I’ve fallen a bit behind in my posting so today I’m going to be playing catch up.
From the Garden
Back in early October, my husband harvested our squash and pumpkins. Like nearly everything else, we had a nice crop this year. I put a lot of squash and pumpkin in the freezer, and we’ve been including squash in our meals once or twice a week.
We shared some with family and friends and still have some fresh in the storeroom.
I made five or six pumpkin pies in October. They are my husbands favorite.
By the end of the month, he had his fill of pumpkin pie, so we finished the month with apple pie.
But we still enjoyed some butternut squash with dinner.
Crochet
I dropped off the meandering paws afghan (can you see the paw prints in the crochet pattern?) that I made earlier this year at the Humane Society. A donation for them to raffle off at their upcoming pawzar fund raiser.
Soap Making
I also made a batch of soap in October. We liked the aloe soap that I made earlier this year so much that I decided to make that again. If you’d like you can find the recipe in this post.
Things to Celebrate
The holidays will be here before we know it – Thanksgiving in November followed by Christmas then the New Year. As usual I will be spending time making Christmas gifts for the kids and grandkids over the next several weeks.
But first we had (granddaughter) Addie’s birthday to celebrate last Saturday. I made her this hoodie and a pair of matching black leggings. I didn’t get a picture of her wearing it, but it was a perfect fit.
On Sunday we celebrated a Detroit Lions win over the Washington Commanders. Our Lions currently have 6 wins and 3 losses and are in first place in the NFC North division.
We are hoping to celebrate another win this coming Sunday when the Lions play the Philadelphia Eagles who are in first place in the NFC East division. It should be a good game. GO LIONS!
Winter Comes Early
Sunday, November 9, was our first snow of the season. Even though it snowed most of the day it didn’t really start to accumulate until it was getting dark. We only had about an inch of snow around 8:00 p.m. but when the dogs got me up to go outside around midnight this is what I saw.
We had about for inches of snow and it was still coming down. By the time we got up Monday morning the snow was finished, and we had between five and six inches on the ground (and everything else).
We do need all of the precipitation we can get because we had such a dry summer, and since it will melt away as the temperatures warm back up later this week this snow really was a blessing.
Thanks for visiting? Are you looking forward to the holidays?
Hello and welcome! Spring has been very gradual in getting here this year. It seems like we go two steps forward then one step back. No quick warm up this year. I suppose the slow warm up is good in some ways – it means that trees and plants are slow to bud thus reducing the chances of fruit trees being hit by late season frost/freeze. We have had some rain as well but so far nothing extreme. There have been a few outdoors chores that I have been able to get done, but while I’m waiting for gardening and grass cutting season to arrive, I have had spring cleaning (indoors) and some other projects to keep me busy.
Making Soap
A few weeks ago, my sister told me that her husband wanted to go back to using natural soap. She asked if I would make them a batch. Of course I was happy to do it. When I asked what kind of soap she wanted, she asked for “the shaving soap” or aloe soap which makes a really nice soap for shaving. So, on April 1st I made a double batch of aloe soap. I want some to keep for us.
The above picture is the soap in the molds after several hours. The outer edges are hardening but the center is still a thick liquid. It was in the mold for about 30 hours before it was hard enough to remove. It will be a couple more weeks before this soap is ready to use but I am looking forward to it. I haven’t made this soap in a few years.
Below is my recipe for any soap makers who might be reading.
Aloe Soap Recipe
This recipe is a large batch – 32 bars of soap. It could be halved or quartered to make smaller a batch.
40 oz. Coconut Oil
70 oz. Sunflower Oil
8 oz. Olive Oil
16.95 oz. Lye (NaOH)
45 oz. Water
about 1/4 cup – Aloe Juice (Scrape out inside of aloe leaves and blend in small blender) added at trace.
When I realized we only had one jar of strawberry jar left in the pantry I decided it was time make some more since strawberry is both my favorite and my husband’s favorite. Fortunately, I still had three packages of strawberries in the freezer.
We should now have more than enough jam to last until this year’s strawberries are ready. My husband has worked hard on the strawberry patch, so we are hoping and praying for a great crop this year.
Crocheting
In a previous post I mentioned that I was making an afghan to donate to the humane society for a raffle.
I completed that project. It’s difficult to see in the photo but the puppy paws print run through the burgundy stripes as well.
I then began a new project.
This is a cat pattern that I have not made before. Can you see the cats? I began making this using some partial skeins of yarn that I have. I really just wanted to learn the pattern. I’m not sure yet if it will be a small blanket or a pillow.
A Few Spring Pics
At last, the daffodils are blooming.
