Ragamuffin's Musings

Catching Up: During the last week I...

2012-02-05T16:18:00.002-06:00

met with my thesis committee: three thumbs up

wrote 5,782 words of my thesis

wrote about 21 pages of Creative Non-Fiction (some of that will make it here, I'm sure)

read one memoir (Another Bullshit Night in Suck City)

read one essay ("The Search for Marvin Gardens" by John McPhee)

read five peer produced essays

worked two days at school (in exchange for my tuition)

hauled 14 buckets of water

washed all seven buckets once

fed goats 28 cups of grain

threw hay daily

cleaned stalls daily

wore muck boots daily

planted more lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets, and some kale

started tomatoes and artichokes indoors

thinned the brocolli plants and watched the eggplant pop up

watered seedlings twice a day

did four loads of laundry

had dinner with my family

made a doctor's appointment

watched one documentary and one movie

researched chickens and got my order ready

washed all the rugs

worked on my niece's birthday present

cleaned the catbox and bundled the trash

swept and swept and swept some more

cooked dinner every night

filled bird feeders

dumped compost

watered plants

lived the good life!

Busting my Butt, Brocolli, and other Business

2012-01-29T19:05:00.003-06:00

Hey Ya'll, just thought I'd pop in an say HI. I've been busting my butt for three days now...I've got writing due tomorrow and my thesis committee meeting. I'm actually still not finished for the night, but I needed a break for a bit.

My mom stopped by with a package for when I needed a break....Dr. P, cherry sours, and a yummy magazine. I'm devouring the cherry sours, but I cannot drink Dr. P so late in the day...I have to get up early! I totally plan on a hot bath later with my magazine.

In gardening news, we have brocolli coming up like crazy, but no sign of those silly eggplants. Maybe it is a case of "the watched seed never sprouts." Who knows, but it is fun to watch how fast they grow.

Vintage Dahlia blocks

2012-01-27T21:09:00.002-06:00

Bought these lovelies (actually there are 20 of them) at an antique store. They are hand-pieced and hand-basted to white sugar sacks. Of course, my photos are crap. You know to expect that right? I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them just yet...I'm not thinking big quilt though...several of them say pillow to me. Not sure what these are saying...of course, I have zero spare time right now, but I am enjoying the "what if" process of thinking about these and all the possible things I could do with them.

Super Duper Day!

2012-01-20T20:40:00.005-06:00

Today was an amazing day....I don't know what made it so fantastic, but it was awesome. I ran errands and assembled my chicken brooder supplies, did chores like cleaning the barn, bought groceries, and turned compost, cruised my favorite antique mall and even got sawdusty in the garage. Super Duper Day!

I planned a shelf months and months ago. A simple shelf for the guest bath with cup hooks and antique tea cups dangling down. I had the lumber and I went out and found lonely little teacups and creamers. Then I found a pretty gravy boat to use for the soap dish and then.....I don't know what happened, but it became an item on my "dream" list. The long list of things I want to do, create, build, learn, etc, but that I never seem to get around to....well, today I got around to it!

After seeing a post at Post Road Vintage yesterday I was inspired and today I hit the garage late in the day. I built the shelf, painted it, distressed it, and hung it (and yes, I used a level to get it straight). The space is still blah, but now I have the skeleton to build on.

Trying so hard....

2012-01-19T20:16:00.002-06:00

...to be everything I want to be.

Today was the first day back to school and I am super excited about my class this semester; a creative non-fiction writing class....ironically it is the FIRST class I've been crazy excited about and it is my LAST class in the program.

I'm seriously excited to write creatively again....I've discovered over the past year and a half that I'm not a scholar. I love the research, but once I find some interesting "stuff" then I don't feel compelled to draw any conclusions or write some boring-ass paper about it. It has all become very tedious and sadly I have the most tedious, boring-ass scholarly paper to write yet; my thesis. Ugh.

I'm working hard to finish this degree, but only for the sake of finishing it because I started it and it just wouldn't be right to quit. Quitting would be disrespectful to my hubs who has supported me and to the school that gave me my tuition.

And really nothing is wrong with this scenario except that I discovered along the way that I was chasing a 20 year old dream. That old dream isn't just dormant but dead and new dreams have cropped up to take its place. As a friend of mine said, "Maybe the purpose of going back to school was to help you figure out what you DON'T want to do or be." And I think that is how I have to look at it.

But this class....I'm so hyped up about the possibilities of writing in ways that allow me to be me. I think the key here is that it is CREATIVE writing. And there is another 20 year old dream that maybe I've hinted at but never given a voice to....to be a writer. There, I've said it. I've always secretly wanted to be a writer....

Since I started on this degree I've felt stifled and cooped up and stagnant while working on the scholarly reading and writing. I've been more depressed (more deeply and for longer periods of time) during this whole experience. One of the things I've learned about myself is that I can't be truly happy just living a "life of the mind" kind of life. I have to DO, CREATE and NURTURE. Whether I've been outside working in the sunshine with my hands OR inside creating something with paint or fabric or junky treasures when I'm creating and doing is when I've felt most alive and happy.

I'm always chasing the happiness....

A Lovely Day

2012-01-13T20:42:00.002-06:00

Today was a little strange, plans changed in mid-morning and we shifted gears and went to work on our chicken coop after spending the morning at the local Junior Livestock goat show. When my mom called to see if I wanted to meet at the local antique mall for some browsing I was excited to change out of my muddy boots and goaty sweatshirt and do some looking.

I generally have rules about antique stores.... The big rule is that I can only spend cash (today I only had $20 in my wallet) and I usually have a couple of other things in mind. I had recently said I wanted an old, shabby kitchen scale, but hadn't really been looking for one. I saw this beauty and mulled it over for the whole of the rest of my browsing....just before we left I circled back and nabbed it. For a mere $15 it was mine AND I think it might actually work though I haven't checked it out.

I intend to put it in the kitchen, but the pictures from that locale looked like crap, so I moved it to my shabby table where the light was better and though it still isn't a great shot it is better and it makes me happy so that is all that matters. Right?

(Have I written about my vintage-look sign in the background? I had a great time doing it and would like to make some more!)

Too Cold to Work Outside!

2012-01-12T18:48:00.002-06:00

The hubs decided it was too cold to work outside and we both retired to our separate corners to do our own thing today. I spent the day piecing a scrappy log cabin variation. Fun stuff and just what I needed to feed my soul.

Gorgeous Days

2012-01-06T20:36:00.002-06:00

The weather has been spectacular here in Texas. Seriously beautiful. We've spent two days building a smaller barn to house bucks (boy goats) and today we worked on our raised beds. It really was warm enough for just a t-shirt and that lifts my spirits like nothing else.

Daydreaming about gardening and spending the day with the hubs works wonders too!

Riding the Raccoon

2011-12-31T19:56:00.002-06:00

The Muffin came to visit today and when we asked her if she wanted a ride she very solemnly said "uh-huh," so my mom pushed while I wielded the camera. The weather was Spring-like with temps in the 70s, sunny and windy. It was hard to reconcile the brown and gray landscape with the day itself, which seemed so like some other season.

I spent the rest of the day muddling around, a little of this and a little of that, feeling discombobulated and out of sorts....it ended with a bit of a meltdown after I found a whole stack of pics of Birdy and Japhy (who have both gone back to the earth). Almost in tears now just thinking about what great dogs they were and how much I miss them. What a wreck I am....

Happy New Year!

More Growing, Less Mowing

2011-12-30T17:42:00.003-06:00

When we moved here a year ago the yard was grass, weeds, and three ornamental trees (one of them diseased and deformed). It nearly killed me when Spring arrived and I had no beds to plant in, but I was just too busy to spend days and days digging out the sod and putting in edges.

Because of the drought we couldn't in good conscience water enough to keep the grass green and so turned off the sprinklers in June...since then we have had brown, dead grass and lately A LOT of dandelions. Now, that I have some breathing room (I just emailed my latest draft to my advisor today) I feel like I can devote whole days to digging and planning. Though we have a large garden for veggies around the corner, my thought is to create pretty and partially edible beds in the front yard. I think I will plant mint around this tree (a stupid ornamental pear) and this bed in front of the porch will have a twin on the other side. I'm kind of thinking some Salvia greggii in the back for height and to attract hummingbirds and butterflies and then as ground cover oregano and thyme. Of course, just this one bed is 16 feet long so, I will likely need more than oregano and thyme to fill it. I'm still in the thinking and dreaming stages, but I envision a beautiful, lush, and fragrant garden some day.

You are your Father's Daughter!

