Back to Normal

We've been back home for almost a week but I'm just now feeling that the trip is really over. I think it takes a while to come down from that feeling of being free, with no responsibilities. When I was still working, the job brought me down immediately, but now I can sort of coast in.


The garden was well taken care of while we were gone, even though the temps were close to 100 for several days in a row. Our neighbor watered regularly and our daughter and her family came over every weekend to do what needed to be done. The green beans appear to be pretty well finished. I think this is way too early for them to give up, so today I picked every bean I could find and tomorrow I will give them a good watering and some fish emulsion. Maybe I can bring them back for another month. The tomatoes are flopping all over the place which makes it hard to pick them. But they are producing like crazy and we should have enough to supply the family as well as the freezer. The figs are ripening slowly. We get a few every day and they are really yummy. The zucchini are still poking along but nothing like they did a couple of months ago. We pulled up the cucumbers and most of the lettuce before we left, so we are reduced to buying lettuce until my new crop is ready.


On the knitting front, I've finished Clue 1 in Mysterystole 4 knitalong. I know I already have two unfinished lace projects but this one has beads and I just couldn't resist it. I found the beads at Sun Country Gems in old town Albuquerque on our way home. I've never knitted with beads before but it's actually quite easy. These 29 rows only took me 3 evenings. What a difference from the Anniversary shawl - one row takes about an hour, assuming I don't have to correct a mistake. I'm hoping to get caught up with Clue 2 before Clue 3 is released Friday, and then stay caught up, using any extra time to work on the Anniversary shawl. The Spring Surprice shawl will just have to wait until these two are finished. It is by far the most difficult and I should be a much better lace knitter by the time I go back to it.

Today was the first time I turned the sewing machine on since we got home. I finished the extra blocks for the Burger Queen quilt and now they are waiting for the grandchildren's next visit. I don't do random very well so I'm going to have them arrange the blocks in a 4x5 rectangle, then I will sew them together, add the border, and they'll be ready to baste and quilt. Actually, I will probably do a pieced backing to use up even more of my stash. That's the same stash that was somewhat enhanced by visits to four quilt shops in Missouri and Arkansas. But that's another story...