Forsythia just beginning to bloom.
I finally got a picture of a killdeer. Rarely have I seen one stand still long enough to get a photo. This one was unusual because it was all alone. Usually there are a pair in the area. I did a little research and learned that migratory killdeer will generally mate for a season and males usually return to the same area each year. They may mate with the same female as the previous year. Non-migratory killdeer may mate for life. So, I wonder, since I didn’t see it’s mate in the area, if it is yet to find a mate for this season.
Our hens like to roost in the lower branches of the spruce trees. I thought it was a picture worth sharing. 🙂
Looking Ahead
The weather is supposed to be warmer this week, and my husband plans to get potatoes planted. As for me I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself cutting grass for the first time this year.
Thanks for visiting. I hope you have a wonderful week.
This week turned out to be much like I expected. Robins and red winged blackbirds have returned to the area and the daffodils are poking up through the ground. The garlic had actually sprouted last fall but it has now resumed growing after its winter break. I have yet to hear the frogs sing.
Last year I made this bird house out of corks. We hung it in a tree at the farm. It was late spring, and I suspect the birds already had their nests built so this house went unoccupied. I am hoping someone will make it home this year.
Crafting
I finished the afghan I was crocheting (picture above) this week and started another. The one I am making now will be bigger than this one. It is the paw print pattern that I like to crochet. I intend to donate it to the Humane Society so they can raffle it off at one of their fundraisers.
When the Grass is Greener
Last spring our neighbor decided to expand the area where he lets his horses graze. Our fence is their barrier where our property meets his.
Colby Jack has discovered that this time of year the grass on our side of the fence is greener and tastier than what is in his pasture.
The problem is that he is not quite tall enough to reach the grass without bending the top of our fence.
Here’s a closer look. Can you see how the top part of the fence is bent over? Last year the owner strung an electric wire to keep Colby Jack away from our fence, but it didn’t stay in place very long. We haven’t complained because we feel bad for the horses that they are not provided better quality feed. At least the fence still keeps Ranger in.
A Dip in the Pond
It is way too early for me to go in the pond. There was still ice on it yesterday,
but that didn’t bother Ruby who had to go looking for minnows or tadpoles.
Playing in the Dirt
In the last several years it has become sort of a tradition for us to pot up some pansies in early spring and set them in the flower bed along our deck. They are bright and cheery and add some much-needed color while we wait for everything else to come back to life. On Thursday my husband made my day by going the greenhouse and coming home with two flats of pansies.
So, I got to play in the dirt. 🙂
There were 36 pansies in the two flats, and I divided them into 12 pots. Oh, so pretty. We may still have a few nights when temperatures drop well below freezing, but the nice thing about have these in pots is that we can bring them indoors to protect them from the cold.
While I was “playing in the dirt” I planted some spinach and pea seeds that we will grow in containers on our deck. I don’t think it’s too early since these are cold season crops.
My husband spent a little time with his hands in the dirt as well. Since we grow most of our plants from seed, he started eggplant and several types of peppers that we will grow indoors under grow lights until late May when we can get them into the garden. He will be starting tomatoes next. Planting season has begun!
Overall, it was a good and productive week and now that spring has sprung it only gets better from here. 🙂
This post has been sitting, almost finished, in my drafts box since June. For anyone who crochets there is still a bit of summer left (in our part of the world) to make some summer fun.
June 15th was our grandson, Jackson’s 8th birthday. His mom and dad were having a birthday party for him, and I just wasn’t sure what gift to get him since I know he already has a lot toys and games. A couple days before the party I was browsing the internet and came across an article about crocheted, reusable water balloons. Reviews on them were really good: ‘easy to use, hold enough water, don’t hurt when hit with them, don’t bounce off before getting someone wet, easy clean up, lots of fun.’
Based off the picture I knew I could make these. I had a small amount of the type of yarn that I needed so sat down and made a couple. They worked up very quickly. The following day I went to buy some more Bernat Blanket Yarn.
I made a total of eight balloons, and it probably took about 5 or 6 hours total to make them. I put all eight into a 2 1/2-gallon bucket and gave it to Jackson as his gift. The bucket can be filled with water then used to dunk the balloons in to fill them with water, then used again to rinse/refill.
My son-in-law told me how much the kids are enjoyed playing with the water balloons, especially on the hot days we had this summer.
I didn’t write down my pattern, because I’m too lazy to write it all out when others have already done it, so I found a similar free pattern on this website to share with you in case anyone wants to make their own reusable water balloons.
April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness month so I will start by sharing this link to the Parkinson’s Foundation website that has a wealth of information and resources regarding Parkinson’s disease.
