I Like Thursday #107

Welcome to my 107th I Like Thursday post.

I rum across things at the store that make me smile.

I saw this cute salt and pepper shaker.  Did anyone in your family collect salt and pepper shakers?  My great grandmother did and I ended up with a bunch of them.  Over the years I have winnowed it down. I am sure cute salt and pepper shakers like these got people started.

With spring finally kind of settling in this llama riding a bicycle made me smile.

My pet peeve at work.  People deciding there is something they don't want and jettisoning it anywhere within the store.  I get ice cream, milk, veggies left in my department all the time.  This item left in the produce department made me smile.

Do you think jellybeans are organic?

This is an OPO squash which is related to a Calabash.  I had to go look it up, it is related to a gourd.  There are recipes throughout the internet on how to use it. 

As I state earlier spring has kind of arrived around here. 

The chives are taking off.  I am waiting for them to bloom so that I can harvest the flowers and make chive vinegar.

I am not a fan of daylilies, but when Jeff was alive we tried to transplant some alongside the ditch.  I noticed many of the people up and down our road have been planting them near or even into the ditch.

I smiled when I saw this thick green carpet of what I know are daylilies.  If they bloom before the county cuts the ditch remains to be seen.

I like the peach hand soap from Bath and Body Works and so I ordered some online.  Isn't this box cute!

What isn't to love about a blue gingham lined box?

I like these little furballs.

We did lose one kitten.  But these seem to be doing alright. 

I just love this little face.  Sometimes when I go out to feed their mama they hiss at me.  It is hilarious.

I read a couple of books this week, but the one I would recommend is Murder by the Book.  

Addie leaves her beloved Boston for a small New England town named after one of her ancestors.  Addie inherits Graybourne Manor a large house overlooking the harbor, full of antiques, and first edition books.  Addie decides to open a bookshop and things take a turn from bad to worse. 

Finally I will leave you with this video about a farmer allowing his chicken to free range throughout the woods.

Free Range Chickens in Italy

Now head over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color and check out the other I Like Thursday posts.  

I Like Thursday #106

Welcome to my 106th post of I Like Thursday. 

I like my new wire shelving unit I got for my sun room to put my plants on.  For the past 3 years there has been a bookcase headboard sitting there.  It was kind of icky looking, but served the purpose, and I couldn't get rid of it due to all the probate stuff.  But now, it is gone, some of my power tools are on the bottom shelf, and I made sure the shelf had trucks (heavy duty wheels) so it can move around.  

I like that I found a place to put my 2 bird houses that my sister bought for Jeff and I for Christmas one year. I cleaned them all up.  It is nice to see them someplace more prominent. 

I like this towel that I found at work and yes, I know non essential technically, but I bought it anyway.

Have any of you tried cold brew coffee?  It is what you use to make iced coffee drinks so it is a concentrate.  I about fainted when I looked at a bottle and it was $15!  My oldest daughter said it is nice to have a cold coffee drink sometimes but using regular coffee, and adding ice it gets kind of like drinking dishwater.  I saw a recipe for cold brew coffee using an InstaPot and the pressure cooker feature.  I had a White Russian Coffee by Bones Coffee company and my mind thought, "Oh the possibilities!"

Um yep I have 5 quarts of cold brew.  Haven't tried it yet, because of course today it was cold, wet, windy, and snowing.  But soon, and I will share my thoughts.  These babies are residing in my refrigerator until it warms up, soon I hope! 

I liked this tiny nest in a tree in the parking lot at work.

Just looking at the tree you can see how young it is, hardly any branches, so it gives you a good idea of the size of the nest.

Speaking of new life.  I have a kaboodle of kittens

My girl kitten had kittens.  Urgh!  I thought perhaps her brother was the father, but he was fixed 10 weeks ago, and the gestational period for cats is 9 weeks.  Yep someone dumped a cat, a male, we have spied him a few times lately.  Sigh!  I will have to catch him to take him to the feral cat clinic to be neutered, as well as the girl kitten and this bunch too, once the clinic opens back up.  Each of these kittens has been spoken for already.  LOL  So much for my feral barn cats.

My favorite read of the week is Basket Case by Nancy Haddock.   Nixy lives in Houston and works

  at a gallery.  Nixy has received several phone calls from a dectective of Lilyvale, Arkansas, where Nixy's aunt and only living relative Sherrie Mae lives. Eric Shoar, the detective insists that  Nixy takes a few days to come visit her Aunt Sherrie Mae.  Nixy arrives at the house to a folk art festival taking place on the grounds of the farm, and altercation at the house between Sherrie Mae and Jill Elsman a land developer.  Add a cast of characters that reside in the house....Maisie and her sister Aster, as well as 3 other room mates, and Nixy is going to have her hands full explaining to the sexy detective the reasons for the booms, smoke, and fire that is continuously occurring at the home.  When Jill Elsman AKA Hellspawn ends up dead in the family cemetery behind the house Nixy's Aunt Sherrie is under investigation.  I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next book in the series. 

Now head over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color to check out the other I Like Thursday posts. 

