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It seemed simple enough. Make the basting concoction for the chicken and make hummingbird food. My son Max said he saw one flying eye-level at the deck door looking for the feeder. The hummingbird food is 1 cup water to 1 1/2 cups gran. sugar. Cook till clear.

The basting concoction...I'm letting you in on a secret. This is what Esther (the Mennonite cleaning lady at my last job) uses at all the chicken barbeques her church does for fund raisers. Take one stick of butter. Stick it in a pyrex measuring cup and melt it in the microwave. Take some apple cider vinegar and pour in until you can kind of smell it above the butter. Add plenty of salt (I use kosher) and black pepper. Mix together and baste the chicken while it is grilling. Esther puts it in a spray bottle. I tried it, but as the butter cooled, it started clogging. PS: Drinking wine during the grilling process also helps.

So I had the hummingbird food cooling on the stove in a small saucepan and the measuring cup of Esther's chicken juice on the counter. Whoops! I forgot the pepper! Went to the pantry. Couldn't find the black pepper, but found the white pepper. Took off the lid and dumped a good shaker-full in the hummingbird food.

It's been a long week.

Last night was my son's orchestra concert. He's been playing violin since 3rd grade (he's now finishing 8th grade). Anyway, my other son Dylan (who's on the autism spectrum) and I were sitting in the audience. The orchestra delves into a shakey, but respectable, version of the Barber of Seville. Dylan leans over and says...."Mom...Isn't that the Bugs Bunny Barbershop music?"

I remember waking up Saturday mornings to watch the Bugs Bunny Show with my brother and sister in the '60s/early '70s. All of those great cartoons...and they stand up to the test of time. Because here I am with one son playing the music and one able to recognize it from a classic cartoon.

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The Martin quilt is finished. Sewed on the binding and label while sitting at Hawk Mountain, waiting for my son at a scout meeting. It was such a beautiful day, I didn't realize I was roasting my arms. On Monday, I took it down to the folks at Lancaster Heritage and turned it over to the lovely Helene Tingle...a fabulous supporter of the arts. Many of the other artists invited to participate in the project are decorating actual wooden martin houses made by a local Amish craftsman. I got to see many of them and they are wonderful.

The opening of the Purple Martin House Project is Friday, June 3, at 5PM. If you're in the 'hood, you really should come see the houses, hooked rugs, quilts and redware--all with the Purple Martin House theme!

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Between yesterday and today, I've dyed 30 yards of fabric. I have also ruined 2 sets of underpants. I'm a messy dyer. Sure, I can do the sweet neat baggie thing, but nothin' beats gettin' in there elbow deep with my Playtex Living Gloves! Had my annual Gyn appointment at noon and had to explain the colors all over myself. Since I only dye during decent weather, I have to really go for the gusto from time to time until it gets too cold. I did 15 yards of unbleached and 15 yards of bleached mercerized. I have one more load to go in the washer and then it's to the ironing board. Now I have some fabric for the website, which I hope to get up next week.

Eight hours of quilting later.....
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The quilting on this quilt had me in a tizzy. With the appliques all over the place in no particular order? What to do, What to do? I consulted my members of my family...explaining what I hand in mind. "What would you think if I did (fill in the blank)?" The formula (or lack of one) went like this...In the Ditch around every applique and background triangle. Light triangles=straight lines using presser foot as guide. Dark triangles=my grafitti style, which includes stipple, flowers, squiggles, feather fronds, and words.

Today, I bind. Goal is to get this done today. I'm planning to dye fabric this week, as we're getting a warm spell. Finally!!!!