Things Are Always Better When You Can Hide Behind Mama

 Yesterday we walked out the front door of the mission and saw a mama duck and her babies.  Of course they all scattered immediately.  Mama went in one direction flopping around like she had a hurt wing, trying to distract us and keep us away from her babies.  The babies ran around the corner to a back door and hid, or thought they did.

Then Mama came back and oh my they were glad to see her!

 She ran from one side to the other trying to find a way out and every step she took the babies took.

 They liked it best when they were under her!

 Finally she just stood and waited for me to leave.  Which I did.  As soon as I walked away they took off for the bayou.  I bet they stay there!

Cute Fabric! And Passing Thoughts

Last week I found this cute panel (the center portion of the top) called Down Under (by Henry Glass).  I added a few borders and ended up with this.

I have no idea who's getting this one but I bet when it's quilted there will be someone who claims it.  :)

I packed up my sewing machine and everything for quilting that I brought with me except for my hand stitching today.  We finish up this mission trip next Friday and will head home right after breakfast.  It's always a bittersweet time and this year more than other times.  We've decided to switch the time we come to volunteer at the mission from June and July to February.  That means we won't see the "regulars" who come every summer any more.  This is the third summer we've worked here and the kids who come have grown up before our eyes - it's so easy to see that when you only see them once a year.  We've met some wonderful people and made some good friends and I know that we may not see them again until we meet in Heaven.  I'll miss their sweet presence in my life.

It rained again here today.  I don't think we've missed more than three or four days having rain since we got here the first of June.  Everything here is waterlogged.  And at my house in Arkansas the ground is dry and cracking, the grass crackles when you walk on it, and the poor bugs and animals are constantly seeking water.  I wish I could send some of this back home.

There's a Christmas Blog Hop beginning Monday - I'm not participating in this one but I'm excited about seeing all the Christmas blocks everyone is creating.  For a schedule click on the blog name and it will take you to Lesley's blog, The Cuddle Quilter.

Later in the fall I'm going to be hosting a blog hop - I don't have all the information yet but watch for it!  I've never hosted one before so I'm a bit nervous, but I bet it's going to be fun.  :)

Cherished Memories - Complete, but Not Complete

Last year I did the hand embroidery for the quilt called Cherished Memories designed by Arlene Neely of Rabbit's Haven.  I spent a year looking for a fabric I liked to make the sashing and finally found it this summer at The Bourne Quilter in Lafayette, LA.  The quilt just has a simple sashing but it took a particular fabric because I used several pastel colors in the emroidery.

For some reason I can't get the color to show up like I want it to - the bunnies are in a silver gray.  I stitched them on white baby flannel using mostly the stem stitch.  The flowers are various colors, some in stem stitch and some lazy daisy stitches with french knots.  The background fabric is yellow with dots of all colors.

When I started this quilt I didn't have anyone in mind to give it to; I just loved the pattern.  It turns out that I like it so much that I think I'll save it for my first great grandchild.  No, I'm not expecting one.  Not any time soon.  Some of my grandchildren are certainly old enough to produce that first great grandchild, but since none are married yet we'll just wait a while.  (If any grandchildren happen to be reading this please know that I'm not encouraging....just anticipating).  So I think I'll put this away until some future date, years from now (or months, who knows) when the big announcement will be made.  Then I'll quilt it and pray for the new little one that will receive it.  Now, aren't I good great grandmother-in-waiting?  :)

Read Any Good Books Lately?

From the left:  Twilight, Hunger Games, Virgin River, Outlander, and Clan of the Cave Bear.  Loved them all!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

And The Winner Is....

The winner of my Red, White and Blue giveaway is BillieBee at BillieBee's Blog.  Billie I've sent you an e-mail and will send off your winnings as soon as I hear from you.

And thanks again to Madame Samm and to Jayne for a wonderful Blog Hop!  

A Morning Walk...And Who's More Scared?

Most mornings I walk very early.  I mean like 5:30 or 6:00.  I know, crazy isn't it?  But honestly that's the only time of day it's cool enough here to do it and be able to breathe.  Well, I could probably walk late in the evening except then the mosquitoes would carry me off!  One morning as I walked down this little narrow, part-concrete, part-gravel, part-mud puddles road I was startled by these three little fellows running quickly away from the fence that borders the road under the bridge.

Toddler Raccoons!  Three siblings (I imagine) were hiding in the ditch at the bottom of the fence when they caught sight of me.  First they ran straight out into the field, then they scurried to the right, then decided that was wrong and reversed direction and ran to the left.  :)  There was a wild cat out in the field with them but he ran too fast for me to get a picture.  I don't know if they were friends hanging out or just happened to be in the same vicinity but apparently I scared them all!  Little did they know but I jumped three feet when they jumped out of that ditch.

I always watch for snakes but I don't normally look for other "critters."  You can bet I will now!