This Is a Porch Swing

This is a porch swing.

This is watching the sun set.
This is waving at neighbors.
This is sitting with those you love.
This is chatting.
This is having morning tea.
This is feeling the breeze.
This is drinking ice tea in the evening.
This is holding hands.
This is growing older.
This is peace.
This is bliss.

The Farmers' Market

Last week we went to the farmers' market.
While there we saw:

green beans

red potatoes

okra

tomatoes

lettuce of all sorts

yellow and red sweet peppers

a table of Latin flavors

cucumbers

hot peppers

green tomatoes

I was so taken by the beautiful
colors nature's bounty provides.

A feast for the eyes.

Scenes From a Birthday

The Girl is now four.
Here are some scenes from her day:

Baking a cake. She helped stir.

The finished cake.

The only say I had in this confection is the pan in which it was baked. The Birthday Girl chose the colors of the icing and the design. We narrowed the list to flowers, hearts, and sparkles. She also decided where these would be placed.

Can you tell?

Make a wish!

Opening her loot.

The Boy was there to lend a hand.

Play time.

Mommy had a pretty good day as well. To lessen the blow of turning thirty-five, I received sweet cards with even sweeter sentiments. Included was some extra splurge-money.

As if that weren't enough I was given some special treasures by a good friend.

A vintage Fiestaware cup and saucer. In my favorite color.

This was placed inside...

...a vintage Dukes of Hazzard lunchbox. I had this same lunchbox in first grade. Who didn't love The Duke Boys?

And if that weren't enough...

Check this out:

The Mr. got me not one,
but two new lenses for my camera! He is a photographer himself (although much better than I), and is quite supportive of my interests in all things camera related.

Thank you, man. You rule.

I think that the girls in the Senske house have been sufficiently spoiled.

We thank you for all of the happy birthday wishes. We did indeed have a very happy day.

My Greatest Birthday Gift

Today is my birthday.

Four years ago I was given
the greatest birthday gift
one could possibly receive.

My daughter.

She is everything a
little girl should be.

She is sweet and caring.
She nurtures.
The girl loves to draw flowers
and write her name.
She bats her eyes...
and often gets what she wants.
She is animated and funny.
She has spunk.

She always...always has her Teddy.
When she sleeps she looks like an angel.

Happy Birthday, Nora Sabine.
You are magical.

Summer Fun

We ended last week with some
classic summer fun.

Time at a real pool.

There was a lot of jumping and splashing.


I was surprised at the lack of
fighting over the noodle and floatie.


A trip to the zoo.

Who cares about a 104* heat index?
The tigers are worth it.

Brushing the baby goats.

Mom even turned a blind eye to the
lack of nutritional value in spun sugar.

Teddy wanted in on that action.

For the grown-ups:
a big plate of barbecue and a cold beer.

Worth every minute of fun.

What's For Dinner?

The Chef has planned a partial menu this week. We will be visiting with family instead of slaving in the kitchen. Always a good thing.

Monday: spaghetti with whole grain pasta, green peas, whole wheat bread

Tuesday: Cajun baked shrimp, corn and black bean salad, squash

Wednesday: homemade pizza, spinach salad with goat cheese and balsamic dressing

If I were to finish this menu, we would have a left-overs night, a salad/sandwich night, and of course, a hamburger night.

Happy summer cooking!

Daddy

This is my Daddy.

My Daddy is the strongest
man in the world.

He is a teacher. A coach.

He always has a book around.
He showed me the importance of learning.

Daddy and I talk almost every day.
About basketball. Or football.
We adore the Spurs and the Longhorns.
The off-season does not stop us.

He can do the best play-by-plays
when my cable goes out.
Really.
I sometimes hope for an outage.

We have watched games
"together" on the phone.
Or via text message.
I guess you could say it's "our thing".

My Daddy took me places.
Historical places. I credit him with my Alamo love.

He would play with me in the pool.
Throwing me up and into the water.
Over and over again.

Daddy has piercing green eyes.
They can be a little scary.
That's good if you are a fearless teenager.
They were my kryptonite.

My Daddy always welcomes me
home with open arms.
No matter what.

I love you Pops.


And I would be remiss if I didn't mention
another Dad in my life.

In my house, this is who gets that special title of "Daddy".

You have given me the two most wonderful children I can imagine. They are sweet. And loving. And trying. And funny. And stubborn. And maddening. And wonderful.

They make my life complete. And for that, I thank you. More than you will ever know. More than I can ever express.

This Is the Making of a Quilt

This is the making of a quilt:

Cut.

Piece.

Sandwich.

Stitch.

Square-up.

Bind.

Complete:

This quilt is supposed to resemble water. The dark blues mixed with some lighter shades along with grey are intended to mimic the waves of an ocean. I normally don't have "theme quilts", but here you go.

I used more of that linen-like muslin for part of the back and plain grey cotton for the top. The strip incorporates some of the patterns from the front.

A close-up. More of that wavy line quilting, which seemed to match a water theme perfectly. I used a grey thread for the stitching this time and I like the result.

This one is not for keeps. It will find a very special home. Someone that will enjoy wrapping it around them and finding warmth and comfort.