Just 3 Things | #39

I know I often talk about the weather here and I guess I inherited that from my Daddy. When one lives on a farm, though, weather plays a big role in most everything that goes on. It has rained here more days during the past three weeks or more than it has been dry. Whoever heard of having green grass that begs to be mowed more than once per week in July and August!?! The rain has also stalled hay harvest. The Mister is on edge wondering just when he might get to cut and rake and bale and all the things and steps required to put hay in the barn and mow off our front field. I just looked at the weather app on my phone.

No less than 35% rain predicted in the 10-Day forecast.

- What I've Been Watching -

I've been reading and watching tutorials online like never before. I have so many ideas for using my new sewing machine and I see so many wonderful ideas. I am loving that I can find a tutorial for crafting most anything and stitching most anything up just by reading and looking at photos and watching video tutorials. 

Gone are the days when one simply looked at the diagrams that came with a package for creating or assembling something. Gone are the static tissue paper patterns that tear easily and have unclear drawings to follow for sewing. These days I just perform and online search and there are multiple tutorials right at my fingertips. I love that I can have clear photographed pictures showing me what to do, or I can watch a video, rewind, pause, and watch it again to learn how to assemble something that I am stitching up. 

For all the times that people fuss about technology, I just want to stand up and cheer that we do have such technology right at our fingertips to teach us how to do something new. Now, that doesn't mean I get things right on the first try each time. That doesn't mean I fully understand something after reading, watching, rewinding, and watching again. Yet, the opportunity that provides for me as a learner and a crafter and a sewist is absolutely fabulous! I shared a couple or three tutorials I used in making a cute tote bag this week. However, please know that I have watched and saved three or four more different ones before and during the process of me attempting to make just that tote bag. An example that I didn't share is this one where I learned to make a cool end to a zipper tab. 

- What I've Been Reading -

Besides reading tutorials, I've also been reading an interesting novel this week. It is one of Reese's Book Club Picks.

 The Club by Ellery Lloyd was advertised as, "a murder mystery set at an exclusive celebrity resort." However, as I am reading it, I can see personalities similar to folks I know or have encountered and I certainly have not been to an exclusive celebrity resort. I'm about half way through and it is really an engaging read. 

- What I've Been Working On -

I spent a couple of days working on my big project for the week - a Bandana Tote Bag. It was so rewarding to see this coming together and turning out like my vision. I learned so many different things in the process and learned about new products that I didn't know existed and techniques that I would never have dreamt of on my own. 

I already have gathered a stash of bandanas to make more bags and pouches using this inexpensive fabric. Of course, one of the things I learned is that there are bandanas that don't really look like bandanas. I had seen patriotic ones before but there are also animal prints, camo prints, cute variety prints, and traditional bandanas in a multitude of colors. So, I think I could make a different bag each week and never use the same sort of bandana even if I used one color or print for the outer side and a different one for the lining. Some of these different varieties of bandanas are more expensive than the typical one-dollar-handkerchief but I found loads available right in my price range and fully intend to create something cute and wonderful with as many as possible!

If the sun is shining where you are, I hope you are making hay in it! Have a good weekend.

Just 3 Things | #17

Happy Friday 13th! I love a good Friday 13th. After all, I was born on one. 

As one season melts into the next, we are assured that the world truly comes full circle. There are certain things one can count on to come round every so often just as scheduled. This week the warmer temperatures have returned, the Olympics are in full thrall, and I was reminded of my younger days as well. Sometimes that full circle is a good thing and sometimes not as welcomed. However, we should always hold out hope because what goes around will come around and we should just be ready and welcome it - come what may. 

- What I've Been Loving -

The warmer weather has brought out lots of smiles for us. Mike spent most of the day outside a couple of days this week. When he came inside, he was in a much better frame of mind than in days past as well. I got out and strolled in the sunshine a bit and it brought smiles to my face as well.  

I've never been a big lover of hot weather but as I've aged, I learn that I like warm weather a lot more. The cold just seems to get into my bones and I don't enjoy it as much as I once did. When we had snow and ice on the ground, I learned that our eldest grandson could spend most of the day out in it. He would take his BB gun and go out and just wander round and look for targets and investigate. I remember being a kid like that. We lived on a farm and I would just get out and go walking across the field and through the woods poking at rocks and vines and hanging limbs was sort of like a type of therapy for me. 

When I was outside yesterday, I noticed this little fellow. I'm sure there is an old wives tale about the coloring of this caterpillar. Also, I wonder, what is he doing scooting around in February?

One day this week I took my computer outside and did a little organizing and sorting of expenditures and income information as I prepped for tax filing. It made the task seem not quite so bad to me. So, I can say that I've been loving these warmer sunny days.

