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).

MONDAY MONDAY....

What a CRAZY, unsettling weekend with our Nation in a pandamic crisis!

My household continues to be in isolation inside our house! The only person I see 'in person' is my husband, (which is a good thing). 

Oh thank God, 3M, just announced 500K N95 masks will be in Seattle and NYC tomorrow morning! I could start dancing! I have a daughter who is on the front lines now and I am worried that she has been put in a position of high risk because of the totally lack of preparation by the FEDS! 

OK, move on and let my pressure come down

Things I was looking at over the weekend:

Self Made

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/arts/television/review-self-made.html

Review in the NYT.

The Best Chocolate Cookies

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018459-double-chocolate-cookies

Recipe from NYT

It’s Alive with Brad Leone

You Tube

Netflix

Dr Thorne

Emma

Pandemic (i can only watch this in small doses ;-/)

Sunday we had a great meet up on ZOOM that Mary put together. It was so fun to put faces to names of blogs that I have followed for some time, but recently have become  an active participant/ leaving comments.

I am trying to do a meet up on ZOOM with some people here in my town tonight. let you know how it goes.

Books:

ordered today and recommended from above group:

Round House

The Splendid and the Vile

In the Pictures:

My daughter wearing her HUMULUS

I made this for my other daughter(Erin), had Caitlin try it on for sizing and she decided it fit her like a glove. I have casted on (Erin's sweater)  3X, yes 3X, and keep screwing up the pattern and RIP.

Frustrating, and the project gets put aside.

We sold our house and CLOSED on the house. Crazy story for another time!

Child's Aran Sweater for Gus

Ok, stay safe, stay home, and BREATH.

OH MY

Oh my, never in my nursing career did I ever think something like this would happen, (COVID_19). It's not the pandemic that is a surprise, we have been practicing this for a long time, it's how underprepared the FEDS were and still are! 

Pandemics are not diseases one plays catch up, it's the one, no one can fall further

than two steps behind! It's like working a full multiple traumas everywhere at once!

If your state is not in 'lock down', please put yourself and your entire household on full quarantine. We need to give the medical community a CHANCE to fight this!

On a brighter note, mere-et-filles is doing a ZOOM knitting meet up.

Check out her blog and get all the info. See you there!

I have not had my grandkids for 10 days, love keeping in touch with face time and pictures.

WHAT A WEEK

I use to do a lot of pictures and home made cards years ago. I have since put this craft aside but couldn't part with all the goodies I had acquired over the years, I also couldn't believe how much I spent on all those goodies.

They came in handy with B, we made Valentine Cards for her  friends at pre-school! She had a ball- cutting, stamping, punching, and best of all, GLUING!

It has been a crazy week here! Our house has been on the market and we had a contract that was to close the beginning of Feb. It's hard to close on a SCAM contract! What is really crazy,  no one saw it as a scam but my husband and I, we brought it up 1 week before closing. Because 2 BIG banks, three well known realtors, one big title co. and one lawyer were involved with this deal, no one thought a scam was possible. 

SCAMMERS are good and can blindside anyone!

On to what I have been reading:

The Amazing Thing by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

This is a  great LOL book! 

SPM, I relate to this women and her style of life! She is an incredible knitter yet doesn't take herself too seriously! What is not to love.

One for The Blackbird, One For The Crow by Olivia Hawker

 This book left me thinking for several days! Loved it!

Next up on the Reading Scene:

-Bettyville by George Hodgeman

-Parchment and Old Lace by Laura Childs

-The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear

One of many stacks of clothe that needs to be turned into something, to wear by someone, some time SOON! 

Finished stretched pants for GD-B. She told me her favorite color was blue and that she REALLY liked flamingos. Puddle Duck pattern (jumper/vest) is easy, potato chip knitting.

I think this outfit will be great for those winter days trying to turn to spring days here in Colorado.

Negroni shirt for my son.  I need to spend an hour on this shirt daily. I have to think so hard that too much time gives me a head ache. Where is Jill, my shirt making ninja when I need her? 

I can do this, I can do this, said the old shirt making Mom.

Another pair stretch pants for my girl B. 

I had made her space pants last spring and she wore them so much, she wore them OUT.

Wouldn't you know it, I had more material in the back room, otherwise known as 'the store;-]

I have been working on several other projects this  past week, (stress, it can be a motivator), but I'm not to a point to show them yet. And if you're wondering, I haven't left my home for several days and that's OK with me. 

