A Successful Massacre

 So I broke down a bought those horrid fly strips because my house was swamped with the rotten little things. I hate those strips but I was desperate and did not know what else to do, I caved and got the dreaded strips. They are ugly but they work. Work they did. I will spare you the photographic proof but trust me to say that the three strips I hung in the window in my downstairs literally were covered in the space of a day. I can now sit unmolested by sticky annoying flies.

Finally, finally, finally I got the bear made for The Hostess. 

Getting this fellow made was just a gong show.  Long story short, in the end I had to get another pattern (I lost the first one) and the new pattern did not need the joints that I had to order from China. When I screw up I do it all out and full on. Thankfully he got made and The Hostess is very pleased with the result. Personally I am beary glad to have him finished at long last.

A friend's daughter asked me to hem a bridesmaid dress for her. In the event that I could do it I hauled my vanity stool downstairs for her to stand on while I pinned up the hem. Turned out the hemming job was above and beyond my skill set. I can sew quilts and do simple projects but most clothes are beyond me. Sheer overskirts scare the bejeebus out of me.  I did not need to haul the stool down. Curses.

I decided that I would take advantage of the situation and make use of a piece of blue velvet I found while sorting in the craft room. When I got my vanity dresser the stool had a silk cover that had seen better days. I removed it and put this black vinyl on it instead. I never was a really big fan. Utilitarian but definitely not pretty.

I removed the vinyl, tightened up the joints and made use of my blue velvet remnant. I rather like the look of it now. Definitely one of the easiest reupholster jobs I have ever done and well worth the effort

It just needs a good dusting and then it can go back upstairs where it belongs.

It is still hot and humid here. I was out this morning and picked up a small grocery order then I went and got some breakfast. That is my big outing and my treat.. I really have no need to go much of anywhere else. I have all I need at home at the moment. I am blessed.

I nearly have a quilt top sewn to eventually become the first donation quilt. I am rather pleased with it. I still have to make cushion covers for Birthday Twin's children from her husbands shirts. They won't take long so I will get at them one of these days. I have to wash her quilt and check it for any weak seams and then will be the major problem. The major problem will be getting all of it packaged up and into the mail to her. I have postal issues but I know she is anxious for it all and that will spur me on.

Today I have a few housekeeping jobs to attend to and then I will spend the rest of my day sewing. Sounds like a solid plan to me on this hot and humid day.

Toodles

Linda

I'm Back

 I took a little break from blogging last week because I was being lazy and because I don't have a lot to say. I can't even blame it all on the pandemic, I doubt much would be happening even if things were normal. That's just me.

I did do some more weeding and then it got crazy hot. I think Mother Nature is telling me to knock off weeding because every time I do it, the temp goes up and stays up

 Yes, all those lush green leaves are weeds. Maybe I should just embrace them as lovely plants and give up the fight.

SO there we are, the after math of a Linda weeding. Far from pristine but its done. Now if it ever cools off I will continue. My marigolds have no blooms thanks to the neighbourhood rabbit. Most annoying.

I have declared war on the flies in my house. Oh my Lord there are a million flies in the house and even more outside. I finally caved in a purchased some of these

I dislike the look of these things but ugly as they are they work. I can at last sit in the living room or the kitchen unmolested. I have ugly strips of dead flies hanging in the windows but I can't care. I will never understand why flies have to be right in your face or be walking on you. Makes me crazy.

I have finished Birthday Twins quilt and just have to wash it. She would like two cushion covers made so I need to go that. I can also move onto other things. A certain Teddy Bear is at the very top of the list at long last. Thank Goodness for patient friends.

It has been super hot and super dry lately. This sort of weather only makes me want to sleep. 

Well I am out of things to write about. I shall try to do better in future. I maybe should make a list as the week goes by so I don't miss things.

Toodles

Linda

Help I've Fallen......... Oh Wait I Did Get Up.

 First of all I am fine. My ego is bruised and the metal garden globe got flattened but all in all things are ok. Having said that I will give you the full story. 

So last week it was way to stinkin hot to work in the yard. That had been my intention, I had weeded round the front yard then I planned to make a stab at the back yard. The heat however put this on hold as I do not do well with heat. This week the heat has broken and today was nearly chilly. My legs were feeling not too bad so I decided to have a go at the back yard.

