the big reveal

Blue quilt and tree climbing

I started this quilt the weekend I went to Jones Mansion. It must have been a project that I needed to do because it was started this March and just completed. The pics are hot off the press.

The fabric was a collection of fat quarters that Mom bought for me in Hannibal, MO. That was some quilt shop. It was hard to pick, but I knew I had the perfect pattern for it. The pattern was Snapshots from the Happy Hour book. It was so easy and fun to do.

After it was pieced, I decided that I wanted to hand quilt it. The search for the right pearl cotton was on, but I couldn't find what I wanted. I "decided" on two different colors of a two ply quilting thread. The quilting is what I would call primitive. It's not going to win any prizes at the county fair (I was in 4H as a kid - can't help the fair analogies). The stitches are even, but a little big. I love the results.

Ian found that he can climb the tree in the backyard. First, he climbs the pine tree to get pitch on his hands (they work better when they are sticky). Then, he pulls himself up. He climbs up to the top. So far up that the tree kind of sways. It makes my heart flutter a bit, but he does come down a few branches when I ask him.

***I'll try for the pics tomorrow, blogger is not being helpful.

The fort

The boys have been working on this fort a while. It is up at the "vacation house", a place that some friends own but generously let us use. The boys think it is heaven up there because they get to go outside without adult supervision (well less adult supervision) and explore, build and be boys.

Last spring (my gosh - a year ago) they started their fort. It is built of sticks and brush and what ever they have hauled into this wind row of trees. When we were there on Easter weekend, we cleaned up branches from a huge tree that was cut down. As the yard became cleaner, the fort grew. It's now about 8 or 9 feet tall (maybe higher) and about 15 feet long. Inside they have various rooms, but the "best part" is an observation deck. It's a hole in the roof that they climb up and through to sit on top and look for wild animals and bad guys.

They would really like to spend the night out there because their cousin, Callum (an eagle scout) told them that it was pretty weather proof and would probably be warm enough if they slept on plastic to keep the damp off. He didn't volunteer to do it though and I really don't want to sleep outside in a fort on the ground with two boys who probably won't sleep a wink because of every little sound. Call me a party pooper, but that does not sound like fun to me!

They can't wait to go back this summer and play. I can't wait also because I can sit on the deck while they play and read a book or knit and still be "close enough" for them without being right there.

I know they are going to ask to stay out there overnight. I've already thought of my excuse - "it's too buggy. the skeets will carry you away!"

What we have been up to