One done.

Wow that flu shot knocked both of us down. Took about a day and a half to feel normal again. Never had one bother either of us before. Maybe it is more potent this year or something. Glad we didn't have anything that needed to be done. Good excuse for me to just sit and watch NASCAR.

Yesterday  I finally finished the puzzle. Only five hundred pieces and it took me over a week.  Some days I only found five pieces before giving up! Even the last twenty pieces gave me fits. Many, many of the pieces were the exact same shape so they fit where they didn't belong. And the colors were so close I didn't notice until trying to put pieces next to them. Oh well, that is why I do puzzles - for the challenge and to take up my time. 

I am starting to put the backing on the quilt. According to the TV program I got the idea from it should be easy. Just steam the material to the fusible batting - easy peasy. It just needs a LOT of steam. Well my iron is many, many years old and doesn't steam as well as it used to. So having to push the extra steam button for every square inch. (In fact the extra steam button popped out after an extra hard push.) Also the quilt I did is much bigger than the one they did on TV. So I'm having to move it around on the cutting table. And it is a HOT morning already. I know quit complaining... Once I get the backing stuck to the top (I hope) I'll trim it then either bind it then quilt it or quilt it then bind it. Not sure yet. Another couple of days work. The backing material.

A piece of the backing and a small part of the front of the quilt

Bill is making crepes today. It is our youngest sons birthday so we will take some to him along with a couple of cans of Mexican Dulce de Leche. He is very organized. 

The foil keeps the stove top clean. 

He flips the half cooked crepe, has never dropped or missed one. 

Wow very smoky here today - no walking. 

Progress

 Have made quite a bit of progress on my projects the last few days. The top of the quilt is done. Here it is on our California King bed, so it should be big enough for regular or queen size bed. And we went to fabric store and I found a great material for the backing and it was on sale and also had a coupon. I'm going to use it both for the backing and the binding. It is dark blue with Burgundy flowers in it.

Been getting up early the last few mornings. This was day before yesterday's sunrise. 

So nice to walk without the sun beating down on me. Even when it is below 80 it gets hot when the sun is out. Managed 2 3/4 miles.

Still working on this darn puzzle. It is one of the hardest I've ever done I think. All bread looks alive when it is a puzzle piece. 

Yesterday morning after the walk we went to JoAnne's to get the material for the quilt backing. Then to Albertsons for some groceries while there we decided to get this years "old people" flu shot. Boy I could feel every bit of it going in. Later in the afternoon my arm was sure sore. Today my arm isn't sore but about midnight last night I got sick. Chills, fever, aches etc. Still lethargic today and achy. First time the flu shot has bothered me and it really is bothering Bill too. Hopefully tomorrow we will both feel better. 

This is a three NASCAR race weekend, races are her in Vegas. So I'll be occupied watching them. And maybe trying to find a puzzle piece or two. 

Continue to plod along on hobbies.

It has finally cooled down here enough to get out and walk in the morning after it gets light out. So put on my shoes and out I went. I did wait a little too long before getting started as the sun was full up. First time walking walking in a long time so took it easy. Made about 2 1/4 miles in 40 minutes. I feel it now. I think I might need new shoes. Going to try to keep up with the walking. We'll see.  One of the neighbors roses were blooming. 

Heard some honking and looked up in time to catch some geese flying by. They look like a wire or string between the palm tree and the light post. Guess they overnight in the wetlands. 

 Speaking of walking. Bill called his brother who is 92 the other day and he wasn't home. He was out on his DAILY FIVE mile walk! Keeps him young.  Don't think I'll ever get up to that. 

I had another encounter with technology and it almost won. We got some light timers. Very simple ones. Four steps in directions. Took me about five times to get one working. Guess you should read all the instructions, not just part of them. Working now.

I continue to plod along on the puzzle. I make myself sit there until I find at least five pieces. Have never had a puzzle take me this many days to do, not a five hundred piece one anyway. Just was working on it and found eleven pieces. Quit while I was ahead. 

Also making good time on my quilt. I have the top finished, except for sewing the four lines of big squares together. Then need the backing, binding and do the quilting. It is 60 x 80 so quilting it will be a challenge. Have to go to JoAnns to get some backing material. All the rest of it I had. The design is strange. The diamond shapes are NOT supposed to be perfect. Gives it a different look. 

He comes by every afternoon now. Funny looking bird. But I like to watch him running around. 

About it for now. The last few weeks seem to have flown by. 

Gotta love Las Vegas people

We went to Smith's grocery the other morning at 7:30 - just as you go in the door there is a little room to the left with slot machines. It already has customers. 7:30 a.m. in a grocery store. Will never understand that. 

Bill has a new toy, as far as I understand it hooks to his phone and makes taking pictures and videos easier. It keeps the phone steady while filming. It looks pretty cumbersome to me. 

The other night the sunset was very pretty looking east but nothing looking west where the sun was setting. I always enjoy the colors over the desert. 

We both are trying to keep busy, him with his toys and cooking. Making chicken milanese. He makes it in big batches so he can freeze it for sandwiches. Also for dinners, microwaves really well. 

