New Do

 

We've lived in our home 5 years now and have decided that we need to do a little updating since our home was built in the '70s.  We put it off for a few years just because we didn't want to go through all the mess.. plus we both have had health issues.  But a month ago we decided the time is right.. so here we go.. It's been 3 days now and it looks like another few days before we can see the progress.  

They are spraying the walls today with texture and then will knock it down for a softer look.  The ceiling will be White Dove and the beams will be the same.  Hopefully that will stop the eye-popping stand out of the beams.  

Putting 2 new lights in on the east side of the room for some added light.  Really need that.  

Truth is... we both (and the dogs) miss our recliners...lol  

I think the cloud of 40 year old dust is taking a toll on Jerry.  He was very sick last night...all night. But.. when this is done, the old dust will be completely gone.  That will be a good thing. 

It's only 84° right now!  True cold front!  Temps only supposed to reach 92° today.  Wonderful! 

Have a great day today.. do something creative even if you don't feel like it.  Hugs.. 

Nothing as Good as Children

 Got a phone call Thursday wanting to know if we were going to be home.  Of course..lol  It seems 2 of my sons had ridden their bikes to Sturgess to the bike rally .. and Chuck was stopping here on his way home! He got to spend the night and had to go home the next day (yesterday), but was sooo good to see him and to spend time with him.  I would post his photo, but he doesn't like to have his pic posted, so will not.  

Sometimes I wonder how I got so terribly attached to our 2 little dogs...and then I see something like this picture.  lol   Katie was only a few months old 10 years ago when this picture was taken.  You can hardly tell her tiny little self apart from the neck pillow I always kept on my chair!  And Sam just had to sit on my lap and nose around to whatever he could find.  They have become our second set of "children" as we grow older and our kids have all grown up.  We love 'em.. 

Temps here in Oklahoma have finally fallen below 100 degrees a couple of days ago... truly feels like a cold front came through when it hit only 98°!  Hopefully the heat dome that was sitting over us has either broken or moved on. None of my flowers did very well this year.  The only thing that was good were the onions that I put out... they were perfect!  Just not enough of them. 

Covid numbers are back up in our county so people are staying in again.  Not too happy about that.  Time for me to go back to sewing, knitting and spinning... maybe a little painting. 

Hope your days have been good ones.  Hug your loved ones and spend as much time as you can with them.  

The Long Hot Summer and Sourdough Bread

I've tried for years to get a sourdough bread to work.. without any luck, I might add.  Finally I found a way that works!  Ask me if I'm delighted..lol   I put the dough together last night at bedtime and let it rise all night, then punched it down this morning and let it rest another 45 minutes in the pans.  Baked it at 450° until it browned and voila'  .. it worked!  

I worked and worked with this a couple of years ago when there was NO bread on the shelves...yeast was almost impossible to find (had son mail me some from Michigan)... and even flour was not to be found on Amazon.  I never could get it to work for me, but I didn't know how.  Thanks to feastingathome.com I finally got a full idea of how it's done.  I didn't follow completely since I don't have a dutch oven that is the right kind for this, but I followed enough that it worked.. :)  Here's the full instructions for this .. feastingathome.com/sourdough-bread .

It's been miserably hot this year with every day for over a month having temps above 100°F.  Misery is not even the best word and I can't think of one bad enough.  Dangerous is better.  Our grandson Dustin is working for a roofer and had heat stroke yesterday.  This temperature gauge is on our back porch, in the shade, and this temp shown was yesterday about 5pm.  The cotton crop that the poor dry land farmers have is almost negligible.  Tiny, short plants with few blooms that we could see from the road as we drove by...and it's just now August.  This will definitely be "The Long Hot Summer" .... 

I found another Michael Lee doll on Amazon not long ago.  Was so surprised and tickled!  A bright spot in a long hot summer..lol 

 I had no idea Michael Lee was also in movies!  Heaven and Earth,  Noble House, Around the World in 80 Days, Operation Dumbo Drop..  amazing.. Here is a youtube video with Michael and some of his later dolls.  

Michael Lee

Hope your weeks have been good.  I will try to do better at posting, but no promises made with all the heat.  :)   Kiss your loved ones and hug your fur babies.. have a wonderful day. 

