Consignment Sales~ Whoops! ~ Repairs

 

Good news!  I am looking into selling my jar openers in a smaller town with a general store.  I have to raise the price due to the percentage they want to sell consignment, but happy they are considering.

Whoops!  I did it again!  While waiting on my husband to open the wall access, I came up with another craft.  By the way a fitting came apart and yes, another water leak as we guessed.  Kitchen drain is thawed.  Two down one to go today - fix the wood splitter.

You can find the easy instructions for the mini-sun catchers on my S.C.R.A.P. Blogspot.

They are perfect as they are, or can be Christmas ornaments or given as sun catchers (random act of kindness during these uncertain worldly conditions).

Our warmer weather is arriving starting today.  It's a brisk 7°F so I am thrilled we are moving to warmer weather.  I haven't been able to put anything on the clothesline this winter.  It feels so wrong ha ha!

from the handiwork journal . . .

. . .got more fridge magnets made and packaging them. There were more that didn't get in the photo.

. . . more recipe card holders in the making.  They need embellished with buttons, and packages up for a craft show this year.

(sorry no photo yet)

. . . finishing up the back panel and started one sleeve on the cardigan.

. . .more progress on the wine cork ornaments

. . . got the black netting cut and rolled into balls for the order I received.  It took me almost 3 hours to cut and roll the entire 10 yards, but I got it done.

. . . finished my latest craft project.  If I have enough scrap wood, I will make these to sell as well as gift.  I love it.  Instructions are on my S.C.R.A.P. Blogspot.  I may make some with coffee packets too.  Maybe even small packages of candy or mints?  Lots of ideas for this one.  Makes a nice random act of kindness too.  While cleaning my craft supplies, I had everything already packed up to give to our daughter.  Sigh....I just couldn't help myself.  

Winter Woes and Wins

I noticed we had a visitor when I went out to empty the ash pail.  We got more snow yesterday.

The leak ended up 2 leaks, and since we had to turn the water off, the other water pipes froze.  It's not been fun.  My counter is full of dirty dishes.  The drain froze too.  It'll be a long day for me.  When I do get water and a clear drain, it'll take me a week to catch up.  So frustrating, but leak was repaired, just not the softener line.

I spent most of my day on handicrafts, although I attempted to purge.  I didn't get very much put in the box for our daughter and grandkids.  My husband got a chuckle watching me though.  He said, "aren't you supposed to be cooking cabbage?" Ha ha ha!  We'll, I'll have some items for a fall craft show, prepared well in advance anyway.

Anyway, I heard my husband talking to himself over and over for not heat taping those water lines.  I tried to get him to do it several times over summer, and he wouldn't listen to me.  I think he got the picture this time.  

While he was trying to thaw out the rest of the house, I started yet another craft project.  More on that later.  I'll probably be purging the last two boxes of books.  I can't control myself when I'm purging crafting items (ha ha ha!).

........

Attempted to get this post up this morning, but had to literally throw on sweatpants and a shirt and head out.  Youngest broke down.  I had to pick her up and take her to work, only to come home and find my husband and a friend in the drive.  He had left work to tow her car home, but found out her tire blew (what happens when you drive too long on a tire with low air, but maybe she'll learn).

We had to go back to the big city and get a new tire, then back to the car and then back home.  I needed a shower and to brush my teeth.  Once we get the fire stoked, we'll make a 3rd trip into town (it's 20-25 minute drive each way).  We'll deliver her car to her work location and head back home.  

What a morning.....hoping the day goes way better now.

Homesteader Chit Chat

 

The weather has been questionable.  I don't watch any news, so I rely on weather reports by searching it online or on my phone.  Woke up to "feels like" 2°F and very windy.  We got more snow last night too.  Just fed our barn cat and I think there may be a stray out there this morning.  The wind is wicked.

Apparently you can get sick-sick.  My girls are the only two getting upper respiratory/bronchial illnesses.  Illnesses that the doctors don't prescribe medications, and send them home, kind of illnesses.  