Shelter in Place

While many are tired of the "Shelter in Place" orders throughout the US and Canada, it is just what this girl needs on her day off.

First thing I grabbed some fabric and made up a test block for my Tuesday Sewing Group BOM from 2019.

I then tried it with a couple of other blocks.

I decided that this was going to be my alternate block.  So I did the calculations and started cutting so that I could make 12 more blocks.

I stated in my previous post Finding Treasures that once I figured out that problem I could pull it off my design wall and throw the BOM from the LQS up and figure out the layout I wanted. 

But 1st I was going to reward myself with making step 2 of the River's Edge Quarantine Mystery Quilt.

 I had to make 8 of these. 

Here it is hanging out with clue 1.

Since I was already cutting I decided to grab clue 3 and cut too.  Of course once you cut you have to sew.  As you can see I made 4 of these blocks. 

Then it was time to put the quarantine quilt away and work on a UFO.

I pulled the Kaleidoscope quilt back out.  played with the layout a bit. 

Then I could sew! 

Since I was still cutting I threw in step 4 of the quarantine mystery to cut blocks.

I would alternate making block 4 for the Quarantine quilt, sewing for the 2019 Alternate block, and adding sashing and cornerstones to the Kaleidoscope quilt.

One row sashed and cornerstoned for the Kaleidoscope Quilt.  I was also still working on cutting out pieces for the alternate blocks for the 2019 BOM. 

Clue 4 done I had to make 2 sets of 4 blocks. 

I also manage to make one more alternate block before it was time to call it a nice couple of days off.  I keep looking at this and think that I need to do some sashing and cornerstones for these blocks too.  I think a 2 1/2 inch sashing with a 2 1/2 inch cornerstone in red where the red meets, and green where the green meets. 

When making my blocks for the quarantine quilt I busted into my fat quarter bundles of Bonnie and Camille Early Bird, and Smitten.  I loved the roses on the dark navy with the crosses so found a small shop on Etsy and ordered a couple of yards.

I also used up some of the other fat quarters in the quarantine quilt and knew I may want more so I went on an Etsy hunt to find those too.  What I found....

These lovely roses on Navy, but then some green chicken wire, and tractors red, gray, and green!

Roses

on aqua, the green darling dots, and bias plaid.  But also a couple of an older line called Little Snippets. 

More Bonnie and Camille from an older line called The Good Life.

Finally some fabric from a line called Hand Made.

I also may, or may not have ordered some fabric from their new fabric line called At home, they have a pussy willow print that I love.  

I know I should have been working in the yard but, wouldn't you know it the days I had off were cold and this happened.

We actually ended up with a couple of inches of snow on the ground.  Then the sun came out and within an hour or two it was melted. 

I look forward to the days I get to stay home. 

I Like Thursday #105

Welcome to my I Like Thursday post #105.  Thank you to LeeAnna for encouraging us to find things we like/love during the week.  It is especially important during this time.

I love a video that was posted on Facebook that shows the young women and girls of my tribe sharing their heritage wearing their regalia.  If you do not have Facebook it may not allow you to view the video. 

Cultural Heritage

Keeping with my heritage Native Americans believe our dances and songs heal the sick and also a sick world.  I especially love the Quarantine Dance Special 2020 on Facebook.  I also found a few on YouTube.

The videos on Facebook of the small children is awesome.  Go check it out if you can.

I like that we had a couple of warm days and my daffodils are blooming.

I like that I finally had time to make a face mask. 

 There are times that I find the funnies memes on Facebook.  I sent this one to Jacky in hopes her hubby would help clean house.

And for those of us that have done a Zoom meeting.

I like this book series by Jana DeLeon called the Miss Fortune Series.  The latest book I read was Cajun Fried Felony.  These books always make me giggle. 

 Now head over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color and find some other inspiration for the week.

I Like Thursday #104

Welcome to my 104th I like post.

While many are bored and sheltering at home, which may make it hard to find things to like.  I have been working a lot.  Throw in a broken washing machine that I finally managed to repair and my week has been crazy busy.

I like this saying:

 I love the positive way of looking at the sheltering in place.

I like that the Mashpee Indian Reservation has a 45 day hold by the Department of the Interior.  The DOI was set to disestablish the tribe and reservation.  The tribal chairman was notified in March of the DOI intentions, what a surprise during the COVID pandemic to be hit with the notification too.  The DOI would be seizing 300 + acres near Mashpee, and Taunton, (some of this land has been purchased by the tribe).  When you do a deep dive you see that it has to do with Gaming.

I like that my washing machine was finally fixed.  It is a front loader and the door gasket (they call it the boot) tore one day.  I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and ordered the part.  The part came the next day.  I basically have to practically disassemble the whole washer to get the front off to do the door seal.  Installed the rear portion of the door seal that attache to the drum.  With some help from the middle boy we got the washing machine put back to the point where you attach the seal to the front.  Could not get the spring wire to flex enough.  Gabe brought in the big guns, his mom and her boyfriend John.  No go.  So ordered that part.  Lets just say my experience was less than stellar.  I found a place online and I could go and pick up the part.  Retrieving the part and social distancing makes for a whole other story.  Got the part, got it installed, put the washer back together, and we are golden.  You don't realize how important it is to have a washer until you need to wash your clothes daily during this time...or what it is like to not have a convenient washer for a couple of weeks. 

