A Friday Afternoon Ramble

Good afternoon from the rancho.  Didn't get to the computer this morning as I was driving Mr. Daisy to the eye doctor.  I took my morning walk through the neighborhoods around the doctor's office.  Nice to see some new vistas.  I love to peek in people's yards, checking out the flowers and outside decorating ideas.  I know, sounds creepy but I don't go INTO the yards.  LOL

Lots going on in my garden.  Strawberries are throwing out runners, tomatoes are almost ready and the amount of zucchini I'm harvesting is almost obscene. 

The other morning we had zucchini and eggs for breakfast.  I'm getting desperate.  LOL  Added some cheese, spinach and salsa verde.  Yummy.

While cleaning out my kitchen drawers, I found four potatoes that were growing vines.  I felt bad and didn't want to throw them away.  So...I am now the proud owner of a potato pot.  At least I'm giving them a chance.  LOL  Doesn't look like much, but I'm hopeful.

My roses have started blooming again.  I love my roses and the reminder of my dad.

         

Not much on the stitching front.  I got in about an hour at the doctor's while waiting, but I seem to be stitching at a snail's pace.  Honestly, a snail is probably stitching faster than me right now.  LOL

California is back to wearing masks in public.  Surprise...I never stopped.  LOL  It makes me sad that so many people complain that wearing a mask makes them a sheep and it's the government's way of controlling the masses.  The mask isn't for me, it's for others.  What if I'm the carrier?  Sigh.  People make me tired.

I hope that all have a lovely weekend.  Stay safe.  Be kind to one another.

Beautiful Flowers and The Crazy World

Happy Friday from the rancho.  It is a beautiful day in California.  The first of the week was hot but today was clear with a light breeze.  Only 80 degrees!  My roses are loving it.

My geraniums are in full bloom.  This sherbet color is one of my favorites.

I got a little carried away and planted another five tubs of veggies.  More lettuce, spinach, winter squash, cucumbers and some type of French cantaloupe.  Not sure where DH picked up the cantaloupe seeds, but the picture is real fancy.  Organic and all that.  I just hope they grow. 

Early in the week, the temperatures were in the low 100s.  The perfect time to get some stitching in.

The world is a crazy place.  Last Wednesday, our town had an active shooter.  Several officers were injured and two people are dead.  It is said that the shooter had been diagnosed with mental illness many years ago.  So sad.  Now an innocent man and the shooter are dead.  Officers are still in the hospital.  Nothing was gained.  All that is left is sadness.  Please keep all involved in your hearts.

I leave each of you with thoughts of hope.  Hug your loved ones, smile at strangers.  Be kind to one another.

It's Friday...I Think...

Okay.  I think it's Friday.  Pretty sure it's Friday.  Yes... It's Friday.  My days and weeks just seem to flow on and on.

This has been the week of temperatures over 100 degrees at the rancho.  Most of my roses went from beautiful to dehydrated in about an hour.  I have great hope for my tomatoes.  Lots of fruit, but nothing is red.  I'm picking one or two zucchini a day as well as harvesting lettuce.  My grapes are loaded.  I've had them for about ten years.  Last year was the first year that I beat the birds to the fruit.  LOL

A few pictures of my garden.

     

Teeny, tiny spaghetti squash.

 
Lovely cactus flower and one of the few roses I have that it was still vibrant. 

          

I've stitched a bit.  The SAL has a huge motif for March.  I'm hoping to finish it by March of next year.  I'm still following the 8 PM curfew on my phone so I am getting more sleep.  If I could just get my dogs to sleep.  I don't think that they know how to tell time, but they are really good about waking me up at exactly 4:30 am each morning.  Since I don't need to be up until 6 am, I do get an attitude.

