I love a good list!

Lists are things that help us get through our daily lives. Most of us have some sort of shopping list - for groceries, for Christmas gifting, for hosting a party, and lots more. We also sometimes have a list of people - for addresses, for invitations, for calling, for texting, and for many other purposes. When we prepare a meal or a dish, we have a list - for ingredients and for steps of preparation and sometimes to help remind us for serving so that we don't leave the salad in the fridge and only think of it after the meal has been enjoyed. (That's the voice of experience speaking there.) Some of us have a list of books we want to read or books we have already read or books we have collected or books we have gifted. At some point in all of our lives, I think we encounter a good list and are thankful for it. 

I am a prolific list maker. I use lists for, oh so many things! Some of my lists are written, some are stored in my head, some are digital and I access them through an app. I also subscribe to some lists. One that I subscribe to is called The Good List by The New York Times. I've referenced it here before a time or two. It is described as, "A weekly inventory of ideas, rituals, and cultural artifacts to add joy to your day." It truly does generally bring me joy. I learn a lot of off the wall things that I probably would not have thought about. I often find myself pausing as I read and thinking about something more deeply because it was brought to my attention in a clever way. I frequently follow links included within the topics and my thinking makes twists and turns that probably would not have occurred to me otherwise. I wonder if other people have a list or a post or a source that tends to make them pause and ponder...

One of the things I like best about the weekly list is the interesting titles. This week the titles were shared like this:

On this week's list:

1. Honey, please
2. Why run?
3. Going local
4. Be free
5. Special cheese
6. Side of Bacon?

Those titles alone made me pause and ponder what I might be getting ready to take in and think about. I also admired the author's skill at creating a good title and how it really drew me into the different topics.

I found myself bobbing my head up and down and smiling as I read the first item, "Honey, please." It just so happened that I had paused from my stitching and stirred up a cup of spiced tea for myself. One jar of tea mix was almost empty. So, I splashed a little hot water into the jar and gave it a stir before pouring it into my cup and adding more tea mix, stirring it all up, and zapping it to a hot temperature in the microwave. Then, I cupped my hands around the mug and carried it back to my desk where I began to read "The Good List." In my own way, I already had applied the little hack that the author, Melissa Kirsch mentioned.

Within the writing, Kirsch also mentions that a friend suggests using the dregs of a jam jar to make a cocktail. That might also be a good way to flavor a simple tea and sweeten it a bit at the same time! Kirsch likes these ideas, "because not only are you getting every last drop, but you’re also using the original vessel, a tiny gesture of efficiency." I almost chuckled aloud about that because it really hit home for me in so many ways.

Why just this morning I stirred up a sauce or gravy to top off some beef tips that I'm cooking in the crock pot to serve for dinner tonight. The recipe listed (See what I did there?!?) cream of mushroom soup, a soup can of water, minced onion, and a packet of brown gravy mix as the sauce/gravy ingredients. Then, instead of following the listed steps (Again!) for preparing the sauce/gravy, I stirred together all but the water and poured it atop the beef tips already in the pot. Then, I splashed the soup can of water into the bowl and gave it a stir to get the last little bits of flavor mixed well and added that atop the mixture so that not a drop was wasted and I efficiently used only one bowl. I even used a rubber spatula to clean every little bit off the sides and swirl it into the sauce/gravy. My grandmother, Muffa, would be so proud! She was a true believer that we should waste not.

Well, I just got a notification that a shopper is about to start assembling my groceries for delivery and reminded me that I might want to review my list and make any last minute additions. So, I'm off to double-check my list. 

Today I noticed...There is a big difference in these two things.

There is a big difference in having nowhere to go...

...and not having to go somewhere.

I love retired life!

Just 3 Things | #51

I didn't really have the intention of making Just 3 Things a series when I started back in September of 2025. However, it really seems to work as a good way of wrapping up a week and combining different things I'm thinking about. At any rate, here we are with volume or episode number fifty one. That is sort of a good feeling for me - the fact that I have stuck to this concept and that I have had three things to write about for fifty one weeks. 

- What I've Been Reading -

On one of the Kindle Daily Deals or some such special recently was a book by one of my favorite authors of late. I began reading The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews this week. It has been a very good read. 

