St. Patrick's Day Eve!!!

I washed up all the fresh veggies and fruits I bought yesterday.  There was so much in the produce department I wanted to buy but I wouldn't be able to eat it all before it spoiled.  There were artichokes and asparagus and there were probably strawberries from Florida but I didn't even look!  You could just tell it was all so fresh.  Here's what I did get.........seedless red grapes.....I've been snacking on them all afternoon........so good!

Some kind of 'new' melon...I thought it was just a cantalope...I'll like it as I love melons of all types.........

radishes and a cucumber that's in the frig along with some organic avocados (another first at Walmart)

 These radishes had all their leafy green tops but I trimmed them up for salads........

and of course the apples for the Irish Apple cake which did not get made today.......

 Instead I went outside it was so gorgeous and prepped my seed tray which took more time than you can imagine............the seed starting mix is so light that you have to keep pushing it into the little holes for the seeds and then water and leave it and then go back (tomorrow) and see if it has sunken.  I have watered in the past and it just bubbles up and goes all over the soil is so light....lots of vermiculite.  Back in the day I used to make my own and maybe I'll get to that point again but for now I just want to get some seeds going.  I know I'm already late. 

I'm already with craft sticks to mark them and my seeds...although I know have more somewhere....I just saw them...now if I can only remember where?

I know I've shown this before....a gal I order from up in Iowa sells these for around $10 I think?  Anyway, it is the nuts for misting plants and perfect for the seed starting mix as it doesn't drown it or blow it all over the place. Her website is here

She uses it for ironing and quilting but also tea dyeing which I didn't think of!  Plus, yarn dyeing.....oh, the possibilites are endless!  I love mine and I may order another one.  You can read more about it on her website.   She's a great gal and her customer service is awesome!

That's all for today...I'm going to force myself to do my 5 minute pickup and 15 minute de-clutter and then it is supper and relax and watch Priscilla and Chelsea's podcast!  Exciting huh?  It is for me and all the excitement I need or want! LOL!
Happy Trails!!!

I am a tired buckaroo!

I got up at 2:30 a.m. this morning so I am fading fast now at 5:30 p.m.  But I was able to get some priorities done today.  I paid a few bills, did some laundry, cleaned the frig and went grocery shopping.  I got all the ingredients for corned beef and cabbage for St, Patty's Day!  My favorite meal in the whole wide world!  There's the corned beef, cabbage, carrots, rutabaga, turnips and potaoes....yummo!  

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I researched traditional Irish desserts and found an apple cake recipe with custard sauce so that is what I am making for dessert.   I'm Irish but I don't have a big sweet tooth and I don't remember having many desserts growing up.  But I do like a little something with a cup of tea in the evening.  The recipe only called for 4 apples but the bag of apples was cheaper than buying 4 individually!

The great thing about getting up so early was that I was able to get the kitchen cleaned up and the frig cleaned before I went to the store.  It's so nice to be able to put things away knowing where it all is and that you've rid the area of 'past their prime' foods.  It gives you more room for one thing!

 I always mean to do that but it doesn't always happen.....today it did and I was a happy camper!

Oh!!!  News alert!  News alert!  Did you know that Walmart now carries organic meat?  No organic chickens yet but they had all cuts of beef...grass fed and lamb and there might have been some pork there too.  I was so excited!  I just got a pound of hamburger as I'm trying to clear out the freezer.  I was thinking I was going to have to order online and I still might.  The Butcher Box has all organic and bone in chicken parts and whole chickens and grass fed organic meat and wild caught fish of all kinds.  I haven't checked the price yet but it's a subscription service.

 

I got all the groceries put away and did some de-cluttering and tonight I'm going to do some cross stitch.  What are you up to tonight?  I try to watch a movie on Friday nights.  Last week I watched a favorite of mine.....The Magic or Ordinary Days......it's on You Tube.   

Happy Trails!!! 

Sunny, windy, warm and blossoming!

Some of the plants got a little beaten down in the heavy rain we had after they started opening up but they're perking back up..........

These are the tiger lilies coming up.........I rarely see blooms as the deer love them!

There are Asian lilies in the front yard and the deer don't get that close to the house so they usually bloom and they smell wonderful.......
Everything is budding out................

See the Bradford Pear buds getting ready to flower?

and the clematis has come alive..........

Today, I actually sat down and worked on 2019 Goals..........I know, a bit late but in reading the budgeting book and also Prairie Homestead podcast......they both were talking about setting goals.  Now, when I had my career and family I was the biggest goal setter you ever saw but when I retired I figured why bother?  Well, actually it's more important that ever now as I am on 'the short list' for time left on this planet and I still have things I want to accomplish.  Truth be told it feels like I'm spinning my wheels.  So to have 2 incidences where Goal setting was front and center....well, I don't believe in coincidence so I sat down today and got serious!  They need to be fine tuned but they are specific and measurable and I also learned that along with budgeting your money, you also need to budget your time.  It seems pretty obvious but when you're retired it's like 'la-la land' and you pretty much think there's always tomorrow.....but there might not be!  So, I  have got to get busy and get things accomplished so I CAN sit back and enjoy my retirement without all this stuff weighing me down physically and mentally.

 Excuse the notes at the top...when I hear or see something that I want to look into further I write notes at the top of my journal pages.  Anyway, I feel better now that I have them and an action plan to boot.  Now if I could only be infused with extra energy to get it all done! LOL!
My socks bit the dust yesterday....the toe up socks.... so to 'cleanse my palate' of the bad taste in my mouth.........I started on a dishcloth....easy and satisfying after my bitter defeat by the socks!

My sidekick,  Grace kept me company.......she does not get into my yarn...just Miss Peeps.  To think she almost died and now is so healthy........I am so grateful!  She's a sweetheart.

