Fiber optic coming through!

About a month or so ago my electric co-op had an informational meeting at the church about getting fiber optic in our town.  If you wanted it you needed to sign up which I did and they have been all over the area putting it in and then connecting to neighborhoods and finally homes.  Eventually they will need to come inside and do some wiring but for now it is just outside. 
I haven't had this many men at my house in years! LOL!

This was the big excitement today.  They were all over the neighborhood.  I did take the bread and dishcloth to my new neighbor.  He seems very nice and is a DIY'er...which I love.  He moved his stuff in a school bus and pulled his car on a trailer.  He said he bought the bus to move and then to buy furniture after he got here and then he's going to turn it into an RV!  So cool!  He's from California.   I told him I can't wait to see the progress!  He's also replacing some carpeting with plastic laminate flooring....another area I'm interested in.  It's motivating to finally have a neighbor that does things besides me!  Everyone else hires everything done.   
I did some errands and then came home and picked up the rest of the sticks in the yard.  The pile is now twice as big as yesterday.  It was a rough winter because I don't remember ever having that many big branches to pick up.  I stopped at the store and got some hamburger as I decided my next meal will be goulash and I have peaches in the freezer so my favorite peach dessert will get made.  There are storms coming so I thought I'd better get what I needed for my next meal in case it goes on for days as they are predicting.  Of course, they're usually wrong but it was sunny today and 70 F so  why not go today as opposed to waiting until it's pouring out to run to the store.  "Plan for the worst but hope for the best"!
I hope you had a great day and the sun is shining where you are!
Happy Trails!!!  

Finally getting some things done around the homestead!

It was a gorgeous day today and I did some outside chores....watered the kale and the peas, harvested the lettuce.........

 got the bread rising......

Planted the pansies............and set them on the front porch

I picked up a boat load of sticks in the front yard but decided to save the back yard until tomorrow! LOL!  There were some big limbs from my old trees.........I'll burn them after I get them all picked up

the trees are blooming in the woods.....red buds and the dogwoods are starting................

Those aren't dogwoods just some berry bushes or something blooming............I love the dogwoods because their branches go horizontal and they are definitely recognizable.
I got a Knit Picks catalog in the mail...that is NOT junk mail!  I will be looking at it this evening!  I wish I could wear my hair like the lady on the cover.  She looks very attractive in it but I don't think she's 70 years old....I'd look like a witch if I tried it! LOL!  Some people age better than others....me?  Not so much.

I came in and made my jar salads.......I love these especially this time of year when there is so much to do and I can just grab one for lunch with some homemade bread.......perfect!  If you're not familiar with these you just put your dressing on the bottom and layer your lettuce and other items.  When you're ready to eat you shake it up and either eat it from the jar or put  it on a plate.  It keeps the lettuce crisp and your salad isn't soggy.  These have red onion, cucumber and radishes but you can add whatever you want.  It depends on what I have.  I usually put seeds of some kind and avocado but I'm out right now.  Hard boiled eggs are good too.

I baked the bread for my neighbor and it's cooling.  I'll probably take it over tomorrow along with the dish cloth....

I finished An Act of Love by Nancy Thayer and it was very good.  She is an excellent writer but the topic was depressing.  Not sure if all her books are on such serious subjects but if so I might have to read something lighter.

Tonight I'm starting this book which I own....I'm trying to read a fiction, non-fiction but also a book I own, one on the Kindle and then a library book.  On the Kindle I'm reading the non-fiction budget book...........then this one is my book and non-fiction

and this one is fiction and from the library.....another author I've wanted to try......

