Friday, January 4, 2013

Happy Birthday to me....Wow am I getting up there! LOL!

Yep.....I turned 64 today.....I know, I can't believe it myself! You'd never guess it...take my word for it.  Ha! Ha!  Other than that it was just a normal, joyful day...........
I drained my yogurt and it's still draining...now how the heck am I going to get it out of the muslin  lined colander and into containers?  Will I have anything left? Making it was easy but it's the LOGISTICS!
Here are 2 of the books I read over the holidays.......loved them both!  If you like memoirs of normal every day people who lived in the woods....you'll love these 2 books!  Living off the land and self-sufficiency back in the day.....they were right up my alley!
 The book below was given to me years ago and I had never read it but I did this year and it was wonderful!  It really put me in the Christmas Spirit as it was filled with wonderful stories of Christmas's in the midwest from "the old days" when they used sleighs and there wasn't central heating.  There were cookie recipes in it too from each nationality and their Christmas traditions.
 This book will join the rest of my Christmas books that I drag out every year.
I hope you had a great day!  Now, where's my cake and ice cream????? 

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Settling back into a routine after the holidays..........

I'm not sure if I properly thanked all of you for keeping me sane and slap happy this year but you did!  If it wasn't for you all keeping me inspired and interested in projects, books, DIY and of course needle and hooky work.....who knows where I'd be right now! LOL!  So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your comments, your loyalty and your sharing.  You're AMAZING!!!! 
Here's my first batch of yogurt!  It turned out perfect....I was blown away as usually I mess things up the first time at least.   But it really turned out!  I'm still pinching myself as to how easy this was and cheap!  I got like 12 cups of yogurt for maybe $3.50 or whatever a quart of organic milk costs.  If I had bought it the price would have been $12.00 as even the cheaper brand of Greek is .99 on sale!  It looked really firm but on stirring I could tell it was more like Yoplait...........
which is fine and I ate it that way but I am so spoiled by the Greek style yogurt that I will definitely be straining it.  It is pretty though isn't it?  I am SO EXCITED by this but then I have always loved chemistry and eating! LOL!  But dang it if I wasn't out of honey so I tried some pure maple syrup and that was good but I do love my honey.  If you love yogurt and are trying to be "thrifty" you will really appreciate making your own and what a great feeling of accomplishment!  Next up..........granola!  To put on top of the yogurt of course!   There are other things you can do with the plain yogurt also and I can now stop buying whipped cream, sour cream and cream cheese. 
I finished my second sock and will publish Sunday on my YOP update and now I've started on my next project....
Yes, Tammy at T's Daily Treasures, you inspired me to crochet covers for my rocks!  My thread is a little big for my hook or vice-versa but I'm managing.....another bit of amazement.  The pattern is from Purl Bee and I've made several things from their website this year.  I print the pattern off and put it in plastic sheets that protect them and when I'm done I put them in a notebook unless it doesn't turn out and then I rip it to shreds and throw it in the garbage! LOL!
I hope you had a great day where ever you are.


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Pictures Galore!!!!

A bunch of pictures I took over the holidays and never posted....here's Grace, all settled in and taking over!

Here's the blizzard on Christmas...the first time a blizzard warning has ever been issued for Arkansas and the last big snowfall like this was back in the 1800's they said.  I called it a true Christmas Miracle because it was my Christmas wish come true! (see the white tail in the middle....a deer friend leaving in a hurry when she spied me! LOL!)
I might have showed you this ivy plant but did I tell you I got it at Walmart discounted to $3.50????  Steal!!!!
  And it's still alive!
I've been getting better at the cross stitch....it's all coming back to me now...........

I've been doing a lot of cleaning and clearing........
after the snow the sun came out and left me a colorless rainbow in my bathroom.........
here's my little Christmas cottage..............I wish it was my REAL cottage............
 like Kris Kringle's below...............isn't it precious?

 
 The moon was out and full one night and I got a picture but not like some bloggers that get gorgeous moon shots..........
I was cleaning and watching the Hallmark specials over the holidays and there were some good ones!  I started taking pictures of the screen of houses and scenes I liked for my future old dilapidated farmhouse/cottage that I want to get in Illinois...dilapidated so I can fix it up just how I want....if it's too perfect I won't have the money or the guts! LOL!  You can tell I stopped what I was doing as my cleaning rag is laying there while I went to grab the camera...
I love the curtains in the big entry to the dining room and the ones on the door with the oval glass......
 There's a better shot below and I have an old floor lamp like that one in the picture.
 This is the best shot I could get of the outside of the house........there was a better one but I missed it....dang!
  I want a few more trees around though......and hills
 Now you're all caught up to the present except for some book reviews which I'll get to this week....there were some good ones!
Today I made yogurt for the first time but not sure how it will turn out..........
it has to sit in the oven with the light on in a pan of hot water for 6-8 hours and then if I want the Greek style (which I do for sure), I have to strain it through some muslin in a collander.
Tune in tomorrow to see how it went.  I was going to buy a yogurt maker (actually I had one I had picked up at a garage sale but when I left Iowa my friend convinced me I didn't need it.....).  A new one is about $40.00 so we'll see how the oven light procedure works....either way making your own yogurt costs a quart of milk for all that you see there instead of $1.00 or more a cupful when you buy it already made.  
A friend of mine stopped by (my book fairy) and she invited me over next Saturday to start learning how to spin on her wheel!  Woo Hoo!  I'm a learnin fool and off to a great start in 2013!!!  Hope you all are too!




Sunday, December 30, 2012

YOP Update






2012-08-17
Finished
The Best Crocheted Potholder
Mama's Stitchery Projects


2012-07-05
Finished
Granny Stripes
Attic24


2012-04-02
Finished
Neat Ripple Pattern
Attic24



Finished
Rose Garden Tote
Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller Website


2012-07-29
Finished
Simple Cotton Bath Mat
Purl Bee


2012-07-15
Finished
Soft Cotton Knit Dishtowels
Purl Bee


2012-07-28
In progress
Learn to Knit Magic Loop Socks
v e r y p i n k






Below are the remaining project to be done (hopefully) before July 2013.  You can go to my projects page to see my finished projects and my queue to see the remaining projects on Ravelry.  My id on Ravelry is Saminar.  On Ravelry there are links to the patterns and more info.


Priority
Pattern





1





2





3





4





5





6





7





8





9





10
Spud & ChloĆ« — Patterns » Situpons NEW!







Almost done with my second sock.  I think I've found some other patterns for Magic Loop socks too so I can keep "practicing"! LOL!  Or I could try my hand at DPNs.  I'm getting really fast at knitting too but still don't watch t.v. unless it is straight knit stitch.  I could have finished them but I have been on another "mission" too since before Christmas.  I made a resolution that this would be my last Christmas in Arkansas and that next year I will be back in my hometown in Illinois.  Every day except weekends I spend time cleaning, clearing , organizing and packing to put my house on the market come this Spring thus less time spent on knitting or crocheting.  I did finally list my projects (above) and haven't picked the next one yet from my remaining list of 10 for this years YOP.  It might depend on money for yarn...like the big blanket! Pricey even with less expensive yarn.  I'll see what I already have the yarn for.  So, you will be surprised to see something new next week....finally!  Thank you for your patience!  I hope you all had a great and safe Christmas and I wish you all a wonderful New Year!