This n That

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  Do you visit cemeteries and decorate graves this time of year?  I do not, as my family members are all buried in other states 100s of miles away.  But it is a time of reflection on those loved ones.  And it was time to hang a more patriotic quilt in the living room.

I always associate Memorial Day with veterans, as my dad was a WWII vet and my hometown always had a parade and then a program at the cemetery.  Dad would march in the parade with other Legion and VFW members, and I marched with the Girl Scouts and then as I got older I was in the band .  I don't think there are many parades for Memorial Day anymore.  But most of the communities around here do still have Memorial Day programs.  When my own kids were growing up they always helped the Legion Auxiliary ladies put small flags on the veterans' graves in the cemetery.  

My Girl Scout days were so much fun.  This photo taken in 1963 according to my mother's handwriting on the back, and was probably right before a parade.  I was quite proud of that uniform.

On another topic . . . Thursday I had window washers here, and they did an awesome job.  We have a wall of glass in our family room, and a vaulted ceiling.  A couple of years ago we decided we were both getting too old to be up on ladders trying to wash those windows.  And a husband/wife team (teachers I knew from my work life) had just started a side business of window cleaning.  Perfect!!

Even taking a picture through the window was successful because those windows sparkle.  This is the flowering bush outside of our master bath, and right below it is my egress window in the sewing room.  I wish this bloomed all summer because it's so pretty. 

And then Friday morning - THIS!  Obviously some bird was not impressed with our clean windows.  At least this window isn't terribly high up, so a short ladder will allow another scrubbing - by us.

We've had a wet and windy month of May, and with dozens of big old trees in our yard they require constant maintenance.  Friday morning's wind took down another branch in the front yard.  

On the quilting front, I think the fabric choices for a 2025 graduation quilt have been finalized.  I bought a black and white panel with a horse graphic a couple of years ago with this graduation quilt for my great-niece Bailey in mind. She'll be a senior next year so it's time to get this quilt made.  Horses are her passion, so I want it to be special.  I'm using a Pieced Tree pattern card.  This quilt is actually on my PHD list for this year because it has a deadline and I didn't want to be making it at the last minute.  Getting it to flimsy stage is my goal for next week.