Friday Finishes

It's been a wild week but nothing terrible just crazy.  But I got a few things "finished".
 I finished this book about the hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas back in the early 1900's.  It was mostly about the man who was the weather reporter on the island during that time.   It was a good book and very interesting but one of those that jumps around and I found it confusing.  I would recommend it if you like history or weather or both but it is really sad. I would rate it 4**** out of 5.

 I also finished this book.  It is good but it would be very unenjoyable for me to follow her regimen.  I sometimes take parts of tips but her "diet" would be hard for me to follow as I try to eat healthy but not to extremes.  I guess if my RA and Graves was really interfering with my lifestyle I would follow it but I have gotten pretty good at monitoring, exercising and eating sensibly.  I may buy a copy of the book later as you would have to own it as there are recipes etc. and I couldn't remember all of the info by borrowing it from the library.  I would rate it 4**** out of 5 if you have autoimmune issues.

I finished reading my first issue of ROL magazine.  It is a great resource but so much of the items and/or ingredients for recipes are not available here.  I though it a little presumptuous  of the magazine to assume we have great farmer's markets or access to those types of things.  It seemed to apply more to people living closer to metropolitan areas and also with a nice income! LOL! I would rate it 3*** out of 5

I finished The Stillmeadow Road by Gladys Tabor.  I love her writing and her lifestyle.  It's not  really a story but more a journal of her life of a particular year by month and of her farm Stillmeadow
It would be hard to give a synopsis of the book other to say it is peaceful and wonderful for me.  I love to read about rural living as it takes me back and hopefully forward again too. I get lost in it and it gives me lovely thoughts as I drift off to sleep. 4**** out of 5

This was a finish but not mine..........we had a female visitor who came to lay her eggs........if she looks like she is focused and straining....she is.  I did not realize at the time I took this picture that she was laying her eggs.  As soon as I realized it I left her alone and came back later...........

 She had dug through stones, mulch and mud to lay her eggs and then she left never to see her young that she brought into the world.  That's alright because so many times they get dug up by the armadillos and eaten.  It's just as well she doesn't look back.

In parting, here's a picture of Miss Peeps with her new friend.  I've been lecturing her about biting living things so now she's taken up with attacking Mr. Orangutan.  He doesn't seem to mind like the rest of us do.  My legs are finally healing and I may actually be able to shave them again before the end of summer LOL!   She's very lucky that we are all so tolerant in this family.  She's even taken over Annie's bed and Annie gets out and lets her have it...the bed that is.

I hope you have a nice weekend!  Happy Trails!

YOP Week #1

This is the first week of the Year of Projects 2015-2016 season on Ravelry!  I am participating again but this year will be a little different for me as I am "cleaning house" both literally and figuratively.  I am planning on moving back to my home state of Illinois hopefully before Christmas therefore I am focusing all my efforts on "downsizing" and getting this house ready to sell.  The only projects I will be working on until then will the the ones I didn't finish from previous years! LOL!  Plus, gifts for Christmas and birthdays which I can't always show.  I did have a good year but I've noticed the more finishes I have the longer my list gets too ie; there's no way I will ever finish all the projects I would like to make unless I clone myself. 
I have lists for each YOP year on the right side of my blog that I try and keep updated and that is why I don't list them here each week other than what I am currently working on.  I will have some new projects listed but they probably won't get started until after the New Year.  I have not published my YOP 2015-2016 list there yet but it will be out there later this week.  I have some deadlines for birthday presents that I need to meet.  July is almost as bad as Christmas in my family when it comes to birthdays....busy month!  So, until my list is up, here is what I am working on (not counting secret presents I can't show as my daughter (3 birthdays and 1 anniversary right there)  reads my blog now!) LOL!  I will post them after they have received them though.
An apology to my usual blog readers also as this month has been "something else".  I think Mercury is in retrograde which might account for some of it but I've had car troubles, my dryer broke and then the air conditioning went out and the modem and the internet!  Plus, I had some financial business which required some special bank signature which I spent a week just trying to get that taken care of.....it's been nuts!  On top of that hanging clothes in the basement and taking care of a new kitten has definitely taken up any free time I might have had to do other things.  That being said, I will try and get "back on track this week". 
Here is one of my sweet "time consumers" who has now been wormed, went from 7 ounces to 14 and has had her first shot of a series.  Oh, she is now called Miss Peeps since Mr. Peeps didn't really fit HER! LOL!

 She's in the house now too and wreaking havoc!  The girls are all very tolerant and Nitty (the Rottweiller) has pretty much adopted her...she's the "cat herder".  Grace (my other cat) doesn't really want anything to do with her....I think her nose is out of joint about not being the only cat in the house now so I have to spend time reassuring her.  Annie, the miniature dachsund has been extremely tolerant as Miss Peeps takes over her bed, jumps on her back and bites her tail!  They're all getting their exercise that's for sure and I made the mistake of wearing crop pants one day and now I look like I have leprosy!    I'll be wearing long pants this summer!  But we love her and she gets better each day.  She's sure given me a lot of laughs with her antics.  I wish I could have gotten a video of her "riding the dachsund"! LOL!
Here's what I am working on presently when I get a moment............the preemie hats!  I need 52 by the time my daughter comes next month.  I need to corral them, count them and see where I am.

I love how my Hudson Bay Blanket socks are turning out and my sock skills have definitely improved this year big time!  I have actually turned the heel and am working on the gusset since this picture was taken.

I'm hurrying towards the finish line on this quilt and finally got the quilt trimmed and the binding sewn.  I started sewing it to the quilt last night and the seam in the binding ended up right at the corner and corners are hard enough so I ripped it out and will redo it today when I am "fresh".  I should know better than to try and do anything in the evening....I'm toast by then.

My Sunday chores are usually change my sheets, do laundry and iron and now without a dryer I am doing laundry much more often as it has to line dry in my basement and there is more ironing.  I may have to put out the $400 for the dryer as line drying indoors does not get rid of "fuzz" on anything and it's driving me crazy when I dry my face or hands etc.  Where does "fuzz" come from anyway? LOL!
I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday weekend if you are in the States.  I watched The Capitol 4th on PBS and that was my 4th of July celebration. 
Happy Trails!