A friend found several lots of quilt-shop-quality fabric on our local Marketplace.  I went all in and picked up a couple hundred yards.  Fat quarters, half yards and full yards.  I know, I know, out of control, but the woman had the fabric priced at $2.50 a yard so I just couldn't say no.  And...my friend will buy all the full yards of the fabric that I won't use for quilting or finishing.  She's teaching her grandchildren to sew.  I have a machine that someone had given me a year ago.  I didn't need it, but didn't want it to go to a landfill.  I offered it to my friend for the kids.  It's an all metal Morse from the 1950's.  It has an awesome stitch.  She was excited...it is same type of machine that she learned on!  Win-Win!! 

I wish each of you a weekend filled with peace and love.  Take time to sit quietly and appreciate the gifts of others.  The world is a scary place right now.  I refuse to be filled with hate.  Be kind to one another.

A Beautiful Day in the Garden and Some Stitching!

Happy Friday!  I was up early and took my walk while the sun was still coming up. A good way to start the day.

I've been working diligently in my garden and continue to harvest lettuce and zucchini.  My asparagus is starting to really look like asparagus and my tomato plant is ready for the hot days of summer.

I am upping my gardening game.  My son and I discussed kumquat trees several months ago.  It is a type of tree that does well inside and he was considering two for his house in Iowa.  Kumquat trees are really expensive in Iowa but are more reasonable in California.  I picked up two and told my son that the trees are his but will have to live with me.  They will be part of his inheritance.  LOL  As for the lime, I really like limes on my tacos...that's the only the reason I need.  

My patio is my quiet place.  My plants are growing and it is lush and cool.  All of my geraniums are blooming.

There are a few rose bushes on their second bloom. The blooms are not as big, but just as beautiful.

For those who remember when I used to stitch, I have an update.  LOL  I started on this SAL last January.  Still working on April's pattern...but that's okay.  I realized that I spend way too much time on YouTube, playing games on my phone and hanging out on Facebook.  Decided that I needed to better organize my time.  I set the alarm on my phone for 8 pm.  As soon as it goes off, I put my phone in the other room and sit down and stitch.  I am seeing progress.  What a surprise!  

This pattern is from Linen and Threads SAL...on FB.  LOL  I somehow counted incorrectly so I will be missing the bottom two inches.  I'm okay with that.  I think I miscalculated the true count of my linen. I have a horrible habit of leaving off the names and counts of my linens when I put them in storage. Silly me!! 

I hope that all have a beautiful weekend.  Be safe.  Be kind to one another.

I Even Set An Alarm...

Happy Saturday morning!  I was so adamant on getting back to my blog that I set my phone alarm for 8 am on Friday.  It went off right on time...as I was watering my garden.  LOL  I should have known better.  As soon as I finished I needed to drive Mr. Daisy to town.  The three stops turned into six stops and three hours.  Of course I had to take a nap when I got home.  LOL 

But today is a new day and I'm ready for the challenge.  I have a beautiful 2008 Starbucks coffee cup that I usually use for my morning coffee. 

Last week, I found a companion cup and this baby is just perfect for that morning when you are extra happy.  Don't you just love that green?

Sill no stitching.  Sigh.  I get all excited, pull out my pattern, set my q-snaps...and nope.  Just sit and stare at my phone.  I'm a stitching loser.  LOL

I am doing great on the gardening front.  I keep all my veggies in pots since I have dogs that don't understand anything about social distancing.  This is the first time I've grown lettuce.  I harvest the leaves around the edges of the plants.  I've had nine meals so far and the plants are still going strong.

I researched how to plant asparagus.  It was recommended that you plant them in the ground for longest life.  Twenty years.  If you plant them in a container, you may only get ten years of harvest.  I'm almost sixty years old...I went with the container.  LOL

I've got tomatoes and zucchini growing.  No tomatoes yet, but the weatherman is promising 100 degree temperatures next week.  I'll be miserable, but that should help to redden up the tomatoes.  LOL

My roses are done with the first round of blooms, but I'm putting a few on here for your viewing pleasure.

One of my beautiful irises.

I leave you with good thoughts and hope for a happy day.  Be safe.  Each of us have darkness to fight.  Be kind to one another.

And Life Changed

It has been so very long since I have posted.  Life has changed, not necessarily for the better, but not for the worst.