I am so blessed that 5 1/2 years post diagnosis my PD has not progressed. In fact, many of the symptoms I was experiencing when I was initially diagnosed have gone away. I am not on any medications, but I do take some supplements that help with the conditions that I still experience – mostly muscle cramps and head and neck tremors.
I’m not going to go into detail about everything I’ve tried and what I’ve found that helps, but if anyone would like more details leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to share.
Staying Healthy
In January I began my 60th trip around the sun. In pondering what I wanted to accomplish this year I decided my goal was ‘to be the best Me that I could be’. In order to do that I thought maintaining my health is probably one of the most important things that I can do. In order to maintain my health, however, there were some areas that I needed to change – first and foremost diet and exercise.
I wanted to make changes that would last a lifetime so in December I started forming new diet and exercise habits.
My diet changes look like this – I started cutting calories by cutting out sweetener in my coffee. Then I looked at how much I was eating. It seems I’ve spent a lifetime eating until I was full, and it occurred to me that I only need to eat until I am satisfied not until I am full. I started cutting down on portions. For example, for breakfast I will eat one egg, one piece of toast (instead of two), two pieces of bacon (instead of three), and 1/2 glass of orange juice (instead of a full glass). Similar cuts are made with lunches and dinners.
We have also begun eating a lot of tossed salads and fresh fruit. I still eat desserts but again I only eat enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. I find that usually about 5 bites is good.
I have also developed an exercise routine. Not only will exercise help me lose weight, build muscle and increase my metabolism, it is one of the things that is most recommended as far as treatments for Parkinson’s disease. I began in December by riding my recumbent bike a minimum of 20 minutes three times a week. I continued this through January, then in February I upped my game. I began riding almost every day and increased my time most days to 30 minutes. I might miss a day now and then but somedays I will ride extra minutes.
I am happy to say that since February 1st I have lost 15 pounds and just as happy that I I seem to have less muscle stiffness and cramping.
Eclipse
During the eclipse that was visible in parts of the US on April 8th my husband and I decided to go to the farm and experience it. We didn’t have eclipse glasses so we couldn’t actually watch the moon cross in front of the sun, but we wanted to see how dark it would get and how the chickens and wildlife (birds) reacted. We were not in the path of totality, but I think our area was reported to be 96-98%. The sky was mostly clear with only some thin wispy clouds.
Full coverage (98%) was supposed to be at 3:15 P.M. (Ignore the time and date on the photo. My camera is messed up and won’t let me into the menu to change the settings.) It didn’t get very dark out. It was like a cloudy day, yet it had an eerie feel to it. The birds continued to do what they were doing, and by the time the rooster began calling his hens, thinking night was coming, it was getting light again.
I stood under the barn porch and without looking I aimed my camera toward the sun to take some pictures. After I had taken several my husband told me that doing that could have ruined my camera because I was supposed to have some kind of filter on it. Oops! My camera doesn’t seem to be any worse off than it already was and below is a photo of what my camera saw at 3:15 on April 8th.
Spring Has Sprung
One of my favorite parts of spring is when our forsythias are in full bloom as they are right now.
A stunning display.
So brilliant and uplifting.
Daffodils are also in full bloom adding to the beauty of the season.
Some of the other things I loved about last week were seeing the first dragonflies of the year and hearing the mating songs of the toads. For more on toad mating see this post from last year.
Finishing Touches
After redoing the floor and the cabinets in our bathroom last month I still wasn’t satisfied. I thought the mirror frame needed updating. Since it was made out of a plastic or resin I wasn’t sure how well paint would adhere to it, so I took a different approach.
At the fabric store I found ribbon that was the perfect color and width. I used clear craft glue to attach the ribbon to the mirror frame.
Once I had the ribbon on the overlapping corners looked sloppy, so I needed to dress them up. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for when I went to the dollar store, but when I saw these butterflies, I knew that was it. They would complement both the ribbon and the flowered wallpaper.
We love the results.
Crochet
I finished the baby afghan I was making.
I also made this heart shaped stuffed octopus. The octopus is my own design. I am calling them octo-loves.
In Memory of Peanut
It was a sad day when our Dear Friend Peanut went to wait at the rainbow bridge.
“Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
“When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
“All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
“They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
“You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
“Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….”
Peanut was a friend to all creatures great and small.
He couldn’t resist a comfortable lap to sit in.
To quote our granddaughter, Addie “Peanut is the best cat in the whole wide world.”
My husband honored Peanut with a special resting place for his remains.
He is dearly missed.
Thanks for visiting. What are you loving about spring?
Don't Eat It! Soap and Skin Care 