January 2021 Focus OMG

 Happy New Year!  

I am becoming more focused on my projects and plan to finish this Buttermilk Basin pilgrim Hat wall hanging completely for my One Monthly Goal for January.   Am linking up to Elm Street Quilts today for the OMG challenge just under the deadline.  

Haven't been posting again recently since my health had a minor speed bump that needed further studies.  But with seeing an Electrophysiologist in Cardiology today in VT,  I got the all clear to resume my health improvements with further tests down the road.     Thankfully.  

Also have been working on the Spools as my hump jumper project.  

TTFN

Jane

2020 Books Read

My love of reading and the quest to empty more of my bookshelves has found 2020 to be another successful year.    Here are the books read:

1. The Manhattan Club  *
2. Of Blood and Bone
3. The Rise of the Magicks
4. When Breath becomes Air - BC  (book club)
5. Atomic Habits
6. Crossing Over
7. The Assassin 
8. Fahrenheit 451
9. Black Wind 
10. The Final Day 
11. A Game For Heroes
12. Don't Kiss Them Goodbye
13. The Whole Truth 
14. A quiver full of Arrows 
15. Fear Nothing
16. Around the World in 80 Tales
17. The Perfect Happiness
18. Nights of Rain and Stars
19. Where I'd like to live - Couldn't find a link anywhere, sorry
20. Queen of the Sun
21. Educated
22. Look Behind You
23. Night Watch
24. Woman in Cabin 10
25. Island of Sea Women
26. Buddha is as Buddha Does
27. Princess Anna
28. Night bird
29. A Lawman's Christmas
30. Blackbird House
31. Women in Sunlight 
32. The Lying Game
33. Death of Mrs. Westaway 
34. The Women
35. Logan
36. The Alchemist
37. Hot Stuff
38. Dylan
39. Double Whammy
40. Little House Living 
41. The Authenticity Project
42. Under Magnolia
43. Your Next Breath
44. The Liar
45. The Cat who Blew the Whistle
46. Every Note Played
47. Between the World and Me
48. Blue
49. The Stranger
50. Tyler
51. The Last Man
52. Cottage by the Sea
53. Transcendent Kingdom
54. The Blood Sugar Solution 10 day detox 
55. The Narrows
56. The Overlook
57. Big Sky River
58. The Creed Legacy
59. A Creed Country Christmas
60. Icebound
61. Two Little Girls in Blue 
62. The Woman Upstairs 

Out of the first five listed only one came off my shelves *.   Years ago I figured books were like fabric and expanded my collections as there was room but seeing this logistically now, I need to read more home stuff before the acquired ones from family, friends and the local library if I want to make any headway on making space on those shelves.  

Also there were books I read the first 100-160 pages of and if it didn't click with me,  I'd stop reading - my own self-imposed rule.    That includes titles for my Book Club gatherings, so I didn't list those as they weren't finished because I had another which hopefully would be more worthy of my time.   GASP!  They could be literary tomes, but I personally would find them stalled and not that enjoyable, just not my cup of tea so set them aside.  (Three cups of tea- now that one I enjoyed thoroughly many years ago!)  

This reading list aligns with my "Dreams of 100" that I tract each year and I surpass it thankfully.  That list tracks completed projects, travels, courses/classes, museums or exhibits seen, hiking, biking, and areas I spent my life on.  It's a nice visualization and remembrance as I reflect how my time was spent.  For the past 6 years I've excelled the self proclaimed 100 (even with 2020 being such a trying year thanks to the Co-vid 19 and it's variance) that number was surpassed too.   

Merry Christmas 2020

 

This pic was shared via Patchwork Plus newsletter that I think shines light on this season nicely.

Wishing you warmth, love and a promising 2021.

Circle Play Complete

 Another PIP (Project in Plastic) is finished.  Started as a kit from Sue Spargo which I took liberties with.  LOL

A person (Son IL) with severe nut allergies in our family, I won't use crushed walnut shells for the filler but use sand instead.  Of course did I have any in?          NOPE.  ; ~/

So a quick run to the local sand pit to obtain some during a little snow drizzle with my flip flops on - check.  

