Not ready for the changing of the seasons

 It wasn't until I opened up blogger to set up for this blog post that I realized it's been a quick minute since I've last written. 

Oops. 

Sorry. 

I've been ... not in a mood or out of sorts.  Something has been off and my body has been reacting to it, and my attitude has not been what it should be.  Kinda cranky.  Kinda tired, kinda out of sorts. 

A bout of insomnia has started up.  My body was acting like it was in defense mode, or something, too.  

It wasn't until Nancy the Disorderly Stitcher said something in one of her videos about the school year being just around the corner that it hit me. The change of the season will soon be upon us. 

Who else is with me on it feeling like we have had not that much of a summer this year? 

After hearing Nancy's comments and realizing I was probably a bit wore out and burned out I decided to take a couple days off work and have a long weekend. 

Apparently it was just what I needed.  Though it would have been great it was a just a bit longer of a break. For those who may be curious or wondering, I'm *still* healing.  The one doctor said it can take months.  Lovely. 

Thursday I decided to have a bit of a mini-retreat at home.  I spent the morning sewing and quilting. It was fun.  I also decided that it takes me a stupid amount of time to make WIP bags.   I had five bags to make and I actually completed the last one last night, right before bed.  

I remembered some cross stitch ornaments I had stitched up close to the beginning of the year.  I pulled them out and went and found some fabric for backing. 

The ornament charts were ordered from Fat Quarter Shop, and are a design by Erica Made Designs. 

Fat Quarter Shop did a video showing how to finish them.  I was debating on whether to add trim.  I like how they look with just the wooden hoop and I'd probably make a mess with the hot glue gun. 

I discovered I missed completing a bunch of stitches on one of the ornaments. I need to go track down the floss and get it done. 

Friday I dragged my son with me to go to a couple state parks that are in the area.  The day trip to the parks was a lot of fun, though it was kind of humid out.  

We first went to Amnicon Falls. I haven't been there in at least six years.  Maybe longer.  I went there with my friend Dawn when she came up for a visit many moons ago. Our boys had fun jumping a side stream and finding frogs. 

Some photos in no particular order. 

After Amnicon we went over to Pattison State Park, home of the tallest waterfall in Wisconsin. 

The weekend was full of bike rides and bumming around in the garden and around the house. 

The few flowers I have growing this year are really pretty. 

These cosmos are volunteers.  I'm keeping an eye on the flowers so I can collect seeds for next year. 

I know I've shown photos of the flowers before but I can't help it.  I love them. 

The hollyhocks will always remind me of my mother-in-law. 

My first year being successful with Bachelor Buttons. 

They are so delicate looking. 

While I was pruning tomato plants I spotted these jewels. 

I do not recall if I mentioned the coleus I have growing in the greenhouse.  My coleus were pretty wimpy until the last couple of weeks.  They are coming in to their own now.  Not as glorious as the plants I had back in 2019 or 2020, but pretty amazing, considering the weather we've had this year. 

Oh! Something I almost completely forgot until my husband just now brought it to me. 

Last week we harvested the peaches off our tree! 

Yes it's peeled.  He peeled it for me because I'm a princess. No, it's because he knows I'm not keen on peach skin. It was the peaches first year here.  I hope from now the tree produces like mad. Enough to make a peach cobbler, at least. 

So, in a nutshell, that is what's going on.  I've been cross stitching almost every night.  Or a bit of sewing and quilting. Slowly I'm knocking my works-in-progress list down. I told myself I wasn't going to start any knitting projects until next month. Just in time for hunting season.