Misc. and Mint

My clematis (last year's picture) is getting buds, that sentence sounds slightly obscene.  Teri helped me plant it three years ago.  She did all the work and I helped by standing over her.  I am a terrible gardener and she kept telling me it was going to die where I chose to put it.  Surprise, it is the only thing I have planted that does well.  It is pale purple with small flowers.  We had a family of red-headed finches in it last year. 

I was telling Teri this blah, blah, blah story about buying stuff that didn't work and I can't find the receipt to return them.  I told Teri I had been shopping at "Bed, Bath and Behind."   We both needed a good laugh.

Ellen was telling me this convoluted story, that shows how differently everyone thinks.  Lately, everything starts with "guess what," now this is meant literally.  All three kids do it and there is just no way to guess, but the story won't progress until I actually guess.  Ellen tells me she got a new book, "guess what it is called?" 

"Ellen, I have no clue, give me a hint."

"Mom, puss-in-boots."  I really have no clue, absolutely nothing comes to my mind. 

"Ellen, go ahead just tell me the title.", said with my usual bewilderment and impatience.

She tells me the book is named "These Boots Were Made For Stalking".  Okay, I ponder for awhile on this, and no way can I make a connection.  It is a series of dreadful, but popular, books with clever names. I think of nothing to help me.

Ellen tells me, slightly perplexed, like I am being simple, "Puss-in Boots sang "These Boots Were Made for Walking" in "Far, Far Away Idol".  Way too many leaps for me to follow.  The whole conversation made me think of Kevin Bacon and six degrees of separation.  Was Kevin Bacon in Shrek?

Riley and Hoover have reached the age where they don't eat everything inside and outside.  For labradors that is approximately the age of ten, but even now I will find something unexpected chewed up.  They will stand outside and eat a bird wing or an entire rubber ball, but they won't touch mint.  They really need to eat mint, some weird cosmic mix-up for sure. My personal space right now is chokingly permeated with dog breath and gas, ugh!   The kids and I were discussing what heaven would smell like.  We all agreed on freshly made chocolate chip cookies.  Other scents discussed were mint, lemon, mown grass, and bacon.

Ned is dying for lacrosse practice to start tomorrow.  The anticipation again prompted his famous quote, "the day before tomorrow is really far away."  Last night he kept asking me, "when is the day before tomorrow?"  He is quivering with excitement to carry all his gear on the bus. This is a big deal!!

I have this quilt I want to start, but it is really nice fabric and I don't want to goof up.  I make so many crazy mistakes, I am scared to cut it. Teri gave me a set of Dupioni silks in shades of red for my birthday.  The pattern is easy, but I have troubles even with easy.  I didn't buy enough fusible of course, so I have to go back to Joann's.  That is mistake #1.  I finished my March quilt and will have to post a picture.  At the National Portrait gallery the artist Chuck Close had these tiny portraits.  Each portrait was about 4"x4" and took up to a year to complete.  I was so impressed by them, that I made a small quilt.  It is a quiltlet, I guess.