Week 39-43

No excuses...Just hanging my head in shame....5 weeks since the last posting.  Sorry.

I've been stitching and stitching and stitching....October is the month that brings us Halloween and the true beginning (in my mind) of the Fall season.  I follow several flosstubers and one in particular, Stitching by the Shore - Laura - has her birthday in October.  She started a Stitch-Along (SAL) last year and it continues this year called #PumpkinBirthdaySAL....stitching anything having to do with pumpkins - pictures of pumpkins, pumkin-colored fabric or floss, you get the idea.  Here are my contributions to the SAL 

Playing With Jax using the alternative center pumpkin provided.  I think this one is lovely and it can be used far longer than up to Halloween with the alternate pumpkin center. This one was started in October and finished in October.

Fall Blessings by Lila's Studio.  This is a small stitch, only about 5 inches across and 6 inches tall.  It was a quick one and I started it and finished it this month as well.

Happy Halloween Pumpkin Party by Jardin Prive.  Started this month but I don't think it will be completed this month.  I'm further along on it than this picture shows.  It's quite lovely and a joy to stitch.

I have collected a set of charts by Heart in Hand for a couple of years now.  I want to stitch them all and finally started in on Halloween Tiny Town.  Once I completed it, I put it in the box of To-Be-Totally-Finished items and left it there.  I had cleaned out my fabric stash and decided that the higher counts just were not going to be used by these old eyes and I sent all of that fabric to a lady whose flosstube I follow.  She was so appreciative of the gift, she asked if she could finish a piece of stitching for me.  She's an amazing finisher and I did not hesitate.  Here is my Halloween Tiny Town finished by Helen D.

The basket came from Target and measures about 13 inches across....I just love how she completed the work.  Now I'm inspired to get working on one of the other ones....which one?  Who knows.

I recently took a virtual workshop in machine embroidery called Treats for my Boo.  Since covid, these kinds of classes have become quite popular. I love taking these kinds of workshops since I don't have to take down my machine, transport it to the shop, set it up and do it all backwards again when the class is over.  This event had us making a cat jar topper, a Halloween gift pocket, and a Boo Basket. Here are my projects.

I just love these.  The basket is stitched flat and then folded into itself to become a lovely holder for Halloween candy or decor. 

Enough bragging about my creations.  

I have been suffering hip pain for several years...and it continues to get worse and worse.  I finally decided to do something about it since I have trouble standing, sitting, rising, bending, or walking.  Made an appointment with the orthopedist and last week we were able to schedule a total hip replacement surgery.  On December 11th (or sooner if they get a cancellation) I am getting a new hip.  I am beyond excited! So is John.  They tell me when I wake up from surgery, the pain I've been feeling will be gone and the only discomfort is from the 4-5inch incision of the surgery. No muscles will be cut, only stretched out of the way to allow the removal of the old hip and replacement of the new one.  I will get up from bed that day, dress into my own clothes, and begin walking right away.  Next morning I will be taught the exercises I need to do at home and then released.  No need to physical therapy except the exercises and walking at home.  I can not believe how far surgical procedures have come.  They tell me that healing from hip replacement is quicker and easier than knee surgery.  I had a total knee replaced 6 years ago and, while it wasn't awful, it DID take some time to be considered healed.  And 12 weeks of PT, and lots of pain meds and crying.  I am not anticipating the same thing this time.  Will let you know how we fare once I get home....I can't wait!!!

Thanks for stopping by....Seeya soon.

Week 33-38 No Excuses!

Time sure has flown.  And we've been so stinkin' busy!  Most of August just flew by.  Making sure mom was settling in to her Assisted Living sitation, getting back into our empty nest schedules (we hadn't been out to lunch or dinner by ourselves in several years!).  A new rythym.  

Then, the end of August hit us with a huge sledgehammer - our bank accounts were hacked.  Not just hacked, really HACKED!  Evidently, it is fairly rare for them to be able to get into your bank account.  They normally steal your ATM card number.  They got into MY banking info and compromised not only my and John's checking and savings, but mom's checking and savings as well.  I caught it and called the bank Fraud Dept. just 2 minutes after they caught it.  Our accounts were only available to the thieves for about 9 hours (they got in around midnight) and the bank froze everything right away.  They got about $1000.00 but the bank reimbursed us immediately so we were not out any money at all. That's the upside of this whole thing.  The downside?  Well, our accounts that were hacked are frozen but can not be closed entirely till our direct deposits (retirement and social security) are changed over to new accounts - that takes almost 2 months.  I can not get online to check our new accounts till the old accounts are closed.  So, as the bank told me, "We are your new banking assistants!"  If I need to move money around or pay our mortgage, I need to either call or go into the bank and have them do it for me.  It took us almost a week to notify all our online accounts of the new account numbers for monthly payments.  Retirement deposits will start in October and the Social Security payments will begin in November. In the meantime, banking is a weekly chore! Sigh!!!  I must say, the bank has been amazing.  Sadly, they have one of the largest Fraud Departments in the banking industry. Gladly, they are very good at their job.  We are very fortunate that the only thing we lost was time - time used to change all our accounts. We didn't lose any money.  I thank goodness for John....he was my touchstone in all this. He kept me off the ledge several times.  I just got so mad!!  And, the sad thing is, there was absolutely nothing that we did that allowed them to get in...it was all the luck of the draw for them.  If they would use their incredible knowledge for good, they would be Gazillionaires and work only as hard as they do to steal from folks.  But I guess the intrigue is part of the rush for them. Sigh!!