The girls wear a mask daily, all day long and one does heavy lifting.  I feel awful for them.  Both have had to visit the Urgent care, had to test for covid (always negative, and never test them for flu either), and have been sent home with over the counter suggestions.  Even though daughter K was diagnosed with a sinus infection, she was sent home with over the counter medications.  I have never heard of that - always a prescription of some sort.  Thank goodness for natural remedies that do help quicken recovery and relieve symptoms.  Which reminds me, I need to restock ginger root.

The purge continues here, and thankful I'm doing it.  However, the craft supplies are getting me into trouble.  More on that later.  My first attempt to purge, was anything wooden for crafts. Ha ha, oh boy. 

I filled a box of writing paper, graph paper, and markers to give to my younger brother.  My niece and nephew go thru a lot of paper.  Thankful it could be used.  They are getting oodles of doodle paper.

I have a tote of goat supplies and I'm hesitant to purge those.  I just don't know if we'll raise dairy goats again or not, and I hate to re-purchase.  I'm hanging on to them for now.

My dish scrubbies and soap saver bags were delivered to the gift shop.  I am thrilled they are selling them, as we didn't have one craft show last year.  I received an additional order for 6, but I have to get to the store to see if they sell netting in the color she wants.  It's an odd color request.

King got his first winter booties.  I took a video, but can't get it to load here.  I will try again later.  It was hilarious.  We could all use a good laugh.

My favorite firewood fetcher machine.  Works great until I hit a patch of clean concrete or grass.  It's more trips to restock the porch, but so much less heavy work.  Good exercise I guess.

Today, is the first day I have not been prepared for a dinner, but I'm sure I can come up with something this morning.  I love crock pot dinners.  I can relax with crochet or crafting or reading and not be at the stove in the evenings.  I guess I'll see when I check the freezer and pantry.

Ideas for revitalizing and energizing yourself (cont.):

26. Practice self-expression

27. Work off your anger

28. Face your fears

29. Experiment with acting your way to a new feeling

30. Learn to relax

. . .from the handiwork journal

(old photo, but you can see I'm working from bottom to top)

.. . . Up to row 81 (out of 84) on the crocheted cardigan, with the sleeves getting started after that.  Just a basic pattern, but my first clothing for adults to even crochet.

. . .started new Christmas tree ornaments for the 2021 Christmas (using up wine corks in my stash).

. . .got one "scrap" Christmas ornament crocheted.

 . . .finished a set of hot pads

. . .started another set of hot pads

 . . . got more dish scrubbies made to sell.

Everything but the "to-do" list

It was breakfast for dinner.

Biscuits were baked for sausage gravy, scrambled farm fresh eggs (thank you chickens), and fried potatoes.  I forgot to see if I had enough apples for fried apples though.

I also cut all the yellow netting up, and got them the strips rolled into balls for future dish scrubbies.  I have a few more colors to cut in strips, so I won't run out of things to do on rainy days (as well as deep clean totes in my closet, which I discovered high school stuff I can clean).  

I finally felt like crafting after I cleaned up some rooms around the house.  Got the last two of these painted with white paint.  More work needs done to finish them.

I think I did everything that was not on my to-do list this week, so I need to get back on track ha ha!

On the Hooks ~ Frost Warning (again) ~ Spearmint Seeds Inquiry

Crocheting a rag rug.  This project is on hold for now.  I am having to use all my spare sheets and pillow cases to cover my asparagus, rhubarb, etc.  We had another freeze/frost warning.  Once the cold wave passes, I'll make more strips of old sheets to finish this rug.

Knitting a dishcloth in red/white and blue.

A set of pot holders.  Sorry for the bad photo.

Off the hook. . .

A new dishcloth pattern.  I learned the waffle stitch this year, which is very easy to do.  I however, feel this is way too thick for a dishcloth.  It also uses twice the amount of yarn than a regular crocheted dishcloth.  It's going in my stash of cleaning cloths and will be used for that.

