Time flies!!!

Beautiful fall days for the last of August and now Sept.  Cool in the morning...70's in the afternoon.  Still eating dinners on the patio with wonderful salads now filled with tomatoes and cucumbers.  Yum.  Attended an Umoja meeting, planning a huge fund raising dinner in Nov.  Made 50 cloth napkins out of beautiful bright Kenyan prints.  Beautiful decorating addition to the tables.  The dinner is at North church with at least 200 people attending Nov.  24th..  The garden continues to be beautiful with zinnia, black eyed Susan's and more.  But...there are two huge blue garbage cans at the road this morning filled with clippings.  It's the beginning of fall clean up.  I continue to work with Monarch butterflies having released more than 30 with at least 30 more to come.  Those little creatures are HUGE milkweed eaters so off to Central Park almost every day to refresh the supply.  It's a wonderful thing to see them unfold when they emerge.  It's one of those miracle things.  I attended our monthly Herb meeting last night, taking them with me and perhaps a few more people will be interested in helping Monarch's along.  Choir starts tonight.  I decided to take give myself a few more months sitting in the pew.  Sundays are so busy with our hospitality work setting up coffee and pastries from Panera, and then off to the choir room at some point.  Not always happy to rush, rush.  So...simple is what I'm doing until sometime in Nov.  I would much rather be available to welcome new folks at the west desk.  Showing them around the church if time allows and then taking them to the sanctuary.  Big churches can be intimidating for some.  So...No rushing, no chance of being late to my choir seat.  No pressure.  That's about it for now.  Oh yes...3-13 continues every evening after supper .

Thurs...

It's been sunny, rainy, cool, hot, and just right kind of week.  Picked up...no...cleaned up the sewing room.  I'm getting ready for fall when it's sewing time.  Tues, University Heights UMC church folks saw lots of banners at church.  A fun morning of sharing what I know about banner history at North.  Woo...it was a workout for sure.  Brought one of the banners home to tear apart and get the sags out.  Went through two bags of donated fabric and put some pieces together we can use.  Woo...some of it is beautiful.  Donations are just wonderful.  Use what I can and then find another home for the rest of the donation.  Today I did some changing of areas around the church.  Got to keep it fresh.
Trying to walk a mile around the block every day.  I started out today and the rain came.  Detoured back home.  Then this afternoon tried again and got a bit wet.  I just kept going.  That's about it for now.

Home from vacation.

Woo...life is great when the outdoor temp never gets to 80 and the night time is in the very low 60's.  Breeze from the lake and the chair needs to sit in the sun to keep warm.  Sweatshirts on every day!
And it the last of July.  Now that's a great vacation.  Activity for the day.  Pancake breakfast with the JB family living next door.  Then it's book time and.  nap time till noon. a jelly sandwich and time for the chair and book time and nap time experience.  till supper.  Soup/Fish/Pastie...then a walk around camp...and a fire for the rest of the evening.  Oh yes.  forgot...Card playing in between times. Lots of laughing included.  Visiting with friends Leslie and Dennis, Marsha and Dennis...and just loafing.  Did that  every day.  Two long driving days...overnight just outside of Madison.  Time in the library reading the New York Time and at the Dairy Queen.

Now it's home to a BEAUTIFUL garden of flowers and weeds!   But the flowers are just beautiful.  Not to many weeds come to think of it.

Today I dug out a bunch of hostas that ended up in the sun when the tree fell last year.   Planning  to plant more black eyed susans soon.  Monarchs are   flying as well as Swallowtails.  It's a beautiful.
combination for the eyes.  Life is good.

Still Hot at 96 degrees.

It's time to chill if that is possible.  Soup kitchen was yesterday along with a visit to the PT guy.  My knee is healing thanks to a lot of good work.  Today we pack the van for our ??? camping trip.  How many...can't remember.  Tomorrow we drive to Madison Wis.  I checked the weather and it's just about as hot there as here.  Not the case at Copper Harbor.  Jared and family are arriving today.  So...so long for now.

Hot again.

Very hot.  No rain.  No 20 chipmunks now living somewhere else.  This was the first morning free of chipmunks in a long time.  4 soon to be monarch's living in a protected environment.  Pesky certain fly needs to be kept from them. They are killers.  .   Took two friends to see Patti Becks wonderful country garden 20 miles north of here Monday.  Lovely trip.  Worked at the front desk at church this morning.  Tomorrow is soup kitchen morning.  Heat...we have way to much.  Garden is dust but I think the plants will survive.  They have stopped growing.  Can't blame them.

July 4.

Woo...a decent night of sleeping.  That really was refreshing and this morning...back in the garden.  Watering where needed...weeding...snipping and cutting.  Huge burn pile to burn...Doug tried 3 times Monday...2 times today.  I asked to try a burn and guess what?  I GOT IT GOING.  So another pile gone.

Found another log with a hole...brought it home and now a little beany baby is sitting in it in the flowerbed.  I need a squirrel or chipmunk beany baby.  Not the real thing.  There is another chipmunk in the garden.  Trap set!  We have been blessed to have a mother hawk and two babies in the yard for a few days.  Woo...noisy to say the least but they are beautiful.  So happy to have big trees they like.  No big plans today.  Just enjoying the cooler weather.  Well...not 95 at this point.  Time to make some ice tea.