2011-12-29T18:15:00.004-06:00

Years and years ago, my dad built a contraption much like the one I "built" today (i'm using the term "built" very loosely, because I'm pretty sure strapping something down with a bungee isn't building). We kids called my Dad's contraption the Raccoon Mobile and even spray painted the name on the side. As I recall the big cousins gave the little ones rides in it as an alternative to wheelbarrow rides and those rides were always accompanied by a shout of "Burn rubber, Fozzy!" My Dad's Raccoon Mobile was a square galvanized thing instead of a round washtub, but otherwise it is the same vehicle. Though I vaguely remember pushing the thing around I don't really remember it being used, but I'm sure it was.

Lately my little red wheelbarrow has been in use as a tool transport between the attached garage and the big garage we are building and I just couldn't bring myself to unload all the tools only to have to re-load them for the next work day....just couldn't do it. I've been wanting my own Raccoon Mobile for awhile and in fact that old mower was kept just for that purpose....it just took the necessity for me to get out there and take the engine and blade off. A few minutes and one busted, bloody knuckle later I had my own RM and used it all day. I hauled my sod I was tearing out and my little cedar posty things I was putting in...besides a few rattly wheels I need to tighten it worked like a champ.

Something for nothing and useful to boot....gotta love that!

Note: I emailed my sister and asked if she remembered the Raccoon Mobile, this is her reply:

Is that a second generation raccoon mobile? Looks like a fun ride for M[uffin]. Burn rubber Fozzy!!!!

Coldframes: Salad in December!

2011-12-28T20:58:00.002-06:00

Several years ago we used some old windows to build two coldframes. When we moved, they moved with us, but just sat in the side yard looking forlorn for almost a year. This fall I put one of them to work again. I planted lettuce and spinach and plan to plant lettuce and spinach in the other one too so we will have a "continuous" harvest. The picture above is with the top open, but when it is closed the whole "roof" is window that allows it to work as a greenhouse. When I keep it closed the sun warms it and it holds it heat in the night. In other beds I also have beets and cilantro. Every few days I can harvest just enough greens for two salads for dinner.

As we are planning our garden for next year I am trying not to dwell on my past failures (of which there are many), but to celebrate my successes. Salad in December is definitely a success! And I have to say it is the BEST salad I've had in ages and ages.

Greeting from Owl Tree Farm

2011-12-26T11:28:00.004-06:00

Just popping in to say Hi...so, "Hi!" I hope everyone had a delightful holiday with their family. We spent Christmas eve at my sister's where the Muffin opened her prezzies and played and played....the grown-ups played a long game of Monopoly which quickly got confusing and complicated with players asking for and offering "immunity" on various properties.....too much for my brain to hold.

Yesterday was spent the day here, at home with my Mom. We had snacks, watched Stand By Me, worked on a puzzle and just generally enjoyed our day! Super duper....my kind of day.

Bet you can't guess what my present is......??? That is some super top-secret wrapping, yeah? I asked for new muck boots....

The sun is shining now and I'm going outside to enjoy it. Have a great day!

Sharing.

2011-12-23T20:32:00.002-06:00

Our little brown dog has come a long, long way to share her bed with a cat. The cat; however, likely misses his Japhy as the two grew up together and Graby doesn't know that dogs and cats are different.

Happy Solstice!

2011-12-22T19:53:00.001-06:00

Apples, too!

2011-12-21T19:18:00.002-06:00

Carrots!

2011-12-20T19:28:00.003-06:00

Hey there....I'm debating on whether or not I should attempt to catch you up or just jump right in as if no time has passed at all. I guess I can "nutshell" it and we can move on....

In a Nutshell: thought I would graduate in May....won't graduate until December of NEXT YEAR...have had to re-evaluate all my time-frames....have been depressed (even before the bad news)....feeling better now. How's that?

So, one of the up sides of this whole thing is that I have a little more breathing room during the Winter break. I have a few more paragraphs to revise before Jan. 1 and of course I have A LOT to read to fill some research gaps, but....I can slack off on the thesis a bit and FEED MY SOUL before I begin writing in earnest in January (the plan is to have the first draft finished by mid-April).

Today I spent most of the day in my sewing room....I just made things up as I went along and surprisingly everything went perfectly....no seams to rip, nothing too wonky to live with, no frustration, which was just what I needed.

The Muffin (my niece) is getting a play kitchen from xmas and I made her an apron, a hot pad, and some stuffed carrots and apples....I still need to make a hot mitt and finish up the apples tonight or tomorrow, but I can't even begin to describe how amazing it feels to create something in a day, to be able to show you a finished product, something I can hold in my hand and be proud of. Some of my issues with writing have to do with feeling like you aren't moving forward because there is (as of yet) no product....just digital files and I'm a tactile sort of girl.

One of my resolutions for the new year is to come here more often and I hope I can do that. I feel pretty disconnected from everything as there is only enough time to do the necessary chores and the school work. I hit the ground running every morning and I read until bedtime each night during the semester and while I'm kind of doing that now too the difference is that I can hit the ground running in the direction of something creative! See you soon.

Vaca Voo: Our Cranky Old Lady.

2011-12-18T20:54:00.002-06:00

Still here, still working, barely getting it all done. I'm feeling a little cranky....now I understand why our Vaca butts and bites ears. I feel like I could butt someone or nip an ear (though that kind of grosses me out!). I have one more thesis deadline to meet before year's end...then I'll get a couple of weeks "off"....

A FINISH...can you believe it?

2011-12-02T20:30:00.003-06:00

Finished, bound, and on the bed. You remember this one right? I won it in a blog giveaway. The piecer is unknown, but it is hand-pieced. It was a little wonky, but I sorted that out with a wide border and some strategic pulling and pinning. I hand quilted it....I should say Utility quilted it....big sloppy stitches.

It turned out so well....the white bits in between the flowers must not have been pre-washed because when I washed it the crinkle came out just a bit. I LOVE it and what's more....it is king-size and I finished it while meeting all my school deadlines.

As for school....it still stinks, but I have to finish one more paper (4 pages to go) go to one more class, revise my thesis prospectus, and work 10 hours next week then I am done until January. The spring semester will be my last...one class and my thesis and then I get to figure out the job thing....this is a source of intense anxiety and worry. I feel fretful just saying "job." Enough of that now....just a few more days and I can play a little during the break.

Therapy

2011-11-27T21:28:00.002-06:00

I've kind of hit a wall....you know the one that knocks you down on your rump and you just sit there stunned. I'm suffering from a case of the "I don't want to"s and even worse I just can't think. Even when I force myself to sit down at the computer, nothing comes out. I have a short 1 page thing to write for Tuesday and I have to present my research for my final paper in class that day too and I don't know if I can do either one. So, today I decided to stop fighting it and I went shopping with my mom and after I hit "publish post" I'm taking a shower and settling down for a while with what I have come to think of as my Therapy Blanket. I can crochet without thinking....

Thankful

2011-11-24T21:46:00.003-06:00

I've not checked in lately, just too busy, but all is well. I've written and submitted my 15 page prospectus (plan) for my thesis. After I get feedback on that I will begin the real writing.

I've been crocheting and quilting (and now I'm binding)...the creative stuff will have to wait because right now I need the methodical, mindless tasks...it works like therapy for me because I need to turn my head off and not think.

Today was a beautiful day....spent it with my Mom and my dog. Don't even try to convince me that diamonds are a girl's best friend....I beg to differ and will take a dog over diamonds any day. (And yes, I was driving while taking the picture.)

2,339 words

2011-11-04T17:48:00.002-05:00

The thought of writing 70 pages scares the crap out of me. So, I'm counting words....and word by word it will get written. It might stink when I'm done, but it will be finished.

Busy, Busy, Busy....as a Bee!

2011-11-02T19:50:00.003-05:00

I've been doing a little of this and a little of that and staying crazy busy and maybe someday I'll have time to really write again.....big news, I've started writing my thesis. Seriously, I wrote 600 whole words today and revised my outline. The ball is rolling. Only five more weeks of classes this semester, then a nice long break during which time I will be writing the other 6oo Gazillion words I will need to finish! Ugh....

Emily Dickenson's Coconut Cake

2011-10-27T17:07:00.002-05:00

Coconut Cake (sorry, no picture)

Yes, this is really (according to NPR) Emily Dickenson's recipe

1 cup coconut

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 t. soda

1 t. cream of tartar

I let the butter soften at room temperature.

Then, I literally dumped all the ingredients into a mixing bowl....none of that mix the dry together, then add this, then add that. DUMP IT ALL IN. It works.

Use the butter wrapper to butter your 9X13 pan (I used a glass "casserole" dish).

