Birthdays!

Yesterday was my birthday! 

My children had fun with it so I'm still smiling.

Let me say there are clues in the photos as to how old I am!

Can't say I feel the years.

First, on Saturday the bottle of Jameson's Irish Whiskey arrived by UPS.

From Scott and Bri.

I don't drink much alcohol (like maybe twice a month)

but when I do it's Irish whiskey mixed with Ginger Ale

about an hour after the whiskey arrived I got a text message from Scott saying I had a delivery at my door.

When I saw these 7-10 packs of ginger ale I just laughed and laughed!

Minis are just about the right size for one drink!

They also sent Hersey's kisses!

Then, Yesterday I received these lovely flowers.

With this little poem"

Just a hunch, 

this looks like a bunch

Count them and you will see

That there are only 70

Rob and Tanya

Apparently the florist called them because they couldn't find a big enough vase!

So, I have flowers in my bedroom and flowers in the living room.

I love carnations.

Then, Beth & Co arrived with shrimp dinner and birthday cake,

which we ate on my patio it was a beautiful night and

weighing all the options that seemed like the least risky!

They also gifted me with some cards to spend when I like.

Calls from Scott and Steve and families came as well.

The Birthday song sung!

All in all is was a really fun day, even in these days of social distancing.

And, yes, I'm 70!

This week in stitches-progress

Rainbow Scrap Challenge stitching:

All the red hashtags

Plus some hashtags that were already cut.

I found them when I was sorting through a project box.  

They aren't exactly red,

although some have red in them.

Only one more month to go and it will be yellow.

This is a good thing the box is getting quite full!

Then I did the big blocks these are pretty quick to make, 

it seems the hardest part is laying them out!

I've begun the flipflop blocks, I think two are finished.

There won't be too many as I don't have much red in 2 1/2 inch size even after cutting more.

In keeping with my goal of making one 9-patch as day,

I've stitched together 8 this past week!

We had several days of gray, gloomy, rain and cool temperatures.

Two days broke existing records for very low HIGH temperatures!

My air conditioning has taken a break,

and I had to put another quilt on the bed!

Yeah!

Fall is my favorite time of the year,

So happy it's here.

 

Where were you?

Today is September 11. 

"A day that will live in infamy." to quote FDR.

We all remember where we were when we heard the news.

I was home cleaning house an doing homework,

when I got three phone calls, 

one right after the other telling me to

TURN ON THE TV!

(I don't watch daytime tv so if anything big happens they call and tell me.)

I watched in shock and horror.

Those are the emotions I feel to this day.

We Will NEVER Forget.

Friday Night with Friends

 

Last night was the monthly Friday Night With Friends

Hosted by Cheryl!  

Thank you for inviting us!

So, I worked on Izzy's stocking-almost finished with the last snowman on the first row!

Then I made a 9-patch for the Civil War WISP.

So far I've made the 7 above!  

This one a day thing is working well!  

Only 14 more and I can begin sewing the sashing together.

September Goals

My favorite coffee mug! I try every day to follow that advice!

I didn't post August goals and while I did pretty well getting things done I think it helps to have it here.  I just always bite off more than I can chew when it comes to the "Want to do" list.

Anyway, for September:

Stitching Goals:
  Rainbow scrap challenge Hash tags, big blocks and flip flop blocks in red.
Cross-stitch:  Izzy's Stocking
Civil War hand piecing very old UFO: finish all the 9 patches for the sashing.  There are only 24 and I'm doing one a day so as long as I can keep that up I'm golden.
English Paper Piecing: Flower garden, a WISP-8 flowers finished
Paper Doll Quilt:  A new project (also for Izzy) 8 blocks complete
Small Project:A table runner.  I need something quick and finished!

Family History Goals:

Write Church for Baptismal dates

Work on the brick wall that is Phoebe

Work Newspapers and Ancestry Matches

Find out how to look for slave ancestors-as I have 1% African blood from an area that was prominent in the Slave Trade

Find out if there is any significance to Birth records where the Owner is listed instead of a Father.  (I am under no misguided notion that my white ancestors where any better than their contemporaries and I know several owned slaves.)

Most of these only require my writing a letter or email and waiting for an answer!

