Just 3 Things | #33

I've been on the go this week. Tuesday found me at physical therapy, running errands, and perusing the thrift store. Wednesday was a day sharing a long lunch with a friend. Thursday found me back at physical therapy and helping the Mister a bit serving as a shuttle bus to get him from one tractor to the other for his hay harvesting tasks. Hay time always seems a bit frenzied. There are a lot of moving parts and pieces of equipment involved; there's concerns about keeping all the equipment in working order, and the weather plays a major role, as well. Throw all that in with his other responsibilities and things can get a bit harried. Friday takes me to my regular hair cut appointment and my first bone density test. 

- What I've Been Working On -

This has been a week when my spare minutes were spent doing volunteer secretarial duties. Since I was on the go a lot, I just fitted in chores and tasks whenever I could. My secretarial duties include documenting and filing paperwork to keep the cemetery records up to date for the Mister who is the Cemetery Manager. There were requests for family transfer forms which had to be mailed out. There were requests for copies of certificates of ownership. There were a couple of burials to record. These sorts of tasks are simply a way of documenting and recording who is laid to rest there in the cemetery and who has purchased burial lots. There's not really much excitement in this sort of work but it is something I know how to do, so I figure it is my way of serving and supporting the community as well as my husband. 

- What I've Been Reading -

I picked up a beach read a couple of weeks ago when the Kindle Daily Deals message landed in my inbox. I picked it up for less than five dollars. I really enjoy these offerings and it has some good options from time to time. My Kindle Library is pretty full right now because of the choices that deal message brings to me. 

Beach House Rules

I started reading it a couple of days ago and am almost finished with it. This book has really made me think about how there is so much gossip in a small town - probably not more than what is in a big city but it is just more concentrated because of the smallness of population. The main character's husband is arrested for a white collar crime and their storyline becomes small town focus. 

I've also been thinking about how the choices and behavior of members of our family can have an impact on us even though we might not have a connection to to their choices and behaviors and may not even have any idea about those things. Yet, it tends to color other people's perspective. I am guilty of using that sameness or guilt by association train of thought at times. Kristy Woodson Harvey is a good storyteller and I'm looking forward to seeing how she resolves this one.

- What I've Been Loving -

The Mister will frequently take a ride up the hill in the afternoon to visit with the grandchildren who live next door. This summer the boys are working with show steers and heifers. They spend time training the calves to becoming comfortable with a halter around their head. Then, they train them to lead like a dog on a leash. Then, they work with them to know where to place their feet so that it is most becoming to their physique. It's a process! 

Then, there's a whole commitment to having fluffy, thick, luscious hair on these animals. Ladies, don't even think you can hold a candle to these animals when it comes to hair care. Each day there is a rinse.

 Then, there a comb out. Next, comes the blow out before there is a conditioning spray followed by a diligent brushing and setting. 

The blow out is calculated to make certain the hair is moving in the right direction.

Spray on conditioner to make the hair glow and shine, yet, still be soft and fluffy.

Brush the hair to bring out the oils in the skin and blend with the conditioner for shine.

Style and set the hair to help build the illusion of a strong, wide, meaty back.

This is hair care on another level. There are also fans blowing to keep the temperature cool. (Some fancier operations will have a 'cooler room' where the animal stands in air conditioned chill to mimic winter and encourage hair growth.)

Each animal also has a practice session where they are being trained to walk slowly and deliberately and respond to the gentle tugs and stops prompted by the person on the other end of the halter.

The animals become accustomed to little sisters running round, dogs barking, vehicles running, people making different noises. The training is as comprehensive as possible to make certain that the animal will remain docile, responsive to the leader's touch, and look his or her best.

One afternoon I took a ride up the hill and made some observations and captured a few photos. I asked questions and got some in-depth answers about the training process - both the training process for behavior and the process for coat and hair care. As I was watching, I marveled at the patience that the boys showed while working with the animals. It was interesting to see how Levi approached and worked with the younger animals who have just begun the journey of learning to wear the halter and respond to human interaction.

He carefully eased up to the calf and took a moment or two to just stand and let him become comfortable with the presence of a human holding the rope. Then, he spoke quietly and gently to him to give him some reassurance that all is well. 

He rubbed on the calf and embraced him a bit to let him know that no harm is intended and it will be a working relationship. 