In Times Past

My brother and I spent a lot of time with Dad's mom and dad in the country.  They usually had a cow, chickens and occasionally pigs.  As a result, there was always milk, eggs, butter, buttermilk.  Grandma kept several crocks on her cabinet that she would pour the fresh milk into and let the cream settle to the top.  When her knives would get dull, she would "whet" them across the edge of those crocks to sharpen them. 
  One day I got so frustrated with my paring knife I almost threw it away.  Then I saw one cup upside down on the cabinet .. voila'..  What could it hurt to try???  So I did.. and it worked.  Now this is what I do when I have a dull paring knife.  May not be chef sharp, but it does what I need done.  :) 

Daughter and son in law are here and we went to the Backdoor Steakhouse in Blair, OK for supper last night.  Had a wonderful time.  Going to Russell, OK today and visit some Schuster home places. Totally glad we now have cars... a little hot for the old horse and buggy days.. lol  

Have a good day today and enjoy the 4th of July holiday.

Reading, Reading, Reading

 Seems I've been on a real reading kick for the last couple of months.  Kindle Unlimited has been my best friend with me reading up to a whole book a day.. sigh  Really must stop this. 

The current crop of 12 books is by R. Allen Chappell with his Navajo Nation Mystery Series.  I've read the first six and am on the 7th now..  I've thoroughly enjoyed this series.  It's not the highest class reading.. very easy to read and smooth sailing..  but I'm really enjoying his knowledge of the Navajo people and some of their ideas on life. 

Vaughn Entwistle is another series author I've read this go round.  He pairs up Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde .. I know.. hard to get my head around these two together..lol  But somehow he makes it work and turns out truly enjoyable read. 

It's been very hot here in Oklahoma for the last few weeks (triple digits) and staying inside is only alternative at the moment. Hope everyone is staying cool wherever you are.. Have a lovely day! 

I've been trying some new stitching combinations (for me..ha) trying to see what they will look like before putting them on Jim and Don's wedding block. This is a needlebook cover that I have done using the feather stitch and a new rose combination. (If you want to see some really beautiful stuff just wander over and take a look..) This rose is just a stem stitch done in circles... how easy!

The top photo is the back of the cover and has spiderweb roses while the roses on the front (bottom photo) are the ones done in the stem stitch.

Crocheted Thimble Bag

One of the comments on my old Fabric Follies blog asked for the pattern for the crocheted thimble bag that I made last winter for Grandma Ingram's thimble. Since I have never gotten around to writing down the pattern, I will put some links up for crocheted thimble bags.

There are a couple found at CQ Mag Online . The pattern is here. It is not shown with beads, but could easily have beads added. Another is by Becky Dwyer and also is not shown with beads, but here also the beads would be easy to add. The pattern is shown here. I hope these help.  And perhaps now I will make more of an effort to get this pattern down in writing..grin

24 Days & DH's Day 1

Well, it's been 24 days without a cigarette. I have to say that I do NOT miss the hacking cough, the smell, the ashes mess, the interruption to run outside and smoke, finding the smoking section of a restaurant. I have missed the time spent on the porch with DH in the mornings and throughout the day. Today will his first day using the patch and quitting. This is a very good thing.

It's actually thundering outside as I post this. What a great sound! We are supposed to get an inch of rain today and that would be wonderful.

I had my second visit with the cardiologist. Tests were done... etc.. etc.. An appointment has been made with another cardiologist to have a cardiac cath done on Tuesday.

In the meantime, I have been crocheting a bit. Small projects that can be finished quickly. 

108° .... Phew.. Good Time to Spin .

When DH came in yesterday from coffee with the guys, he said the bank temperature sign said 108°. I personally wouldn't know since the closest to outdoors I went was to take a few things to my workroom quickly and shut the door behind me as I left. :O) The silk/merino mix that I bought in Tucson at Grandma's Spinning Wheel has been spun into a 14 wpi 2 ply yarn. When I have plied what is on this spindle I am hoping to have enough for a light, lacy scarf. I love this stuff... The silk gives it a wonderful sheen and the softness just makes me want to walk around with it glued to my cheek...lol If you have read my blog for a long time, you know that I started this blog blogging about embroidery and ribbon embroidery. 

A Bit of This and A Bit of That

Yesterday it was 85°F ... beautiful sunshiny day.  Last night was thunder rolling, raining and very cold.  Today is overcast, cold and was 28°F when I got up and took the dogs out at 7:15am.   Right now it is 30°F and overcast with wind gusts up to 50mph..  My friend posted on facebook that it is snowing in Amarillo and that's only a couple of hours away.  Welcome to Oklahoma... roflol

The daffodils are the first to show their little heads early in the almost spring.  I noticed them a couple of days ago and today .. after the short rain last night.. they have grown at least 2 inches.  I surely do hope we have more rain today. 

