Things Didn't Quite Work Out

I am back home.

My one-year-old nephew, Jack, has pneumonia. We took off this morning worried because he was going for a chest x-ray. We made frequent phone calls checking on him and it seemed like he was going to be okay. However, at about 3:00, just about the time we made it to my friend's house just north of Houston, we got the call. The little guy had to be admitted. We turned around. I took Mamala to the hospital and stayed for a short visit. Mamala is spending the night with sister and Jack. He should be okay, but it is no fun to have such a little guy all hooked up to an iv and pulse ox machine. Sister says he is doing much better than he was earlier today.

So no quilt show this year. Maybe next.

Going on a Quilting Trip

I am planning my escape to a land where there are no monkeys, the pillows stay on the bed, and the socks are not on the ceiling fan. I am going to Houston to visit my good friend Kathy. Mamala and I will be leaving tomorrow morning. We will spend all day at the International Quilt Show. I hope to get a lot done on that quilt up there in the picture. Just think, three days of of uninterrupted quilting, quilt shopping, and adult conversation. Oh the joy of it. I am so happy my head might explode.

I'll be back on Friday in time for trick or treating. Why don't you visit some of the blogs I dig while I'm gone. The list is right over there on the sidebar.

Whyyyyy

Does anyone have an explaination for the pillow I found in my driveway this morning? Anyone? Seriously.

Somebody help me.

The Scarves Are In The Mail

I put the fringe on my scarf and boxed it up with six my mom made. They have been sent on to Kathryn of Plant What Ever Brings You Joy for the Scarf Initiative. Thanks Katheryn for organizing and carrying out this fantastic project. It was an honor to participate. Mine is pink and lime green. Mamala's are made from warm, fuzzy, red fleece. I hope they help keep seven little girls warm this winter. I am the oldest of seven children so the seven scarves just seems appropriate.

There Can Never Be Too Much Zucchini

Have you ever heard someone complain about an over abundance of zucchini? You won't hear that complaint around here. We fry zucchini, make zucchini chips, cut up zucchini and eat it with dip. Last night, we had zucchini lasagna for dinner. It was so good, I got up and has some as a predawn snack.

Here is how it was done

Layer
Zucchini sliced thin
Mushrooms sliced thin
Marinara sauce - tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, basil.
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Repeat

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until family members start asking, "What smells so good?" and "When do we eat?"

Sorry, I don't measure anything.

The Monkeys ate this up and did not notice the mushrooms, which they claim to hate. This is a first. They have superior mushroom locating abilities.

Sweet Sweet Fall Tomatoes

Nothing in the world is better than the taste of the first bite of the first tomato of the season. I ate my first tomato from my fall garden this afternoon. It was a large cherry tomato and I sprinkled it with sea salt. Yummm.

Now, I have a confession. I hide the first tomato or three from my family and eat them myself. I don't share. I am careful to check them everyday and make sure to pick them just before they are fully ripe. Then, I hide them in a bowl of hot peppers that no one else will get into. I know it is wrong, but I can't help it. Trust me, if they found them first I wouldn't have a chance.

One of my vines is producing deformed fruit with black spots on them. It is not blossom end rot and it does not look like cat facing. Anybody have any idea what is going on? The vine looks just fine. Sorry about the blurry picture, again.

A Passion Vine for Nola

Here is a picture of my passion vine (Passiflora incarnata) commonly known as may pop. This vine is currently 33 feet long after I cut six feet off of it yesterday. It is growing in full sun on one end, part shade in the middle, and deep shade towards the end. I never water it. Gulf fritillary butterflies lay their eggs on it and the scary looking caterpillars eat it up. During the late summer, it is covered up in beautiful orange butterflies and orange and red striped spiky caterpillars. Very nice habitat.

Here is the very exotic looking flower.

Today, I met Nola of Alamo North. She and her husband are a lovely couple. She commented on my passion vine when she saw it in the background of a picture I posted a week or so ago. I brought a division of the passion vine with me just in case she showed up to the Scarecrow Festival in Kaufman. She showed. What a very exciting day. I met someone from the blogosphere and she wasn't a scary person. After yesterday's post, I would have thought she might want to avoid me.

My master gardener group had a booth at the Scarecrow Festival. We gave out information, calenders, and sold some native and adapted bulbs (daffodils, gladiolas, pinks). I would now go on and on about the Kaufman County Master Gardeners, but Nola did a fine job of that for me on her blog today.

It was great to meet you Nola. Enjoy the passion vine, I sure do.