Dodging the Raindrops

Lately we have been dodging the raindrops! We've had some heavy downpours - our neighbors' driveway washed away just before Independence Day. So, we had a bit more traffic on our driveway for a few days. Since then, we have had some downpours and some days with a couple of steady showers or drizzles. 

Last week and into this one, our eldest grandson was playing in the state baseball tournament for his league. There were a couple of days of complete wash outs. Who would have ever dreamt of having a day of wash outs in mid-July? 

They started play last Tuesday afternoon with an exhibition game. The game following theirs was a wash out and carried over to the next day. That pushed all of the Wednesday games till later and then there were rain delays and on and on it went day after day. They finally finished up the tournament with the championship game at nine o'clock on Monday night. The families all celebrated with medals, game balls, and photos all around.

The boys on Harris's team all played well and won it all. They outscored all their opponents big time, scoring a total of 63 points while their opponents only scored a total of 3 against them. Harris hit three home runs - one was a grand slam! A couple of other boys hit home runs as well but it was the good, solid, base hits that carried them to the winners' circle.

These players and coaches have spent at least six years building this team to develop into winners. The best thing about this team, though, is that they are also winners beyond the scoreboard. During rain delays they would joke and visit with other teams and get to know the fellows from all across the state. Last week there was another team staying in the same hotel. All of the guys got together and played games in the hotel as if they were all one crew. When an opponent made a good hit, they would high five one another on the bases. It was really rewarding to watch all of the guys and their interactions with the other teams as well as their own team. It was almost like watching a big old family reunion. The coaches spent countless hours working with the fellows and poured their hearts into the team as well.

The smiles on each family members face really tell the story. It was a once in a lifetime experience for certain and now they are preparing for the next step - another once in a lifetime opportunity - to go to the World Series. They will no longer be Decatur County's baseball team. Now, they will be Team Tennessee. I can't wait!

Just 3 Things | #36

I think I am a little bit obsessed. I have worked at my sewing machine every single day this week. It has just been so much fun! Of course, it has been so very hot and muggy here that even when I went outside to water the flowers, I would come back inside wringing wet with sweat. So there is that, too. We did get a bit of a cool-off today after a strong shower late yesterday afternoon. Maybe the next week will be a bit cooler. I sure hope so because I have plans that will take me outside.

- What I've Been Reading -

This week I have been reading LOADS of tutorials. I have sort of fallen into the zip bag world and have found several different ways to create zip pouches and tote bags. I have found so many ideas that I like and I think those pouches are something the granddaughters and their mothers will like - and actually use. I mean who doesn't need a pouch to hold earbuds, or coins, or pencils, or personal items? 

I found that I like Melissa Mortenson at Polka Dot Chair, who has a couple of tutorials for cosmetic zip pouches. There is a flat bottomed one and a simple one. Then, she has one that has a curved top where the zipper closure is located. She also has several other tutorials for making bags and loads of other concepts and ideas. One of her tutorials sent me to a site called We All Sew where I found a tutorial for a Pencil Case that is sort of unique. I gave it a whirl and let me tell you that the geometry of that one had me scratching my head, picking out seams that I had sewn incorrectly, and, finally, ending up with a couple of cute little zip pouches. 

I love the little twist to them which makes me think of a tricorn hat for some reason. It had been YEARS since I had sewn a zipper. So, that was a big refresher. Of course, I had to do a little embroidery decorating on them as well. So the back side of them is stitched up to personalize them.

The fun thing about these little bags is that I am using scrap fabric that has been in my stash for years and years. Combining the different prints and colors makes it fun and the decorating/embroidery is my favorite part. 

As I walked through the basement kitchen each day, I would look at a couple of bandanas that were sitting there on the table.  One was orange and the other was purple. I kept thinking that they would make something bright, colorful, and cute. Then, this morning I saw where Leslie Saeta has a tutorial for crafting a tote bag from a bandana. Again, my mind started dashing to and fro thinking about how one color bandana could be used as a tote and a coordinating color lining it and then using the coordinating color for the zip pouches for cosmetics or ear buds or other little necessities. One could also have a bandana tote and have the smaller pouches made up in other colors for a multicolor effect but have monograms that tie them together. So many possibilities!

