The Farmers’ Market…

School starts on Wednesday, and I have been busy getting things ready.  Last week we had a full schedule of trainings, so this week has been a real scramble to get my classroom set up for my projected thirty-two students!  That is stressful on several levels- too many bodies for my desks and not enough time to prepare.  On Saturday I decided I needed a little break, so even though no one could go with me, I headed off the the Salt Lake City Farmers’ Market.

There were a LOT of people with the same idea.

It was a warm day, but I loved looking at all the home-grown produce.

I wanted to buy it all.  (The fresh raspberries and nectarines looked so refreshing, but I missed taking a picture of them.)  I avoided the tomatoes since we have our own endless supply of them!

I did buy some “picked fresh this morning butter and sugar corn on the cob” (We cooked it at home and it was truly delicious!)

The flowers were tempting…

The pastries were a big hit with everyone.

The caramel bun in the lower right hand corner had my name on it-and it was worth the whole trip!  They scooped up a big serving of the gooey caramel, too.

There were some fun places to eat lunch.

Live entertainment was playing on a stage.

The vendors were friendly.  This nice man wanted to showcase his overalls!  (I think he figured he would end up on a blog or Facebook.)

I had a great time wandering around looking at everything. 

The market was just what I needed!

Do you have local farmers’ markets where you live?

JoAnn

P.S.  Michelle, I just might go with you again on Saturday!

 

Summer’s recap

I sure hate to see summer end!

JoAnn

Double the fun!

This past week has been pretty busy, but full of fun.

Our two new babies got to meet each other for the first time-and they both showed up in the exact same outfits.  That is Paul on the bottom and Zachary on the top.

I’m sure they were excited to see each other.

 

(Unplanned dressing alike runs in our family, remember this photo?)

Zachary decided to take a little nap, but Paul wanted to play.

They are almost the exact same size!

 

(Zachary on the left-Paul on the right)

It was so great to spend time with our entire family!

 

JoAnn

A stitch in time….

I love quilts!

Homemade ones are the best kind.

A quilt is a work of art, just like a painting or sculpture, and it involves a real talent (and a gifted eye) to pull it together, including finding all the right fabrics and textures, and then choosing the best patterns and ways of arranging everything.  It is critical that exactness and neatness drive the process, yet a little whimsy and fun make it a personal treasure.

Perhaps a quilt involves more effort from its creator than other artistic creations, due to the time involved in making it.  (I really don’t have any idea if this is true, but it sounded good to say that.)

Each quilt has a story that goes along with it, and that story can be a part of one’s family history, culture, interests, or experiences.

This  amazing quilt, made by my sister-in-law, Connie, includes a touching and bitter sweet tale.

(Sorry, I did not get very clear pictures!)

Connie has a great love of our country and has lived in many different states.  She also loves to do embroidery work and probably has the smallest and neatest stitches you’ll ever see.  (The only problem with that is her stitches are so perfect one might think a machine had done it!)

  With that said, she has worked hundreds and hundreds of hours embroidering all the individual blocks, and then piecing the whole quilt together took many more hours.

She had planned on quilting it herself-the only guarantee she had that the quilting would also be perfect- but things didn’t go quite the way she planned.

 

Recently, Connie was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.  She wasn’t given a very long window of survival.  We were all devastated, yet Connie has buoyed us up with her courage and strength.  She refused to feel sorry for herself and her life has gone on in a somewhat normal way.

Connie has been very busy stitching quilt blocks for baby quilts for all of her grandchildren!

Anyway, back to the quilting story….

She wanted to get the quilt finished, but knew her physical strength would not permit doing it herself.  When a good friend asked what she could do for Connie, she asked her if she would find someone to quilt it for her. 

This sweet lady gladly took the quilt and said she would find a talented quilter to finish it.  The cost was around $1,000, but Connie said that she didn’t even care how much money it would take.

The promise was fulfilled and a beautiful quilt was delivered back to Connie. 

However,

Connie’s good friends and neighbors had heard about it, and they all wanted to contribute.  The quilting was all paid for by them.

What a gift of love!

Connie’s husband Steve hung the quilt on the wall so it could be seen and enjoyed by all.  Connie can sit in her chair sewing and look up and appreciate it any time she wants, and people coming to visit can admire its great beauty.

Isn’t that a lovely gift?

We are all hoping that Connie will be around for a long time, but this wonderful quilt will always be a reminder of a woman who made this world a better place-one perfect stitch at a time!

We love you, Connie!

JoAnn

 

Summer storms

We’ve had some really hot weather here in Utah and are even looking at breaking the record for the most days above 100 degrees during the year.  The old record was for twenty-one days and we are now at nineteen.  I guess I can endure a few more scorching days-just to make history.

(Besides, I’ve already given up on any kind of normal hair-do,

due to sweating.)

While it was HOT, we had double our normal rainfall during July.

That meant a lot of beautiful storm clouds.

and a few mysterious ones…

This photo was from Michelle!

I find a good thunder storm refreshing and exciting

(providing I am not in danger of lightning striking me, or planning an outdoor cookout for grandpa Clegg’s ninety-fifth birthday party with thirty guests coming)

and it is nice to get a break from watering the grass.

Besides, don’t you love the smell of the fresh air after a storm?

Or the memory of a picnic under the kitchen table with rain beating against the window panes?

I just love curling up with a good book during a rain storm.

And it’s romantic….

Wasn’t it a heavy downpour that enabled Elizabeth Bennet to stay at Netherfield Park while she tended to her sister, Jane, who was  suffering from a nasty cold she picked up after getting caught in the rain?  And didn’t that contribute to Elizabeth’s falling in love with Mr. Darcy?  And ultimately ending up at the beautiful estate Pemberly?

(Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice)

So, as I sit here at my computer,listening to far off thunder, I’m crossing my fingers and really hoping the dark clouds blow my way.

I’m ready for a cooling storm.

Bring it on, Mother Nature!

 

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm

to pass...It's about learning to dance in

the rain.”
― Vivian Greene

 

JoAnn

P.S.  The back to school countdown has begun. 

Thank you Staples and Office Depot for the good sales and the teacher discounts!