I have started on a new quilt it will be a present for a friend in Mazatlan. When I asked what her favorite colors were I was surprised to get the answer - black, burgundy and blue. I'm having to fudge some with the burgundy - using some dark reds. The blocks are made with strips of material sewn on the diagonal. But not matched up strip to strip. 

Four smaller blocks make up one large block.  As you can see the colors and the placement of the strips don't make perfect chevrons. 

I have quite a few done, but have lots more to finish. The strips are sewn right on to the batting then fused to the batting. It is turning out to be more work than I originally thought it would be. I've managed to screw up a couple of the smaller blocks, got the strips way off on the angles. 

I'm also continuing to work on the puzzle that is of bread, rolls and buns. When I posted its picture last week I had a little bit done. Don't have much more done now. And I have been working on it every day. Just not finding pieces. It has reached the point where it is not fun, have come close to just putting it back in the box. But not quite yet. I found five pieces a little bit ago. 

Weather has finally changed. Not supposed to reach 100 tomorrow AND we might get some rain. Going to call the lady I walked with in the spring and see if she is still walking. I really need to get out and do that. 

Bill went to put the garbage out the other night and ran into two BIG raccoons next to the garage. And a neighbor told me they had seen a coyote walking down the street. We haven't seen the bunnies lately. Maybe the coyote found them. Hope not.

Time to post. NASCAR truck race tonight. 

El Quelite

I am still having trouble with technology - using my favorite browser blogger will not allow me to sign in. Was fine until a week ago. Can't seem to get it to cooperate. Oh well, using a different browser that so far isn't giving me problems. 

Our weather that was supposed to cool down DIDN'T. Still up around 105 and will be over 100 for next six days at least. The seventh day it will be 99 - except probably where we live in lowest and hottest part of valley it will still be over 100. I think it is getting to me. That and being cooped up. Have you ever woke up in the morning and felt every one of your years plus a few extra. Seemed like everything felt off. Including my brain. Coffee, coffee, coffee - 

Here is another article about the aftermath of Nora on our favorite little town of El Quelite. You can click here to read it and see some pictures. I loved this paragraph Especially the part about the accumulation of sand exceeds the shovels and wheelbarrows.

Yesterday morning we had a pretty sunrise. The first in a long time.

I was looking for something to do and at same time craving pineapple upside down cake. So had this cake mix in the cupboard. Don't think I've ever used this type - pudding in mix - before. Instead of using the water called for I used the pineapple juice from the can. 

It turned out really good. Actually made two cake rounds. One is now in freezer or I will eat it all before end of day. The cake part itself was more dense then regular but tasted good. 

Started a new puzzle a couple of days ago - not getting much done on it. Not only are all the pieces almost the same color, they are the same color as the table and blend in with it. I am thinking of just putting it back in the box. 

Leave it to Vegas, that is a Raider's eye patch on the Sphinx. Their first home game with fans in the stadium is Monday night. Hope they are a whole lot better then they've been in the past. 

We got our oleander bush trimmed, hope the HOA is satisfied. It sure looks ugly now. According to them it can't be higher than the roof line and must be shaped. They come on Monday to inspect that it is done.

Meanwhile on the side yard the flowers and bushes are in compliance and blooming beautifully. 

Not much else to write about. Did I mention humidity is up today also. We might get some rain later today. And we probably will 'cause Bill washed the Jeep this morning...

I no longer understand new technology

Sunday morning - going to try to get this done before all today's racing begins. 

Here is a link to some of the damage caused by hurricane Nora in Mexico. It hit the little town of El Quelite and our favorite restaurant. Looks like the owner and all the people who work there pitched in to clean things up.  If the restaurant got flooded I imagine a lot of the homes did too. And the bridge there is still out. 

We had an unexpected visitor the other afternoon. Mr road runner came by. They are sure funny birds. 

We have both been keeping a little busy. Bill in the garage building me a new box to replace the one that was stolen.

The box is almost finished. 

This one is really fancy. 

Even padded inside so things don't slip around and rattle. 

I on the other hand have been lazy and working on a puzzle. Took me a couple of days working on it off and on. Just 500 pieces. 

Well got "the letter" about what we need to do to make our home acceptable to the HOA. Surprisingly enough it was better than I expected. I did a lot of worrying about nothing. We only have to have these bushes trimmed and shaped. No problem will have the gardener do it this week. 

So we'll be good for another six months. 

Bill is also working on a rooster made of wood for me. He started it last year and works on it when the temperature in the garage is tolerable. He got a lot of work done the other morning.

Here is the pattern. Lots and lots of work in it. 

My complaint about technology - for some reason the rights to the South American World Cup qualifying games were obtained by FuboTV. Not going to be shown on cable. So many damn darn things are going to STREAMING. Guess we will eventually be forced into it. Any way went on line signed up for FuboTV - free trial cause Argentina and Brazil play today. Worked about an hour and finally got to a window that said 'No games today"  Well poop on them. Called customer service. Push this, push that. 45 minute wait to talk to customer service. Hung up and canceled subscription. Don't have the patience for that stuff any more. Besides it is $65 a month!! 

We are going to have three more very warm days - 109 on Monday then cooling down to high 90's with maybe some rain. Can't wait for summer to be over.