- What I've Been Watching -

Of course, one cannot stop at just reading tutorials. Sometimes it is helpful to watch a video to see how something is done in a step-by-step manner. So, I've been watching tutorials about zip pouch making as well. Polka Dot Chair also has a YouTube Channel where  Melissa shows how to make lots of different zip pouches and projects galore. My favorite so far has been Two Ways To Make A Zip Pouch. It set me off on a journey to make different pouches for my granddaughters, daughters, and daughters-in-law.  One pattern/two styles of pouches!

Zip Pouches Ready to Assemble

I didn't have twelve-inch or fourteen-inch zippers. So, I went ahead and cut out my bag pieces and did the decorating and have them laid out on one of the beds where they are ready to assemble them in a day or two when my zippers arrive!

I have also been doing a bit of reading each evening and that doesn't involve tutorials, pouches, bags, or pausing to think about how I can apply what I'm learning. I finished up Seven Days In Summer by Marcia Willett and began reading Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews. 

- What I've Been Working On -

Needless to say, it has sort of been craft central around here this week. I've been working on all sorts of different zip pouches but only have a couple that are actually complete. since I'm waiting on supplies. I did complete some other projects like Bag Tags and Wreath Sashes. I'm not sure I would call these projects work but it has been filling my days. 

I guess longer names make bookmarks!

I learned to stitch on ribbon this week. I was a bit nervous at first but found it t be really easy to do. Now, I'm just wishing everybody in our family had a short name! I don't know what anybody will do with their name on a ribbon but it was fun to try and it is cute and unique.

I've looked for ways to stay inside and avoid the heat and mugginess of outside. So, the fabric organizing has continued. I now have a tub of checks and plaids, a tub of solids, a tub of prints, a tub of small scraps, and a tub of stabilizer scraps. I don't see this organizational method lasting well but it has helped me to see what is in my stash and actually use some of it. That is making all of these bags, sashes, and pouches cost me very little because all I have had to purchase is some zippers. (I'm not counting the sewing machine, thread, and stabilizer because that was simply an upgrade in my equipment.)  

UPDATE!

I am so glad that I was working in the office area of the basement this afternoon. A storm blew in with windiness, thunder, lightning, and rain blowing sideways! I was watching out the southern facing window as I stitched and crafted. All of a sudden, I heard a pop and then water running back on the north end of the basement. I went back there to see what was going on and found that one of the vinyl dropped ceiling tiles had filled with water and it dropped out of the grid holding it. Water was already ponded on the floor, an upholstered wingback chair was saturated and dripping, and water was still drip-dropping at a pretty good clip from the ductwork that had been exposed. Evidently we got so much rain so fast that it ran down the hill and into the space where the HVAC unit sits and ran into the house. I mopped up five or six bath towels worth of water, left one towel on the floor beneath a tub catching drips, another towel below the dripping chair, and took a dish towel to continue mopping and drying the floor. What a mess! This is one of those times when my Daddy would tell me, "If you ain't got nothing, you won't have nothing to take care of. Just be thankful you got something and take care of it!" I am.

Just 3 Things | #32

This has been a full week of staying indoors and watching it rain. Each day has provided me with a short span of time to wander round on the porches with a cup of tea or bottle of water in hand and check out or deadhead my flowers. I'm continuing to battle with the critters but I'm hoping I'm starting to win a little bit. The remainder of the time we have spent indoors reading, watching television, and watching the raindrops fall. You know, these are really some of my favorite kinds of days!