In other news, Mom is settling into her new digs really well.  I called her one day a few weeks ago and she answered with "I need to call you back, I'm at Bingo".  The next day, she told me she needed to call me back cause she was at Beach Volleyball!  They have a Wii platform at her place and she loves going and watching beach volleyball or bowling!  There is always something going on there - arts & crafts, bingo, exercises in their chairs, a lecture on history or mental health or mermaids, you name it, there is probably a program for it.  She rarely calls me crying cause she's lonely or confused.  I try to see her at least once a week but mostly twice a week.  And I call her every day.  

The weather is finally turning to crisp autumn breezes and fall-colored leaves are on the trees.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  The colors, the temperatures, just the feel of the air makes me happy.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Weeks 29, 30, 31, and maybe 32?

 So many times we try something and it goes wrong....that's the way I feel about regular blogging.  But here I am now and I suppose I should be thankful for that small accomplishment.

The weather here in southwest Missouri is mimicking the rest of the western United States. HOT and miserable!  Our temps are hovering in the near 100's with humidity in the 90% range.  Thank goodness for air conditioners that work. I can't imagine not having it.  We are heading into August and more heat....but the end is in sight. September starts our cooling down and then we get to my favorite season of all - Autumn!  

John and I celebrated 50 years of marriage on July 21st. We were so young. I was 20 and John was 21.  I recall someone asking me at our reception where I thought we'd be in 5 years and my answer was, "I have no idea...can't even think a year in the future." And look at us now....50 years! 

 We decided since we have no family or friends who live close, we would have a quiet day. We went to the movies and would have gone on to an early dinner but for me having an attack of vertigo when we came out of the theater...an hour later we were in the car and heading home. I've never been so dizzy in my life.  We spent the rest of the evening watching TV and taking it easy.  Still and all, a lovely,  celebration for 50 years of working on a marriage that was worth it to us.  I've always said that young folk just don't understand that marriage should be forever....both of the partners need to commit and work hard to make it successful.  Some marriages aren't meant to last but most can!  Ok...I am stepping down off my soapbox now.

I had my cataract surgeries last month and my followup exam last week.  I am able to drive without lenses but they gave me a prescription for distance driving to 'clarify' the far off images.  And I am able to read and cross stitch with just 'cheater' glasses.  I was able to purchase 6 pairs of 2.0 magnifiers from Amazon for 10.00.  I put one in the living room by my chair, one in the bathroom, one next to the bed, one in the kitchen, one in my purse and one in my car.  I already had a pair in the studio.  So am good for being able to see anything I need to do.  

I took a workshop on Saturday for machine embroidery.  Had already made both of the projects several months before but it was a wonderful opportunity to get together with several friends and stitch and talk.  Living so far out in the country, it's sometimes hard to have friends. But the ones I've made since moving here are wonderful and I'm blessed to have them.

I am also thankful for you, dear readers, for sticking with my less-than-prompt blogging.  You really are appreciated.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Week 27 & 28

Today we here in the United States celebrate the 4th of July, also known as Independence Day.

It's a day for celebration, fireworks, and food!  John and I have invited our neighbor over for BBQ ribs, hamburgers, potato salad, jello with shaved carrots, and triple berry cobbler.  Our neighbor is bringing fresh bread to the table.  I can't think of a better way to celebrate our country's 247th birthday.

Our kitty, Skipper, has been in the hospital for 5 days.  He was sneezing and listless on Thurday afternoon and by Saturday, he had no interest in food.  That was a big Red Flag for us.  We got him in to the vet and they asked if we could leave him so they could fit him in between other patients.  Of course, we said yes.  They called later that day and said he had a raging infection and would need to be hospitalized with an IV antibiotic...today is Tuesday and he is still there.  They believe he will be able to come home tomorrow.  Evidently, he probably was bitten by a tick (in spite of his monthly tick meds) and that tick caused the infection.  He is one sick kitty!  Thank goodness we noticed it when we did...I don't think he would have survived over the weekend if we hadn't.  

