Category: Interesting Information

Information I want to share in a non-essay form

Air-Conditioning and Summer Heat

I’ve been thinking a lot about air conditioning, which makes summer living in coastal South Carolina pleasant. And that thinking about air conditioning has led to a whole train of thought that has been on my mind for months now as I’ve been researching the whole summer heat issue.

It has been a beautiful summer here actually, and I have been walking in the morning rather than at night as it has been cool enough until nearly noon AND because we’ve been getting late afternoon/early evening thunder storms that cool off the heat of the midday.

Living without AC is also possible. There wasn’t any air conditioning in Georgia and elsewhere when I was a child. There wasn’t any air conditioning back in the day when our forefathers pioneered this land. Today, there are generations that have never been without it. My children and their children grew up with air conditioning. How does that impact them in terms of how they think about summer heat?

Last summer, having lived in Maine’s cool summer for almost 20 years, I worried about summer heat in coastal South Carolina and stayed inside a lot. This summer I’ve been out and about much more, so it seemed to me as if this summer was cooler than last summer. But when I checked local temperature records, this summer is as “normal” for here as last summer was. So, I’ve lost some of my FEAR of the heat and have gotten used to the heat and let myself experience it.

Local weather sites say that July is the hottest month in this area, which was a surprise. I would have thought August was the hottest month. Note too that many of these local weather sites use the weather station at the Charleston airport for their data, a place which is surrounded by tarmac runways, roads, and running engines of all sorts. And temp averages used include daily high and low temps, which gives a higher reading than if one averaged the hourly temps.

I’ve also learned to close shutters and porch shades against the direct sun, which is around mid-afternoon on the back of my house, which helps the air-conditioner a lot I think. The porch shades make the porch really comfortable, except maybe in the very late afternoon when the sun hits it directly. That’s a time when I sew anyway.

Back in the day in the Georgia summer at my grandparents, there was no air conditioning. Like me, they had an elaborate system of lowering shades against the sun on the sides of the house where the sun was strong–a task that we children were sent to do if we were present. After “supper,” everyone often sat together on the “north porch,” and I have so many memories of being told family stories, of sharing in laughter, of cigarette tips glowing in the dark night, and of the happiness of being included with the adults–if we children were not out in the dark yard playing kick the can. At some point, one of the adults might offer to take all these gathered family cousins to the local pool at the edge of a swamp for a dip before bed, a pool where cold artesian well water ran all the time. Then we would go to bed with cool bodies and wet hair and lie under a running fan. (The pool didn’t need chlorine either, as that clear, cold artesian water ran in and out all the time.)

My point is that we didn’t think that summer was too hot. It was summer. The heat was normal. It was probably hotter than it is here on the coast, where we have a sea breeze most days. We just found indoor things to do in the worst midday heat of the day. There were endless card games with cousins and lots of books to read. Or even a nap as we cousins ran flat out all day long. Sometimes, in the quiet dark of the living room, our favorite uncle would read us a story, like Edgar Allen Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death,” which even as young teenagers we loved. Or maybe that uncle would play a game of “Fan Tail Hearts” with us or the family seven hand rummy game we all loved.

Today, “heat” has become an enemy, and there are dire predictions about the earth becoming too hot–due to human behavior. Know that this information is a powerful move made by some who would benefit by what they want to do to “cure” this problem.

The only thing is: this story is not true. Any of it. I can see the markets involved, the people involved, and I am now refusing to go “there” with them. Science, history, and the so-called data being used does NOT support any of this story which involves rising rates of the dry TRACE gas CO2–which is NOT given in total percentage of the earth’s atmosphere, but in the scary ppm (parts per million) figures which seem very large to those who have not researched this problem. No. I am going to enjoy having the summer heat warm my bones after my noon dinner on my back porch. I’m going to let the sun tan my skin. I’m going to continue walking. I am going to enjoy…summer.

La Niña is coming in now, bringing cooler and dryer WEATHER (as distinguished from CLIMATE). That weather vs. climate story is a complicated subject involving lots of factors. CO2 is the “gas of life”: it does NOT create temperatures; it follows temperatures. In the geological history, CO2 has been much higher in very cold eras. Temps are a complex series of Earth’s and the sun’s mechanisms that do not involve human behavior. The more CO2, the greener the earth. Greenhouse owners pump CO2 into their greenhouses to help plants grow better. Water vapor, often created by the eruptions of underwater volcanos, like the 2022 massive eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano, is much more of a factor in the “greenhouse THEORY.” And the water vapor evaporates in time.