I got so tickled when I looked for new growth on my irises... looks like the tiny new "flags" are unhappy that the Magnolia tree is encroaching with its dropping leaves on her bed.. lol  Looks like "scissors" wins.. 

I searched for Autumn Joy sedum for years.  Finally found  some only to have a gardener pull it up thinking it was a weed.. 😧  I finally found some somewhere else and have managed to keep it alive.  Always so happy to see those little rosy faces peek out .  :)

Years ago when I first began to spin, I made my spindles from a toy wheel, a dowel rod and (thanks to my sweet husband) a cup hook screwed in the top of the dowel rod.  I have recently joined a page on facebook for spindle spinners and have renewed my interest in spindles.  However, I'm finding it difficult to maintain the same counterclockwise spin.. ughh If you spin the wrong direction after starting, it all comes undone and drops the spindle on the floor...   :(  Must work on that.. sigh

Every now and then some yarn is spun that is just not what you thought it would be.  This was that yarn to begin with.  I really hated did not like it.  It was just totally blah.  I read about something called corded yarn where you take the 2 or 3 ply yarn, respin it tightly and then ply it again.. VOILA' !!! I LOVE IT!  Just unimaginably perfect!  I will try this with several others that I have had sitting in my storage box for a while. 

Time to get up and accomplish something.  (Probably not).. but will make the (littlest) effort anyway.  lol  Have a wonderful day.. :)

Doing a Bit of Cooking

Thursday Feb. 3, 2022... Cold, cold, cold.  There is now 5 1/2 inches of snow on the ground with ice crunching underneath the feet as we try to take the dogs out.  It's a pretty useless effort since neither one of our little poodles likes the cold at all. So we are sitting in our chairs for the most part watching the fireplace and being totally glad to  have it. 

Yesterday I made a large "soup".. I'm not sure exactly what to call it.. lol  Hamburger stew and to this one I added Ranch Style Beans... Lovely!  Tastes a bit like taco soup, but much more subtle.  Yum .. 

Jerry decided he wanted a pumpkin pie so I found a recipe for a butter pie crust.. my first.  Not my first pie crust... first butter crust.  It is truly wonderful. Can't seem to find the recipe I used ..but..sigh... this one is almost just like it.   Perfect Pie Crust ... give it a try!

Feb. 4, 2022... Several years ago I found a "tip" on the internet about how to sharpen knives if you don't have a sharpener.  The original idea was to run the edge of your knife around the top of a stoneware crock while turning it over and over.  I've seen my grandmother do this many times over the years.  Since I don't have a crock sitting on my counter, I turned over one of my coffee mugs... worked perfectly.  I do this often now. 

Well, the snow is still with us. The sun is out today but the temp is barely supposed to reach freezing.. it's 11 degrees right now.  Probably not much melting happening today, but maybe a little.  Hoping for enough to allow the doggies a place to go do their business! 

Have a great day today.  Drink lots of hot whatever you drink... I would say hug all your family and friends, but with Covid everywhere that's maybe not such a good idea.. but virtual hugs are ok... 

My Diary: January 24, 2022

I woke up this morning: and stumbled to the bathroom with my eyes closed.  Kinda ready to get up but not quite ready to wake up.  Still cold in the mornings... 26° when I let the dogs out this morning.  It got up to the mid 60s yesterday and is expected to do the same today.  Wanted to climb back in that warm bed, but decided if I did I wouldn't want to get up again until at least 9... lol

I look out my window:  and it's still dark.  The skies are relatively clear so the stars and moon are shining like glitter in the sky.  March13, 2022 daylight savings time will begin again and the sun will be up by this time.  

I am hearing:  the squeak of my chair as I rock back and forth.  Fixing that squeak is one of those procrastination things that I've put off for ...  oh ... 4 or 5 months.. lol  

I am thinking: not much this morning.  My brain seems to be on vacation without me.. sigh   I think I need more than my usual 1 cup of coffee this morning.  May need to add some strong chocolate with it to build up the caffeine.. 

I am thankful for:  the different blogs and posts I read.  Soooo much information... so many new ideas..it's hard to stay stagnant in your thoughts and ideas when confronted with so much new information. So many people now willing to share their ideas, their grasp of new crafts, new how-to information on the use of tools.. sometimes it's mind boggling. 

