This...

This is my first full week of my new schedule. Just as I'm leaving for work there's a crack of Thunder, some lightning, and it starts to pour. It's scheduled to last about as long as it takes me to get to work and inside. Great.

See you tomorrow  

 

Sunday Scripture...

John 5:24

Saturday Silliness...

Count me in, Steve!

 

A New Start...

I started the bridal brooch for our granddaughter yesterday. I chose all the components, set up the ground fabric in my special hoop - the one that belonged to Handsome's mom, and started work on it already.

This is how far I got before I stopped for the evening. I'll work on it more over the next few days, as I embroider toward the finish. 

Although I haven't heard a date yet, I'm sure there'll be a bridal shower pretty soon, and this is one of the gifts I'd like to give her. So I'll keep stitching until this is finished.

August Classmate Dinner...

Another classmate dinner has come and gone. Likewise for this month! The time just continues to fly and soon enough it will be September.

We had a larger group this month, and Handsome joined us again. (He took this month's photo.)

Front row: Bruce, Deb B, Brad, and Cal. Back row: Mary, Lisa, Dan F., Deb N., Dan N., and me.

I took orders for caramel pecan rolls and they ordered seven two-packs, so I spent the morning baking. Just so you know, it wasn't my idea to hold them up for the photo, but I did laugh that they did.

Today, I'm going to locate tomatoes for canning this weekend, and start another "Something Blue Bridal Brooch" for our granddaughter. I'll tell you more about that tomorrow. 

The sun is shining, and it's going to be a perfect day for just being home. Hope you enjoy every minute of yours!

I Love The 'Ber Months...

Image via Handmade Treasures by Jan

My youngest sister, Jan has a lovely group on Facebook - "Handmade Treasures by Jan" - as well as her "Treasure Trove of Gratitude" group. You may want to check them out.

Jan shared this image she created and I loved it. The 'ber months really are my favorites. To me they signify the earth preparing for rest after a productive spring and summer season. 

I'm especially looking forward to this year. I still have canning to do this season, and it's much more enjoyable when it's cooler outside. I'll fill the pantry in preparation for the winter ahead, and when the snow flies, Handsome and I can stay safely tucked in the farmhouse with the girls.

This year is especially exciting for us as our elder granddaughter is getting married in October. She's our first grandchild to "tie the knot". We love her fiancé, and can't wait to celebrate their new beginning.

How do you feel about autumn? Are you a fan or not?

PS. Sorry I'm behind on responding to comments. I promise to catch up soon!

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho...

Do something fun (and think of me) today, okay? See you tomorrow.

It Was Just One Of Those Days...

Late start. Handsome going to the hospital (visiting a family member). Dogs need tending. Have to run to town. Need to mow the lawn. Oh, wait!! I missed posting today! Hold my horses. 

It's only Monday, and already I'm starting out behind. Geez, Louise. 

Working my regular shift 10-4 tomorrow. (I start the new Monday/Tuesday 6 am to 10 am next week). Classmate dinner Wednesday. 

Sorry I'm late. It's already past 3, and I think I need a nap. I'll try to do better the rest of this week.

Sunday Scripture...

Philippians 4:13

Saturday Silliness...

We all do, Steve. 🤭

Almost Ready For Takeoff...

Monarch Front

I've finally released the butterfly from its hoop. First I used an awl to open small holes so I could insert each wing part. 

After each wing section was inserted, I turned to hoop over and stitched the wires to the back side of the body. I added a small bend near the end of the wire and continued to secure them so the wings couldn't be pulled out. I repeated this four times, securing all wing sections.

Monarch Back

Once the wings were attached, I cut the fabric away from the hoop, leaving enough extra to wrap around and secure the new body form inside. 

This photo shows the back after I finished sewing the fabric around the form. I'm a bit chuffed that the stitching on the back of my wings mirrors the front, making the wings look more realistic.

Closeup of Monarch Body

As you can see in this closeup, I haven't stitched the back of the body detail to cover all the fabric yet. It's really fiddly to hold the body in my hand while I complete this embroidery phase, so I admit, once I enclosed the body form, I took a break for the rest of the day.

All I have left to do is that detail stitching, and adding the legs! I'll share photographs once my Monarch is ready for takeoff!

A Lost Day...

