Lots of progress around here and it's about time!

 

 Happy first day of summer!!!  Not my favorite season.... the heat goes off and the ac comes on.  So far this week, Luther and Shawn came and did the lawn and it looks so nice!  One of the best decisions I ever made was to hire them.  The water softener and the new vacuum are working great.  I made my potato soup, jello and some rice krispie treats.  I ordered groceries and picked them up this  morning.  I've been packing up boxes for the thrift store and dropped them off this morning.  I had to go inside Walmart and buy some "storage" for my phone and then I stopped and filled up the tank.

My neck's been hurting for a week now.  I think I need a chiropractor but they can be scary.  The last time I went to one years ago I ended up in a neck brace.  I keep hoping it will "adjust" itself.  The Rose of  Sharon tree/bush is blooming and the rest of my flowers the deer ate.

I did a load of laundry and cleaned the litter box and have been knitting the foot of sock #2 on breaks.  I also finished one Halloween ornament.....I've lost my XS mojo but the cleaning mojo is still with me.  I cleaned my desk yesterday....just the top....the drawers are another whole project!

What are you up to on this Summer Solstice?

Happy Trails!!!
 

    

YOP Week #51 Year 12

 I went to look back at my list for the last YOP year and lo and behold I never made one!  Huh?  No wonder I was wandering aimlessly this past YOP year.  I can't believe I never noticed it until now.  Although, I must admit between the diverticulitis episodes and the cataract surgeries, it was a sort of a crazy disrupted year.

I have been cleaning and clearing so much I haven't really done much crafting but I have made progress on the Battenberg blanket.................

I have 3 of each color and need to weave ends in.  I need another container to put them in too.  I did finally cut out Block of the Month  #5 of my red and cream quilt.  But mostly I've been cleaning, packing up stuff to take to the thrift store and getting ready for the grands coming in July.

I have revisited my old YOP years and there were several projects I never started that I want to make and some gifts too.  I ordered some yarn and some fabric for 2 gifts and there's one I want to make for myself but that will be in the future.  

Do we do a recap next week on YOP finishes for the past year and then week #1 will be plans?  I can never remember.

I haven't done any cross stitch.  I needed to give it a rest.  I did finish the heel on sock #2 and need to pick that back  up and do the foot.  I want to find an acrylic sock yarn if there is any.  Although, I have acrylic DK and I know there are DK sock patterns out there.  Has anyone tried acrylic sock yarn?  Did you like it?  

I hope you had a great week and Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Happy Trails!!!

A new lamp.....it's been years!

 I saw that Walmart had Pioneer Woman lamps......so pretty!  So, I bought one....

The only problem is that it said it was a table lamp and I assumed (you know what that does) that it was a table lamp but it is an accent lamp.....my table lamps are twice as tall as this one. I ordered it online.  I think that is misleading.  It is darn cute and I love it but I was wanting a taller lamp.  Oh well, I'll keep looking....she has some really pretty ones but I think they are all accent lamps.  I'll have to check.

I hope you're having a good Saturday.  I watched The Trooping of the Colours for the King's birthday although his birthday isn't until November.....but the weather is nicer now.  I didn't recognize him as he was wearing one of those big bearskin hats.  You can't beat the Royals for pageantry, and, of course, I love all the horses!

Happy Trails!!!   

Gave up crafts for cleaning.............

I have spent last week and this one cleaning and organizing.  Above is one of 4-6 bookcases I have cleaned out.  I've thrown out a lot of stuff and taken a good sized load to the thrift store.  I'm feeling great and full of energy so I had better take advantage of it while I have it!   I might have overdone it yesterday as I have a stiff neck but I just pop a  couple Tylenol and keep going! LOL!

I have more boxes of books in the living room that will be going to the thrift store.  I'm pretty sure I have gotten rid of hundreds of books!  The ones I have kept I will go through again later as I'm sure that is the secret to preventing being overrun by your possessions.....continue to go through things probably twice a year or so.

This week was busy with groceries. takings  things to the thrift store and also I got a new water softener installed yesterday.  I've made my potato soup, some chocolate chip cookies, and I am going now to make some cinnamon rolls.  I have not done any crafting except for in the evening I have been crocheting the little granny squares for the Battenberg Blanket.  They are mindless and easy when I am watching t.v. and relaxing.  Oh, BTW, the cordless vacuum is a lifesaver!  Only weighs 3 pounds.  It doesn't leave those nice lines on rugs that the big vacuum does but it still picks up lots!  It also  has a HEPA filter and the dust bin is easy to empty.  I'm sure there are fancier and more expensive models but this one is doing just what I wanted at a reasonable price.

I finished reading Phryne Fisher book #6 - Blood and Circuses, and I am now reading Buster Midnight's Cafe by Sandra Dallas.  For my non-fiction, I am reading Why Do Men Have Nipples which is written by a doctor and his friend, a screen play writer.   They answer all the questions (the doctor) gets asked out of the office such as at a cocktail parties when the "asker" has had a couple drinks! LOL! That is where the title of the book came from.

 I hope you are all fine...........

Happy Trails!!!   
 

Making hay while the sun shines.......

 I finally finished the bookcase painting.  There's another bookcase but the grands are coming in July so I will postpone and just get right to the cleaning and the readying!  Here's the bookcase......I can see things so much better with the light color and the dust won't show so easily....always a plus!  This is going to be my sewing/fabric book case and the other will be yarn.  That's all the executive decisions I've made so far........