Then, Levi gave a gentle tug and the animal took a few steps and Levi repeated that tug and respond routine until the calf had made a lap around the stall. That was it for the first lesson. The young trainer was pleased with the response and how smoothly it seemed to work for the first session. It was a beautiful dance to watch!

That particular afternoon, the other young trainer was rinsing and cleaning and cooling the animals at the wash 'parlor.' You'd think that the animals would jolt at the first spray of the cold water but these animals had enough experience that they stood perfectly still and even seemed to enjoy the spraying and scrubbing and rubbing during the rinse. There was a flicker of the ears or a swish of the tail but that was about it.

Easton took it slow and easy and gave each calf a thorough rinse, scrub, and rub down. He moved slowly and steadily so as not to startle the calf, yet, still was meticulous in covering all the real estate on each animal.

Then, he took his time and slowly led each one back into the barn to await their hair salon appointment. These are animals weighing between one and two thousand pounds and have massive strength. Yet, they have developed that working relationship between these boys who are barely into double digits in age. I just see so much good coming from this endeavor and I love that they have these opportunities. The guys are learning to work together as a team to get chores done. They are learning responsibility to one another and for an animal who is totally dependent upon them. They are becoming more tenacious and dedicated to a commitment. They are learning the value of daily involvement and hard work. They are developing patience and strength and strength of character. It was really an awesome thing to watch and is such a good thing.

Well, it was a busy week but not really much exciting went down. Since the Mister is wrapping up the first hay harvest and that is kind of an energy sapper, we are both pretty much looking forward to a quiet weekend, I think. May your weekend be full of rejuvenation!

A Full Transformation!

Remember back in March when I was concerned about my purple violet that my son and his wife had gifted me? Remember that it had a baby plant that had grown in the same pot and pushed it aside? Remember that it had developed this weird stalk-like thing? Remember that the leaves looked sickly and curled? Just in case you don't remember, I included the photo below.

So, I ordered these nifty pots that are called self-watering African violet pots and broke the stalk thingy off and put it down into the dirt of one of those nifty pots. It looked a bit sad and the leaves and stems were all wilty and curled. Remember how that sad little parent plant looked in its nifty new blue pot? Just in case you don't remember, I included the photo below.

In about a month's time, the sad little wilty and curled leaves had transformed into a healthy looking plant. It was quite the violet transformation and I was smiling about it. I shared that I was excited and I thought the plant was too because it looked like its leaves were stretched out and reaching for the heavens. Just in case you don't remember, I included the photo below.

Well, this morning, I noticed that this same little sad, droopy, wilty-leaved, sad violet had continued to revive and even to thrive and it has started to bloom!

By the way, notice all the beautiful pink blooms nodding here and there on that beautiful pink violet beside it. Maybe it has been offering the little bedraggled next door friend some encouragement!

Today I noticed...Some things are worth having multiples.

A flamingo umbrella is evidently something that I really believe is worth keeping in multiples. I proved it this past year when I noticed them advertised and ordered myself one. Then, when it was delivered, I turned around and ordered almost a dozen more. 

When I learned that one of the youngest grands had an accident and her flamingo umbrella was a fatality, I ordered one to be sent to her so that she would have a replacement. I considered getting myself another one so that I could have one in the house and one in the truck but I decided that I was just being greedy and didn't. Now, I really wish I had stockpiled several more, though.

Last week one of our granddaughters represented her high school at Girls State. It was a leap outside her comfort zone. She is not one who has done a lot of sleepovers with friends. She is not one who has attended a week away at camp. She is not one who walks into a room with a mission to know everybody there before she leaves. You might even say she is a bit introverted in some ways. So, when I learned that she was off to Girls State, I was a bit surprised. 

In chatting with her mother, I learned that she had forgotten to pack a refillable water bottle. While my grandmother heart tugged, I told myself that she would survive. After all, I survived as a young girl without toting around a mug or jug to keep myself hydrated and she could as well. The next day I learned that she had fallen and injured her ankle and my aching ankle and aching heart wanted to go to the college campus and check on her. Later, I learned that she had also forgotten to pack a raincoat or umbrella.  Well, that was the last straw. At that point I was determined to take care of business. 

I dressed that morning and trekked down to the local grocery store. I had one folding umbrella in my truck but I thought I should check to see if there was a disposable poncho available. Nope. So, I went across the street to the drug store and looked. Again, no poncho. They did have a nice pink umbrella. So, I decided that I would deliver my flamingo umbrella that was in the truck to Lydia and keep the pink one in the truck to take its place. Plus, I picked up a small and a large refillable water bottle. I mean, if I am making the trip, I may as well take that as well.