I had my second cataract surgery last week.  Again, there was no pain at all either during or after.  I can't wear my previous glasses prescription cause my distance vision is almost perfect now.  I can watch TV or drive or walk around the house without blurred vision.  In order to read, however, I need some help.  We invested in some "cheaters" at Walmart and they are perfect for reading or stitching.  I have an appointment to have my eyes checked at the 4 week post-surgery mark...I suspect they will want to give me a reading glasses script.  Instead of that, we have talked about getting more 'cheaters' and placing them around the house whereever I might be reading....I can get 6 pairs of readers at 2.0 magnification for about $14.00....that's a whole lot less than a prescription pair of glasses.  I have not seen my face in over 50 years without glasses...not sure if I can stand that!  I'm not vain...I know what I look like...but it's a shock to look in the mirror and not see glasses framing my eyes.  

Mom is adjusting so well at her new digs...I am so proud of the progress she's made.  She goes to workshops and lectures and really seems to be settling in.  I worried about her just sitting in her apartment and hibernating since she is so afraid of people but she has made the effort and started to make some friends.  She sits with a group of ladies at meal times and seems really happy.  John and I went over there yesterday and hung all her pictures for her...it's really starting to look like home to her. 

I have been able to stitch a bit this past weekend. I worked on and finished a design by Barbara Ana called Lemon Cat. 

This measures out at about 5" by 7"...such a fun and easy project.  I started another design of hers called Blue Dreams...will post that when I get more done. 

Well, folks, I have run out of things to say.  I will have more for you next time. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by.

 

Catching Up - Weeks 22-26

 Argh!  I always heard the saying about time flying by but now I understand it.  It seems I just posted the previous blog and here it is - 4 weeks later. I'm not even going to try to justify it.  

Mom has moved into an assisted living community.  It was a very difficult decision on my part - while she doesn't require a ton of help in normal day-to-day living, she is suffering from a senior dementia that John and I are no longer capable of coping with or helping her maneuver thru life.  Fortunately, I had the luxury of plenty of time to find just the perfect place for her - one that will nurture her and help her live a truly dignified and fulfilled life.  We made the final move a couple of days ago and I spent her first night with her in her new apartment.  We arranged her furniture almost exactly as her furniture was here at our house.  She has so many staff to watch out for her and encourage her to become a part of the cummunity.  Her neighbor across the hall made her acquaintance that first day and there were several ladies in the dining room who went out of their way to welcome her.  Given that she is a total introvert and terrified of strangers, this will be hard for her to transition.  But so far, she has begun to weave a new life and I couldn't be happier.  I talked to her this morning and she called me this afternoon to let me know she had gone to the Friday movies and was resting before going on to dinner.  Fingers crossed she will continue to be happy and make friends.

Today was the first day in a very long time that it was just me and Mr. Wonderful in the house. I must admit, it was very strange not to have the 'noise' of another person.  We chatted over coffee and then went to run a couple of errands.  Came home to put groceries away and chatted some more.  Tonight we might even watch a movie - one that we had gotten a while ago but knew mom would not enjoy so we didn't include it in our regular Saturday Nite Movie Night.  

I saw this meme and thought my reader friends might enjoy it.

This is exactly what reading feels like to me...I can go anywhere, anytime, with anyone I choose.  

I had cataract surgery last week.  They did my worst eye - the left one - and I had my one week checkup yesterday.  Evidently, the healing is progressing apace and they are going to do the right eye next Thursday.  I have to say, the anticipation of the procedure was far worse than the procedure itself.  No pain and it took less than 15 minutes.  I am truly looking forward to next Thursday and subsequently to return of my eyesight.  Colors are by far very intense and bright.  Currently, everything is a bit blurry  because my glasses work well for my right eye but my vision in the left eye is far different than the prescription in the lenses.  I will hopefully only need reading lenses once everything is done and healed.  I've worn glasses since I was 18 years old and can not imagine seeing my face without those frames and only needing readers occasionally.  For that reason, I am probably going to get glasses (using some former frames) that have reading in the lower portion and clear glass for distance.  Then I can use regular sunglasses when out in the sun.  

With having the procedures on my eyes, I've not been able to cross stitch.  I can perhaps see well enough but I don't trust my sight enough to stitch and then find out when everything is clear that I've made mistakes and need to rip it all out and start again. For that reason, I'm sticking with sock-knitting for the next few weeks.  I've got some great stitch-alongs going and it's worrisome that I can't keep up with the clues coming out each week on them.  But it's better to be behind than to have to unstitch and restitch cause I didn't count well enough the first time.

Hey, thank you for sticking with me.  Hope to have some pictures of stitching next time.

Week 19, 20, & 21

Thanks for sticking to me, folks...I know I've not been consistent in posting and I just don't know how to change it....I really appreciate folks coming back to check on us!

I've spent the last few weeks stitching and sewing and embroidering...just keeping busy.  I've got a project in the works that is taking all my patience and making me nuts but it has to be done and I'm hoping to have it complete by the end of June - more later but I just can't talk about it right now.