Summer heat has arrived.

Last summer...few, very few days in the 90's...Woo...not so this year.  After time spent in Georgia with family, we returned to a scorched earth Indiana.  Started watering the minute I got home even before the suitcases got in the house.  So..it's time to slow down and veg.  Nights are hot as well so sleeping is a challenge.  The Georgia trip was wonderful.  Such beautiful flower plantings...just lush.  The ordination of brother-in-law Dee or Brother Cassian to Father Cassian was heart warming to say the least.  His life experiences will bring much good to his family of brothers.  It was a very good time of family togetherness.  So...tomorrow is a trip to  Ortho Indy to have another check on the broken knee cap.  Then to PT for another session getting this body back together.  So it goes.

Busy.

There is NO moss growing under my feet.  Fri. the kids came.  I tried to scratch in the garden.  Didn't work...still to soggy.  Got some ideas on paper for my going away speech for preacher Ronnie.  Candle collected...Ninja Turtle shoes in the bag.  People color crayons.  Oranges.  Two related to sermons...Two are related to events.  What a guy and will be missed terribly.  His new church is sooooo fortunate.  So...it's on to Tiffney Williams who will be here July 7th.  Today was the big dinner and gift giving.  And I'm bushed, really bushed.  Three of us did soup kitchen Sat.  Really busy and served ALL the food.  It was a block buster weekend.  Tomorrow doing wash, checking the flowerbeds and getting ready for a Wed late morning start to Georgia for Brother-in-law's ordination leading to the priesthood at the monastery.  We'll return to Indy Monday.

Water. water every where and not a drop to drink!

Rain, rain go away...come again some other month!   Woo...have we had rain storms.  It's straight down and forgets to turn itself off.  It feels like we live in a swamp on top of the hill.  Poor plants!  So...doing other things.  Hard to walk in the yard.  Squish, squish.  It's on to have a heart traping and chipmunks.  We're up to 8 trapped in three days.  Woo...lots of trips to the dog park.  There is a definite change in what we're seeing.  That's great.  Finished the bedroom curtains as well as a bed skirt.  Looks great.  This morning was another work morning at church.  Trinity Sunday over...Now on to the long summer/fall green season.  It's easy time now.  Tomorrow is Bread and Bowl soup kitchen day...That's funny...I still say soup kitchen and we don't make soup any more.  Haven't for years.  Another rehab session in the afternoon.  Seeing great progress on somethings...Others...need more help.  Big fish fry weekend.  Doug just can't get enough!  But it's really good.  Little small Meth. church with a huge weekend Fri. noon...Fri night...Sat. noon...Sat night.  Doug does them all.

Another week or so.

Weather continues to be unbelievable wonderful...meaning cool and rainy and I think we might have moved to Oregon.  Shade plants are huge.  Trees look good.  Sun plants could use a little heat.  Continue to find deer coming through...rabbits eating cabbage and squirrels pulling flowers out of the ground.  Makes for interesting discoveries.  The neighborhood cat fished out the minnows in the little pond for a delicious treat. So now it's covered at night.   Moving closer to be finished with transplanting.  The last to happen...basil, and it's everywhere. Well maybe the last. Need to plant a huge basil pot for Kat. The latest project is digging out  dead roots from our tall grass.  They are old and rotten.  Making simple white valences for the bedroom for summer.  All the winter washed and stored which includes all the blue and white bedding and curtains..
So, now it's my sunflower quilt and new valences season  I started rehab for my knee on Wed..  Interesting how the muscles around the injured knee have forgotten what is expected of them.  So...something to do at least twice a day with work with the big guy once a week.  I need to shape this knee up...Expectations are high.  Time to get on with I t.

Wed.

Started the day with my biannual dentist appointment.  8 am...why do I do that...Get it over.  Then home to play in the dirt once again.  Another day of transplanting flowers to bare places.  Just about done.  Got to do the Basel yet.  Finding the beginnings of butterflies once again.  The fun begins.  Lot of hunting and finding needs to happen among a ton of dill.  More rain today.  Can only help is my hope.  Plants continue to grow big and fat.  Soup kitchen tomorrow and finishing up the decorating for Pentecost as well as a meeting with all the people who work other Bread and Bowl days.  Always something.

More Bird News.

4 eggs in the next.  Haven't seen much of Mom Bird today.  I think she's in the box.  Doug saw her do a terror job on a squirrel who had been sitting on the roof of the box.  Good for her.  This morning...work morning with Ray and Rosie and me at church.  Next Sunday...Pentecost...lots of red fabric and banners all over the sanctuary.  It's done and ready for Sun. Woo, woo.  A load off my mind.  And we started at 9 and finished by 12:30.

Then off to Ortho Indy where I thought I would be getting a second Xray...Didn't happen.  But I did get an order for therapy.  Yes, yes.  I got to get a little stability going for me.  That starts next week.
Another appointment in 4 weeks.

Took the Ronnie stole to church Sun and showed it to a few people.  And now Darren has the stole.  That's out of the house...Ronnie will receive the stole the first Sun. after ordination...June 16th.