- What I've Been Watching -

I've watched a bit of the Winter Olympics. I'm not as big a fan of the Olympics these days as I was in the past. I really liked it most when the athletes were true amateurs. These folks are really professionals these days. They treat the sport like a job and practice it for hours every single day. They have company sponsors for which they advertise. I seem to recall the days when these were young people who spent their time before or after school working to improve their skills. I understand that the way all sports have evolved is more toward professional dedication and that is alright. I just enjoyed it a bit more when there was a fresh-faced innocence and the participants were not nearly so polished and professional.  

Many of the athletes are participating for their third or even more Olympic experience. So, that means they have been working at this sport or event for at least fifteen years. I heard one of the commentators mention something along the line that a participant was still in his teens so he had many years left and would look much different in his next Olympics. I've known folks who have had three different jobs during that timeframe. So, their dedication is admirable. Plus, how can one not be in awe of a person who straps on a pair of skis and a tight-fitting suit and slides down a mountain at more than sixty miles per hour?

via

I must say that it is enjoyable to see and hear from former Olympians who are now commentators sharing these athletes' stories and pointing out their skills and finesse. It sort of feels like these folks are old friends who have come back to visit and keep us informed about different sports that we might not be so familiar with. Scott Hamilton, who lives not far from us, is especially wonderful to hear from because he just tells these folks' stories with such humor and candor. He was talking about the world's most admired figure skater right now and chuckling about the young man's irreverent attitude and willingness to take risks and do things that are different. It is exactly the kind of thing folks like me enjoy hearing and learning about. 

via The Guardian

Plus, Snoop Dogg is there and is slipping and sliding and sharing his perspective. I loved that they showed him attempting curling and sliding down a hill on his fanny. His reactions have been about like mine would be only he is a lot more athletic than I am by far!

- What I've Been Working On -

When my son, Bryan, was a little fellow - barely starting school, we went for a parent night that must have been around Mother's Day because each child had drawn a picture of his mother and answered some questions about her. One of the questions was something along the lines of: "When does your mother get angry?" My precious child answered, "When she spills melted butter." You see, earlier in the week I had melted a stick of butter in the microwave which was at upper cabinet height and bobbled and spilled the melted butter all over myself and counter and cabinets and floor and whatever else was nearby. Of course, it was hot and burning me and I was shouting some quite colorful expletives. So, my precious child recalled that and shared it with his kindergarten or first grade teacher. 

Well, this week has been sort of a repeat of that experience - minus the precious child witness. On Tuesday evening, I was cleaning up after dinner - Taco Tuesday. From the island, I picked up an almost-full, large tub of sour cream and turned around to put it on the top shelf of the fridge. Just before I got to the shelf, my grip on the tub gave up or I bumped into something or for some reason unknown, I let go of the tub. Then, started flailing round to try to catch it, which only served to make it bounce off a lower shelf, hit the interior side of the fridge, then, hit the door and continue on to hit the top of the freezer drawer, then, the freezer handle and on down to the floor where it hit hard. The top had come off at the first bump and sour cream had plopped out in heaps all over the fridge, the island, and the floor. I can assure you that my dismay was expressed colorfully and it is really a good thing there was no precious child witness.

Then, late last night, after the Mister had gone to bed, I stirred myself up a cup of hot chocolate, placed it in the microwave to heat, and opened the door to get my cup of goodness. I picked it up and got the cup about half out of the microwave and lost my grip on the handle. Hot chocolate sloshed all over the microwave, on the cabinetry between the microwave and the oven, down the drawer below the oven, and splashed all over the floor. There was even a drip or two between the glass pieces of the oven door that will require that the door be taken apart in order to get it cleaned away. I had come full circle. Again, my frustration was expressed colorfully, if rather quietly so as not to disturb the sleeping hubby. Again, it is a really good thing there was no precious child witness.

So, this week, I feel like I have been working on cleaning up messes of my own making!

I hope you have had a good week and have made fewer messes than this old gal. Have a good weekend!

Today I noticed...The ice is melting layer by layer.

We commented yesterday about the thickness of the ice on the back porch and how the table went from being a solid, stacked sheet of ice to the grid pattern of the metal on top. Then, today we noticed that there was a layer of ice on top of that grid as well as a layer on the bottom. Plus, there is a fringe of icicles around the edge.

Partial Top Layer and Drooping Bottom Layer

The south end of the table cleared off yesterday but the ice that dropped off of it just landed in a pile underneath and it looked like we had dumped a bag of ice there. 

With the sun shining and higher temperatures today, there seems to be lots more dripping and I am seeing chunks fall off the power lines and trees. It does sort of sound like a shooting gallery when the chunks hit below.

When I looked up, I noticed that our gutter covering that keeps leaves out is also serving to keep the ice out and it is just sliding off and dripping. 