Screenshot

There are countless very well credentialed disciplinary scientists that refute this fear mongering about the earth overheating. They include physicists, astrophysicists, geologists, and climatologists–most of whom have been demonized, despite decades of published papers/studies, just like the physicians et al who questioned the covid origins and treatments were demonized. These scientists do not include the “Earth Scientists” who are interdisciplinary “field” academics who for some decades now have been funded to facilitate the markets involved in this fear mongering. They have never been able to prove their claims about CO2. So…beware what you are buying into these days. These people manipulate temperature data in countless ways because they cannot prove what they are saying with long-recognized scientific methodologies.

Here’s a quote from a well recognized, credentialed geologist, Australian geologist, Professor Ian Plimer: “As soon as someone tells you it’s warming, the reply you give is: Since when?….We have been cooling down for the last 4000 years. It’s all about when you start the measurements….If you take measurements from the Medieval Warming… we’ve cooled about five degrees since then. If you take measurements from the Roman Warming, we’ve cooled about five degrees.”

When you see anyone claiming “hottest day on record,” look at the time frame they are using. Most of the time, it will not include the 1930s or will be a product of a weather station that does not have a long record of existence so temps can’t be compared over time. Or said weather station will be located in a recognized heat island in an urban area, which would make generalization about “the hottest” day not accurate for that region.

Here’s a recent map made by an amazing college student, Chris Martz, who will soon graduate with a degree in meterology and who does amazing and solid research to refute the climate fear mongering online. He uses reputable data and often explains in depth what is wrong with the current claims that serve to scare people–to include all those maps we see now online that are colored in RED and that are meant to scare us. (The deep red color in the map below is just used to show the temp ranges of the 1930s.) Note that the data Chris used is from NOAA records.

If you want to understand what is happening with this climate fear mongering, here is a long series from an engineer, James Kirkpatrick, published in the Weston A. Price Foundation’s journals. Kirkpatrick has traced the history and the science of this subject.

The Obscure Origins Of Modern-Day Climate Change Hysteria
Understanding Natural Climate Cycles

So, how does the constant bombardment on our phones, in our “news,” on our social media platforms with “the earth is overheating and it is our fault” impact our minds?

I think it makes too many of us afraid, especially if some have never lived without air conditioning. I hear all the time now from many, here in South Carolina and up in Maine, how HOT it is. One day I checked the Portland, Maine, temps, which were in the low 80s. For Maine, yes that is hot. But it isn’t killing/boiling hot.

I think this media bombardment makes some of us agree to the “solutions” being proposed without really wondering (or investigating) if the story is true, or without thinking about the outcomes of the “solutions” being sold. And, yes, “sold” is the right term.

Many of us might not realize that one of the first things to go will be the air conditioning, as the solutions being proposed will radically impact the availability of energy for consumption.

Think about it all, ok? Think about what our world will be like with farmers no longer on the land, as is happening in part of Europe right now and is happening quietly here now. Think about what we will eat if the cows and chickens are killed under the guise of a bird flu story that already includes purchased vaccines. Think about how we can get back real news and real science and a government that works for us instead of being subjected to endless propaganda that serves some, but not us.

Think. Investigate. Choose.

Sewing Needle Threaders

I have two types of sewing needles that I use the most often: John James embroidery size 7 or 6 (7 is smaller and more pliant) and Richard Hemming & Sons Milliners Large Eye Milliners size 11. (I also have Tulip embroidery needles, but they are stiffer and less flexible than the John James embroidery needles.)

The embroidery needles have a larger eye, but the size 7 whichI like best is sometimes hard to thread with size 12 cotton thread, much less a Pearl size 8 Thread. The Milliners size 11 are long and so flexible, but the eye, even for the “large eye” version is…TINY. I really struggle to thread it with 50-weight thread when I sew down bindings. Aurifil thread is thinner, so that helps.

Anyway, I went on a hunt recently for needle threaders. For the Milliners, I need help all the time unless I’ve been lucky. For the embroidery needles, just some of the time. (I use the Milliners to sew down binding or with English Paper Piecing.)