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This is lightly sweet...think, sweet cornbread. Using gluten-free flour and soymilk worked well. I would imagine that regular flour would make a slightly less crumbly cake, but the GF version was just fine.

Slowly but Surely

2011-10-24T19:57:00.002-05:00

I don't feel like I have time to write....it has been awhile since I felt like I have time...you know, just for me. I need to take a shower and read (for my thesis, not for fun), but I would love to tell you about the doings on the farm. I love being a farmer!

Ruby Roo: the snuggle-bunny

2011-10-22T17:09:00.002-05:00

(Floppy) FANNY: The Stinker

2011-10-17T19:57:00.000-05:00

I cried with joy

2011-10-09T09:36:00.002-05:00

This is the difference between yesterday and today....5 inches of rain overnight and we have a pond again (and I really did cry when I rounded the corner and saw all the water). Beautiful day!

Black Bean Burgers

2011-10-05T20:36:00.003-05:00

Black Bean Burgers

(the magazine says .67 per serving)

Now, you all know how I cook, so I'm going to give you the recipe as I originally found it and the way I really make it

The magazine ingredient list:

2 Tbsp. oil

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 15oz. can black beans

1 large eggs

1 Tbsp. cumin

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

salt and pepper

My ingredient list:

splash of oil in the skillet

onion, carrot, bell pepper and whatever else I can find

a couple of cups of black beans (I cook mine from dry)

1 large egg

cumin, I use the seed and grind it the mortar and pestle

garlic powder (or fresh if I'm not feeling lazy)

a few slices of gluten free (UDI's) bread, dried in the oven almost to crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. heat your skillet, and saute the veggies

3. mash beans in a separate bowl (I like some whole beans and some completely mashed)

4. Add veggies, egg, bread crumbs. Then cumin, garlic, salt and pepper.

5. Form into four patties and bake about 10 minutes per side. (on parchment works well)

6. Serve like a burger.

Two New Girls

2011-10-02T20:50:00.002-05:00

Still no rain....

2011-09-30T08:01:00.001-05:00

Pickle Love

2011-09-24T18:38:00.002-05:00

There is nothing I love more than wrecking the kitchen doing something I love....in this case making dill pickles from cucumbers I grew in my garden. I had two plants, one died, thought the other would never make it, nursed it for three months through the drought and it just started to produce some cucumbers. Because we love dill pickles so much I saved my cukes for a week so I would have enough to make a few jars. LOVE IT!

Gratitude and Contentment

2011-09-23T19:46:00.002-05:00

I've been staring at the blinking cursor trying to start this post for almost 10 minutes. For someone who always seems to have too many words, sometimes when something is "near and dear" to me I have a hard time articulating it.

My title is "Gratitude and Contentment," so maybe rather than striving for something eloquent I should just try to explain the title.

Sunday when we brought these two babies home was a long day. We were busy all day and dirty and tired at the end. We rolled out of bed that day and got to work. That morning we hung the barn door that would protect the that goats night, put a latch on the inner door, and scrambled to pick up and make ready one stall for them. We then went to meet M and her family (I don't use folks' names for privacy sake) and their herd of goats. We were impressed with the lovely family and the lovely herd. After a quick trip to the feed store for hay and such, we took home our two babies.

The first two days they were here I wasn't. School kept me away most of Monday and 13 hours on Tuesday. My hubs had the care of them and they bonded. Since he went to work Wednesday I've taken care of them myself and we have bonded too.

Despite getting up much earlier than I am accustomed to and working basically from sun-up to sun-down and beyond I feel amazingly great and well and healthy....for the first time in months I feel like "myself" again. I'm tired with just the kind of tired that comes from doing something you love. It isn't that bone-weary, hopeless, exhaustion that has haunted me, but a simple tired. I open the barn doors about 7:20 and I close the girls in about 7:20 and in between I take care of the house, the yard, the garden, the dog, the schoolwork, and myself.

Today, as I sat with them in the pasture (that is another story), they had exhausted themselves from two hours of browsing and plopped down to chew their cud and I marked the place in my book and just watched them awhile. I marveled at how content they were to just lie down in the shade and chew their cud, eyes half closed. And musing on how content they appeared, I realized that I felt pretty content too and it has been a long time since I felt that kind of calm happiness.

I mentioned that I was feeling well too and I don't know if the iron supplements are finally kicking in and I just feel better because of that OR if I'm finally starting to "live the dream" as it were.....because you know, I just want to be a farmer. Even though I'm still plugging away at my thesis and classwork it feels very pointless and useless when I compare it to the "work" I do here at home. So, maybe I'm just feeling more well because I'm doing the job I've wanted to do for awhile...I feel like I have a purpose again.

Now, here's the gratitude part....I once told my husband that I don't daydream much and I didn't for a long time. I guess somewhere along the line I just decided that dreaming about things that weren't going to happen was too much of a let down and I just stopped. But since we moved to Owl Tree Farm into our forever house, I've begun dreaming again and even though I know that many of the dreams won't ever happen some of them are becoming reality and I have my hubs to thank for that. The hubs is the kind of guy that makes things happen...he dreams it, plans it, and does it. He has allowed me to dream of being a farm-girl and has allowed me to BE a farm-girl. He encourages my gardening and my sewing and my BEING in ways that nourish my soul. I don't guess I've ever told him in quite that way, but he allows me to be me and encourages me to dream.

Farm Update: We have GOATS!

2011-09-19T20:45:00.002-05:00

Meet Ruby and Fanny....Ruby is the darker and about 5 months and Fanny is lighter and about 7 months. They are pure Nubians and can be bred and milked when they are older.

The Little Seed that Could and Did

2011-09-13T21:50:00.001-05:00

The only good thing...

2011-09-11T20:50:00.003-05:00

The only good thing about this day was this awesome dinner my mom brought me...blackeyed peas and potatoes, coleslaw, fried okra, fish, and asparagus, with spicy mexican cornbread.

Dinner was delicious, but the rest of the day....perfectly horrid.

Simple Squash Bake

2011-09-10T18:39:00.002-05:00

Even during this drought the good old yellow crookneck squash has been producing. In my boundless faith, I watered and watered and watered and finally I've been getting a few little veggies from the garden. I wouldn't say the squash was abundant, but it was almost more than we could eat, just the two of us. I found this recipe and immediately made it my own:

Simple Squash Bake

1. Drizzle the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Slice squash, tomatoes, onions (and this time I added some little bell peppers from the garden and thin slices of a baking potato) and layer them on an angle.

3. Drizzle the top with more olive oil.

4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme (fresh or dried).

5. Cover with foil and bake at 35o for 30 minutes.

6. UNcover, sprinkle with parmesan, and bake for another 30 minutes.

This is good as a side or over rice or quinoa.

Hope

2011-09-02T09:56:00.004-05:00

My garden has always been my soul food, my solace, the sacred keeper of my daydreams. It has always been a place of peace and solitude and escape, but we are in a new place and my garden is barely a garden. We moved here last November and slowly began claiming a square of earth for gardening and we've only just barely scratched out a tiny corner of what we dream it will be someday.

Despite the fact that the soil is bad, the space is limited, and the weather has been dreadfully hot and dry, I have kept my hope alive...even in the midst of a long list of past failures at growing various things I've maintained my hope and my faith that I can farm and garden like my Dad did. This summer has been brutal, but every other day I spent roughly two hours dragging hoses, connecting and reconnecting my soakers, and running water on a timer trying to be smart about it. I've never given up even when the native trees in the woods were dying and the grass crunched under my feet and the sweat rolled down my body and I was so tired that I thought I would drop.

Some days I thought I was wasting precious water and should just stop, but I simply could not. I would tell myself that to stop watering after all those past weeks would be a waste....a waste of water, of time and effort, but what I failed to say to myself in those moments was that giving up would have meant giving up my HOPE.

In the last few weeks, I've been rewarded for my efforts with yellow squash and cucumbers and tiny little bell peppers and basil plants that will yield several batches of pesto later this fall. Today, there was finally a bloom on my loofah vines and the Lantana we planted over Japhy J's grave is full of happy little flowers.

Hope is alive out there in my garden.

enough said...

2011-08-31T14:40:00.000-05:00

Peach Sangria Recipe, sort of....

2011-08-25T18:16:00.006-05:00

While on vacation I had a sangria that was AMAZING. Once home, I tried to recreate it and was pretty successful. Here's what I did:

1/4 cup of lemon juice

3/4 cup of sugar

2 peaches cubed

Put all of this in a saucepan, dissolve the sugar, bring it to a boil, and stir to bruise the peaches.

Pour this syrup in a pitcher then add a bottle of wine. I used Mad Housewife chardonnay because it fit my criteria of cool label and cheap price. Let it sit overnight in the fridge. The next evening you can pour it over ice, garnish, and enjoy. It was even better the night after that.....

