bits as July dwindles

I am coming to an end on Esme's pink blanket for her bed.  It is about the size of the blue and brown one I made more than a year ago for myself.  I just have to tie up the ends.

We came back in from visiting with another family and trying to give away kittens.. but it was too hot, and we brought all of our kittens home.  Both of the girls start their schools after next week.  I went out in the garden and pulled a few things in, started some soup going on the stove that includes Whipporwill cowpeas.  They are going gonzo out there...

Esme has made her own bed every morning since we put this blanket on it.  She says she is 'making it pretty and perfect' by 'mixing it up, pull here and here'...(making it up, pulling the corners) Very worth the effort.

Whipporwill peas on top and out of shell - 'lady' cowpeas that seem a bit like purple hulled peas, second from bottom, rattlesnake bean on bottom.

Lemon cucumbers, and a regular cucumber.  We sent a few to Grandma and I chopped the rest up into a ranch dressing sauce for lunch.

Pretty zinnias this year again... yellow and pink.

We are still watching Downton Abbey, borrowed from Grandma.  It is the second season beginning tonight.  I can hardly believe it is almost August and as Esme keeps reminding me - she will be six this year, in November.  What will things be like in a year or more, when I look back at this.... ?

//note: // The pajamas seem to be a regular thing now.. she thinks she has to do that before she brushes her teeth, so formal!  I finished tying up her blanket and put it on her bed.  We played with redstone circuitry in Minecraft - she had tried to reproduce something that she saw on Daddy's computer (a picture he was looking at in a comment thread) and had the basic idea, shape and materials pretty well worked out from just one look... but of course she didn't have any of the circuitry done, so it didn't work.  I couldn't even get it to work... after some work and staring at the pictures provided.  However, we did do this one (shown below), and it did work, finally, after I adjusted and fiddled with some things.  I bet next year she'll be showing me those as her afterschool homework ;)

copied from a youtube presentation.. to show little girl Mama could follow a picture :)