- What I've Been Reading -

I've been reading through the notes and minutes from past Cemetery Association meetings. Not only have I been learning more about what the Mister's ancestors did within this community, but I've also learned a lot about the other people I've come to know who leave here. I've learned a lot about who is related to whom and what the originators of the community cemetery really seemed to have in mind as they were developing this little patch of the earth. I am astounded that the cemetery was begun as a family space back in the 1840s but there are so many recent developments that have only been in place for the past twenty years or so. The Mister's family started things off with their own family but later included many other close-by families in the development. I've been reading and learning about how the current record-keeping system was put into place and how the Mister's family has continually managed groundskeeping, tree trimming, and lots more. It has really been a window to this small community.

Then, the other day the Mister showed me a photo that was posted on social media and told me it was a photograph of his barber's son. Interestingly, his barber is the son of a guy we had a connection to because his father was in the dairy business when we were both growing up. I commented on the family resemblance of the young man to his ancestors and we quickly moved on to converse about something else.

Ironically, the same photo popped up in my social media feed a couple of days later. The young man, Carter, was being introduced as a local construction company was highlighting an employee of the week on social media. I clicked on the photo to read more about the young man and noticed that the company website showed a building that looked familiar. That building turned out to be the local Catholic school that was built a couple of years ago located right down the road from our house.

I dug a little deeper by clicking on the Who We Are tab at the top of the webpage and recognized the owner of the company. He was a former student! I remember him well and also recall teaching several other members of his extended family. 

It is so interesting what we can learn when we take a pause and read a little bit about what is going on in the world around us. Oftentimes we find out that we have multiple connections and really do live in a small world after all.

- What I've Been Working On -

I took a risk this week and tried something new with my new sewing machine. One of the things featured in the Embroidery Design Guide is an applique option. There are a few built in examples of small appliques. I tried a little daisy-like flower. I had read the Operation Manual when I first brought the machine home but I didn't use it for applique, yet, so that operation instruction just floated away in my brain somewhere. I had been seeing some examples of a combination of applique and embroidery and thought I'd like to create something for one of the grandchildren using that technique. So, I dove in and gave the simple example a try. 

The operation of the machine is such that the operator just threads the machine, touches a button, and watches it do it's thing. I am always fascinated by what it can turn out. In this particular case, I saw that it would stitch an outline of the design. First it did the blossom and stopped. Then, it did the leaves and stopped. A close look at the photo below shows the outline of the blossom stitched in red on the navy checked fabric.

Then, stitch a second outline. Finally, it would stitch a zigzag around the design. I figured that the first stitching sequence must be to outline where the design would be placed on the project like the photo above shows. So, taking some scraps of fabric out of one of my bins, I gave it a try. Stitching the outline of the design onto the fabric shows me what size and the location for the design.

After it stitched the placement outline stitch for the blossom, it would stitch a placement outline for the leaves. I cut a small rectangle of green and affixed it atop that outline stitching and pressed the go button. It then stitched another outline around the leaves. So, I took the hoop off and carefully trimmed the fabric as close to the stitching as possible and reattached the hoop. Next, it stitched the zigzag stitch around the outside of the leaves and then added the stem. The photo above shows how it looked when that was complete.

I layered the red print fabric on the navy check and added a little scrap of yellow right to the center. After pressing the go button, an outline stitch was added to form the center. So, I removed the hoop, trimmed the yellow fabric, and reattached the hoop.

This time, the machine stitched around the blossom petals. Again, I removed the hoop and this time I trimmed the red fabric before reattaching the hoop.

This time the machine zigzagged around the yellow center circle before doing the same around the flower blossom.

Notice that I changed thread colors to have green stitching on the green fabric and red on the flower blossom and center portions.

Finally, I changed the thread color one more time and upon pushing the go button, the machine stitched to add the details to the little flower. After I had watched and guessed one time, I followed the exact steps described and it took less than ten minutes to gather fabric, stitch, change threads, and complete the project. That night, I took the Operation Manual upstairs with me and read through it all again. I took the time to really examine the drawings and images that are included. The applique and embroidery technique was broken down into such simple steps that made what I was sewing even more simple than I thought. 