I'm a Recovering Vegetarian

2011-08-24T17:21:00.003-05:00

Yes, those of you that know me read that right. After 25+ years of vegetarianism I have begun eating meat. Firstly, in my defense I'm just listening to my body. I started to crave meat out of the blue....the worst kinds of meat; beef jerky, sausage, pepperoni, salami, hamburgers. Just the thought would have me salivating. So, back in June I had one little bitty slice of bacon and as my Mom says, "Bacon is the gateway meat". I later found out I was severely anemic which might explain the cravings.

Now, I'm not even to the point of eating meat once a week, but I'm not repulsed by the thought anymore and am maybe even a little excited about learning to cook meat. I stopped eating meat before I learned to cook, so I feel like it is an adventure I'm embarking on. Of course, you know how picky I am....I've only bought and consumed organic, grass fed beef and organic bacon and I'm not quite ready to eat a chicken, 'cause I like them so much. I'm wanting barbeque, but will have to do it myself so I can use organic meat...that should be an adventure of epic proportions. I can't wait!

The pic is of our first ever bacon-weave....after the bacon was done we poured scrambled eggs with onion, red bell pepper, and spinach over it and made a "woven omelet". (and I've saved every bit of that bacon grease....milk gravy and biscuits, mmmm).

I feel so much better now that I'm officially "out" about my meat eating....someone is going to revoke my hippie-card soon!

Little Dish Rack Quilt

2011-08-17T15:08:00.002-05:00

Forever and always we have used this ugly green towel under the dish rack. When I deem it dirty and it isn't laundry day it gets replaced with a clean towel that is even uglier.....tan and raggedy. Awhile back I saw a great idea for a dish rack quilt in MaryJane's Farm magazine....and true to form I stored the idea away for another day. Though I used the magazine article for inspiration I didn't follow their directions except that I bought the recommended June Taylor polyester fusible batting.

I had the center star block pieced....you know one of those, "that's looks cool, I think I'll try it" things. So, I try it, make just the one block, and put it in a pile of lonely solo blocks. I decided to make it the center and then I just rummaged around for something that would work with it. Since the center star was American Jane I found some 2 1/2 strips of the same and a little rectangle that was just enough for the corner squares. The yellow was about an 1/8 of a yard from the "stash" and sadly, the binding is a lovely yellow with bird tracks on it....the bird tracks aren't really in keeping with the American Jane style, but being binding you really don't notice the tracks....had I not used that I would have had to purchase something and I'm really trying to bust the stash down a bit.

I did this in the "quilt as you go" style meaning I (sort of) fused the backing to the batting then sewing the top together right there in place. It was the perfect project for me today and met all my current criteria for sewing and crafting.....

1. Doable in a day

2. Pretty and Practical

3. Make from things I already own

Do-Over!

2011-08-10T09:54:00.002-05:00

I thought perhaps I could write away some of my frustrations over this DIY project and maybe work out what to do next. First, some background to let you know how invested I am in this.....

I'm 41, I've never had a headboard...you know, like a grown up. I've always had a queen mattress on a metal frame...you know, the cheapo frame that creaks and groans and threatens to dump you in the floor. Since we moved I've been looking for headboards....nothing inexpensive suited me perfectly and I'm simply too cheap to spend a gazillion dollars on the ones I deemed "perfect" (think Pottery Barn and almost $2,000).

I finally came up with a plan and we found some closet doors at a resale shop for $20. I cut them in half, mounted them like I wanted them, and proceeded to paint them with a two-step crackle finish....that failed to crackle....okay, it really failed to do much of anything....I'm deeming the cans defective, or maybe the paint was too old, but whatever it was it wasn't crackled or even really painted. Major malfunction.

So, yesterday I spent a couple hours in the garage (think 100 degrees and stuffy) with sandpaper. I couldn't use the power sander because I had to do each little slat individually, by hand.....I put a little wall paint on the left most panel just to see what it would look like and how it was going to take paint and so forth...I brought it in to take the pic and leaning against the wall it is obvious that I need a contrasting paint, but I want all neutrals....I don't want something that is going to dictate the bedding colors, I want something that will allow me to change the bedding on a whim. Wait, what I really want is for the damn project to be finished!

I guess I'm making a run to Lowe's for paint today....

Needles, Novels, and Nonsense

2011-08-07T19:43:00.002-05:00

Hot and tired and still a little sad, I've been staying indoors quilting, reading, and crocheting while watching "I Love Lucy". School starts in two weeks and I've not accomplished nearly what I wanted to....I had big plans for this summer, not only what I was going to get done here at home, but the things I really needed to do to prepare for writing my thesis. I'm actually feeling a little stressed and that shouldn't be happening since it is summer break, but I do feel just the tiniest bit anxious.

Almost Gone

2011-08-05T08:26:00.005-05:00

I can't even really express the sadness I feel when I walk our property....the pond is almost gone, the fish are all dead, the turtles evacuated themselves, the trees are dying, and the birds, rabbits, and squirrels are all sharing the bird feeders for food.

Saying Goodbye

2011-07-27T10:59:00.003-05:00

My Japhy J died on Tuesday and I need some time to grieve. This is the last pic I took of him just a few weeks back.

I'm sobbing as I write this.....don't ever let anyone say "it was just a dog"....Love is love, and grief is grief and it feels the same whether it is for an human or an animal.

Back to the Grind

2011-07-25T09:01:00.003-05:00

Our climbing vacation left me tired and sore, but we have been back at the barn building for the last two days.

I'm weary with fatigue, but so very proud of our progress.

Climbing, Covered Bridges, and the Constitution

2011-07-23T15:33:00.002-05:00

By now you are used to my longish absences, but in keeping with the idea of this blog as a journal of sorts I like to recap what's been going on in the interim since my last post.

Last post the barn was framed and we were working early mornings until lunchtime in the TX heat trying to get as far as we could while the in-laws were here to help. The hubs had a fortuitously long vacation this time (18 days) and we planned a rock climbing trip right in the middle. On the same morning the in-laws left we headed to the airport for an early flight to Boston. I won't recount the details except to say that a cancellation made us leave earlier and arrive later. Poo! Once in Boston, we picked up a rental car and drove to North Conway, NH where it was 20 degrees cooler than TX.

We spent two days there climbing. We had decided rather than fumble around (and buy all new gear to replace our old stuff) we would hire a guide. This turned out to be an excellent decision as it allowed us to just enjoy the climbing and the views without making any decisions. This was key for me as I've decided that I need to stop trying to control the universe and just go with the flow. The climbing kicked my butt, but I loved every minute of it. The hubs and I recounted old times, telling stories of our climbing adventures as we had both done the bulk of our climbing before we met.

On the last day we took a scenic drive back to Boston and with a couple of hours to kill yet, took a tour of the U.S.S. Constitution. I was most impressed that we were allowed to go below decks as I had expected a lame tour of the upper deck only. Very impressive.

Wherein it begins to look like a barn....

2011-07-13T17:12:00.003-05:00

Days are long and hot, but today it began to look like a barn. I know you might not be interested, but this is what I'm doing right now....

Sewing all Day...Finishing!

2011-07-08T19:05:00.003-05:00

These are the two things I FINISHED today....ie. they were in the works and I just picked them up and finished them. The in-laws arrive tomorrow, so little sewing will happen for the next week or so. Hopefully, I'll have time to pop in and say "Hi" now and again. If not, stay cool and sew fast.

Bewick's Wren Babies!

2011-07-07T20:28:00.002-05:00

These little guys hatched maybe a week ago....I'm not really sure. I try not to bother them, but they are on the back porch and we use that door for a lot of ins and outs. Today, I couldn't help but scoot over and look when I saw this little guy hanging out. I suspect their little nest/cave is crazy hot since it was 104 today at 7pm. Now, at 8:30 it is still 99 degrees and muggy. I can't imagine being in the nest in a pile with two or three other babies.

Frugal DIY: Using leftovers

2011-07-06T11:27:00.002-05:00

Whew, I love a frugal project. After completing yesterday's Budget Closet Curtain. I went back to working on the guest bath makeover. The guest bath is my least favorite room in the house. Long and skinny, the sink, toilet, and shower are all jammed at one end and the vanity is long. It totally could have been spread out more. It has the feel of a hotel bathroom....you know the toilet and tub are just inches apart! Yuck! Couple that with the brown on brown on brown on brown color scheme she had going and I HATED it.