A young lobbyist is left in a bind when the firm she works for is caught in a political scandal. She reluctantly accepts her father's offer to help refurbish an old family property that he just inherited. She soon learns that the property is in sad disrepair and rolls up her sleeves to try to salvage it. She also learns that living in a small town finds everybody sort of knowing all about her and everything that is going on in her life - even the run-ins with the FBI, who are investigating the political scandal of her former boss. 

I'm enjoying this one just as I have others by this author. 

- What I've Been Working On -

After creating a Mistake Bag and an oversized Boxy Bag last week, I've closely followed the same tutorial to create another bag this week. Well, I did modify it a wee bit by stitching a thinner fabric at the zipper and attaching that to upcycled denim. I just think stitching the zipper to the denim would make that sort of bag have a lot of bulk there at the zipper and would not work out well. This one measures 10 x 5 x 6" and the one last week measured 10 x 9 x 6" and is more of a square than rectangular like this one. 

I used a piece of denim that has a seam because I had seen that done in some other bags that folks had made. I centered the stacked monogram for the grandson between the seam and the end of the bag. I used a bandana as the contrast fabric and for the lining. The width of the bag is much narrower than the first denim boxy bag I made for another grandson and this one holds its shape much better. I used a bandana with an Aztec design because I had used a fabric with a tiny windowpane check as the contrast for the pencil pouch for this grandson. I think they coordinate together quite well.

Again, I used the same font and thread color for the monograms to tie them together as well. I plan to stitch up some sort of coin or lip balm pouch for the two guys. I don't know what other type zip pouch a young adolescent might need. Oh, I know that we all have treasures and supplies that could be corralled in a zipper pouch but I do want this to be something that will be useful with an intended purpose and not just a collector of stuff. If you have a suggestion for my guys, please pass it along. 

- What I've Been Watching -

We tend to watch a lot of shoot-em-up programs on the television. You know, police shows like Chicago PD or Boston Blue or Sheriff Country or even good old Adam 12. I think the reason we like those programs is because most of the time the good guy wins. I always tend to wonder how many of the episodes is based on an actual event. Sometimes I marvel at the creativity and sometimes I wonder if there really is such anger and violence out there. I guess yesterday I learned that folks really are full of anger and tend to want to take that out on whoever they can.

The Mister serves as the manager of the local community cemetery. He sells burial lots to folks who need to bury a loved one, meets with the grave digger or funeral home folks to schedule burials, meets with the monument companies to show them where to place a headstone, and other public relations type tasks such as those. Yesterday, he left home to meet someone about their cemetery lots. While he was out there he picked up some trash, flowers that had blown off a lot, and just generally check on how things were looking. While he was there, he noticed a hand full of cars were parked in the cemetery but there was nobody in sight who might have been visiting a grave.

The Mister parked under a shade tree and was reviewing his burial records and a guy pulled in behind him and began gesturing and yelling. So, the Mister rolled his window down and asked the fellow what was going on only to be met with anger and vulgarity. He told the fellow that the cemetery is not a parking lot and was informed that the housing development next door had sent information that paving was scheduled for the next few days in the neighborhood and overflow parking should be in the cemetery. The Mister kindly explained that public parking in the cemetery was for folks visiting a grave site, funerals, or folks doing work there. To which the fellow grew even more agitated and threatening and called the Mister a backwoods, redneck... and threw in several choice other descriptors. Someone nearby overheard and called local law enforcement. A county deputy and a local town police officer soon arrived on the scene. 

The officers listened to both parties - the Mister and the agitated fellow. The Mister said that he was so upset that he could feel his whole body shaking. Of course, the officer told him to take a breath and calm down. Then, one of the officers suggested that the Mister should call the Home Owners' Association for the neighboring housing development and let them know that the cemetery is not where their residents should park. That suggestion was not well received and the Mister let the officers know that it is not his duty to inform them not to use property that does not belong to them. The officers agreed to contact the Home Owners and straighten things out and escorted the agitated fellow out of the cemetery. When he got home, the Mister was still kind of upset about the whole affair.