Supper tonight is chicken apple sausage, roasted sweet potato and a jar salad.......I hope you had a great day and enjoy your evening!
Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #40

Finishes:
1) My little tiny quilt - this is a reproduction of a doll quilt and was a free pattern on the Kathleen Tracy blog site and she also has a Facebook group.  I got it a long time ago.  Kathleen also has many books out on reproduction doll quilts.  I like the smaller quilts as I have more uses for them such a table covers or dresser scarves.  I'm not a good quilter as I can count on one hand all the quilts I've made but I plan on continuing to make them and hopefully get better at it.   I machine quilted "in the ditch" as they say but I think from now on I will hand quilt as it is too obvious and I'm not very good at it.  Wherever this little quilt winds up in my house I think the 2 little Amish figurines need to go with it. They were given to me by a good friend from college for my birthday.  I think it was a sign as shortly after that I got a job not too far from the Amana Colonies in Iowa.

WIPs (works in progress): 
1) I worked on Hawk Run Hollow January and finished filling in the white but not much to see so I didn't take another picture.

2)  I have almost all my hexies sewn for the next pickle dish but not quite.  Hopefully I will have another "dish" sewn together by next week.

3) My Seasonal Sunday project "Spring" is coming along and I'll be working on it today!  The tulips are done......so cute all in a row.......

4)  Pumpkin Spice Farm is almost finished but not quite..............as they say "so close but no cigar"...I have no idea where that saying came from...........

5)  The Button-Eyed cat for Witchy Wednesday is slowly getting there.....I will be so glad when this is done....it is a pure drag and a strain on my eyes.......

7) Socks!!!  Yes, oh how I love to knit socks...just not toe up...for now anyway.  The yarn is Knit Picks fingering weight speckled and I love it!  I love the looks, the feel and the knitting with it.  It's going to make a great pair of socks plus there is no splitting or knots so far!  I'm on round 31 of 61 which is halfway done with the leg.  This is Cherry Heart's "First Sock" pattern which is a pay for pattern on Ravelry and excellent with photos and detailed instructions and then just the pattern if you want to skip all the tutorial parts.  It has a very simple design pattern to it which gives a soft squishy sock that I love.  This is my second time making these.  Susan B.Anderson's "How I Make My Socks" used to be my go to sock pattern but now it is Cherry Heart's (Sandra Paul's) pattern.  I'm using my favorite sock needles too...ChiaoGoo Red Lace circular stainless steel knitting needles that I got on Amazon.  I'm using one of my new sea glass progress keepers too.

Acquisitions:
None this week but maybe next.  Today I'll be gathering some Stitch Mania projects together (31 in total...one for every day in May!) and figuring what supplies I need.  I have lots of xs material to utilize and floss so mostly patterns to order and look through my old magazines and xs WIP's....yes, there are those too! LOL! 
I will also be starting my YOP 2019-2020 list and see what supplies I need for those.  There are only 12 weeks left to this YOP year!

New Starts Planned:
I need a new Santa Sunday project so it will be the little house ornament pattern I got.  I need to gather the materials together and get started on it.  I won't be ordering that polka dot fabric either.  I have xs stitch fabric I can use.

YOP Goals this week:
1.  finish stitching Pumpkin Spice Farm
2.  finish hexies and stitch together for Pickle Dish #5 of 11 (there are also 2 half PD's on the vertical and 6 half PD's on the horizontal plus 4 quarter PD's and then the connecting hexies)    
3.  Work on Amy's Frida Kahlo basket
4.  Start house ornament
6.  do the finishing work on "America" xs
7.  do the finishing work on "Merry Xmas" xs
8.  do the finishing work on "Primitive Santa"
9.  finish leg of sock #1
10.  make sock box and ornament box for 12 of each in a year (yeah right) lol!

 TOP 10 (or more) WIP's:

1)  Pickle Dish
2)  Stars and Stripes Saturday - 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)  socks
6)  C2C blanket for Grayson (July birthday) 
7)  Monthly Monday - HRH January
8)  Witchy Wednesday - Button-Eyed Cat
9)  Fall Friday - Pumpkin Spice Farm
10)  Santa Sunday -Old St. Nick - done but needs 'finishing' work
11.  Turkey Thursday
12.  Seasonal Sunday - Spring
13.  Santa Sunday - new house ornament

 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 - 5 of them!
21.  Granny Square Shawl
22.  Kathleen Tracy doll quilt



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