I finally completed this little berry that was started late last summer.  It's the Fall Berry from Erica Michaels.  Berries are quite fun to stitch and pretty easy to finish.

I heard this poem while watching a BBC show about celebritie's grandparents who served in WWII.  For some reason, the poem resonated with me.  I'm not really a poetry kind of person - it doesn't make a lot of sense to me when I read it. But this one made me appreciate that there is never not someone who loves me....never not someone who values me. Never not someone who is glad I was put on this earth.  Pretty powerful stuff, eh?

Annual Cross Stitch Camp starts on June 1st.  I completed my camp badge for this year (bottom right corner) and put it on my camp project bag.  The first challenge is to stitch something with a bird on it.  John chose the Quilting Bird from Heart in Hands design.

And here are my fabric and floss choices.  I can't start this until June 1st and have till June 30th to complete it...not a problem.  That fabric is only 9 inches square and my stitched motif will end up being only 3.5 by 5 inches in total.

July's challenge is to stitch something that pictures something that grows (flowers, trees, etc.)  I've got a couple of ideas for that project...but no firm decisions yet. August is to pick something new to me - a fabric, a designer, a floss....that is also going to be a challenge.  And new designers for me are all huge charts that I have absolutely no chance of finishing during the month of August.  So I will keep looking and come up with something. 

I have no pictures of this next tidbit for you...I was too busy helping John herd cows.  Last week John was in the kitchen preparing dinner and I heard him say, "Oh, No!" I asked him what was wrong and he said, "the cows are all out!"  I jumped up and looked out the window of the studio and, yes, all 4 of them were outside the gate and happily munching on grass between the barn and the house.  Not anyone who knows me will be amazed at what happened next!  I jumped up and ran out the front door with only my slippers on my feet...I managed to get down to near where the cows were while John was in the barn getting a bucket of grain to entice them back into the field.  Mama Belle and her daughter Babette are pure chowhounds and as soon as they saw John with a bucket, they knew exactly what that meant and began to follow him back into the field...baby Onyx just followed her Mama Babette without really understanding what was going on.  That left 6 month old Cinder still munching grass with no interest in that feed bucket - she is still nursing and only now learning about grazing on grass...that green grass was mighty tasty to our girl!  Cinder may be only 6 mnoths old, but she must weigh close to 600 pounds and is quite large when standing near her.  There was no way I would be able to get close enough and just grab her ear and lead her back into the field like an obstreporous toddler.  She shied away every time I got anywhere near her.  I remembered one time hearing John telling someone that the best way to 'herd' cows was to 'get big' - so I raised my arms up high and got as big as I could, walking slowly toward her. John, meanwhile has come out of the field - having put the loose ones into the corral and shut that gate so they couldn't follow him out again.  Cinder took one look at me and ran into an area past the gate opening but not into the field.  John moved the gate to the other side of the field so it looked like a wall opened up and began moving toward her while I moved toward her from the other side...she finally spied that opening and ran into the field to get away from us two arm-waving humans...I ran over and shut that darned gate!  John let the other cows out of the corral and I came back into the house and had a good panic attack.  I am not a country girl....cows and gates and chickens and stuff like that just isn't in my make-up.  But I helped John get those big (they are BIG up close!) cows back into the field and then I yelled at him cause he went into the field earlier and forgot to lock the gate!  The more I thought about it, the more proud I was of myself.  But, I do NOT want to have to do that again, thank you very much!

We are leaving a week from tomorrow for a quick trip to Utah for our granddaughter's high school graduation.  My brother is flying out here from Arizona to take care of the cows, chickens, dogs, cat and Mom!  He offered and we took him up on it. I don't think he really understands what he's getting into.  Fortunately, we are only gone for 5 days so he won't be on his own for long.

Thanks for stopping by! More next time.

 

Week 17 & 18

 I suppose once every 2 weeks is much better than every so often!  I can live with the guilt of not getting to the blog every week if that's what I need to do.  

Have been working on a Stitch-Along (SAL) for a couple of months.  This is the British Isles Adventure SAL from Caterpillar Cross Stitch.  Each month, on the 26th, we get some more motifs to add.  This last week we got part 4 - off to Ireland we go.  I've changed a couple of motifs and added some of my own.  Above the rugby ball I've put a Yellow Submarine to represent Liverpool's most famous export - the Beatles.  To the right of the London bus and below Buckingham Palace, I've stitched the White Cliffs of Dover.  Obviously they don't show on this picture.  You can look for them the next time I post a picture of this one. 

A quick stitch...and it made me smile when it was done!

My first sampler....Red Cardinals from Owl Forest Embroidery.  This fit quite nicely in an 8x10 frame.  I think the next one I will do from this designer is her 100 Owls chart...

A tiny Lily of the Valley Easter Egg from a Ukrainian designer...I may finish this as a card, or maybe just scrapbook it.  A fun and quick stitch.