Hubby is getting some new teeth today, he is so excited. We are celebrating with a dinner out this evening.

Joining with

Unraveled Wednesday

WEDNESDAY!!!

Sockhead Cowl  

I casted the Sockhead Cowl on after I saw it on Highly Reasonable blog. 

I'm not really a fan of variegated yarn, but found this in my stash and said: "perfect."

This is my 'take along' knitting, so it will be slow going and that is fine by me.

Winding yarn for next project -Puddle Duck. Yarn-Malbrigo, Rios, Paris Night color.

The color is so RICH and it's GD's favorite color: Blue.

Negroni shirt being cut out for my son. This will be the fifth Negroni I have made and love this pattern, it's magic! 

Finishing tonight, Neck Down Cardigan by Pure and Simple.

Finished and ready for the post office.

Archer Shirt by Grainline Studio.

I was not super impressed with the directions for this shirt, I had to go to several resources to understand how to sew this shirt together and often felt 'why are you doing it this way?'

I am going to sew another Archer shirt, I have the fabric and since I put in the research time, it should go smoothly.

This has been a wild week thus far for my household-

House contracts

Iowa 

SOTU speech.

I may need to cast on five new projects to keep my BP calm and stable and my thoughts occupied!

Oye Vey.

Joining:

Yarn Along

As Kat Knits

BEFORE ME

I have a thing for old things, I do! I love going to barn auctions, flea markets and antique shops in small towns. My house is not filled with ‘antiques’ but, it is filled with furniture, pictures, quilts and dishes from two generations back, from both my husband’s and my family. I really have a thing for ‘family things,’ I can’t  get rid of them. 

When first married I couldn’t afford big  antique items, like furniture or china so I was the girl that family members gifted their old furniture and china to, and now 40 plus years later I have a house full, ( many items are now considered true antiques). Patience was on my side. I love having the connection with our great grandparents, grandparents and parents through their furniture and household items. Thinking about how they used and made a home with these chairs, couches and tables, the family dinners that were served with the china and silver ware sets, that now serve my family. It all makes family get togethers special!

Since I am no longer a collector of household items, I have come to a new interest of old buildings, mostly buildings that are no longer in use, but have not been torn down. Buildings that have stood the test time of usefulness, weather and the prairie. I drive country roads, many dirt roads, to take pictures of old buildings. Who lived in these old buildings and who went to the out buildings to milk the cow and gather the eggs in the predawn hours? 

I believe that my desire for the  connection to the past is in my very soul and that my love for doing things,( quilting, knitting, spinning, canning, etc.) is so much a part of my life. I don’t live in the past, but I do need to pull the past with me in order to live in the ‘now.’

And, who doesn’t want to be remembered when gone by someone in the present? So, I wonder and think of these people of the past and what their lives were like. 

UNRAVELED WEDNESDAY

It's been over a month since my last post! I'm still wrestling with, do I like having my life on the open internet? Mind, not that it is a very interesting life, I strive not to be interesting, just normal-low key, doing things I enjoy. I guess, I will give this blog another run and if I get 'trolls' I will rethink "why am I blogging?'

A two sweater finish for January, both sweaters started in October and November, [ I am not a fast knitter, just steady.] The mustard sweater is for my daughter and the green one for my DIL. They both were very happy with their sweaters and I am sure will get lots of wear from these wooly goodness. 

Sent home the quilt,[pictured above] with my kids from Chicago. I am soo privileged that all my children love my quilts and always welcome the 'next one' into their home and lives. Fills my heart with joy. 

Doesn't that tray of snacks look amazing! Caitlin is amazing in the kitchen, perhaps that is why she is owner of a Coffee & Pie shop! The Charqcuterie Board was our meal on Christmas Day watching movies... ALL- DAY -LONG! No one even got dressed on Christmas Day, it was PERFECT!

2020, I have several plans in the 'making' world. Some shirts for my son, quilts, ( finishing up several UFO's), dresses for me and Daughters, and of course knitting! Their will be lots of reading as well. 

First up on theReading list:

Sandra Dallas: The Christmas Quilt

Sandra Dallas:Whiter Than Snow

Miss Read: Village Centenary

(I need some lite reading)

Joining up with Kat

Unravel Wednesday