Early start to my day..... 3 am

Lately I have been able to sleep a little later...not today. I was up at 3 and by 3:30 I was making this

It is a bracelet I saw on YouTube.... with pearls and crystals. I just

had to make it. Mr H and I took a ride to the bead shop, well I went to the bead shop he went to the Oriental Market...same parking lot. It was quick and easy to make.... guess that means I will have to make another.
I mentioned yesterday that Madame Muriel has returned to the USA from Italy. She had an extended stay with Chiara...I hope I have linked this correctly. She is on WordPress....her blog is the Grey Tail.  There were so many things to do and see in Italy and to assist with Taras the kitty....Anyway, the Madame is back with lovely gifts for me...

 a few of the goodies.... and then of course there is the Madame

 She visited lot of interesting places which Chiara wrote about at thegreytail.wordpress.com... be sure to stop there. So that brings us to where will  Madame Muriel visit next? Would you like to host her for a month or two? Please email me with your comment and tell me why she should visit with you. I know she is eager to bring some gifts your way and to travel around with you.
I do have a few other things to post.... right now Mr H is wandering around outside babbling about the Quails building a nest in a hanging plant out front. Something about now he knows why it is dying and they are not going to build a nest that high. First of all, our experience with these birds is that they are ground nesters...the babies do not fly for few weeks so they would never be able to get out of the nest safely. I think I should brew him a cup of tea....even if the temp is already 101 at 9:57 AM.... going to be a very hot day again. I will show you more pictures tomorrow. The phone is ringing, Mr H is still wandering around ...got to run. Thanks for spending time with me. Have a great day....

A late post about tomorrow

It is too hot to trot out here in Arizona...but the mail just arrived....The Madam is back and ready to travel. Wait until you see the pictures tomorrow. Thank you Chiara for the lovely gifts...I will treasure them. Hopefully Mr H will share the books from the Museum! See you all tomorrow.

an apron, the birds and the morning moon

I did get my threads yesterday and ordered some. So now  The Doll will have her apron finished today....

I have7 rows to complete it. I wish I could just concentrate on one project as I used to do. Now, I find myself getting ready for the next one. That is not exactly true... because I am also thinking of another so that makes me crazy, right? There was a time, in the beginning, that I worked on one thing at a time. Then I graduated to the mind set that I can do it.... just because I can does not mean that I should! It is just that sometimes I need to take a break from one then I have another to work with. Of course now there is my tatting.... I have yet to call Debra as she started a new job this week and I do not want to add to her work load! Speaking of load....

Just how many want to feast at one time! Just as I snapped this, 3 flew off.... is you look closely, you can see the tail of one at the bottom right of the feed sack. and also the tail of another at the top right. There is plenty of room for them to eat but they constantly chase each other away. They make me dizzy! This feed sack has been the best idea I have had. The larger birds can not gobble it all up in seconds. They get what falls to the ground which eliminates wasted seed.

I could not help taking a picture of the moon this morning... it really did call to me. The morning sky can be so beautiful....
We are in Heat Advisory mode from Friday through Sunday when temps are now expected to be around 115 to 118.... I have only a few errands to do today and that should be it.... Mr H and I will hibernate for a few days. Speaking of Mr H..... the doctor appointment was a good report but a few hours after being home he did not feel well. After a couple of hours rest Mr H decided to take the recycle to the bins I mentioned yesterday. He was back in the garage within minutes. How was I to know they are no longer there! How was I to know it would be a wasted trip? So now, we have plenty of newspaper and 2 liter bottles....next date for pick up is July 10. What can I say! I can say thank you for the kind words and that you take time to visit with me... I can say have a wonderful day!

Missed the recycle truck!

I hate when I we forget to put out the recycle..... we accumulate so much ... I really should re-phrase that. Mr H drinks lots of Brisk Iced Tea so we have many bottles..... not many canned items. Then there is the news paper. Mr H  takes L & J's (the lovely couple next door) papers to put out with ours. Now, they get a few other papers per week so that really amounts to lots of newsprint. Our collection is twice a month so now we wait for 2 weeks to get it all collected.... unless, we put it into the trunk of the car and drive over to the collection site behind the plaza near by... a thought.
I have been very busy stitching on The Doll. I thought I bought all the required amount of Weeks Dye Works, but I seem to be missing the second skein of White Lightening...so I am at a stand still for the apron and now have moved on to the dress. Since we Mr H has a doctor appointment over on the East Valley, and there is a shop I can get some threads, I will pick that up today and I guess while I am there I will get  the threads for the Witch Doll.  My tatting is at a stop.... Debra gave me a pattern for a beaded star ornament and I am not understanding it too well. I will have to call her tonight.... What would I do without her!
We are in a heat advisory this week as the temps are expected to be around 115 this Friday/Saturday. Let me say, that when it is 107 or 110 as it was at 5 PM when I got out of work yesterday, 115 is not really that much more. It does limit our ambition to do anything however. I plan to stitch and Mr H will find a few movies to watch for us and we will relax..... how about you? What is the weather in your neck of the woods? I am enjoying an ice cold glass of Gatorade Rain.,.. so I will toddle off to my stitch shair and drink plenty of fluids.... glad you stopped by. Have a great day....

I see the moon and the moon sees me

What a spectacular sighting last night. Mr H and I went to a Stargazing at the Challenger Space Center here in Arizona. When we returned home I decided to take a picture of the big bold moon...

this is with my camera, a little blurred, but nonetheless, a lovely view of the moon.  I did use a tripod to steady the camera, but I guess I should have used the timer too.
One of the astronomers took this next one with my camera through the scope...

All in all, my picture is not too bad. The detail of course with the massive telescope is wonderful. Tonight is the real full moon so I will try again to capture a better picture.
Speaking of pictures....
my tatting is improving. I owe it all to Debra of course, but also to Shirlee for finding Debra for me all the way from Kentucky... and to Nicola for her encouragement sending me the book and DVD. Of course it is also that all the encouragement I receive from you my dear friends that I have succeeded so far. Adding beads is really, now listen to me, quite easy...

I think a few of these will look nice on the tree this year...what do you think?

And as if this not enough to keep me busy, I have worked on the doll.

yes, I am aware that it is correct to add beads and accents at the finish of stitching, but I just had to do it now!  I always feel that I march to a different drummer. Anyway, she is looking quite presentable now.
An update on the bees.... Mr H said they did not look like the regular bees we have in our garden and around the pond, these unidentified bees are now not able to crawl into the space as Mr H sealed it off. I have not been able to find a picture yet to identify them.
Tomorrow is our monthly stitch group meeting. Today I plan to stitch and maybe start another tatting snowflake or something. I am still working on my Angela exchange and ..... well, I have a list a mile long! I smell the coffee so off I go. Thank you for the kind words and emails and for spending time here with me. I would love to get together with each of you and sit and chat face to face! Have a wonderful day....