(Not So) Silly Habits Mean A Lot...

I haven't reported on my decluttering efforts lately, but I have been busy. Yesterday I took 8 boxes, three rolls of vinyl fabric and a few furniture pieces to St. Vinny's. Using the standard for allowable deductions, it amounted to nearly $1200 value in donations! 

It sure made a difference in the amount of "stuff" I've been looking at, but more importantly, it can make a big difference to people in need.

I've also filled a large tote with packaged fabric that will soon be on its way to my friend in Arizona who owns a 501(c)(3) who will make sure it goes where it will have the greatest impact. I have a bit more of that to package and then it will be mailed out.

Lastly, I have one more box that's filled with crafty things that I'll take with me next time I go to Portage, so that my dear creative friends might be able to use the contents for items they make for craft shows and sales. More things away from here.

So, even though I haven't mentioned it lately, I have been a busy bee, and it sure feels good. While there's still much to do, taking a few minutes each day amounts to huge changes by the end of a week. This is a small habit that can make a big difference. I like this plan, so I'll definitely be more consistent with this in the future. 

(Note: Silly Habits Mean A Lot is another song title. I couldn't resist. )

A Couple of Snapshots From The Farmhouse...

Pheasant Back Mushroom

It was much too nice to spend the entire day indoors. Now that the rains have passed, Handsome and I could finally mow the lawn together. (We nearly needed a baler to pick up the clippings!) I took my cell phone with me so I could take a few photographs while I was in the yard.

I'd noticed this beauty last week, so I was glad that it was still in our yard to be able to share it with you. This is an edible pheasant back mushroom. While it's perfectly edible, I'd much rather enjoy it in the yard. 

I've found others on the property since we moved here. The first time was in 2017, and I wrote about it HERE. There were multiples, they were much larger, and about five feet off the ground in the fence row north of the farmhouse. This singleton is about five inches off the ground, and growing on a tree in our yard. Both trees are dying, but still wearing some leaves. I'm glad we didn't have the heart to take this tree down so it could be the guardian of this beautiful mushroom.

Fence Line Irises

While I like to fancy myself a gardener, I guess my green thumb is limited to the raised gardens. As I'm unable to spend great periods of time on my knees, the idea of weeding is a painful prospect. That means all the gorgeous flowers around the farmhouse thrive in spite of me. These irises were planted by Shelly's family when they still lived here, and they're about three and a half to four feet tall. They're reaching for the sun through all the "weeds" and grass that have encroached on their once-meticulous beds.

I'm still looking for a teenager or two for hire who would like to help me weed the gardens, and hope someone can get here soon. I'll supervise to make sure they don't pull the "good stuff" like the men we had here a couple years ago. Too many of the plants I put in disappeared into the refuse pile when they were here. I won't make that mistake again.

The forecast is for more beautiful weather, so I think it may be time to bring the yard furniture up to the porch. It would be lovely to stitch outdoors when the sun is shining. Maybe I'll be able to do that later today.

I hope the sun shines brightly on your face, and the soft breezes kiss the flowers where you are today. See you again tomorrow.

Finally! Back To This Project...

After taking some time off to spend with Handsome, working ten hours on Sunday, and another six yesterday, I'm finally off "work" until Friday evening. That means I can do some needle dancing and homekeeping - my two favorite things - beside spending time with my husband, of course.

I managed to get this far on the frogs before I had to work on Sunday, and you can see I only got half the legs done on the frog in the 3 o'clock position. I'm couching down the gold super pearl purl, and will finish that one first. I'm also going to determine the placement for the crown on one of the frogs before I go further on that one. 

After I've done that much, I'll couch in the details around the eyes and body before getting down to the sparkly bits. Isn't it fun that each one seems to have its own personality? That will become more apparent as I fill in each their unique colors. 

I admit, the last few work days have me a bit tired, but needlework always restores me. I know this will be a great day. I hope for the same for you!

Saturday Date Night...

About a month ago, Handsome asked me to reserve May 25th for a special date night. I made sure I wasn't on the schedule at work, and asked him multiple times (mostly in jest) "How should I dress for our date?" or "Where are we going on the 25th again?" or "Are we going somewhere we've gone before?"...all in an effort to get him to spill the beans on what I should expect from this surprise date night. 

