White Iris

This lovely white iris showed up in our garden this week. I've never had a white iris before. It just showed up next to the blue ones. Did God place it there in memory of Mom? If so, it is a fitting tribute. I catch myself missing her when I see pretty fabric or something new blooms. I think, "Oh, Mom would like that." I guess there is a gardener in me after all.

Bus Ladies

Today a busload of 26 ladies arrived at the quilt shop with an hour and a half to shop, have lunch and browse. It went smoothly and I think they had a good time. It was a lot of work, but the shop looked so pretty. Some quilts are on loan from the designer. This one is called the Bali Wedding Star. I think it is one of the most beautiful I have seen.

When I got home, we picked more strawberries and gave them away to friends. I am so tired!

June on the Farm

Guess what we did today? There are at least 5 gallons of strawberries just from today. We didn't even finish, it just got too dark to see the ripe ones.

This is the wheat field in front of the house. I love the stage where you can see down the rows. It is a nice time of year to be in the country.

Dutch Iris

Our dutch iris are loaded this year. What a pretty flower. Our strawberry patch is loaded too. We picked four gallons today and did not get finished.

The pets were glad to get back to the farm. All is well with Menu and Tucker. How about you?

Storm

This is what it looked like driving to Fargo. We totally missed the small tornado that briefly went through Hettinger, breaking some windows next to the school. I don't think anyone was hurt. The most we got was rain.

Yesterday was a shopping day. We are going to Germany with Rhonda and Dave in September. Lance and Mike got carry-on luggage, and I found some great sales. Clothes shopping is not my favorite thing. We are doing a little more today, then seeing a movie.

Thinking of you and wishing you well.

Summer Sunday

Yesterday I made a strawberry-rhubarb pie, using last year's strawberries and rhubarb from the garden. It was soooo good. I love my new pie plate. The first gallon of this year's strawberries is in the kitchen. It is just the tip of the iceberg...there were tons of blossoms on the plants.

The iris is one Mom gave me when she moved to the Bridge. It was my Grandmother Stewart's "big blue" variety. I remember them blooming under the kitchen window when I was growing up. When Lance and Mike get the retaining wall in around the wood shop, I will transplant them there. Then, one day, your children will remember seeing them at Grandmother's house. If you visit in June, I will make you a pie too!

Today will be busy at the quilt shop. This weekend was the Rapid City Quilt Show. We have a booth each year, and each year the Monday after the show is filled with unpacking, putting away, filling orders, re-hanging quilts on the walls, and general chaos. It is a lot of work, but the amount of sales make it worthwhile. The next big push will be a statewide shop hop. Think of a quilt scavenger hunt where ladies get a token from each shop they visit, and the one with the most wins a prize at the end of the month. It is designed to increase in-store traffic, but I don't think the online site is a part of it. July is traditionally when new fabrics for Christmas arrive and are promoted. Shoppers get gifts with their purchases, in proportion to the amount of Christmas fabric they buy. It seems odd to be cutting Christmas fabric over the 4th of July, but many who make things for gifts start early.
Menu is settled in now, though we compromised, and kennel him at night to keep him safe from the wild things. He roams free during the day, and came out to the garden to watch us weeding the rows of onions. It is nice to have company.

Kantha Cat

My houseguest is making himself comfortable on my new kantha blanket. (See www.handandcloth.org for the story behind the blanket. It is a wonderful project.) Menu has been gradually been getting used to the idea of camping out on the farm this summer. He thinks the deck is an outdoor room, but I don't think he really likes the feel of grass under his feet.

These flowers are called bleeding hearts. They are so delicate and shiver in the wind. The iris are in bloom. Lance and Mike are putting in a retaining wall around the shop, giving me a protected place to move the bulbs. I'll include pictures of the progress later.

Hello kitty

Look who is visiting for the summer! Laura came home for the weekend to bring Menu (Mee-new) to us. Menu has always been an indoor cat, but he is getting a taste of the country while Laura is in Minneapolis. He will be wearing a bandana before you know it.

I plan to finish the memory quilt today. Next week will be busy at the quilt shop. They have a quilt show in Rapid City next weekend. There are kits to cut, and everything to pack up in the trailer. You would think the shop would look empty but it never does.

Its looking like summer is really here. After rounds, I will help tie up the grape vines and look for the first strawberry. Life is good.