ONCE A WEEK

SOAP

Smoked Ribs, Potato Salad, Corn on the Cob, Salad

Getting to 'trace' with soap

Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Corn on the Cob

This new blogger, I am not having fun with! I can't move my pictures around and blogger won't load them in the order I try to put them, sooo, I get this mish mash sequence of pictures! Ugh....

A couple of weeks ago, Caitlin and I decided to 'make' one day a week. Our first week was...

Canning Pickles. We put together Refrigerated Pickles and Dill Pickles. We forgot to put horseradish in the Dills, ( just something to rachet up the flavor, oh well next time.)

The pickles came out amazingly! It's hard  to let the jars sit and the spices to do their magic, but patience is a virtue, so I am told.

The second week, we made SOAP. I love homemade soap, I love making it and the only thing I love more, is to make SOAP with Caitlin. Of course, while making two basic batches of soap, we are planning our next batch....Goat Milk, and what essential oils to use. It is endless our plans and Caitlin has already found a local source for that goat milk!

Two year olds can be sooo funny! Gus walked into the kitchen and told his Mom, "I going to the library to pick up books and I have my mask on!" Cuz, you know all the germs out there. 

Kids, they will never know how much sunshine they spread in this crazy world.

After replacing all our appliances , I have been cooking and Eric has been smoking. 

I will say this stay at home thing, it has allowed us to cook some yummy, comfort food. And right now, I need comfort food a couple times a week!  The other thing in the kitchen happening is making dishes from scratch that before would of  been bought ready made at the store, like potato salad and all salad dressings. The hits have been, potato salad, cole slaw, and several salad dressings. The one pictured about, not so much, its Creamy Cucumber, needs some work. 

Are you cooking? I would love to hear all about your kitchen experience. 

YARN ALONG MAY

Continue to stay at home, being in the higher risk category, (higher risk due to age). 

Yes, we go to the grocery store, pick up occasional to go meals, and best of all we are seeing the kids on a limited basis. We are waiting to see the COVID stats mid May, if numbers are going down, will re-evaluate going out more, if numbers go up, tighten up our 'stay at home' regiment. I don't have high hopes that numbers will go down with so many people NOT wearing masks, feeling it infringes on their constitutional rights. Selfish, selfish people!

In the mean time, getting in daily walks. Taking pictures of amazing things in nature, I'm not sure I would of noticed before 'stay at home'.

Reading: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone  *****

Dark Money *****

Knitting: Notice

yarn ; Holst Garn

Are you on 'stay at home' restrictions? How is it going ? How are you using your time?

Wearing a mask when out?

Joining Giny at Yarn Along

Kat Knits; Unraveled Wednesday

ANOTHER DAY

Another day, yet, not another dollar for so many!

My heart aches for all those that have no idea how they will survive for the next week, let alone another month. I know so many are helping out where they can, donating to food banks, helping kids meet their bills and making masks for the medical crews working the front lines. 

Remember though, the biggest thing one can do:

STAY AT HOME!

BEND THE CURVE!

I have not a clue what trump is thinking about sending Americans back to work!The only words I have for this is: 'WHAT F*#$@*%#@ are you talking about'

Ok, enough, lets move on to more realistic ideas to help us through this difficult time.

1. Yale is offering some free classes on line. I have signed up for the Happiness class.

2. Elise Joys Three Things- read about this on Mary's blog

3. Cooking/Baking- what is everyone out there doing in the kitchen? Are you a scratch baker/cooker or a prepackage kitchen diva? 

Share your recipes or your favorite recipe blog.

Allrecipes is my go to place.

Yesterday, I spent the day in the kitchen making bread WW/White and Banana bread. The bananas were over ripe and not wanting to waste them=Banana bread.

I have been making the majority of our bread needs from scratch for years. Why?, I like to work in the kitchen and I love the smells of fresh bread. Does it always turn out picture perfect? NO! Every time it is a little different, but always great tasting!