Blog every day.  Okay this one could be a problem!

House stuff;

Trim out the basement stairs

Replace the smoke alarms, add a CO alarm and replace the remote for my garage door opener-most of these will take nothing more than an internet search and order.

I had several Yard and Garden projects on the list but yesterday when I was out shopping and was all set to buy supplies I had second thoughts and decided to wait and see what 2021 brings.

Try some new recipes!

And in the same vein-make menus and stick to them!

Cooking for one person is difficult.

Go out in the trailer at least once.

I was set to go out with Beth & Co but Kolby has a soccer tourney so we canceled.  I'd have gone anyway but my spot was a back in and I need Lucas's help for that. (Actually, I need Lucas to do it!)

Finishing reading The Last Indian War , I've been reading it all year!  Just about 100 pages left!

There are always 15 minute projects:  They are nearly always the same.  Tidying the Studio,  and the garage

Drawing and lettering.

There are 4 ongoing 100 day challenges:

 Work out, drink 64 oz of water, Practice the piano and guitar and keep my house tidy.  So far so good but the piano will be tricky when I'm out in the trailer!

As always there is shopping-UGH! This year it will be mostly online.

It seems like a really long list but I think I can do it!

 

 

Shopping

I had to go up to Independence to have blood sucked-oops I mean drawn,

as I have an appointment with my primary care doctor in two weeks.

Then, I went SHOPPING!

First, I went to Joanns.

Where they have completely re-arranged the store and nothing is in the same place!

I did get almost all the thread I needed to finish Izzy's sock,

including the all important 666 (red)!

Then, it was off to the cross-stitch store:  C C and Company.

Hoping to get both the last thread and some needles.

I like to use a very small needle with my cross-stitch as it seems to slide through the fabric easier, but they can be hard to find

I scored both and some sale kits and patterns.

All of you, especially Lin, with your pretty pincushions made me want some of my own!

Then, it was off to the Quilt shop- Quilter's Station.

I needed red fat quarters to add to the tiny bit of red in my drawers for the RSC blocks this month.

The square piece on the bottom is for Izzy's bear.  I've dressed a bear for each of the Grands but for some reason I missed doing Izzy's and I need to fix that.

I also got a new pattern book

I can not pass up anything that has to do with the Rockies, I love them so much!  The photo at the top of the book is of the front range at Estes Park Colorado.  Strangely, the designers were all from Utah!  None from Colorado, Wyoming or Montana.  I find that very disappointing.  Not that I have anything against Utah just I love the other states more.

Izzy's stocking update

 Here's August's stitching on the final stocking!

About 1/4 finished with the x's.

This is proving to be an easy design,

it certainly helps that I don't have to do it backwards!

The toe on this one is facing the right direction already,

WHEW.

Maybe, just maybe, I'll finish this one in time to hang it with the rest in December.

That is if I don't run out of red-I'm a bit concerned that I won't

be able to find more.

More stitching on this tonight!

Another week evaporated

One of my succulents is blooming!

It's a strange looking stem!

The plant below the large base is covered with tiny plants.

Last year it was a stem like the one holding up the flower.

I like succulents.

That said I don't have a good place for them in the house,

and many of them have died from too much water,

or to little sun, 

or overcrowding.

I don't plan to bring them inside this fall.  

Just the Christmas cacti  

and perhaps a few herbs.

I may change my mind and bring just this one in, 

First frost is a ways away yet.

I've done a little stitching this week.

This is the quilt known as "The Quilt that will not be finished"

It was finished and put on the bed about 9 months ago.

At our first Chookshed Quilting Bee Deena asked if anyone had ever found a mistake after the quilt was finished.

This is a mistake!

I only found it last month!

It is over the pillows and I don't plan to fix it!

Yes, I have found mistakes after something is quilted!

(If you can't see the mistake look at the white design.)

Then because I kept tripping over the corners,

dragging on the floor,

I did this

Took some off the corners.

You would think this wouldn't be such a big deal,

BUT

it took several afternoons.

I've also make a couple of nine patches for the hand pieced Civil War Sampler I've been working on for a long time.

And

a couple of hexie flowers.

Then there was much stitching on Izzy's stocking.

