Wow! I never realized what a universally loved piece of equipment a clothesline is until this week. What fun to read all your comments of enjoying one or supporting me (and countless others in the same situation) in being able to continue using mine. I say it often, but I think it bears repeating - it is often the simplest things that can give us the greatest joy.
There has been precious little sewing going on around here this week. My little quilting hand has been sore. I don't want to end up with a serious repetitive motion injury, so I have tried to find other ways to stay busy and amuse myself.
After finding only bare stems on my cucumber plants, I have launched an all out assault on the squirrels. I spied from my kitchen window one of the enemy combatants stealing from the neighbor's bird feeder. He looks like the same fella that I drenched with a hose earlier today.
Boy that was fun. These guys don't seem to learn very quickly that they are not welcome around these parts.
I'd like to introduce Hootie, the latest addition to the garden pest patrol. I had hoped he might strike fear into the squirrels but that does not seem to be the case. He will still be worth his cost if he saves the apricots from the birds.
While I didn't spend anytime sewing this week, I did occupy my time in the kitchen. Along with another round of bread making. I tested out a recipe for Stuffed Squash Blossoms. With just a little searching, I found one that did not call for frying them. Instead they are baked in the oven. I chose to omit the bruschetta, but decided to add that garlic to the filling. They were quite tasty and I'm sure we will enjoy them again before the summer is through.

The fruits and veggies in the basket are this week's delivery from Garden of Eden. It's like a little surprise to open that box and see what the week's bounty will be. Now to get them incorporated into our daily meals.
And finally I have refilled that ever empty jar on the kitchen counter. Seems like that empty canister shows up in a lot of my kitchen photos. Frankly I was getting tired of looking at it. I pulled out a recipe for granola from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and got to work. We have been enjoying it on cereal in the mornings or a little yogurt as dessert in the evenings. Looks like that jar is going to stay filled now.

I sure enjoyed reading all the comments on my last post about clotheslines. Many of you asked why they are not allowed in our neighborhood. Since the question came up multiple times, I thought I would answer here rather than sending individual emails with a reply.
Our home is in a neighborhood governed by a home owner's association. One of the rules in the CC&R's concerns the installation and use of a clothesline. I am guessing that there is likely a very standard set of CC&R's available whenever a developer is starting up a new HOA. I don't think that our association in particular has anything against the use of a clothesline, rather the rule against them is just part of that standard language.
There are steps that can be taken to have the rules changed. I'm sure in today's climate of trying to be more environmentally friendly and energy efficient, the board of director's would most likely be in favor of an amendment. I just don't happen to be the personality type that would take on such a task. But if a petition were to begin circulating, I'd be more than willing to sign it and help with the process if needed. It certainly would be a change for the good.

Shhhhhh - don't tell anyone, but we installed a clothesline yesterday afternoon in the backyard. Although clotheslines are not welcome in our neighborhood, I have longed to have one for sometime time now. How much harm can one 40' retractable line cause?I only plan to hang linens and the occasional 100% cotton shirt or pant. No 'unmentionables' will be paraded about. Hubby installed the line to be very low so it can only be spotted if you are peaking over the fence. The inaugural basket has already come in to be folded - the smell of those towels made my heart sing.
We continue to have unseasonably warm weather - today's high is predicted to be 80 degrees while the average at this time of year is 66. Harper has found the best seat around, under the shade of the ficus with her belly on the cool, cool concrete.
I have always known that she is a smart girl.
We were out of town over the weekend, but before we left on Thursday I took some pictures out in the garden. Then this morning I went out for another photo session.
At this rate, we'll be eating zucchini by next week.
Same goes for yellow crookneck squash.
There will be Anaheim peppers in the salad before you know it.
Sadly the cucumber plants did not survive. With just a brief let up in the assault on the squirrels, those little devils apparently moved in and finished them off while we were gone. Not a single blossom or leaf left, only a few bare stems *argh* I hope to get a couple more plants this week and try again. I refuse to admit defeat!
Not only did I come home to surprises in the garden, but a surprise in the mailbox, too! Look at these little goodies that arrived from Dawn of Quilts and Pieces. There was a lot fun packed into that little envelope! A mini quilt - the entire piece is a mere 6" - also a darling little brushed cotton and wool needle case along with a zippered thread keeper.
She even pieced the back of the quilt! Could it be any cuter? I hope you can see the quilting on both the quilt and the thread keeper. I am sure to be the envy of all my classmates at the next retreat I attend.

