Pinto Beans ~ Pantry Lunch Packings ~ Handiwork Developments

I finally broke down and rinsed our home grown pinto beans.  The piddly harvest....we all know that story right?  Either way, I am cooking them to go with breakfast burritos, snacks and after school burritos.   We get creative with breakfast burritos.  Which reminds me, I better open a jar of zucchini salsa too.

Sunrises ~ Smoothies ~ Smacking Myself

The last few mornings, we've has some beautiful sunrise skies.

After-Christmas Clean Up ~ Tidbits

We did not get a nasty storm as predicted.  In fact, we did not get as much rain as I thought we would, and we got zero snow.  Today might be the last warmer weather day for a while, but no snow.

In fact, the sun is already shining here today.

I'm worn out with running here and there for gatherings.  We all sat around the front room last night and watched a movie, sipped hot cranberry punch, and nibbled on leftover food and cookies.

Sunshine

Sparta and the ladies enjoyed a long day outdoors yesterday.  The sun was shining and it was just perfectly cozy.  No dreary skies or fall cold drizzle.  

Chicken Millet Burritos ~ Tidbits ~ Candy Corn

Woke up to fog.  And cold.  I left windows open all night due to the warm weather.  We woke up to a pretty cold house.  Brr.  The kids have a 2 hour delay today, so I actually slept in for once.  

Random Tidbits ~ The Hawk and the Hamster

Hubby was out putting the new mower belt on the mower, but was back inside just as quick.  It did not fit.  Back to the store for another one, but today the rain has arrived. 

More Tatting ~ Trip to Town

Now that the weather is changing my routine and chores are changing.  I really have no business even looking at my crafting projects.  But.  I happened to come across this book in my stash, while cleaning of course.

Hankering for a getaway

(photo from a previous trip)

Hubby and I have checked the campground on the island - booked solid.  Everyone else must have the same idea.  Other than non-electric sites that have no water view.  I love the water because it's very relaxing and I can enjoy the sunrises every morning.  It bums me out we can't go.

I'll get over it.  Maybe. 

Scrubbie Update ~ Hot Banana Peppers ~ More Salsa

Remember this scrubbie?  I posted about it back in Feb. of this year?

Kitchen Madness

We finally got some rain.  It's back to humid and hot.  

I've been busy in the kitchen - freezing green peppers, jalapenos, more green beans, some tomatoes, and cauliflower.  Our popcorn is on, and looks pretty promising (although small), but my watermelon is questionable.

What else have I been up to?

Handiwork Update ~ Southwestern Egg Burritos

My youngest daughter emailed me this photo.  I thought it was so funny I just had to share.  This morning I certainly feel like that dog in the photo - still in my jammies, holding coffee, but with an ice pack instead of a towel.

A Homemade Mother's Day

I gifted Mom with this hand crocheted bath mitt, and a bar of daughter's handmade grapefruit goat's milk soap.

Simple Dish Scrubbies ~ Bone Chilling Weather (again)

I'm trying out a new pattern for a simple dish scrubbie.  This one creates an edge (or ridge) on the scrubbie, making it easier to use.  I used one 10 yard length, 2 inch wide strip of netting.

Homestead Tidbits ~ Baby Booties

Saturday it rained heavily the entire day.  It was a very gloomy, get-in-your-jammies-early day.  We still made a trip to the gym for a must needed workout.  According to my fitbit (tracks my steps etc) I am short about 3,000 steps per day this winter.  Yikes!

Back to the weather. . . .

Bavarian Crochet ~ Deep Freeze Day 5 ~ Turkey Chili ~ Goats and Chickens

I can't let January pass by without learning something new.  I didn't even plan it either.  I had just been flipping through a huge pile of borrowed library books, and opened this one.

Baby Bath Cloths ~ Elixir ~ No Hot Water

There are 3 crochet patterns for baby bath cloths in the book 150 Weekend Crochet Projects, by White Birches. I used one of the patterns for these two.  I think I'll include a bar of unscented handmade goat's milk soap too.

Hubby's fever broke last night.  I did drain off a jar of elderberry elixir for him too.  Today, the doctor diagnosed him with walking pneumonia.  Hubby said that particular sickness has been getting passed around at work.  Now, he wants to start growing our own elderberries.  In other words, the elixir works pretty well.

Today is day 2 without hot water.   Thanks to family and friends, some of us got (or are getting) hot showers elsewhere today (I left Mom a bar of goat's milk soap in thanks for the hot shower).  Yep...pipes froze again.  We are borrowing a salamander heater, in hopes to thaw us out.  Say a prayer.  The dishes are piled high, and if we can't thaw out, we'll be heating lots of pots of water.  Besides, Hubby could use a hot steamy bath for his recovery too.

Now that the baby gifts are finished I can dive into my closet and pull out all of those started-but-never-finished projects.  Some may not get finished.  Decisions, decisions.  Then again, I may just crochet a set of baby booties first.

From the Handiwork Journal . . .

Crocheted this fun, yet fancy, dishcloth.   I may make more over the winter yet.  This one is going in my kitchen.  It's made with #5 cotton thread.  My first time using that thickness.

Handiwork Tidbits ~ Winston

Here are the "scrap" dishcloths I crocheted , using leftover yarn from various completions.  I have no business working on a new mission (I am starting to dislike the word "project" ha ha!) They turned out pretty nice.  I'll admit, I did try to color coordinate them, but scraps are scraps.  I found the pattern in a book I borrowed from the library.  It was actually a pattern requiring a different sequence of colors, but I simply used scraps.  Once I have the name of the book, I will update it here later.  Here's more to read......

Camper's Mug Cozy

Remember when I was telling you all about how I stopped to crochet, right in the middle of cleaning up my messes?  Well this is the result.  One completed "project" anyway.  

I ended up not using a pattern (not all mugs are the same size as all the printed patterns are for), and made my own for these camping mugs.  I did not want to mess with sewing buttons on, so I simply single crocheted 12, double crocheted into the 3rd chain, counting that as the first chain in each row, and dc across.  I measured about 10 inches, before finishing off, then simply sewed ends together (just enough to secure a hole for the handle of the mug).  

Granny Squares Everywhere ~ Reclaiming Home and Garden

It was bound to happen.  I got bit by the "granny square bug."  I made several bottle cap keychains with round granny squares for garden.  These can be made into magnets also.

I made several bottle cap necklaces (and more keychains) as well.