Monday, October 5, 2009

october is here

After an uncomfortable Indian summer, trudging to class in the nearly 90 degree heat in full sun alongside the road, it suddenly dipped about fifty degrees a week ago and the cold has stuck.

It has been rainy and chill, very appropriate fall weather. I would have enjoyed it more if the radiators in the building had been on. I would enjoy it now if they were working in my apartment (the heat is supposed to be included with rent).

Oh, well. I've dwelt long enough on my horrible landlord today. Here are some nice things:

I realized that I hadn't actually uploaded pictures for a long time. Readers of this blog (maybe just the one) will doubt this, but I used to be a proliferate blogger and uploader of pictures. It will won't be this sunny again until next year, I'm sure.

This is the little patch of dirt in front of my brother's window at home-- where I get free reign every summer. Around June this year (yes, it was about that time that it got temperate) I planted some nasturtium seeds. It took them a long time to take hold but a few weeks before this picture was taken it had rained a lot and the flowers were very happy.

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In fact, the whole area in front of our windows grew like crazy.

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You can see the nasturtiums on the left and some rabid mint under my window, the rest is a wildflower mix that was taken over by those zinnias. There are also a lot of blue cornflowers and one red poppy.

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I love this mint because it is from my grandparent's house in Evanston, Illinois. At a summer reunion two years ago my mom pulled up a handful and we planted it outside my window. I read somewhere that mint doesn't grow true to taste (spearmint, peppermint etc) from seed (is this true?) so it is wonderful to have the same mint that I made mint tea with when I was five.

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Of course, the big dogs were helping me take pictures:

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Ole

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Sven

We went and checked out the apple trees. We have exactly two and they were planted by the previous owner of the land, they haven't been pruned very well. The one had only these two little apples.

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While the other was groaning (isn't that what they always say?) with these beautiful apples.

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I don't know what kind they are, but I might make some apple jellies with them this weekend.

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I was throwing them for the dogs but they don't really know how to play fetch, they just buried them.

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But I only get to enjoy this all on the weekends. Most of the time I am in my unheated apartment at school, cleaning up after repairmen.

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At least I have my bags made from the Jane Market Bag pattern by Alicia of Posie Gets Cozy. I had SUCH a fun time making these in my spare time this summer. The one on the left I accidentally made one square inch too small on all measurements but then made the handles and the squaring on the bottom according to the pattern--all by accident, of course! (But I rather like it). I think I need to make more seasonal ones!

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This is what I was carrying in the one on the right. And, incidentally, why I go home on the weekends-- to get treats (tea, mittens) and things from the mail (I don't trust the service to my apartment). And my laundry done. Those are just four of the million books I will be reading for this term.

I've started a quilt from another one of Alicia's patterns.

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It was HORRIBLE picking out the fabric! I don't know how my grandma does it! I was in the warehouse with my mother, running from one table to another, gathering this huge pile of disparate rolls of fabric while she grimaced at my choices. She actually left me after two hours. In the end, I realized that I was trying to do two different quilts: a shabby-chic one sort of like the pattern's and the other was...I don't know. Sort of "night" themed.

And I know, I am bad. I made up the right number of squares but I couldn't find 10 (was it?) fabrics, I just couldn't. I also might have washed and ironed the fabric...

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As I barely have time to sleep, it is coming along very slowly.

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But I can't wait to see it done!