The strawberries!

We have had a bumper crop of strawberries this year. Jeff planted them last year and was guessing that we might get around 40 quarts from the amount of plants he put in. We are up to 48 quarts now! The June bearers have slowed down but the ever-bearers picked up a little the past few days. I posted some pictures below so you can see how pretty they were. I've made a ton of freezer jam, froze berries with and without sugar and canned strawberry rhubarb jam. Our baby birds we found in the holly bush earlier have flown away. But we have found a nest down in the strawberry plants with eggs still unhatched. Hoping to see some babies soon. The garden is growing, we think it might just catch up with last years after all. I picked peas the other day and made Jeff's favorite tuna pasta salad. Hope to post some finished projects soon!

Sisters/Granddaughters

Savannah and Natalie. Standing in the walk that I have been working on that leads to the play area. I received a lot of Hosta starts from my longest dearest friend, Kris, and it really filled it up.

Ladybug got her first hair cut.

Here she is her very first hair cut! She actually looks like that rather long certified name that we picked out for her. Ladybug Nairn of Braemar. You can see in an earlier post she was becoming quite a puff ball. This is a Scottie cut. Very fancy!

What we found while mulching around our Hollies.

Jeff and I were out working in the yard the other day. And we were moving quickly because we have so much to get done, that we did not realize that one of the hollies that we were cleaning around, mulching and getting ready to prune had a tiny little birds nest in it. The mother flew out which took us by surprise but still not thinking that there was a nest in it. The tree overhead was shedding all those long seedy things that stick to everything and I was trying to brush handfuls out while we were cleaning up around the shrub and low and behold I found the nest. We decided we needed to quit working there until they move on. But I just had to run and get my camera before the mother came back. I've been wanting to go take a peek and another picture but I think I'll wait a couple more days. Below is the picture that I took.

Samantha's quilt.

Here are the quilt blocks I am working on right now. This quilt is for my middle daughter Samantha. I have about half of the butterflies antennas embroidered which is taking longer than I expected. There will be a block without a butterfly between each with. The bed size has increased since I started so I will have to come up with a border. I am thinking pieces of the leftovers from the different butterflies. You cannot see this but there are quite a few different fabrics. I really need to get cracking of this one because I owe my youngest a quilt after this one is finished. I was making these for graduation presents. But only the oldest received hers on time. Afraid going back to work, grandchildren, and too many other crafts has slowed me down on this one. But I have been working on them while watching, listening to TV in the evenings now so hopefully I will be ready to start putting this together by end of summer. The pretty material that is in the basket with blocks is not part of the quilt. I received it as a customer appriciation gift at a local quilt shop and thought it was pretty. Thinking I might use it to make my first bag when I get ready to try that. I have also been working on painting our guest bedroom and bathroom getting ready for some summer visitors. Hoping to finish that up quickly so I can move back outside to my gardening.