Since I can't do anything about the arrangement of the fixtures I decided to tackle the things I could. First up, paint. The walls were a brown reminiscent of the Legg's Egg pantyhose color "suntan"....kind of pinkish brown. HORRIFYING! I painted it creme....the same creme as the rest of the house. The fixtures are all white, the towels are white, the shower curtain is white, and I'm working on a wall hanging that will be muted shades of rose, mauve, and yellow (sounds ugly, but I promise it isn't) so, the screaming bright curtain hooks had to go, but I'm on a budget and I didn't want to spend precious dollars on new hooks when the old ones were perfectly good.

I thought it over and eventually lit on the idea of covering them with a yo-yo like cover using the leftover painter's drop cloth. Within an hour, "Voila", new shabby chic-ish hooks.

Total price: hmmm, free? (since I used leftovers and buttons from my husband's "retired" uniform shirts) and about an hour of my time (which I enjoyed thoroughly).

Budget Closet Curtain

2011-07-05T15:49:00.003-05:00

Now, ya'll probably know I'm frugal and I suspect you know about my aversion to clutter (I get that from my mom) and you might even remember that I hate exercises in futility. Well, let's talk about the guest room. When we moved in we didn't unpack the guest room or the sewing room. The guest room became the receptacle for all things we did not know what to do with. Then the guest room was needed and I was in the middle of a semester with no time to do it right. All the shit was moved next door to the sewing making mountains of boxes. When the guest room was no longer needed the shit went back. Then it was needed again and I moved all the shit back to my sewing room. Then, when it was no longer needed I moved it's own shit AND my entire sewing room in there. I wanted to work on the sewing room without the mountains of boxes and I wanted to make good decisions about where things should live so, that I could make the best of my small space. I've been working on the sewing room, but even so until a few days ago you couldn't see the guest bed for all the things that I had not yet found a home for, but the in-laws are in route and I have to get that room ready for use.

I was so very frustrated with the futility of moving boxes back and forth that I just decided that I was going to get it done. Of course, this required that I wreck my sewing room with all the homeless shit again, but I guess I'll deal with that later. I've been working on getting the guest room sorted and cleaned; which brings me to my "budget closet curtain". It had to be cheap, hide the clutter, and prevent the moving of anymore shit from room to room.

This house was "move in ready", except that two closets were without doors and the openings were HUGE. Seriously, huge. In the sewing room, we built in a desk to the closet...problem solved and no door needed. In the guest room, we needed to cover it. The doors will likely have to be custom; which in my mind means expensive. Couple the expense with the lack of time and energy we have right now and I needed a solution. Thanks to Mary Jane's Farm mag for the suggestion for using painter's drop cloths for fabric. I bought two 6 feet by 9 feet cloths for under 20 bucks: it works out to just over $3.00 a yard for 72 inches wide. Now, if you are into perfection forget I mentioned it. But if you, like me, frequently work under the guidelines of "Good Enough" then these are awesome. Two sides are hemmed, two sides are selvedge. Each cloth was two pieces sewed together in roughly the middle....now, here's where your perfectionism might hold you back, one seam was vertical and one horizontal. Me, I don't care at all and really it isn't that noticeable and really, it is a guest room....So, I deem it "Good Enough for Guests",

Grand Total: $33 and less than an hour.

Where I've Been and What I've Been Up To

2011-07-04T20:44:00.002-05:00

I've mostly been too busy and then too tired to post, but I'm feeling a list coming on....yep, a list....here it comes.

What I've been doing for the last week:

Running errands

Grocery shopping

Watching birds

Taking dogs to the vet

Researching for my thesis

Visiting the TCU library

Shopping for shower curtain makings

Making shower curtains

Digging holes

Buying lumber

Picking out metal siding for the barn

Setting posts for the barn

Eating dinner at Mom's

Playing with my niece

Doing five loads of laundry

Mowing on the tractor

Pushing the little mower

Dragging hoses

Pulling weeds

Feeding Birds

Eating a hamburger after 25 years of being a vegetarian

Cleaning the guest room

Painting the guest bath

Watching "Day of the Triffids"

Sewing, the tiniest bit

Reading

....Hopefully, I'll be better rested soon.

Wonky Dresden Plates

2011-06-27T15:20:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Mom and I had a sewing day. I was determined to make some progress on the Dresden Plates. The prototype (the pic I posted a week or so ago) had gone together with no issues and laid pretty flat. I suspect that made me a little over confident. After cutting about 300 wedges and sewing the ends shut to make the point, I made one: wonky. I made another, being more careful: still a little wonky. I made a third, being even more careful: nice and flat.

This afternoon: wonky! I don't want to feel frustrated so I've moved on to other things, but JEEZ! I need 11 more of these and I don't know if I can stand the disappointment and frustration of piecing them.

Still building the barn

2011-06-25T18:59:00.003-05:00

Finally it is looking like something is happening out there. For the last few weeks, it just felt like we were moving dirt around, but today we put in 10 posts (which is half). Mom came over to help and all I have to say is that she is a Rock Star! I can always count on Mom to help with the dirty, hot crap jobs. Actually, besides the hubs, Mom is the only one I can count on for these sorts of things. I'm feeling more melancholy than usual, so I'll stop there before I muse anymore on family and friends and relationships and loneliness and all that other baggage that weighs me down.

building the barn

2011-06-22T20:02:00.002-05:00

Today we started the actual physical labor to build the barn. Up to now we've hired a bulldozer man to level it and we've marked the corners and pulled strings to get it square and all that boring stuff. Today we rented three different sizes of augers. There were six different "Danger, you might get mangled" stickers on it in various places. This one was my favorite, "Danger, you might lose all your bones and twist around this driveline like a wet noodle" ??? Scary, huh?

Tablerunner: A Finish

2011-06-21T21:09:00.003-05:00

When I took this pic I still had to bind this runner, but I wanted to get a picture before the sun went down. Since then I've finished it and it is already adorning our big, long, dark, empty table.

This was a "quilt as you go" sort of thing, but I didn't use a pattern or anything. I just made it up as I went along....anyone surprised? I seem to do some of my best work with I'm just winging it. I'm mostly excited because it is finished.

Tomorrow, we are going to start work on our barn...not sure how much energy will be left for sewing, photos, blogging, cooking, etc....If you don't hear from me for awhile it is because I'm too pooped to pop.

Naughty....

2011-06-20T21:10:00.003-05:00

Most "girls" would not allow power tools to make a mess in their house. I, however, invite them in and give them a glass of tea. I even invited Mr. Old School Saw. The hubs would not have allowed them in the house, but would have made them stay in the garage. They made a pretty big mess, but it was mopping day anyway so, what's a little sawdust? And if you are wondering what I'm doing....I was turning an 8 foot plank table into two tables...I'll show you where they ended up later. It's too dark for pics.

Are you sick of this project yet?

2011-06-19T20:27:00.004-05:00

If you aren't sick of it yet, I surely am! Today, I was in a funk. Nothing looked right and I ran out of paint again and it was 104 and crazy windy and I was grumpy and disappointed and frustrated.

Finally, I think the painting is done, now that I've single-handedly destroyed the ozone over Hood county, TX (or have they debunked that too?). And I bought some plants to pot and I made a fun little succulent garden in an old galvanized thing (I don't know what it was supposed to be, we used if for dog water). There is still work to do, but I can see that maybe it will be as cute as I envisioned and if it isn't, well, so what? I'm sure I'l get over it and move on. I always do.

Watching Paint Dry...

2011-06-18T20:32:00.002-05:00

I came home today after a lovely day of birthday shopping with my mom and put the glider together. Then I finished the white part of the paint in hopes of finishing the other chairs and table tomorrow. I would love to do some inside jobs, but the ball is rolling on the project and I'm excited about it.

Even though it is hot and steamy here I have visions of sitting on my cute little porch, watching the birds, enjoying the tinkle of my fountain (I'll reveal that later) and sipping an agave lemonade on my lovely yellow glider.

We have a great front porch AND a back porch and we never take a meal there or just sit and enjoy the breeze. Why does it seem that things are always rush, rush, rush even when you have no place to go, no deadlines to meet, and no real pressing business? When this porch is finished I vow to spend some time on it, just sitting. JUST.

A new nest: Bewick's Wren

2011-06-18T09:05:00.003-05:00

The porch birds flew a week ago, about the time I discovered a nest in a pot plant on the back porch. I watched closely and finally identified her as a Bewick's wren. She laid 4 eggs in her little nest-cave and for the past two days she has been sitting on her nest. I love living in the country!!

Off to "shop hop"...

Huffing all day...I think I'm losing brain cells!