I hope the wind dies down where you are and the sun comes out and the snow melts to reveal GREEN! 
Happy Trails!!!

The grass is greening.........

It's raining again and I'm pretty sure as soon as we have a day of sunshine it will be time to mow!  I kid you not.  Our new neighbors from California finally moved in.  They bought an old yellow school bus to move here and are then going to remodel it be a motor home!  I think that is really cool!  I haven't met them yet but my neighbor called to let me know they had moved in.  I should bake something and take it to them but maybe I'll wait until they get settled.

Here is my chicken I roasted yesterday....there might be a few pieces missing...lol!  I am always loving the crispy skin after it come out of the oven...yum!   This was Lisa's recipe from Farmhouse on Boone.  I used to use Ina Garten's recipe but Lisa's is better and more down to earth....no fancy ingredients just 'downhome cooking'!

I baked some sweet potatoes in the oven also while the chicken was cooking....sometimes the simplest foods are the best.  They're so easy to peel after they've cooled.

Tonight I went out and harvested some salad greens but I thought I would show you before I harvested.  This little greenhouse has provided me with greens all winter long!  I will be doing this next year too and maybe some other items.

I took my Day #3 of The Heritage Cooking Classes and it was very interesting as it was on curing meats and even making your own summer sausage.  Plus,  how to 'smoke' meats easily in your oven!
I am truly enjoying this class.  There is also a drawing each day for lots of wonderful products.  I hope I win one!  Stay safe tonight as I hear many are having blizzards and high winds.  We have a wind warning but so far so good and just rain. 
Happy Trails!!!

I am playing catchup all the time....

Is this what old age is?  I cannot get it all done although today was better than yesterday.  I am really going to have to prioritize and maybe hire a cleaning person or yard person or just go straight to a home.....lol!
I did have a good day today even though I am still behind.  But I have clean clothes and a nice dinner to eat later............plus, I figured out my knitting problem with my toe-up sock....I recalculated all the numbers and they were right so I picked up my needles and started re-counting all my stitches and I found a bunch hanging out on the cable that I had not counted!  Evidently I was not 'with it' when I counted them before.....tsk, tsk!  So, I am happy to announce I am now ready to proceed with the heel flap!  PTL!!!

The other day I made Mama Peas's egg casserole recipe that she blogged about!  Thank you Mama Pea...it was delicious!  I am always looking for good, healthy breakfast foods to fix.  It is a keeper for sure!

I finished the 2 books I was reading...........this one was good but the author was hard to be believed in many instances but then what do I know?  The book was not very well written and it was disjointed but it was still a very interesting read and she led a very unusual and unique life.

This was more my style....good old Janette Oke......I wish all people could be like the ones in her stories....

Now, I am reading these 2 books..........

I started this a while ago but it was on my tablet and I forgot about it...............

I'm taking the free Heritage Cooking class by The Prairie Homesteader.  It is only free this week and after that you have to pay for it.  It's very good and I am especially interested in the ancient grains and fermenting sections.  She has a blog so you might be able to find some of the information there and it might not be too late to sign up if you want.  I left a link in my post from Sunday. 

I got some cleaning done today...changed the sheets, vacuumed and this afternoon I made a roast chicken and baked some sweet potatoes for supper tonight. 

It was a cozy, cloudy, rainy day......I truly love my life!  I hope you all love yours too!
Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #37

Finishes:
none this week

WIPs (works in progress): 
1) I got about 2 more rows done on the pink C2C blanket.  I'm not sure how big I will make it.  I think I will just continue until I run out of the pink yarn.  I have one more skein besides this one which is 3 total.

2) I did work on the Button Eyed cat on Witchy Wednesday again - never again will I work on 40 ct. linen.....it's a trial........

3) I worked on Hawk Run Hollow January.

 4)   My toe-up socks are coming along...I've done the gusset and just finished the heel turn...I think....but my numbers for the maximum stitch count after the heel flap are not adding up.....I have like 58 and it says it should be 98.....whoa Nellie.....that is quite a disparity!  I'm going to go back and redo the math.....something is not right!  Ruth, does 98 sound too big to you?  58 might be too small for sure.  My base number is 64.  If anyone has used this formula from Sockmatician could you possibly tell me what I am doing wrong?  I might have goofed on calculating the heel turn repeats on R3and R4.  I ended up doing R1 and R2 and  I alternated R3 and R4 for a total of 12 rows counting R1 and R2 once which means 5 times for R3 and R4 together or a total of 10.  But I have no where near 98 stitches on my needles.  Woe is me!

 5)  I finally got my binding for my little quilt measured and cut.  I was going to sew yesterday but I was so tired for some reason and my eyes were bothering me.  It was really windy here so I think that was part of the eye problem.  Anyway, I got no further with it.

6)  I worked on Santa Sunday last Sunday.............

Miscellaneous:
I got a coloring book that is peel and stick..........I tried to color in bed but it didn't work out very well so I'll have to sit at a table.............I'm using my glitter pens.....I need more colors.......I think I will use them to decorate my journals.......

I have been cooking and cleaning a lot this week and F.Y.I. if you are interested here is a free course for this coming week from The Prairie Homestead.....on Heritage Cooking.....it is going to be a pay for course after this week so sign up if you are interested as it starts tomorrow...here's the link
No acqusitions but I need to order more sock yarn and start getting ready for Stitch Mania in May.  Plus, now that Spring is here...there's gardening. painting and landscaping.....here we go!

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)  Toe-up socks
6)  C2C blanket for Grayson (July birthday) 
7)  Monthly Monday - HRH January
8)  Witchy Wednesday - Button-Eyed Cat
9)  Fall Friday - Pumpkin Spice Far
10)  Santa Sunday -Old St. Nick

 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



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