As I waited in line, I searched online for a replacement flamingo umbrella. I was sad to learn that my original source had sold out. However, I did find another and placed an order. After all, one can never have enough cute umbrellas. They are good for dashing in and out of places when running errands. They are good for the softball and baseball parks. They are good for football season to watch the band perform. They are good to provide shade on a hot day and to avoid the raindrops there when a pop up shower erupts. Eventually, I got checked out and was on my merry way to drop off the necessary items for the grand.

I had been instructed by Lydia's mother that I would only be able to drop off the items at her assigned dorm of residence for the week. So, I found a paper bag under the seat and labeled it. When I went into the dorm lobby, I noticed that it could have been a ghost town. Nobody to be found. So, I went back to the truck and got a piece of cardstock and labeled it as well. I tied that to the handle of the umbrella and left the bag and umbrella sitting on the front desk where it would easily be noticed. I'm sure Lydia's high school self smiled all over and proclaimed that she had a wonderful grandmother to all who entered the lobby of the dorm. I guess I think labels for identification are things worth having in multiples as well!

(By the way, I'm on the lookout for more of those inexpensive and cute umbrellas so that I can build up my flock!)

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. 

Today I noticed...Some things seem to be shrinking.

I opened a new container of my regular makeup today an noticed that it is visibly smaller than the container I just emptied. I even went to the trash can and dug out the old container to compare and satisfy my brain that it was indeed smaller. Yep. It was. I set the new container atop the old one and could see about a quarter of an inch of the old one all around the new one. I couldn't read the weight amount on the old container because I had worn it away with use but I'm sure the new one holds less than the old one did.

Then, I was restocking the snack jar in the pantry and noticed that the Little Debbie cakes are smaller than they used to be as well. I know we need to be cutting our snack consumption back and we should look at portion control and all that but I'm thinking that the price of those snacks did not go down.

I pulled out a package of frozen breaded shrimp to prepare dinner and noticed that I had an older box that was half empty and a new unopened box. They look the same except that the old box said it held sixteen ounces and the new box said it held fourteen ounces. 

My cereal box is smaller and holds fewer ounces of cereal. My laundry detergent bottle holds less but claims to wash the same number of loads. 

I'd love for number on my scale to shrink. I'd like the amount charged on various bills to shrink as well. I'm just not sure that the things which should be shrinking are the things that are.

Battling the Critters

I always thought of myself as an animal lover.

I have discovered that I really am not.

Oh, I like a friendly dog. I'm up for watching cute little goats jump around in a barn lot. I admire the beauty of a fast and flashy horse. I prize a well grown and groomed market lamb in a show ring. I like seeing the gentle cows in the pastures. So, I guess technically, I am an animal lover.

Technically, I just don't like rodents of any kind and I am not a reverent birder. I don't know whether to refer to these as critters, vermin, or just a plain nuisance. 

I'm still tying reflective ribbons on my truck to scare those pesky things away. I am still having to drive through the car wash about once per week, though. GRRRR!!!

As for the rodents, I've begun to battle with them as well. This time it is not with traps in the house. This time the battle is taking place outside. Chipmunks or squirrels have had free run of our yard. We have several oak trees and it is a haven for them. They gather up acorns and munch on them and store them away. They scamper around in the grass and up the trees. At times, I've even seen them scamper across the porch or along the fence rail. To me, these animals are all just rats wit a fur coat. I am not a fan at all!

Recently, they have been being pesky on our porch. Remember all the flower pots I worked so hard to fill? Well, these squirrels and chipmunks seem to think those were placed on the porch for their enjoyment. 

They dug into the trough and pots that I have near the basement entry and dug up some of my newly sprouted seedlings. 

They've also scratched potting soil out of my porch pots as they were digging holes. They threw some of the soil onto the porch and window sills. I have not been a happy camper. 

I have declared to battle them and keep them out of my plants. My first step has been to use an additive to prevent them from digging in the soil of my pots and trough. I simply sprinkled a bit of crushed red pepper flakes atop the soil in each container.

All of my flower pots sort of look as if they have some sort of top-dressing on them. We shall see how effective this remedy is. I am determined to battle these critters and not let them win! Stay tuned for a special report at a later date.

Memorial Day - Remember and Honor