So, I have gotten two kinds of these threaders below–AND after reading comments on Amazon (you can learn a lot from comments), I got some Krazy glue and put a drop on the top of all the threaders where the “wire” extensions are embedded and let them dry overnight. I’ll let you know… But, these threaders have actual wire threaders, not plastic, which commenters were saying were sturdier. Again, I’ll let you know.

On the left are Beadnova threaders that will fit the Milliner eye. Or the right are Phinus, which will fit the size 7 embroidery needles I have–and likely the size 6 embroidery needle with thicker threads. The Phinus are bigger and sturdier.

Below, see more threaders I found. On the left is a threader that would work well for thicker threads and needles with bigger eyes. Perhaps for embroidery work? It does not fit into my needles. The little humming bird threader in the middle works for my embroidery needles, but has a tendency to shred the thread. And it is clumsy to use. The Clover 8611 works for the embroidery needle, but I don’t know how it will stand up to wear and it is pricier.

So, I’m hoping the plastic/wire threaders will prove to be a good choice–with the extra help of the Krazy glue.

*One other tip is when you unspool a length of thread you are going to use, insert the top piece of your thread (as it came off the spool) into your needle as that works best with how the thread is twisted on the spool. And cut on an angle to reduce the thickness of the end. AND, when your thread gets “twisty” as you sew, let it unwind by dropping the threaded needle down so it can spin the twists away.

And if you don’t use a threader, hold the piece of thread in your right had and bring your needle eye down over the top–as sometimes magic happens. Sometimes it also helps to moisten (read with spit) the end of the thread.

Good luck!

What on Earth?

Last Tuesday late afternoon we were about to get another thunderstorm, and I went out to move a plant on the screened back porch and saw a HUGE insect on the outside of a screen. What on earth?

All of you who follow this blog know that I had to immediately figure out that insect.

I’ve never seen a grasshopper like this HUGE creature. S/he is almost 3 inches long! With lightening from the storm already starting, I had to go outside to get pictures.

What on earth kind of grasshopper is this one?

Look at the gorgeous markings too. Huge back legs…

It’s an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper. What does “lubber” mean? Here’s a quote from the information link below:

“Lubber” is derived from an old English word “lobre” which means lazy or clumsy. This term has come to mean a big, clumsy, and stupid person, also known as a lout or lummox. In modern times, it is normally used only by seafarers, who term novices “landlubbers”. 

Here’s a stock photo I found that shows the size of this huge creature in a human hand.

But don’t try to pick them up as one will spray a noxious toxic mixture at you–which is why it has few predators.

It can’t fly, so it lumbers along walking.

What kind of damage? Here’s a quote for the informational link below:

“Lubber grasshoppers are defoliators, consuming the leaf tissue of numerous plants. They climb readily, and because they are gregarious they can completely strip foliage from plants. More commonly, however, they will eat irregular holes in vegetation and then move on to another leaf or plant. Lubber grasshoppers are not as damaging as their size might suggest; they consume less food than smaller grasshoppers (Griffiths and Thompson 1952). Damage is commonly associated with areas that support weeds or semi-aquatic plants such as irrigation and drainage ditches, end edges of ponds. Grasshoppers developing initially in such areas will disperse to crops and residential areas, where they cause damage. Thus, as is the case with many grasshoppers, monitoring and treatment of areas where nymphal development occurs is recommended to prevent damage to economically important plants. Also helpful is to keep vegetation mowed, as short vegetation is less supportive of grasshoppers.”

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/orn/lubber.htm#:~:text=The%20eastern%20lubber%20grasshopper%20is,central%20Texas%20(Capinera%20et%20al.

We got 6 inches of rain Monday night and 3.5 inches in the late afternoon storm Tuesday. The grass and plants outside are now happy. But the ants aren’t, and that is another story to tell as they are coming inside my house.

PS: It’s Saturday morning now, and the grasshopper comes and goes on my back porch screen. Likely s/he came from the bio swale/stream that runs through our neighborhood or the wetlands above it. I don’t see any apparent damage to the roses though.

Color Catchers

When I washed the finished quilt “Happy,” which had been dragged around for six years while being made, I put in 6 color catcher cloths–even though all the fabrics were washed when they came into the house.

Hmmm….

Enough said, right?

But, maybe I’ll add that I also washed another quilt, I also added color catchers to the wash.

And…hmmmm…

The reds did run a bit.

I’ll always use them for a quilt now…

A Katydid

I saw an insect I didn’t know the other day on the red roses.

