Rain, rain, rain...........

It is so dark out today and although it hasn't rained non-stop it is wet out there with more rain coming.  I've done chores....bills, some cleaning and I was able to take a walk in-between showers.
My ham turned out really good last night and it wasn't salty at all. 

 I'm working on June for A Year of Celebrations for Stitch Mania Day #15.....I haven't gotten very far

I also worked on my crocheted lattice squares and I ordered a pair of slacks from QVC.
Now, a few more chores and it will be suppertime!  I hope you had a great Friday and enjoy your evening.
Happy Trails!!!

My Easter ham!!!!

I finally got my Easter ham!  Better late than never!  It is almost ready to come out of the oven and then get basted with a  brown sugar glaze and under the broiler, it will go.

After it comes out I have asparagus to roast........

and probably a baked potato too. 
I had a healthy breakfast this morning that has kept me filled up almost all day.........scrambled eggs with spinach, red onion and feta cheese.

I did laundry today but couldn't hang out as they said it was going to rain starting this afternoon ....it is now 4:00 p.m. and it has not rained a drop!  With all their fancy radar and satellites they still cannot predict the weather!  I'm better off just looking out the window!
I did take a walk though and did a few other chores and then worked on Stitch Maynia Day #14

  It's supposed to storm tonight now and tomorrow and over the weekend but we'll see.
I hope you had a good day today!  I got things done but not enough! LOL! 
Happy Trails!!!

Groceries, yarn and peonies!!!

I went and did my grocery "pickup" at Walmart but I was the only one and I had to go knock on the door because no one saw me and I can't text them as I don't have a cell phone.  They came out and I got my groceries and left.  It took me all morning to unload to my garage staging area take everything out of the bags in the garage, then bring them a little bit at a time into the kitchen and "disinfect" with a rag that is very soapy with liquid detergent.  Repeat that about 45 times and I was exhausted!  I did tea dye some fabric but discovered I do not care for the "baked" look.  I think I will skip that part.  That is what causes the dark parts.

  My Iris got beaten down with all the rain.  Are Iris the same as gladiola?

 I did bring my peonies in though to enjoy the scent!

The honeysuckle is blooming............

and I have a bunch of berries of some kind all over the back of my property!  I am thrilled!

I found them last year but then I was gone so I never got any.  Every flower is a berry so I should have quite a few if the birds don't beat me to it! LOL!
I also got a treasure in the mail today!  Harry Potter mini-skeins from Norah George in England!  I want to make the Habitation shawl by Helen Stewart.  It will take more than this but it's a start!  I'm just waiting for a size 6 circular with a 40" cable.

For Day #13 of Stitch Maynia I'm doing May from the Year of Celebrations.............

I'm going to go put my feet up and relax......I'm tuckered out!
Happy Trails!!!

Stitch Maynia Day #12

How are you?  Fine as frog's hair I hope!  That's an old saying.  I spent most of my day making a menu and grocery list and then ordering online.  Walmart has a new pickup schedule and for people who are 'at risk' you can now go at a special time.  I will pick up my groceries at between 7-8 a.m which is fine with me!  I am an early bird and 3-4 p.m. was at the end of my day and was very tiring.  This new time is great!
It's been raining since yesterday and expected to continue on and off until the end of the week.  At least I got the lawn mowed!
Here is my cross stitch for Maynia today............it's from the Year of Celebrations - April.

 I didn't get too much done on it........it's part of the umbrella which is very fitting for today even though it is May not April! LOL!

I also spent some time trying to organize my floss............

That's all for now!

Happy Trails!!! 

Stitch Maynia Day # 11

I had a great Mother's Day meal yesterday.  I found this recipe for bratwurst and

caramelized onions....delicious!

and then I made this recipe 
 for Emily's English Roasted Potatoes.............divine!!!  I probably should have used their pictures instead of mine but this way you know I cooked it! LOL!  These potatoes are the best I have ever made or tasted......crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.....I could have made a meal out of the potatoes alone and I did have 2 helpings of everything it was all so good.  Oh, I did have Aunt Nellies Pickled Beets too....good but I do prefer the Amish beets when I can get them  They're more like my Aunt Edna used to make.  It was a meal to remember that's for sure!

 I got 2 Mother's Day cards in the mail today!  One from Sam and Grayson..........

The inside made me tear up...............it unfolds into a big Snoopy hug!  I actually felt like I'd been hugged.  They are the sweetest boys! 

The other card was from my daughter and this one cracked me up.......

I had a good laugh with that one and I hope you did too.  My daughter and I love to laugh.  Great card Amy!  Thank you to you and the boys for making my day after Mother's Day very special! LOL!  (Just kidding, they called me yesterday and almost every day).

  For Stitch Maynia Day #11 it is a free pattern from The Real Housewives of Cross Stitch for the Covid quarantines and/or self-isolation.........another one I might actually be able to finish before next years Stitch Maynia!

