Bits and pieces

Things are unusually busy around here. Seems like I'm always running around doing something, but not really having a lot to show for it. It's weird. On a quilty note, the hex check stands at 96--not quite half done but getting closer! It's just been hard to find time to quilt.

Have been catching up with some end-of-summer tasks like cooking down tomatoes to freeze:

and grating and freezing zucchini--look at the size of these suckers! I got three of these monsters from my Mom's garden (made some good chocolate chip/walnut/zucchini muffins that were a hit with the kids):I got a little package in the mail from Moneik and I am just tickled pink (pun intended!). Moneik, Jen, and Jill of the Cre8tive Online Quilters had an "Out Cut, Out Sew, Out Quilt Survivor" contest. I threw my vote behind Moneik to win (she placed second in the contest for most quilting hours in the month of July), and as a thank you, Moneik graciously sent her supporters these great storage pouches with the cool logo on it (thanks again, Moneik!):The timing of the arrival of this little zippered pouch is perfect--I've been slowly pulling together a set of "travel" quilt supplies to take to quilting bees. It's going to be a great way to carry pens, seam ripper, and other small tools. I came across a little travel iron I bought a few years ago at a garage sale (I think I paid 50 cents). It is a "Fostoria" iron and it folds quite flat--it's going in the travel set of quilty items along with a pressing mat by Fons and Porter than I got at JoAnn Fabrics:

The kids are doing great in school--I'm so happy they are enjoying it and that they both like their teachers. One of my current project is to add an indoor clothesline downstairs in the laundry room. I am planning to try and save our gas bill this fall and winter by line drying clothes indoors!! I do it all summer long--can't see a reason to not continue the frugalness (is that a word??) even when the summer sun is long gone!