Once again that time of the year has rolled around. This is the 48th time it has rolled around. I had to work today but since there was a lot of mindless time I got to thinking about past birthdays. I love having a May birthday. I love spring and to me May is the best of it. Almost always my birthday is a beautiful day. About 100 year ago The Slackwood Elementary Fair used to fall in my birthday week. That was always great fun. One of my favorite birthdays was the year I got my first bike. It was a pink and white Schwinn, I think it might have been a Hollywood but I don't really remember. It had a white basket with pink flowers on the front too. I absolutely loved it. I think it was the same year that my mom painted a set of dresser drawers for me. White enamel and they had little bouquets of violets decoupaged on it. She still has the set. I nearly always had my favorite cake too. Angel food with strawberries inside and whipped cream outside. YUMMO!

There have been other memorable birthdays along the way like the surprise party the people I worked with (my extended family in my heart) gave for my 40th at my favorite restaurant in Lexington, Bella Luna.

The years go on don't they? Memories are good. Family is good too. Happy Birthday to me!

I just finished Sunflower Star by Laura J Perin last night. I just love it. I haven't taken it off the strips yet because I just like looking at it! I did make one change in her design. I did not care for the wide green border she designed around the outside so I made it half the size. The colors are wonderful and I can't wait to put it together. (once I decide how I want to do that!)

The is Desert Star by From Nancy's Needle. I finished it about a month ago and posted an awful picture of it. This was my first canvas work piece and I am hooked for sure. I can't wait to start another one.

Right now, I dug out fabric for Wendy K.C. Designs' Bee's Garden Stitching Accessories. I am stitching that with Carrie's Creations threads on 28 count Quaker in a color called Country. The fabric came from Silkweavers and I have had it for a while. I can get all three pieces (needlebook, fob and biscornu) out of this one piece of fabric.

On another note, our nest is empty, the birds have fledged. We were lucky to see the last one leaving the nest. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed watching them until they were gone. :-(


Off to get the day started!

They are getting so BIG! Mom is gone a lot now because she has a LOT of hunting to do. No supermarket fills her needs. Those mouths are never closed. I can relate I have 2 growing boys! Bottomless pits!!


This is one of my clematis. It is so pretty. I look forward to it every year and I am sorry it doesn't last very long.

#2 son and I went out this afternoon and bout impatiens for my back flower bed and posts to stake up my Rose of Sharon trees. Maybe tomorrow we can get them all in the ground. There never seems to be enough time to get everything I want to do done. I did get my Sunflower Star finished up to the last border. I got that last border started and decided I didn't like it as wide as shown so I ripped it out and made it smaller. I should be able to finish it tonight.

OK, I am off to finish cleaning up dinner and then I can get back to my sewing.

I was wrong there are not three babies, there are four!



They are getting so big and they are so stuffed into that nest. We were lucky to get a look while mama was looking for dinner. We made sure not to touch anything close and got out of there really quickly!

I am making great progress on my Sunflower Star. I have the cream border on and am working on the next one. I should have gotten larger stretcher strips but I guess I will figure out how to get everything on there!

This is mommy on her nest.




And if you look very carefully you can see one of the little buggers trying to peek out! They have gotten a lot bigger in the last couple of days too.


This is my sunflower star. This border is a booger. I have already frogged one portion of the border. I like how it looks though!



And this is my first clematis bloom of the year. It looks whiter than previous years. They are usually quite lavender.

My dog got a bath and she isn't happy. My MIL has osteomyelitis (a deep bone infection)in her foot and she isn't happy. I had to change her packing and dressing today and UGG... I wasn't happy.

It is however a beautiful day and I am going to take my sewing, my audiobook (The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer OMG good!) and a cold drink out on the patio and relax for the hour and a half I have before someone comes back home.

That's all I got folks!

My little mama bird has hatched her eggs. I have 3 little nearly bald babies in the nest. I got a really good look at them while mom was out shopping the other day! They have a great home too, that bush I was going to rip out is honeysuckle. It is in full bloom now so they have a very sweet hiding place. Once they are grown and gone, I can trim it all back, for now, I have a nursery that is fascinating me!