No new pictures today, so I'll share a recipe instead.  Don't really know what I did today, except take a nap this afternoon.  I did work on my raggy knitted place mats a little bit, but I don't really have anything else to show that I was alive today!  I did get some pictures sent to Snapfish and two sets of prints ordered, and some of the pictures deleted from my computer.  That doesn't sound like much, but as slow as my computer is, it takes time to do that sort of thing.  I did add some more pictures to my last Etsy listing, and I edited another listing.  I had added a border of one of the lovies I had made, so I added a new set of pictures.  I did do some work on the counted cross stitch project I have up here by the computer, and solved another Sudoku puzzle. 

Here's my recipe for the day.  I found it by doing a recipe search on Google, but it is from Cooks.com.  I tried it several weeks ago because I wanted to make these cookies from camp this summer and I didn't have a recipe.  It is for No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.  They are really easy to make, and absolutely impossible to stop eating!

 

NO BAKE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES

from Cook's.com

 

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups rolled oats

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix first four ingredients in large heavy bottom saucepan and bring to a boil.

Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.

Add the vanilla, peanut butter, and oats; mix well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper.

Cool until firm.

Makes about 4 dozen small cookies.

Baby came with me this evening when I went out to take pictures for this week's Photo Quest.  This picture didn't make the cut for the contest, but I had to share it anyway. 

Didn't do any quilting today.  Had a very nice visit with two of our sons and their families.  We had sandwiches for lunch and ham for dinner, so I didn't wear myself out cooking all day. 

I started cleaning up some of the pictures I have saved on my computer.  I am running out of room!  I had to delete a bunch of files just so I could get my pictures off the camera.  Need to do more deleting.  Or get more storage. 

Time for bed, but I want to try to send some pictures to Snapfish.  Wish it didn't take so long to send them. 

The weather had been so cool and rainy that it was late this afternoon before I went outside.  This was taken about 7:30 pm, about 30 minutes before the sun set.  It is a little sycamore tree that is just now leafing out.  It was taken with a Canon Powershot A540 on automatic.  I may have had the maco setting on.  The flash was off. 

 

I took this picture of a rose after I came back inside.  The sun had set, but it wasn't dark yet.  I had the light in the room turned off, and the flash on the camera was off.  I had the vase setting in front of a south facing window and used the macro setting on the Canon PowerShot A540. 

 

I took this picture of a frog or toad last Wednesday, May 7th.  I forgot about him until after the sun had set, so it was darker than I wanted it to be.  I wanted to take his picture without flash, but it was too dark, so I had to try to keep from getting glare from the flash or the overhead lights.  He is sitting in the window well of my sewing room.  I cropped the shot, and I may have had the macro setting on, but I can't remember.  Taken with same Canon PowerShot A540. 

I was taking pictures this evening for this week's Photo Quest.  This one doesn't meet the qualifications exactly, but I liked it anyway.  It is somewhat distorted by the resizing.  It was taken in front of a window with no flash. 

 

I didn't do any quilting today.  I was fighting with a bad headache all day, and it was winning! 

I finished this pot holder last night.  I made this one a little bit different.  It has an appliqued star on a plain denim field on the other side.  It will be on Etsy soon. 

I received my order from JoAnn's today, so now I have the white flannel I need to finish the Moda baby lovie that I started a long time ago. 

Need to clean house tomorrow.  Two of our sons and their families are coming out on Sunday.  I want to finish my camp orders so I can put that mess away.  It is spread out all over one end of the dining room table.  My fabric strip knitting is spread out on the other end, but I can put it in a bag and get it out again without loosing my place. 

 

Have a great weekend, everyone, and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in my neighborhood and on Vox!

Wow!  Everyone in the neighborhood has been busy!  Sorry I haven't gotten around to making comments to everyone. 

I finished this set of four special order place mats yesterday.  I tried posting last night but I was having issues with my computer.  This close-up shows the patchwork appliques and the rag quilted "border".  I made another pot holder last night, but don't have pictures of it yet.  It rained most of the day yesterday, so it really limited my picture taking.  I would like to experiment with taking pictures in the rain, but it was windy and cold. 

Today we went down to our son's house to hold babies.  All three of the kids have a virus of some sort, and were happiest when someone was holding them.  Hard for one person to do!

 

I put three appliqued patchwork hearts on this set because there are three people in the family who ordered them.  I did the quilted of the strips by machine this time.  I wanted to have them finished by Sunday. 

I need to do a lot of paper work in the morning.  I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow afternoon.  Have some other errands I need to take care of, too. 