Really needs it don't you think? Well I got stuck in, I planted the last of the petunias and started to do the weeding. I was going along rather well, and then next thing I knew, I was planted firmly on my arse in the midst of the glass mushrooms, the metal globe was flattened and I had bounced my head off the side of the shed. Harumph! what a pickle. How to get back on my feet. I could stay where I was and be a garden gnome. Not the best of plans so I needed to get up.  I will have to say that I can fall with the greatest of ease. Thankfully I don't tense up so I rarely get hurt. The downside is getting up. That is where I have a terrible time. 

Thankfully the glass mushrooms remained intact. One of the caps came unglued from the stem but no other damage done.

So on hands and knees I got myself over the wine bottles and over to the bench, Once there I managed to haul myself up to my feet, took a few attempts but at last I managed it. My knees do not like it when I am on them, they complain very loudly and I am sure tomorrow they will still be complaining, Best of all was I got back up again.  I did go back into the flowerbed. once I got my wits about me and planted two hostas that I got this year to add to the bed. I wanted to show the flowerbed who was the boss.

Because I do "Linda weeding", its hard to see that I have done anything. I left the blue box in the picture to prove that I actually did remove some weeds. I gave the bed a good watering and all was well. 

I even managed to get the dumpsters out to the back alley. Thankfully I did that before I went splat.  They should have been put out last week but that just never happened. It shall be interesting to see if I remember to bring them back in. 

I hope to get out and do more weeding tomorrow. I also hope to get the metal globe standing back upright once again. The tree needs pruning and then I can move back into the front yard. The work never ends and I shall keep plugging away at it. It is good for me to keep doing all I can do myself.

I have gotten the top for Birthday Twin's quilt finished. I hope to get the backing material soon and then I can get at the actual quilting. Next quilt I start will be one of the donation quilts I hope to make. I need to settle on a pattern, there are so many that I want to try. The mind boggles at the possibilities, She has asked me to make two cushion covers, one for each of her children, I think that is a lovely idea.

That;s it for the excitement for today. Here's hoping  that tomorrow if I get back out there, I manage to maintain my footing,.and keep my arse from sitting on the mushrooms.

Toodles

Linda

Slow Start Today

 I am having a decidedly hard time to get moving today. I got up later than I usually do because I just could not convince myself to get up. Bed was far to comfortable and I was far to lazy. I did finally manage to drag my bones up and out of the comfort (obviously) and have now had my breakfast, my coffee, my daily dose of morning pills and gave the kitchen a bit of a tidy. While the kitchen is not perfect it is managing to stay respectable and a darn sight better than it used to be.

My garden hose is no longer leaking, ( I have decided this post is going to be random bits of information as they pop into my head). Turns out it was not the hose but the tap. I got Sweet Baboo and the Banker to come over, he worked his magic and fixed it for me. Makes me seriously happy. My flowers may actually stand a chance of survival now.

I have managed to get the front yard weeded. Now let me explain that because Linda Weeding is far different than other folks weeding, Mine never looks pristine, it more looks like goats have had a banquet and no one has cleaned up afterward. 

A lovely before shot. It does look like a hot mess.

Ok now you have to stretch your imagination here but as you can see by the contents of the blue box I have been weeding. Not all the plants have been removed. There is Snow on the Mountain, daisies, coral bells in there and I have decided to leave them. The lilac bushes are growing back and I have decided to embrace the volunteer plants and think of this as a tiny little  wild meadow. I plan to plant tulips and daffodils in the fall to add to the meadowness.

I did get around the front yard once so last week, now I plan to move into the back yard. I still have flowers to plant and a couple of hostas that need to find a forever home. The Banker came over and moved a couple of peonies for me. I still need to get some plants for the back flower bed but its all coming along. The tree in the back yard needs some trimming up as well. So that is my this week hope. upon finishing the back yard, I will move again to the front yard and take it in turns from here on. Pristine will never happen but I can hope for keeping it to a dull roar.

