Making nooooo excuses.....

Lord yall it’s been hot.  I mean stifling hot in a way I don’t remember the past few years.  Either that or I’m channeling my grandmothers who had that same complaint every year.  I’ll be 35 in November and aside from my one move about 45 minutes south from where I had lived my entire life since I was born, I’ve lived my entire life in Mississippi.  It’s still hot as seven Hades out there.  

Yes, I'm insane hand quilting this insane quilt - there's a lot of insanity

That out of the way I’ll go ahead and say I make no apologies for being absent from the blog lately.  None.  I have been just living life.  I’ve been writing for the newspaper, trying to finish the quilt of doom (aka Satan’s quilt, the quilt of hell, the never freaking ending quilt), putting up vegetables, baking many, many loaves of zucchini bread, freezing pinkeye purple hull peas (18 ½ quarts), freezing corn on the cob, canning pickles, and gathering up blackberries to make into jelly this fall.  

Wild Mississippi Blackberries

Freshly shelled pink eye purple-hulled peas

                                First try at refrigerator dill pickles - SUCCESS!                                      

Peas ready for the freezer

I have honestly just been enjoying myself the last couple of months, reading way too much, taking pictures, and researching.  I’m getting ramped back up again and sat down the other night and gathered up all the research I’ve printed out from the internet, sorted it and now have about a two inch binder full of info to use as a reference for my writing.  

A super hot sticky humid morning at the Grand Village of the Natchez

We recently made a trip to Natchez for the Ducks Unlimited Mississippi State Convention.  I went to the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and did a little shopping.  It was a great little get away.  We’ve also been getting Allie started at her new “big girl school.”  She really seems to enjoy it.  Hallelujah.

First Day of School

This mamma is very happy and relieved.  We’re also taking one more trip this year to the beach in September.  It’s our annual family outing because my child is part mermaid and LOVES the beach and the water and sand.  I’m so ready.  There’s nothing like listening to the ocean at night, drinking a glass of moscato, and scratching away with a pen across paper.  I hope you have all had a great summer and that you’ve been living life and enjoying every minute.  Happy Tuesday my lovelies.