The Fruits of Our Labors

Someone asked whether I was happy we had decided to stay home for vacation, and I really am! This is soooo much better than driving around from place to place and sleeping in strange places.

Today was our day to stay home and catch up on a few things--like chores. But at least I won't be coming home from vacation to a house that needs to be cleaned and laundry that needs to be done, and that's a good feeling!

The first "chore" I did today was to rummage around under the bathroom sink and pull out a hair highlight kit. Since I did that major shave and all yesterday, I figured I'd go all out and do some highlights in my hair. It turned out okay--not great because I'm not real patient with doing stuff like separating out eight strands of hair at a time, but I think it's okay. And if I decide after a few days that it's not, I'll go down to the store and get a box of all-over color.

While the highlight color was developing, I got busy cleaning house. Of course, that took longer than the hair, but I managed to jump into the bath and wash the color stuff off and then clean the bath too. It's all good.

In between chores, I worked a little on the witch applique, basting letters. Here's a photo of that center panel--the letters are just pinned on for now because I'm not certain what I'm going to do to the border blocks yet and I may have to trim down the center panel, so I thought I'd wait until I'm sure of the space available. The rest is done, though, other than various embellishments and embroidery I'll add later. (I'm kind of thinking about naming her Dottie. Any other name suggestions?)

Speaking of quilts, Shasta wrote me this morning to tell me she had finished her Happy Jacks quilt! I'm so pleased that someone used my directions and made a quilt--and hers turned out great! Click on over there and take a look.

Then tonight I heard from a no-blog friend, Synthia, who sent me a couple photos of the Happy Jacks quilt top she's been working on. Here's one of the photos:

Synthia's thinking about adding leaves and vines rather than Jack O'Lantern faces. I think it's terrific, and I'm looking forward to seeing it when she finishes!

I was supposed to go to Thimbleberries Club this evening, but as the time approached and I thought about driving across town in work-hour traffic, I decided to skip this meeting and stay home and play with peaches.

I ended up with six large jars of brandied peaches. I originally had seven, but the weirdest thing happened. When I had finished processing the jars and was lifting out the second batch of three jars, the bottom of one of the jars separated off, and all the peaches ended up in the water bath! I suppose the jar must have had a crack or flaw, but I would have expected it to crack when the jar was heated during sterilization. Oh, well, it's not like I don't have six more jars. And about a third of a box of peaches left! (Plenty left for a couple pies and/or cobblers!)

Hubby, by the way, wasn't a slacker in the kitchen today either. If you look at the photo of the canned peaches, to the right you'll notice a glass pumpkin filled with cookies. Yep, Hubby baked cookies this morning. Good man.

Tomorrow morning we get our flu shots, and then I think we'll head back up to the foothills (but not to Apple Hill this time) for lunch and to wander around. Thanks for taking the time to stop in and see what I'm up to!