Who would have ever thought that serving in the capacity of cemetery manager - a role that is one of service, empathy, and good will - might become one where there could be danger of any kind? I'm sure the agitated fellow was frustrated with the paving situation and could have been having a bad day. He probably was just taking his unhappiness with all of that out on the Mister. I know that we all have bad moments but the whole incident helped me to realize that some of those television programs probably are based upon real life incidents. I would far rather watch something like that on television than think of my husband involved in such a situation, though!

This has been a much more laid back week for us and I like those kind. For the most part the days have been ordinary with just a few ups and downs thrown in for good measure. I really do like ordinary days and a calm, smooth week. I hope we can rock along with ordinary days and very little ups and downs - just roll along at a leisurely pace for a while!

VFL Baby Gift

A former coworker is preparing to give birth to her second son. The eldest is nine years old so she is basically having to start from scratch again - unlike when I had my two, who were less than two years apart. Whew! I don't know which age span would be better but I do know that a new baby can be a LOT!

My friend, like me, is an alumnus of The University of Tennessee. She is one of those folks who is also truly a Vol For Life. With the first baby, I asked my daughter to do some embroidery and applique work and I stitched the different pieces together. This time I am doing it all on my own. Yay, me!

Again, I went with a fan favorite and every piece is a nod to our alma mater. One of my favorite things to give as a gift for a new baby is a personalized swaddling blanket. For this gift, I used orange checked fabric and grey flannel. One side will feel soft and warm and the other side will feel cooler, yet, cozy. I wanted to tie the power T from the other pieces in with a sweet little hound dog applique that we had used on the older brother's gift several years ago. So, I first appliqued a power T to the corner of the checked fabric. Then, layered the dog's face on top as if he was resting his chin on the top of the T. Finally, I stitched the new baby's name below to personalize it just for him. 

Now, the new baby will have his own university collection that is similar but still personal like big brother's. I love it when I can create something special and one of a kind to give as a gift!

Happy Birthday, Jessica!

 

Ride on, girl!

Happy Birthday, Cassie!

 

Hope your last year of being a teenager is full of wonderfulness!

Just 3 Things | #50

I've had a busy week. I feel like it was a week with a lot of accomplishments. So, that is always a good thing. I've done quite a bit of sewing. The Mister and I got flu vaccinations. We attended a couple of meetings related to our volunteer work. We've cooked some tasty meals and completed some home maintenance chores. 

- What I've Been Working On -

After a mistake bag was created earlier in the week, I was not going to give up on the idea that was in my head. I pulled out my upcycle jeans again and cut the pieces for a new bag. This time, I decided to run a quilting stitch across the denim to give it a little different look but still follow the same concept. This time I watched the tutorial and paused for stitching. Then, watched a bit more and paused for stitching, and so on. This time, I didn't have the same sort of mistake. This time I made the bag that was in my head.

This time I had a different mistake, however. I set up the monogram using the same font as before but this time I set it up in a more traditional way. I placed the quilted fabric on my magnetic hoop just like I did for the previous one. However, this time, the movement of the hoop brought the presser foot much closer to the magnets holding the fabric. That caused the fabric to move because the magnetic force pulled the magnet toward the presser foot. I had left the machine to make a quick trip to the bathroom and when I returned, I had a mess. I stopped the machine, took the fabric out of the hoop and picked out the mess. Then, realigned it and picked up where it had left off. The the first letter - the H - looked alright and the 'fix' wasn't even noticeable. Then, I started the machine to work on the second letter. Again, the magnet interfered and caused a mess before I could stop it. This time, I couldn't get the fabric rehooped precisely and was not satisfied with the result I was going toward. So, I stopped the stitching and went back to the drawing board with another piece of the denim. That meant I had to repeat the quilting process on a new piece of fabric. It was a small price to pay to satisfy my own standards. Thank goodness I hadn't already attached the zipper. That made it far easier to choose starting all over again with that side. This time I used a different hoop with no magnets and just spent more time pressing out the creases from the hoop when it finished embroidering. I added loops at the end of the zipper like the Boxy Bag Tutorial suggested. I also added a strap for a handle using a contrasting denim from a different pair of jeans.

