You Won't Like Me When I'm Angry...

Alert readers may remember that I boasted about large garish State Fair prizes being banned from our house. So can you imagine how freaked I was to open the back of MY car and find this?

He had spent the day after the Fair in my husband's manager's office chair. Then it will take up most of the bedroom of grandson Avery. Oh well, anything for the grandkids!

We spent most of the weekend working in the yard, since the party Saturday will be outdoors. We haven't mowed yet, but the flowerbeds are weeded, limbs trimmed, pig-cooker in place. It was really pretty in yesterday's late afternoon sun.

This bush has changed color nicely in time for the party. I call it "Burning Bush." It is a Euonymus shrub that has nearly exceeded its space limitations in my "butterfly garden" out front.

Off to the Fair to pick up my quilt and see if any of the gorgeous potted plants are still available. They sell much of the garden display flowers and shrubs on the day the fair closes.

Happy Dance!

I had a very quick stop at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh on my way to South Carolina on Monday. I guess you can see I was pretty tickled to see a blue ribbon on my little green trapunto quilt! I have gotten two seconds, two fourths, and an honorable mention in the past at the State Fair, but never a first place from that venue. Yippee!

Actually, when I first got there, I did not see my quilt at all. Do you see the new way they are exhibiting the quilts this year? It resembles the rugs hanging at the home improvement store. There were two large racks of stacked quilts. In order to see any quilts, you had to ask the attendant to flip the racks. I was waiting with two other ladies for her to come and show us the quilts, and I saw the scalloped edge of my small quilt just peeping out. As it turns out, the two ladies were waiting for the attendant to turn the display so they could see my quilt! They had gotten a glimpse of it during her last flipping session.

Well, on the way to the Fair I had taken my camera to the shop, and they have sent it off for repair. So, I had no camera to take my picture with the quilt. But, one of the ladies offered to take my picture and e-mail it to me. And today, there it was in my e-mail! Many, many thanks to my new friend Kathy Lassiter for troubling to do this for me.

I wish I could have taken lots more Fair pictures. It was a beautiful day! I ate my hot dog and got a fabulous ice cream cone from my Alma Mater N.C.State's ice cream booth. I would love to have shown you the garden displays. One of the Theme Garden categories was "Patchwork Quilt Garden." The blue ribbon winner was a garden with a twig bed, and the "quilt" was made up of different flowers and plants. I loved it! Very clever!

Anyway, I did get to see my grandchildren the before my son's surgery. When you only see them once a month or so, they sure look "grown" at the next visit! My son did very well and was getting along fine when I left early this morning. I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise which you can see for miles in the flat land of coastal South Carolina. I filled up on gas for $2.62 per gallon, which is 44 cents cheaper than I paid in North Carolina on Monday. We have the honor of much higher gas taxes in NC. Now the floor guy is installing the wood floors downstairs, so I am breathing a sigh of relief that maybe this remodel will be done in time for the party on Nov. 1.