I dug out my tatting, but haven't yet got back to it to see if I even remember how to do it.  Could be fun.  Who knows.

Does anyone have extra organic spearmint seeds?  My potted plant died and I cannot get the seeds from High Mowing, Territorial, Baker Creek, Sow True,  PineTree or Strictly Medicinal Seeds.  A packet costs about $3 so I can barter as well.

Knitting Socks Questions ~ It's a 2 post day today!

I'm looking for a knitted sock pattern online for beginners.  Do you of you recommend one?  There are so many online, and what needles will I need?  I have yarn.  I do not have any sock yarn knitting books.  Guess it may be time to order one.

I have this yarn.  Is it enough for size 11 socks?  Each ball has 247 yards.  I have no idea what size these knitting needles are nor the circular one.  I have a feeling they are too big anyway.  Why do they not label them?  I'll need to order whatever needles I need too. 

Thanks a bunch!

Update: Oh Lordy...my printer is now out of ink.  Sigh...ordering ink now if I can just in case one of you have an online pattern for me.

Another update:  I found the size 6 double pointed in my knitting stash.  Woohoo.  Do I still need a circular?  and is that the right size?

Random Tidbits

Nothing wakes you up faster than a cold house, because you both fell asleep and forgot to stoke the fire.  It's going again now, but it's 4am.  Every school is either delayed or closed but our district.  Roads are ice covered and there is a level 1 road emergency out.  It's 27°F this morning, but we had sleet, and you could hear it pelting the house.

I had planned a one night getaway for a late Anniversary/early Valentine's sneak away, but canceled it to work on the car this coming weekend.  It's probably a good thing, as more snow (2-4 inches in the area we would have been going) is coming and roads may not be that great.  We need the car fixed anyway.  It was the only thing I could come up with that wasn't a sweet treat, considering he can't have sugar right now.  I'll re-book it when I can, as we do need to get out of the house for fun.

Along with regular housework (dishes, laundry, watering plants, cleaning the fridge out etc.), I finished up washing down the kitchen cabinets, purged and organized the medicinal cabinet, and washed a flour sack towel curtain.

Luckily, I had some pineapple juice on hand, so I made homemade teriyaki sauce for dinner.  I had not thought ahead on ingredients when I meal planned (as far as the sauce), but it worked out.  I had most of the veggies already in the freezer thankfully.  The sauce contains honey and corn syrup, but a small amount (organic/non gmo), and it's so flavorful with fresh garlic and ginger root, that we only need a tiny bit to flavor the dish.  

We'll be moving stuff around in the garage, but not necessarily "cleaning it."  We need room to pull in the car, but man oh man it's cold out there.  Or, if we are lucky, we'll find extended family with an available garage.

We officially have zero home canned tomato sauce left in the pantry.  Unless I incorrectly kept track in my canning journal, we are out.  Poo.  Carrots are gone in the freezer too.

Daughter's report card arrives - GPA 4.250 right now.  So proud of her.  Out of 6 kids, she is the last to graduate/move out.  I doubt she'll move out too quickly, as she's seen her siblings struggle with the reality of expenses.  Anyway, we are so proud.  She's in the school musical, so she's practicing at night, and still maintaining grades.  We learned early, that we'd not let our kids get jobs during high school - grades plummeted with all of them that did get jobs.

The last of the clothespins are getting painted, but I will need a trip to town for supplies to finish them (ornaments).  It's my "on-going" project right now.

I put in the last 6 rows in the XL hot pad and finished it.  Now, the question is, will she still buy it or not?  It's overcast, which was meant to match the hot pad set, but this one is edged in white.  

Finishes ~ Monday Madness

Over the weekend we took a car load of stuff and donated it to a thrift store.  Stopped at the hardware store and picked up supplies.  We made a visit to Mom's too, where one of our kid had also stopped in.  I took her one of the spool ornaments and a jar of homemade taco mix. 

Hubby started on his "to-do" list too.  Nothing is completely checked off, but one job is half-done right now.