Then on to a end of the year choir party.  Took two pillows, the tops being made by Ellen Daniels Howell to the party.  Ellen died of cancer 3 years ago.  She started the Umoja project in Kenya that North supports in so many ways.  The pillow tops are made with beautiful fabric and covered with hearts  .I gave them to Rosie and Denise who also knew Ellen  and writes and produces the children's musical's every year.  .  Husband Todd is also in the choir.   This year's theme was Love...and our Andrew had the staring roll...Noah also did a big part.  These two woman have done so much for North's children, teaching the Bible through music.  They deserve more.

Garden continues to do it's best with lots of rain.  We could be living in the state of Washington.
Tore out more Black Eyed Susan's and tonight we're taking some of them to Kathy Oehlers.  Woo...glad to move them on.  The garbage can is loaded as well.

Bird news...

Day two...
It would seem that Mr. B Bird has made some progress with Mrs. B Bird.  Today was a busy day with the Mrs. flying in and out of the house getting the bedding in place.  Seems that she is beginning to see the plus side of living in an original JB Russell family one of a kind hotel.  Well...I guess it's not one of a kind since I think the building resulted in about 18 one of a kind hotels.  And wouldn't you know it.  The mama to be is doing all the work with anticipation just like we people mothers...get the crib ready...buy the diapers...and more.  The mister sits around watching, fighting off the chipmunks and keeping other bird neighbors away from those yummy dried M. worms.  And when the Mrs. takes off to find more bedding...the Mr. followers her to see that she safely returns.  It's been fun to watch today.  The nest is about 8 feet from the patio.  We have front row seats.  Rain continues...Hostas are at their all time big.  Got groceries at Aldi's and then on to Habig's to get smelly stuff to keep the deer away.  Our front yard is full of deer tracks.  Got to keep them away from some of their favorite food in the flowerbeds.

Memorial Day

What did I do?  Watched the birds.  So interesting.  Wren checked out the Blue Bird house.  What's up with that.  Mr. B Bird is trying to get Mrs. B Bird to move in to the new house.  That was really interesting.  What more does she want.  Dried M. Worms...Yum...Bird Bath...New House...Trees to see the world.  More bird friends...Cardinals flying in...Wood Peckers and even an Owl to listen to.

Well...time will tell.  It was Steak and Shake supper and then a trip to the Dairy Queen.  I did a bit of transplanting...Took out some Black Eyed Susans...way to many.  Planted Zinnia seeds again.  Maybe it's warm enough to grow at this point.

Yesterday we helped our neighbors clear underbrush from a long line of trees.  Bill doesn't know what anything is and there were a ton of trash bushes, honey suckle, to saw away.  Church was a bit sparse on people.  The calendar looks clear this week.  That makes me happy.  

Knee continues to work well although I'm getting tired of the knee pain.  I want to think of something else.  Today...pills made my day.  So...I thought of something else.  Yahoo.  Doc appointment next Monday.  Then I'm hoping for therapy.  I'm such an old tottery lady.  I can't do much about the old but I'm certainly going to do something about the tottery!

Answers.

Answer...Garage door opener...Cord was gone...don't know when it went...I thought that was the solution but Doug pulled an easier solution...stay home.  Cord now has been replaced by me. It was a ladder job...Doug doesn't do those any more.

Another answer...went to Ortho Indy today with questions about my continued sore knee.  It seems when I fell 6 weeks ago getting that black eye...I also broke my knee cap.  Woo...I knew that fall was a doozie!  So since it's been almost 6 weeks...healing is happening but need perhaps 2 more weeks...At least that's a return to the Ortho doctor.  Then we'll see.  So...it's take it's easy again directive. It's no gardening for a while.  Maybe a cane, more ice and better attention to where I'm going is the cure!  Then I'm hoping for therapy.  Had I gone to Ortho when this all happened getting ready for Palm Sun. at church...it would have been knee brace and crutches.

This old lady once again says thank you to Ortho Indy Doctors.  Woo...two knees, two shoulders and 4 finger surgeries...They know how to get me back together.  My mother warned me when I was little.  Once again...she was right.

And another Fri.

This one included NO power for 24 hrs.  Huge very bad storm with lots of power outage.  Our electric lines are not buried.  It was not such a good thing since the garage door was down for one thing.  So we just stayed home...It really gave me a great excuse to sleep with I did all day today.  I seemed to have burned the candle at both ends with garden work which left me wacked out.  and then since no power...no sleeping machine.  NOT a good thing.  So sleep I did.  Lots of power saws in the neighborhood.  Trees and power lines took a big hit.  So...time to take it easy.

Another Friday.

It's been a fun week.  Tues. spent the morning with Sarah Ellen...What a good friend.  We laughed and shopped and then laughed some more.  Had a great breakfast together.   Weather has been predicted rain days with no rain.  So...planting continues and what has been planted in the past is just jumping out of the ground.  Fun continues...Stopping at garden shops to buy a little of this and that or just to look.  I love looking.  Thurs. Sarah Ellen came to Soup Kitchen to work.  She along with two other church ladies started this mission about 30 years ago.  What fun sharing her with other friends.  Choir practice last night.  We're singing at First Baptist Church Sunday with their choir.  Kids are hear today but it's a bit gloomy outside although that doesn't effect them very much.  Wet grass is a bummer.  Cleaned a messy cupboard where I had spilled rice...Ugh!  Sweeper helped.  Went through the pantry stuff which didn't take long because my pantry is small.  Two people don't need much.  Made cookies and broccoli soup.  Yum.

