Do you sometimes feel that you are always busy, but just don’t seem to get much done. That’s the way I’m feeling today. I picked out and washed backings for 5 quilts, but there’s nothing to show you. Housework only shows when not done and the same goes for weeds.
Can you see all the moss? We had someone out today to clean the roof and gutters. And the roof looks new again. Apparently, this fellow had an extra half day, and since he has done other work for us in the past, he had a lot to look at and show us as well. He loves showing off his high pressure sprayer, so he showed us how he can even weed with it That was interesting. Next week he will bring his big truck and take away all the garbage a farm can collect – rotting boards, pieces of fencing, it goes on.
Somehow, I did manage to pull colors for a new quilt and start cutting it out. I cover the pieces when I leave the room, with rulers, books etc, so they don’t go blowing in various directions when someone enters the room. I don’t think I’ve done a brown, orange and blue quilt, so this will be interesting. This will be another one of those quilts done in small time segments.
Our morning visitors today. I had no idea what this little fellow was. His head is raspberry color. He is a purple finch. Our most frequent visitors are goldfinch and black headed grosbeak.
I was able to get the rest of these “trees” done
before we went to check out an assisted living place. I will admit that we were a bit bribed to come see it.
It is good to take a look at where one could live some day. You have incentive to stay active now. I thought he was acting interested, so when we got back into the car
She said: Does living in a small apartment like that interest you?
He said: I want to stay where we are. What is wrong with where we are? If we get old, we could get someone like visiting angels to come in and help us.
She said: Nothing is wrong with here for now, but what if something happened to me and you were alone, then what?
He said: I’d stay in this house where we are.
She said: But you don’t cook or clean, so you wouldn’t be able to stay here. My brother is very good at cleaning and can cook.
He said: I can clean and I can cook oatmeal and split pea soup. What would you do?
She said: Not much different from what I do now which is the cooking, cleaning and anything else that needs to be done.
He said: Who would want to live in a place like that?
I just gave up as it was getting too funny. Yes, he can clean after it is pointed out that help is needed. And he gets credit for all dishwashing. But it’s easier to just let me do the cooking and cleaning.
So, apparently it is all decided, no one is going anywhere. Help (when we get old) will have to come in. (still laughing – is that why we have spouses – for humor)
Our prayers arise those affected by all these deaths. I found a book on Amazon, called Esau Rising by Bill Cloud, which gives Biblical prophecy and explanation for all this bloodshed that we are seeing.
We have worked hard this week are ready to celebrate creation and the Creator – Happy Sabbath.
I did find time to make half of the trees before we went out insurance shopping. It seems insurance companies change
they were so good in our salad today.
Today, I finally got around to this little project that has been on my mind for the past year, but hadn’t made it to my list. I put towels through my refrigerator door to keep them cleaner. The problem with that is they can get caught in the freezer and keep it from closing totally. The handle measured 16″ x 3 3/4″ around. I cut 5.5″ x 17″ for the front and the back. Next time I’ll make them 6″ x 17″ I cut a piece of scrap batting about 1″ smaller each way.
I sewed one side with a 1/4″ seam, then pinned the batting on one inside (pins on the outside). Then I put a seam across the top and bottom. After that I sewed a zigzag stitch down the length in several places. One could use decorative stitches. This holds the 3 layers together.
Then I sewed a piece of velcro to one side
I ran a straight stitch across the opposite side and pressed it under one quarter inch.
I flipped the piece and sewed the other side of the Velcro to the reverse side of this piece.
I put it on the refrigerator band lapped it before turning it to the back side.
Here it is finished and I’m so happy to have done this. I made 3 of them for the refrigerator and freezer.
Back to the bees. Thank you to those of you who had ideas. We do have yellow jackets, but they haven’t been bothering us on the back deck yet, however, the hive was very definitely robbed. We’ll just take everything apart this year and clean it up (think hours and hours), then we’ll get a new start next year. This isn’t all bad. We will be putting new plastic on the hoop house in September and the bees are just to the back side. Now we won’t be bothering them. We’ll set the new bees up in the spring.