I finished another UFO (unfinished object, but I think it should be UFP - unfinished project).  Anyway, the scrap yarn rug went to our youngest for her hope chest. 

We also cut, split, loaded, unloaded and stacked wood.  We didn't want to, but we needed to.

Blueberry pancakes made with whole wheat Einkorn flour, sausage, and organic black coffee.  That's what's for breakfast this morning.

I'm working on this UFO - kitchen towel.  It am using various patterns from library books to finish this project.  Hubby laughed when I told him I think I started it back in 2013 or something.

I took this photo on 1-6-18.  Same day as today, but last year.  We have no snow this year. The baby blanket was gifted to our daughter for our grandson Colt. Who knew so much would change?

I was up at 3am this morning.  I had a ton of dishes to wash.  Fire was stoked and it's a day of laundry and more cleaning.

Taco Night ~ UFO's

New Year's Eve we had tacos, and hot bean taco dip.  I had to refill my homemade taco mix, and since I had my bulk containers of cumin and chili powder out, refilled my pantry jars too.  



We spent New Year's Day taking down the trees and outside lights.  Totes were all put away too. Got it all done by 10am too.  


It was a blistery snowy, windy day New Year's Eve day.  I took advantage of it and cleaned out the fridge, and tackled one of my UFO's.  I am super excited to stay on task.  I got a lot of craft time on Wed.

I had the fabric done, but had to attach them to the burlap and glue them onto the jars.  The final product is on my S.C.R.A.P. Blogspot.  

Sorry for the bad photo - took it before 5am this morning.

I'm thrilled to say I'm using fabric scraps that a wonderful lady mailed me years ago.  I am still using them for gifting.  I also used the embroidery floss for the gifts, which I won from a blog giveaway years ago.  I have more ideas using the scrap fabric as well.  

I finished this UFO as well.  They are tucked away in the right box for next Christmas or gift giving.

I am still working on the spool ornaments, but hope to have them completely done today.  We'll see.  I'm tackling cleaning and purging again.

Happy Homemaker Monday

I apologize in advance.  This post is long today.  Grab a cup of java or tea.  Maybe grab your breakfast too?

I'm not the only one organizing and purging.  Daughter is making the spare bedroom upstairs into her "study" room.  It would have made a wonderful craft room, had it not been "upstairs."  

Game day we made a new recipe.  I've been wanting to try it for a while now, and it's a crockpot recipe - Spinach-Artichoke Dip.  It was good, and mostly spinach, but it lacked garlic.  I think it's because I'm buying it, and our homegrown (more flavorful) is gone.  I'm keeping the recipe, but will tweak the garlic for more flavor.  It's perfect for get togethers or parties.

We successfully cut the remaining piece of the tree.  It wasn't fun either - so many knots in the last piece.  It's ash too.  It took wood stacking to a whole new level.  The pieces split into all sorts of shapes and sizes.  It will still heat the same though.  Now there is a mess of sawdust, bits of wood that I'll save for kindling, and lots of bark to toss in the burn pile.  Oh, and holes in the yard we need to fill where the tree fell.  We'll cut one more ring off the stump, then burn it out.

Sunday we dressed up and stole away, walked through a very large antique store, then had dinner at an upscale Italian restaurant.

I had my first old fashioned.  The food was amazing! We were so tired after that meal, ha ha!

My only antique score, and I love it.  Romeo loves it too, ha ha!  The antique mall is larger than it was before, and took a while to walk through.  I only found 2 tea towels, which were boring looking and expensive - $15 /each.  I'm keep looking for them elsewhere.

This morning I am sleep deprived.  I was woken up by a dog pouncing on me at midnight, then precisely at 3:43am by the cat who was wanting out (who was shut in the bedroom by mistake), then again at 5:15am, by the cat wanting back in and fed.  There was a bangity, bangity, bangity going on by sticking his paw under our bedroom door.  I tried to go back to sleep, but the wicked wind outside kept me up (see cloud photo below).

Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. I missed out joining last Monday due to our daughter's birthday and Christmas prep.

