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

Big Girl Pants

On Monday I went to get a grocery order. I walked by my flower beds and it was very evident that my wishing for rain did nothing but bring forth the weeds in abundance. Later when I got home I sat on the veranda for a few minutes and surveyed the situation. 

Weed, weeds and more weeds. I could not see the hostas, the spirea shrubs across the font of the yard looked like they were dead as door nails. All I could think of was the expense to replace the plants, the time effort and pain that taking care of the weeds would take. Would I have to pay someone to do it, I can't afford that at the moment, It just suddenly became way to much and I got totally overwhelmed. 

So in the true sense of being a sensible, mature grown up, I took myself into the house, into the craft room and immediately dove headfirst into  my happy place and didn't come up for air for the rest of the day. I have got myself over my snit thankfully. Yesterday I gave myself a talking to.

Truth be told I need to do this stuff myself, pain and slowness be damned, I need to do it. I have started to attack the weeds and I will do it bit by bit. . I have made peace with the face that its going to take a long time but who cares?? I can do it. Good news it that the hostas have poked their little heads out of the ground and the shrubs (all of them) have finally begun to leaf out. Even the lilac bushes look like they may rally this year, both of them. I thought they were gone but there may be hope.  My bank account is eternally grateful.

While I was having my toddler meltdown in the craft room I finally took a stab at something I have not really done before, needle turned applique. I was gifted these incomplete Sunbonnet Sue blocks some time ago and I finally decided to try doing something with them.

 I think I did a decent job and I do enjoy the process. I am looking at this quilt as a practice run for a quilt I plan to make for myself. Now I have figured out I can actually do a reasonable job at it I am not so apprehensive to work on the one for me.

I have no idea what I will do with this quilt once its done but I am have a good time working on it. Some blocks are machine quilted, some have not been quilted at all, Its going to be interesting getting it put together but I will be happy to do it. I am now at a point where I can start putting the blocks together. Some face one way and some face the other, six are boys and the rest are girls. I think I have finally settled on a lay out pattern. 

I'm not going to machine quilt it, Its not my thing but I will hand quilt the blocks that need to be finished. The blocks that the other lady worked on are done to a very high standard. Her husband would like picture of the finished quilt. His wife passed away before she could get it done. I had, and actually still have a Sunbonnet Sue quilt my aunt made me as a child, Its not as fancy as this one but I love it. 

We are still in serious lock down, the weather is still cold, my furnace keeps cutting in, Such fun!!  have run out of news so I am going to work on my boy quilt blocks so I can get this quilt together.

Toodles 

Linda

Bits and Pieces

I am late at getting a post put together, for the same old reason, I am not sure it I have anything of any interest to post about. So instead of trying to be interesting and thought provoking I will fill you in on a few little things, bits and pieces of the day to day details of my life

I quilted the last of the flimsies that were waiting in a pile to be turned into quilts. The last one was a pig themed quilt gifted to me by a friend. It was the last in the pile to be attended to and I am happy to say its done. 

 I have not taken the final portrait of the full quilt but I will. Its done and waiting to have its bath and picture taken. I will keep it downstairs and use it as an extra blanket for the couch.

I made myself a table runner for the kitchen. I used my "good" fat quarters and spend the afternoon yesterday and today whipping up this little number.

I am rather fond of this ribbon pattern and am happy with the results. I do have a thing for table runners, I like to make them and I like to use them.

I got to use one of my new toys on this runner. I bought quilt binding clips. No, I did not need them, I have load of pins that will do the job just nicely, However these little clips tickle my fancy so I bought a few. I do like them

I have decided for the time being just to paint my kitchen counter. I will replace the counter top at some point but for now this is a more economical fix. I have also decided I want to repaint the stairs. I love my rainbow stairs but they have had their day, time for a change. So I think I have made the colour choices for both projects. In time they will happen.

I still continue to work on the organizing but damn, am I slow. Some days I wish I had a minion just to buzz round and put things away. It would be a wonderful leap forward. Put things away and take some things to donation and I would feel like a new woman. Well I just need to get on with it myself, because I cannot have anyone it at the moment. My designated visitor already has a full plate and does not need to be doing stuff for me that I can and should do for myself. I will just keep poking away at it and it will eventually get done. Slow and steady wins the race, emphasis on the slow.

I am trying to figure out how to get a few bedding plants and that is about it for me and the excitement around here.

Toodles

Linda

Round Three!!

 WE are back into a serious lock down, We have been doing this for more than 14 months and the goal posts seem to keep moving. I know we are all getting heartily sick of these rules and restrictions but they are necessary to get a handle on this pandemic. I could go on for days about this but there is no point, the situation is what it is and we need to do as we are told.

I was very lucky as I had a hair cut booked for Tuesday. (We locked down on Sunday.) My wonderful hairdresser went in to work on Saturday and I got to get my hair cut before non essential businesses closed down one more time. I also remembered to go and pick up my photos that I had nearly forgotten about. What else did I do on Saturday??  The No Cooks had coffee in the park, which was lovely. We can still have five people gather in a public spot for the moment. Rules change daily it seems so for now we have been able to get together. Its like a breath of fresh air. Not all of us can be there but its so good to see those that can.

My snow irremovable guy came last week, he brought a friend and they gave my yard the cleaning of its life. I don't think its ever been this tidy. A truck full of leaves and branches left my yard and I am so very pleased

It is good to have it done. I had friends offer to do it but this pandemic makes things so hard. I did not want to put anyone in harms way. They even dug up the flower bed where nothing was planted for two years. Currently  I am busy plotting what I will plant this year. I nearly have my  yard to the point where it looks how I like it but requires minimal effort on my part. I have no idea how easy or hard it will be to get plants this year. Its crazy  times out there.

I was busy doing mending jobs for other people and I still have more to do. I turned a table cloth and some yardage  into two sets of curtains. I recovered an outdoor cushion and now I am going to take a stab at making a teddy bear for a friend. It took me ages to get the parts for it, now I need to get at making it.

 I have a quilt to make for Birthday Twin and I have some quilted quilt blocks that were 

given to me that I need to sew together into a quilt. Not sure what I will do with the blocks once its done. The lady that made them did a lot of lovely work on them.

I also made myself a St Patrick's day table topper and runner. Just little, quick projects that keep my hands busy. I have decided I want some themed runners and table toppers so I have started to work on my collection.

I want them for the dining table, the buffet and the chest of drawers in the entry way. In between other things I will work on these for myself. 

As always there are no end of things to do around here. I got my grocery pick up this morning and I don't know about you but I am finding not everything is available like it used to be. No to mention that  for the very first time today my order was a half hour late. I imagine these new restrictions are interfering with staffing. 

I bought my breakfast again today and that will be it for awhile. As much as I love the treat of it, its just too dang expensive to do it too often. So for at least until I do the next grocery run, I will be making my own breakfast right here at home 

Well I should go and get busy doing something. I am not sure what. One of the things I am working with now is that YES there is always something to do around here but I cannot always talk myself into doing it. No matter how much I may want to get it done 

Toodles

Linda