Gray skies and our errands started here. This is a marvelous store in Puyallup, WA. They have everything to make your dreams come true and I have to be very, VERY careful when I step inside.
Somehow (probably from a few escapes it made over the years, my bobbin holder was out of round and I had to acquire a new one at the cost of $75.00. These things are not inexpensive!
From there we found our way to the post office and the library. Then back home to a very late lunch. DH wanted something raw. So I found these Brussels sprouts and red pepper in the refrigerator, thinly sliced both and put a bit of vinegar over them for a colorful salad. And now to remove a few threads from yesterday’s mishap.
After breakfast and feeding the sourdough culture, the gym was first on our list today. On our way home, we received a call to come look over some house papers.
Then it was time to make our first sourdough bread as the culture was ready. As I was finished kneading it, the hay arrived along with Juliette (sheep) and her 2 lambs. Photos will be tomorrow, because when I get busy, I forget the camera.
Lunch was a stir fry as the rice was cooked and the refrigerator is full of vegetables.
Dessert was thawed strawberries over zucchini bread. We often eat seasonally.
Then it was off to the bank and the grocery store. I needed olives to make olive bread. As we were leaving, we received another phone call about more papers, only these had to read to be signed. So we picked those up on the way out, went to the bank, where the machine ate some of our deposit,(bank official is taking care of that), then off to the grocery store for olives. Above is the bread, which the directions tell me to rise overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature in the morning before baking.
We signed the papers and returned them on the way home. Now the title search should be set in motion. I love these full days, but I feel like I’m watching life whiz by.
Slowly, but surely, with little minutes here and there. The gussets are nearly done. I think I’m a slow knitter because it takes me 18-20 hours to do a pair of socks -time dependent on how much cuff and how many stitches I drop and have to pick up and how many times I have to lay the project down and pick it up again.
No photo, but I spent an hour in the dentist chair this afternoon having 2 small cavities filled.
On the way there, I stopped and bought 2 gallons of honey from a friend who has many hives of bees and has them at various people’s farms. I learned that our hardware store now sells food grade buckets for food. And guess what, their logo gets spread around. DH believes that everything one sells should have something to help sales. This qualifies.
The last thing to purchase was a storm door for the hoop house which will be recovered this weekend.
And here’s a HINT: for all these holidays coming up. Buy yardage, serge or hem the edge, pop it on your table to look all cheery and when the holiday is over, you can save it for next time, or make something else from it.
And now I can show you the quilt that I worked on early summer. It is a BOM called “celebrate” in The Quilt Pattern Magazine. http://www.quiltpatternmagazine.com/index.html preview. I am quite happy with the results.
And since it was done ahead of time, I took the day to clean house including floors and countertops and went shopping.
I started the morning by opening an email that I should not have opened. Then I waited for the Geeksquad to remove the virus or whatever from my computer so I could again use it. After that a phone call to Handiquilter and I believe my machine may be more cooperative.
In between those chores, I did get a pattern copied onto pattern pellon for a jacket. I even was able to get the main pieces cut out of this cotton fabric. It will be a loose, lightweight cotton jacket using the new serger. However, I do not have the right thread, so will pick that up tomorrow.
Off to the grocery briefly for a couple very good watermelons and out to the garden. We picked the funniest shaped carrots. Next year the ground will have to be worked deeper. These poor carrots just could not break through the hardpan. Still they are delicious.
These beets were growing beside the carrots, but since they are shorter, they didn’t have the same troubles. They filled this 4 gallon bucket about 3/4 full. Oh, and there were a few potatoes that were from a potato that was left in the ground over winter. I pulled a beet and harvested 6 potatoes much to my surprise. So we will be enjoying roasted root vegetables.
Today I woke up thinking of all the things I wanted to get done, then I remembered, that’s not the important thing. I didn’t get my list done, but I pray God’s list was achieved. And I am thankful for a large garden and the work involved because of it, especially when I remember those who don’t eat 3 meals a day. I count my blessings and ask to be a blessing to others. These are 16 pints of green beans for the coming winter from the 7# picked yesterday.
The Sew Fun this week was put on by Lana Jones. She comes up with ideas in her sleep – of which she doesn’t need much. These 3 signs used sticky metallic paper on boards and mounted denim. Aren’t they cute?
