Happy 4th of July!!!

Just wanted to drop in and wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July!  It's been sunny and then stormy on and off all day.....I'm inside cooking so that's fine with me!

Here's the rain........pouring down!  I'm glad I didn't plan on grilling out!  LOL!

Happy Trails!!!

Frying Friday!!!

Whew!  It's hot!  I got out early and took my walk but the mornings are really humid and then the heat of the day dries some of it up but then it is so hot.....give me cold and snow any day!  I was able to finish trimming and raking up the base of the tree.  I still need to trim low-hanging branches but I have some more to burn first.  I was able to burn quite a bit this morning and I transplanted another tomato plant or 2.  The one yesterday was either a Brandywine or Cherokee but the stick went missing somehow so we'll have to find out later.  The one I planted today is a San Marzano.  A good paste tomato.   Once again the camera lens was fogging up! 

 After my outside work I came in and did regular chores and started gathering my projects for YOP 2020-2021.  I don't have everything but I have a good start.  I'm still waiting for things to come in but I have enough to move ahead.  This is the fun part; the planning and looking ahead to this next year's projects.....I'm trying to keep all of them together as much as possible so they'll be easy to grab and work on.  Be sure and stop in Sunday to see everyone's plans or join up and show us yours!  It's the Year Of Projects Group on Ravelry and it's all free!  Even the incredible inspiration you get from everyone else's projects!  Plus, there are gobs of rabbit holes to go down! So please join us!  All crafters and crafts welcome!

Happy Trails!!!

Outside early before the heat!

I got my walk in this morning and then got the trimming done around the tree I was working on.  It still needs some low hanging branches trimmed.  I picked up a lot more twigs and branches from the storm yesterday too.  I transplanted a tomato but I only have one more cage left and still lots of tomatoes to transplant.  I better just plop them in where ever I can at this point!  It is humid even when I'm walking early....ugh!  So humid that when I go out my camera lens fogs up!

This afternoon I worked on YOP plans and I made some grape nut cookies with oats and cranberries in them too.  Very good!

I ordered some HINT fruit waters.  If you go to their website they have all kinds of offers for free shipping and big discounts!  I got 36 bottles for $36 with free shipping. I got watermelon, clementine and peach flavors but there are more.  They are natural flavors with no sugar.  They do have sparkling also and some with a little caffeine but I got the plain.  I have some recipes that I was going to try for flavored waters but I thought I would try these at such a good price.  It will probably be just a one time purchase especially if I can make them myself.
I worked some more on my Chicken Joy for Jolly July..................

  I hope you had a good day!
Happy Trails!!!

Jolly July and Stormin' Norman!

What a great day!  We had an awesome storm come in this afternoon and it was a perfect time to make my minestrone soup..........it was what they call around here a "frog strangler".....it was pretty fierce and the power went off twice but came right back on again.  It is still raining and lightening and thundering but the wind isn't as fierce.

Today was the start of Jolly July so I picked up an old Christmas WIP to finish........it's called Chicken Joy and it was a free pattern from Priscilla and Chelsea; The Real Housewives of Cross Stitch, last Christmas time.......  I'm working on the tree but I'll have to change some colors as they used black fabric and I'm using a sparkly green which isn't going to show up some colors.  The light is very poor today with the storm outside so you'll just have to take my word for it for now! LOL!

I got a treasure in the mail today too!  Supplies can't arrive too soon for Jolly July and YOP 20-21!
I can't wait to start the new year!
I did get my walk in today and changed sheets and did some laundry and I didn't have to water!
Happy Trails!!!

Tuesday...summer is here!

Whoa Nellie!  The heat and humidity have moved in!  UGH!  I didn't get out there early enough so I didn't get my walk in this morning.  I did get the last birthday gift off to the grands and now just have to send cards.  I prepped for Jolly July which starts tomorrow but I will be doing mostly WIP's and the ornaments for the grands.   Except for big cross stitch projects I am going to try and work on projects until finished so no, there will not be 31 projects started in July!   Heaven forbid!

