Here's What I am Working on Today

I fused this applique several months ago and set it aside. Now I am zigzagging the edges of each piece. This is not a favorite thing as I am really a hand applique person and I am not very careful about the zigzag edges when I do this by machine, but I think it is a cute little piece and I love the bright colors. This is a freebie from Don't Look Now. She has several cute patterns as well. I bought one of my favorites at the Madison Quilt Expo last year. One of these days I will get around to making it.

Went to the Farmer's Market on Wednesday night with my hubby. This was indeed more of a party event than the Saturday morning market I usually frequent. Lots of people wandering around the booths and in and out of the stores and restaurants on the street. There were beer and wine vendors, a small stage for entertainment, belly dancers, and a large stage a couple of blocks away for late night entertainment.

I bought these little ground cherries. They are kind of new to me. I think I got some last summer too. They are from the same family as the Chinese lantern flowers and look very much like a gooseberry, only yellow. They are very sweet.

I put one next to a plum so you can see the difference in size. Have you tried these before?

A Little Piece of Heaven

I made a special dessert for my son's homecoming -- a beautiful blackberry cobbler. I have no source for blackberries. Growing up, I spent many hot summer afternoons picking blackberries. I always enjoyed eating some off the vines as I filled up my bucket. The berries grew wild on our property and I would come back chigger-bit and scratched all over my arms even with long sleeves. My fingers and tongue were stained purple. My favorite get-up was my dad's red flannel shirt, his overalls, and his big rubber boots. I would clomp down the hill with a plastic ice cream pail and pick til it was full.

After my dad passed away, my cousin would come every summer and mow down the field behind my mom's house and the blackberries unfortunately, succumbed to the bush hog. So berries were few and far between in more recent years. I have lived in Wisconsin about 30 years and have picked blackberries only twice. The first time was at a friend's cabin and the berries were noteworthy. The other time was years later at another friend's home and the berries were too tiny to mess with.

When I was in Washington a few years ago, we found blackberries growing in the suburban lots that were empty. When we drove out in the country there were billboards advertising Blackberry Eradication Services. I was nearly sick. How could they destroy such a National Treasure? Don't they know they have a goldmine on their hands?

I am always on the hunt for a place to pick. I miss having a patch in the backyard like when I was growing up. Either people here in Wisconsin don't know where to pick or they aren't telling. I suspect it's the latter.

Somethings Fishy

I went to the grocery this morning and since cod was on special, I bought cod. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the package and saw these pieces.

All I could think of was HST's. I must be spending way too much time quilting. And by the way, when did fish start growing in triangles?