Weather here is slowly getting to normal temperatures for the season. We have clear skies, and temperatures in the 70 to 75 degree range. No rain predicted till later this week and even then it isn't expected to amount to much.

Thank you for stopping by. 

 

Week 15 & 16

 The weeks just fly by, don't they?  I'm surprised I don't get whiplash from one week to the next.  We've had such a crazy few days of weather here.  Sunshine and lovely spring temperatures one day, rain, wind, hail and loss of electricity and satelitte TV the next, and the following day we have sunshine, breezes, and unusually cold temps.  I suppose one might say it's about par for spring in the Ozarks....If you don't like the weather, just wait 15 minutes and it will surely change.

Our little calf is a female. 

We call her Onyx.  That's her mamma behind her - Babette.  Onyx is 2 weeks old today.  Belle (Babette's mother) had her calf about 6 months ago - we call that calf Cinder. She is also a female.  So we currently have 4 female cows here.  

Onyx is a very energetic calf...she is curious and quite active in the field.  She nurses well and I've seen her already munching small amounts of hay - maybe she is just mimicing her momma.  I've often watched her romp in the field, following the chickens, wondering if they want to play.  Her tail goes so fast, she looks like she is winding it up!

Am currently all caught up with the British Isles Adventure Stitch-Along from Caterpillar Cross Stitch.  We've completed the southeast of England and I think we may move over to Ireland next time.  I loved doing Stonehenge and the London bus...There are 3 more 'clues' coming out on the 26th of April, May and June to compete it.  It's fun and fast stitching.  

I went out to help John put hay in the field for the cows the other day...he uses the tractor to haul the huge round bale into the field...it's easier for him if I go out and open and close the gate so he doesn't have to get on and off the tractor.  While I was waiting for him to finish putting 'scratch' out for the chickens, I caught this....all he has to do is walk out to the compost pile and those chickens literally RUN to him - they know he has treats for them.  My very own Chicken Whisperer!  

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

 Well, folks, the population of Pieceful Harbor has grown.  Babette gave birth to a calf yesterday morning.  We don't know the gender yet....don't want to spook mama by grabbing the baby and tipping it over to find out.  So, the next best thing is to wait and see it pee...easy enough to tell which gender it is then.

Baby is agile and running around like crazy.  Mama is keeping a close eye on the calf, not letting it get too far away from her.  Nursing is going fine and that little 50 pound bundle is adorable! Once we determine the sex, I'll let you all know.  

Spring has established itself here in the Ozarks....temps are ranging from mid-50's to low 70's during the day and the winds are crazy!  We've been lucky to NOT have any tornadic activity in this area, unlike a bit further south of us in Arkansas.  Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Have spent the last couple of days stitching on the British Isles Adventure Mystery Stitch-Along...The third clue came out on Friday. 

All of those little motifs represent the area of the UK where they are stitched.  This clue concentrates on the southern-most part of England...once I get that part done, you will see Land's End on the far left and the London Eye on the far right.  Then it's on to Ireland, northern England and Scotland.  There are 3 more clues left - one each 1st of the month. So by June, I should have this one complete.  Stay tuned!

John and I booked our tickets to go to Utah for our granddaughter's High School graduation in early June.  We are so excited to see the whole family and help celebrate Charlotte not only graduating but turning 18 later in the month.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Week 12 & 13

I guess it doesn't really matter what I decide to do, the Universe is totally in charge anyway!  It seems I only remember to post about every two weeks....I suppose that's better than not posting at all. Sorry!

Lots of stitching happening these days.  I've committed to 3 SALs (stitch alongs) and one of them is complete. 

This is the Starwoman mystery SAL from Barbara Ana Designs.  It was inspired by the David Bowie song, Starwoman.  I love love love Barbara Ana designs...this one was a quick one to stitch as it only had 3 parts and they were about 2 weeks apart...plenty of time to get each clue done before the next one came out.

The next one is the Dr. Who mystery SAL.  Again, I don't know what the finished product will look like but, honestly, who doesn't like almost anything Dr. Who?  I had pulled all the threads on the list, and mostly decided on the fabric to use before the first clue came out on March 1st. There will be a total of 9 clues, each coming out on the 1st of the month.  Well, when the first clue was revealed, I hated the fabric I'd chosen and decided to get some from a lady who had designed a fabric specifically for the SAL.  I quickly ordered it but it took almost 2 weeks to get to me...once it arrived, I started working on the first clue and hope to finish it today, just in time for clue 2 to come out this next Saturday....whew! 

Here is Clue 1:

Yep, that's a huge TARDIS - Dr. Who's spaceship...I have almost the entire thing stitched (more done since this picture was taken yesterday).

