Happy Fourth of July!

God Bless America! Thank God for Independence and Freedom!

Who doesn't love a holiday? Time off from work for most folks and in the summer it is always a great excuse to get together with friends and family to celebrate. We generally always have a big cook out at our place. We get a couple of charcoal grills going - love the smell of lighter fluid and charcoal - I know, don't write me that it is a carcenogenic; I am not worried about that stuff. We grilled out yesterday and after Luscious gets home from work, we will grill out again today!

I love not having to do more in a hot kitchen than I have to! I have already been busy canning and freezing what needs to be done. Our garden has been fairly productive this year. Lots of squash, tomatoes, peppers, beans, cukes, okra, corn are among the most prominent veggies. We have been fastidious about saving our heirloom seeds each year and I declare, each year the veggie patch gets better.

This past weekend Luscious and I had our hands full with trying to pick more of those yummy blackberries. We picked 2 gallons all total with more on the vines!

Our guests will be picking their own blackberries with an invitation to come back in another week to start on the blueberries that are just now starting to get sweetly ripe. Oh the delish mixed berry yummies I can make!

When I am not getting sweaty in the garden, I am busy working on more projects for gifting. One of the current quilty projects is called Pineapple Blossom. I am putting four squares together then hand quilting them. When completed it will go to one of the kids as a Christmas pressie.

Lots of hand stitching; nothing fancy at all but loads of fun. I am using various colors of DMC number 8 thread in plain old irregular running stitch to go with the scrappy look. I am grooving on this one, folksies.

Enjoy your holiday, give thanks for our brave men and women over the years and currently keeping us free. God Bless America!