My father passed on November 11, 2018.  After ten years of caring for him, it seemed anticlimactic when he died.  I realized early in the week that it was getting closer so I took time off of work to be with him.  He was put on Hospice on a Wednesday and passed on Sunday morning.  He went in his sleep...probably to spare me that last moment.  I must admit that I was calm and made the required calls.  I waited until he was put into the van.  Then I completely broke down.  It seems that the last year and a half has gone by in a blur.  I'm able to think of him without crying and can speak of him without focusing on the hard parts.  My uncle, my father's older brother, died the previous Monday.  There is only one funeral home in my town.  When I went in to plan my dad's cremation, I used my father's last name.  The poor secretary had to ask me which one as my uncle was there at the same time.  I find it funny now, but didn't at the time.

My husband's stroke is now at the two year mark.   There are still residuals.  It is difficult for him to walk but he carries on the best he can.  He knows that he is different, but tries to ignore all the pain.  He still wants to be seen as the man that can do anything.  Okay.  But I can see it and try to do most of the yard work and gardening.

I retired at the end of June 2019.  I had become annoyed at the never ending audits, budget meetings and general crap that comes with a state job.  I was invited to a wedding on June 28th and decided that I was never going back to work.  Really.  That is how I made my decision.  And...I have not had a single moment of regret.  I have my crafts, my gardening, my house plants...and my husband.  He doesn't drive much anymore, so I spend a lot of time driving Mr. Daisy.

I have thought of my blog often, of the people I met, the people that became my friends.  I really have no excuse...life just got in the way.  I would lay in bed and think of all the things I should post.  Then...nothing.  I just couldn't find the energy or time to think about my life. 

So this evening I gave myself a kick in the butt and told myself that I have no more time for excuses.  I don't know if there's anyone still out there, but I need to get back to myself.  And part of myself is my writing and sharing.  I have lots of craft projects to catch up.  Here are a few roses from my garden to brighten your day.



 


I hope that all is well.  Be kind to one another.

What? Pictures of Projects? Yes!

Good morning and happy Saturday.  Very quiet this morning at the rancho.  There is rain on the horizon, but so far, no drops.

Moto Kitty had to be up and outside at 5 am this morning.  I disagreed, but after fifteen minutes of having him perched on my back while trying to sleep, I decided that he was right...it was time for him to be outside.  LOL It's funny, the dog is still sleeping.  He has no intention of being off his bed until the sun is well up.

Hubby is doing well.  He seems to be walking a bit straighter and has good use of his right hand.  We are still waiting for the authorization for at-home PT from the insurance company.  Sigh.  It seems that they are moving at their own pace.  He had some problems with muscle spasms last night, but finally got some sleep.  I offered to take him to the emergency room, but he took some medication that he uses for his shoulders and back and seemed to quiet down.  It's tough getting old.  But after spending ten days at a rehab center, I've realized that we are better off than most.

I've been working on some stitching for my retreat mid-April.  I am still not sure if hubby will be well enough for me to go, but I am hopeful.

This is Black Cherry Tart by Plum Street Sampler...

On the sewing front, I've been working on project bags for me and a friend.  This is her stitching, my sewing.  This is one of the smaller bags, vertical placement.  This one will be mine.  I usually stitch in hand, so this is the best size for me.  Each bag has a side zipper and is fully lined.

Here is the fabric choice for the next bag.  Same stitching, but horizontal placement and the bag will be larger.  She likes this combination of colors.

Last bag.  It is 14x14.  She needlepoints and this is big enough to hold her stretcher bars as well as supplies.

The stitching was a free pattern.  Once I get mine stitched, I will most likely do the same fabric.  I love these colors!

Well, I'm off like a herd of turtles.  I am doing chores and sewing today.  I've been running errands with DH all week, so today will be a stay-home day.  Someone needs to scrub the toilets and do laundry.  Pretty sure it will be me!  LOL

Have a wonderful weekend.  Be kind to one another.