It was about 1/2 to 3/4- inch long, the color of a green apple, and had the longest front antennas I’ve ever seen. The antennas had to be over an inch long, seemed to be iridescent, and had tiny alternating bars of darker/lighter colors.

It didn’t take long to figure out what it was: a katydid, also known as a “bush cricket” in some places. It’s kin to grasshoppers too. It’s a jumper, with big hind legs. Yes, she/he jumped immediately when it saw me looking. And it did look like “a walking green leaf”–the description I found along the identification way.

Katydids are not worrisome pests in a garden as they only eat a tiny part of upper leaves on shrubs and trees. They are prey for a lot of other insects and birds. There are many types of katydids across the world, some do eat other insects and some can be much bigger. But the one I saw is common in tropical/warm climates like the southern United States.

Here’s an image I found:

I mentioned seeing a katydid in my roses to a neighbor, and he laughed and said, “What! You’ve never seen one? We used to try to catch them.”

If I had seen one as a child at my grandparents’ house in Georgia–and there was a big garden–I have no memory of it. Hummingbirds, yes, but not katydids.

The night-time calls from Katydids are VERY loud apparently–and their calls are very distinctive. They make the call by rubbing their wings together. (There is a link below where you can hear them–and I’m now wondering if part of what we have all been calling “frogs” is at least partly Katydids.

Here’s more info:

https://biokids.umich.edu/critters/Tettigoniidae/

For sound:

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=katydid+sound&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:803dcd02,vid:cxIzRw1BToI,st:0

AND, note there are LOTS of poems that include katydids, which you can find on poetrysoup.com

https://www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poem/a_summer_afternoon_18901#google_vignette

A Summer Afternoon

by James Whitcomb Riley

 A languid atmosphere, a lazy breeze,
With labored respiration, moves the wheat
From distant reaches, till the golden seas
Break in crisp whispers at my feet.


My book, neglected of an idle mind,
Hides for a moment from the eyes of men;
Or lightly opened by a critic wind,
Affrightedly reviews itself again.


Off through the haze that dances in the shine
The warm sun showers in the open glade,
The forest lies, a silhouette design
Dimmed through and through with shade.


A dreamy day; and tranquilly I lie
At anchor from all storms of mental strain;
With absent vision, gazing at the sky,
"Like one that hears it rain.
"

The Katydid, so boisterous last night,
Clinging, inverted, in uneasy poise,
Beneath a wheat-blade, has forgotten quite
If "Katy DID or DIDN'T" make a noise.


The twitter, sometimes, of a wayward bird
That checks the song abruptly at the sound,
And mildly, chiding echoes that have stirred,
Sink into silence, all the more profound.


And drowsily I hear the plaintive strain
Of some poor dove .
 .
 .
 Why, I can scarcely keep
My heavy eyelids--there it is again--
"Coo-coo!"--I mustn't--"Coo-coo!"--fall asleep!

Bits and Pieces, Sunday, July 30, 2024

The palm trees are “blooming” now. I still find their “flower” fascinating.

I have been so hungry for deviled eggs for days now. And I realized that I would be fine making some with my local eggs (Chucktown Acres) that don’t have corn or soy in their feed, with homemade mayo with a tiny bit of plain mustard that uses white vinegar for the needed acid to make it jell, some finely chopped sweet onion, and, of course, organic olive oil and salt. I wanted these eggs to be plain, so I didn’t add any herbs to my mayo this time.

It didn’t take but a minute–as cooking the eggs is quick and making mayo is even quicker and easier, and now I have some to drizzle over salads and other things in my bowls, like the chicken and potatoes below. I can’t use cayenne pepper to decorate, but my deviled eggs are DELICIOUS. They really hit that hunger spot I had.

Here’s my dinner salad last night. I had made a big bowl of salad with the last of the roasted chicken, so I just took half of it for my supper and added the eggs.

I washed my improv quilt. It has a coral backing that ran when I washed it, so I was nervous about washing this quilt as there are so many light colors on the front. But so many of these fun blocks used glue, so I needed to wash it out. I put 6 color catchers in the wash and crossed my fingers (and toes) as I so love this quilt. She came out beautifully from the dryer, and now is all crinkly and cute.

Right now she is living on a chair in my tv/reading/hand-sewing little room. With different folds, different parts of the quilt show on the chair. Right now it’s the red “wheels” block. (Tara Faughnan is going to do this “block” class again starting in September. If you are interested, go to her web site and sign up for her newsletter.)

