New doctor!!!

 I went to my appointment with my new doctor yesterday.....he spent 45 minutes with me!  45 minutes!  I've never had a doctor spend that amount of time with me.  I think it was because I was a new patient and he went over my medical history with me.   He said I am probably still healing as I told him it feels a little like a pulled muscle.  He indicated that as we get older a colonoscopy is considered an invasive procedure and not recommended unless absolutely necessary.  Evidently I am of that age.  Awesome! Finally a plus for getting older!  He is just as smart and kind as I first thought and I am so happy he is my doctor!

Today I have lots of catch up work to do. I had blood work done yesterday since I told him I had had nothing to eat so I just had to go next door to the hospital.  No lines, no waiting, it was wonderful.  I go back in a month.  I did forget to ask him about diet but since I can still feel it I won't be experimenting any time soon.  By the time I got home I was tired and took a nap so I got nothing done yesterday except water the plants outside and feed the birds and critters (mine)...lol!

Here's some food for thought.........literally...............

Happy Trails!!!
  

Amana quilt shop...............

 My daughter went to the Amana's yesterday and visited a quilt shop among other things.  She sent me a few photos...so cute!

and this one.............

The grands favorite place was the rock shop............they're big rock and fossil hounds along with their Mother and Grandmother....

I miss going up to the Amana's.   It was only about 1/2 hour from my home and they had a cross stitch shop and so much more!  Ice cream, bakery, gift shops, and family style Amish cooking.

I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Happy Trails!!!  

Rice Krispie chicken and a sneek peek!

 I tried a new chicken recipe and it was delish!   Crispy Chicken Strips on All Recipes.  It uses crushed rice krispies.  It's easy and a keeper for sure!

I also started a crochet project which is really a head start on YOP 2022-2023...here's a sneek peek.....I'll show you the rest of it on Sunday.  It was just a test run but now I'm pretty sure I will make it......

I had a strange thing happen yesterday.  I had turned on my dryer and when I went back awhile later the clothes were still wet.  I thought maybe I had pushed the wrong button so I reset it.  After about 30 minutes I went back and they were still wet.  I figured something was plugging up the vent or the tubing but I wondered how I would clear out the tubing behind the dryer.  I went outside to check the vent there and lo and behold....a little critter (probably the chipmunk I've been seeing) had built a nest in the vent.  I cleaned it out and the dryer worked fine again!  Whew!  I never leave the house with the dryer going and that is exactly why......it could have started a fire.  Glad I was able to fix it.

 I also did outside trimming yesterday and will do more today as it has been in the 80's and nice and cool in the mornings.  I'll be watching Hearing #6 today at noon.

Happy Trails!!!

Finally pinned!!!

 This was awful....lol!  I had to get down on the floor and pin this entire quilt and scoot around......it is not an activity for an elder person!  Never again!  No wonder people send their quilts out to a long arm quilter.....no pinning!!!  You just give them the top and the rest they do and when you get it back all you have to do is bind it.  Whoa Nellie!  This was a small quilt too!   Next time it will be done on my dining room table!  I didn't use it because that is where my sewing machine and cutting mat etc. are plus lots of other "stuff".  Anyway, it's pinned and now I have to find a free motion quilting accessory for my machine and figure out how to lower the feed dogs......the pins are supposed to be a fist length apart....if I ever make a larger quilt I will have to get more pins for sure..............

When did it happen that I couldn't get up off the floor without a real struggle?  So many things lost in old age and some you don't always realize right away....until............. 

Anyway...it's done and I learned that I will never do that again! LOL!  My hip is still hurting today!

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #52 Year 11

 To be honest, I only actually worked on about 3 items that were on my 2021 - 2022 YOP project list...very disheartening.....every year I promise to do better.  Maybe this will be the year?

Most of my finishes weren't on my list........like this Fox Scarf I made for my daughter's birthday.....

 

 This little quilt was also not on the list but it was a finish..............

 

 Giant Granny Square blanket #2

 

 Annual 2021 Collectible Halloween Ornaments

 

 

 

 This has not been framed yet but it is a finish.........

 

 a pair of mittens.......

 

 again..a finish but not a final finish.....maybe this should be the year of final finishes!