He never waivered, just saying "I'm not telling you, so quit asking." I would...until the next time. lol

Finally, on Friday night, he asked me if I really wanted to know what he had planned for our date. I didn't hesitate. "Yes, please." I said. He informed me that we were going to go on a "sunset cruise" on the Road America race track in Elkhart Lake. This world-renowned track is only about twenty minutes from us, and on a good day, when the wind's just right, you can hear the cars racing over there.

What a wonderful idea! I was already looking forward to it.

The event was full, with one hundred fifty cars on the track Saturday night. Drivers got their rules before the cruise began. We had a pace car, and no one under any circumstances should pass the pace car. We'd do three laps around the track, and everyone had to "behave" or everyone would have to come off the track. In the event everyone was on their best behavior, the pace car driver could add one more lap. At no time did anyone drive over forty five miles per hour. We were nearest the end of the line of cars on the track.

Handsome took his driving very seriously. We had decided to take my Explorer, but there were trucks, a Ford Mustang club, a Mini Cooper, and many other makes and models of vehicles. There were even a few motorcycles. 

This was a silly selfie from before the drive began. We did, in fact, drive four laps. It was an absolutely perfect night for a sunset cruise.

Handsome said there are multiple other opportunities to drive the track again throughout the summer. He just may surprise me with another cruise on our calendar. I hope you enjoyed joining us on our Saturday night date!

Memorial Day...

Memorial Day

As you spend time with family and friends today, take time to remember the service and sacrifice of all those souls who made our freedoms possible.

 

 

Sunday Scripture...

John 16:33

 

A Day Off...

Taking the day off to spend with Handsome. This photo is an oldie from 2018, but a favorite, for sure. I'll post my Sunday Scripture and Memorial Day remembrance, but I'm taking off the rest of the weekend.

See you soon!

Dinner With Old Friends...

Our school reunion committee from last year enjoyed being together so much that we try to get together monthly now. We had a smaller group yesterday, as others had prior commitments, but we managed to bring in another school pal who wanted to reconnect. We've already set the date for next month, and hope others will be able to join us again.

(Front row: l-r Cal, Brad, Deb, Julie and Mary. Back row: Janet, Jay (Max), Bruce and me.)

I did manage to stitch during the day, and finished the outline on another frog. One more to go, which I'll do before I have to go to work for a few hours. I'll get the rest of the details done this weekend, and then I can start filling them in with all the sparkly bits. I'll share my progress photos soon.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend! See you tomorrow.

Today's The Day...

My needles and threads will no longer be denied. There shall be needle dancing today. You already know I'll be working on my goldwork frogs. Everything else is on hold until I accomplish at least a few hours of stitching. 

It's going to be a great day!

Froggy Dreams...

When I can't - or don't have time to - stitch, I dream about stitching. I pulled out all my lovely supplies again, and my wee frog hopped out of the fish bowl to join me. If you look closely, you may notice something different.

Here. Maybe this will help. I have some tiny crowns that I can stitch to my frogs to create wee Prince Charmings (the "before" version). This one is only perched on Mr. Frog's head, but I have two different methods to affix them to the frogs.

If you're one of the four remaining ladies waiting for your frog and you'd like me to add a crown to yours, please let me know in the comments. I'll likely affix them either with gold threads (which would be visible), or just the tiniest amount of permanent, clear glue. I have two finishes; antiqued gold, or gold. As I said, just let me know if you'd like one.

I work again today, but I'll definitely be reading the notes to see if there are preferences. If you'd rather send an email, just click on the sidebar link and send a note. If you don't want one, you won't have to do anything. I'll make it in your chosen colors as agreed. I'll be stitching again in no time.

Stormy Weather...

We woke up to cloudy skies yesterday, and it got more interesting by mid-morning. Handsome had errands to run, and this is what the sky looked like to the southwest from the farmhouse as he was driving off to town. There were lots of angry clouds rolling in, and you could smell the rain on the wind.

Before long, it was pouring, leaving lots of much-needed rain for all the surrounding yards and fields. It was a perfect day for baking bread, so I got out the supplies and started the dough.