Covid rules are loosening and this coming Friday the No Cooks will actually get together and have an outdoor supper. We have not all been together for a meal for sometime. I am as giddy about this as kid at Christmas. These ladies are my second or chosen family and they are as important to me as my actual family. Looks like I may be able to see my actual family, as well, at some point in the future. Squeeee! Although if gas prices keep sky rocketing who knows????

I have been working away on the quilt I offered to make for Birthday Twin. She sent me a bunch of her husband's shirts, I finally got going on it and its coming along nicely.

She chose this jig saw pattern which is easy and challenging all at the same time. Easy because it is just squares and a challenge because you have to keep track of several rows at the same time. 

Speaking of quilts I have signed up for another on line quilt-a-long,. Its to make a Christmas quilt which I need like a hole in the head but I find the quilt-a-longs a lot of fun. I have a plethora of Christmas material for some strange reason and this will use some of that up.

Again speaking of quilts. Princess Diva provided me with a nice stack of sheets to be used as quilt backing. That woman is amazing, Now I can get started on making my donation quilts which is something I have been wanting to do for some time. They are going to be a really good stash busting project. I get to make quilts, try patterns I have found on Pinterest. use up my stash material and put the quilts to good use, Winner Winner!!!

Finally got printer ink so I am back in business with being able to print things off the computer. I can get my recipe collection updated. I am making a book of only recipes I really like and know I will make again. I am trying to get this meal making thing to where I actually will make stuff and have some ideas about what to make. Since I have retired, and with covid curtailing eating out, meal making has become a major problem to me. I need to solve it.

Well I should move on, I want to do some sewing today. I still don't have a great surge of energy but I think I can manage to sew, order some groceries and order my fully vaccinated card!! 

Toodles.

Linda

Vaxxed to the Max or That didn't go as planned.

 I missed posting last week and I have a very good excuse. I got my second vaccination and it kicked my butt for about a week. I probably (no definitely) did not have a severe reaction but it was enough that I was not myself of the best part of the week. Kicked my wimpy butt it did.

The first day, the day I got the shot I was fine. The next day not so much. I'll give you the reader's digest condensed version, they say you can have sore arm, fatigue, stiff joins, achy muscles, chills, fever, nausea and vomiting. I missed out on vomiting but I hit all the others. I slept 19 out of the 24 hours that second day and dragged my butt for three days after that. I am back to my usual self and am over the moon happy to be fully vaccinated. 

I also had my birthday this month. Another thing I am over the moon about. Its much better to have them than not. Four of the No Cooks and I had a nice afternoon at a local park. Cake, conversation and lots of laughs, just what this old gal needed. After our Saturday in the park concluded, Teddy Bear and  KitKat had supper on my veranda. It was so nice. I had lots of love and good wishes from lots of lovely people. I could not feel more blessed.

I got my new garden hose connected up and gave it a trial run. I am happy to report that my guaranteed not to leak hose..........leaks. How did I know that would happen?. Next time I get out there I am going to try to get it not to leak. I would have tried harder when I first connected it but the leaking put me into a bit of a temper and I felt for safety sake I would try another day.  Inspite of the leaking its a wonderful handy way to water the plants.

Speaking of plants my peonies have burst forth in all of their glory

I missed taking a picture of the deep pink ones in the back yard. These beautiful babies are in the front and are all along the front of the much loved veranda.  I wish they lasted longer but I do enjoy the fleeting beauty while I have the chance. Oh look I did have a picture on my phone.Ignore the sea of weeds, and focus on the pretty pink flowers.

The weeds are on the "to do" list this week. I am ever so close to having the front done and then I can move to the back. The hostas have punched their way through the weeds to make their presence known. After a fight like that the least I can do for them is beat back the weeds. Its only fair.

I went and got my last batch of photos from the photographers this weekend. I was there about 10 minutes before they opened and so I thought I'd just sit at scroll through my phone until I could go in. Well I was just looking in my purse for the phone when the girl was at my car window with my order and the debit machine. I had not called them. It was very, very kind of her but it also occurred to me that they not only know who I am but they know the car that I drive. What does that say?? I think it says SCRAPBOOKER!!

Toodles

Linda

Something and Nothing

It has finally rained here. Not a terrible amount but some, which is wonderful. The heat has backed off thankfully. I don't quite understand why the weather has to go to such dramatic extremes so quickly. A nice gentle easing into the extremes would be so much better or just give the extremes a total miss. I'm good with that too.