 My 2020 Christmas Eve cast on socks...........

 

 The 2022 Annual  Collectible Christmas Ornaments.........they're reindeer not pigs...lol!

 a washcloth....only 1 this year?

 I made one project bag when I need dozens!

 Another finish...............but not a final finish.....

 

 finished the back.........

 another finish but not final finished...I have a boatload of final finishes to do!

 

 another XS finish...........for June Prairie Schooler Folk Art ornaments

 

 a sampler alphabet...........

 July folk art ornament from Priaire Schooler designs

 

 this will be a little scissor fob whenever it is "final finished" which seems to be a dirty word around here.....I think 2022 - 2023 will all be final finishes!

 

 a Quaker flag.........

 

 a future pin cushion.........but a finish

 

 This is a picture of Grayson's tie just before I bound off but it is finished now and the ends are woven in...ta da!

 

 Well, that's it for YOP 2021-2022..........I did accomplish more than I thought but very little of it was on my original list.....but it was a fun year and I am ready to do it all over again!

Happy Trails!!!

 

Bad day in Black Rock..........

 

 I'm not too pleased with the chimney guy putting white caulking on my brick.....really?  The crown was what he was supposed to take care of.....it looks really hokey now.  Plus, he was a talker and a bragger and then he forgot his tools and called me later to get them out of the yard for him so they wouldn't get rusty.....I about burned my hand because they had been laying in the sun.  I have no patience with people I am paying who want me to listen to what a good job they do and how much more talented they are than other workers.  Geez Louise!  I want to tell them if you want me to listen to you than I'll need a refund!  I had a painter one time and I would come home from work and he wanted to tell me all about his day and what he had done.....I finally  told him I had worked all day and I was tired and he should go home....he got mad!  I've forgotten how some men need their ego boosted all the time...well, they better look elsewhere!

But the chimney's done and he's not coming back.....oh, yes he is...to pick up his tools.  Now you know why I live alone! LOL!     Don't get me wrong....I love my pest control guy and my lawn guy,  they are both professional and respectful of my time.

I did get the quilt layers laid out but just barely........I need to smooth it all out.  I vacuumed the rug really well before I laid it out.  Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get back to it.

 I'm not in a very good mood considering what our political supreme court did today.  They are an abomination.....overturning Roe vs. Wade and yesterday allowing people to be armed whenever and wherever.....what the heck....we're going backwards in this country!  Justice Thomas has indicated that contraception and gay marriage will be next.  He should be impeached since his wife was involved in the insurrection.  If it was you or I we would already be in jail.   It's an autocracy heading towards fascism...it matters not what the people want but what the rich want.  The majority of Americans are for abortion rights, sensible gun control, a living wage, Universal Health Care and more but it doesn't matter what the people want.  The next thing you know they will be taking away the right to vote which in reality they are already doing by making it harder for some to vote.  It's an extremely sad day for our country.

Happy Trails!!! (not)
 

Hot, Hot , Hot!!!

 High 90's with no end in sight.  I can't complain as I get out early and do chores and errands and then spend the day in the AC.  This little guy just laid there...I think he was spent............I do rinse out and refresh the bird bath every day so they all have water.  I've seen crows in the bird bath, the squirrel and a few birds...........yesterday I saw a bluebird and a little bird with a red tail........

 The flowers don't seem to mind the heat..............as long as I keep them watered too..I've had red blooms but this is the first orange one.........

Yesterday morning I went out to the highway and filled up my gas tank and I had 1/4 of a tank.....it was $75!!!  Whoa Nellie!  I mailed some letters and then in the afternoon I watched Hearing #5 of the January 6th select committee.....I knitted all during it.  I've watched all the hearings so far.

Today, the chimney sweep is coming to repair the "crown" on my chimney.  It's cracked and I don't want water getting in.  Yesterday I did a bunch of financial stuff.  I had a corporation that I am shutting down.  It's been an expensive month so far.

Oh, did I tell you?  I finally got an appointment with my new doctor!  Next Wednesday!  Yippee!

Stay cool if you are in the heat!

Happy Trails!!!   

Supplies coming in!