The learning curve here is a big one for me but I am really enjoying taking risks and trying new things with this machine. This is one of those cases where I needed to work through the steps, revisit the information I had available, and try it all again. As a teacher, I remember seeing this happen for my students quite frequently. 

Now, if I could figure out a simple, no-fail way to get the fabric in the hoop straight and taut. That remains to be the most frustrating part of each and every project I've attempted.

- What I've Been Loving -

As I have been practicing and learning with my new sewing machine, I have tried to create items that could actually be useful as well as beautiful. I've practiced monogramming cup towels and hand towels and beach towels. I've practiced on scraps of fabric that I am turning into pot holders or placemats. I'm sort of applying that waste not want not philosophy. I was chatting with my daughter the other day about different projects and how-tos and sharing what I'm learning because she is an expert in my mind. She has created and crafted such items and sold them. So, she has far more experience than me with this sort of project. I mentioned how I've expanded the size of some things and shrunk the size of others and how I've customized some of the pre-set designs that came with my machine and I think I am ready to venture out and try out some other designs. She suggested a couple of options I might want to look into.

Embroidery Design by StitchMonogram

Well that sent me W-A-Y down the rabbit hole into embroidery designs. I've looked at cottage shops on etsy and corporate connections from manufacturers. I've looked at flowers and fruits and vegetables and animals and all sorts of athletic sports themes. I've seen stitching on clothing and bags and caps and linens and wreath sashes and so many more beautiful projects. I think a person is only limited by their own imagination when it comes to these creations and I have really been loving looking at the different ideas, combinations, applications.

cocktail napkins by Leslie Saeta

Maybe I have been a bit distracted and haven't turned out much in the way of completed projects lately, but it has all been time well spent, I think. My ankle's Achilles tendonitis is improving, my inspiration collections has grown, and my creative thinking has sort of gone into overdrive. I think our weather forecast for the next few days is rain, rain, and more rain. So, I am anticipating plenty of time for more browsing or maybe even giving some of the ideas a try. 

Fall Project Number 1

 It seems like there is always a project in the works around here.  If we don't think up one, Mother Nature will come up with one for us.  A couple of years ago we put in a new driveway.  We had been sharing a driveway with Mike's family but when his mother sold her house and moved in with us, we decided to add our own driveway so that we didn't need to deal with an easement.  When you live on a farm like we do, you generally have a gravel driveway and it is a part of your property upkeep. 

Now, we had a major flood here in 2010.  Then, we got another gully-washer in 2013.  However, since we put in the new driveway, we've had three major flooding rains which washed out our driveway.  The driveway was completed in September of 2018.  Then, in early October this happened:

So, we added more rock and made repairs.  It was frustrating and it was quite expensive following on the heels of just completing the building of the driveway. Every time it rained, we worried that it would flood.  Then, in February of 2019 it did.  And again, we had this:

So, Mike hired a guy to come in and shore up the sides of our culvert with concrete.  That way we knew that it would hold the pipe in place and should hold the rock in place as well. 

Yet, every time we drove across the culvert, we could look off into the creek and see all the rock and gravel that had been washed away just sitting there staring at us as if Mother Nature was mocking us.

We sort of became like folks on the coast during hurricane weather.  We would watch closely any time that a heavy rain or flooding was predicted.  In August of 2019, we had a big rain and there was some washing.  So, Mike and a neighbor lined the entire top of the driveway across the culvert with bags of concrete mix.  That helped and there wasn't nearly such gully washing nor loss of gravel when we got a major rain in March of this year.

Then, along comes September of this year. At the beginning of the month, we got a major rain.  A flash flood. Major flooding.  

It broke the fence that was across the creek holding in the neighbor's cattle.  It washed our gravel away almost as bad as it had almost a year before.  It was frustrating and heartbreaking.

