KEEPING IT SIMPLE while THE WORLD IS ON FIRE

The kiddos were here on the weekend and I came up with an art project that, 1) they loved and 2) lasted most of the morning....BINGO that's a win! I had used up some fabric on a few bolts and hated to just toss the cardboard , so I decided to put them on the table with a bunch of art supplies and said 'go for it'. 'Go for it' they did, what started as making -'people board's' went to pure unrestricted artistic expression. I love that kind of kid art! Let them run with imagination.

We have a GIANT fire burning about 50 miles up the canyon from us and the smoke is awful! It has been blocking out the sun for days, some days worse than others. So besides for COVID reasons, we are locked inside our homes due to the thick smoke. Oy Vey, what else is 2020 going to throw at us?

A few projects that I have completed are:

--sweater for Gus

---rainbow socks that I am keeping for me

---the disaster quilt for Gus

I call it the disaster quilt because of all the mistakes in the quilt. One would think- this is the first quilt I have ever made and I have close to about 150 under my sewing belt. One thing that I finally cried "uncle" on -is my straight edge ruler. It must be 15-20 years old and has few markings  left on it that I can read and the edge is all gouged and nicked. I ordered a new one! If Disaster quilt was not going to little Gus I would of thrown it out. It almost landed in the trash several times but I thought, Gus is just going to drag it through the dirt, stomp on it and use in fort building....well now, it may just be perfect for him. Betty saw it and thought it was so "beautiful" and asked if it was for her?

Me: no Honey this is for Gus.

Betty: But Mimi, Gus does not SHARE! 

Betty:  I know, You can make me one too!

Me: Of course I will!

The quilt is made from scraps and I mean true scraps. I have buckets of small scrappy quilt fabrics. I can't bear to throw out fabric, it's expensive and I can always make something from the scraps. 

I'm anxiously awaiting a Di Ford -BOM quilt and book to arrive, it will be the first Di Ford quilt for me. Lots of piecing, (so glad I ordered that new ruler), and some appliquéing, best of both worlds. 

Also on the agenda is a Hexie Quilt that will be done by hand! Hope I live long enough to complete this beautiful quilt, another quilt inspired by Di Ford.

Presently, I am machine quilting the Brown and Pink Reproduction Quilt. 

Reading:

The Good Lord Bird by James Mc Bride

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton

Joining Kat - Unraveled Wednesday

PEACHES

Last Wednesday was spent canning 2 cases of peaches with Caitlin. We ended up with 29 quarts and about 7 whole HUGE peaches (left over)! Not bad for about 3 hours of work. 

The kitchen 'flow' was hard, I had the canning flow down in my old house to a smooth sailing ship. This new kitchen is much bigger and lots of room to move, but have to figure out the 'flow'! Also, without stone counters we had to bring in ply wood so the jars wouldn't burn the counters and table. Yup, Caitlin and I have both done that at one time or another. 

What is on the agenda this week coming up, I am not sure but I bet their will be something and it will be fun!

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. 

9 OCTOBER 2017

First snow of the season is happening here today! It is not the BIG storm that the weather people were predicting, but it is snow! Coloradans love snow! And I love it because of all the woolies I  get to wear and knit for all the people I care so much about in this world. Admittedly, most of my knits are for my little people here, an 18 mo. old and a baby boy due to arrive early December.

In preparation for the snow and freezing temps I cleaned out the garden of all edible goods, lots of lettuce and green tomatoes. Fried green tomatoes will be on the menu this week with veggie soup and salad to kick off the week.

I don't know about you, but I find myself reading a lot of articles, affirmations, prayers, and books to keep me calm with all the craziness going on in Washington, mainly by the White House. 

I feel so helpless with our elected officials and their inability to govern, that if I am not careful I could spin into a deep depression.

I must start with me! And do what little I can, first, to take care of my family and provide a safe welcoming home, relationships with them, then to write/call to Washington often! 

And keep calm.

11 SEPTEMBER 2017

So much haze from the fires burning North of us-keep Montana in your thoughts and prayers, please!

It's been a full week with,

70th Birthday Party for a friend

Neighborhood BBQ

Soup Making

Lots of Walking

Car buying (for Dghter in the Minn.)
Yarn Dying
Knitting
Sewing

Today, a friend is coming over and we are going to cut out patterns and start sewing clothes. I love to sew clothes but sometimes I need a little kick start and Jill is just my starter. An amazing sewing Jill is and I have learned so much from her over the years. Looking forward to our weekly sewing adventures.
I must say the air quality is so much better today than the above picture...thank goodness. All our friends in Florida survived the hurricane, so this week is looking better, wouldn't you say?
Did you notice my baby girl is wearing pig tails....be still my heart!!!!!!!!!

My heart is with all the families, New York, D.C. and PA. today.
September 11, 2001

14 JUNE 2017

I can remember trying to slow down my life ever since having my first baby way back in 1981! I never felt that I was EVER meeting my goals, always something more to get involved in, always that tension of involving self and family in activities or not. Balancing, another word I never was good at in my 60 years. I have the personality of either I'm all in or out! But, breaking my foot has truly slowed and simplified by world. I complete only tasks that need to be done and I only complete one or two tasks daily. My amazing husband has filled in all other gaps...particularly, driving me around when needed to save my sanity and get me out of the house. All the above pictures were taken from a sitting position either from my daughters front porch, my back porch, a park bench or my bed. I have been knitting a pair of socks and happy to report, they are almost done! I have also been working on my Brassy Dress that will be, a loonngg knit, though wonderful, mindless knit, (something much needed at this time). I picked up a long ago appliqué quilt that never made it to my complete pile;-[  Something is different about working on this quilt, I am really enjoying this appliqué process, slow as it is! I ran out of the gold fabric and went to a  local fabric store that carries a large collection of reproductions to see if by a miracle I could find this print. I know, I was giggling as I was asking "do you by chance have this in stock?" 

Worker: "let's see, do you know who the designer is?"

Me: "no, i bought this about 15 years ago, maybe." (almost slapping my knee at how ridiculous that sounded. I can only blame this absurd errand on the fact-I'm going stir crazy with this broken foot.)

Sweet Worker: "oh!"

Me: "how about something in the same color range?"

Well, that sweet lady looked and looked for me, however, every bolt she showed me my response was," i have that at home."( which I truly did.)

I left the shop with no fabric, but did purchase a new thimble that I am enjoying, Clover Protect and Grip.

It's heating up here on the Front Range-expecting 90, high 90's over the next week! Yikes- I am not a heat fan and less so with a aircast on my lower leg. New chore-staying cool.