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Thursday, April 30, 2009

If You Want to Hear the Gods Laugh....


Just tell them your plans... This is the hot water heater closet. Empty... It is in the process of being changed as we speak. When DH started to wash his hands this morning, guess who had no hot water. When he checked it water was dripping straight down into the drip pan....thank goodness. A few more hours and we would be replacing the living room and/or bedroom carpet. We knew we would have to replace this, but we did not plan on doing it until after we came back from vacation. However... we did talk about vacation a lot... and now the gods are laughing...







This project has been in the works for a couple of weeks. This is DH's shop...as we try to stop it from sliding down the hill...lol (or maybe not lol... ) It is (as is par for the course with this house) taking a lot longer than we expected to finish. The heavy rains of the last few days are not helping any with this project...but we sure needed the rain.

If you notice the empty areas of insulation in the flooring... that is where the squirrels got in and decided to set up housekeeping.. ;o) Anyway... with the footing now poured quite thick and wide, I think that problem will be eliminated. We can always hope... and squirrels will usually find a way...lol

Monday, April 27, 2009

Soup's On!

It's been raining all day. We had planned a trip to my aunt and uncle's for tomorrow...but... the car is still in the shop and the rain looks like it will be thunderstorming all week... I will give it a few more hours before I call and change our plans... When it rains and gets cold, I always put on a big pot of soup. Yummmm... I love that smell. It will be long before supper, but I never mind smelling it slow cook through the afternoon.


I finished the blue cotton runner. I had thought that I would make placemats that would fit our trays that we eat on, but I kinda like the long runner.





The Japanese Irises are blooming and they are really lovely this year...





The irises in the meadow have begun to really bloom out. It's hard to see in the background to the left, but the purple ones are out too. What a pretty view from back porch....

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Foyle's War and Alpaca



We have fallen head over heels for English television. It started with Midsommer Murders, moved to Rosemary and Thyme, on to Lovejoy, and now definitely my favorite Foyle's War.

It seems to me that Michael Kitchen can say more with the expressions on his face than most people can say with a thousand words.. :o) Efforts are made to make sure that each episode is authentic and historically accurate...as far as they can make them. I had no idea that one of the foremost burn doctors at the time burned all the patient's uniforms so they would not have to try to button all those buttons with burned fingers...or no fingers... and because he felt like the uniforms made them feel like prisoners. (He also kept kegs of beer in each common room! )

We rent these series from Netflix and the only problem is that they are over way too soon....

Someone was commenting on a talk show about the difference between English and American television the other day. The comment went something like... English television was not "sanitized" like American television. This is very true... I love the fact that the people are real...not beautiful, or all trim, tiny figures on the women. Their teeth are normal aging teeth and everyone has wrinkles...not surgically repaired faces... I find it very difficult to go back to watching all the fake fab of American television.... along with all the fake "reality" shows... yuk



Yesterday I finally finished spinning the alpaca that I have had in my stash for over a year. So last night I spun up some Corriedale that was bought at the same time as the alpaca and then plied them together. This morning I put the yarn on the Niddy Noddy and came up with 134 yards...that's cool. Enough for a scarf. I will be dyeing the yarn, but have not decided what color. I would like to do green and that would turn the brown alpaca into a lovely heather color...but not sure what the heather and kool aid green would look like together...

Monday, April 20, 2009

Nice Weekend


We had a lovely visit from daughter Bev and her husband Kent this weekend. We didn't do much...just out to eat Saturday night and lots of time visiting. Love that. Just not often enough...lol

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Hannah's Quilt and EZ Shawl Update




Hannah's quilt is finished. It is now folded and ready for the trip to Arizona. I am finding that I am enjoying quilting more and more. It was never one of those things that I found relaxing or fun to do. I guess it's like spinach...it grows on you...lol





The Elizabeth Zimmermann shawl is growing. There are now 50 stitches between each marker and the shawl measures 16 inches radius. I've got to buy another needle with at least a 24 inch cable. EZ says 24" is as long as anyone really needs, but really... I have to wonder about that.


Friday, April 17, 2009

My Space


On several of the sites that I visit regularly some of my online friends are occasionally showing pictures of their space or of various corners of their homes. Here is "My Space". This is where I sit in the evening..or any other time I want to spin, weave or hand sew. The spinning wheel was in use at the time this photo was taken...spinning the last of the Chocolate Merino Lamb pencil roving...sigh (Love that stuff!) Back in the corner at the center of the picture is my Kromski Harp Loom...still warped and ready for me to finish the placemats and runner that I started before we left for Arkansas. It's a toss-up to see which will be finished first... the flax roving that is waiting for me patiently in my stash or the weaving...lol

My DH sits in his recliner right next to me on right of the picture. He says that he really likes my many hobbies since I can work on them all I want and he can still hear the TV..lol

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Home At Last


We left last Thursday for a few days in Bull Shoals, AR. It was a short vacation mixed in with a trip to the dentist...not that that really makes sense..lol Anyway, it was wonderful to visit with friends and see the changes that have come about in the 5 years we have been away. There are a lot of things about Bull Shoals that we miss... the people, for the first and foremost thing. The quiet beauty of the lake and the country. The Ozark Mountains are absolutely breathtaking in their spring beauty. .. But of course, 5 years cannot pass without some changes...and the loss of those dear to you.