I love that I have a fabric stash that I can grab fabric, wash it and hopefully make a mask tomorrow.  I prewashed my fabric.  I was also given filter material to add by a friend that has been sewing masks for a local hospital.  The hospital had provided her with a bolt of filter material to use. 

I like these books this week.

 China Bayles owns an herb shop in Pecan Springs, Texas.  This is the 3rd installment of the series.  It is so strange to read older books and realize how much things have changed since they were written.

I like Ellery Adams, and this is a new series.  A suspicious death, bring an unlikely group of women together.

Now head over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color to check out the other I Like Thursday posts.

Finding Treasures

Remember my bag of M & M's I shared the other day.  Well not physically shared, but the saying?

The reason it has seemed like it was so long?  Our department is short staffed normally with 10 people.  All the millennials decided to take the option to take time off because they are afraid.  Which leaves 3 people including me.  So we are scrambling to cover 17 hours of business per day, yet still have days off. 

My days off were Thursday and Friday.  I will admit Thursday I slept in, napped off and on and enjoyed the sunshine with the dog and cats.

Girl cat after scratching through my dead plants.

Boy cat enjoying the sunshine.  He has a perfect necklace going around his neck.  I go outside and here they come.  I made the mistake of turning away from them for a moment, turned back and they were drinking my coffee. 

Bobbin and Girl Cat enjoying the rays. 

Boy cat stalking the boys on the trampoline.  I sat and watched this crew for quite a while on Thursday.  The boys were playing gaga ball on the trampoline.  Boy cat went and laid down underneath the whole time they were playing.  As the boys were coming off the trampoline he attacked.  According to Finn he tried to kill them.  I told them he was hunting and they were his prey for the moment. 

While Lucy cannot go outside during downtime Lucy and Bobbin have started to share space. 

Seems strange, but as of late Lucy stays quite near me whether I am in the living room, sewing, kitchen. 

Thursday I cleaned up my patterns and got them organized.  I did go looking for supplies to make face masks.  I know I have a shoebox full of elastic and zippers somewhere in my sewing stuff. I braved the upstairs sewing room which is actually terrifying with stuff just piled.  I go through occasionally and spend 15 minutes picking up, but it doesn't seem to make a dent. 

As I was searching I found an old cookie tin.  I remembered the great aunt giving it to me. 

It had been her mother's (Jeff's great grandmother), and while there were a few things which were newer there were some awesome old things too.

This gorgeous needle card.

With some needles still.

A darning egg.  Lots of old buttons, but no 1/4 inch elastic.

I saw another shoebox which was old and opened it.

More buttons, some seam tape, a bit of 1/4 inch elastic, embroidery thread.  Someday I will need to go through and thoroughly inventory what is in each of these.

I managed to find 4 packages of 1/4 inch lingerie elastic.  I then decided to brave the attic.  I found some things that I forgot I had, and pulled them out.  I also found a huge stash of interfacing, but still no elastic.

I pulled some fabrics, man that was a tough one so many choices and then grabbed a face mask pattern and stopped.  I can't prewash my fabric, because I have no washing machine.  Mine has been broken for over a week.  I ordered and received the original part that was damaged, and started to put it back together only to find another part needed replacing too.  I ordered that part on the 30th and I have been waiting for 4 days for it to arrive.  By then I decided I was done for the day and enjoyed a nap, on the sun porch and read a book.

Friday I had a good start.  Shower, garbage out, chooks fed and watered, eggs washed, dishes done.  I was going to sew something.  But what?  I have a huge tub of Bonnie and Camille fabrics. I probably have enough to make at least 3 more quilts.  The tub is sitting there after making my last BOM for my Tuesday Sewing group which I shared last week.

I grabbed a pattern from River's Edge Antiques & Quilt Loft called the Quarantine Mystery Quilt Along.  I have been receiving the direction via e- mail almost daily and have been saving them off.  I grabbed day one and made 4 of these blocks.

Since I started something new I decided I should then work on a UFO.  I grabbed Kaleidoscope which was a LQS BOM  from last year. 

I had the December block to make. 

Ialso had 7 more alternate blocks to do and whipped them up in no time.

Now what is left on these is to sew the sashing and the cornerstones.  Before I do that though I need to draft a pattern for the alternate blocks I want to make for the Tuesday 2019 BOM.  I want this quilt to be larger so alternate blocks are necessary, and maybe sashing and cornerstones for these blocks too.

Once I do that I can pull these blocks off of the design wall and put the Kaleidoscope blocks up and play with the layout before I start sashing. 

Back to work I go tomorrow.  I was asked if I would be willing to work 6 days in a row.  I have been doing it for a few weeks now so I told them that will be fine.  Hopefully I will start to have a wee bit more energy because my schedule will remain the same for the next few weeks, and I can sew in the evenings a bit after my chores.