Whether you refer to downpours as "gully washers", "cats & dogs",  "toad strangler", or Handsome's favorite "turd floaters", I could hardly see out the windows of the kitchen for a little while. Thankfully, there weren't strong winds, so although there was a lot of rain all at once, there was no damage around here. Our neighbor to the north did text me to ask if our power was out (we never lost power), but sent another message within the hour saying her power was back on.

Before long, this first storm rolled through and offered this view toward Lake Michigan. We had light showers (and a little thunder) throughout the rest of the day, and you could almost see the grass and crops green up by the hour.

When all was said and done, we had four fresh loaves of bread and eight hamburger buns. It was a very good start to the week. I also put Destiny to work embroidering my name on my work shirts, so I don't have to worry about forgetting my name tag anymore. I did spend a little more time sorting through things I want to move out of the studio, too. I actually accomplished quite a bit by the end of the day.

I work today and tomorrow, so we'll see whether or not I'm able to stitch when I get back home. My hands are still sore, but I'm attributing it to the change in the weather. I'm expecting a change in my hands with the rain moving on. I really would like to get back to those little frogs!

Second Try Success...

I need to write a note to self. If I'm going to garden one day, I can plan not to stitch for at least the next two. My hands were suffering after my recent foray into the garden. I was unable to comfortably hold a needle, and going back for a second day of weeding was also out of the question. Lesson learned (for now).

So, when Sunday rolled around, I wanted to try the lilac jelly again. The blossoms are peak right now, so they'll be off the bushes within a couple days. I hoped to make up a fully successful batch before it was too late this year.

I went back through my recipes to find the one I originally used for my flower blossom jellies, and compared them to the one I used earlier last week. There were definitely differences. I pulled out all my supplies and picked blossoms to make a single batch.

I followed the recipe except for one thing. It called for food coloring to change the color of the jelly, but I added about two tablespoons of fresh lemon instead (an ingredient from the recipe I used last week), to naturally change the color away from a dull green to this pretty pink/peach. 

The tall jar in the back right of this photograph was a planned first use jar that didn't go through the water bath. I actually knew it wouldn't fit in the pot I used to process the jars, so we'll eat that one first. 

This time everything came together perfectly. It was already jelling before I could get it into the jars! A short 10 minute water bath and all the jars pinged when they came out of the canner. 

After this was done yesterday, I spent a little time just sitting outdoors and enjoying the sunshine, and Handsome and I had a nice dinner together last night. We've had a Cameron™Stovetop Smoker for the past 30 or so years, but I've only used it one or two times. It can be used stovetop, on the grill, in the oven, or even over a campfire.

We pulled it out to try the stovetop method on a couple of nice ribeye steaks. Twenty minutes in the smoker with hickory chips, and then finish browning them in melted butter in my cast iron pan. (Is your mouth watering yet?) The result was another kitchen toy that will definitely see more action in the future.

I don't work again until tomorrow, so I'm going to attempt a little frog stitching today. I don't think I'll be able to marathon stitch - as I love to do - but I should be able to make some progress nonetheless. 

Here we go with another new week. I'll be back tomorrow, and hope you will, too!

Sunday Scripture...

2 Corinthians 5:7

 

A Riot of Hollyhocks...

Ignore the ham in the foreground. She's such an attention mooch! I took this photo to show you the bullies that are again taking over my kitchen garden.

I actually have lavendar, English daisies, delphiniums, and hostas in this garden, and you might even notice there are walk lights in there, too. Of course, you can't see the light they throw because those hollyhocks are relentless. This is what I have to thin out...soon. There are too many hiding places here for two predatory cats, and I need to protect the birds as best I'm able.

So, this is the area I'll tackle this weekend. I think I'm going to add some sort of retaining fencing in front of the hollyhocks that remain. It will keep them from falling forward, and it will act as a barrier between hidden felines and unsuspecting birds. 

I'll show you what I end up with after the weekend. I hope it will look a lot different, and be much improved for the rest of my plants...among other things. I guess I'll begin by taking some measurements and heading over to the farm store for some fencing and mulch. Coffee first, and then I'm off to get my supplies.

Dancing With Frogs...