So, improv blocks joins “Happy,” where I am working on the final hand quilting of the border. See the big pillow–I found it at Costco the other day so I don’t have to use one of the couch pillows I made to get a hand project up and out of my lap, which is too low for easy hand work. I’ve not had any issues with my neck or shoulders once I adopted this pillow practice a few years back, and as you know, I do a lot of hand work. (The loose orange threads you see are from the longarm basting I did to hold the layers together.)

In line, waiting for its turn, is this recent project which is set up to be a wall hanging and is yet unnamed. You can see the orange machine basting threads, which I will remove as I work.

“Pieces of My Heart” (the neutral) is on the longarm. The colored version with the light heart is growing on the design wall, and I’ve been making parts for the “Prickly Pear” quilt designed by Annabelle Wrigley and using her solid fabrics.

This double heart pantograph is new for me, and I’ll use it on both of these “heart” quilts. I am using a soft grey here as it was better for the backing than a neutral thread. There are enough darker “neutral” blocks here to make the light grey work well.

Enjoy your Sunday!

What Is This HUGE Wasp/Hornet?

It’s the biggest darn flying wasp-like critter I’ve ever seen. Some are close to almost 2 inches long. And they have set up shop in my red roses.

It took me some time the other morning to get some pictures–without risking being stung–and some time researching with pictures to figure this one out as there are other similar insects out there. One is now moving into South Carolina, and it is a problem.

It’s a Cicada Killer Wasp. And they are not true wasps or hornets as they don’t bite or sting.

Yes, the females are up to 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches long. The males are smaller, but are very active as they are “guarding” the underground nest the female digs for her eggs. Males aggressively patrolling a nest location can be scary if you don’t know anything about these highly colored insects and encounter one. All one sees is the size and the waspy colors.

This picture is of the smaller male on guard. He’s very active so it took me some time to get a resting picture.

Here you can see the distinctive yellow dot on the front of the face–and the dull red markings around the head and on the legs. There are three yellow bands on the lower body, on the upper part. The rest is black. The wings are stationary and lie flat when at rest.

The HUGE females are much harder to capture with my camera. She has what looks like a stinger protruding from her rear, but it is used to sting her only prey, a cicada that she ceaselessly hunts down as she uses it for food for her eggs. If one tries to capture her and brushes the stinger, it can leave a very mild sting, but that’s all. Research says that the sting is less than that of a mosquito bite. Mostly these insects eat sap and nectar.

Here’s a quote from the informative link below:

“Female adults often dig their tunnels in a backyard sandbox, a sand trap on the golf course or in a nice sandy picnic area outdoors. Lawns, gardens, flower beds and athletic fields are other preferred nesting sites. They excavate noticeable amounts of soil around their tunnel entrances and create unsightly mounds. Large soil particles are removed with mouth parts and then shoveled through their legs in a dog-like manner.”

I now remember that I saw these piles of dirt obviously excavated from my rose garden beds last year. At the time I was puzzled by what dug out the dirt. A frog maybe, I thought? I just put the dirt back with my trowel and called it a day.

But…

Here’s one of the dirt piles I found this morning–and look how well the Asian Jasmine (which is not a jasmine) ground cover is spreading now. That is a LOT of dirt for an insect to remove with her mouth and shovel backward with her legs.

The adults only fly around for about 2 months, and now that I know what they are, I’ve enjoyed watching their antics in my roses. I’m not worried about having them around. At the very least, their tunnels and underground nests will aerate my very very poor soil.

Please don’t kill these harmless creatures. Instead, enjoy the show and the other benefits they provide. You can’t miss them. They are HUGE.

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs040/#:~:text=Cicada%20Killer%20Wasps%20have%20a,the%20rear%20section%20(abdomen)

Bits and Pieces, June 25, 2024

Hello readers,

Where does the time fly to? It’s almost July.

We got rain last night–and a lot of thunder and lightening, so I have not had to use my new little water sprinklers yet. The rain gauge had 1 inch of water in it this morning. Yeah!

I’ve been sewing steadily in the afternoons, and I make myself quit at 7 pm to walk. Yesterday was very humid, but a nice breeze developed in the early evening so the walking wasn’t too bad. It was hot yesterday, but it is summer. We got spoiled with our coolish weather these past weeks.