Using a piece of tile that she found at Lowes, she put metallic paper on these “rocks”. And they did look like flat rocks. This is such a wonderful way to give a little inspirational gift.
These are made of “Ice Resin” a product to pour in molds. These would make lovely jewelry or nice for key chains.
The animals at the top come with stuffing in a bag that can be removed from both the body and the head to make it easy to embroider. The two bags below them were from a pattern book “Sew Useful” by Debbie Shore. There were several items in that book to help you make storage items for the home.
The black dress and the dress with the green skirt were from “Sew Pretty T Shirt Dresses” Simple little dresses that start with a recycled or purchased T shirt in the child’s size. This would be a terrific gift for the busy mom or grandmother to sew.
This is where she caught me. I loved this lightweight jacket you see in peach and black. And it can be made totally on the serger. So I will be looking for fabric to make this.
This book also had some fun projects and the items in this book have both the patterns you can cut out or if you have a Accuquilt, they have a die by Edyta Sitar to make them.
This “Buddy Blanket Bear” has only a stuffed head, so if a young child likes to take a huggie to bed, one could either hand or machine embroider on the open skirt.
It was a very good Sew Fun, well worth my time. And there were several more items that didn’t really catch my attention. All I need is time for some of the projects that I all ready have, then I can take on some new ones.
After I got home, I had company. I did not get all my steps in, but will get them all in by the end of the week.
After all this, I took a brief rest on the deck. Isn’t this a lovely view? It was such a pretty day. Tomorrow will be more garden time and maybe zucchini bread baking. Don’t hold your breath on that though.
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.
A threadbare sheet which has been replaced
with a set of this color (actual color is more champagne). I do not like buying sheets, so until they give up, we keep using them. When they give up, they get repurposed.
Why is it when one finishes off rooms, they just don’t get totally finished. At least this happens at our house. So today, we purchased switch covers for 3 rooms. It really does make the rooms look better. We were short these 2 screws, which we intend to pick up tomorrow.
This is a lamp my father made in the late 1930s. Somehow, the finial was lost in moves
so today, that was replaced and it is once again a working lamp.
I like to wipe my feet right before getting into bed (maybe because there is always dust or sand or ??). So I purchased a small rug to go on either side of the guest bed.
And a nice little waste basket to complete the basic furnishings of this room.
Then there was a little matter of towels and a rug for the bathroom. Again I used blue. Ewalda, I’m ready for you with your favorite color – blue.
No we did not get to everything on the list done. We did retrieve the sewing machine and with my birthday coupon, I got 3 packages of needles, which I can always use. The big garden was fertilized, but the greenhouse did not get my attention except to pick a large bowl of greens. They are crisping now and tomorrow morning, I will clean them again. Parsley, cantaloupe, and sweet Williams were put in the seed starting tray.
The chairs will be picked up Friday as we have to go over there for an eye exam, the alpacas are going back to the 4H area tomorrow, and I will mop the entertainment room/kitchen floor. I should have time to fertilize and water the hoop house. Then I have a dinner to put together and cleaning the kitchen after I make the food. Mid afternoon, it is off to the airport to get my brother who will be visiting from Florida for 2 days. However, sewing will have to wait until Wednesday, or Thursday or Friday, after he leaves.
Yes, we did Yoga this morning and walked my 10,000 daily steps as well. So I should sleep well tonight.
Today we got so much done. The fellow that sometimes works here had the day off, so he came over to help with some of the little things that needed to get done. Then we went fence supply shopping because what else does one do when a windfall appears in the mail. We need the fencing and a he borrowed a truck. We now have 3 rolls of 330′ goat/sheep fencing and the metal posts to put it up. We still need the wood posts that go with the gates. It is just a matter of when I can get man power to do the work. I think (and hope) they may get started the first of December and I will be out there, cheering them on with coffee, doughnuts or whatever they need to keep going. The sheep and I will be so happy to get the main part of the fencing done. I’ll think about cross fencing later.
As long as we had the truck, we picked up all the potted trees that the renters didn’t want cluttering the place. They are now parked beside the barn. I’m sure when spring comes, we will find many places to put them. Some of them may even go into the ground at the rental. There are still rose bushes to pick up, but we filled the truck out to the end of the tailgate with what were in the front yard. The prior people liked to propagate plants which is why there are so many.
I took the time to quilt this today as well. The binding is on hold.
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.