Would have been lovely if I had actually had all my flowers planted for the rain but we all know that did not happen. Its my goal this week to get that done. I have done a bit, I have weeded a bit and then well I did not manage to keep at the schedule. HOWEVER, there is this week and with the new week comes new miracles. I will actually take pictures of said miracle as proof that I can get it done.

I did my first curbside pick up at Canadian Tire. I replaced the garden hoses that were liberated from my shed. Its another molehill I turned into a mountain but I just have to get over my dramatics and do this stuff for myself. My wonderful friends are always willing to lend a hand or a garden hose but I need to keep doing what I can for myself and not over tax the generosity of my treasured friends

So not only have I got the new hose I ACTUALLY went into the basement today  and turned on the water to the outside tap!! lets hear the choir of angels sing!!! I even took the shade for the entry way light down to the basement so its out of harms way. I out did myself this day. I actually did follow the To Do list I have written up for today. Its just miracles all around this house today.

Teddy Bear is retired!! Her last official day on Friday so the No Cooks did a drive by at her house. We dressed appropriately

 

If you put us all in the right order our face masks spell ENJOY. The tassels are a long standing joke in the group.  We are the No Cook Friday group but we are also the Fartin' Tassel Hoopers.

Each car had balloons and streamers. The Sailor added signs  and we gave Teddy Bear this cute planter for her front deck.

I really like the plant stand and was thinking I need one of those myself but alas that was the last one. We drove by, we hooted and honked, (no farting was done) we stopped for a brief minute and then it was done. Not the sort of celebration we would have liked to have had but it was beyond fun to see everyone of us together again.

The Banker and I got to sit in on a zoom gathering with Teddy Bear and some of her nearest and dearest earlier in the day. We watched Teddy Bear as she watched a video that people contributed to with good wishes and skits. It was wonderful fun, Tears  were seen all round. Happy tears of course. 

The Sunbonnet Sue quilt is all done and bound. It needs a bath and its portrait taken. I also made another table runner for a Facebook friend who reached out and offered me money. I like money.

The other thing I managed to accomplish today, possibly the most important of all was I booked my second Covid shot. I will not get the same vaccine, this go round will be Moderna. I don't care, I want to get the shot, I want to feel like we are moving closer to getting out of this lock down and getting back to something that looks remotely like normal. 

So that\s my life caught up. This week I am determined to get my flowers into the ground and get the hose attached so I can water when I wish. I will get started on Birthday Twin\s quilt and who knows what else. Could be something, could be nothing.

Toodles

Linda

Another WeeK

 Its hot this week and I have to admit that that is slowing down my yard work even more. Its hard to believe I could be any slower but I am.  The upside is that I am still putting away at it.

A little before and after of where the marigolds will eventually live. I am not a very tidy weeder but I get the majority of them. I actually got some of the pots planted yesterday but I did not think to take pictures. 

On Monday I was so proud of myself because I had planned to go to the shed and get the garden hoses out. I have not used them in years but I decided this year I need to really water my plants to get them rooted to the point where they will self seed. I was even more proud of the fact that I went to the shed to get the hoses. I took out the recycling and the compost and made it to the shed. You have no idea what a major accomplishment that is for me. Well imagine my shock and surprise when I found that my two garden hoses were MIA.

They must have gone with the leaf blower, ever so long ago. I was not impressed. I mean really. So now I need to replace them. I have had offers of hoses from my dear friends so its not a very big deal, its just a first world annoyance. I have decided to buy one. I need a long one and I want one that is easy to hook up. Guess I will try out the curbside pick up at Canadian Tire.

In between bouts of yard work I have been putting together my Sunbonnet Sue quilt. Its nearly to the point of where I can bind it.

I have all the squares together since I took this picture. Next up will be the quilt for Birthday Twin.

 I need to get at the jobs that I mean to do for others and have not gotten around to. I have a number of jobs and projects building up and I need to get going on them . I shall get going this week for sure. The Teddy Bear pattern still alludes me, I may have to come up with another plan.

Other than that its business as usual around here. Lock down prevents a lot of variety to the day to day routine. 

Toodles

Linda