Deep ruts were left in the driveway at the culvert. Loads of gravel were deposited in the creek joining the other small fortune of gravel that was already lining the creekbed instead of our driveway. Once again, we added a couple of loads of gravel to smooth out the surface so that we could drive across.  Then, only a dozen or so days later, we got a downpour.  Three to four inches fell within a matter of forty minutes. It was devastating.

This time the neighbor's newly repaired fence wasn't just broken.  It had washed down the creek and could not be found.  The picture below shows the drainage that comes off the hill and beside our house before traveling down the field to join the creek.  I've never seen such a rush of water in my life.

Mike and I felt defeated.  Not only had we poured thousands of dollars into our driveway, we had seen it wash down the creek and line the creekbed where we couldn't obtain it till the weather was chip dry like it gets sometimes in July or August.  We also needed to repair it once again so that we could enter and leave our home. So, that meant pour more money into this driveway.

We knew that we should be counting our blessings and lifting prayers of thanksgiving that our home is fine and nobody was harmed.  It just seemed really hard to do consistently when it felt like we were getting kicked in the teeth.  However, we took a deep breath and did just that for a temporary fix.  Yet, we know that we had to do something more permanent rather than keep throwing thousands of dollars down the creek.  We prayed and gave it some thought.  Tomorrow, I'll show you what we wound up doing.

Rain, Rain...

The ground here is dry, dry, dry.  We have dust and cracks in the earth.  The weather forcasters have predicted rain and the conditions of high humidity and high temperatures are just right for the rain but somehow it just seems to keep missing us.

That has been a good thing for the hay Mike is working to get rolled up and out of the field but we could use a really good soaking.

Things are not quite the same a couple of hours west of here where Bryan and Jessica are trying to get going with their house.  The dozer operator came by mid-week and leveled off a place for the footing to be dug.  They were on go to get started on Friday or Saturday of this week.

Then, Friday afternoon Jessica sent me this photo:

An ominous looking sky.  The leveled dirt is there to the left of the driveway.  A couple of hours later, we got this photo:

They got a downpour of a bit over an inch.  No footer digging is going on this weekend.

Independence Day Celebration and Zucchinis

Well, the nation's birthday celebration sloshed by me.  Mike had to work.  Yuck!

He said, "Maybe if we work on July 4 we can have off Saturday AND Sunday."

I paused only briefly to think about that.  Don't you think something is wrong if he has to work on a national holiday in order to have two days off that he is supposed to have off anyway?

My gripe session about that is over but I would like to have caused a few fireworks with the powers that be over there at the warehouse!

Anyway, yesterday was a sloshy, mushy, rainy day here at the ole homestead.  So, Toby and I spent the day in the kitchen.

Yesterday we had put all of that bushel of yellow squash in the freezer.  Lots of slicing, blanching, chilling, and bagging going on over here.

This was only the first batch...

Then, today, we (meaning I) began work on the bushel of zucchini.  I sliced up some zucchini and dipped it into buttermilk and tossed it into a cornmeal mixture and laid the slices out on a wax paper/cookie sheet.  You can see a tutorial HERE.

I also made Lemon Zucchini Bread using a recipe by NancyCreative.  It is absolutely divine!

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

I tried another zucchini bread recipe that my friend Joann G gave me.  It is delicious and she says it freezes well.  You can see that recipe HERE.

I pinned a couple more recipes on my Recipes to Try Pinterest Board that I'm going to give a try.

On another note, Bridgette and family have gone on V-cation and Lillie and Lydia sported their 'zucchinis' (really it was a tankini but guess what was a more familiar term...)  today and went to the hotel pool!

Finally, when Mike got home from work at about eight-thirty, he told me to look out front to see what was going on and this is what I saw:

Yep, there was a roadblock set up right in front of our house!

Stephen and Bonnie fired off a couple of fireworks up on the hill - a warm-up for Saturday, I guess.

Here is what Toby did all day:

Then, when folks started shooting fireworks all around us, he had to look out the window of the back doors and give a few woofs!