In starting to put things back and going through and organizing.  I found several  projects that were 1/2 way done and that got buried somehow.....how could that happen...lol?

There was a little Christmas tree quilt I started, a crochet hook holder, and remember the crocheted rag rug?  I am going to have a container with these HFO's (half finished objects) and I will hopefully, force myself to complete one before starting anything else....of course, unless it is a gift for someone.  

I've been boxing up more items for the thrift store and will be dropping it all off the next time I have a grocery pickup.

I made some lemon squares yesterday and I weeded the trough out back.  I get up at 4:00 a.m and turn out the lights about 8 or 8:30p.m.  I actually quit "working" about 5:00 p.m. then I knit, crochet, watch t.v. and then read.....that's my schedule and  I'm sticking to it!

 I also made plans for gift giving for the year ahead and downloaded some patterns from my friend, Helen Phillips Etsy shop.  She has cross stitch and quilting patterns and other cute little gifty patterns.  She has a blog too.   Her patterns are so reasonable and you download so no shipping!  She makes adorable items....I just wish she'd include the beautiful fabrics she uses! LOL! Check her out at Helen Phillips on Etsy.  She does have a blog too.

What have you been up to?  By the way..............

Happy Trails!!!  

YOP Week #49 Year 12

 Another busy week!  What's  up with that?  When do I get to retire?  This Swedish Death Cleaning is going to kill me!

Meanwhile back at the ranch....I did take some time to do some creating...mostly when I couldn't work anymore...........I started the Battenberg blanket.....I'm using Special DK yarn.  I do 10 and then I weave in the ends....

here comes the next group......finally something I can do while watching t.v. in the evening........

I did finish 1 of the 2 side hexies.........

and I cut and glued the hexies for the next one.........

I finished the secret Christmas present so now I am working on the 2023 collectible Halloween ornaments for the grands.........

Speaking of my grands...Sam just finished his first year of high school and he got  a 4.3 GPA....I asked him how that was possible as I thought 4.0 was the highest.  Well, it can go higher if you take college level classes which they offer.  So, that's what he did!  Congratulations, Sam!!!

Grayson graduated from cub scouts to boy scouts......parents are allowed to go to everything and by golly my daughter does!  She goes to meetings, camp outs, etc.  Because of the sad history of the BSA they have to allow the parents to come to anything and everything. 

I did press my pansies several weeks ago....they need to stay pressed for about 4 weeks....

Other than that, I am almost done with the heel on the sock, and I cross stitched on the Star...

I  got a new printer and installed it, got a new watering hose and installed it, and  I ordered a cordless vacuum that should arrive next Friday.  My canister vacuum which was over 20 years old bit the dust plus it was so heavy to cart around.  I am doing things to make my life as easy as possible!

I got some new to me books from Thrift books........this one was less than 1/2 the original price and I think it is still selling on Amazon for full price!  It has some really cute projects in it...

then there was this one which was on my wish list for quite awhile but they never had a copy.....I snagged this one when I saw it..........she wrote this book right before she wrote Rebecca which is also on my list.......

Then, of course, I got the next book in the #1 Ladies Detective series......this was my daughter's favorite so far.........

I am still reading Revenge about the "war" between the Sussex's and the Windsors.  It is very good and I should finish it this week.  My fiction book is Blood and Circuses; a Phryne Fisher Mystery.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through it.

Plans for the coming week include making a dessert, painting, cleaning, packing up more for the thrift store, finishing the 2nd side hexie, cutting BOM #5, and keeping my plants watered....it's been in the high 80's while my family in Iowa was in the low 90's....go figure!?!

I hope you had a good week...here's one that made me laugh out loud.......I hope no one will be offended but dang it is funny!  I had a neighbor that was pretty rude to me this past week and this meme lifted my spirits!

Happy Trails!!!

Lots going on here!

 I'm sure everyone is busy this time of year if you are having warm weather.  This week I've done trimming, watering all those new plants and seedlings which are coming up by the way!  There was grocery pickup yesterday and then I vacuumed and washed the kitchen floor.  I was going to do the laundry room too but the water softener is leaking again so I guess I will be calling a plumber soon.

I had a package to send to the grands and my new printer came which I installed this morning....it is slick!  It was easy to install and I am loving the white! This is an Eco Tank 2800/ET 2803...the 3 might be the white one.  I had an Epson before and I was very happy with it and I had it for quite a few years.

I researched all printers on Amazon and this one had good reviews and was highly rated.  So far so good!

I also received a new hose I ordered for the back yard.  It is 100 feet so I can reach the clematis as it almost died last year.  I can also take it to the front and it can reach the ditch if I want to burn stuff.  It is very nice and came with extra washers, a holder that slips over your faucet, and a very nice sprayer....if it doesn't leak!  Every one I've ever gotten has leaked and runs down my arm or sprays my clothes.  I got it from Walmart.  I am subscribed to them so I get free shipping and I get everything in 2 days.  I never got anything that fast with Prime and it cost me more!  Plus, I get free Paramount and discount on gasoline.  Now that I don't have Prime it seems I get the stuff from Amazon faster....go figure.

I'll let you know how the hose and sprayer works out.

I also cut out and glued more hexies and finished one of the half diamonds and I will be sewing the other one tonight.  I've been working on the 2nd Christmas sock and I'm almost done with the heel.

It feels like it's been a productive week.  I definitely need to get back to painting!  Where does the time go?

What have you been up to this week?

That's me and Miss Peeps! 

Happy Trails!!!