Friday evening.

Great week of good weather...Well mostly.  Even the rain is a good thing.  Plants are growing and such fun getting surprises where they pop up.  Got rid of more ivy.  Grrrrr.  That's a good thing.  Starting to visit garden shops.  What fun.  Went to Southern Indiana with three other good friends Wed.  Great destination of garden shop things...super good restaurant and plants a plenty.  Car came home full although the three did more damage than I did.  Kids came today.  More chocolate chip cookies.  Did some digging with Noah.  Finished the stole yesterday for Ronny Bell.  That was fun and it came together so easily.  He'll get it in June.  Soon will start to work on a white one for him.  That's a communion, wedding and funeral stole.  Preachers need white.  Knee continues to make it's self known although it might be a bit better.  Still using ice packs.  Got to love them.

Time flies!!!!

Holy Thursday ...Done...Good Friday...Done...Easter preparation...Done...Easter...OVER!  And today...fun in the dirt.  Beautiful weather and I was outside ALL day.  Love it.  Did some edging.  Moved some plants...Dug out a bunch of Black Eyed Susan's.  Way to many and spreading everywhere.  More stuff is up in the garden.  Started to get the pond going...Meaning digging out the hole again.  Birds are singing.  Mommy Blue Bird is interesting to say the least.  Woo...she can do smack downs really well.


Sunday was a great day.  Good music...Good preaching...Good friends...Beautiful flowers...and Great Pecan rolls.  Then a visit with good friend Rosie and her extended family...and then with Kat and Eric and family.   Tomorrow is a scheduled Doc appointment and an Umoja Planning Thanksgiving meeting.  Onward and Forward.

Knee continues to get better.  Worked well although I did do 2 icings.  Love those frozen bags.  And no stairs to speak of.

-

Black eyes.

Of course I have black eyes...I was born with them...but this one is a bit different.  Still black but no pain...no nothing.  I should do eye shadow on the right one.  They would match.  Monday back to church to put away Palm Sun.  It was a great Sunday church morning but the real live donkey decided to stay home.  Guess there was to much rain.  So...Palm Sun is back in the visual arts box...closet.
Holy Thurs.  Good Fri. is ready to go visually.  Then Sat...it's the big do morning.  Buying flowers for the altar Thurs.  Weather is warming up...Out in the gardens this morning scraping off weeds.  Planted radishes yesterday.  Peas are up.  Lettuce is doing well and Parsley is everywhere.  That's great.  Worked on fixing sand candles today.  A bit of a mess but all 4 now are usable.  Another something to use at church.  Now the priority is getting my knee to work again.  It took a huge hit in the fall and still have trouble with steps but thankful I can walk without a cane.  Icing is great.  I'll get there

Squirrel news

Yup...the squirrel succeeded once again.  That was after falling off the dome to the feeder twice.  What a hoot.  So moved the feeder to a new place.  So far...so good.  Flower beds are looking fabulous.  Such fun since I forgot where I planted things last fall.  Places are filling up.  A little more sewing repairs for another friend.  The sewing machine just keeps on giving.  Worked at church yesterday for a long time getting ready for Palm Sunday.  Woo...the place looks spiffy.  Ray, Allen and Leigh were part of the work crew.  Took a very impressive and hard fall at church.  That cement floor is very hard!!!  So today...one impressive black eye!  First in my lifetime! and a knee that wants to work in circles.  Looks like I forgot the eye shadow on the right eye to match the left . That's a very interesting look  to say the least.  So..it's ice time today.  The brain needs to remember to pick up feet!  Dah...Important in walking.  Panera tonight...Church tomorrow.  Then on to Holy Week.  That's more work but slow and easy gets the job done.  I promise myself to remember that.  Ladders?  Not so sure.

Tues...

Another fun day.  Sewed all morning.  Fixed the second choir robe for choir friend...then on to a 12 ft. runner for the communion table at church.  It's amazing how many things our minister keeps me busy with.  His brain just keeps going.  Used material we had at church so no additional money this time.  Thank goodness I have a fund to use.  Then this afternoon I got busy on the garden plot.  It was really warm.  I got a tan!!!   Scraped all the weeds off and the ground is really clean at this point.  Dug out a bit of horseradish.  Cleaned the asparagus plot.  This garden gets no weed killer because it's full of milkweed.  That happened 3 years ago...Bad, bad.  My swamp milkweed didn't make it through the winter.  Bummer.  Monarchs like it...Dill is coming up...Swallowtails love it.  So time to think more about what to plant for my friends!  Woo...I thought my back would not straighten up but now it's just about  fine.  It's been a beautiful day.  More hostas are up.  Ginger is up.  Bluebells are happy.  What an interesting garden. Now...tomorrow?   What ever happens...all is well.  Another fun day coming.  The squirrel sat and sat trying to think of a way to get to the basket with sunflower seed.  Didn't succeed.

