Happy second day of fall ...... and a call for quilt blocks for a fallen hero

Well happy second day of fall Blogland Neighborhood ! (I meant to do a post yesterday with the title "Happy First Day of Fall" but as noted in my previous post, we here at MBIAJ Headquarters seem to have a "time management problem". (sigh) One of the contributing factors to the time management problem around here is getting lost in Blogland. Having a cup of tea and setting a time limit to reading blogs, facebook, and emails ONLY until that cup of tea is finished just isn't working. There are SO many fun blogs and talented people out there that it's easy to get sucked into that gaping black hole of cyberspace and information overload - so much that hyperventilating and the need to breathe into a paper bag is imminent ... and, unfortunately, sometimes we come across some not so fun things .... some very sad things .... where a Blogland Neighbor John'aLee is asking for help.....


...to gather up some red, white and blue fabrics and make a star block or two for a quilt for her daughter Tory who was supposed to get married this past weekend, but went to her fiance Chris' funeral instead because he was killed in Afghanistan 2 weeks before their wedding. How terribly, awfully heartbreaking and sad. John' aLee is trying to get enough quilt blocks together to make a quilt for her daughter, Chris' mother, Chris' two brothers, and Chris' best friend who was with Chris in Afghanistan when he was killed. You can click on this link for more information on the star blocks.

Another Blogland Neighbor we came across who could also use our support is the very funny Megan of The Bitchy Stitcher. She has come up with this HYSTERICAL calendar: the "2012 Quilter's Shirtless Man and Spicy Burrito Calendar". Oooh La La !!!



...the calendars are for sale and the proceeds will benefit Megan's older brother and his family. He has been fighting brain cancer since January 2010. Here is the link to buy a calendar. Megan says she plans to do another calendar for 2013, so all you gals out there can volunteer your studs to bare all and wrap up in a quilt for a good cause !

Well, given our history of time management difficulties, guess we'd better step away from this computer, and maybe start planning and making a star block or two since the end of October will come around sooner rather than later.

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Time Management ......sheesh .....

Well hey there Blogland Neighborhood .... where the heck did the past week or two go? Beats me .... time management doesn't seem to be one of my strong points ....(I've had this cartoon hanging in my home office/ sewing room FOREVER ... LOVE IT ! and I wish I could tell you who the artist is, but I don't know .... sorry! ) Anyhow, to further illustrate this affliction, earlier this evening as I was rushing around the grocery store, I was side tracked (happens ALL the time !) and found myself taking pictures of .....




...really cute Halloween paper plates and ...


.....napkins .... instead of concentrating on all the food I need to stock up on for this weekend when .....



....College Boy Matt comes home with ....









....EIGHT of his Penn State Cycle Teamates for the weekend (they are competing in mountain bike races hosted by Lehigh University on Saturday and Sunday, so our house will be home base for food, sleeping , and showers).

.....(sigh) see ..... I'm doing it again! Here I sit writing a blog post instead of putting all those groceries away and figuring out where everybody is going to sleep (well, they'll probably all just end up on the living room floor ....) Anybody want to come over to MBIAJ Headquarters early Saturday and Sunday morning to help me make breakfast for the team ? :)

GO PENN STATE !!!!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

My hydrangeas are drooping .....

Happy September and Happy Labor Day weekend Blogland Neighborhood! Well, even though it is still pretty darn HUMID and feeling like summer here in Pa (hopefully to change soon according to those Weather Channel people), the MBIAJ yard and garden are showing signs of fall/autumn (YAY!!! we LOVE fall/autumn here at MBIAJ !!! Just as a little side note here - do you refer to the season as "fall" or "autumn"? I usually say "fall" but I like the sound of "autumn" better . "Autumn" sounds romantic and New Englandy while "Fall" sounds like something you want to prevent so you don't break a hip ! - I think I've been in the physical therapy homecare/ safety at home and falls prevention game too long !)

ANYWAY ..... as I was saying before that last ramble, the yard and garden are showing signs of changing seasons ...



....a few fallen leaves (I gathered them all up and put them in one place just for this picture .... not enough to rake yet!)









....a droopy sunflower ...





....an empty nest ....







.......some fall colored mums, black eyed susan's and sedum (all drooping I might add)




...... and the star of today's show .... my drooping hydgranea tree. Now I'm pretty sure all of these things are not drooping due to lack of precipitation after all, Hurricane Irene was just here. No, I think by this time of year, the blooms are big and heavy and just DROOP !!! So, not knowing what else to do with the droopy blooms, the MBIAJ Gardening Dept decided to get some pruning implements and......



....lop off a few of those droopy hydgrangeas and sedums and ....




.......put them in a big mason jar (one of these days the MBIAJ Photography Dept will actually read the directions on proper lighting and exposure .....)





......uh oh.....look who found the flowers already. OK, so even though the flowers look pretty sitting on that table, Sam is probably waiting for just the right time to A)try and eat them . B)try and play with them. or C) knock them over. So, the MBIAJ Decorating Dept has moved them ....




...up there on top of the fireplace mantel .









So, anyhow , hope you all are enjoying this last official weekend of summer (even though fall/autumn doesn't officially start for another couple of weeks according to my calendar)

Be back soon,
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)