Dried it on parchment lined baking sheet after  baking blueberry muffins, and other goodies, meals, etc... - check.

Sifted to remove larger bits - check.

Finished pincushion.  This only took me 12 days from starting to completion.   Was able to stitch it closed and then procured enough heated sifted sand to last me quite a while.  

 Doing my happy dance and looking for my next focus. 

Pillow Project completed

 Using scraps from a quilt that was made several years ago I finally made time to artistically morph a panel from a pillow into a complementary accoutrement for my boudoir.  lol   

Though it's small, I did hand applique, machine applique, Ink-tense penciled it (which I quickly eliminated) and then painted with pearlescent acrylic paints in a couple of places that I didn't care for to enhance my vision of it.  Lastly it was quilted in a pleasing enough playful designs for a FINISH.  

Since I didn't want to make another pillow form, I inserted a folded bath towel that was recycled from the totaled camper.  It works.

TTFN

Jane

testing photos - Have patience with me please

All of my photos keep closing and disappearing.  So I'm trying to figure out why and see which download will work and stay working.  

Garden and other bits

My Favorite Mister, (DH) made these older garden trugs into an elevated garden so I was able to transplant the seeds started by moi, cough, cough, sputter, sputter.... into them and we don't have to worry about the furry friends that live in our gardens harvesting these before we do. It's producing wonderfully.

 Gazing toward the above ground pool we have a small selection of flowers and plants that we "over wintered" here in the 45 parallel and/or acquired some fresh ones at the local nurseries while keeping Co-Vid 19 protocol.

The view towards the right shows where the hot tub, umbrellas and more gardens continue.   Both DH and I can't be in the sun so shading is our best only option.  Thus early mornings in the gardens are timely.

Don't mind all those bags of mulch please, they are waiting for us between the heat/sun, humidity and rain, we'll get to them.   We're a 1/4 of the way done, only 75 bags more to go.  We hit a terrific price and took advantage.   This patio area we constructed ourselves around 20 years ago.  Actually it was on Labor Day weekend or should I say   L* A* B* O* R*     D* A* Y*   week-  bust!  Exhausting work but worth it and it's lasted beautifully.   Now the cedar deck, don't look too closely as that'll be another chore that needs repair when we can afford it and decide the best plan of attack.


The following are some of the lilies that are shining throughout the "island garden" .

Be still my heart!

       

     

     

"Honeysuckle Grotto" is the photo just above on the left with the cobalt garden seat, where I'll sip my tea and rest a spell after I've pulled at least 100 weeds then resume.  After I get an area weeded out, then the mulch is applied.  

So far the lilacs, peonies, daffodils, hyacinths, poppies, some tulips, Missouri Primroses, coral bells, Lady's Mantle, etc...    have shown their glory.  Currently it's lilies with hints of the daisy styled flowers like- ruddebeckia, daisies, along with bee balm and cone flowers and such  coming out shortly.  

    

The fruit trees look good so far.  Crispin' Apple, plum and 2 pear trees all have a small bit of fruit coming.   The kiwi vine on the arbor left a bit to be desired this year and had a late start with our weather/winter  though it still provides some shade for after noon reading in the hammock chair- A birthday gift from 5 years or so, I'll actually snooze a bit and not loose my page!  lol

And the lower raised bed garden with vine plants (squashes and cucumbers) , potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillos, raspberries....  Would you believe we couldn't find any squash seeds when the garden was planted but finally found some a couple of weeks afterwards so I used the seed starting module in the Aero garden to get them farther along.  Not sure what I think of it yet as some things did wicked good and others not so.  Could be the the germination factor of the seed packages as their dates were good but some pods from the company came up with nothing too.  But I'll share more about that on another post regarding those experiments.


Then our higher raised bed garden which is easier to maintain (harvest and weed).