And the final SAL I've committed to is the British Isles Adventure SAL by Caterpillar Cross Stitch.  It started back on January 26th and each clue will come out on the 26th of the month for a total of 6 months.  Yesterday we got Clue 3....I must say, I am really enjoying this one.  There are small motifs stitched and they pertain to the various districts in the UK....I suspect we will stitch an outline of the UK sometime toward the end of the SAL to tie them all together.  So far, we've done Edinburgh Castle, a kilt, Buckingham Castle, a rugby ball, a soccer ball, the Welch flag, and several other symbols of Britain.  Yesterday, we got Lands End in Cornwall, Stonehenge, the London Eye and several other motifs.  Some folks are adding symbols of their hometowns or memories of summer vacations - a Yellow Submarine for Liverpool, the White Cliffs of Dover, perhaps something down in the Portsmouth area to denote the military presence during WW2...I might add some of those myself, if I can figure out how to chart them.  We'll see. No pictures so far...will try to get a snap before I put it up after stitching this next clue.  Stay tuned.

Winter had finally (I'm whispering so as not to disturb the eves!) left our area and we are seeing some warmer temperatures, as befitting Spring.  We've had some rain (more than a little) and the fields are beginnng to green up...the drive into town is so pretty with the green fields and spring flowers blooming along the road.  

Here is a view of our front steps...the bulbs John planted last year are coming up.  

Living in the country has its own rewards...chickens roaming the front yard and into the neighbor's property...clucking away...it's a sound I never heard growing up (being a town girl) but our chickens sure do make a racket - or the make music, depending on your point of view. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

 

Week 10 & 11

I always heard the saying "Time flies" when growing up, but never made too much of it.  But I can honestly say that I now understand EXACTLY what that means.  2 weeks have flown past since my last blog posting and it feels like no time at all.  

We've weathered (see that pun?) snow and sun and rain and wind over the last 2 weeks..frankly, even though winter is indeed my least favorite season, I am really ready for it to be over...REALLY! Spring is supposed to be ushered in a week from today...I have just enough time to make up a welcome banner and get some balloons - I am ready for Spring! 

We have a new roof.  And just in time too...it rained for 2 days starting the day after they put in the last nail.  A fine job they did!  No leaks and pretty too.

Anyone need fresh eggs?  They are selling at the stores for around $5.00 a dozen.  Our 38 chickens are laying quite nicely after taking off during part of the winter and only gave us 1 or 2 eggs a day for over 2 months. Now we are getting about 2 1/2 dozen a day!  I've got 30 dozen in the fridge in the garage....anyone?

Yep! That's me! 

Our neighbor got a drone for Christmas a year ago. He took this picture of our property last spring. This is only the cleared portion - the trees in the background go all around to the right and come forward to the road you see in the foreground.  We have 10 acres.  There are 2 dark spots to the right of the barn and to the left of the big tree in the field - those are cows, napping.  There....now you've seen our house! 

It's overcast and chilly today - a good day to stay inside and sew or embroider or cross stitch...thank goodness for hobbies!

Well, that all for this time. I am just checking in with you all. Be safe, be warm. Thanks for stopping by. 

Week 9

 Roofers came on Monday right at 7:30 in the morning...banging began immediately!  Our poor dogs had a frantic 2 days till the roof was complete.  They worked all day long on Monday and left just before sundown, returning at 7:00 the next morning and began to bang and pound again.  By 4:00 on Tuesday, they had completed our brand new roof and it is gorgeous!

Green roof again...just in time to greet the rainstorm on Wednesday morning!  

On Thursday, my best friend, Fran, and I had tickets to see Hamilton on stage in Springfield.  What a treat!  The play is very fast-paced, totally sung in the hiphop style....I had been listening to the soundtrack for a week so I was familiar with the story and the music - thank goodness!  I highly recommend seeing it if you get a chance.  Lin Manual Miranda wrote the story, lyrics and music after reading the book titled Alexander Hamilton  by Ron Chernow.  That book is the difinitive biography of Hamilton.  I bought the book and will begin reading the 810 pages soon.  Most of the history we learned in school only touched on Hamilton and his contribution to the founding of the United States and the Revolutionary War...the play opened up a whole slew of history that I had never heard.  I talked to my son who was a Political Science major in college with a minor in history and he, too, loved the play and highly recommends the book as well.  Will report in once I've slogged thru the Chernow book.

The weather patterns around here have been, well, unpredictable at the least.  We had sun for 2 days, then rain, then a cold and windy day on Thursday, then warmer on Friday and Saturday and today is overcast with rain, wind, and possibly tornadoes later tonight....as I said, unpredictable! I am soooooo looking forward to spring!

Thanks for stopping by! Seeya next week. 

Wow, 8 weeks into 2023 already.  The older I get, the faster time goes by.  

Spent most of last week working on a 'super secret' project that MUST be done by early June...I finished my part and now need to take it to a finisher....Will show a picture once the recipient has received it.  I'm really proud of it, to be sure!