The sunshine makes it look like there are diamonds on the trees and atop the porch and all over the place. It is beautiful to look at - especially since we have suffered very little damage.

We have seen so many online posts of neighboring streets, roads, and yards where they have had damage and we've talked to several folks who lost power as well and our hearts go out to them. It was heartwarming to see where local coffee shops and restaurants took donations and provided meals, snacks, and drinks for the folks working to restore power and clear roads. When I saw those announcements, it made me want to do my part to be an unseen and unnoticed helper.

In times like these, I'm reminded of the Fred Rogers story about his mother offering reassurance and advice by telling him to Look For The Helpers.

2026 Snowmaggeddon Day #5

We are hanging in there and I am thankful to learn that many of our neighbors who were without power have now had it restored. We cannot imagine what it has been like for those power company employees. Navigating through the icy roads and walking and scotching on the ice to cut up the fallen and drooping icy trees; then, replacing broken power poles and lines. We are grateful for them and their dedication to serving others.

SOMEBODY had cabin fever a couple of days ago and just had to get out! One of the kiddos gave him a tall walking stick. So, he trekked out to the barn where he had parked the ATV buggy and truck. He motored round the ponderosa checking things out. Then, moved his truck and parked it at the basement entrance where it is close to the house with less iciness and threat for him to slip and fall.

The neighbor widow called and asked him if he would mind driving her down to the little township - about 5 miles - to work yesterday. She didn't have to be there till ten o'clock in the morning. So, he delivered her and picked her up at the end of her shortened day. 

In one of the check-in phone calls to my son who lives two hours west of us, we learned that he and his brother-in-law had trekked out to get refills of fuel for their generators. I told my daughter-in-law that I would love to have been a fly on the wall watching them. I'm sure it was about like watching two thirteen-year-old boys out on their own. They had tales to tell. One of the tales included picking up a woman and delivering her to a friend's house. 

He sent me some photos showing where they trekked and how the roads looked.

A View Through Son's Windshield

Another Windshield View

They drove under trees that were overhanging the road and saw lots of ice and snow damage.

I'm not so certain that driving under this tree was a wise move but sometimes it is better not to know what one's grown children do.

My daughter-in-law said that they are piling into one room with both children sleeping on pallets. They turned off the big generator and only ran a smaller one to keep that room warm. She said that during the night the kitchen and den area dropped about twenty degrees or more. They could see their breath! But, turning the big generator on brought the temperature back up really quickly.

One little family member got a tent for Christmas. So, she bedded down in her tent in the family bedroom and added about five coverlets to her space. She told me that she was so cozy in there that she had even sweated!

We are still lifting up grateful thoughts and hopeful thoughts for those who are still without power and are feeling stuck. We are also lifting up grateful thoughts for those folks who are out there working diligently to restore and repair damage caused by the storm. 

Stay warm and be careful out there!

2026 Snowmaggeddon Day #4

We've had sleet. 

We've had snow. 

We've had freezing rain. 

We've had more snow.

Yesterday, we had a bit of dripping off the roof that re-froze onto the handrails and porch.

I have lived through storms before that were bad. I don't know that this is any worse but, boy, it is different! I haven't seen anything quite like it.

Back Door View

Back Porch

 

Front Porch View

The sun caused some dripping off the roof yesterday. Here is a close up of how it would drip over thje edge of the gutter and freeze.

Once it dripped down onto the handrail, it would freeze and the icicle almost reached the step below.

Lights and plants at the foot of the front porch steps were encased in ice. Notice the icicle hanging off the front of the handrail.

Some of the roof icicles got really thick with the dripping. I am just amazed.

Lots of the trees are bent over. Some of them are even touching the ground. It is a pretty sight as long as I can just step out onto the porch and take a quick photo and come right back into the warm house.

The fencing is also beautiful so long as I'm just clicking a quick shot and scurrying back inside!

Our power lines are still encased in ice. We are some of those fortunate ones who have had power the entire time. The power flickered off a couple of times but it was not long.

The Mister and I have talked about this several times and how we have not seen anything like this before in our memory. 

2026 Snowmageddon Day #2

 Yesterday was quite a day. The snow started falling at about nine in the morning. We had quite a bit after an hour of solid snowfall.

Back Door View

Front Door View

This morning, at around five in the morning, rain and sleet began to fall. After about an hour, there was a slushy mess everywhere and this is how it looked:

Back Door View

Front Door View

Everything in the air like tree limbs, power lines, light strands, porch rails, etc., has a coating of ice. The ground also has about an inch and a half of slushy ice setting atop it. There is water standing in puddles and low parts of the driveway that has slushy ice and snow in it as well.

Notice the icicles on the chaise and that the pile of snow and the entire garden stool is encased in ice.

The chairs and table are completely encased in a coating of ice.