Hope your day was exciting and festive.

Rain!

We got a downpour!  At about one o'clock this afternoon I went out to do a little grass mowing because the weather gurus were predicting rain for late afternoon and I thought I could help the hubby out a little.

I got most of our yard cut and decided to cut along the fence line going down the driveway.  The sky started sprinkling a little bit on me but I thought I would continue and come back up on the other side of the fence before I stopped mowing.

Well, by the time I got back up to our house, the rain had stopped.  So, I decided to mow another little area across the driveway where the guys park their trailers and to mow the drainage ditch in case the rain did come and was too wet for Mike to mow.  Again, the sprinkles dripped down but stopped and I got another little segment of grass cut.  Then, all of a sudden, the rain began to really fall!

I went to the barn with haste and parked the mower.  Then, trotted pretty quickly to the house.  Toby, who had been waiting on the porch, and I scurried into the house but not before we were pretty drenched.  So, I just shucked out of my swimsuit and jumped into the shower.  When I stepped out of the shower, I glanced out the window and was amazed at the sight.  So, I pulled one of Mike's shirts on and went out with my trusty little camera.

This view of water rolling down the driveway between Stephen and Bonnie's house and our barn!

Just southeast and downhill of the previous spot, the drainage ditch in which I had just finished mowing grass!

Continuing on southeast and looking toward my mother-in-law's house, you can see the water running down the driveway and overflowing the drainage ditch across our driveway traveling on toward the creek which runs in front of our house.

Looking due south off my deck in an area that I had been riding the mower over less than forty-five minutes before.  The water would have been washing me away if I was there now!

Our driveway looks like a creek bed with water steadily running down it!

Lots of water coming down that hill!

I sent those pictures off to Mike and Stephen and Bonnie to let them know what things looked like while they were at work.  Then, I got a call from Stephen telling me that I needed to go out and take a look around to assess the storm damage.  So...

Off I trekked to begin my assessment.  LOTS of the rocks from the driveway were washed out and huge gullies were left behind in the driveway that connects our two houses!

The drainage ditch I had just mowed caught some of the gravel.  Isn't it hard to believe that in less than thirty minutes that much water can rush down and turn this area into a rolling rapids?  Then, about thirty minutes later it looks calm and serene!

I set the soft drink bottle into one of the gullies to give a little perspective of how deeply the water had cut into the ground after the rock was washed away.

I headed on up the hill to drive the loop around and see if this was the worst of the washout.  Again, see the soft drink bottle about half-way up and to the right there in the photo.  This was a bigger gully.

If you look really it closely at Stephen and Bonnie's garden, you can see how the corn is leaning toward the east...

An almost flat spot atop the hill shows that even there was some water damage where the straw off Stephen's newly seeded grass was washed.

Heading down the hill on the opposite side of Stephen and Bonnie's house and you can see that their driveway is gully-washed here, too.

Easing on down their driveway showed several gully-washes in this side of their driveway but nothing too dramatic.

Looking down the creek, you can see the 'stick-line' where the water was out of banks and on the right side of the creek there are a couple of limbs that were washed down.

Another view of the creek...

I pulled out onto the highway and turned in to the southern entrance to our compound to head back up the hill toward home.  Here is the view heading up the driveway toward my mother-in-law's home.  Look closely into the middle of the photo and you can see my soft-drink bottle setting down into that gully.

The deepest gully of all was washed here and I was glad to be driving a truck or I would have drug the bottom of my vehicle when I drove up the driveway toward home.

We had a major mulch washout!  This is a view of the flowerbed that I picked and poked at just this morning!

This shot shows where some of the mulch wound up when that water was rolling down the hill.

This picture shows the water trail that sweeps just past the stepping stones and around the flower bed just off our back porch.  That is a lot of water force!

As I am composing this post, I have the television on where the weather reporters are showing photos and video of tornadoes which swept through southern Kentucky.  Bless them and I hope folks weathered the storms safely!