My daughter's sons, Sam and Grayson are taking classes via Kahn Academy.  At least an hour each day so I told them I would do the same.  It's good for my brain but I am doing simple math refresher classes and will move on from there.  It's been many years but I love learning and I love math so it is enjoyable for me.  Plus, I think it's good to keep the brain active and challenged as we age.  Kahn Academy is totally free and on You Tube and there are classes in anything and everything!  It is a wonderful resource.
The garden is doing well considering I am so slow to get things in the ground.........second planting of bush beans as the first never came up......old seeds evidently..........these are doing really well!  Planted in my old horse trough.

tomatoes on the vine......cherry tomatoes...........

basil.........................

rosemary that needs transplanting..........

cilantro........

lettuce.............

and old fashioned tiger lilies................they remind me of my childhood...........

These cute little buttons are going to be used in a project but you won't see that until Sunday....

No treasures today either and it is a race to see which supplies get here first as to what may be my first project of YOP 2020-2021!  Stay tuned!  I hope you are staying cool and enjoying your summer!
Happy Trails!!!

It's Monday, what are you reading, watching, and listening to?

Back to work!  Even though I am retired, I schedule my tasks and priorities for the week loosely based on the weather.  It was supposed to rain today....80% chance but so far nothing so I'm glad I went ahead with my plans.  I got out early and took my walk and then came home and did some trimming, picking up sticks and burning.
 I did manage to finish a book this past week! I finished Key Lime Pie Murder.....another winner from Joanne Fluke...now I have to go see what the next one is...............

As for what I am reading right now............this magazine.........

This non-fiction which is a childhood memoir of growing up in the English Countryside post WWI......

 and for my fiction; book #3 (I think) in the Dr. Nightingale mystery series....pretty creepy!  But good!

I'm still watching Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries on Acorn and I'm on Season #2... so good!  So, what have you been watching, reading, and listening to this week?
I just harvested some lettuce and I'm cooking up some bacon for BLT's tonight.
Happy Trails!!! 

YOP Week #52

Finishes for this past year.  There isn't a lot and in going back through the year I know why.  I lost my 2 girls (canines) and my son and those events truly threw me into a tizzy.  I'm lucky I knew my name!  But handwork and making are also what kept me going.  Hopefully, this year will be a better one in all respects. I didn't really follow my YOP goals but I kept "making" which was healing along with all your friendships.
 I loved this pattern and the result so I will be making more of these!

I finished this Helix hat and I should make more but I think I need to change the brim as it seemed a little loose. For one of the grands

a washcloth.....

the color tipped scarf............Iowa Hawkeye colors for one of the grands

A Halloween wash cloth.............

Some little tiny pumpkins..................

Halloween pillowcases.............for the grands

a rectangular knitted scrubbie...........

finished this nemesis!  It still needs a final finish but the worst is over!

more kitchen items.............gifts

cosmetic pads............a baker's dozen (not all pictured), gift

There were actually 4 Collectable Christmas Ornaments as I made one for myself and the grands...........

Some memorial ornaments..............

a towel binding!

a baby gift of bibs........

a cowl................

Some little crocheted hearts for Valentine's Day.........

a Feather and Fan washcloth.............

more scrubbies...........

My ironing board cover....................

another washcloth............washcloths are palette cleansers in-between bigger projects.........

another cowl...this one's for me!

The Miss Marple scarf!!!  L O V E!

and this past week............2 of the previous scrubbies I showed above needed ends woven in and then I made another with the remaining yarn.

I finished the wasp nest but need to hang it outside still...........I need to install an "S" hook in the eave so I can hang it
  The instructions weren't the best and I had to wing it after a while or I would have run out of yarn.  I almost did!  It's not the best but if it works that will be great!

I can't remember if a few of these were in last week's YOP but forgive me if they were.  I know I made several this week.......I'll give you a total count next week..............

That's my "wrap-up" for YOP 2019-2020.  This next year will include cross-stitch as a goal and a lot of my projects this coming year will be finishing WIP's from the past!  I will start out with some new projects as that is what is so fun about a new year of YOP but then I will get serious about finishing! 
I hope you are safe, well, and enjoying a look down YOP memory lane!
Happy Trails!!!