Tuesday - Cleaning update and cooking from scratch

 I forgot to show you my finished bedroom...at least the last corner and dresser..........the t.v. is on for Grace so she can watch Bird T.V.  She loves it!  Rain told me about it and it is really cool.  Sometime I walk by and find myself standing there watching it too.  I have never seen so many beautiful birds!  I wish they would have the names of them so I could learn a bit more but maybe I'll get my bird books out and research them. 

 Here's a closer look at Bird TV......it is on You Tube...this goes for 7 hours! LOL!

I have 2 empty corners now in my bedroom and I'm thinking of putting a couple plant stands with plants.  Miss Peeps goes after plants so they have to be up high and where she can't get them...we shall see.........

Next is my closet (well, actually they're all mine...lol!).....these are the before pictures...........

I'm actually excited about this closet because I have a feeling there is a lot of stuff in there that I can get rid of!  Yahoo!
I did a lot today but nothing much on my weekly goals but I did make homemade tortilla chips and lime spiked black bean dip to go with them.  Very interesting and not difficult but a bit time consuming.  Now that I know how I can streamline it as I will be making this a lot!  It was way better than I expected.  Extremely tasty and so healthy!  Who knew?

Here are the tortilla chips...you cut them from corn tortillas and lay out on a plain cookie sheet.  Then you mix lime juice and oil in a spray bottle and mist them.  You mix salt, cumin and chili powder and  sprinkle on top and bake at 350 F for 4 minutes, turn the pan and bake another 4 minutes.  I ended up putting the chili, salt and cumin mixture in a salt shaker and that worked better for sprinkling the spice on the chips.  Here's the recipe I used
 This picture was before the misting and the sprinkling....lol!

 I also made this
lime spiked black bean dip recipe and YUMMO!  It may not look like much but don't let that fool you.  Next time, more garlic and more cayenne pepper.  Also, let it sit at room temp so you get the full flavor!  Yes, those are grated carrots in there....I told you it was healthy!

I never got to the dog treats or the citrus chicken but there's always tomorrow!
Happy Trails!!!
P.S.  My forsythia has a bright yellow bud on it!  I think I told you the daffodils are up about 3 or 4 inches too.  Spring is getting ready down here in the Ozarks!  Rain this morning and more tonight.  I emptied all my bowls and containers from my leaky porch roof....I'm ready! LOL!

Monday - New week, new goals!

I finished 2 books last week and started another 2..........

from Good Reads "Every day some species of plant or animal on our planet becomes extinct. In Mama Poc, the bestselling author of Woodswoman and Beyond Black Bear Lake relates her own attempts to halt the decline of a single species of bird found only in Guatemala. The giant grebe, a flightless bird living on mile-deep Lake Atitlan, came to LaBastille’s attention in 1964. Her population count revealed that a mere eighty-two birds remained. Over the course of twenty-five years, Anne LaBastille made the cause of the giant grebe her own. This is the story of her life in Guatemala, observing the birds and working to reclaim their habitat and—against odds that turned out to be overwhelming—give them a future. (less)"

I gave this 4 ****...very good and I learned a lot about all the components that can contribute to a species going extinct.  She writes great nature books!

  This was the 2nd book I finished.............

This Year I Will...: How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True

by M.J. Ryan

3.8  ·  Rating details ·  1,893 Ratings  ·  218 Reviews

Are you really ready to change? Take this quiz and find out.