Hummm...Where does the time go?

Sunday...good church...last sermon on understanding the Bible...Great series for Lent.  I going to ask for copies of all of them to read over again.  Birthday party for 10 year old Noah.  Great food and lots of talk.  Evening...bushed...slept...watched a bit of TV...I think.  Got our Sunday call from JB and Kimmy from the Swing...I love it!!!!   Today...Woo...Went to church at 8:3 0 and left at 12...Put things away...and got out decorations for Palm Sun.  That was work!!!  but I would say...fun work.  Then on to Sarah Ellen's to repair her couch!  Easy fix but took a bit of time.  Got a few groceries for their refrigerator...left a note with the two tea cups sitting on the counter that Kimmy made.  Sarah Ellen grew up in Japan and these cups are a perfect home coming gift for both her and Joe.  I know she'll love them.  I think they will be back in Indy maybe tomorrow in retirement from their work in Kenya.  I'm happy and sad at the same time.
This evening...NCAA last game!  Walking among the flower beds is just more fun than a barrel of monkeys.  Lots of stuff hopping out of the ground.  More birds back with us.  Blue bird mother continues to sit.  Finches, woodpeckers, robins, cardinals...and more.  Lots of color and  music.  Still fighting with the squirrel.  Tired of feeding him bird seed.  Bird seed is for the birds.  

Blue bird report

Yes the houses are up but our little blue bird decided that it is was nest building time before the houses arrived and the worty gourd now has 4 blue bird eggs.  Woo...hope she's not planning this family to arrive to early in the year.  We got the first two parts of the umbrella on the patio with the help of Andrew and Noah.  The stole is coming along just fine.  What fun.  Yesterday was Bread and Bowl lunch with a fine group of community folks.  Our numbers are down and we learned that the apartment owners are pricing their rents higher which is forcing  folks to live else where.  How sad.  The current housing is not the best as it is.  So the work for the next few days...finish the stole...fix Sarah Ellen's couch...go to Panera's for Sunday pastries and then church!  Not a bad combination of jobs.  Oh...and check the garden for peas...parsley and find all the perennials that are popping through the ground.

Warming up!

I'm ready for the outdoors although planting can't come soon enough.  My little seeds are starting to emerge but May needs to hurry up. And I hope my plants aren't to big by then.  It's flower growing time.  Yesterday I started one of my most favorite things to do.  Our associate minister is moving on to his own church in July.  He also is being ordained in June...So...it's stole making time.  Woo...I can get lost in fabric and thread!  The stole is green with lots of liturgical symbols,  North's cross along with a challis is at the bottom of the stole.  I'm ready to stitch justice scripture passages from Micah and Amos tomorrow.  Ronny is our community outreach minister and he will be missed.  It would seem that North is a teaching church sending newly ordained ministers on their way to a church of their own.  I can't count how many times this has happened.  So...once more it's happened again.  We had a heavy snow on Sat. night.  What a surprise.  Today, three blue bird houses are up ready for our little bird friends who were with us all winter.  It's been a great bird winter.

Another week

A super fun time at the Michigan Russell home.  Woo  ..played a lot of card games and lost a lot of card games.  Laughed until we hurt.  The weather was great...took walks, talked to the sheep, played with the dog and had great food.  Loved every minute.  Home again and love looking at all the things popping out of the garden.  Lettuce is up.  Digging onions with Jacob and IT"S SPRING!!!   Tomorrow spending the day at St. Luke's UMC for a whole day of gardening sessions.  Wonder what I'll learn.  Blue birds continue to entertain.  Jared made MANY B.bird houses and I have a few to put up around the yard.  Yeah!!!!!   Cinnamon Rolls this morning.  Not many left!

Saturday.

Finished knitting another hat.  I need to get a few more to cancer patients.  The hats are growing.  Weather continues to make me want to be outside even when it is around 30.  Added more water to the frozen bird bath this morning and filled the feeders again, watching many birds come to eat.  Love seeing the blue birds.  And they love the suet.  Did our usual Friday chocolate chip cook make.  Some are eaten here and some go the Eric family.  And we'll take some to Michigan on Monday.  Woo, woo.  Yesterday I planted lots of seeds in pots for early transplant to the garden.  All flower seeds so this is a first inside planting I've ever done.  What was I waiting for?  There are 50 plugs and I'm hoping for a good return.  Could do even more because I'm sure some won't make it.  Potatoes and pears, parsley and lettuce  are in the garden dirt.  Heading north to the JB family on Monday...back in Indiana Wed. night.  Kids are on school vacation so it's a perfect time to interrupt their lives with grandparents.

More stuff.

Wart is persistent!  Such fun in the dirt.  I've been raking...raking and this afternoon I dug out day lilies that are moving everywhere.  Cup plant is coming out of the ground...birds are singing and the squirrel has found a new way t o get into the basket.  Woo...that squirrel is outwitting us.  I haven't given up YET!  Three kinds of woodpeckers at the feeder.  Woo...that's impressive.   Little and great big.  Sunday at church we had a free trading books event...Took some and brought a few home.  And finding time to read when there is frost on the ground.  Brr...Grocery shopping this morning.  I hate that but we were really, really out of food.  Somehow that happens.  Crockpot chicken tonight.  It's usually soup or salad!  Doug likes the smell of tonight's supper.