The power lines look like this line of patio lights and notice the bulbs are even encased.

The wind has picked up a bit and there is creaking and cracking and popping. My bonus son says that it sounds like gunshots in the trees at the top of the hill behind their barn where there are limbs and trees falling. When a gust of wind comes along, those icicles fall as well.

The temperature here is 33 degrees Fahrenheit and meteorologists are predicting the lows to fall into the teens tonight. Tomorrow's high is predicted to be 19 and the low will be in the single digits. 

This is quite amazing for us here in the south.

On social media posts I am seeing huge trees that have fallen across streets and roads. The local news reported that over 200,000 people were without power at around noon today. About 70,000 of those households were here in our county. Folks have lost power at the north of us as well as at the south. I'm sure those trees are playing a role in that. Power company and Public Works folks have been out working relentlessly.

We are blessed and fortunate to have power and be able to stay indoors. The bonus son checked on the Mister's animals this morning and told him to stay inside because he doesn't need to risk falling in this mess. So, the bonus son and the grands came by on their ATV and checked things out for us. They also brought us a bag of ice melt salt and left it beside the back door.

Talked on the phone to my son who lives two hours west of us in a rural area. They lost power at about five-thirty this morning. They have a whole house generator to keep their heat and power going. They also have some small generators to power their barn and shop/office. He thinks they have enough fuel to keep the small generators going for three days. He wishes he had more fuel at this point because he is not optimistic that their power will be restored by then. Right now, though, they and their animals and equipment are safe and warm.

We are lifting up grateful thoughts and hopeful thoughts for those who are without power. We are ever grateful, especially, for those who are part of the power company and public works teams working to restore power for people. I have never seen anything quite like this in my lifetime.

Stay warm and be careful out there!

Done With It!

After Saturday's snowfall, I'm done with winter.  I'm tired of grey days - grey skies, grey trees, grey-brown ground, grey weather.  I'm ready for some green.

I'm ready for flowers.  I'm ready for steadily warm days.

I know, I know.  We hardly had any real winter weather at all this year.  I think I only had frost on the windshield a few more than a hand-full of mornings.  But, I'm done with winter.  

I erased the Let it Snow message Sunday morning and began searching for inspiration to replace it.  I looked for something more spring-like.  

I liked the oval shape of this design and decided to do my best to replicate it so I could leave the sentiment up for a while.  So, this one isn't really all that springy but it is positive and that is something I really need to be reminded of these days, it seems.

For one of my other chalkboards, I decided to go all-out-spring.  I wanted it to be simple but I also wanted it to be seasonal.  I found this design online and decided to give it a spin.  I just rolled with a simple piece of white chalk and began to draw free-hand.  It suits me fine but I've decided that before the next time I start with my inspirations, I think I will get a yardstick or a ruler and do a bit of measuring and marking to be more precise.

With this one, I figured the cute little eggs at the bottom would be easy to erase and replace with some sketched tulips or daisies after we celebrate Easter and won't require a radical re-do for me.  So, two chalkboards springed up and one left to go!

I also dug around and found my little grapevine wreaths that have the pastel eggs attached and hung them on the back doors.  Of course, my pinecone garland is still swagged over the French doors coming into the kitchen.  So, right now I've got a bit of a mixed seasonal message, I guess.  I'll get there sometime this week even though the weather is predicted to still be a bit chilly.  Now that we have sprung forward with the time change, I'll have a bit of time in the afternoon to do some chores in the daylight and maybe I can transfer over to full-blown springtime decor!

Good Morning!

After a week where temperatures had reached the seventy-degree mark, this is what we woke up to this morning.

Happy Spring!

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.

When life gives you rain...

April has come and gone but it hasn't really measured up like past springtimes.  We are a bit dry around here.  So dry that there are large cracks in the dusty ground and in some places the grass is a bit crunchy.

It seems that everybody hasn't had the same weather pattern as us.  In fact, this past week our son and his family who live west of here by a couple of hours have had rain every afternoon.

Boy, has that been a good thing for their newly planted garden!

Boy, has that been a good thing for their newly established lawn!

Boy, has that been a good thing for this boy!

Just look at that face!  His dad sent me this photo along with the caption...

"When life gives you rain, stomp the puddles!"

Snow Day Photos

While we were out in the snow the other day, I had my camera and took some photos.

There was a little sprinkling of snow resting on top of the silo cable.

This galvanized tub was doing a good job of protecting this elevator motor from the elements.

Look how the snow clung to the planks on this fence section framing out the water trough.

This old fence post and the stack of bricks was a serene pastoral sight.

Mama's birdhouse and rose garden looks shivery.

The yard fence and gate was crusted with ice and snow.

The entire hillside looks blanketed in cold and more snow was falling!