Goodreads states:
"Every New Year’s Day, my list of resolutions is:
Ambitious. I aim for everything from losing weight to saving more money for my retirement.
Realistic. I just try to bump my good behavior up a notch--be a better friend, give more money to charity---without giving myself any strict deadlines or goals.
Precise. I decide exactly how many men I will ask for a date, or how many new jobs I will apply for. Whenever I decide to change something, it’s usually because:
My doctor has put the fear of God into me.
I read a magazine article about why making this change is important.
I start daydreaming about how great life will be after I make the change.
True or False: When you want to make a big change in your life, timing is crucial.
Failure is:
Impossible.
Inevitable.
Not in my vocabulary.
(The answers are on the inside back flap.)
Learn the secret to making changes that stick
Every so often people get inspired (again!) to lose weight, get organized, start saving, or stop worrying –but a few months later they give up, frustrated. It doesn’t have to be that way. In This Year I Wil . . .l, bestselling author M.J. Ryan offers breakthrough wisdom and coaching to help readers make this time the time that change becomes permanent.
Why do people find it so hard to change? The secret is that everyone has their own formula for making changes that stick, but most people don’t know what theirs is. They think there is one way to lose five pounds, and another way to stay on top of their e-mail, but they don’t realize that for all changes, there is one system that works best for each individual. This Year I Will . . . helps you lock on to your unique formula for planning, implementing, and seeing a life change through, so you can use it again and again to tackle anything else you’d like to do.
 For anyone who has broken a New Year’s resolution, fallen off a diet, or given up on fulfilling a dream, the ingenious strategies, inspiring stories, and sheer motivational energy of This Year I Will . . . help you make a promise to yourself that you can actually keep."
Answers to the jacket quiz: c, c, false, b. Take the whole quiz and learn your score at M.J. Ryan’s Web site, www.mj-ryan.com. (less)

The above was from Good Reads and I have read many of these type of books over the years but this one is a cut above the rest in my estimation.  It is brief, to the point, there are human examples and it has many tips and techniques I have not heard of before.  I am keeping this book to refer to whenever I need  a little motivation to keep going!  I give it 4 ****.

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 I am now reading.......

Two in the Far North

by Margaret E. Murie, Olaus Johan Murie (Illustrator), Terry Tempest Williams (Foreword by)

4.19  ·  Rating details ·  761 Ratings  ·  70 Reviews

From Good Reads: "This enduring story of life, adventure, and love in Alaska was written by a woman who embraced the remote Alaskan wilderness and became one of its strongest advocates. In this moving testimonial to the preservation of the Arctic wilderness, Mardy Murie writes from her heart about growing up in Fairbanks, becoming the first woman graduate of the University of Alaska, and marrying noted biologist Olaus J. Murie. So begins her lifelong journey in Alaska and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where along with her husband and others, they founded The Wilderness Society. Mardy's work as one of the earliest female voices for the wilderness movement earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (less)"

and this one.............

Ahab's Wife, or The Star-Gazer

by Sena Jeter Naslund

4.03  ·  Rating details ·  38,708 Ratings  ·  2,447 Reviews

From Good Reads: "A magnificent, vast, and enthralling saga, Sena Jeter Naslund's Ahab's Wife is a remarkable epic spanning a rich, eventful, and dramatic life. Inspired by a brief passage in Moby Dick, it is the story of Una, exiled as a child to live in a lighthouse, removed from the physical and emotional abuse of a religion-mad father. It is the romantic adventure of a young woman setting sail in a cabin boy's disguise to encounter darkness, wonder, and catastrophe; the story of a devoted wife who witnesses her husband's destruction by obsession and madness. Ultimately it is the powerful and moving story of a woman's triumph over tragedy and loss through her courage, creativity, and intelligence. (less)"

 

So far both are good but of course the non-fiction/true life is always my favorite!

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 I made some weekly goals a few weeks ago and a monthly goal list and I am still back in January! LOL!  The good news is things have gotten done around here despite Grace being ill and then me.  There was definitely more progress and direction than without it although, as always, I think I am superwoman and can get as much accomplished as 3 people.....NOT!  But I feel good about what I got done and things didn't slip between the cracks.

I finished the "deep clean" of my bedroom, windows, doors, walls, baseboards and all drawers and surfaces.  I'm also setting goals for my crafts and hobbies and researching eating for pancreatitus which means lots more creating from scratch such as my own tortilla chips and whole wheat bread instead of white and coming up with alternative snacks, breakfasts and desserts?....not a lot of changes but a few.  No doctors have called me back and my appointment with the gastro guy isn't until May so I am guessing this is what it is and taking action now and so far I'm feeling much better so we'll see what he says in May unless I end up in the ER before then but I am hoping not!

This week my goals are a little less since I am still catching up with January!  

