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.
149 little purple hats – 146 from one bolt of fleece and 3 were from left over purple fleece. They are done and waiting for me to find a box to put them up until Sept. It feels so good to have things done with time to spare.
Then I finished a fun little wall hanging I was testing and sent in the report. I’ll have to show you that one in November.
The afternoon was spent playing with this. It takes 75 minutes to process a load of pints with beans after pressure is reached, about 45 minutes for it to cool down and then one must bring it back up to pressure and keep it there for another 75 minutes. Therefore 2 loads of beans takes about 4 hours. And I have to be there since the pressure changes “for no reason”. The stove is electric and doesn’t want to be constant. This time I soaked the beans for 24 hours, packed them in the jars without any cooking. It was so much easier, but next time I will put fewer beans in the jars and still fill them with water. I wonder if I could put salt in them or if that would keep them from getting soft. The top beans do seem a bit dry which is why I will try more liquid and a smidge fewer beans.
20 pints of red beans
I’m really happy about how these three yarns worked together. As well, I ran out of the first two yarns and only have some of the toe yarn left.
It’s too bad, I didn’t remember to take a photo of my car before I emptied it. We sold our parrot nest boxes. The buyer insisted I deliver them which was about an hour each way. However, sometimes you do what you really don’t want to do. And I did want to get these boxes moved on. The car was so loaded that there was not enough room for anything else plus I could not see out the back or passenger side. I was unwilling to make 2 trips, so I stayed in the right lane and fortunately, though it was a long way, half of the roads were straight country roads.. I made it there without encountering much traffic. Then the buyer said to me ” I thought you had a truck” But he never asked me. People just make too many assumptions. However, that is one more job taken care of. Now I need to advertise some other items that we seem to be storing.
DH and I have really been pushing ourselves as we realize that we don’t have the stamina that we had when he was still working (now we have to work back up). We have all seen people who have just kept doing what they have always done and don’t slow down. Recently I saw where a 100 year woman ran another marathon. There are other examples we’ve all seen.
I’ve been asked how I get so much done. Push, Push, Push. Our bodies were made to move and when we don’t, they slow down.
My step goal is 10,000 steps per day. My doctor recommended knee surgery about 5 years ago. I asked her if there was anything I could do to avoid that and she said “walk”. So I walk. Yes, there are a few times when the knee is a bit uncomfortable, but I think the longer I can go without the surgery, the better. And the knee is never uncomfortable more than a few minutes.
We have added gardening to our activities and when it gets cold, we will go to the gym 3 times a week again (our insurance covers “silver sneakers). We also go to the gym once a week for senior “yoga” which is really just stretching exercises.
The other thing is we try to put only the best fuel in our mouths, which is why we grow as much food as we do. That is not to say, we do it all correctly. On occasion, we indulge in a bit of sugar. But most of the time, we are careful to eat food as grown, which also means no animal foods, extracted oils or processed food. And we eat a lot of our food raw. We do eat foods that contain oils such as raw nuts, and avocados, however, try not to have fractured foods. And I no longer worry about weight, though it could/should be less. I think being happy and content is worth a lot when it comes to our health.
I make *lists of what I want to accomplish each day and really try to get through them, but the only things that I must do each summer day are the steps and the hoop house watering. Other things that don’t get done, spill over into the next day. For instance, I had “pick lavender” one day, but I found the bending to be too much for one day, so it spilled over into several days, with one bush at a time.
And yes, we do hire the heavier work done. That is not worth killing ourselves and it gives a bit of money to someone who really needs it. As well, sometimes I make my list short so we can have a “vacation” day. And each week we observe a Sabbath day.
If you have other questions, just ask, as I don’t mind answering them.
*Lists are made by making an annual list, a monthly list, and a daily list. The daily list is altered mostly by the weather.
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.