I am wearing: a plain, pink Walmart house dress.  No touchy anywhere.. just a loose, comfortable, very ugly dress..lol  My sister Tina introduced me to these dresses.. Her words?  "They're so ugly, but so comfortable!" 

I am hoping: that I can figure out a personalized pattern to make my own clothes.  As I've grown older the shape of the body has changed and generalized patterns just don't seem to do it.  

I'm also hoping to start knitting or crocheting again in the evening while watching television.  I miss having something to show for that time instead of Level 450 of some game on my phone.. sigh

I am reading: the 3rd book of the Riftwar Saga books by Raymond Feist.  I finished the second one last night.  I suppose at some point I will be tired of them, but not yet..lol  

I am learning: that it's a lot easier to square up your quilting before you start quilting than after.. sigh  

I am creating:  another full cloth quilt.  I've got the sheets almost ready for the batting to be added and then the tying begins. 

One of my favorite things: that little ceramic bowl in the picture.  My friend Pat and I made yarn bowls a few years ago at a ceramic shop.  I loved it...still love it.. has function and memories..

A few plans for the rest of the week:  include working on the quilt, spending some time finding the bottom of my desk (if possible..ugh),  and making a rug from the strips of fabric torn from 4 sheets.  Not sure I want a totally faded blue rug, but sometimes ya can't have everything.. 

Last thought:  I'm having a very hard time in this second year of the covid stay at home.  I've decided the only way I will survive is to spend more time outdoors, keep working on my crafts and use the phone a LOT to keep in contact with everyone I care about.  Hope you have a wonderful week.. Hugs.. 

Good Morning...January 19, 2022

 Good morning.  Up at 4:30am this morning.  Don't know what's up with early morning rising, but seems to be a new pattern for me.  I have to say that I do enjoy the quiet time.  

Found out yesterday that Covid Omicron is so prevalent here that most in our doctor's office are out with it.  Daughter who is working for one of the drs. in that clinic says we should stay home... go nowhere.  So once again there will be no beauty shop or nail appointments for a while.  This is the second year for the Covid threat and have been out to eat once in those 2 years,.  Not to say we don't order out and use the pick up window... but sometimes it's just nice to sit down in a restaurant and have dinner and conversation with someone you love.  I'm sure that most health professionals are aware of the mental health issues with this pandemic, but sometimes I wonder how much we are actually saving (as far as health is concerned) by the stay-at-home idea since the increase in depression is so markedly on the rise.  We have not seen our grandchildren for almost 2 years.  Not a good thing.

Several years ago I started this egg.  The idea was to see if I could do a Russian style icon.  It didn't turn out too badly, but then I was stymied on how to finish the back side of the egg.  Needless to say... I am still stymied.  It occurs to me that a lot of Russian art contains at least some geometrics, so I'm thinking I may get out the acrylics and do a geometric of some kind on the back.  Any ideas would be welcome.. :)

We're in for a bit of relief from the horrible cold...welcome relief.  Up in the 40s and 50s and then on Sunday and Monday it should be almost like spring with temps in the high 60s and even 70s.  That's always welcome, but the cold that comes after always seems even colder.. sigh 

When we take our dogs to be groomed, they always come home with a little triangle of cloth around their necks as a scarf.  Since our dogs are so "graceful", we always take them off to prevent them from tugging and pulling on them.  This time we cut the collar off Katie with the scarf!  We immediately ordered another one that comes with her name on it and other information, but it would take 3 weeks to get it, so enter the trust sewing machine... I really prefer this little collar for her than the new one she has now.  It is much softer and just as strong.  I'm sure it's more comfortable for her, but her new one has her name on it.  Anyway, I'll put up a tutorial to make a collar for your dog on Fabric Follies Too... very easy to do. 

Must get around.  Coffee cup empty and it's 6:10am.  Have plans for the day, just not sure what they are yet..lol  Have a wonderful day... 😊

 

My Diary... Jan 12, 2022

 

I woke up this morning:   with a little wet nose on my cheek and bell ringing in my ear.  It was not quite 5:30am but I got up anyway.  Sweet Katie was telling me it was time to rise and shine...so I rose, but definitely did not shine.. 😉

I look out my window:    and I can see the sun beginning to shine.  The thermometer outside says not quite 30° and it's definitely feeling it.  The trees are bare and the earth is definitely in sleeping, resting mode.  The winters have been cold and not my favorite part of the seasons until I realized one day that it is not a dead season, but a resting season needed for the revitalization of life.  Time to slow down a bit and revitalize myself. 

