I think I "jinxed" us!

Well, it never got out of the 30's today and about midnight we're supposed to get freezing rain.....there are 2 warnings out......freezing rain and flooding.  I don't worry about the flooding here as

we have a huge spillway on the other side of the lake but freezing rain?  Well, that's another story! 
 I've got candles and battery powered lights and I'll spread some ice melt tonight so when the girls go out in the morning they don't break a leg.  They're already arthritic.  See why I prefer snow?  LOL!

 My basil has sprouted already in my Ball Jar Herb Garden...I must admit I have been misting it on top just to ensure.............that's not dirt you see, it is deactivated charcoal which, I think, keeps it from getting moldy or what they call "damping off".  I used to have that problem when I started seeds sometimes.....now I know what do to prevent that from happening!

 

 I froze some of my sourdough bread as 2 loaves are more than I can eat quickly.  I have a vacuum sealer but wasn't sure if it would crush them so I just double wrapped in saran wrap and then put inside a zip lock freezer bag.  I  googled freezing bread using a vacuum sealer and you're supposed to freeze it on a cookie sheet first for a couple hours and then vacuum seal it so it doesn't get crushed.....same with all soft items evidently.  Learn something every day!

 

I finished the machine quilting this afternoon and I'll clip all the threads tonight while watching t.v.

Last night I watched a free movie on You Tube called Bountiful or Return to Bountiful.....it was good but sad and sort of reminded me of my desire to move home......maybe it was a sign that I had better hurry it up!  I'm not getting any younger...or am I?  I sure feel like it lately. I feel strong and energetic and healthy.  But that could go at any moment! LOL! Tomorrow, hopefully I'll get the binding cut and sewed on one side by machine and then hand sew the other side in the evening.

No, it's not Halloween but I make toasted seeds out of any squash so in making spaghetti squash tonight I saved the seeds..........

I also learned an easier way to cut a squash and safer too!  You cut similar to a dotted line just stabbing into the squash gently so you don't hurt yourself and then microwave for about 5-6 minutes.  Let it cool off and then you can slice it in half much easier and hopefully won't stab yourself in the process! 

Well, I guess I'd better go fix my dinner.  The girls have been fed but still need their 'meds'.  I cut plenty of greens from my 'mini'greenhouse' so I'll have enough for a salad tonight and tomorrow in case everything is iced over outside.  I still have to fix garlic bread and heat up my homemade pasta sauce for the 'spaghetti'.  I'm looking forward to a healthy and tasty meal!  What are you having tonight?

Happy Trails!!!

Bakin' and Makin'

Well, I took this picture of the cupcake liners and then forgot to take a picture of the cream cheese blueberry muffins I made in them.....trust me.....they were delicious!

 I baked my sourdough bread this morning...it had risen nicely......

  and....(drum roll please)..............I am super pleased with how it turned out!  It looks exactly like Lisa's who's been making it for years now.............

 I was amazed at my first try but I think patience is the key....letting it rise in a warm place for as long as it takes....................

 Great flavor too.......guess what I had for breakfast?  LOL!

 Next I'll be trying a no-knead version using sourdough starter.

 First I 'baked' and then I 'maked'.............
I finally got to machine quilting on my little quilt...............I'm quilting "in the ditch" but I have to go slow and I'm still not very good at it especially when I only have white thread.....a navy blue might have been better! LOL!  But it will do for a nice little table topper for my kitchen table or some table around here...............

A few more times around the little squares and I should be done then there will be binding tomorrow.............

It was craft day here.....what did you get up to today?
Happy Trails!!!

Stormin' all night and then today..........

