Mid-September, and Still Waiting for Fall

Time to prep for the fall garden.  Except...with the temperatures in the high 90's, my efforts are short-lived.  A little in the early morning, and even then it doesn't take long to work up a sweat.  Since it looks as if September is now the "New August," maybe October is the new garden prep month.  Everything is still blooming, just suffering from heat exhaustion and lack of rain.  

 It is still too hot for most fall plants here, but I need to have the areas prepared, and I will...eventually.  I've ordered a few seeds for a different milkweed and some tiny carrots.  Hard to resist planning for next year. 

from Annie at Scribbling Glue, these beautiful plates!

Postcard from Teresa & Ricky

I'm falling a little behind in my replies because I've been creating such a mess with my Halloween stuff.

Erin was in town for a hearing today, and we had lunch at the Cotton Boll Grill.  I got my fill of purple hull peas, turnip greens, and cornbread.  She had a bacon and tomato sandwich.  We split a huge plate of peach cobbler and ice cream that was beyond delicious.

Erin will be more cautious in her enthusiasm from now on.

All of these are going to Baton Rouge.  She said she liked the Halloween bottles, and she loves Halloween.  So I made her a couple bottles and a skeleton in a cone and when I found out she would be coming today, I didn't even have to mail them!

 I made the flowers several years ago,

and I'd take them out and use real flowers,

but they work for a demonstration of a tiny bottle as vase.

I'll get around to decorating these "vases" eventually.

I have several more projects in progress right now and the studio is an unholy mess!

39 Of The Funniest Entries From The 2019 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

I'm in the Mood for Fall

My favorite season is approaching, so I decided to make some spooky bottles.  

I had such fun with these!  

They will be joining other Halloween decorations before long.

Crumpled tissue paper (for texture) applied with ModgePodge, black paint, brown wash, shimmery wash, and whatever creepy, spooky thinks that can be glued on.

 When B.E. was here one night last weekend, 

she got started on one.

Unexpected visitor to hummingbird feeder...

Green anoles are some of my favorite garden visitors, 

but I didn't know they had a taste for sugary beverages.

Incoming Mail last week

Outgoing Mail

Postcards

A recent post from Annie (Annie's Musings) reminds us that postcards are celebrating their 150th anniversary on Oct. 1.   You can click on the above link above to see the postcards Annie has sent to celebrate 150 years of postcards.  (one of my favorite postcards is one of Annie's fabric postcards!)

Show Postcards Some Love  is the site about the anniversary celebration.

Postcards are fun and quick, just a note to tell someone they are on your mind.

Incoming

My friend Carla loves Klimt and sent me two Klimt postcards. :)

  
Outgoing

I especially love including a pun (from my ever lengthening collection) for Max. :)

to Mila

to Teresa & Ricky 

 to Carla

I find this charming--certainly thinking outside the box!  
Definitely alphabetical order :)

Mail, Trolls, Mighty Girls

Last Week's Outgoing Mail

These had to go to the P.O. for postage

I ended up sticking Max's book inside the package with Mila's embroidered pouch/envelope.

Embroidery

Started another white piece, but instead of using different threads and floss, 
I'm using the same fine pearl cotton thread all over.

I found this link on Iliana's blog:  

Reading Makes People Feel Happier and Smarter, According to New Poll.

I fell in love with Thomas Dambo's giant trolls.

There is a wonderful video if you follow the above link.

I discovered A Mighty Girl a while back and love it!  

Ignite Her Curiosity:  The Best STEM Books to Inspire Science-Loving Mighty Girls.  You have to scroll way down to get to middle-school books, but they all look great.

In a world that continues to emphasizes a woman's appearance, the effect on children has become even more evident.

"A study by the Girl Scouts found that 80% of 10-year-old girls are afraid of getting fat, and other studies have found that 85% of women and 79% of girls have opted out of activities due to a lack of body confidence. With kids and teens being exposed to narrow standards of beauty in media, marketing, and online, many adults may wonder what they can do to turn the tide."

