I hope all of you are enjoying this Summer as much as I am. I know it's been crazy hot and nope I don't like the heat, but it just makes me enjoy the few (and I mean very few) days of rain. And well Summer is Summer so why not enjoy it while we can.
I wonder if any of you still do canning? I do, and that for me is a lovely piece of summer, although I haven't done any as yet this year.......I still have time and empty bottles. Guess I better get crack-in!
Yesterday, Leesa and I went across the street to the property where the new retreat will be built. Oh how fun was that? Totally and completely fun, and here is why......
Stepping on to that property was like going back in time. Imagining the history and the stories, if the house and grounds could talk. I could almost see the former children playing" Kick the Can and Hide and Go Seek and Red Rover Red Rover" in that yard. There is an old clothes line in the back, golly not to many of us have those any more. I could almost envision my grandma coming out that back door to hang the wash. At my house growing up we always had a dryer, but at my grandma's house through the summer she hung her clothes in the backyard on the line. In the winter, they hung on the line in the basement. I had never seen anyone use a clothesline before. It was sorta mysterious to me, I don't know why. It just was. Grandma taught me how to hang the clothes, and you did it just so.....or she made you redo it! All under garments are to be hung on the middle lines so the neighbors can't see them. She was very strict about that part! Once as a teenager I was at a friends house and they used a clothesline as well,"Well at least in the Summer." to help out, I grabbed the basket of clothes and proceeded to hang the laundry to dry. Her mother was horrified, she stood at the back door and watched with a concerned look on her face. I hung the laundry and came back in. She went out and took a close look at my clothes hanging skills. She came back in and asked where I had learned to hang laundry like that? My grandma taught me, I said. She smiled and said "She taught you well. You can hang my laundry any time!" Who knew there was such a science to it?
There is an old tree stump on the property, that will go as it will be in the way of the new building. But I couldn't help but notice how huge the stump was. I don't know how many adults holding hands in a circle it would take to match the circumference of that trunk! I didn't count the rings, but my goodness, it has to be a really old tree to be that big!
We went inside the house and shared what each of us thought was worth saving. There are trims and bits and pieces that we both agreed would be nice in the new place. It will just feel good to have some of the original homestead included in the new one. It was fun to share thoughts and ideas with Leesa and feel of her joy in this process as well. She pulled a couple of old drawers from the kitchen to use at the store now.....perfect for displaying fat quarters. She has such an eye for this!
We went out back and walked around the property and found an apricot tree. Yes, we ate some. YUMMMM. I guess that is what got me thinking about canning. That is one yummy smell. The smell of Apricot jam being made, OK so I need some home made bread to go with it. But what a great little adventure we had, and all we had to do was ......walk across the street.
While I'm here I will share with you some of the new things at Thimbles and Threads. New Quilt Kits and Quilt lines and oh my gosh....A NEW STATLER STITCHER
As you can see, there is always something new to see and fabric to inspire here at Thimbles and Threads.
Maybe just maybe when the new retreat is built....there will be a spot for the old clothesline. After all, I can't let those skills go to waste!
So come on over...... have an Adventure. We're just across the street.
Till next time,
Thimbleina
