Our Back Yard

I'm not the only talented one in the family. This spring Armando decided to give our back yard a facelift. First he rebuilt the stairs that go to the top of the hill behind our house. Actually he did that after I pitched a fit because the old stairs were rotting and dangerous.



Then he decided to stain the decks. His first attempt at color was a real bright orange. I told him it would have to be changed, so he came back with this redwood color. I like it better.


He decided to build a top for one of our old round tables (in the background) but after it was built he realized it was too heavy for the skinny legs so he built a base for it. And put ceramic tile on top.



Then put tile on our existing table so they match.



That big table will stay permanently where it is - it already was heavy, now with cement board and tile it would take at least three people to move it! I'm not sure how well it will winter. I guess we'll find out.



Then the pool was leaking and I couldn't clean it.



Finally the pool is fixed and clean and sparkling so I took these photos today - the back yard probably won't look this good the rest of the summer!

Ghost Birds Too

My brother David wrote a book about saving cranes and swans. See my March 13 post for more details. I made him a quilt for his office, and he said it was too nice for his office, it would go in the living room. So I said I'd make another for his office.



He received it the other day, and called to tell me it's too nice to hang in the office, so it will go in the dining room.



I told him then I guess his office wall will be bare, because he has had his quota of quilts for awhile, and if I did make another one, it would not have cranes. I'm over cranes and oriental fabrics.



My soon-to-be famous brother has been invited to do a book signing and lecture at the Smithsonian this summer. He'll also be doing book signings and lectures in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Maryland. He's going to take the quilt along as a prop.

Italian Festivals and Italian Weddings

Jan and Curt, friends from Texas, stopped in last weekend. We headed down to the Italian Festival on Friday.



We actually knew someone who had a booth who invited us to eat and drink with them. Here's Brian and Bill:



And Glen:









The next day we headed to Graceland. They have added the stables as a new attraction, but it costs an extra $15 for the tour. We passed. I've been to Graceland so many times I think I could recite the taped tour by memory. Armando said he is never going again.



After that, Jan, Curt and Armando headed to Tunica and Beale Street. But I passed, since Whitt and Kristle's wedding reception was that night. They were married in Jamaica two weeks ago. She looked like a little Hawaiian princess.



The mother of the bride, Barb...



and the parents of the groom, Suzanne and Dave.