R.I.P. Max

Yes, my devoted border collie has died. He died June 16. We knew it was a matter of time. In the last several months he lost his hearing and he had started losing weight. Larry had kept asking me if we didn't need to put him down. I kept putting if off. And yes I miss him.

I missed him last week especially. Ruby doesn't work for me like Max did. I could point in a direction or speak "Pen Up" and he knew what I wanted. We just clicked.  Like I said I missed him on Friday. I was in the yard picking up the hundreds of small limbs that fell in the storm while I was gone. As I am rounding the far corner of the house with an armful what do I meet? Hogs! They had gotten the yard gate lifted off the hinges and were in the yard. I went and got the rubber pipe we use to herd them. And commenced to run them out of the yard. I thought I had them all out and here comes one around the house. Out you go! I managed to get the gate back on the hinges and started back to the job at hand. When I hear the gate rattle. Yup, they did it again. I give up. I call in reinforcement. "Larry, could you come home for a minute and help me?"  And he did. All taken care of. But if Max was alive those hogs would have been out that gate and on their way!

He was just special. He would sleep right outside the door like he wanted to be as close to us as possible. He hated thunderstorms. Thunder and lightening would set him to trembling. Many a time we have put him in the garage to ride out a storm.  In fact the last two winters he spent a lot of cold nights in the garage and on the mat right by the door. Of course.

Larry brought Max home from work one day. At the time work was a sand mining plant and Max was chasing the large haul trucks. Larry knew he wouldn't survive doing that and asked if anyone knew he belonged to. He didn't have a collar so he assumed he might be a stray. He has entertained many people as he spun when they drove by. You see we have a fence. He loved chasing anything that made noise. A clanking trailer. A truck full of boys whistling and calling him. Etc. He would hear them coming and race off the back porch to meet them and would spin until they got even and then take off -- always in the right direction to chase or race them. And believe you me you didn't want to be in his path! When we got Ruby she had to find out the hard way. LOL And even I was run over when he came off the porch like a shot one time. We have been told by so many people when we are giving directions to our house. Oh, I know where you live! You live where the spinning dogs lives.

I called my kids to let them know of Max's passing. After all he was our family pet for 13 years.  The morning after he died I heard a commotion in the yard before sun up. I had just let Sissy out to do her business. But it didn't sound like her or Ruby. Well, it wasn't. Someone had put a stray over our fence into our yard. We'd had two puppies "arrive" in our yard the same a couple of years ago. This one a little female. Two to three month hold. Not a border collie. A mixed breed of some sort. Not sure what mixture. Larry immediately welcomed her to my dismay.  This all happened during quilt show/booth, Father's Day, step-dad's surgery.  When I got home I convinced him we had two perfectly good dogs and she would make someone else a good pet.  Some people may not want to hear this but we took her to our nearby shelter. She was a sweetheart and I did consider keeping her. But she wouldn't leave Sissy alone for one minute. She thought she was a play toy. Poor Sissy. So hopefully she is finding a good family that will love her. She would love kids.  Oh, I gotta tell you. I called my daughter after the new doggy "arrived" and asked if DGD Aimee had prayed for a new dog. You see when their beautiful black cat had to put down due to a serious illness she prayed and asked God for a new kitty. The next day there was one looking in their storm door.  DD Amanda said no she didn't think Aimee had prayed for another dog. I don't know. God listens to her prayers. Maybe I should get with her and us pray for a dog a lot like Max.  Yeah, I think that's a good idea.

Blessings,
Marilyn

It's Wednesday!

And you know what that means? Kraz-z Quilters! I missed last Wednesday. It is real therapy to meet with women and quilt. But before I go I have stripped the bed and washed the sheets and blanket. I am going to put rice and pork chops in the slow cooker for our evening meal.

The telephone rang yesterday around 6pm. It was a neighbor down the road. He had 4 cartons 18 count guinea eggs. Did we want them? Sure! He had given us some before and we enjoyed them. I will take several to share at quilting today.

Earlier this month we traveled to Ballinger for a family gathering to celebrate a young cousin's high school graduation. The quilt pictured was made by her grandmother, Larry's aunt. Isn't it beautiful? I had a hard time getting a picture. She didn't even want to unfold it because she didn't want it to get dirty. But we pleaded and begged.

The sheets are ready to hung out. See you later.

Blessings and happy quilting,
Marilyn

Man is it hot!

The cornbread and banana bread are baked. I sliced me some banana bread after it cooled. Yum. Dishwasher loaded and ran. I weedeated until the battery ran out. I washed two loads and hung out and brought back in. Still need to fold those. I vacuumed and mopped. I sprayed the hogs. I have emailed and paid bills. And now I think a shower is in store with some iced coffee and maybe a nap!