The weather outside is . . .
High of 51°F/low 32°F.  Cloudy/windy.  Winds in neighboring towns have been up to 50-60mph, with blown transformers and power outages.  About an hour north, near the lake shore, they reported winds at 64mph.


On the breakfast plate . . .
Nothing at the time of posting this yet.  I needed to down a pot of coffee and get a "power shower" before breakfast.


As I look outside my window . . .
It looks nasty.  Raining as well.


Right now I am . . .
Getting ready to check the hours at the Humane Society.  I need them to trap the stray cats, and we now have a 3rd stray (which needs to leave, as it fights with our barn cat). 

I'm also updating my "Christmas" binder.  I'm writing down items to buy early for the holiday.  This year I noticed organic cream cheese sold out very early.


As I look around the house . . .
I'm writing a "home" wish list.  Sounds like I have too many "lists" going on, but I want to update some things in the house for next year.  Like a new ceiling fan for one.  Those may even be in clearance right now.  Just thinking ahead, pre-planning and shopping out of season could save us some cash.  The kitchen needs cleaned up.  Daughter did the dishes, but they need put away, and there is much to put back in their "homes."


On the to-do list . . .
-laundry
-clean master bathroom
-vacuum carpets
-sweep/mop kitchen
-clean entire kitchen, put things away
-possible trip to the "Big City"  - all depends if one of the girls comes over for a visit.



On this week's to-do list . . .
-purge 3 items from the garage (so I stay on track)
-purge/organize bedroom closet (almost done)

-take whatever I purge and donate to the thrift store (the kids have been told to come get their stuff, and if they didn't - it all goes.  I'm not a storage unit, and sadly they have not come to fetch their "stuff" in my garage). I'm also getting rid of an antique typewriter.  I bought it years ago to go in my "writing" room, but it's a dust collector.  I have no idea what I was thinking.  I'l replace it with a houseplant.

-trip to the library for pick ups and returns

On the menu . . .

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans

Chicken noodle soup

Sweet potato Chili

Currently reading . . .
Craft books from the library (to finish off UFO's)

On the TV this week . . .

Oh my, a lot.  Maybe too much.  We purchased a gizmo, sort of like a fire stick, but not.  A family friend set us up, and now we get all sorts of channels.  

What I am creating . . .

A newborn baby blanket - using up some yarn stash.  When it's finished I'm tackling this project:

I started making them for gifts in December of 2014 (gulp).  I put them in a shoe box and it was labeled (Our Tree).  I always put one of any new ornament in a box for our own tree, but this box contained not only unfinished ornaments, but a half finished crocheted bookmark too  (double gulp).  

Oh man, I'm so glad I'm getting the closet organized.  The ornament in the photo went onto our tree, but there are a few to finish and this year, I have a correctly labeled box. It'll contain only finished gift items.  By the way, the "how to" on this ornament is on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot.  I found the embroidery pattern in a library book, hunted down the embroidery paper and used scrap fabric for the yo-yo's.

Now that I think about it.  You could use wine corks to make a similar ornament (note to self - write it down, and do NOT start another project).


Favorite photo from the camera . . .

A new coffee mug, gifted to me by my 20 year-old daughter.  It came in a gift bag with a camper on it too.   Just love it!

This was the first time to see this type of cloud.  First the news called it a "stretch cloud" but later called it a "roll" cloud.  It's a sign that the next storm would be worse, and they were right.  The photos were taken in front of our house Sunday evening.  That cloud stretched for miles.


Prayers . . .
Continued prayers for my mother.  She has her first appt. set up for early next year.   Prayers for my Dad, as he's not hearing very well, and some days refuses to put his hearing aids in. My good friend who recently lost her mother, and is now having to go through her mother's belongings to auction the house.  Us.  We always seem to have something get in the way of getting things done around here.  We need to remove one pellet stove and install a newer one (smaller) so we can turn off this expensive electric heat.  It was on the list Saturday, but football got in the way (rolling my eyes).