All my Monarch supplies are still waiting for me. We had a family emergency today that completely derailed my stitching plans.

I won't go into details because we want to honor our family member's privacy, but I can tell you that Handsome and I are fine. This will be ongoing for the foreseeable future, but I should be able to get some more work done today. 

My first job will be to remake the body form slightly bigger. Once that's finished I'll be inserting the wings onto the stitched body and securing them to the back. Then I can remove the body from my hoop and begin encasing the form with the stitched body. These steps will take a while, but I'll make sure there are photographs to share  

Thanks for any prayers you may want to lift for my very vague family member's healing. God will know who you're talking about. Big hugs for all of you from me.

 

Beauty In A Jar...

These tomatoes were so tasty! I turned nine pounds of them, along with half a pound of green peppers and six ounces of sweet onion into these three gorgeous quarts and one pint of stewed tomatoes. 

The jars all sealed, are cleaned, labeled and in the pantry already. I'm looking forward to more tomatoes when they're ready to make more of this scarlet-colored goodness. 

Today is my first day of my new early morning shift. I'll be done by 10:30 am and will have the rest of the day ahead of me. It's going to be interesting to see how this night owl adjusts. We'll see. 

Veggie Days...

I received this beautiful box of goodness from Dawn and Pete yesterday and will be processing them into stewed tomatoes (with the addition of onions and fresh basil. The gorgeous green peppers are from Shelly. Why the delay?

Because I received nearly forty ears of fresh-off-the plants sweet corn from our neighbor Earl on Saturday. Handsome helped me shuck most of it, while I stripped the golden goodness off the cobs.

By late afternoon, we had fifteen pints cooling (with lids popping) on the counter. Of course, we had fresh corn on the cob with dinner both Saturday and Sunday nights, too. There's really nothing better.

Of course, no money changes hands.  I'll be taking fresh-baked pecan rolls to both of them during the week. That's how it's done between neighbors in farming country.

Happy Monday, friends!

 

Sunday Scripture...

Galatians 6:9

 

Never Goodbye...

Friday Crew. Front: Isobel, Ashley, Molly, Kim, Tina
Back: Max, Chloe, me, Brandon.(missing: MJ) 

Yesterday was my boss, Kim's last day at our station. She received a great offer from a large chain of stations and decided to take it.

I've known Kim since she was six, and I love her dearly. I originally started working at the station to help her out when she was short staffed. I said I'd stay on until she could get reliable help. That was two and a half years ago.

Now she's on to a new adventure and I'm still there. I'm going to stay to help Mona who was there before Kim or I. Mona worked for the previous owners, but she doesn't want to be a manager. Even so, she knows all the workings of the job and she's really indispensable. I'm changing my work schedule at her request to help with some of her duties and her fall schedule.

I'll be having my second knee replacement in October, and will be off until I've finished another round of physical therapy. Until then, I'll do my best to help Mona until a new manager is hired. 

I know Kim and I will keep in touch. Her folks are friends of Handsome and me, and we've all been friends outside this job. While everyone else was tearful and saying their goodbyes, I was the one hugging Kim and cheering her on.

This is an exciting new chapter for her. I can't wait to hear all about it!

 

Almost Ready To Fly...

Notice Bella in the background. She's always close when I'm stitching. 🖤

I spent hours at my needlework stand yesterday, and got quite a bit accomplished. I started by cutting and covering the antennae and legs. 

They were a lot less fun than I remembered. This task requires wrapping a single strand of silk thread (78" long) around a thin 6-1/4" length of wire. My fingers aren't as nimble as they were in 2019, which means it just took a bit longer than last time.

Once I completed the stitching on the butterfly's body, I attached the antennae to the head portion of the body. I realized at this point that the spare body from my red spotted purple is probably a bit small for the slightly larger monarch. I'll need to make a new one that fits.

Then I released the wing parts from the ground fabric and trimmed everything as close as I could without cutting into my needlework. That part of my task alone took a couple hours. 

When our class made our red spotted purple butterflies, Owen told us that we could take a dark marker to the trimmed edges if the light fabric showed. I used a fine tip Micron pen, and carefully moved around each wing part. Now the backs of the wings match the fronts. (I'll share photos of that in another post.)

So here's the list showing my progress, with one addition. I'll be attaching the wings today, and make the new body insert so I can prepare to close the fabric to form the body.