A little of this and that.

Today was a lot of things.  Went to JoAnn's and got plastic eggs for church and some blue fabric to fix a top.  Eggs are fixed with string and will hang on trees in the courtyard.  and so is the top.  Fixed that is.   Bought seed potatoes...and some more seeds.  Raked in the yard.  Dug horse radish and ground some.  It's so sweet and tame this time of year.  Made egg salad and horseradish!  Slept...soaked my hand and now trying to get rid of a wort!  First a sty...now a wart.  Watched a bit of basketball.  Fed the birds.  Took Eric to the bus...He's working today.  Kat is not feeling well.  Registered for a Gardening Workshop that's all day on the 23rd.  Oiled the garage door.  So...a little of this and a little of that.

Interesting day.

Woo...the storms are rolling through Indiana.  Mostly south of us but it's one tornado after another.  Warm and windy for sure.  Soup Kitchen was today...It was a very, very small group of folks.  Lots of work and I once again came home and slept for a while.  Now watching TV weather.  Worked a lot in the yard this week.  I'm ready for flowers.  Cleaned out the Dennis minnow basket.  I think it needs a Pansy.  Bulbs are popping up.  And I'm thinking about what I want and where I want it.  It should be a fun summer.  Choir practice tonight.  Tomorrow the kids.  I think it will be chocolate chip day again.  I love watching those cookies disappear.

Eye is better.

A little of this and that and the eye continues to a. good place.  Weather is a little warmer and yesterday afternoon, although it was cool...I spent some time in the gardens clipping and raking and now one garbage can is full and ready for the street pickup...  And...I'm stiff as a board.  Boo, Woo.  Guess I'm not 19 anymore.  So glad I stopped working when I did.  This morning I walked at the Y for 15 minutes...Not 30...What a woose.  So today...garden?  Maybe.  Continue to play 3 13 card game after supper.  I'm the big time winner!!!!  Doug just keeps trying!!!!   It's time to take one wool blanket off the bed.  Temp is kinder!  

Saturday.

Hum...spurt of energy left!   So...back to a bit of knitting.  Kids came on Friday...Thursday I developed something that turned into a eye sty...so the nurse practitioner said.  So.. the skin around my eye looks really bad...Doing medicine and hot packs and if it doesn't go away I am to go to the Doc. who can fix it...She couldn't to cut and stitch!!!  Looking for an easy solution.   I'll see in a few more days where this goes.  Did a funeral Fri. evening.  Today LOTS of rain.  And the kids bought a couch at Kea so the van came in handy.  12 different kinds of birds at the feeder.  I'm so ready for green!!!  Tried to buy seed potatoes and peas but the garden shop said NEXT Sat.

It's Tuesday!

Another day...Humm...Another dollar?  Don't think so at this house.  Big energy spurt.  Why?  No answer.  Did the Y 1 1/2 mile thing on the treadmill this morning.  Woo...I can attest to what it feels like when one is not paying ENOUGH attention to what's happening and gets shot out the back of one of those contraptions.  Woo...That was an awakening experience for sure.  Then it was time to get right back on the horse!  Which I did.  That happened Friday so today I paid a bit more to what I was doing.  Guess I can't do three things at once anymore.  Then...it was home and Humm...energy spurts a long time ago meant that I might be ready to have a baby.  Well...that wasn't going to happen but the sweeper went crazy.  I can't believe all the dirt that ended up in my Bissell.  It was embarrassing.  I bought a long area rug a few years ago.  Swept it often but not with the Bissell until today.  Did the front...back...front...back and Woo...the dog hairs!  Good grief. Not our dog!  Now that's embarrassing. Washed the kitchen floor...got more candle wax off.  Dusted...and then took a nap and knitted.  Soup supper and time to TV.   Spent time at church yesterday getting the place ready for Lent.  Had great help and we're ready.  Church called today saying...No altar flowers.  I told them...for Sun...we're giving up altar flowers.  We'll see.  I might think of something in the meantime.  It's been at least 9 months since there have been no flowers.  Tomorrow...I need to remember to get my hair CUT!  It's floppy long!  So that's about it for now!

About time.

Well after blog troubles...I think I have this figured out.  So...here goes.  It's been a busy time...Lots of things have happen and I'm ready for spring.  More snow and COLD>  I'm done with this stuff.  Today I made some changes with ALL Xmas stuff  gone. It was really bugging me much to my surprise...and the silk iris and other spring flowers can be found around the house.  I found a lovely basket of tulips in my favorite Goodwill along with a great bird house. .  Did some big time door and furniture cleaning.  Washing walls and more.  And today 3 friends met me at church and we now are ready for Lent.  Good to have friends.  Still knitting...making soup...singing in the choir and the beat goes on.  I hope the bugs are out of the blog.

Last project done!!!!