Needle dancing, of course. I accomplished quite a bit yesterday. I took care of all the girls first (Bella, Carly, Claudette and Crystal), ran the vacuum and tidied up around the farmhouse, weeded the corner of the retaining wall (removing the volunteer crown vetch that threatened to kill the plants I put in last summer), and then sat down to stitch for a while.

I managed to add the eyes and "brows" to all the frogs, and then started outlining each one with the gold super pearl purl. I still have two to do, which I'm hoping to get done today. 

I'm going to wait until after our next rainfall to tackle the kitchen garden, as I think it might be a bit easier to pull the offending plants when the ground is softer. Plus, I don't really want to spend the day on my knees before I have to go to work. Perhaps I can get to that tomorrow.

I'd like to get all the outlining finished on these guys first, and then do the detail around the eyes and across their backs done today. Then, I'll fill in each one before moving to the next.

It's hard to believe it's already Friday again. The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend, so I'm looking forward to spending that time outdoors. More work on my frogs first. I'll share my progress tomorrow!

In The Garden...

Sunshine and weeding were on the agenda for this week's Hump Day. Handsome helped me dig weeds out of my raised beds, and we added ash from our burn barrel to each one. I'm also going to get some sand, mushroom fertilizer from the local mushroom farm, and a little more soil to add to each bed. 

For now, though, we raked in the ash and I covered the beds with cardboard (to try) to keep the dandelions that are going to seed from settling in the newly-tilled soil. 

This lilac bush has grown quite a bit since we purchased our farmhouse, and it's close to where we worked, so the sweet fragrance from these blooms filled the air. We actually have lilacs all the way around the farmhouse, some likely established when the house was built. Those are now beautiful sentries stationed right at the edge of our hedgerow leading to The Habitat where I first fed the opossums, raccoons and the feral cats. 

This spring, I took all the pineapple scraps from my canning day down to The Habitat, and was pleasantly surprised to watch four deer move across the field right into the spot where I'd left everything. When I checked the next day, everything was gone. I'm sure they figured they'd located the Mother Lode of sweet treats that afternoon!

Anyway, exercising an abundance of caution (I didn't want a sore back to end the day), we managed to clean out three of the four raised beds, leaving one to go. I'm going to clear that one today. I'll also bring out my planting bags, garden tubs and other accessories. Then, I can decide how I want to plant everything this year, and it will be set up to go. 

Right now, I'm trying to decide if I want to add a few rows of straw bales to try straw bale gardening this year. If I do, our neighbor will have some for me. I just need to ask. I think I'd use them for tomatoes, beans, or squash, but I can't make up my mind. I'm torn, because truthfully, the garden beds yielded quite a bit last year without them. Then there's the maintenance part. Do I want to increase my work load? Decisions. Decisions.

No. I'm not one of those people who pore over gardening books and planting diagrams all winter. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda girl. I suppose it could get me in trouble one of these years, but so far it's working, so I'm not going to "fix" it.

I'm also going to have to spend some serious time in the kitchen garden. Those glorious, persistent hollyhocks are already knee-high and trying to take over the entire area. If I want to see any light whatsoever from our walkway fixtures, I'm going to have to thin them out...soon. Otherwise, they'll be even more ensconced and nearly impossible to remove. I thought I had them under control last fall, but I was obviously woefully mistaken. I'll take before and after photos to show you what I mean.

So, I'll be back outside again this morning and work until it gets too hot...unless it decides to rain...at which point, I'll be back at my needlework, joyfully working on frogs. If the weather holds, I'll stay in the gardens until noon. Then, I'll come in, shower, and stitch away the rest of the day.

Handsome is going to the funeral of a good friend and former associate of ours. Bob Fehring passed away late last week. He worked on photo missions with Handsome when they both worked for Mercury Marine, and he had his own advertising agency. 

He's the artist who created my original Brynwood logo which was used in all my advertising and on my needlework charts from the very beginning of Brynwood Needleworks in 1989. While I've slightly changed colors over the years, the design has remained the same.

We remember afternoon-into-evening photo shoots with Handsome, Bob and me, as we set up the cover designs featuring my samplers. He was such an easy man to work with. We were nearly always on the same page, and only a few times did we need to tweak from my vision to his execution. 