Here’s the design wall right now:

Yes, using the colored 3 1/2-inch squares of Cotton+Steel (original designers)/Ruby Star Society and making the star from neutrals is working out nicely. The neutral version with the red heart is ready for the longarm, with batting cut and backing panels cut, but the panels need to be lined up and joined–not to mention ironed.

Annabelle Wrigley’s “Prickly Pear” block from season 4 of The Color Collective, made with her fabrics, is a challenging block. Those two blocks (16 inches each finished) will repeat to make 4 across and 4 rows or 64 inches square. There are so many creative ways to organize how to lay out these blocks, but I’m going just plain.

The bright blue triangles on the background are creatively organized as well, which is bending my mind as when the spatial genes were passed out, I didn’t get any. Right now the most frustrating part is how to press each block. I ordered more fabric yesterday as I was lacking enough fabric for the curved triangle pieces and the field fabric to make the whole quilt. And I added a bit more of the blue just in case.

I had a visitor on the porch the other day: an Anole lizard, which is very common here. I’ve always loved this little lizard.

This creature can be tamed if captured apparently. I tried once as a young mother with children, but that anole didn’t like being captured. This lizard is also an insect eating machine, so I’ll happily leave him/her in the wild. This one can also change its colors from shades of brown to green. How fun is that? It isn’t camouflage though, just a mood thing.

Here’s a really fun link to more info about this cute lizard, with good pics that illustrate much about it. The pic of how a male blows out the bright orange pouch under its throat is especially interesting. I have seen one do that.

9 Things You May Not Know About The Cute Carolina Anole That Lives In South Carolina

I passed this tree on a recent walk and did not recognize what it was. It was tall, with beautiful foliage. The closest I could come with on my phone app was that it was a water hickory, which is in the walnut family of trees. The other guess was a pecan, but I know those trees and this wasn’t one I’m pretty sure. Also it was in the wetland on the side of my path.

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/carya-aquatica/

We were treated to a rainbow a few days back, but didn’t really get any rain from all the swirling clouds. Just a sprinkle for a bit.

The ditch is the intermittent stream that runs from the nearby wetland; it runs through our property. The mail kiosk is on the left of this picture.

OK folks, it’s time to get about the day. I dug out the big Lantana on the side of the house that wanted to be a tree yesterday and am replanting with two cone flowers (echinacea) and a yellow daisy (rudbeckia) I lucked into at Home Depot yesterday. (I did check with a local nursery before buying at Home Depot.) The roots from the Lantana had already reached a long way in all directions!!

An Adventure, With Scissors and Knives

Last week, I met Ken Woodley, owner of Steel on Stone Sharpening, after making an appointment with him and letting Waze take me to his shop in a little town west of me, off of highway 26.

I rounded up ALL my scissors, which badly needed sharpening–and I took three knives along as well–the two little paring knives and the treasured Japanese knife a former Virginia neighbor (a WWII war bride) ordered for me from Japan.

Here’s Ken, methodically working through the pile of scissors and knives. He especially liked my kitchen scissors–as I do. I use them all the time, but it was getting hard to spatchcock a whole chicken as they were so dull. And my sewing scissors…oh my! They so needed attention.

I even took my cheap paper scissors to Ken–and he didn’t fuss at all.

Ken came to South Carolina from the Boston area, and he knew Maine well. So we had a delightful conversation about Maine.

Here are all my sharpened scissors and knives–now back home.

In Maine, someone who sharpens tools is called a “grinder.” Here, Ken told me, he is called a “cutler,” though he said the term “sharpener” is used more often.

Ken has all kinds of equipment to handle whatever comes to him. And he is so patient and thorough. He even sharpened my little snips and the small scissors I use with hand sewing (green handles)

Ken also travels to local farmers’ markets and quilt shows, and I got his card from the spring Cobblestone Quilters show about which I blogged.

The drive from Mt. Pleasant to Ken, up in North Charleston, wasn’t bad at all. It only took me about 30 minutes.

I’m sure I’ll visit Ken again in about a year, and I’m so happy to have found him. So are my scissors and the three knives I took to him.

*I’m not sure how I missed almost a week on the blog. I’ve been sewing, yes. And watering grass and outside flowers as it has been very dry and it is warmer now. It took me forever to figure out how to control the spike sprinkler that can do a full circle, but…she persevered. Our houses are close together and my yard is very small, which is fine, but watering does have to stay on my grass as neighbors are also watering. Plus, we pay for water/sewer here.