2011-06-17T14:11:00.002-05:00

I've come in for the day, but I managed to get the glider finished. It can be assembled tomorrow when the paint is dry. I did the arms of all the rest of the furniture but can't tape it off for something like 9 hours; which means tomorrow. Slowly but surely it is getting done and while I would love to finish it today, I sure was glad to have an excuse to come inside. Seems extra hot out there today.

Birthday Wishes....

2011-06-16T18:27:00.003-05:00

For my birthday, I asked for help, both physical and financial, in doing a front porch makeover. One of the high priority things on the list was this old glider. It belonged to my Granny and Papa and I have very fond memories of swinging on the patio at their house with my cousins. Sadly, it was showing its age. The lime green paint was peeling, the white arms and base were rusting to the point that the bottom bar rusted through and the seats would collapse to the ground if you sat on it. This morning we tackled it and my hubs built a whole new support base for it when we discovered the old one couldn't be repaired. We then sanded it almost down to bare metal and primed it. In the picture above the seats are primed and the arms are painted.

I have three other chairs and a table and before we started this porch makeover they were lime green, pale blue, and a dark (oppressive) green. U.G.L.Y. The new color scheme is yellow and red with white arms....the glider will be yellow. I'll be working on the painting and the porch to in the coming days and will hopefully get to reveal the finished porch soon complete with fountain, fish, and plants and my lovely "new" chairs. See you soon!

Homesteading Chores

2011-06-15T17:52:00.005-05:00

I spent the morning mowing on the tractor just trying to keep the briars from taking over the world. I also mowed some things I call "Triffids" and started to mow the big front pasture, but the poor little tractor got hot and tired and we stopped early. While I was doing that the Hubs was cutting pipe and prepping it to make H posts for the new pasture fence. I tried my hand at welding, but found it a little frustrating because I couldn't really see what I was doing. I realize that the whole point of the hood is to protect your eyes, but I was damn near blind. The Hubs said the above weld was a "good one", but they all looked pretty crappy to me. Anywho, I tried it and I'm really proud of my Hubs for tackling hot, yucky jobs. We saved ourselves about $250-275 by buying pipe and making the posts ourselves. We talked about how crafty we were and how our crafts complimented each other.

I love being self-sufficient and frugal and awesome!

Dresden Plate: Take 2

2011-06-14T17:29:00.002-05:00

I didn't much care for the machine applique on the curves mostly because they were raw edges and they looked unfinished. I decided to try this, what I'm calling the necktie version, because the points are turned. It looks much better. One down and 15 more to go!

Off to wash the dogs...s

A Finish and a Start

2011-06-14T12:58:00.003-05:00

Mom and I officially started our 2011 Shop Hop, but before I did anything I made myself finish the wall hanging I made for my sewing room. That weird bit at the top is the sleeve for hanging and eventually a rod will replace the three thumbtacks that are holding it now. Anyone want to lay bets on how long it stays thumbtacked?

For this year's "shop hop" quilt I thought I was going to do a Dresden plate, then for two days I mulled it over, waffled, waffled again, and finally decided to just try the pattern. What you see in the picture is just pinned to the background, but I'm in a quandary as to how to applique' it. Usually, I do fusible, but that just seems like a waste of fusible and a recipe for not getting it smooth since you would have to cut the fusible after your have pieced the plate....or at least that is what I'm thinking. I've never attempted needle-turn and I don't much like the idea of this project dragging on and on while I try to master something new AND do the hand work at a snail's pace. I'm sort of thinking I will attempt to machine applique it, but am worried that I won't get it secured enough to prevent shifting and puckering....Ai Yi Yi. I think I will tackle it today, so I'll keep you posted.

Snow cones are for grownups too!

2011-06-12T21:36:00.002-05:00

While this undoubtedly is an unflattering picture of me it is the only evidence of my partaking of a blue coconut snow cone today. I could defend my looks by telling you about my trip to Tractor Supply to buying fencing and driving the big red farm truck which doesn't have air conditioning on this 100 degree day, but really...I don't give a hoot how I look except that I look happy!

HAPPY! And I'm happy to report that unlike other food memories from childhood wherein the real thing falls short of the memory, the blue coconut snow cone tastes EXACTLY the same as I remember. The only way it could have been better is if it had actually come on a white paper cone instead of in a styrofoam cup.

If you are in need of a snow cone and live in Granbury go to Paradise Ice (between Whataburger and Long John Silver's) besides being yummy, they have a drive through window, and the little girl that popped her head out the window and said, "Welcome, to Paradise" was cute as a button!

Shop Hop 2011: Day One

2011-06-11T18:42:00.003-05:00

Today Mom and I hit the road with four stops in mind. Two quilt shops, a flea market, and an antique mall. We headed south to Clifton, TX to visit the Quilting Cousins quilt shop....a small shop with a very decent selection considering the size. The ladies were very friendly and talkative and the resident cat was snuggly and cute. I would happily visit again because it was a nice shop, but it is not a shop that will become a destination (think Creations in Kerrville, TX). I'm certainly not saying that to in any way demean their shop, but living near Fort Worth we have other shops that can fill our needs that are much closer to home, but the point of our "shop hops" are to spend the day together, explore some different shops and towns, and ultimately create a quilt.

Next stop, Chickenhouse Flea market, between Dublin and Stephenville. This was my second visit and I would say that overall it is about a 2 star set up. There are a few booths that have interesting stuff, the others are bedraggled, garage sale quality "stuff" (and I'm being nice using the word "stuff"). I don't remember it being so very dirty the first time we went. Last summer when the hubs and I went I came home with a very nice (new, I might add) straw hat and a watermelon. This time there was not a lot to tempt me.

Third stop, lunch, Cotton Patch, filled the void, enough said.

Fourth stop, The Flying Needle quilt shop in Stephenville, TX. We visited this shop in 2009 and I found it much the same, but with a funky smell this time.....like maybe the roof leaked and the carpet was mildewy or something. Nice enough folks, but their chatting didn't stop quite quick enough when we brought our fabric to the cutting table. Just saying....

Fifth stop, an antique mall on the outskirts of Stephenville and right on the way home. I don't think I had ever been there before and found it very nice, very neat, but felt like maybe they were a little proud of their antiques. That is not to say that there weren't things that I could both afford and thought were worth the price, but several things I picked up were (I thought) ridiculously over-priced, but hey, what do I know. If I like it I buy it and the whole "what's it worth" debate is sort of moot when you buy what you like, instead of collecting things for their current and potential worth.

Well now, re-reading this post I sound a bit negative, but I'm not one to mince words and I tell it like I see it. I don't regret the time I spent in each place and it was great to spend the whole day with my mom. I bought eight fat quarters or quarter yards in 30s reproduction prints and while the jury is still out, I think I will be making a Dresden Plate. We will see.

Almost....

2011-06-10T21:12:00.002-05:00

This is close-ish detail of my sad machine quilting. Since this is a wall hanging that I made specifically for my sewing room I thought I would expedite things by practicing my machine quilting....it isn't heinous, but it isn't perfect either. Acceptable. I thought I would finish it tonight and though every thing is cut and ready to go for the binding and the sleeve I think I'll take a shower and read a bit before I go to bed.

Tomorrow, Mom and I are heading out for Day One of our Summer 2011 Shop Hop. My personal rules are one yard only at each shop, preferably in quarters, fat or otherwise. I'm hoping for stash building in the 30s and Civil War fabrics, but since I never met a fabric I didn't like I won't be bothered if a shop doesn't carry either. Not a problem, really.

A Finish! Woo Hoo!

2011-06-09T19:07:00.003-05:00

Finally another finish. I've been absent lately because there have been birds to watch, gardens to water, dump truck loads of dirt to move, mulch to unload, bulldozers to watch, anniversaries to celebrate, houses to clean, walks to take,....you get the picture. But I have been quilting too.

This is the fabric I bought on our 2009 Shop Hop, mostly "Nest" by Tula Pink because I loved the one piece that is birds drawn out of sticks....love it! The back is "Nest" also....white with blue bird footprints, and teal with black footprints....love that too! Anywho, I bought the fabric in 2009, without a plan. Then last summer I went for fast and easy and did a big snowball. I started quilting it in the late summer (just before the semester started) and made quite a bit of progress, but then I got busy with school, and we moved, and so on and so on. For the last 6 months or so it has just sat in the frame....it sat so long it gathered dust, but after three partial days of quilting and countless episodes of M.A.S.H. it is done!

Bird Watch Part II

2011-06-08T18:03:00.003-05:00

Bird Watch

2011-06-02T20:07:00.002-05:00

Love/Hate Relationship

2011-05-31T19:17:00.002-05:00

So, my 1989 RX-7 convertible....I love it, I hate it. Ever since I had an opinion about cars I thought convertibles were the coolest things ever and I wanted one. Back in the day I could only afford a Suzuki Samarai, which is like a Jeep wannabe, and that was as close to a convert as I could get. Fast forward twenty years: I married a "car guy" who loved RX-7s. He had two hardtops when we married and then his dad bought this convertible and just held onto it for us until we sold one of ours and bought it from him.

