Week 4 of 2020

Continuing on with my drive and seeing progress in many areas.  VBG and TG!!
Each year I tally my "Dream of 100" where I track projects finished, hiking, biking, trips, museums, movies, books read etc... as a way to reflect at year end and to visualize/remember  how my time was spent. 
For the past 5 years I've happily excelled the "self proclaimed 100"
Each.
And.
Every.
Year.

Such as the category of reading  books.  I love to read and will have 2-3 going at one time.  Currently am reading the Bible (daily with prayers and meditation),  Atomic Habits by James Clear (on my night stand and during the day/errands and wait times), and When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi  (an audio book to listen to when I'm doing my Kitchen chores).  Right now I am really enjoying the Bible and Atomic Habits so far.  I thought I'd write my 2019 list of books read here for my personal reference as I continue to try to empty my shelves.

1. Dead Watch
2. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
3. Memory Man 
4. Coffin Dancer
5. Lady Killer
6. Today Will be Different
7. King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table
8. Think Twice
9. Firefly Lane
10. Fly Away
11. The Panther
12. The Almost Sisters
13. The French Gardener
14. LaRose
15. Someday Soon
16. Lilac Girls
17. Magic Hour
18. NYPD Red 3
19. The Things We Do For Love  
20. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
21. Blue Gold
22. Lost City
23. Exclusive
24. The Lost Girls
25. The Hit
26. The Curated Wardrobe
27. Comfort and Joy
28. Shadow of Night
29. Demon Seed
30. A Dog's Purpose
31. The 5 Secrets you Must Discover Before you Die
32. Undercurrents
33. Radical Kindness
34. Mad River
35. The Stars Are Fire
36. The Talbot Odyssey
37. When Organizing Isn't Enough SHED
38. Notorious Nineteen
39. The Best of Daily Wisdom for Women
40. The Never Game
41. Polar Shift
42. Organizing From the Inside Out
43. The Dry Grass of August
44. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
45. Overdose
46. Backseat Saints
47. The Girl who Stopped Swimming
48. Where the Crawdads Sing
49. Become a Better You
50. The Collectors
51. The Art of Dying Well
52. Deliver Us From Evil
53. Keep Quiet
54. Year One
55. One Second After
56. One Year After

Would you believe my shelves don't seem to be getting any emptier either as family and friends will share a "good Book" or suggest another book to read/lend besides the titles my book clubs' selection for the month.   But with 56 read last year - it is a great number and I'm satisfied.  

8 - )

A few finishes cross stitch, books, dish rags.

This small counted cross stitch, Winter Basket by Lizzie Kate was stitched during December and finished in January and now it needs to get framed.  Hopefully I can get to that this week.   A blog I follow, Priscilla who is an incredible stitcher/finisher, designer, decorator, gardener, etc. and mentioned her way of framing several of her larger cross stitch pieces, thinking of giving it a try. 




I've also have been knitting a bit. Finished a red dishrag in honor of Valentine's Day and then promptly started a variegated green blues with the new to me design of Farrow Row Dish Rag.

FARROW ROW DISH RAG:

Used Size 7 needles cast on 40 stitches using Sugar and Cream yarn.

First 6 rows for the border KNIT.
Alternate the following 2 rows until you reach the length desired Less the last 6 border knit rows at the other end.
Row 1:
knit 4 (border edge ), *knit 2, pearl 1, * repeat making sure you knit the last 4 stitches (border edge).
Row 2:
Knit 4 (border edge), *Pearl 1, knit 2, *repeat until the last 4 to knit for border edge.

When get the length you want, KNIT the last 6 rows then bind off and tie in ends.

It's such an easy pattern to do and takes no thought so you can pick it up and do anywhere.




With my READING I've been trying to read a minimum of 2 books a month.  I've exceeded this minimum and am thrilled. So far this year I've read:

The Nest by Cynthia D'Arix Sweeney.....Liked ❤❤❤ BCS (Book Club Selection)

Sisters of Heart and Snow by Margaret Dilloway.........Really liked ❤❤❤❤ BCS

Zero Day by David Baldacci. ......Loved this ❤❤❤❤❤ both genre(John Puller with terrorism threats to Nat'l security)/author

The Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie  BCS ........Okay read ❤❤(it's a middle grade level book, many issues reminded me of The Round House by Louise Erdrich ❤❤❤❤ a much more appropriate level read and one I enjoyed!)

Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook Cure is currently being read.......Interesting so far!

I'm saving a box of books to share with Mom when I see her.  She's a voracious reader too. I started defacing the inside cover of the books with my initils, that way both Mom and I'll  know we're "Done with it" and we can give them away to let others enjoy. That should help in my trend of downsizing slowly.  Getting rid of a Book here, a ball of yarn there, another project finished and bites the dust pattern givem away or sold, etc..... it's all good!

Happy Halloween!

It's the end of October so besides the trick-or-treaters coming around tonight, today we'll be enjoying the Grandparents' Day at school with the youngest grandchildren.  A costume parade, meeting the teachers as well as a nice turkey dinner we don't have to prepare with both PGD#1 and PGS#3 will be nice.  Yesterday was actually our eldest grandson's 21st Birthday too, or where does that time go?  He is doing well and is still attending his school in Ma. hopefully being able to graduate with life skills next year.




Seems like each month time continuously speeds up to higher warp levels lately and I am always feeling way too rushed.  Several friends have lost their mothers recently so my time has been well spent just being there and attending the end of life services that have been bittersweet.  




I am so grateful that I still have my Mom to enjoy.  She actually is heading back to Florida this am as she was able to come visit for the past 10 days.  Didn't get to see her that much, only several times as she enjoyed time with all of my  other siblings along the way, so that's okay, I can share nicely.  With my schedule and transporting the kids to their respective groups; speech, hockey, gymnastics and hip hop class not to mention all the other trips to town needed it's no wonder I went to bed at 7:45 last night!  Of course I won't mentioned the margaritas I shared with Mom for our last  meal.  I crashed when I got home.




The Scaredy Sheep Scissor Fob is completed and looks nice. CHECK! that one off my list.
Table Runner for that new to me sofa table was made when I got the Halloween decorations out, CHECK! that's off my list too.
The Boo! Table Mat hasn't been started yet, but I still have 20 more hours until October ends, LOL (aren't I ever the optimist or should I say fool).

The pics towards the top of this post shows additional projects I started and finished.  That carved pumpkin showing a witch stirring a cauldron over flames done on one of those perpetual pumpkins.  I started it then had DH complete it since I don't have the power with my arms to control the dremel tool.  It was too difficult to manage with my neck spine difficulties and he didn't mind.  Thanks Honey!.
Also with the help of the youngest two grandchildren we created a beautiful wreath for our front door.  It has black roses, many skeletons, and skulls along with a myriad of spiders and glittery bits of whimsical color spinning outwards.  Looks great if I say so myself and I am pleased.  As for sharing the photos, DH has been taking pictures off our older computer and added them to this one and now I can't get to any of my pictures in the normal pattern.  When trying to download the camera, RITZ pics comes up and downloads them there, not my usual autoplay download so I am totally lost!  It also seems to distort the photos where they are more grainy than ever.  How irritating!  It's been fixed!  Not sure how I can fix that.  I  just need a few more hours, days and perhaps even weeks to manage that.   Grrr........! 
Perhaps I best go back to bed now and catch a few more Zzzzzz's. 

If any body has a tip to get our auto feature fixed, I'd sure appreciate it.

Good Night,
Jane

PS:  Last month's book club selected Morning Glory by LaVerle Spencer my Librarian recommended and I truly enjoyed it.  Right now I'm reading November's selection of Still Alice by Lisa Genova and it's pulling me in. It's about a mid life college professor being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and talking about screening for the APP, PS1 and PS2 mutations. I think I'll be googling that to read more about it. Even though I'm retired, that lab technician nerdy side of me still wants more information. MUWAWhaha ha ha........

Brody PGS#3 with Addison, a friend he's had since daycare, preschool and now they're in Kindergarten together.  
(He's insisting on her not calling him "Brodybear" anymore, lol.)

Witchy McKenna, PGD#1 with a friend of hers she's had since they were infants, Lexus. 