I had a really great day today!  I heard a truck outside and when I went to look the city was picking up my pile of brush that I was going to burn.  I was so happy!  We have a new mayor and I like him already.  It used to be you had to call the city, they would come out and based on how much brush you had would call you back with a price and you had to go to City Hall and pay it before they would come and pick it up.  It wasn't cheap either...at least $20 or $30 for a small pile.  I was going to burn it but I really don't like to burn as I don't have a hose that will reach that far.  I did a happy dance when they picked it all up for me!!!  FREE!!!  Then when I went out to mow they were repairing the street which has been in disrepair for years!  I like this new mayor whoever he is! LOL!  It was cloudy and only about 57 degrees F but great for working outside.  I checked the weather and it was like a 20% chance of rain but 90% in the evening.  I just finished mowing and went inside and it started raining and that was about lunchtime!  Am I lucky or what?  I was definitely blessed today!
I mailed a bill, picked up a prescription and that should about do it for a great Monday!  I hope you had a good one too!
Happy Trails!!!  




 

YOP Week #45

This was not a productive week but I sure tried!  Everything I tried failed but never fear.  I learn from my failures so it is never a total loss but I sure don't have much to show for all my efforts.  Stitch Maynia is definitely the focus this month along with gardening and mowing and all the outdoor chores that have been added now that Spring has sprung.
I won't go over each Maynia day.  If you want to see each one you can go back and visit my daily posts.  I don't post on Saturday so here is Saturday's Maynia project for Day #9...........it's also a gift....
 I think it is my tiniest Maynia project and I don't think I will have any trouble finishing this one!

  It will be a pin cushion when I'm done...............this was a pattern I bought from my friend, Helen Phillips, over in the UK.  She has lovely items in her Etsy shop.  You should see all the cute patterns she has.

TOday's project for Day #10 is a big project..............I just worked on it a little this morning but I will get more done before the day is over...............

here' s my little start with my new needle minder............

I did work on my lattice squares and had one almost finished when I ran out of the yarn on the last round! I started another but didn't get very far.  Yesterday I spent the day dyeing fabric for cross stitch but that did not turn out as planned either.  I followed The Real Housewives of Cross Stitch video tutorial but they dyed way more material in their batch than I did so mine turned out too dark.  I learned that you should base your dyes on the amount of material you are dyeing. 

This was the color I was going for and that is what their tutorial was for..........yeah....not even close!

So then I turned my attention to making a cross-stitch project bag with a vinyl window.  I had material and vinyl and so I thought I was set but after watching the Fat Quarter Shop tutorial, I felt like I needed to invest another $40 just to ensure it came out right.  I researched the 'equipment' all evening and came no closer to a finished or even a started cross-stitch project bag.  So this morning I found a more reasonable video tutorial but it is a smaller bag.  I still need equipment so I guess I will be ordering some more 'stuff'.  I wouldn't but I want to make multiples so it will be worth it in the end.  I also realized that the fabric I ordered for my Carolyn Manning Jane's Joy cross stitch is not going to work.  I actually spoke to her and she said the reason she picked the background fabric she did was so it would highlight the cross stitch and not blend in with it.  I'm glad I talked to her.  I had a feeling she had a good reason for her color choice.  So, now I'll need to order more fabric for 2 projects that I thought I was ready for.  Oh well, it could be worse!
  Today, I was going to have my first cookout of the season!  Beer brats with potato salad, a regular salad or some beets (I love beets) plus a dessert.  So I went out to prep the grill (just a little cheapy from Walmart) and it fell apart....literally!  It had rusted.  I guess I should have put it in the garage.  Oh well, I have a grill built in on the porch and also one on my stove or I could just cook them on my stove without grilling.  I wonder what my horoscope was this week?
I do have good news!  My next-door neighbor had hail damage to her car and her roof......me nada!  I am blessed!  My contractor came over yesterday and checked out my roof and said there were a few little spots but nothing serious at all and my car has not one ding on it.  PTL! 
Also, my cousin sent me some pictures of my relatives that I had never seen.  What a great Mother's Day present that was!  The following is a tribute to all the 'mothers' who raised me and loved me and were so patient and good to me..................my mother, the youngest in her family (the blond in the picture)...........

My Aunt Alice and Aunt Edna............

and my Aunt Bernice who really did physically raise me until I was 5 years old and then I lived with her and my Uncle Homer every summer until I went to college............she and my Uncle Homer owned and ran a butcher shop and grocery store.  My uncle Homer was famous for his homemade bologna.  It was wonderful!  This was a newspaper photo to that effect.  I loved my uncles too but today is Mother's Day...I'll honor them come Father's Day.

I hope you are having a wonderful Mother's Day and hats off to all the wonderful Moms out there!!!
Happy Trails!!!