Tuesdays With Tag - Smoky...

 

 

Hi, Everybody!

 

Today, I want to check in and tell you what it's like to be me (or Bella or Carly, or any critter with a good nose). When we've been goin' outside that past few days (actually longer than that), we've been smellin' lots of smoke. I mentioned that to Mom last night, and she told me why.

 

She went on her phone's weather app and saw that there have been air quality advisories for a while now. She read to me what it said. It read, "smoke originatin' from Canadian wildfires will spread from north-to-south, impactin' air concentrations" and that people with breathin' issues should remain inside. They don't mention that our animal sense of smell is much stronger, and we're affected, too.

 

Mom and Dad have only been lettin' us out to go do our business and run around a little before we all go back inside. Mom checks on the barn girls all the time to make sure they're okay, but we're lucky that we're surrounded by so many air-filterin' trees. Even so, everythin' is hazy, and you can tell from this picture taken around 9 am, that the sun is obscured by smoke.

 

There was a lot of talk on the news about those fires weeks ago, and we didn't know that the fires must still be burnin' to send smoke all the way to east-central Wisconsin. It's a reminder how lucky we are not to be in the middle of the devastation.

 

We'll be prayin' for all the people - and animals - affected by the fires. I sure hope they get lots of rain soon to put out the flames. It must be awful for all of them, and it makes us pretty sad. We hope you'll keep them in your thoughts, too.

Mom wanted me to add a note for Miss Shirley about the raccoons, too, before I go. You were right. Mom moved all the cat food to the barn after my last post. Two nights ago, she heard a ruckus outside the barn. They'd eaten the food she had out there, and Mama raccoon was escortin' five kids back up to the woods! That must have been a scout she brought with her last time. 

 

It's been pretty dry around here - except for the blessed rain we got for two days - Mom doesn't mind sharin' cat food with them as long as they stay off our porch. It must be hard providin' for five hungry, little mouths. She's happy to help, and thought you'd like to know you were right, Miss Shirley! She's glad she listened to you!

 

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then... 

"Be A Good Dog."

 

 

Helping A Friend...

 We have a great group of ladies who gather at Paneras each week.

One of them is Margaret D., who lives in Canada, but winters in

Port Charlotte. She does incredible hand quilting for her friends 

and clients, but remarkably has never assembled a quilt herself!

Prior to leaving Canada last year, she purchased a number of kits for

this single block. "Block Six" was the surplus from a Block of the Month

 project the shop had sold, so the shopkeeper offered them to Margaret for

 $2 per kit. They even included the fabric at that price. She bought twelve!

 Margaret said she was having trouble understanding the instructions

and asked if I'd help. I said, "Sure!" and brought a kit home to assemble.

I took the finished block to her yesterday evening. I showed her how I

colored the pattern image to match the fabrics included in her kit, and 

then explained how she just had to cut each color per the instructions.

 Then I handed her one finished block to help guide her through the 

instructions. She was tickled. She'll be going back to Canada soon,

and I know she'll spend part of her summer working on this quilt.

I'll just bet she'll bring it back, hand quilted and beautiful next

year, and I can hardly wait to see how wonderful it will be!

Thanks for asking for my help, Margaret. I especially love that 

the center of this design a is a traditional "Friendship" block.

It only seems appropriate to me.

The Most Recent Member Of My Team...

I'd like to introduce you to my newest assistant at Brynwood Needleworks. As I always try to bring a plethora of fun, creative, informative, joyful and cheerful posts your way, it only seems fitting that the most recent member of my team is "Cheerful". No, really! That's his name! Cheerful.
He's getting to know his way around the studio...asking lots of questions, teasing Kes, and most of all, bringing a wonderful sense of whimsy into my day. When I read his resume' and I saw that his pincushion was made using one of the French General fabrics, I knew he just had to move to Florida!

Cheerful comes to Brynwood Needleworks by way of the fabulously talented Susan Pilloto of Mouse Droppings blog and Crowsnest Pass Primitive Art in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. (By the way, I had a little chat with Cheerful and there'll be none of that mouse droppings stuff in the studio!)Susan's work is in high demand, and she always contacts her followers to let them know when she'll be listing up her creations. (Often only a one hour window of opportunity to purchase one of her "kids".) I persevered and was finally able to score Cheerful for myself. No indentured servitude here...only love and adoration for the little guy, and loads of admiration for Sue's creative flair.

Just look at his sweet face with a sly, little smile. Don't you agree he's the most wonderful little mouse ever?
Speaking of sweet faces...(nice segue, right?) Guess who I'm going to spend time with today? The photo is a little hint. I am thrilled beyond words that one of my beautiful blog buddies is driving to Williamsburg today to be with me! How special do you think I'm feeling right about now? Do you recognize her?

You can bet I'll spill all the details and share lots of photographs...tomorrow! muahahahahaha
I'd like to wish all of you a fabulous day today, but I have to tell you...unless you're getting married or giving birth...no one else's day is gonna hold a candle to mine!