I am hearing:    the whirring of my printer.  It's enough to make me want to turn the thing off.  But the ringing in my ears helps to cover it..lol  

I am thinking:   that I can finally see patterns in my life... and as I do all those things one hears as child are true.  Be careful who you spend time with.. family is all important...early to bed, early to rise...and on and on.. I have heard and smiled at all my life.  Today, they don't seem so rhetorical at all.  

I am thankful for:   first and foremost..my sweet, caring, thoughtful husband who helps me through good times and bad, takes care of me even when he doesn't feel well himself.  My children..there is not a word that comes close to covering how thankful I am for my children.  Coffee.. lol.. what can I say about coffee..sigh

I am wearing:    My gown (black with tiny roses around the neckline) and my robe (horrible faded black t-shirt material with huge pink flowers on it.. ughhh).  But.. it's very comfortable.  Flows without any binding anywhere and I may just wear it all day.   

I am hoping:    that my children are well.  That Covid will soon pass into that thing that happens during flu season instead of all year long.  2 years stuck inside the house is enough already. 

From the kitchen:    doesn't come very much these days.  But I did put a corned beef in the crock pot a day or so ago.  LOVE THAT!  Still having corned beef sandwiches.  Made a couple of batches of chocolate covered peanuts and some peanut butter cookies.  Yum...

Around the house:   It seems the older we get the more often we don't feel well, so the house could use a good deep cleaning and de-cluttering.  You would think that being stuck inside during the Covid mess some of this would get done...but no.. hmmm

I am reading:    For the 5th or 6th time.. Magician Apprentice.. by Raymond E. Feist.  This is a series of fantasy books I read for the first time many years ago and have re-read many times since.  

I am learning:   seems to be not much lately.  I'm going to have to re-learn how to spin with a spindle since for the last several years I have used only my spinning wheel.  sigh... 

I am creating:   not sure I would call it creating.. but.. anyway I managed somehow to lose my coat!  Now.. how does a person lose a coat?  ughhh  ... so I had to make me another one.  It's not as warm as the one I lost, but it works in a pinch ..lol   I will make another one with some closer woven fabric, but I do like the way this one drapes. 

This is the coat and the pattern that I use.  I have had the pattern for years and am considering making it with very light material as a matching cover for just jeans and a shirt.  Anyway... the number of things I consider in just one day would fill a month's worth of time if I made them all. 😏😏😏

Now.. on to other things. 

One of my favorite things:  is following my children, grandchildren and friends on facebook.  Sometimes I think I should just get off it, but somehow that lasts about 1 day.  I love the photos.. what the kids are doing, what the grands are doing.. just LOVE it.. 

A few plans for the rest of the week:   not many.  To the beauty shop today but as far as plans, that's it.  Whatever gets done will get done when I decide.  Haven't felt too well for the last few days, so will see what happens later on.. 

Remember to smile at stranger, hug your friends and have a wonderful day. 

A New Year

Well, the New Year has started like the old year ended... with me erasing my entire blog post thinking I had already posted it on my laptop... but no... didn't happen.  

Anyway... I learned a long time ago that New Years resolution thing was not a happening thing around here... usually lasted about a week .. or at the most, two.  But there is one thing that I hope I will continue into this year.  I found a blog a few years ago on another blog that I was following and it was called (and still is)  The Simple Woman  .  I found it very calming and decided that while I did not want to join the group that she has, I did want to try something similar.  I did for quite a while and found that my day started much more smoothly as I found so many things to be thankful for and it caused me to pay attention to my life today and not what was yesterday or tomorrow.  I will try to do something similar here. 

It has been so very cold here for the past week or two.  We have enjoyed the fireplace immensely. 

Sam (apricot) and Katie (black) enjoy it as much or more than we do.. lol  The last 3 years have not been easy for us and these two lovelies have made all the difference for us.  Watching them play, running around chasing a ball or just hugging and loving on us has absolutely made the days pass easier. 

The groomer we take them to always puts a little triangular bandana on them and when we get home we have to take them off or Sam will choke himself tugging on it.. So Hubs was cutting Katie's off and also cut off her collar!  So I am now working on a collar for her until her new one comes in.  Have it about 1/2 done and trying to figure out how all the hardware goes back on.  We'll see if I'm smart enough to get it done.  :)

Hugs to all. Stay warm and enjoy this day.