What I am knitting:

Sockhead Cowl

Deep End Shawl

and of course- a pair of  vanilla socks 

What are you doing during the COVID-19 Stay Indoors!

PS: Love the different color of eggs(picture above).

SHE TURNED 26

Last evening Caitlin and Jason had a BBQ Birthday Party for Erin, she turned 26. It was a lovely evening, people stopping by, lots of good food and cold beer, with piñata x2 cracking, cribbage with Dad- (Caitlin loosing to her Dad again, someday Caitlin, someday. You knew you were in trouble when he took off his tie), country views, cows , old out building picture taking and lots of pictures.

Seems like yesterday that my children were babies!

And so how very proud I am in the adults they have grown into being.  

My three children have been the greatest gift in my life…. loved every stage that my kids passed through. Sure some weren’t as fun as others, but sometimes one has to figure out what doesn’t work

to know what does work. We all have gone through those growing pains!

But my three, the amazing people they have grown into….Erin- a nurse to be, Caitlin-small business owner, Nathan-wood working artist, this Mom’s heart is busting and over flowing with gratitude and love! 

WINTER IS BACK

yippie...i love a snow storm.;-)

it's saturday, the absolute perfect day in my week-because it is my day off- to hang around the house and savor the day in doing slow chores and watching the white stuff fall gently from the sky.

yes there will be laundry, vacuuming done but also some sewing, spinning and of course some knitting. 

the fire place will be going for the dogs and myself as well, not to mention the cozy factor in a roaring fireplace with grey skies and snow piling up outside.

mr. p has been out and shoveled twice all ready.

that man likes his driveway clear, oh yes he does.

if your lucky he will even do a neighbor or two's walk way, that is just the way he rolls.

so i am off to enjoy my day, my slow day doing all the things i love on a cold snowy january day.

OMG

I was one of the blogs chosen for Week End Reading by 

down to earth

This is one of my top 3 favorite blogs.

Rhonda's writing is a grounding factor in my life.

My daughter was featured on this blog's series

The Kitchen Sink

when she was living in China.

Thanks Rhonda!

WEEKENDERS

as i have written before, i have been working full time since past july. one can imagine the crimp this has on finishing projects! my quilting had been laid aside for projects { knitting} that i could carry with me and work a row or two while on my lunch break. 

then my sweet friend julie loaned me her machine , a fantastic quilting machine and i have been completely smitten with this machine. 

i can't stop finishing quilts.

this morning i finished piecing this adorable baby boy quilt { triangles} and hope to have it on the machine this afternoon.

the low volume quilt is done and ready to ship to new york.

sunday's are such a wonderful day for me. 

a day to reflect

a day to get ready for the new week

a day to read

a day to knit

a day to sew

a day to watch a great movie
a day to cook a great sunday dinner

a day that i knit and spend time with a friend

while having coffee and burritos

at me oh my pies

yes, sunday is the best day of the week!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

the other day i was driving up centre ave and this huge flock of birds were flying directly overhead darkening the sky.

at first i thought they were those big fat black crows that are around here but as i crested the hill i realized they were ducks. 

and apparently their was a meeting of the duck minds on the field. their was hundreds of ducks in the air and on the ground. i quickly pulled over for a few pics. 

once out of my car realizing that i had hundred of ducks overhead i thought " this is a bad idea! i am going to get duck poop bombed"

thus making the fast decision to NOT take pics of the ducks flying above me.....only of the ones out in the distance..uh um!

i took pics faster than fast and " ducked" back into my car without one bomb landing on me, my car not so lucky.

it was an amazing site, one of the wonders of nature.

another amazing site is the season that my daughter lives and dreams pies.

actually she is working 16-18 hour days getting all her pie orders out on time for the special thanksgiving meal.

i would be stressing but her shoulders drop and she gets into her zen lovingly making pies.

a true talent!

Happy Thanksgiving

have a save peaceful day.