Didn't sleep too well last night as we had a real 'frog strangler'.....that's what they call the heavy rains down here.  It's just like someone has a bucket and pours it out all over us.  It thundered and lightninged  and beat against the windows and then there was hail.  That's when I got up to see if there were any warnings......none.  Many times when there's hail it comes before a tornado but we were fine.....just tired.  It rained all morning too and stormed.  I got my chores done and then when it let up a bit I went to the bank and the grocery store where I got softner salt.  I came home and put it in the softner.  It always makes me feel good that I can still lift and tote! LOL!
My sourdough bread is now in 2 bread pans and in my oven with the light on and a wet towel over them.  I'll re-wet the towel before I go to bed and they will get baked off tomorrow sometime when I think they have risen as much as they're going to.
BTW......it's gotten much colder and windier and tonight is supposed to go down to 16 F!  I'm still sticking to my 'early spring' story though! 
The only other thing I've done is gather up my paint supplies and paint my door to the garage with chalk paint...

  I've been wanting to do this for awhile now and I've had the paint.  So I had at it!  It will definitely need another coat or 2 maybe.  I've never used this paint so we'll see.  I used to have magnets on my fridge with lists but they were always falling down or I had the cheap whiteboards from the Dollar General.  I thought  the door would be plenty big enough for me to write my menu, items needed the next time I go to the store and maybe even my top priorities for the week.  Yes, I am a "list girl"!
I did not work on my Witchy Wednesday cross stitch last night so tonight I will for sure.
Have any of you used the black chalkboard paint before?   According to the directions it will go on just about anything!  Who knew?
Happy Trails!!!  

Raining, pouring, raining.............

 I can watch the grass greening up as it rains...literally!

Yesterday was Walmart and I'm so glad I went yesterday as I would not have wanted to be loading and unloading groceries in this rain.  Yesterday was foggy and misty but not pouring.
I bought some organic seeds at Walmart for things I can plant now...........more greens but these will go in containers............kale, peas, read leaf lettuce, green lettuce mix and green onions.  The rest I'll order from Baker's Heirloom Seed Co.

I also got some pansies they had on sale....    .66 and 1.11...deal!  They put them on sale because they're half dead but a little loving care and they pop right back to life!  I watered them as soon as I got home and here they are today.....alive and thriving...........

I got myself some Valentine flowers too.............aren't they lovely?

I actually started my Hawk Run Hollow January picture..................I only have a few of the colors.....my other ones should be arriving any day now...............so I thought I would get it started..........

Here's the no knead bread I made the other night...........

today I made some sourdough bread dough that will rise overnight..........I have been wanting to try it.  They say it isn't easy to get sourdough to rise and some people add yeast but to me that sort of defeats the purpose.  I'm excited to see how it does as my starter really seems ready....every morning when I go to feed it, it has lots of bubbles!  I am making 2 loaves in regular bread pans.
Rise, baby, rise!  I covered it with a wet cloth and will put it on top of the frig where it is warmer.

I'm either going to discard some starter or look for more recipes or both as I have plenty now.  This bread only used 1 cup for 2 loaves.   If any of you have any sourdough recipes you's like to share I would be much obliged!
It's Witchy Wednesday today so I will work on my Button-Eyed Cat x-stitch tonight.  What are you up to?
Happy Trails!!!

Farther ahead or further behind?

I'm getting things done but I am as slow as a slug or slower.  I did get a later start than usual today as I watched the Superbowl last night.  It was boring but I got some crocheting on my Granny Square shawl done. 
I needed to bake bread today but I'm not using my sourdough starter yet.  It would have meant I needed to bake it tomorrow after sitting all night and I'm going to Walmart tomorrow.  So, I made my usual white flour and yeast no-knead bread.........it is ready for it's second rise for 35 minutes and then I will bake it off.

I had so much to do today and wanted so badly to get outside and weed but I had some other priorities and the day got away from me...........I did manage to 'kit up' my January Hawk Run Hollow cross stitch project which didn't get done yesterday.  Good thing I did it because I needed floss badly!  Sometimes I just substitute but I had so few that I decided it was high time I ordered some floss.  I have not ordered any DMC for years! LOL! 

I gathered what I had, cut my fabric to size and zigzagged all around the edge to keep it from fraying.