Boxy Bag for Harris

I really like working with the denim. I'm wondering if I should have used foam to give the bag a little bit more structure. The batting gives it a nice heft but the weight of the denim just doesn't hold the shape like I thought it would. It is soft and will hold a lot of toiletries or whatever needs a teen boy might have for traveling, a sleepover, or storage. I showed both bags I had created to another grandson and he suggested using the taller tote for toiletries and that a pair of shoes might fit in the boxy bag. I don't think Harris's shoes would fit, though - he's got a pretty big foundation! 

I believe the boxy bag would be a good size toiletry bag even if I cut it down a couple of inches like I mentioned I could have salvaged the mistake bag. That would have just made it about 3-4 inches more narrow. I guess I have some tweaks to make before stitching up my next one.

Denim Bag Set

I like the idea that I've created something by upcycling old jeans. Most of the garment was in good shape with just a rip or small thread-bare spot. The jeans had been washed enough times that the fabric is soft but not worn out. I've been reading about how much of our clothing goes to the landfill and I'm glad I didn't add to this problem. 

This makes sort of a set for a guy. Everything is not created using the exact same contrasting and lining fabric but the denim and font choice is a consistent thread that ties it all together. I've stitched up a pencil pouch, a boxy bag, and the zipped tote. If I have time, I may make some sort of coin pouch for lip balm or coins or a pouch for some sort of small treasure. Even with the different shades of denim, the bags all look good together and are all functional without being feminine. That is the goal I was shooting for.

- What I'm Loving -

I've continued down the baby gift path this week. This is a gift for another former co-worker. She is a fellow alumni of The University of Tennessee and her blood runs orange. Almost ten years ago she gave birth to a son and my daughter and I constructed a UT themed gift for the little fellow. When my friend, Jessica, announced to me that she was expecting a baby later this year, she mentioned that she loved the UT gift I had given her for her eldest. So, that made it easy for me to know just what to stitch up. 

Power T Appliqued on a Onsie

I tried my hand at stitching on a ready-made garment. Boy! Wrangling that tiny little onsie into a hoop and getting it stitched was a lesson in dexterity. It is so cute, though. The miniature nature of it just makes me smile. 

I also stitched up some personalized burp cloths. One side of each features Tennessee fan favorites. 

Two Burp Cloths for a Tennessee Fan

The other side covers up the back side stitching and makes it softer for baby. I added the new little fellow's initials to personalize and make them unique.

Personalized back side of Burp Cloths

I picked up some light grey flannel and orange gingham to make a swaddling blanket as well. That will be today's project, I guess.

    

I created a Christmas ornament for big brother. He is a baseball player and I asked mom what his number and team colors were this past season. So, he is getting a personalized ornament in team colors of two-toned blue.

I love having the opportunity to give personalized gifts without a huge investment. I don't have to order and wonder how things will turn out and wait for a shipment. Plus, I can create them myself and that makes me even happier. 

- What I've Been Watching -

I haven't been watching much TV lately. I've spent more time watching tutorials, I guess! One thing that we have enjoyed watching is the Drummond Ranch videos on YouTube. Some are as short as seven minutes and others are a little over a half-hour in length. We tend to wait and watch several at a time so that we have an hour or so of TV time watching life on their ranch. We love watching them work their cattle and seeing the equipment and setup. For farmers, I guess that is speaking a language we know and helping us to envision how we would like to have our place set up. We can relate to the hurdles they have in a lot of ways - washout of cattle gaps and weather issues and fixing fences. If you love farming and ranching, we highly recommend it. If you just want to learn more about where and how beef gets to your table, it is pretty good to watch as well.

Fall is in the air and landing on the ground around here. The leaves are steadily drifting down all the time. The Mister blew the leaves off the porch one day and it was noticeably littered with more a day or so later when one of the granddaughters blew them off again. We are grateful for the shade and appreciate the beauty of all the trees in our yard but they do cause a bit more work in the fall. We are planning to attend a cattle grooming workshop this weekend and take along a couple of the grandsons. If we are going to continue to exhibit these Hereford cattle, we feel like we need to learn to fluff them up and make them show ready. Hope you have a fun weekend!