Suffice to say there is a list of never ending chores to complete and much to repair for these 2 acres of land, but I am extremely thankful.   Besides the weeding and mulching, I need to string up some deterrent for the deer where our blueberry bushes are.  Crossing fingers that some holographic -reflective tape will be enough to scare/keep them away.   I witnessed them last year scraping all berries with leaves off the bushes and still had too much going on to fix it then. 
Especially with the grocery distributions going a bit hay wire this corona virus year, the "price gouging" that seems evident to us and just knowing that we'll be producing more of our own food and with putting them up (as Grandma used to say) to last through out the year.

TTFN,
Jane



Editing this info paraphrased from an article about day lilies - scientific name,  Hemerocallis: in the Lake Champlain Weekly Vol 21, Issue 1 written by  Dr. Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor Emeritus at UVM

• More than 38,000 registered varieties with 15,00 +/- in production
• Inside center is called the "Throat"
• Zone between the throat and flower color is different then it's called eyed or banded
• If the edges of the flower are a different color then it's called "picotee"
• The midrib may be a different color or spotted  or "dusted" over by another color
• The difference of appearance and description is typically inferred by their petals formations, ie: rounded, triangular, star shaped, ruffled or doubled if there are more than the 3 petals and 3 colored sepals (false petals that look like the petals)
• Lilies arise from bulbs and flowers from a main stalk while day lilies (origins in Asia) have thick storage roots with the later having their own scientific family Hemerocallidaceae
• Some of the best single color cultivars for Northern Gardens are:  Frances Fay, Mary Todd, Stella de Oro (all yellow varieties); Barbara Mitchell, Fairy Tale (pink colored); Bess Ross, Apple Tart, Red Rum (red);Gentle Shepherd, Guardian Angel (near white); Prairie Blue Eyes (lavender); Bertie Ferris, Ruffled Apricot (orange); 
• Multicolored varieties are: Custard Candy (peach w/yellow throat and red eye zone and ruffled edge); Fooled Me (golden w/ red eye and ruffled edge); both being popular newer bi-color cultivars in our region
• There are three seasons: early, mid-season and late

Right, Wrong or indifferent... there are Consequences!

It's with horror when I think about George Floyd's death Murder.  Regardless of color, age, faith, race or place of origin, education or creed there needs to be respect for all life- albeit People, plants and animals of this earth.  Trying my best to assimilate what occurred as George was struggling and pleading for breath, now there will be consequences...   All because he was passing a counterfeit $20 bill, consequences,.....

What would I have done if I was a witness to it?  I hope I'd have the courage to walk calmly towards the fray and let all know they were being filmed and I already uploaded one film to the cloud.  Recording what was done and said as GF was pleading and struggling to breath,

 The acquittal of officers from another headline victim/murder of Eric Garner who also paid the ultimate consequence and the perpetrators now being charged with criminal intent, will be consequences....

The riots that are felt and the outrage because of recent events occurring, there are and will be Consequences!  Locally someone defaced a monument with ACAB paint (meaning "All cops are Bad") this is so not true.  Most law enforcement enter this service to protect and serve.  Yet with years sof insults abuse some may be hardened and less amenable to the public's pleas, there again consequences.

Hate and betrayal does not wipe the slate clean of previous hates and betrayals, it only instills more hate and betrayals so it elevates the discord further yet with more consequences...

I don't have the answers as there are so many points of view on rights of individuals.  Just look at the Co Vid data and where some people believe they have the right to not wear masks, go where and when they want, etc.,...there again Consequences are relative as with this current event.  
Will riots make an improvement?
Will defacing public domains help?
Will attacking anything tangible prove positive? 

A probation Office in Albany, NY being torn apart with fire bombs thrown in while a worker was in there..more consequences!
DH just mentioned that it was caught on tape many black outraged men clubbing a white owner who was trying to stop his property from being looted and now he too has paid the ultimate price.  Now more consequences.   I saw another video with four men with guerrilla styled clothes trying to intimidate an elderly women in front of her store, where she held her ground and then they attacked like the cowards they are, actually one of them using a 2 x 4 x 6-8' piece of lumber to beat her with.  Wouldn't their mothers be proud of that?!  I hope those thugs are found and get the consequences they deserve.  