Check out 7 Ways to Help Your Daughter Love Her Body 
I love "focus on what bodies do."   And there is
another list of good books for different ages.

Monday, Monday

Embroidery
After adding more embroidery to the edges of the piece in previous post, 

I added a lining, turned it, then stitched the sides by hand.  

Front fastened with ribbons

I'm not sure what the envelope will end up holding,
but the texture is a pleasure for the fingertips.

 the back with some of my favorite parts.

This will go out in the mail soon.
Now, I need another embroidery project for meditative purpose.

Incoming Mail

from Teresa & Ricky

from Connie

from Melody

I like the stamp and the Bicentennial pictorial cancellation :)

Books/Reading

I may be getting that Halloween vibe, because I've just finished reading the first 3 books in the Scarlett Bernard series by Melissa F. Olson about witches, vampires, and werewolves, oh my!  Time to get out some orange and black crafty stuff.

It's Hot Enough to Fry Eggs on the Sidewalk--So I'm Mostly Staying Inside

and stitching, reading, writing letters...

Embroidery

I worked on this white embroidery piece in January and February, then put it away.  

A few days ago, I had an idea about what to do with it 

and have been filling in the edges.

Mail Art

Incoming

Outgoing

Garden

It is too hot to spend much time in the garden.  With temps 98-100 and heat indexes of 105-108--a few early chores is all I want to do.  The garden is on its own for the most part.  

:)  My worms seem to be satisfied with their new home.  No more escapes.  I check on them daily, just to see how they're doing.  

Weather

August is a sweltering miasma of misery for those who must work in the Louisiana heat. Breathing feels like being in a sauna, sweat doesn't evaporate, heat advisories daily.  I can come in and enjoy the luxury of air conditioning.  Many cannot.  Hurry up fall!

Books/Reading

The Bone Ships by RJ Barker is an innovative and fascinating fantasy.  I have a review scheduled on my book blog for September 2.  It is the first in a new series, so there will be a long wait for the next book.  

Alex Walters:  Candles and Roses, Death Parts Us, and Their Final Act  (Inspector McKay series) and Late Check Out, Dark Corners, and Snow Fallen (DCI Kenny Murrain series). Obviously, I liked Alex Walters and just kept reading.  Haven't reviewed any of these yet.

Attica Locke:  Heaven, My Home brings black Texas Ranger Darren Matthews back for another investigation--this time set in Jefferson, TX and on Caddo Lake.  I have a review scheduled on my book blog for Aug. 26.

My Scintillating Conversation Gambits

How are you handling the August heat?  Ready for fall yet?

I'm Already Tired of August

Need some good news?  Check out this link about the kindness of strangers.  In the midst of all the bad news, it was heartening to see some of the ways people illustrate the best of humanity in small acts of kindness.

Incoming Mail

from Teresa & Ricky

from Jacque

from Shasta

Outgoing Mail

postcards to the grands
Max

Mila

Bryce Eleanor

Garden

--The hummingbirds have enjoyed the obedient plant blooms.  :)   I've never seen them attracted to the blooms previously, but they like them this year.

Cosmos in the corner.  Notice the warped fencing.

--The Great Escape!  After transferring my worms to their prepared worm bin, I had to put the bin in the laundry room because of the heat, and Fee walked in the other morning to find that quite a few had decamped.  

Measures have been taken.  I'd been warned that after transferring them to a new bin this might happen. The worms seem more content now that they are more accustomed to their new home.

:) I'm quite excited about this project.  It is kind of like my compost pile in the back--I love seeing leaves, garden trimmings, apple cores, etc. turn into rich soil.   I like checking it and turning it.  (My husband finds me amusing: he thinks I'm a cheap date because he can make me happy with seeds, worms, and crafty stuff.
Much cheaper than jewelry.)

Feeding the worms chopped up banana peels, old lettuce, and past prime cherry tomatoes--then checking a few days later to find the food has disappeared is gratifying.  If I don't kill the worm hoard, I have a diverting activity that entertains me and will eventually provide plenty of black gold for the garden.