Although we haven't seen him in years, he's come to mind frequently because I work with his art regularly. We're both saddened by his passing, so Handsome will represent us at his celebration of life. There will be other folks in attendance he had in common with Handsome, so I'm sure there will be a nice reunion in his honor. He was a great guy and will be missed. The world was a better place with him in it. RIP, old friend.

A View From The Farmhouse...

I have so many things on my To Do list right now, that sometimes I just need to sit on the porch and soak in one of our views. This was taken as the sun was disappearing to the west (over my right shoulder as I look at this). The clouds were just begging to be photographed.

So, I want to work on my frogs, I need to update my Etsy listings, the gardens need to be weeded, tilled and prepared for seeds and plants, and I'm still purging "clutter". 

I think I'm going to set aside about a half hour each day to pull things to be tossed, given away or donated, and put those things into boxes or bags as I work toward that goal. You know. You can eat an elephant if you focus on one bite at a time (something I heard years ago about goal-setting). So, little bites of that project might be better and more efficient than setting aside a week to do the same thing.

I'd love to hire some teenagers to come and weed my garden, but I'd still need to supervise so the good things wouldn't be pulled, so either way, it will require my time. I think I may focus on that for a few hours today to see what I'm able to accomplish myself. Then, when my knees and back cry "uncle", I'll come in, clean up, and then work on my frogs.

Oh, and I have a hair appointment at 3 this afternoon. See how my attention gets diverted? Look! a squirrel! lol I think I'm going back to writing physical lists. I seem to accomplish more, especially if I start blocking out task times. 

How do you manage your time? Do you write lists? How about an alarm clock or timer? I'd love to read your ideas. I'm open to anything (within reason). Share away!

 PS. The lilac jelly set up (most of the jars, anyway). I'm happy - for now - with the results.

Lilac Jelly...

Yesterday was lilac jelly day. By the time I finished, there were sixteen 4 ounce jars and eight 8 ounce jars of mild, sweet goodness for the pantry.

I made a double batch, which I've done before, but after water bathing the first batch, I didn't feel like it was going to set up, so I emptied all the jars, added more pectin and re-jarred everything. As of bedtime last night, it appeared to be turning into a jelly, but I think it may be a day or so before I'm confident. I really don't want to have to rework it again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I can say it tastes delicious, so I'm happy with that part. The jars are beautiful, and I'm looking forward to creating a lovely pound cake to become the base layer for said lilac loveliness.

I'm working today, but will be back to stitching on my frogs this afternoon after I get back home. Nothing like a little needle dancing to end the day.

Last Four Giveaway Frogs On Deck...

I've started the last four giveaway frogs that will go to Clara, Marilyn, Terry and Jody! It won't be too long and they will be on their way to each of you! Three will become fobs and one will be a brooch, per their requests. Three will be green, and one will be "stitcher's choice".

These are going to be fun to create for each of you.  I love trying to choose unique color combinations for each one. I hope you'll all enjoy watching them progress! 

I'm back to my regular work schedule now, so I'm looking forward to stitching, canning, and getting our garden under way. I'm going to be updating my Etsy shop this week, too! Working more than that takes away from the homekeeping things I love so much. This is going to be a great week, and I hope you'll follow along.

Sunday Scripture - Happy Mother's Day...

Philippians 4:19

 Happy Mother's Day!

More Cider and New Colors...

Sorry for today's late post. Last night at work was exhausting, but I'm not going to talk about that today. Brush it off and move on. 

The mail came today with new colors for my goldwork supplies. These are all new bright check purls. I ordered more in the color I used for my corgi brooch (cider), as well as some new greens for frogs. 

I'll be setting up the last four frogs today, and begin working on them so I can get them mailed out soon.

I'm working again tomorrow - yes, Mother's Day - so the kids who work at the store can be with their moms - so I want to make the most of today. Next week, I'll be back to my regular schedule of Tuesdays during the day, and short Friday nights. I'm going to do my best to stick with that so that I can do the homekeeping things I love so much during the summer...canning, gardening, and being here with Handsome. (I saw the light last night.)

I hope you have a lovely Mother's Day tomorrow - whether or not you're a mom, or still have yours with you. Simply take it easy and enjoy the day. Let someone pamper you for a change. You deserve it. I love you and value your friendship, and hope to see you back here on Monday to see what kind of progress I made on my frogs.