Well as my mother-in-law would say...Done is for cooking.  But...I'm using it to indicate that the last of the four big projects has been baked!  The stole is finished and it was such fun work to think about color and what to do with that color.  And of course...the Doris sewing machine is such a HUGE help.   Now on to give it to our minister Darren.  He gave me a few ideas which I used but a whole bunch of what was baked will be a surprise.  I'll like it because I'll be the one to see him wearing it.  He just wears it!  This stole was the easiest one to put together.  I learned a whole lot about the weight of the fabric and how lighter is better.  A big problem can happen if the stole fabric is heavy which makes turning the stole to the right side out just difficult.   I should take a break to let my brain relax.  Knitting should do that.

Last post...Thurs...Today is Sat.

Woo...sewed all day yesterday and this morning I finished with all the fun bits, buttons and pieces on the processional banners. What fun.   Wooo...Loud and stunning if I must say so myself.  Because the sanctuary is so big with gray stone...LOUD colors are happy in that space.  And...Doug and I took all the ribbon rings the children will use...processional banners...sashes Rosie's choir will wear, to church this morning.  Color is gone from the dining room and the bushels of color have landed at church.  Such a great feeling to know that all  is at church and I cannot mess any more even if I wanted to.  Doug has taken some interesting processional banner pictures at church with the sun shinning in the windows of the sanctuary in just the right places.  Now...on to the Sr. minister stole project.  Fun, fun.  I thought I would start Mon.  Ha, ha...I started today!!!!  Just can't stay away.  I'm really going to take care, to go slow so as to NOT make any mistakes.  And there will be stole no. 2 for Ronnie Bell who is ordained in June.  I have some time but the ideas are flying through my head already.   Green with words from Micah.  What does the Lord require...do justice...etc.  My last stole was for minister Bryan who told me his favorite scripture was Psalm 91.  Well it is a very  LONG Psalm but I stitched all those words onto his stole.  Such a great way to remember scripture.  Woo...Ronnie is easier on me.  So..the beat goes on.  Well sewing machine goes...!!!

Last post...Wed. Next post Thurs.

Rain, Rain...Man is it raining.  Soup kitchen today just a little sparse.  Way to wet to get out for lots of folks although we had a nice gang of folks.  After finishing there saw a soup kitchen guy walking to the hardware store very slowly with a cane.  Woo...not a day to be walking so I took him home...Now...only half as wet as he would have been.  He walked a long way.  Then back home to sew...and things are going well.  One processional banner is 95 percent finished...the other maybe 80.  And of course the second was easier than the first.  Now to finish the first.  Such a fun to think of how to glitz the banners.  And I have a whole lot of options thanks to my great mentor Doris.  She was such a gift and her sewing machine which is mine now is just tooling along as she did.  Tonight is choir practice.  Tomorrow the kids.  And the rain continues...54 degrees today but tonight the bottom drops out once again.  Really drops out.  Should be an interesting tomorrow.  My hope is that the fog is gone.  Michigan grand kids.  One day of school in the last two weeks.  First SNOW...now ICE!

The sewing machine is smokin'

Woo...Scissors flying! Sewing machine smokin' and my back hurts!  Time for a break.  Well...way past time.  Working on the processional banners.  So it's cut and paste!  well, cut and sew come to think of it.  Who would have thought this would be such a big project.  Figuring out how to put the thing together is part of the work.  It needs a 1,2,3,4 approach.  Not a 1, 3,2,4 approach.  So...think, think which should help me make fewer mistakes.  . And then when one is finished it's do it all over again.  The second one should be easier.  Well, just a little bit easier.  So happy Bread and Bowl soup kitchen is tomorrow.  I'll be out of the shop at least for a morning.  Looks like the finish time will be Sat.  Hip, hip hooray.  Then the preacher's stole.  I can't say I'm board.   The sewing room looks very interesting.  That's to say it's a mess...buttons...yarn...beads...gold cord...more containers of yarn...more buttons...and scraps of fabric with thread everywhere.  That's my life for now and a few more days. I'm just happy I have the space to mess in! 

The good continues.

Mirror bird is at church...on the community outreach board.  Forgot to take the candles with me to church today so maybe Thurs...soup kitchen day.  Met with Amy and Cory about the big...big...church event on the 24th.  Showed them three stoles that the children will wear on that day.  There are 18 kids and just by pure chance I made 19 with the hope I could use a few somewhere else.  Well...that's not going to happen.  I'm working on the processional banners now.  Woo.  Great idea with colors of the rainbow in strips...All 40 strips  some long and some shorter. in rainbow colors.  Then some will have mirror glued to them...some colorful yarn...some with metallic threads. And some with all three.  Should be stunning.  It was cut fabric...sew...turn...iron...sew...and then all over again.  That's just the first parts.  And because we have two aisles...there will be two of them in the processional.  The choir and the kids joining church that day will have ribbons to swing and dance with.  And.. choir member.NOAH is the best at that...well he's had a chance to play with them.  But...he's really, really good.  So...the sewing machine has been hard at work.  And...the machine is not finished.  Doug said...you have lots of time till the 24...NO.  I would love to have them finished by the end of the week.  Well...maybe end of next week.  Embellishment take so much time but really is fun.  Oh, yes...there there is a stole for the preacher!  .  So...busy is the word and it's all good.  Had a really good Herb meeting last night.  Think spring!!!!  Snow is gone...warm this week but the cold will be back at some point. 