 Of course when I ordered the floss  it didn't seem worth it to pay for shipping when I could add a few more things to the order to make it 'worthwhile'....lol!  I ordered a Christmas ornament that was on my wish list and on sale and I ordered another pattern that is a SAL with Priscilla and Chelsea of The Real Housewives of Cross Stitch podcast.   I felt better.
 It was a gorgeous day....70's I'm sure.  I did take a few pictures though so you wouldn't think I was just making these things up.........
Here's my awesome greens!  Aren't they gorgeous?  No disease in these babies!  You can see where I 'succession' planted.   

Here are my daffodils coming up...............

These are tiny white flowers...really tiny....they're in my yard so they must be a weed! LOL!

Here's the ajuga or adjuga coming up..............it's that little purple flower...it looks like a teeny tiny lipstick vine.................

and here's the iris coming up................

See?  I wasn't kidding.........Spring really is here!  It might take awhile to reach you but it travels pretty fast going North............keep an eye out!
Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #32

Finishes: none this week

 

 WIPs (works in progress): 
1) It probably doesn't look like I got very much done since last week but actually I did.  The only problem was I noticed a mistake and had to rip back about 7 rows!!!  Ahhhh!!!!  But it's all fine now and I'm 'back in the groove'............

2)  The Multnomah is coming along and is such a pleasure to work on!  The only problem is I found a hole and no, it's not a dropped stitch because I count them every row!  I have no idea what happened but it is almost like the yarn got stretched out...anyway, I made an executive decision to 'carry on" and I will repair the hole at a later date.  It's not a gift and I can live with it but it was hard not to rip back.  I had already frogged this once and  re-started several times so it's now or never! LOL!

3)  I found my backing material that I was looking for yesterday but it wasn't large enough so I found another I'm  using............I cut the backing fabric and the batting and pinned together.........

here's the backing fabric..............

this is what I had wanted to use..........

Next I will quilt and cut the binding.

New Starts:
This will be a WIP by next week...........I found some 18 count Fiddler's Cloth that I can use for my January (already a month behind!) cross stitch of Hawk Run Hollow.  I need to cut the material and sew a zigzag stitch around it and gather my floss for it.  I'm excited!  I am making each month a separate picture not one great big year.............that way I can display each month when it rolls around.

 As for my other cross stitch....I have not worked on them at all this week.  I am in full gardening mode right now so something is going to slip for sure!  I'm getting ready to order my seeds and supplies plus I planted my Ball Herb Garden that I gave myself for Christmas........we'll see.....the ratings were not good at all!  My greens outside are going gang busters! 

TOP 10 WIP's:

1)  Pickle Dish
2)  America x-stitch - done but needs finishing
3)  Amy's Frido Kahlo basket (July birthday) - done but needs to be sewn together
4)  Pin's embroidery
5)  Heart bookmark for V-Day - done but needs backing
6)  Toe-up socks
7)  Multnomah shawl
8) C2C blanket for Grayson (July birthday) 
9) Granny Triangle shawl for Our Happy CAL Place January CAL
10) 

NEW STARTS: none this week

 Finishes so far in 2018-19: 
1.  4th of July cross stitch pillow/ornie
2.  Hitchhiker shawl
3.  Felici Hibiscus self-striping socks
4.  Felted wool loafer slippers with leather soles for me Sam
5.  washcloth (extra large) and back scrubber for Christmas or birthday for SIL
6.   Iowa Hawkeye hats for Sam and Grayson
7.  Techniques learned so far this year: a) knit cast on, b) reading a knitting chart, c) lace work, d) inserting and using a lifeline e) charting a graphghan
8.   dishcloth(s)...I need to count them
9. Cubs hat for Uriah
10. 12 days of Christmas Advent gifts
11. Cowl for Ben
12. Cowl for Tracy
13. Cowl for Natalie
14.  # 2018 Collectible ornaments for the grands
15.  Cowl for me or gift basket
16.  11 scrubbies for gift basket
17.  1 pot handle cover for gift basket
18.  Ben's Bear's hat
19.  Falling Leaves Scarf
20.  Tissue Box Cover



Please stop by and see all the other fantastic projects that other  YOP'ers are working on.
Happy Trails!!!