The beehives are empty! There are many dead bees and something has taken all the honey as well. 2 weeks ago, there were so many bees, I added another box. Now all is gone. There is lots of nectar as the flowers have been blooming, especially the blackberry. There should be a hive full of honey. Just dead bees.
Remember I purchased this book two weeks ago. And because I promised you that I would make something out of it as soon as the bear could be put aside, I started on a quilt from it today.
The name of this is “Jelly Forest” and I’m using a jelly roll that I found in my supplies. (imagine that) It is cut out and lying on the cutting table which means until it is put together, I won’t be cutting anything else out. My hope is that will happen by week’s end.
We don’t have television, so just for fun last night we watched a free Amazon Prime movie – well actually 5 parts of it. It is called Pioneer Quest. This was set up so people could get a feel of how life was back than and films these two couples as they try to navigate their way as the settlers would in 1870. It is well worth watching and you will certainly count your blessings.
As you can see, the quilt top is slightly larger than my board. The quilt is from “Strip your stash” by Gunrun Erla and published by stashbooks. This quilt top is 55 x 82, which will make a nice lap top. It is the first in the book. The instructions were very good and accurate. I used a jelly roll that was precut, but one can cut their own 2.5″ strips as she has instructions in the book.
In the bare spot down the row, I removed the cauliflower which wasn’t doing much and planted lettuce, carrots, and beets.
This is the bottom of a bug of some sort caught in a web. He was about an inch long and one I had not seen before.
A big job today was tying up the bell peppers. I was waiting for someone to string the wire to tie them to, but that hasn’t happened, so I used what was there from tomatoes last year.
It looks like there will be many peppers this year. I really like to freeze them so I’m not paying $4.00 a pound or more.
I thought these were pickling cukes, but they are fuzzy on the outside, so will wait and see what they become.
The sweet potatoes are doing their best to over run the place. They are excellent competition for the tomatoes. I had no idea, they would do that.
The tomatoes have hit the top, so maybe they will come back down now. I’m picking a handful of cherry tomatoes nearly every day. And volunteers are still springing up. It’s so hard to treat them like the weeds they have become.
larger tomatoes getting color
more lettuce and beets coming up – planted two weeks ago.
Remember these socks. The toes were shot, so I just ripped them back to where the toe decreases started. Then they sat for the longest time. I looked for the original yarn but it has been a long, long time and I didn’t find it.
I really love these socks and yes, they are a bit worn, but I added new toes – who will see them in the shoes – and now they will take me through some more years.
For those who don’t know, this is called a “swift”. Yarn that comes in hanks must be made into “cakes” or balls to use it.
I usually put an empty toilet paper tube on the winder before winding as it is easier to pull off.
These balls were 100g so approximated the size, then weighed them. I was hoping for 40 and 60 oz balls out of each hank. I usually have a some left over and am hoping that it will be in one piece for whatever I choose to make. I am now ready to knit the next three pair of socks -think 3 months or more with canning season slowly starting.
Greek Marjoram
First, I went out to the back hillside garden to pick some of these lovely onions. I sautéed a large one, then added 2 cups of black beans and 2-3 cups of cooked rice I seasoned it with about 2 ounces of the above shown Costa Rican salsa (which we found on Amazon) and some salt. Once the onions are sautéed, the dish only needs to be heated throughout.
This photo is taken from the other end so you can see the bell peppers. The new lettuce on the right is starting to come up and maybe some beets. On the right at the other end is cauliflower which may or may not get heads. It is rather slow. And so grows what is in the hoop house.
This bear may be destined to become another ufo. He is layered and ready to quilt and the machine will not cooperate. Maybe I’m not supposed to be sewing. I got this machine back from the repair shop yesterday and took my other one in as it seized up. I will play with this machine again next week. Maybe it just needs a good Sabbath rest.