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. 

Week 2 of 2023

What a week it's been!  Some good and some not-so-good.  Let's look at the not-so-good first.

Mom has lived with us for the last 6 and a half years.  She turned 93 this last Friday.  Without going into details, let's just say she has been failing all along and it's finally time for me to admit that I can no longer give her the care she needs and deserves.  She has always been terrified of people and the idea of going into a care facility is not one that she favors.  But it is time.  I had never looked into the process of getting her situated into a place I could trust to care for my mom as I want until now.  The process is daunting, to say the least.  That is my main focus until we can find a trustworthy place for her...probably here in Missouri as opposed to Arizona - Arizona is where she would prefer to go but the cost of care is exhorbitant in Arizona compared to here in Missouri.  Will post my progress as we go along.

On a good note, as above, Mom had her 93rd birthday on Friday.  What a milestone for her.  For the most part, she has her health.  And she has family who love her and want only the best for her.  

Additionally, I turned 70 on Monday last.  If someone had asked me when I was growing up how I would be living at 70, I not sure I would have been able to answer.  I don't feel 70 years old... I feel as though I'm only about 40 but my body tells me I'm not.  While it is said that youth is wasted on the young, it sure helps to have a young-ish body when you want to stoop down and pick something up off the floor!

Mr. Wonderful took a class yesterday on curing fresh hams at home.  Just like our ancestors did 150 years ago.  Here is his finished homework:

Our ham is the one on the left - 34.5 pounds of fresh pork.  It will hang in that shed till April 1st.  Then it will be cleaned, re-wrapped and hung again for 3-6 more months after which the hams will be cold-smoked.  There is no need for freezers with this method.  The other ham belongs to our friend, John P. who took the class with my John. And the shed belongs to John P. (since he's our next door neighbor, it's no problem checking on our ham regularly).  Check back in 9 months to see how our 'baby' is doing.

Still haven't gotten my car back - they tell us it will most likely be this coming week, if all goes well.  Let us pray that all goes well!

I can honestly say that that is all that happened this past week and it's a good thing...better to have only a few things happening than a whole slew of them.  This old brain can only handle juggling so many things without dropping every single one of them.  

We will talk next week. Thank you for stopping by!

2023 A New Beginning

 Let's begin as we mean to continue, shall we?  I am beginning 2023 with a goal of posting once a week (probably on Sundays) for the entire year....Fingers crossed everyone!

I am so thankful to say goodbye to 2022.  While it wasn't a horrible year, it wasn't my favorite either.  John hurt his back in late September which resulted in a spinal procedure in early November and he continues to progress toward full strength in his back every day.  I still worry about him trying to do things that put a strain on his back but, he's a man, and that alone tells the whole story, doesn't it?

I had a car accident in early November that, fortunately, did not result in serious injury ( some bruised ribs and sore muscles for numerous weeks) but my car is still in the shop - supply chain issues mostly being to blame for the delay.  With a lot of luck, I should have her back sometime this next week.  I can't tell you how glad I will be that we will be back to a 2 car family again.  It's really hard to get mom in and out of the farm truck (no running boards require her to use a step stool and someone to hoist her up into the seat) and it's getting harder and harder for me to get in and out as well.  I am really ready to have my Sparkle back home again!

Christmas was a lovely quiet holiday for us.  (John and I just today took the tree down and stored it away in the Christmas Attic above the pantry).  We had bought a new 12 foot tree last January and this was the first year we have used it.  I must say, it is a HUGE tree.  

This is the bottom section - it measures 69" across the widest portion.

Finished construction - it took 4 hours to put together.

Christmas morning.  It's a lovely tree. And I am so glad we got it up into the attic till next year.

Today is New Year's Day....the beginning of another trip around the sun.  May you have a most Blessed 2023, filled with laughter, fun, love, good food, good friends, and a surprise or two. 

Till next week....thanks for stopping by.