I'll post an updated photo of it on the 1st.

Not a bad week altogether.

 

 

Learning Curve

This new blogger format is going to be a learning curve!  

I can't even remember where to find the NEW POST link from one week to the next!

I did find the place to make the photos smaller, yeah me.

PLUS,

Apple updated my operating system 

and now Picasa doesn't work.

UGH!

I apologize for the photos this is the best I could do in Apple photos.

We've had another week of lovely weather,

more like September than August.

That is changing this week as we hit the 90F mark again.

I finished all the RSC blocks 

Purple

And caught up the blue.

 

I've been a bit lost as to what I should do now,

so I took a couple of days off 

from the studio and just read.

One of the blessings that have come to me from THE VIRUS

is that feeling of freedom from should dos.

Now, I'm getting back with it again.

Although, I do want to leave the should dos in my rear view mirror!

The week in stitches

 

Yesterday afternoon and evening there was another ZOOM chat with Chookyblue and friends!

At the last one we were talking about how old some of our UFO's are 

and I said I had this one from 1993.

Chooky said I had to have it finished by the next chat!

I thought it'd be a month or so 

BUT 

she had a birthday!

When she set it up I thought

"I can get that finished by Saturday."

So, I took off the borders that needed hand quilting and that was never going to be done,

And bound it!

Then during the chat I sewed the binding down.

It is finished!

I can't ever write Missouri Puzzle on my list of quilts to finish!

Unfortunately,

none of my other UFO'S

are as close to being finished as this one!

In other stitching-

    I finished the purple Hashtags.

And the big block for RSC.

Purple isn't one of my favorite colors,

and a couple of years ago I made two pink and purple quilts

and used up most of what I had in my stash.

It's a very popular color with the Grands though,

so I have purchased some more.

The colors don't show up here,

it's too dark in the studio.

Only the flip flop blocks left and those will finish up in a day or two.

I've also made more progress on Izzie's stocking,

I'm only going to take photos of it once a month,

you would get very tired of seeing the slow progress made!

Otherwise, It's been hot and humid.

I've been down in the studio more,

tidying up a bit

(Need to do a Great deal more of that)

THE VIRUS continues to affect more people, 

it seems that nothing can be done.

I am still practicing being a hermit,

I've found a peacefulness to it.

My mind has calmed down

and my life rhythm has settled into something I quite like.

Still wish I could see the family,

the Rocky Mountains,

and anyplace that isn't here!

Sunday Check in

Wow, this is weird! 

I thought I'd already switched over to the new Blogger but this is way different.

On to my life.

This past week there was a lovely break in the heat.

In fact, 

there were two mornings where I wore a sweatshirt 

when I went out for coffee in the morning!

It was so nice that I spent one afternoon sitting on my patio reading.

I knew the hot was coming back 

so I just enjoyed the cool.

I didn't feel guilty at all!

The heat is back now,

I only had one cup of coffee outside this morning before the sun got me, sigh

There have been heat advisories for the past two days

so,

I've spent most of the time in the studio.

I wish I could say that I accomplished amazing things 

but

I didn't

I worked on the blue flipflop blocks (above) 

got them to the four patch stage

and the trimming up.

I hate that part but it does make things go together 

SO

much better.

I also got the purple hash tags worked on.

This is step two.

It would go so much faster if I just NOTICED when I was out of bobbin!

BEFORE I stitched so many.

Well, I thought I was stitching.

I also took the first stitches in Izzie's stocking.

They don't show up too well, white.

I have done a bit more since then.

I quit tonight when I realized I had a bit

to pick out.

Tomorrow, 

some housekeeping

and then I'll head down to the studio again.

I'd really like to get all the leftover blue finished.

Really, I'd like to have all the RSC finished so

I could work on something else.

Only two more months

Red and Yellow.

I'm thinking of working ahead there.

I'm quite bored with these blocks and would like to do something else.

Finished "Big Blocks" for July

I really did not do well on the "I plan to do list" in July.

So bad that I only finished THREE things!

I have to say that the first two weeks I was very low,

feeling depressed by THE VIRUS, 

and the political scene in the US.