I took one photograph that I can use in this week's Photo Quest.  I have an idea for another one, if the weather will cooperate.  I would like to walk down to the lake about dark.  I want to see if I can get a picture of the moon reflected in the water.  Need to check and see what time the moon rises this time of year.  I know it isn't very big right now.  A full moon would be cool. 

I did do some more work on my camp menus yesterday.  I have all the menus done, unless I make some changes.  Now I have to figure out how much food to order.  That is the hard part!

I must get to work on the other little dress.  My daughter will be here by this time next week.  I need about 10 more hours in every day!

I wish you could see this blown up to 8 x 10 or larger.  It is perfect!  The little bug is just sitting there in just the right place and the one little parachute is just about ready to take off.  I love it!

I went outside this morning to take pictures of my one iris that is just opening up, but ended up with pictures of seeds.  Strange how that works!  This one is my favorite.  The next one is the seed pods of a hyacinth.

 

The detail in this one when it is blown up is fantastic, too.  The next one is a pine cone.  I like the branch arrangement and angles. 

 

The ambient lighting was perfect this morning.  It was overcast enough that there weren't any shadows and bright enough that the colors are perfect. 

My hubby's brother came out to go fishing this morning, so I'm going to head down to the lake to get a few pictures.  My beans and beets are just starting to come up, so we planted another row of beans.  The radishes are looking good.

I didn't take any pictures today, so I'll share another one from Saturday.  Here's my city baby at 10 months.  He can take a few steps now, by still prefers to crawl on all fours.  It has been a month since I had seen him, and he had completely forgotten who I was, but I knew he wouldn't remember me, so it was okay.  I was busy helping with the other kids anyway, and taking pictures. 

I worked on my strip pieced place mats again today.  I should be able to finish them tomorrow.  I did some house cleaning today and some laundry.  Also planted some wild flower seed on a bare spot down by the lake.  Hope at least some of them come up.  It is awfully steep and rocky.  I have some ground cover growing in a wagon.  I may take some of it down there.  It is supposed to rain again tomorrow. 

My beets and beans still haven't come up in the garden.  I may have to throw in the trowel and start over.  It has been rather cool at night, so maybe the ground isn't warm enough yet. 

 

Here's a picture of "Papa" with his one year old twins.  Their birthday was April 26th.  We went to their house yesterday for their birthday party.  We also celebrated their big brother's birthday; he will be three next Sunday.  It was rather cool, but most of the kids went outside to play.  The babies wanted to go out, too, but we kept them  entertained in the house.  They are wearing outfits that their other grandma made for them.  Very cute!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the white picket fence that we all have been working on for a couple of weeks now.  It really looks nice, and it is nice to know that the little kids can go out to play and will stay in the yard.  The landscaping is the next big project.  They were working on the gates today.  They want a small walk thru gate on each side of the house, plus a large gate that you can drive thru on the garage side. 

It has been beautiful here today.  I went out and hoed my radishes again.  There is a little bit of spinach coming out, but very little.  No sign of the beans or beets.  I used old seed, so may have to replant. 

We had frost again this morning.  It was 34 degrees when I got up.  I took a chance and didn't bring my plants in last night.  It looks like they all survived. 

I added a border to the yellow and white baby blanket this afternoon.  It didn't look quite finished.  I took some more pictures, so now I need to edit my Etsy listing. 

I started loading some of my pictures from yesterday up to Snapfish, but it takes 6 minutes for each picture to load.  Wish my computer was faster!  Guess I should be thankful to have a computer at all. 

I took a lot of shots yesterday, both at home and at the party.  I'm going to submit four, so you may have to kick one out!

 

 

I wanted to explore some different angles for the pictures that I use to list my Country By Design items on Etsy.  This one is taken from the back of the setting.  The focus on the place mats isn't very good. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was using a bird's nest that I found as one of my props.  It isn't big enough to show up in the photos of the place mats, so I took this one of it by itself with rock "eggs".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took lots of pictures of my grandkids yesterday.  This is one of my favorites.  I love the lighting.  Maybe not exactly Vogue material, but ...

 

My youngest grandson was looking out the window watching the older kids playing.  I shot this looking straight down on the top of his head.  Guess you could say it's an ad for the curtains or the floor vent which is bent because they have to keep a fifteen pound weight on it to keep the kids from playing with it!

More pictures of my compostions of my place mats.  This is a new set that I finished last night.  I've never tried to take a picture from the back side before.  I need more focus on the place mats instead of the candle. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The place mats show up better in this shot.  Each one is strip pieced by machine and has three rag quilted appliqued hearts.  This set has a dark blue "border". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to take a few more shots of the bird's nest.  This one is more straight down from the top.  Turning off the camera flash makes the colors brighter and not so washed out.