Their Moms are great friends too.

 

Thanksgiving Blessings

My baby girl turns 35 today.   What a wonderful creature and person she is. 
Beautiful, smart, strong, capable, talented, friendly, kind, loyal and a wonderful part of our family both as a daughter, sister and Mother.  




Happy Birthday Honey.  
{Of course I couldn't ever be biased! }








It seems like it's a tradition now to go to a local indoor water park to celebrate her Birthday and since  it falls just near Thanksgiving and this year was no exception on pilgraming to the water park just before her Birthday, since this year it falls on Thanksgiving Day. 



A nice time was had by all.

 

PGD#1 age 7 trying out her surfing skills, she's another lady in our family with a can do attitude.  

Thanks for those genes Gigi! 

 

 

 

Her Brother PGS#3 almost age 4 spent his time fearlessly in any of the allowed slides and tubing rides besides the kiddie pool with his friend, Ophelia,  Sam's daughter, the daughter  of my daughter's coworking friend. 

 

 

My time was spent from the Hot tub area to my chair near the kiddie pool watching the youngsters play and reading my book.  Happily I was able to finish Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts just this am in my own home. 


What an enjoyable book. If you're not familiar with her writing I hope you give it a try. All the books I've read from her so far have been very nice reads. Her storytelling and character development is grand. Each person within stands ni his own story line and has a unique part in the overall story. Such an unusual mix of different traits of the human spirit is shown and you believe these people could be from your own neighborhood.

I hope you enjoy it too.



We did get home rather late last night and what a lovely surprise in my mail.  A squishy package in the mail.
Corrie and Des were hosting another weekly giveaway at Quilt Taffy and I was selected as the random generated winner. Thanks so much you two. Here's Marmalade made by Bonnie and Camille for Moda Fabrics.

So peeps for your viewing pleasure here's the scrumpious charm pack, how sweet it is!

I love the warmth of those colors, they are just yummy and it will be delicious to work with them. Sorry, my mind is thinking up all the flavorful ways this pack can be played with. LOL Thanks again Corrie and Des, I appreciate it.

May you and yours have a Blessed and Wonderful Thanksgiving Celebration.    Jane

 

 

 

 

Stash Report , Week 4 of 2012

Used this Week: 7- 1/3 yards

Used year to Date: 9  yards

Added this Week: 32 yards

Added Year to Date: 32 yards

Net  for 2012:   A gain of 24  yards

So far this week I did use 1 2/3  yards of cotton for the wonky house blocks and  the moda dolls.  Also I used another 5 + 2/3 yards of fleece on the two fleece blankets.  The Tow mater tied blanket was shorter than the  2 yard length but it also was 60" wide so I figured 2 yards for each side is now out of my stash.    So a total of  7  and 1/3 yards used.    Feeling so great about this and that they are both done!  Make sure you check out how other quilters are doing on moving their stash over at Judy's blog Patchwork Times.

I also have to report that I purchased this book  "Strip Smart Quilts" by Kathy Brown at Joanns.  Perhaps I should start counting the books in and start using those too.  I do so love books and find myself forever shifting the book shelves to make room for another.  Maybe I could think about letting one book go when I purchase another......  I'll have to think more of this before I could ever wrap my brain around that concept.  Besides the book I also gained 32 yards of Kona Cotton solid fabric this past week that I purchased through Jane's Fabrics Ebay Store when she was having a sale.  When I ordered them at such a great price ($3.00 a yard!), I didn't know she was closing her shop.  I hope the next venture she persues will be as successful as her Fabric shop.  Thanks Jane and Good Luck. 

Many of the charm packs, jelly rolls and layer cakes I have in all need a little something (anyways in my mind they do) to create into a quilt.  So I have been adding some Konas to my stash to have in for sashing blocks units or larger pieces to act as the cement for the whole quilt with having 3, 6 and 9 yard pieces in now.  Not sure where all of these will be used but they will, even in scrappy quilts if need be.  Aren't they gorgeous?

Off to clean up my home, it's amazing how fast it turns into shambles when my attention is elsewhere. 

Enjoy your day, I'm off to play...hehehe

Jane