I was in heaven....finally a convertible, sporty and fun, but not too fast and it's been reliable until the last six months. Back in the fall I had to call AAA for a jump. I was an hour from home and the jump was the best option, but that was a nerve-wracking drive home because I knew if I stalled it I would be stranded again because it wasn't going to start without another jump. The Hubs worked on it and we were going strong for another six months or so.

Then two weeks ago, the same thing happened and I called AAA, got towed home this time because it wouldn't jump. The Hubs worked on it again and thought it was fixed. So, I decided to drive it to my mom's last night for dinner. The sun was low in the sky and the breeze was cool and I was looking forward to the drive home at dusk.

As I left mom's I said, "hope my car starts". I get in, turn the key, NOTHING! I just burst out laughing. Seriously, it is like I have a jinx on me or something because batteries seem to drain in my presence (but that is another story). I tried all the things I knew to try and nothing worked. I called the hubs and he told me to turn the key on and then jiggle the battery cables and voila' I got power. I started it and drove off enjoying the evening drive.

About three miles from home I made a turn and felt the power steering go, I coasted to the side of the road just shaking my head. Of course, it wasn't so very funny now since it was almost dark and I was stranded on the side of a very dark, back road in shorts, a tank, and flip flops. This is like a horror movie set up right?

I figured I would just repeat what I had just done at Mom's, but that didn't work. So, I call her first to get a ride to the house for the truck then call the hubs for instructions on how to tow the stupid thing myself, because I wasn't calling AAA again. No one quite got why I didn't want to call AAA again. I will admit that it would have been easier and maybe faster, maybe, but I had two reasons why I didn't want to call AAA. Firstly, since I've been married I've become a fuckin' wuss....seriously. So, I really just wanted to be self-sufficient and take care of it myself. Towing a car is not beyond my skills. Secondly, it was getting dark and I did not want some skanky-ass tow truck driver taking me and my dead car home to a dark house in the middle of the boondocks and leaving with the knowledge that there was a woman alone way out in the country with a dead car and no husband in sight. Again, with the horror movie scenario, or maybe I just read too many scary books, but have you ever seen a tow truck driver?

So, we get the truck and the tow strap and a flashlight, get it hooked up and by now it is full dark. We are three miles from home and we travel at about three miles an hour, but we got home without incident. I can't help but laugh when I think of the sight of us crawling along at 3 mph, with me waving a mag light flashlight out my open top because I didn't have any lights. I had visions of that "you might be a redneck if" email that goes around periodically with the photo of the truck with a flashlight duct taped where the headlight should be....jeez, I'm not too far from that redneck designation as evidenced by the waving flashlight and the use of the lawnmower to weight the tarp down once we got it home. If the thing stays DOA in the driveway, canted at the funny angle, with the tarp/lawnmower arrangement for too long my redneck status will be cemented.

Suffice it to say I have no intentions of driving anywhere until the Hubs comes home and I can drive the reliable car....or the car I haven't killed yet.

Yesterday's Project

2011-05-25T16:13:00.002-05:00

This is what I worked on yesterday. Since you all know I'm a stinky photographer I won't even apologize for the crappy photo, but hopefully after I quilt it I can get a better one.

I have decided that anything new that I start this summer has to fit two criteria. 1. It has to have a point and a purpose (ie. this wall hanging was chosen and created specifically to hang in this space in my sewing room). 2. It has to be do-able this summer.

I'm making two exceptions: The Elizabeth Crockett Quilt and the Farmer's Wife....I intend for those to be WIPs in the upcoming months. There is no way I could finish either in just a couple of months. Other than those two quilts, everything else either has to be a "finish" or do-able. I can't handle the burden of my UFOs anymore! With that said, I haven't taken a single stitch today and it is already 4pm and I still need to make a trip to the grocery store. BLECK!

More Decorating

2011-05-24T20:02:00.002-05:00

Last week, the hubs and I drove our farm truck to the city and bought a new dining room table, Mission style. Then we went to the antique mall and bought four antique chairs in the Barley Twist style. I had one odd Barley Twist chair and so was very excited to find four more and believe it or not the antique chairs were only about $74 each, while the new chairs that matched the table were $129 each. Silly! I headed out the next day to the quilt shop and bought red cotton canvas and Voila', lovely new chairs!

I did some more work on my sewing room and unpacked a few more boxes....I'll be ready for a "reveal" soon. I spent the afternoon piecing a wall hanging for the sewing room. I'll show you that tomorrow. Who knows, I might stay up late and quilt the darn thing....I feel like I'm on a roll and I don't want to lose my momentum!

Project NO UFO: "finish" #2

2011-05-23T14:12:00.003-05:00

Since yesterday, about this time (2pm) I've finished putting together three tops. The blocks were all sewn together, but there they sat screaming "UFO, UFO, UFO". That black and yellow one has been in the works for years. I do mean years, something like 10 years to be exact. I so loathe the sight of it and it is a mystery why I, who hates yellow and black together, chose that color combo. Since I have nothing appropriate to back it with it is going into the Project Linus donation bag immediately and I hope to never see it again. The little blue and yellow one is also being considered for donation, but I do have something that might work for a back for it, so perhaps I'll tack it and donate it finished or maybe use it as a practice quilt for quilting on my machine....I'm certainly not going to hand quilt it. It needs to be finished sooner than that!

The patchwork with the pink sashing is MINE! It makes me happy to look at it and I pieced those blocks while house-bound during last winter's many snow/ice days. I was working on my grad school "stuff" and was plenty busy, but finally cracked and broke out some sewing. I pieced all of one day and a little the next, but then I had to get back to work. They've only been sitting a few months, but they were starting to whisper "ufo, ufo, ufo."

The burden is starting to lift....still haven't made that list yet, and maybe I won't. This "walk in and work" technique seems to be working, so I'll try to keep it up.

Project NO UFO: Finish #1

2011-05-22T16:39:00.002-05:00

I'm on a mission to finish UFOs this summer. I'm pretty sure I said that last summer. I'm not going to vow not to start something new, but I'm going to plug away at "the finishing". I would love to start the fall semester with a few WIP projects that I can pick up and put down, but be unburdened of the ones that I'm not absolutely in love with and excited about. I'm headed back to my sewing room and I might make a list, but it might just be healthier for me to tackle them one at a time without knowing how many there really are....oh yeah, you would be right in identifying this as Bunny Hill's Tisket Tasket minus eight blocks.....I had five done, threw out the one I didn't like so well, filed the pattern, made the wall hanging, FINISHED (and yes, I know that is cheating).

Too Tired for Words

2011-05-17T19:58:00.000-05:00

happiness is a blue chicken

2011-05-14T20:19:00.005-05:00

Long ago before I was married, before I was tired, before I was so very frugal, before I had developed a conscience about where my things came from, just before....

my Mom and I would shop together at antique stores and regular retail establishments. At the time I was collecting Fiesta ware, Statue of Liberty "stuff", and PEZ dispensers. The best shopping trips were the ones in which we went on a treasure hunt bound by rules and regulations that made it a game. For instance, you can only buy Fiesta today and you can't spend more than $20.

Lately, the only shopping Mom and I seem to do is for groceries, dog food, and maybe a quick stop at the local Joann fabrics. Quite frankly I've begun to dread the grocery store and Costco...I'm just feeling too tired to shop most days and it just isn't fun. So, today Mom and I decided to shop like in the old days...no errands, just fun. I had recently sold a quilting frame and I had cash in my pocket....cash that was mine, not money I had to ask my husband for, and I wanted to be frivolous and silly. I needed a treasure hunt. We hit Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, and two antique stores. I didn't make any purchases in either PB or Anthropologie (but I stole some ideas that hopefully I will remember later). At the antique mall I decided I was looking for a chicken to keep my brown chicken company and odd teacups (for another project I'm working on). It was a lot of fun and I was successful on this treasure hunt...that isn't always the case, but today I had good luck. The blue chicken was a definite score...since acquiring my little brown chicken (which I think belonged to my great grandmother) I've been looking at those chicken dishes and I had never seen a blue one before...since our kitchen is blue I knew that little girl was "the one"!

Hooray for blue chickens!

Decorating: the Den

2011-05-13T21:02:00.002-05:00

I been finished with school for the summer for one week. I've read five books or so and begun pulling the house together....mostly this means cleaning, but I'm also doing some decorating and sewing too.