They're here! I picked up my first box of CSA fruits and veggies this afternoon. Such a wonderful assortment they have provided for us.Head lettuce, two kinds of greens, a sack of herbs, cucumbers, zucchini, avocados and onions round out the vegetables. Grapefruit, oranges, lemons, cherries and apricots fill the fruit portion. Oh how I wanted to eat every one of those apricots on my way home and pretend like it didn't happen.
This organization is just a little different from the last one we used. They work as a co-op and pick up produce from several local sources. Just like they claim on their website, this allows them to offer a much greater variety in their weekly deliveries. If this week's box is indicative of their regular supply, I can see that we will be with them for a long time to come.
On the quilting front, my work on the Secret Deadline Project continues. Hand quilting is slow, but so very satisfying. It will be well worth the effort in the end.
On Tuesday night I was happily quilting away and decided I should stop and give my sore finger a little break. The next thing I knew, I had crawled beneath the quilt to have a look from below. I loved to do this when I was little with a tattered old basket quilt from the '30s. When the light shines through, you can see the outlines of applique and dark lines where seams are pressed together. To my child's eye it looked just like the big stained glass windows at Grandma's church.
Soon I crawled back out, went for the camera, back under again so I could try to take a picture. It wasn't long before Hubby inquired, 'What are you doing under there?' I guess from his vantage point all that rustling, flash firing and shutter clicking didn't bring out the wonder that I was seeing beneath those layers of fabric. It's still a magical sight to me.

Bliss!Bliss with jam on top!

Hey Kids! Do you know what time it is? It's sign up time for the summer installment of the Four Seasons Quilt Swap. Space is limited and it fills up quickly. Hurry on over and secure your spot.

Today the sun broke through early. We never know what to expect in the months of May and June. Yesterday not a single golden ray made it's way through the fog cover and there was even a small sprinkle just before bedtime. This morning with the sun out strong, I thought I'd go out and see how things are growing in the garden.
Here's one of my little cucumber plants. After an assault from that dastardly squirrel, I gently swathed them in tulle. There are still sad little stubs in places where there should be healthy looking leaves. But look straight down the center and you'll spy the very first little blossom.Last year I didn't come up with a way to protect the cucumbers and lost the plants. This year I am remaining vigilant. Score one for Libby.
Now look at my little hydrangea plant.
When I brought it home from the nursery last year, it was a large, vibrant and healthy plant. It was very unhappy with the place I chose to plant it. Even though it looked like a complete goner, I took a chance and moved it too a new spot. All winter it looked like a small bundle of sticks sprouting from the ground. It must have had just a little bit of life left in it when I replanted and now I have been rewarded with two sweet little blooms. I think it's going thrive in it's new location.
It's the time of year for the Jacarandas to bloom.
They are so pretty. Particularly when you can get a view of several growing in the distance.
Soon this whole tree will be covered in lovely purple blooms.
The downside . . .
they are the messiest trees. All those little purple blooms fall, turn brown and leave stains on the sidewalks. Soon there will be no green grass visible in this corner of the yard.
I entertained myself today with a recipe from The Bread Bible.
Oh how I wish my blog had a scent feature. The entire house smells just heavenly. I haven't tried a slice yet. Still I am pleased with my results and feel there has been an improvement over previous recipes. I'm already anxious to have another go with it. I know I made a couple of errors that probably lead to the loaves not rising as high as they could have. The learning curve for me seems quite steep.
I have been playing with fabric, too. Isn't this little pinwheel sweet?
I stumbled upon a new to me blog recently, PolkaDotPineapple and found a post where she shared a photo of her fabric pinwheel. I followed the links to the tutorial. So simple to do - and still the learning curve for me is steep. I meant to have the fabrics alternate. I know next time just what to do. They are too cute to not make more. And it really spins, too. What more could a girl ask for?