Super Friday.

Started with a visit with Eric as I took him to catch the bus to work.  Then on to the Y for a 30 minute walk.  Noah and Andrew came for the day.  I poured a really pretty blue candle for church. Two feet tall...5 inches across.   Noah made a video of the process.  Then glued pieces of mirror on to a dove that will hang at church. Told Noah about the 7 yrs of bad luck we will have because we smashed good mirrors.  Then added ribbons to rings for church.  Noah had a blast "dancing" with the ribbons.  It was beautiful. ...then made chocolate chip cookies.  Then watched the kids sled ride on the hill.  Fed the birds did a little snow shoveling...just a little on the patio to get to the feeders.  5 inches of beautiful powder snow fell last night.  Trees are beautiful .  Knitted...watched a little TV...started working on a stole for the preacher. Made supper...played cards and did the final touches on the big blue beautiful candle.  Now that was a good day. 

Monday Evening.

Sort of a slow last week.  Still knitting head bands and giving them away to anyone that wants one.  I'm having a whole lot of fun using the pony beads to make the bands a bit more interesting.  Well, I hope interesting is the case.  I usually do three a day using up bits and pieces of yarn.  We're getting ready for a really cold snap coming Wed.  Woo...below zero is the case.  Today I walked though some of the soggy yard hoping to find something peeking through...Bummer.  I am so ready for spring to find all the plants I moved while adding new things last fall.  Spring can't come to soon.  Big sewing projects coming for church...two processional banners among other things with the deadline the middle of Feb.  Fabric is on sale this weekend so the sewing machine will get a workout for sure.  I should go to church to work on the banner closet.  It need cleaning up and throwing out. 

Time flies when...

It's been a fun week.  The best part is that I decided to make 5 large candles in rainbow colors for an event at church.  And...that happened this week.  And ALL of the candles slide out of their molds as they were supposed to.  There is red, orange, green, blue and purple. 2 ft. tall...3 inches across poured in a  PCV pipe mold.   Woo...Since I've done this about 20 times I'm beginning to get the hang of it. We have a set of purple and a set of blue for advent season at church. We did have a wax spill that was a bit big but that was a fairly easy clean up because of papers on the floor catching the wax.  That's happened before so no panic this time.  It is a mess I will admit.  Doug said...fire starter... so those papers are all saved for a huge fire. Boiled my pants and socks in water to get the wax out!  Shopped at Goodwill and found a new pair of pants for church for 2.00 dollars.  Sr. discount...half price!!  Love those bargains.  Kids are here again today.  Chocolate Chip Cookie time.  Woo...more snow coming this weekend so I think they will be back to sled on the hill Sunday afternoon with hot chocolate and warm blanks when they have had enough outdoor stuff.  .  Lots of fun last week and probably more this weekend.  The hill is open. 

Beautiful

This morning we woke to BEAUTIFUL snow.  Flocked trees and the quiet of nothing but a few birds chirping.  So still and not to cool.  Walked to get the paper in about 3 inches of light fluffy snow.  We knew it was coming but when one has no snow when going to bed and the waking at 8 am to a beautiful picture outside it was a gift.  Carmel provides great snow removal so it's only our driveway which gets touched when needed.  So far.  Plans are to stay home.  Make our usual trip out tonight and then another good sleep and church tomorrow.  We will be just fine.  It's so pretty clean and pure looking out our windows. 

Woo...time flies.

Continue to knit little head bands and I'm adding a bunch of fun beads for little girls.  Such a good give away for my little church friends.  This week continue to be put away stuff at church.  5 hrs. Mon.  5  hrs. Tues and tonight while Doug was at trustees mt.  Another 3 hrs.  It's winding down and then it's time to think Lent which is not such a big deal.  I don't mind putting away because I'm sure to know where stuff it for next year.  Tomorrow is soup kitchen and choir practice.  Life is full of good things. 

Wed.

Woo...cooking for two is certainly different than cooking for 11.  Soup is on the stove.  It's the last of the Thanksgiving turkey.  Yum, yum. Spent the morning at church putting things back in their hiding places.  Candles used Xmas eve are sorted with some to throw out and some to keep.  Altar ready for a Sat. wedding and Sun. morning communion.  Large advent candles wrapped and stored.  The church is so big and there is lots and lots of walking.  After three hrs. of work I left to finish work next week. .  I cleaned up some blue pillar candles used in the chapel here at home.  A good friend is going to pack all the nativities in the chapel. Next week the youth will trudge to the atic with all the other things to store.  Love those young legs!!!  Tomorrow is soup kitchen. Picking up a new big candle for church in the afternoon.   No choir practice!!!!  Friday morning 7:40 doc. appointment for the spot on my back.  I was hoping it would have been gone by now since I've been giving it some TLC...Doug says no.  I can't see it so I depend on an oral report by someone. Sitting and knitting tonight.  Maybe a Pacer's game if I'm lucky although I always sleep through TV in the evening.