We are having a new roof put on here at Pieceful Harbor.  The original roof was placed just about 20 years ago and, in spite of the advertisements of the tiles being a 30-year warrantee, most tiles only last about 20 years, especially here in the midwest, where we get really hard winds and rains and snow and ice.  So it was time.  The materials were delivered on Friday...

They had a nifty devise to load everything up onto the roof.

Ready to begin bright and early on Monday morning.

The 3 man crew arrived at 7:30 and jumped in right away.  I knew they were coming but was still abed - but not for long...they started banging and scraping and making a racket immediately.  Funny thing, they were so rhythmic in ripping the original tiles off the roof, I actually fell asleep for a short time!  

It's hard to believe they expect to have this finished by tomorrow afternoon at the latest - we are expecting rain on Wednesday.  

Every job needs a supervisor and I had one all last week in the studio... The Skipper is very diligent when making sure I'm on track with my projects!

He looks like he has his arms crossed and is concentrating very hard on my workmanship!

My best friend and I have tickets to see Hamilton this week -  I have wanted to see it since it made such a splash on Broadway several years ago.  It finally made its way to this area of the country and I got tickets for Fran and me to celebrate our January birthdays. 

Thanks for stopping by...see you next week. 

 

Week 6 & 7 - I see a pattern starting - sigh!

Another Sunday breezed past me and I didn't post....I will NOT let this get me down...it's still the beginning of the year and I can get back on track...I really can!

Mom and I took a little drive last Monday and dropped off 4 quilts and a table square for the quilter to quilt.  Oliver only does edge-to-edge quilting - no custom work - but he does a lovely job of it and that will be 4 quilts done!  The table square was pieced way back in the 1990's, toward the end of the millenium...I wasn't sure how to put the 4 blocks together and finally decided to just make them a big ol' 4-patch.  It measures out at about 24" square and will be a sweet table topper when done.  It's the same tree, done for each of the 4 seasons.  

Our chickens are laying like crazy now - at the end of autumn, they had slowed down to almost nothing. John was getting maybe up to 3 eggs a day from 38 layers.  Now he's getting about 2 dozen a day from those same 38 layers.  We are selling them as fast as we can and still we have over 20 dozen in the fridge in the garage.   We sell them for $2.50 per dozen if you bring us the cartons back, or $3.00 a dozen if you keep the cartons.  Considering that eggs are selling at the grocery store for anywhere from $4.00 to $7.00 a dozen, this is a real bargain!  I always feel as though I need an armed guard with me when I go to deliver eggs to customers!

Helped John take hay out to the cows this afternoon.  Normally, you'd say that was nothing to write about.  And normally I'd say that was correct.  But I am not a normal person - I really dislike being outside (John says he can tell if I've been sitting out on the porch too long, I evidently begin to twitch or give off an odor or shoot sparks or something.  To clarify, I get really bad headaches out in the sun - really quickly - and so I don't go outside very often or for too long. ) So when I agree to go out to the corral, and open and close the gates and wait for him to drive the tractor to the hay ring with hay and then come back out of the corral and then close the gates again, that is a big thing around here. It's a small think for some but is considered an Event at our house!

John and I were supposed to have eye appointments today. We got there and they began their initial exams and one of the ladies came out, really apologetic, and said they had no doctor till later this afternoon and even then they had appointments scheduled and we needed to reschedule our own appointments.  So that's what we did...John on one day and me on a completely different day.  At least I got to go for a ride with my favorite guy! 

I signed up for a mystery Stitch-Along that started February 1st...there are only 3 'clues' and it will stitch out to about 5x7 when done.  The designer is a lovely one named Barbara Ana - she is from Spain or Portugal, I forget which country.  I love almost everything she designs.  This one is inspired by David Bowie's song Starwoman.  It is ony 3 clues and the 2nd one comes out on the 16th of February...and the final one about 2 weeks later.  Here is my progress so far - Clue 1 is done.

I signed up for another mystery SAL that starts on March 1st and goes for 9 months.  Each clue will come out on the first of each month. This one is inspired by Dr. Who.  No idea what it will look like till it's done...will keep you in the loop.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope to see you next week. 

Week 4 & 5 - Already behind!

Only 3 weeks into 2023 and I'm already behind....le sigh!  I committed to posting every week and I've fallen down on the job...forgive me.  I will try to do better, really I will!

Last week we got quite a bit of snow....almost 7 inches!  

It truly was a winter wonderland and fortuantely we didn't have to go out in it. 

I finally got my car back from the repair shop - 2 and a half months!  The supply chain issues have hit all over the world and it didn't skip over the car parts.  I still don't have a front license plate holder - that's on backorder!  But Miss Sparkle is finally home! And that's all that matters.