I finally came out of it when I just said enough-

it is what it is and you just have to deal.

So now I'm not stressing about much of anything.

The three finishes -

the blue Hashtag blocks-34 I think

what can I say, I have a LOT of blue.

then the big blocks above

and 

I finished Ryan's stocking completely

Friday evening while chatting with Chookyblue and 

Company via Zoom.

(These chats are so much fun!)

I also had this "tea" meal explained 

and

What a bacon sandwich is.

We are definitely people separated by the same language sometimes.

I did organize the refrigerator 

and make new ironing board covers 

but

they were not on the list!

We've had a week of RAIN-much needed-

and

much cooler weather 

67F/19C this morning when I drank my coffee on the patio.

It won't last,

in fact it's to hit 90F/32C by next weekend.

Another 6-8 weeks of heat, sigh.

I have a very ambitious "I want to do" list for August,

we'll see how well I do.

Another week gone!

I've been keeping busy.

It's horrid HOT and HUMID

 so Quinn and I are staying in.

We are to get a break in the heat next week.

We'll be quite grateful!

I've been trying to find ONE thing that needed doing

and could be completed in no more than a week.

Last week it was the frig,

this week it was these

New ironing board covers.

The little one's cover came off and would NOT stay on!

The big one,

Well,

It never fit properly, 

was filthy 

and could have stood on it's own it was so stiff from starch!

So, both are clean.

It will take a bit for them to "Meld"  without wrinkling.

It's surprising how long it takes to make one of these,

I understand now why they've been on the list for so long.

Then there's this:

Ryan's stocking is stitched!

All the back stitching, 

all the beads!

All that's left is the red braid around the outside

and the hanging loop.

For this week I have a few more things in mind.

For today,

I simply MUST tidy and organize

my Studio.

It's a disaster, again.

Cherry Memories

It's cherry time!

Well, it has been for a few weeks.

I love cherries and they aren't grown commercially here so I have to wait on them to be shipped in.  Sigh.

When I was a teenager my parents built a second home in Estes Park, Colorado.

Man, I miss that place.

Anyway,

The summer between my Freshman and Sophomore years in college

-Baylor University then-

we spent the summer up there.

Cherries are grown in the foothills of the Rockies.

They must like the cooler weather cause they grown in Montana too.

(Not to mention, Washington State and Michigan and who knows where else.)

One day my Mother dropped my youngest brother, Bobby, and I

off at the trailhead for Twin Sisters.

So, this was back in the late 1960's 

and we didn't carry around refillable water bottles

 or those horrid plastic disposable ones 

and we began our trek with only a bag of bing cherries.

It's not a long hike but we got really thirsty!

Cherries gave us some liquid and we ate them with gusto.

We didn't make it to the fire lookout that day

and I've never tried it again.

I did lots of other hikes, just not that one.

I can never see a bowl of bing cherries without thinking of that day.

Memories.

Often go hand in hand with food.

Saturday's update

Lots of photos this time.

Guess I must be up to something!

It's very hot here so Quinn and I are spending much time in the basement.

First up-some stitching.

The first four Hash Tags at the halfway point.

They need framed by white.

The Hash Tag units left to do!

All 30 of them!

I have a lot of blue.

I decided I needed a leader and ender project and the 1 1/2" square bin was quite full so--

I dumped the lot into a larger bin!

I am currently making random 2 patches

 to eventually make a very scrappy postage stamp Quilt.

When I dumped the bin I found a lot of this:

Lots of already assembled 9 patches, 4 patches 

and 2 patches left from a mystery I began and didn't finish.

I really didn't get the whole thing.

Anyway, I also have these

So, I'm combining them in a "I think I like it this way" manner.

Izzie needs a quilt for her baby dolls I think.

In other things,

Yesterday, I did this.

The best loaves I've made in a long while.

This from my Grandmother's recipe using yeast.

Yeast is still difficult to obtain here so I ordered some online.

(I'd have done that sooner but the prices were out of line.)

I now have a good supply of both Active and Instant Yeast

in the refrigerator.

Speaking of the refrigerator--

(It you aren't the least bit interested in my organized frig you can just stop here!)

Everything neat, contained and labeled.

Chalk markers are amazing!