I'll be sliding into a new weekend by getting close to the finish line. I'll have new update photos soon.

 

This Is The Day...

Today's the day! I'm pulling out all the stops. Tomorrow you'll see real progress on my Monarch butterfly. 

No excuses today. I'll be cutting out wings; covering wires; and finishing the work on the body, so it can be cut out, too.

See you tomorrow!

 

Salad For Breakfast...

This is how we "roll" around here. Sorry. I couldn't resist. Work was a chore yesterday, so I really took it easy last night. I'm going to try to get back to normal today, and I'll let you know how it goes. 

Doing My Part...

Handsome drove me to my appointment at the blood bank yesterday. We went to the drive-in near home on the way back, too. After donating a pint, I needed something to eat, and he was ready for a meal, too.

The cool part is that when we stopped at the drive-in, we ran into the friend for whom I made the directed blood donation! He told me more than once how much he appreciated that I'd done that for him. Handsome and I have been friends with him and his family for about forty five years. There was never a question that I would help if I could.

When we got home, I drank lots of water to "refill my tank", and I was really tired, so I went upstairs and took what turned into a four hour nap. I didn't fight it either, knowing I work again today.

We're going to vote in our Wisconsin primary before my shift begins, and then I'll be on my feet for most of the next six hours. I'm pretty sure I'll be zonked out in my chair within an hour of getting out of my work duds and into something more comfy. I'm actually looking forward to it.

What's on your agenda today? 

I Baked...

The weather was mild, the breezes came through the open windows of the farmhouse, and it was a perfect day to bake. 

I made six loaves of bread, and sixteen more caramel pecan rolls. Fear not. Most of them left the farmhouse late yesterday to share with our neighbors. A few remained - to be enjoyed judiciously.

After all the dishes were washed and put away (thank you, Handsome), I pulled a jar of chicken soup/pot pie filling I canned a few months ago. I thickened it with my homemade chicken gravy mix, and made a crust specifically developed for meat pies. We had a homemade chicken pot pie for dinner. I do love having simple and tasty options at the end of a busy day. 

Today, I'm going to the blood bank to donate for a friend who needs a transfusion. Did you know you're allowed to request donations for upcoming procedures? All you need to do is plan ahead so the donations are received within a time frame that keeps them viable for the date of your procedure.

As I'm a "universal donor", they asked if I'd help by making a donation. I haven't donated since we lived in Florida, and I was happy to help, so off I go this morning to do my part.

I'll have the rest of the day to do as I please, plus Handsome has rehearsal tonight. I may even work on the monarch again!

 

Sunday Scripture...

Proverbs 16:7

Saturday Silliness...

Works for me, Steve!

That's Me...

If you could see my garden right now, you'd understand. We never planted anything this year, so my garden beds have completely run amok. Perhaps I'll be able to clean them out soon, looking forward to next year's planting.

I work tonight, and we've finally had enough rain that we can mow the yard again. I'll be avoiding a few previously clipped areas, because the chickory, clover and Queen Anne's lace have taken up residence. I love them more than grass, so I'll go around them so we can enjoy the color they provide a bit longer. I don't consider them weeds, and truthfully would prefer a yard filled with that over tamed grass any day. So I guess today's image is more appropriate than I originally thought. 

I hope you have a wonderful Friday, and I'll see you again tomorrow.

Well 'ello, 'arry Potter!...

Jan gave me a gift last time we were together. It's a Harry Potter crochet kit! This one includes the patterns and materials to make my very own Harry Potter!

According to the back of the box (I haven't opened it yet), also included are instructions and materials for Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Voldemort, Ginny, Dobby the house elf, The Sorting Hat, Hedwig, Norbert the Dragon, and student robes/scarves.

I admit I'm only slightly disappointed that the crochet hook doesn't resemble a wand, but I'm sure these will be fun when I get to them.

There's a 30% off sticker on the front of the box from Target, so my keen deductive mind is going to conclude that's where Jan found this gift (in case any of my crochet friends want a set for themselves).

I think it might be fun to work on these when Handsome and I have another Potter marathon when I'm recuperating from my knee replacement this fall. Of course, not right away, as the meds might make for some deformed characters. (ya think?)

Nevertheless, I's a fun gift from one Potter fan to another, and it will be fun to work with yarn again. Thanks, sis!