When I feel like I might burst....

2011-05-01T18:23:00.005-05:00

The last few days I've worked HARD and frequently I get overwhelmed and discombobulated, and when I just can't think anymore I go to the sink and get a drink of water.

Every time I see this little geranium who is just about to bust open, I remind myself that IF I do burst open it will only be to let the flower inside come out!

5 more days, 1 paper to present, 1 exam to complete, 5 more pages to write....almost there!

buried in books

2011-04-28T20:50:00.004-05:00

Nine more days....12 more pages to write, one more paper to present, one exam to take, and then I'm going to going to take a break from my words for awhile...just a few days away from words and the computer...I need sunshine, dirt, stitching, music and then when my break is over I'm going to read. for. PLEASURE. I cannot wait for that.....nine more days. See you then!

the siren song of the soil

2011-04-18T19:15:00.003-05:00

It is hard to get any inside work done when the sunshine and soil are calling my name. We rented a tiller for the new-old tractor, tilled up the CLAY!..gack! and then did some reading on amending the soil.

Today, the hubs built the raised bed frames and we placed those today. Then while I sadly went back inside to read some more he added two bags of compost (we haven't generated any yet at the new place) and two bags of sand (to offset the clay) to just one of the 4X8 beds.

The hubs did lots of hard work, so why am I so tired? 18 more days until the end of the semester.

Good times on the new-old tractor!

2011-04-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

feeling frazzled

2011-04-13T22:03:00.003-05:00

Last count: 27 library books for 4 different projects and only 23 more days in which to finish the various projects....now ask me if I've actually started any of them.....you know the answer, right?

Actually, if you count the formulating of a kernel of an idea and researching and checking out books I'm sort of started....sort of.....

Turtle Time

2011-04-11T21:11:00.002-05:00

Every day, sometimes twice a day someone brings me a turtle from the pond. Sometimes they are big and sometimes they are small, but always they are scared. I carefully take them back to the pond apologizing all the way for my naughty dogs. On the upside, the dogs are learning a new command, "Leave it"; which means you damn well better put that turtle down and come to me....it helps that they know my pocket is full of biscuits.

Crazy busy and over-stressed, but I wanted to check in...I'm still here and getting by...25 more days and this semester will be over...can't happen soon enough.

A Morning Visit

2011-04-05T20:49:00.000-05:00

A Shrinking Pond

2011-04-03T20:25:00.003-05:00

Stitching Sanity, and an almost stress-free day.

2011-03-28T21:04:00.002-05:00

Too little time to really write a true update tonight...I'm ready for bed, but still have work to do. But I would like to report that there has been a shift in my perspective, decisions have been made, stitching has been done, all while books are getting read.

Self-taught Stress Relief

2011-03-26T20:43:00.002-05:00

I bribe myself to read for school these days....I hate it, so I tell myself I'll read one chapter, one article, one whatever, then I get to stitch a little. I make rules for the stitching too, like I'll only thread my needle once before I start reading again or I'll just finish this one flower. I find the crisp pop of the needle piercing the fabric perfect for releasing my stress.

When I was a kid I learned to do those iron on Xs and I actually stitched two pillowcases. Sadly, those pillowcases disintegrated last summer. I'd been using them for probably more than 20 years. When I took up embroidery I ask a few questions and then just sort of figured it out...I highly recommend these two Pocket Guides from Leisure Arts. They are well worth the $4.95 price. I taught myself a new stitch just yesterday!

And just in case you are wondering....I've keep my promise to practice yoga for 20 minutes for two days now and the hubs made me say it again tonight. Between the yoga and the stitching I might survive this semester.

P is for Promise

2011-03-24T20:40:00.002-05:00

Seems the only joy in my life these days comes in little fits and starts. Mostly I am sad, angry, frustrated, queasy....today was a bad day. Chronic stress-induced heartburn and even now my gut is burning and I still have more (stressful) work to do...looking at the clock, it likely isn't going to get done and the vicious cycle of stress and heartburn continues.

I've not really been taking care of myself very well. I take care of everything and everyone else, but I only get the leftover minutes of each day for me. I've lost 15-ish pounds since starting this grad school endeavor and the chronic heartburn is a fairly recent development. Today, I accomplished nothing at all really and while talking with my husband he elicited a promise from me....he made me promise to give myself 20 minutes of yoga each day and suggested that I run to the mailbox and back (because I said I would like to start running again). Just 20 minutes, which he claims I waste each day. And maybe I do waste 20 minutes each day, but it feels like I don't have 20 minutes to spare. But I only say the P word when I mean it, because I will never break a promise.

So, tomorrow morning's agenda. Walk and feed the dogs, water the seedlings, run to the mailbox, and 20 minutes of yoga, followed by a good breakfast AND packing a good lunch.

Hodge-Podge

2011-03-20T19:48:00.007-05:00

I saw this quilt at the Dallas Quilt Celebration...of course, I don't know who did it...come on, you know me by now. In fact, I'd like to use this quilt as an analogy and not having a clue as to who made it plays into to that analogy perfectly.

So, the hodge-podge of my life quilt analogy.

I can't seem to decide on anything so there's a little of this and a little of

that. Big things and small things get equal value...ie. I sweat the small stuff as the saying goes. Some of the pieces are JUST.NOT.RIGHT, yet they are right in the middle of it all. It is discordant, and distracting, but somehow it works and that is just how things are feeling right now. If I could extract the red bits, particularly that little rectangle of random flying geese it would be much better....but then again, if you remove the icky bits then there are gaping holes....which is worse? icky bits or holes?

But I would really like my life to be like this: a BALANCE of order and chaos....BALANCE....

Vying for the title:Best Wife in the World

2011-03-17T10:55:00.002-05:00

Yes, that is a race car simulator in our house....I am the best wife EVER! (okay, and the WORST housekeeper EVER!) Maybe I'll unload that box sitting there on the floor.

More Signs of HOPE

2011-03-11T10:03:00.001-06:00

I planted them, watered them, grew them, harvested them, moved them, dried them, drilled them, and hung them, and I so HOPE that someone chooses to live in them.

On Sadness, Hope, and Perseverance

2011-03-10T18:47:00.003-06:00

Last night I searched for jobs...found a posting that was a possibility...Considered all the angles...went to bed thinking I would quit grad school, apply for the job, and just get on with it, but this morning....I woke up waffling, questioning, fearing, unsure all over again about what I want to do when I grow up. I can jokingly say this is a mid-life crisis, but it seems a little less of a joke these days....it feels serious....I have too many questions and not enough answers and if you know me well I have issues with depression and the inability to make decisions is part of that for me. I feel pointless and without purpose and simply unsure about almost everything save my hubs and family. I've come to realize that while I am a decidedly sad person, I am generally a hopeful person...seems like those two things would drown each other out, but they don't. I plant seeds and find hope even when it doesn't work out. I have hope the next year, and the next, I don't give up, but yet that is all I want to do right now: just.give.up.

I had something like my 19th nervous meltdown this morning....finally dried my tears and decided to get busy...I opened my email to find this message waiting for me from the Brave Girls Club (www.bravegirlsclub.com).

Dear Diligent Girl,

Put it in your mind that quitting is not an option.

Oftentimes, the tides will change, the wind will shift -- things will start coming together in the time JUST after we were sure it was time to quit. Keep moving forward, pointing yourself in the direction that you need to be going.

If you are facing the direction of your most wonderful end goal, and some days you are only FACING it, that is part of keeping going. Some days you will take steps, some days you will just keep yourself turned in the right direction. It's all important progress. Just don't quit. Never never never never quit.

You can do it. You ARE doing it! And you are absolutely phenomenal at it.

xoxo

Home Improvement

2011-03-10T09:29:00.003-06:00

Woo Hoo! We've lived here four months now and there have been 35 boxes of books stacked in the den waiting for shelves. My hubs built these in pieces as we had extra money for lumber, then tied them all together and anchored them to the wall.

I think they turned out beautiful! Unfortunately there are still several boxes of books to unpack and only one shelf is empty....looks like we need more of the same!

I will go on record as saying, "You can never have too many books!"

Mallards

2011-03-08T11:17:00.000-06:00

A Picture worth how many words?

2011-03-07T19:34:00.001-06:00

I only made this face because I knew the hubs was going to have his tongue out...he always does! Today I'm sort of feeling out of whack...just like the pic...For this week I have to read 776 pages, write a 5 page book review, and write a 2 page poetry response....currently, I've finished nothing and that is after working for the last three days!

Thank goodness next week is Spring Break...I'll see you then! Wish me luck.

Wordless

2011-03-02T11:02:00.001-06:00