Blessings,
Marilyn

Hello from Hot Texas

It is in the 80s this morning before 7am. Yeah. This is usually what we have in August. So--I decided to do some baking. Early. I have cornbread baked to make cornbread salad for our evening meal and banana bread in the oven now. Had some bananas that were just right. There's a load of laundry in it's last spin. I have been hanging all the laundry out to save on the electricity and besides it's dry in no time. I will finish the weedeating in a bit.  I did make some  coffee this morning. Only because I love it iced in the afternoon!

And in the middle of the afternoon I spray down the hogs to keep them cool. I have to tell you about one of the gilts (female who hasn't given birth). Larry bought several gilts from a breeder who had gotten these show pigs back after shows. She must have had a female owner. Everytime she comes up to me and kinda nudges me. She wants me to rub her. When you rub her she automatically lays down so you can rub her belly. I have named her Lovey. She is so sweet. She is due to have babies in mid July. She is a blue butt--one of her parents was a Hampshire and the other was a Yorkshire. So she is mostly white with black spots across her butt and a few more black spots on her face (eyebrows-lol). Some blue butts have a black blanket on their butt (that appears almost blue-hence the name "blue butt". Some have very few black spots. She is bred to our Hampshire boar. So she may have babies with lots of white and black spots. She could have several that look like Hampshires -- black with a white stripe around the chest and shoulders. We will have to wait and see. Last December Larry had a litter born and one of the little boars who he has kept is mostly white with black on his head and what looks like a butterfly tattoo on his butt. How totally embarrassing for a boy!

Stay cool!
Blessings,
Marilyn

A first for me

Why have I been putting it off? Learning to use the riding lawn mower that is. I don't know. It scared me. It has a motor and it is loud. I made up my mind I was going to do it. We've only had for hmmm--this is the third season. DH told me he bought for ME! I told him I didn't want it (at the time) it was HIS. At the time I was using the push mower. It was a chore especially when temps got warmer. And we have a big yard. Like I said I made up my mind this morning that I was going to do it. So I crawled on it. I'm short. If I sit toward the edge of the seat my foot can engage the brake real good. Figured everything out. Got it started. Put it in forward eased off the brake (I put it in a slow speed  8 )  and away I went. Not bad, not bad at all. I had mowed a little bit and it sputtered and coughed and died. Out of gas. Shoot! No gas in the can either. Double shoot. Grab my purse and car keys and the gas can and away to town I go. I hate going to town all stinky and dirty. Anybody else feel that way?  Anyway, I got back and filled the tank. Got it going again and finished the whole yard. And it looks good if I do say so myself! Ran the weedeater until the batteries ran out. MMMM--patting myself on the back. LOL

I've had a sandwich and a glass of tea. A shower is next on the agenda. I'll unload the dishwasher. I need to clean the hummingbird feeder. I'll do some laundry. And I plan on quilting this afternoon!

Blessings,

A Site to See

Pun intended! I found this site while surfing--needed some down time. You know what I mean? Of course you do.   Sew 4 Home is chock full of wonderful ideas.  I just had to share it with you.

Now I've got to pick up all the limbs that fell in the storm that came while I was gone. DH said there was some 70 mph winds. I believe it! He got the big ones. He just can't stoop and pick up the smaller ones and there seems a jillion. 

Blessings,
Marilyn

Home again

There's nothing like home.  A big smile came on my face the closer I got! Step-dad's surgery went very well. It turns out it was the same side he had done several years ago so they had to make a bigger cut. My mom kept joking that he had been warned about going in some places--he could get his throat cut. Hardee har har.

Anyway things turned out pretty good. Just played the waiting game a whole lot. A whole lot more than I like.  I am going to rest today then tomorrow get caught up on everything.

Catch you soon.
Marilyn

Pictures will have to wait

It has been non-stop around here. But fun. Lecture/trunk show on Friday-very good. I will post pictures in a few days. The quilt show was a success. Sorry I didn't get pictures. You will have to take my word for it. Beautiful. I had a booth outside. It wasn't unbearably hot until around 3pm. The wind about blew us away. The wind this year has been very strange.

Then today all our kids came for Father's Day. Their daddy was a happy man. We had the idea to make sandwiches, veggies, chips and dip. And homemade ice cream. Oh yeah! It was so good. I love it when the kids come.

Tomorrow I leave to travel back to Ballinger. My step-dad will have carotid artery surgery on Tuesday. Prayers are welcome.

Blessings to all,
Marilyn

Good morning

Actually it is no longer morning. I got up early. Every morning it's early to get DH out the door by 6am. Much cooler then. We have been having 100+ days. 

This morning I got my Challenge finished. I couldn't keep my eyes open last night to finish the binding. Then off to the shower and eat breakfast and out the door to help set up for the quilt show. It was bustling. The decision was made how to orient the display poles and then setting them up. After that came registering the quilts and tagging with numbers and names. The quilts were all up when I came home to eat a bite and get the refreshments for the lecture/trunk show this afternoon. I will take my camera and take pictures. Promise. : )

TaTa!
Marilyn