 Getting ready for Year of Projects 2022-2023 which starts July 3.  If you would like to join just go to Ravelry and look under groups and you will find the Year of Projects group which will tell you all you need to know.  It's a fun, supportive group with many talented makers of all types.

Meanwhile, I have supplies arriving for the new projects for the coming year.   They won't all be new as I have plenty of WIPs (works in progress) to work on.  But there always has to be few new additions.

Here's some floss for a new project...........

I've been cleaning and clearing and while I have packed a bunch for Salvation Army (again) and thrown out a fair share......there are some "keepers" and this is one of them.........I found this patriotic set of baskets I forgot I had...............so cute!  These will be added to my patriotic display for summer......

The heat doesn't let up but the humidity isn't too bad and there are breezes which we rarely have.  I'm wondering if it's because they cleared that lot across the street and now we're getting breezes off the lake.......sweet!

I hope you are staying cool and safe from storms......

Happy Trails!!!

History I did not know about...............

This is copied from a blogger I follow, Octoberfarm.  I hope she doesn't mind but it was so interesting I had to share it.........enjoy!

On July 31, 1968, a young, black man was reading the newspaper when he saw something that he had never seen before. With tears in his eyes, he started running and screaming throughout the house, calling for his mom. He would show his mom, and, she would gasp, seeing something she thought she would never see in her lifetime. Throughout the nation, there were similar reactions.

What they saw was Franklin Armstrong's first appearance on the iconic comic strip "Peanuts." Franklin would be 50 years old this year.

Franklin was "born" after a school teacher, Harriet Glickman, had written a letter to creator Charles M. Schulz after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot to death outside his Memphis hotel room.

Glickman, who had kids of her own and having worked with kids, was especially aware of the power of comics among the young. “And my feeling at the time was that I realized that black kids and white kids never saw themselves [depicted] together in the classroom,” she would say.

She would write, “Since the death of Martin Luther King, 'I’ve been asking myself what I can do to help change those conditions in our society which led to the assassination and which contribute to the vast sea of misunderstanding, hate, fear and violence.'”

Glickman asked Schulz if he could consider adding a black character to his popular comic strip, which she hoped would bring the country together and show people of color that they are not excluded from American society.

She had written to others as well, but the others feared it was too soon, that it may be costly to their careers, that the syndicate would drop them if they dared do something like that.

Charles Schulz did not have to respond to her letter, he could have just completely ignored it, and everyone would have forgotten about it. But, Schulz did take the time to respond, saying he was intrigued with the idea, but wasn't sure whether it would be right, coming from him, he didn't want to make matters worse, he felt that it may sound condescending to people of color.

Glickman did not give up, and continued communicating with Schulz, with Schulz surprisingly responding each time. She would even have black friends write to Schulz and explain to him what it would mean to them and gave him some suggestions on how to introduce such a character without offending anyone. This conversation would continue until one day, Schulz would tell Glickman to check her newspaper on July 31, 1968.

On that date, the cartoon, as created by Schulz, shows Charlie Brown meeting a new character, named Franklin. Other than his color, Franklin was just an ordinary kid who befriends and helps Charlie Brown. Franklin also mentions that his father was "over at Vietnam." At the end of the series, which lasted three strips, Charlie invites Franklin to spend the night one day so they can continue their friendship. [The original comic strip of Charlie Brown meeting Franklin is attached in the initial comments below, the picture attached here is Franklin meeting the rest of the Peanuts, including Linus. I just thought this was a good re-introduction of Franklin to the rest of the world - "I'm very glad to know you."

There was no big announcement, there was no big deal, it was just a natural conversation between two kids, whose obvious differences did not matter to them. And, the fact that Franklin's father was fighting for this country was also a very strong statement by Schulz.

Although Schulz never made a big deal over the inclusion of Franklin, there were many fans, especially in the South, who were very upset by it and that made national news. One Southern editor even said, “I don’t mind you having a black character, but please don’t show them in school together.”

It would eventually lead to a conversation between Schulz and the president of the comic's distribution company, who was concerned about the introduction of Franklin and how it might affect Schulz' popularity. Many newspapers during that time had threatened to cut the strip.