After tossing all the expired stuff.

This is one of those french door frigs with the freezer on the bottom.

It's really a bit big for the kitchen but I couldn't find anything smaller

without being tiny.

The Freezer is on the bottom

which I hate cause when you come in from the store you just toss everything in,

then you can't find anything.

The freezer is in two parts

the top

and the bottom

At the moment it's tidy-ish

And, Very full!

I intended to make Chicken Riggi's for freezing but there's no place to put it!

I'm considering a small upright freezer.

In the meantime I'll just have to use up what in there!

July So Far

IZZIE

 I went camping at Arrowrock State Park over the Fourth of July weekend mostly to get away from all the fireworks.  Quinn really hates them and since Greenwood allows them for two weeks before the 4th we get really tired of it. It wasn't the best weather- HOT and HUMID and I haven't been out since last year on the 4th (knee surgery and recovery) so all the hook up etc took twice as long.  I took all my tools and worked on the remodel that's been ongoing for the past couple of years.  Happily, I am nearing the end of it.  Taking all the tools along with everything else I might need means that I have to pack the truck like a jigsaw puzzle and that takes a sweaty long time!.  On Saturday, my youngest son, Scott, came up from Columbia with his two little ones.  Miss Izzie REALLY likes watermelon! We had a nice visit,  walked to the playground and stayed out in my new screen room-I hate flies.  After they went home I worked a bit on the trailer and then I actually did some sewing!

I had a couple of Hoodies that the zipper had broken on and decided I would turn them into little pillows (cushions for you down under folks) as they were purchased on my trips.

 It was a bit tricky but I like the way they came out.

I also made one window topper but I didn't like the way it came out as it was too boring!  I need to work on those some more.

This is all the stitching I've done in July.  Really have to get to work.

It has been very HOT and HUMID for many days now so I

only go out in the early mornings with my coffee and my journal..  The flowers are taking a beating but they'll make a comeback here soon.

I have hit a second low point over isolation and feeling trapped-well, the heat does that too.  I took TWO naps on Saturday!  That made me a bit angry so I think I might be coming out of it again.  The fact is they are not expecting a vaccine until the first of the year, earliest.  So when I said I could be a hermit at Christmas that's very possible.  I need more short term projects so I decided to organize my refrigerator!  This is desperation talking, I ordered a bunch of storage containers and organizing bins that will arrive tomorrow.  When I'm finished I'll show you a photo.  I have moved my laptop, printer and all that back down to the great room (that makes three times I've moved it.)  I just wasn't even going up to the office to work and I like having it down here.

My boys are all working from home-Scott always does,  Rob and Lucas won't go back before 2021, Steve can't go back until the Doctors clear him.  Tanya is a bit sad as she substitute teaches and Nashville is doing distance learning to begin the year.  Candice is trying to keep Nora sane, My California Girl is going crazy with staying home, she's a little extrovert and not socializing is very hard for her, she missed Girl Scout camp and now adding more angst for her they announced that her school would be distance learning for the first part of the year.  She probably booed and hissed. Beth went back to work but it's a small office I think.  Bri is Boone County Clerk and as such handles the elections and works with the public daily-both she and Scott got tested before the 4th so they could visit their parents and not worry about killing them!  I haven't heard what Beth's  boys school is doing or if they've decided how they intend to handle it, I don't have any idea how the transport of children will work here.  Ryan is starting Kindergarten and they have decided to leave him at the Montessori school where he attends now as it is less likely to just shut down.  He was happy with that!

This is 2020-a year we are not likely to forget.

Still without focus

 I'm not accomplishing much at the moment as I've lost all focus!  I was so focused on the garden jobs that once they were completed I am lost.  Oh, I worked some on stitching, Ryan's sock in particular.  Mostly I'm getting the house back in shape.  Cleaning just doesn't thrill me!  I had, I'm afraid really let things go while I was working in the garden and it's taking more time than usual to get back where I like to be.

The veggie garden has some green beans showing on the plants, some cherry tomatoes, and now the squash have blossoms.  I think I'll pick some of those and try frying them.

The flower pots will need a trim next week but the purslane is looking really nice at the moment.

