to the comfortable low to mid 80's. Fall is in the air. You can feel it with the cooling in the evening as the sun sets and in the moist dewy mornings when the sun rises. The sun is setting sooner and rising later. Of course the wheat harvest is rapidly coming to a close as well. Fitting I suppose with the easing of the temperatures and shortening of the days. Although I will miss the long summer days and the warmth summer offers, I look forward to what the fall season will bring. The plants will be able to rest from the long scorching dry summer days, the evenings are full of a moist earthy scent, fireplace smoke drifts in the air adding it's spicy smell to the soft earthy scent and the dust goes away. Everything around seems to take a long deep breath and embrace the ease that fall brings with it. Soon the leaves will change and the cool refreshing evening breeze of summer will change to the crisp subtle wind of fall and bring with it the giant bright white cotton ball clouds that gallop and chase each other across the sky. We still have some warm summer days left and I intend to savor these days and save up all the warmth that I can. I will most certainly miss the warm summer sun and long lazy days of summer.

Harvest

One of he big guys. It is not uncommon to see 3 or 4 of these big guys  cutting in a row.

       Harvest. It is a way of life here. It is what our small town revolves around. The ground is tilled and prepared for seeds. The seeds are planted and then they grow. Then the wait. The wait for the wheat to be just right to cut. Then it happens.The wheat turns and becomes ready for harvest. There is nothing but harvest. That is it. Nothing else happens until all the wheat is harvested. Hundreds of thousands of acres of wheat. There are some peas and garbonzo beans to harvest too but the majority is wheat. As far as the eye can see 360 degrees. The big combines come out of their resting places and set to work cutting the wheat. Fine white chaff dust sparkles in the air and floats on the breeze. Settling on everything. Not a surface is left untouched. Only good part about this is I don't dust anything until after harvest is done. Usually about 3 weeks. I learned my lesson early. If you dust in the morning, by late afternoon things look as if you never touched them. So we just wait. Hay fever sets in too. Traffic jams occur often. When it's time to move the equipment to the next field that needs cutting the roads are how these big monsters get to where they are going. Sometimes they get a ride on a big trailer but are so wide they hang way over the bed of the trailer and there is only one speed, slow. These traffic jams make me smile. Grain trucks are on the roads pounding gears to get their heavy loads to the elevators and then back to the fields again for another load. This is hot, sweaty and dirty work. For some, harvest may be a time of hanging fall decorations and trees leaves changing color. Here harvest is 3 or so weeks of hard work. 3 or so weeks of combines, tractors, grain trucks and farmers working non stop to get the wheat into the safe clutches of the grain elevators. Then and only then is there rest and celebration. What a celebration there is when it is an end of harvest celebration. Just as the urgency to get things harvested is a viable "feeling" in the air of daily activity, so is there a tangible "feeling" of relief and celebration in the air when the harvest is complete. In a word, HARVEST. It sums it all up.                                                                        

The First Egg

I will let this sweet egg be the words for this post.

Our first egg from our girls. Can't wait to see what we find tomorrow.

A Good Visit

     Mid July. More guests to arrive. This time our guests were my Sister and her family. It was so good to see all of them again. Too much time had passed since our last visit. My Sister did most of the cooking while she was here so I got a much needed break and lots of great food. We had so much food we ended up putting some of it away in the freezer. My Sister and Brother-in-law got a much needed break away from their day to day routine and were able to rest and relax. We had great conversations and good quality time together. The cousins sunk into life with each other with out missing a beat and acted more like siblings then cousins. My Sister and I spent as much time as was possible by each others side trying to get as much of the other as we possibly could. Knowing that our next visit with each other wouldn't be soon enough. We are so alike, we know what each others thought is before it is said but then again so completely different from each other that we can provide each other with a different outlook on a situation. We are lucky to have each other. I was lucky to have them visit.                                                                                                                               

Growing, Growing, Growing

  

Summer has finally hit and we are having the warm temps, blue clear skies and the occasional thunder storm with rain. Some days have been just a bit warm but others are quite nice. Had to pull out the hose and set out to watering regularly. Had a stretch of really hot days all in a row and some of the ferns dried out but everything else has responded with blooming and ripening. We have had a large harvest of berries almost daily and even shared with the birds and critters, tomatoes have been turning red, zucchinis are growing larger, corn is getting taller, sunflowers and daisies are blooming, it keeps going from there. Seems like we have the sprinkler going constantly on some part of the yard or garden. Weeds are doing their fair share of growing too. I have been ignoring the weeds in the flower beds and tending to the ones in the garden, even still I have parts of the garden that have weeds knee tall. I wish all of the plants would grow as well as the weeds do. None the less things are growing and I am very pleased. With warmer dryer temps and no rain the harvest of the wheat has begun and is full throttle to get it cut and to the elevators. The harvest is about 3 weeks late this year due to the cooler temps we had at the beginning of summer. With shorter days and dew setting in the mornings and the mid August thunder and rain storms approaching the rush is on to complete cutting the wheat as soon as possible. Combines are running like mad to beat Mother Nature and Father Time. 

                                                                                                                               

A Peaceful Rest

     July 3rd. At this point in time this day is history. Most would associate this day with Independence Day. These two days hold the excitement that comes with the celebration of July 4th and remains our most favorite holiday to celebrate. These two days I hold close to my heart for my own reasons. My dear sweet Gran chose the Fourth of July for herself and her own independence away from this earth and has been resting peacefully for 6 years. I still think of her often and miss her sweet quiet ways.                                                                     July 3rd 2012 is the day our sweet boxer could no longer hold ground with a tumor in his brain. Our Angus fought a valiant battle. His silly-boy ways and soft snuff-a-loffagus nose, his unconditional love and acceptance and his cuddle-bug ways will be missed but we know that he is truly at peace and no longer in pain. I can't think of a better time or way to celebrate my Gran and our Angus then Independence Day!!