 

This Weeks Goals: (in addition to daily chores)

*started

** in progress

***finished

__________________

deep clean my closet

**iron 10 items (5 are done already)

finish sleeve #1 on sweater

**finish star ornament

make dog treats, tortilla chips, whole wheat bread, black bean dip, and citrus chicken

***pickup groceries to make the above

***fill and pickup prescriptions

vacuum

*pay bills

cards and letters 

gift making for others

Advent Calendar gift making

**4 squares on CMB

**read 2 books and a magazine

 

I'm sure there's more but  this should be a good start! LOL  I hope you get everything done that you want to this week and Happy President's Day!  Isn't it odd that teachers who teach about the presidents don't get this day off but banks and post offices do......who makes these rules?    

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #34

As Opera Jo would say in her Stitching the High Notes podcast...."Hello dear Makers"!  In fact, taking a cue from the pod casts........I am going to organize this post in much the same way.

FO's (Finished Objects) - Sorry, none to speak of but soon I hope!
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WIP's (Works in Progress) - There are lots but I will only talk about the ones I am actually working on..........
#1 - Cozy Memories Blanket - My goal is 4 squares a week and I almost have  4 for this week and will finish the 4th tonight.........you can see them at the top.

 #2 - Tree Topper Star Ornament -   They look more like little fish but they are the points of the star.  I have the 5 beaded ones done on the top row and 1 1/2 done of the 5 non-beaded ones for the back of the star. 

#3 - Tweed Cardigan - not touched at all this week....so sad
So....my goals for next week are 4 more CMB squares, finish the star ornament and finish the first sleeve on the sweater.  I want to make 12 ornaments and 12 pairs of socks so I had better get a move on!  I need to order some sock yarn and finish the Christmas Eve cast on socks plus yarn for another pair.  I have some ornament kits so I need to prep for the next one.  There's so much more but one project or 3 at a time.
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Acquisitions:  Yes!  I have some and they are really cool!!!  My very first purchased project bag.....from Little Skein in the Big Wool...........oooooh....aaaaaah...I'm in love with that fabric!

It is made very well and has a flat bottom so it stands up even with nothing in it!  It has a drawstring close and a ring for progress keepers...impeccably made!  It's my Christmas/Winter bag and today I ordered a Valentine's Day bag....woo hoo!  These are my Christmas, Birthday and Holiday gifts to MOI!

I also got a couple of cute progress keepers..........

and some material to make my own project bags?

Anne of Green Gables.............

and Little House on the Prairie..........

all from Little Skein in the Big Wool.........she's awesome!  She and Mustash Yarns have a podcast together called Little Skein and the Big Stash.......very good!
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What's in the Queue -
#1 - Land of Sweets Cowl
I have to get enough mini-skeins to do the different colors
#2 - Some Valentine's Day socks.....I know I'm late
#3 - Something for St. Patrick's Day...socks or cowl?  Any cute Irish projects?
#4 - My daughter and I are swapping for an Advent Calendar next Christmas so I am already starting on that and some items will be bought but some will be made.....any "tiny" ideas are appreciated.  So far I have 2 of the 24.
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What I'm "wishing upon a star" for -
#1 - I already succumbed to the bi-monthly subscription mini-box from Little Skein in the Big Wool.....
#2 - Susan B. Anderson has her 2 kits back in stock..........The Loopy Sheep
and her Spring Chicken kits  just in time for Spring but where do I get the dough for all these great items?
#3 - my new over the top obsession I discovered from Little Bobbin's mother who does the most beautiful stitchery from Jesse Chorley
I'd like to do her Friendship Quilt  if I live long enough! LOL!  I may try just a little sampler on my own but check out her website for lots of other wonderful and unique items and projects.  Little Bobbin's mother has made so  many beautiful things from Jesse and her kits and workshops.
I think maybe that's it for this week....a few updates...my pancreas has settled down but now Grace has stopped eating again! I gave her an appetite enhancement pill this morning and a syringe full of Urgent Care which she didn't like but swallowed both.  She's so gentle...she never bites or scratches me and she could!  I hope you are having a great weekend!  I'm off to iron some fabric and see if I can make a little hand embroidered something for that Advent Calendar.
Happy Trails!!!
P.S.  Please go and check out these other fabulous makers 
from Year of Projects.

 "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein