Sunflower September is the theme this month for my cross-stitch projects and when I looked outside this morning, I saw one of my sunflowers blooming! I am so excited. Once it stops raining, and the ground is dry, I will go out and take a photo. I will post it on FB or Instagram. The tiny seed was one of twelve that I planted. It is the tallest and strongest that grew. I want to check on the other two seedlings that grew to see if they are blooming. They are shorter and I can’t see them from my kitchen window. I have more seeds and plan to put the rest of the packet in the ground in the spring to see if I can get more to grow! Gardening is always a challenge, and this was the first time I have tried to grow sunflowers! It was exciting that they grew, but they are not as Mammoth as the seed packet had said they would be. I am sure it is because we have such a short growing season but that will not deter me from trying again next year.

Encouraging words came at my routine visit from my internist. He said I was improving post covid and that some healing is taking place. He reminded me it has only been a few weeks since I have recovered from my second Covid infection in July, so trying to use my rowing machine was too soon. As a Lon Covid patient, I am to be working on walking, increasing steps and some Long Covid rehab exercises I have found online. I have a small gym in the garage, and I can do these exercises plus the very light weights we have for me. I need to keep pacing myself and giving myself more time per Dr. order. Easy to say, hard to do when I have a job. Hopefully, my work will keep allowing me to work from home part time which does help.

I have been slowly moving on my creative projects. This week, I recorded a podcast and videoed a FlossTube you can see them both on my YouTube channel! I have a customer quilt pressed and ready to load on the frame. I am currently pinning quilts on my frame to long arm and I have been researching using magnets to speed up the process. I want to try it some day because they are expensive. Pinning a quilt on the frame is worst part of long arming!

I have been doing my hand work in the evening and currently that is the You are the boss project, and I started a tiny sunflower project. I have been playing with my prepped liberty hexagons and I want to start sewing them this fall. They are so pretty. I have been inspired to do an all over color wash quilt like Kate did on the Last Homely House channel. She also made a jacket and that has inspired me to try to make myself a jacket, but I want to use up my orphan blocks for my jacket vs her jacket with is made of jeans and boro inspired.

What I love about Kate is she does everything in season, slowly as needed, yet is always doing something like knitting, making curtains, gardening, bee keeping and trying to keep up on her house. I like her very much and we are kindred spirits, I would very much like to have a cup of tea with her one day in her little town. I need to catch up and watch her channel because I see a few videos up that I haven’t watched!

I have a long 3-day weekend at home. I am going to enjoy the break from work. I plan to try to do a bit of everything over the time off with a bit of rest in between. Amazon has a Lord of the Rinds inspired show that is starting. The best thing for me is today is the first U of M football game. I can stitch, have my treats and rest on this lovely rainy, overcast day. It feels like fall here already.

The leaves are starting to change to their bright colors, we went to our High School football game this week and the day light hours are getting shorter. I am going to get my orange decorations out, dust off all of my candle holders and prepare to use them! Trip to the apple orchard will be soon and snuggling under my cozy quilts and hand knits. I do love the fall!

Vicki