Schulz' response: "I remember telling Larry at the time about Franklin -- he wanted me to change it, and we talked about it for a long while on the phone, and I finally sighed and said, "Well, Larry, let's put it this way: Either you print it just the way I draw it or I quit. How's that?"

Eventually, Franklin became a regular character in the comic strips, and, despite complaints, Franklin would be shown sitting in front of Peppermint Patty at school and playing center field on her baseball team.

More recently, Franklin is brought up on social media around Thanksgiving time, when the animated 1973 special "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" appears. Some people have blamed Schulz for showing Franklin sitting alone on the Thanksgiving table, while the other characters sit across him. But, Schulz did not have the same control over the animated cartoon on a television network that he did on his own comic strip in the newspapers.

But, he did have control over his own comic strip, and, he courageously decided to make a statement because of one brave school teacher who decided to ask a simple question.

Glickman would explain later that her parents were "concerned about others, and the values that they instilled in us about caring for and appreciating everyone of all colors and backgrounds — this is what we knew when we were growing up, that you cared about other people . . . And so, during the years, we were very aware of the issues of racism and civil rights in this country [when] black people had to sit at the back of the bus, black people couldn’t sit in the same seats in the restaurants that you could sit . . . Every day I would see, or read, about black children trying to get into school and seeing crowds of white people standing around spitting at them or yelling at them . . . and the beatings and the dogs and the hosings and the courage of so many people in that time."

Because of Glickman, because of Schulz, people around the world were introduced to a little boy named Franklin.

Here's a present day photo of my grandson, Grayson at his friends birthday party.......it reminds me of Franklin and Charlie Brown.....

When my children were little we moved, and I purposely moved to an integrated neighborhood so that my children would grow up appreciating all people regardless of color, ethnicity, etc.  It was a wonderful neighborhood and they have fond memories growing up there.  Children are not born prejudiced.....they are taught. 

 Happy Trails!!!

In the good ole summertime!!!

 Happy first day of summer.........it is hot and humid here which is just what my plants love...........

2 geraniums and a lavender plant.........

This is a cherry tomato on the right and a banana pepper plant on the left...........flowers on both of them but now that I can't have "seeds"....I'll have to think about how to prepare them.......hmmmm.....the peppers should be easy but not sure about the tomatoes.........

gerbera daisy............

and finally,  my herbs............basil, oregano, thyme, Italian parsley, and rosemary......

I hope your garden is doing well if you planted one............

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #51 Year 11

 This was a productive week in the craft arena.....but unfortunately then the house suffers....what's up with that?  I've started on the border of the Giant Granny Square blanket......I've had enough....and it's big enough.........the border will be 3 or 4 rounds and either one color or several.....I haven't decided yet

Here is the Sabbath Cross Stitch that I didn't show last week.........

I worked a bit on my son's XS.................

Since I finished the Blackbird Saturday gloved hand XS.........I started another Blackbird design.......this was really for Fall but it is a small Blackbird and it was all kitted up so I went with it...........fall and Halloween designs and colors are my favorite.........

I also worked on the Star XS and I have 6 stars done and only 10 more to go!

I finished Grayson's tie and started on Sam's.........his is the adult size because he is so tall.  The reason they are black is because Sam is in orchestra and Grayson is in choir and they usually require a white shirt, black pants and a black tie.  It is a boring color to knit but it's good project for watching t.v.

You're not going to believe this but I actually did some sewing!  Finally!  I cut out the backing for the Christmas quilt and seamed it together.  Today I will press the seam open and hopefully get it all laid out and pinned for quilting....the backing, the batting, and the quilt top.  After that will come a first for me....free motion quilting. I need to order a special attachment for my machine and see if I can lower the feed dogs but if not I'll order a thicker throat plate which will accomplish the same thing.   I'm excited!

I got some treasures in the mail which will be part of YOP 2022-2023 plans.........

This book has some darling embroidery projects but it also has all sorts of finishing ideas for projects whether embroidery, quilting, or cross stitch...........

Next week will be the "wrap-up" of all we've accomplished this past YOP season.....I'm afraid I have more WIPs than finishes but we'll see.  Maybe I'll surprise myself.  I hope all the Dads have a happy Father's Day!

Happy Trails!!!