January 31, 2012

Thanks Carol

Last summer our friend Carol gave us fresh peas. I think I posted pictures then.
Yesterday Mr. T suggested we make peas and potatoes for supper. I am teaching him to cook. What a guy!

Peas and potatoes cooking.White sauce added.Oh so good!
Thanks Carol.
We are blessed with warmer weather.Not the normal Iowa winter.We just might have to grill a steak for supper.50 degrees YAY!
The porch project is coming along. Ceiling is done. We will be working on the cement and windows. Have a great week everyone.j



January 27, 2012

Doll quilts

I have been working on a couple of doll quilts. I am doing the hand quilting in the evenings when watching tv.

Not to much to blog this week.It has been quiet. We made a really great pot of bean soup. Shared it with friends. Thanks to DD Joanna for freezing and sharing the Christmas ham bone. Added onions,carrots and celery. Served with the honey dinner rolls it made for an inexpensive very good meal.


I can't believe how fast the week went by. Have a great weekend j

January 22, 2012

Side tracked

Do you ever get side tracked?  It seems to happen,to me, more often than it used to.
For example this morning I turned on the heater in the bathroom to get it nice and warm for my shower.
While I was waiting I looked for the magazine that had the honey dinner roll recipe I plan on making today.







I found the magazine then remembered I needed to go out to the green house to feed the fish.

As I was going to the greenhouse I have to walk through the sewing room where I saw the little quilt I was working on yesterday and thought I'd just stop a min. and cut out the binding.









When I got to the greenhouse I saw there were a few plants that needed to be cleaned and plants needed water.
Well the old hose leaked all over the place so Mr. T replaced it. While he was doing that I pressed the little quilt.
Then I started in the greenhouse. Well I can lose hours in that little space. The blooming plants, the water pouring out of the bio filter into the fish tank, the smell of the soil. It is something that I can't put in words how I feel when working with the plants.
ficus bonsai
newest begonia

this years poinsettia

oxalis has been blooming for weeks
geranium blooming in the corner

south end of the greenhouse
The space is small only 7 feet wide by 14 feet long but it gives me so much pleasure.
Mr.T. picked me up a bouquet at the grocery store yesterday. Treat your self. It will bring a bit of spring to your home in the dark days of winter. I did get the fish fed and I did take my shower just not in the order I planned. I get so much more work done in my pj's.    :>) I am linking to http://www.tootsietime.com/2012/01/fertilizer-friday-flaunt-your-flowers_20.html
Have a great week. j

January 15, 2012

Tree,Fish,apples and white wash

The past week was busy. The tree guy came and dropped one of the big maple trees. Mr.T. and a friend cut it up. I had the pleasure of running the lever on the splitter for a while. OHHHHHHHH BOY!
It was a good job done. The weather held so all the brush from the tree and leaves from the hosta garden got taken care of. I am so thankful for the good weather---- that garden was bothering me. Because of health issues fall was not a good time for me to do any work in the gardens. Now it will make it so much easier in the spring.

No wind for 3 days made for great burning. A young friend wanted a few gold fish for a new tank. He came down and went fishing in the greenhouse fish tank.The fishes winter home.  

We have plenty of fish as you can see from the pond picture from last fall. Over 60 at last count.   



















We got a bit side tracked with the tree and the porch project was put on hold. Today we got the ceiling boards white washed and ready to install.


 I cooked up the last of the Christmas apples.We will make it into apple butter tomorrow. I worked on another small quilt.Will share when it is done.Hope everyone has a great week.
 Our friend will be having surgery this week and prayers would be appreciated.Thanks.
Have a great week j

January 10, 2012

New quilt

I finished the doll quilt last night. Good to be creating again. j



January 4, 2012

12 Days of Christmas little quilt

On the small quilt list some members, are doing a little quilt  from The Temecula quilt co.blogspot.
http://temeculaquiltco.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-12-29T11:18:00-08:00&max-results=7
I decided to join in. Picking and cutting the fabrics is the hardest for me. I love fabric and have a good supply. But choosing the right piece,for each block takes time. If I did not have so much fabric already I would buy charm packs or jelly rolls where the fabric is already put together.


To make 12 , 3 inch finished blocks I chose many pieces of fabric. Laid them all out on the iron table and started cutting. There are 3 blocks left to cut out. Tomorrow I will start sewing them together.

It feels good to be back to creating. Hope there is a bit of doll making/painting in my future.

Mr.T has started doing the back porch redo. While he works on that I will have free time to sew.
New windows and door will replace those that are there now.
 The washer and dryer will be out there so a new shower can be put where the washer and dryer are now.
It will be good to have a shower on the main floor.
Always something to do to a 100 + year old house.
Have a good week the temps are going to be 40s and 50s. Not a normal winter here in Iowa. We need snow. The ground moisture is really low. I never thought I would pray for it to snow.j