The first day we were there, DH came down with a "cold"... or maybe allergies. But by Day 2 I also had it. That was Saturday. By Sunday my nose was dripping like a faucet and I felt like I had been kicked by an Arkansas mule. Monday was the trip to the dentist.... teeth cleaning and a couple of fillings replaced. Then immediately on the road home....

Boy...was I ever glad to get home. Still sick yesterday and most of today. Feel better right now than at any time since we left. There is something inherently wrong with that.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

The Joy of Trivia


I finally decided to look through a book that's been on the bookshelf for at least a year.. It's called The Joy of Trivia by Bernie Smith. It was written in 1976, but looks a lot older. The pages have browned and there's a tiny bit of wear on the ends of the back binding... but I find that I can't put it down! He has such a sense of humor!

(Excerpt:...)

"The world's first successful income tax was tried in England in 1799. William Pitt was the man who fathered the idea, to finance the war with France.

There will now be two minutes of silence while we think ill of Mr. Pitt."

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Steel Cut Oats ... and Dallas


A while back one of our sons and his wife suggested that we try Irish Oatmeal. Well, it took me a while, but I finally decided to try the Steel Cut Oatmeal. I like it. It takes forever to cook, but I like it. With the cholesterol thing going on and having to have a cardiac cath every year..ughh.. I guess I don't mind too much having oatmeal almost every morning..lol Especially since oatmeal has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember.
Cranberry juice is also a staple... yumm yumm..


Did you ever hear of George Mifflin Dallas? Well, he was the Vice President of the United States in 1845. In that year the people of Peter's Colony on the Trinity River changed the name of the village to Dallas... Texas... in his honor.

Who knew?

Monday, April 06, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook 04/06/2009


















For today: April 6, 2009

Outside my window: the sun is shining brightly and the sky is a lovely faded blue. The wind is blowing the tops of the trees making them look like little hula dancers.. It's supposed to freeze either tonight or tomorrow night... another one of those Easter freezes. I'm glad I waited to put in any flowers.

I am thinking: about publishing my book about spindle spinning. Haven't decided yet.

From the learning room: I am researching what it takes to get an isbn number. It seems that it is not terribly difficult and would make self publishing much easier.

I am thankful for: electric lights. While watching Foyle's War last night .. (it's a British television drama that we rent from Netflix).. I was thinking how terrible it would have been to have lived in one of those horribly large castle-like homes during the times before electric lights. A candle only lights so far ahead of you and those staircases are massive... phew... And what about trying to do any kind of needlework even in the daylight! No wonder they had rooms for every time of the day... it all depended on where the sun was at that particular time! Thank you, Thomas Edison!

From the kitchen: comes the sound of a cash register dinging constantly! It really struck home yesterday at the grocery store just how much inflation is raging right now. ... sigh

I am wearing: a pair of stretch denim pants (green khaki colored) and a tan blouse with floral motifs all over it. And my handy-dandy flip flops...

I am reading: Cat and Mouse by James Patterson for about the 4th time. But I have to say that I am Alex Cross groupie...lol (And I blame that on Morgan Freeman... who played Alex Cross in Kiss the Girls)

I am hoping: that I can get in quickly to have my nails done this afternoon. With plans in the works I always hate to have that one chore left for the last minute and then worry about finding the time.

I am creating: place mats on the Kromski Loom. They will be blue with floats in white/multi colors.

I am hearing: the ringing in my ears that is my constant companion..lol

Around the house: I am loving the tiled floors more and more as time goes by. If I had known I would like them this much, I would have done it a lot sooner.

One of my favorite things: is answering the phone and it being one of the grandsons.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Preference by L'Oreal...lol The dark at the base of my blonde is showing...

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you:






















I painted this several years ago.. It now hangs in a friend's living room. Friends are wonderful things to have. They like your work even when you don't.....

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Hannah's Quilt Update




I have found a new use for my Kromski Harp Loom. While I don't actually attach the quilt to it, it does hold it up off my lap and give me access to the area I'm quilting while holding it fairly smooth and straight.






The heart pattern for the large squares worked out fine. I put scrolls in the rectangles and circles in the squares. The light green border is just straight line quilting around the perimeter of the pattern. The pattern for the outside yellow border will probably be either feather or concentric circles...haven't decided yet.


Pop over to Fabric Follies Two and see the chamois thimble I made yesterday to quilt with... it works great!