Today was supposed to be a day for doctor appointments for mom....but the weather had a different plan.  We have snow and icy slick roads today!  The snow really isn't accumulating but the cold, wet roads are icy and slick so we have decided NOT to venture out.  I cancelled mom's appointment with the Pain Center doctor - evidently I was not the first to call and reschedule an appointment for today cause they were NOT surprised.  

I spent all of the last weekend sewing - I finished 2 quilt tops that had been lingering for a while - one was started back in 2001 (yep, you read that right!) and I finally got it ready for the quilter.  It finished at 80 x100 inches!  The other was a BOM from 2020 and I changed it up a bit from the original setting design - I really dislike making seminole pieced strips - and I'm quite pleased with the outcome on that one, too.  In the course of rooting through a drawer with kits and projects stashed away, I found 2 more quilts that were close enough to being finished that I am encouraged to work on them.  One is a Shop Hop project from many years ago that had 12 inch blocks of cartoon-like animal heads...I had all the sashings and borders in the bag as well as a flannel backing. Might as well get that one done - it's a child's quilt that I can save until I finally have a great-grandchild - whenever that happens.  The other is a BOM that I did online a couple of years ago...I used bright batiks and a white-on-white background...all 12 blocks are there so I just need to do a simple setting with sashings and cornerstones and one border and that one will be ready for the quilter as well.  Once the weather clears, I will have several quilts to send off to be quilted by the amazing Oliver!

With the weather being so horrid, there really isn't a lot of driving about so there is no news to report....we are being smart and staying home and off the roads.  

Thanks for stopping by...see you all next week!

 

Week 3 of 2023

They say if you don't like the weather here, just wait a while and it will change.  That sure has been my experience this week.  We started out with almost 70 degree weather on Monday and went to a chilly, snowy Wednesday and today it will be around 40 degrees.  We might get a bit of snow later this next week but, for the most part, our temps should be a bit above normal.  I'll take it.  As I told John, I won't complain about rain, but I sure can gripe about snow and cold!

I still haven't gotten my car back.  There was a glitch when they went to put it together after getting all the parts in.  Evidently, Ford sent a device that didn't fit my car, even though their catalog says it's the right part.  It looked to me as though they were going to have to especially re-engineer a part for my car.  The car repair shop said they could put my car together and let me have it right away, without that part, but I would have no cruise control and the light that lets me know I have a problem with the cruise control would be on constantly.  It wouldn't affect driving the car. Since I rarely use the cruise control, it wouldn't be a problem for me.  They were in the process of putting my car together so I could have it till they figured out how to bypass the issue with the distance sensor and the wiring harness.  Then I'd take the car in so they could put the correct parts on.  They called me on Thursday to tell me that the Ford engineer had figured out a fix but the part needed to be ordered for her and she would get it on Monday, with the idea of me getting my car late Tuesday or Wednesday.  I really, really, REALLY want my car back but it didn't make sense for me to have them put it all together so I could have it for the weekend and then take it back to tear apart to add the part and button it up again.  So they kept my car over the weekend and I might, just might, get it back by the middle of this next week.  Fingers crossed! 

There's a love fest going on at our house.  Angel is part Great Pyrenees and part Golden Retriever - we think.  Pyrenees are cuddlers - they love to lean into their humans and get petted - for hours.  Angel is no different.  If a human is sitting, Angel is right there helping them occupy their hands for them!

We had some major problems with the well last week.  There was a leak in one of the pipes between the well pump outside the garage and the collection tank under the house.  It wasn't totally to be unexpected, the pipes are over 20 years old and made of PVC.  There have been some cool innovations in plumbing pipe in the last 20 years.  The plumbers had to dig up the driveway along the entire front of the house in order to remove the old pipes and replace with the newer ones.  Fortunately, it didn't take more than one day so we weren't without water for long.  

They used a backhoe to dig out where the pipes were. 

Along the front walk. The ditch went to the front wall, right where my studio is located. 

That blue pipe is the new pipe.  As I said, it took only a day to do it all and they came back the next day to fill in the ditches.  John used his tractor to smooth out the rougher areas of the driveway but having to dig it up disturbed 20 years worth of rock and gravel so now we have a dirt driveway again.  We will probable call the quarry and have a couple of dump trucks worth of gravel delivered this next week - and begin to build up a gravel base for the driveway in the front of the house.

Angel and Shiloh go to the groomer once a month.  Living out in the country, they have plenty of opportunity to run and get grungy with dirt and mud and other stuff.  They had their regular appointment this last week. When we went to pick them up, there was another dog there for his regular grooming. Meet Barney.

His humans own a wellness center and Barney is the Reception area greeter and therapy dog.  I gotta say, I instantly fell in love with him.  If he goes missing, they will probably come here to find him.  He gets a bath every other week and a haircut once a month. And he is so sweet and gentle.  Gotta love a big gentle dog!

Well, I have a quilt top calling my name.  I hope to show it next week.  

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by.