What would Jesus do?
All I can say is there are and will be consequences to everyone of what he or she said and did.
This insanity needs to stop.

Gardening continues and...

Chores outside are continuing and I haven't finish any new needle-y projects though they are progressing.  So thought I'd share my recent (in the past 9 months that is, development of Watercolor painting. 

Through our local Senior Citizen's Center I signed up for an acrylic painting class a couple of years ago and enjoyed it weekly for six weeks.   But with the husband's declining health I wouldn't/couldn't dedicate any more time to pursue it as priorities shifted.  Last fall though  I decided, enough was enough, to made time to sign up for another 6 week class on watercolor though I'd be missing one class that interfered with his monthly Boston heart transplant follow up Visit.   All continues to be well, Thank the Lord!  I know we have many blessings and am grateful.   Anyways, I signed up for that 6 session class but this time it was with watercolors.  I love it! 
Though I'll not share my class etchings which showed progress  I'll share these latest ones done from Feb to May 2020.  I try to paint on Sundays schedule permitting. 

I paint on watercolor paper "cards" as my base.  My plan is to print out a set of any preferred art or just mail it off to a loved one with correspondence s needed.   

All of them scattered on the dining room table.
 A couple were of fields of spring flowers as I remembered and hoped for,
it seemed like a truly longer winter this year especially with the "Corona cations" and
fear going on with the isolation. 
My next attempt may try to mix the script liner, watercolor, pencils and ink to see where that leads me. 
These are probably etchings #10-19. 

I'll sign off with my latest playing art session. 

TTFN,

Jane

Some day, I'd love to try something reminding me of a local fire tower ..  maybe a long while off...someday.

Drum roll - for my needle roll - "NEEDLE FLIES"

Tickled Lime! 

Finished the needle roll last night!  I started it last year while in Florida and initially changed the ribbon strip to a different Sue Spargo one to "make it my own" and happily stitched along quite quickly until...  Yep, me.

Not totally sure of my finishing style and the colors.   Didn't care for the color that Sue Spargo company had kitted for the binding and the color of the elastic band for closing.   So while in the South this year with my Mom and my perfect mister, we went to Quilted Twins in Dade City, FL.  I found the perfect binding IMHO and luckily for honey we didn't stay shopping too long as he passed his time with another husband left on the porch.   lol
referencing a phrase in a book I recently finished mentioning a DOP  (dog on porch).

I actually had my list of things I was hoping to get so I could finish some UFOs and am proud that I kept to that list yet allowing my self only one wild card purchase if there was something so drool worthy I'd regret leaving it behind.

The Whole interior  (forgive the side wards orientation but it fit best this  way).

Some better detailed photos I'm flooding you with:

Left inside of roll

Center section show casing my first bullion wraps, bee and woven circle

right side interior - just noticed that the burgundy circle just to the top left of the sashiko label looks a bit like
the Corona virus with all those spikes off it!

For my own records I'm including the list of Threads used for the embellishments.

All Sue Spargo threads and of course used wool thread to attach my circles on with first with a simple whip stitch.  Then used EZ21 Let's Pink, EZ25 Signature Wine,  EZ31 Call-a-Truese as well as 

EZM08 Solar Yellow, EZM11 Fresh Cut Grass, EZM20 Riptide, EZM32 Saltwater Taffy, EZM33 Rock Royalty, EZM47 Conga Lime, EZM48 Bossy Boots, EZM50 Gossip Girl, EZM54 Torch Lily, EZM89 Eagle Drum, EZM93 Marsh Grass with some recommmended stitches and then did my own as my imagination and abilities persisted.

Batik found at Quilted Twins, indigo elastic cord from Sue Spargo that I recently received  and a button from Joanns fabrics.  

I'm on a roll!  

J

Butterfly pins displayed towards the left are to mark conveniently which needle I'm using.  Anyhow, that's my plan.
I painted my flat butterfly pins with nail polish to have a colorful kaleidoscope. 
We'll see how this idea of mine works out, fingers crossed here.....