Pioneer Woman at Heart

We started December with some chilly weather - low -4 (windchill) 6°F/High 27°F.  The coldest weather for early December since 1976.  According to weather authorities.  We've been as low as -8°F this month.  Now we are melting away into the 50's by tomorrow with a lot of rain.  Crazy, crazy winter weather for sure. Surgery went well.  Thank you all for your prayers, good vibes, positive mojo and good thoughts.  I am in recovery mode, which oddly feels very strange for someone who is on the go most days.   One kiddo visited to help out, and stayed the night, and I really appreciated the help. She did some driving for us, cooked and even cleaned.  Very thankful for her help. Not to worry.  I am listening to my doctor/nurses.  I'm not able to exercise like I typically do daily, but my brain is getting a super dose of "brain" activities. On top of a new puzzle, and a 132 new word search book (my first), crochet also continues....

The living room looked like it threw up a bunch of yarn, so I then realized I needed to get busy on some blankets to donate.   Yarn has been put away and the living room is back to being the living room, ha ha! I dug out my crochet/knit journal, and started to write down the yarn brands and colors for my current projects.  I should have been doing this years ago, but it's getting done (so I can repeat one if I would like to). . . .lap afghan started (to donate to a charity, senior center or other). . . .a set of pot holders in progress (my on-the-go travel project).  I am seeking out places to donate it to, and it may go to the Senior Center Bingo (for a prize).  There is also another woman I know who collects items for women leaving battered life situations, and starting over with a new home. Not my handiwork , but some we saw for sale..... Oddly, anyone who doesn't crochet or knows their products, would not know that these were made with acrylic yarn.  Th...

  We finally got rain on September 22nd, and it just kept coming, and coming.  The hurricane rolling in by Florida is bringing us much of the rain our way, forcing us to cancel our third  planned camping trip.  There was no point in hauling the camper over an hour away, only to spend the entire weekend inside the small camper (there was not much to do in the area indoors either).  No campfires, no campfire meals, and no hiking.  I was pretty sad hitting that "cancel" button. (husband's packed breakfast with daikon root hashbrowns) One vegetable I did not get to plant this garden season - daikon radish.  I am however experimenting with it in recipes, and actually grating it for a healthier hashbrown, and using it cubed in place of potatoes in some soup recipes.  I have yet to make kimchi, but it is still on my list. New to the garden this year, and new to us - Mashed Potato Squash. One mashed potato squash came off the vine, so I brought it in a s...

I decided to stop in for a chat, but my post ended up sort of long.  I apologize in advance, ha ha! Hard to believe that we are nearing the very end of August. The garden(s). . . What happens when your barn cats have expired, and either field mice or chipmunks find your beans.  Good reason to have a solar electric fence if you don't have a good rodent control.   First good haul, but not even close to last year's harvest.  I'm thrilled to get what we do get.  I brought in another 3# the other day too. Bell peppers are rolling in, and they are about 1/4 inch thick.  I don't feel this particular pepper smells as good as the type we grew last year, so I will looking that up in my garden journal for reference.  Taste is important too. Meals have been based on what I brought in from the garden.  It has been nice to have fresh canteloupe for breakfast.  We haven't grown fruit in the garden for several years (due to space). We literally sliced o...

What's on the hook?   Well alot!!   To be honest, I am looking forward to trading in my hook for a rake, shovel, and garden trowel.  Crocheting non-stop over the last few weeks has made me realize how much I miss the garden work ha ha!   I finished this baby blanket. I used up3 skeins of baby white, and partial skeins of baby blue and a lighter brown, that were leftover from another baby blanket order (from years ago). I started this baby blanket.  I'm using up some leftover peach and blue baby yarn (F hook, so it's taking some time). Progress on the current scrap yarn lap afghan.  I'm getting down to the last of the last scrap balls of yarn, so it's the last one for now.  By scraps, I mean hand size balls and smaller. I have also been crocheting for a cause - our town's plant bingo and raffle.  It is the town's first one, to help raise money to plant flowers, landscape etc in the town.  They have already gotten over 50 tickets sold...