 There are three tiny hostas in that garden -one is called mouse's ears, and one tiny tim I think.  They bloom purple while all the other have white blooms.

The weather has turned really hot again, and humid.  At 6 pm CDST it is 88F/31C with a heat index of 94F/34C.  The heat index is calculated by using the actual temperature and the relative humidity I just figure the weather guessers at the local TV station know how or the National Weather Service.

We are sure to have a Heat Advisory again this next week. (I looked up how a Heat Advisory is issued:  here's what the National Weather Service says:  a Heat Advisory is issued within 12 hours of the onset of a heat index between 105F/41C and 115F/46C for no less that 3 hours a day or when nighttime lows are above 80F/27C for two days.) We did have about an inch of rain this week, which we needed.  Could actually use more.  Missouri is such a weird place weather wise-last year we had flood warnings from March through September this year it's horrid dry.

I'm heading out in my camper this Friday.  I try to leave home over the 4th as Quinn goes quite insane with the fireworks, thus making me insane!  We'll be back on Monday.  I have some projects to do in the trailer while I'm gone.  I need to go our for a week and just work on the remodel!  First, I need to quit adding new things to do!

Covid cases are on the rise again, not surprising as no one wants to wear masks.  The mayor of Kansas City has required masks in all public places (even the Zoo requires them in some areas.)  I don't live in KC but I expect my county to follow along soon.  They are hoping to stall the rise so they don't have to shut everything down again.  I knew it wasn't over with they started letting things reopen!  I'll still be a hermit at Christmas at this rate!

Friday Night with Friends

Thanks to Wendy there is another Friday night to sew with the international girls!

As usual I stitched on both Thursday and Friday evenings-cause, time zones.

On Thursday I worked at back-stitching on this

I had to change to the top of the chart!

Another few days and the backstitching will be finished,

then it will be just his name and the beads.

I confess, I cannot make a French knot.

Well, I CAN but it won't stay.

So, long ago I began using seed beads instead.

I heard about a different knot which I'm going to try but not on stockings.

Then, Friday I worked on that math mosaic-sorry no photos.

Progress, I suppose.

I'm beginning to think I should have done this as a cross-stitch piece.

Earlier in the week I finished with these

This months flipflop blocks and 

A pink placemat.  

Well in real life it's pink!

Since I finished all those outside projects I'm sort at loose ends.

No focus, 

probably because I don't have any more big projects!

I'll get back with it soon!

Veggie garden and the final projects

 In the corner of the veggie garden I have some very large pots.

It seems that I still do not have enough garden boxes built!

Not doing anymore this year.

The biggest pot is sweet potatoes-thank you Denise for inspiring that!

The white pot has gourds that have just popped up since yesterday.

The other two have runner beans and nasturtiums planted in them but they haven't broken the surface as yet.

These two boxes have the four  blueberry plants in them.

That was quite a job getting those in the ground, 

not the least of it was finding Canadian Sphagnum Moss!

(I'm never going to learn to spell sphagnum!)

 This one has blueberries on it.  

I should (and will) pluck them off so the plants can just set out roots.

It's gonna hurt, I love blueberries.

These two beds are intended for strawberries (above) and raspberries (below, one lonely "Volunteer" from elsewhere in the yard)  Both beds had green beans planted and up  

as I can't source the berry plants until the fall.

Above are sweet peppers, beans, squash and cucumbers.

Below are tomatoes and basil.

I read that basil makes the tomatoes taste better, I'll let you know.

There's also some radishes and beets sprinkled in there.

The cherry tomatoes are already setting fruit!

The final section here is for the projects I've finished.

The wall to hold back the dirt so I can open the gate enough to drive the truck into the back.

The Hosta wall, hoping to keep the dirt in place.

The front garden without the boxwood bushes. 

Just need to figure out what to do there now!

Those Stargazer lilies don't belong there, 

I think moving them will happen in the fall.

Finally,  the meter area which had sunk to the rear.

Now, a lighter hose keeps the hose hanger upright.

 Flowers have been added, 

as well as bricks to divide it from the yard and the splash block has been unearthed.

There's another pot of daisies that will go into the area as soon as they are large enough.

I hope you enjoyed the visit to my gardens!