Blooming!

The Forsythia I cut is starting to bloom!

The Geranium I started from sticks? look! woohoo!

The bluebirds are still here so happy about that.

I made bread and it came out great. 

I needed a tomato, so I stopped in a local little grocery store.

And I found some hamburger marked down. Yes, please I bought 2 lbs. I made meatballs we had some for dinner last night and I froze the rest. Anything to save money at this point. 

I did meet up with my little group for rug hooking and for a break on the big rug I am hooking large eggs. This one is supposed to look like redware, I like it. 

I went to my buddy Pam's store on Thursday I had a gift certificate to use up (and then some) Wool wonderful wonderful wool!!!

And Thursday I got new glasses. I needed sunglasses and glasses

The sunglass part is magnetic. We shall see if I like them. 

And I will close with this. Oh my sweet B ! She is stitching on her own! her mother gave her her own space. My daughter walked in B had calming music on and was working away. Look at that smile!!!!

Makes my heart sing. 

Have a wonderful week!

I Hear A Bear

This is Kora my daughter's family's pound puppy.

She has been a house guest this weekend while her family is away at

play. She is a giant chicken if you are looking for some guard dog help it would never come from her. At bed time last night I took her out for her final pee and I hear a bear hooting some where in behind our house. She hears the bear puts her nose in the air and turns and runs for the house lol. Every man for themselves I guess. 

We have had just the best time watching the blue bird cleaning out his new house. So cute!

 

I finished the second in the Masie Dobbs books by Jacqueline Winspear. I am enjoying the series so far. But I just picked up this book. Historical fiction of Ralph Waldo Emerson and his wife and friends. I am interested in Transcendentalism and have read some on it. I am looking forward to this book and hopefully my new glasses will come soon so I can read without my eyes getting so tired. 

These few bare sticks are forsythia branches I want to force them.

I am looking for color any color at this point. I just looked up and yes it is snowing again. We are not suppose to get much still sad to see it this late in March.

*** 

We listen to music while making dinner and this came on we both were dancing around the kitchen it made us happy. So I will leave you with this if you can't dance, tap a toe, or nod your head.  

In the mood by Glenn Miller

(sadly there is an ad before it comes on but it is short)

***

Have a great week!

Not Much To Blog About.

Well, I started my new rug in a smaller cut than I usually use but I am loving the results. 

I went Monday to hook with my new group. I am enjoying this group so much the knitters are very funny, and this town is amazing.

672 year-round people. They have more going on than any of the other towns around us!

Tuesday, I went to get new glasses. Well yikes hold on to your wallet. But I needed them I got two pairs I hope they make a difference for me.

Tonight, I met a friend for dinner. Her birthday is in a few days, and I haven't seen her in weeks. (I really miss her) I want to do more of that maybe this summer we could take turns at each other's house for a way to save. 

***

I signed up for a hooking retreat in May it is just a long weekend, but I will take anything right now! 

We have had some really nice days. While we still have snow a lot is gone. Makes me itchy for flowers and gardening but snow is in the forecast for tonight. And all next week we are not above freezing. I feel this way every year will spring ever really get here. And then I blink, and we are back to fall. My mother told me that time would go fast when I got older boy was, she ever right. 

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Things I would Rather Do

It rained yesterday..a lot and add the melting snow and this is what the dirt road I walk on looks like. 

And this is what 4 hard miles looks like. But the air was lovely, and the birds were singing and busy and the brook was really running. It was good for the soul mud and all. Speaking of birds, we have easter blue birds for the first time this year. One tried to get in the big birdhouse husband built several years ago. He would get halfway in all you could see was his behind and his legs kicking as hard as he could trying to get in the hole. Husband went out made the holes a bit bigger. Not 10 minutes later back he comes and slips right in. He stuck his head out of the hole looking around so cute. I think he was surprised he slipped in so easily.  I do hope they build there so we can watch them. 

Well of course if you are going to walk 4 hard miles you need fuel. I made molasses donuts. Not as good as my grandmother's but it did the trick.

I am just an ok housekeeper. As my mother used to say. "Good enough to be healthy, good enough to be happy" Well I got a new cheap vacuum as dragging the hose for my central vacuum was getting old. I was so impressed with how much it filled up thinking look at me! Then it occurred to me I have been living with this! 

To be fair I have so many other things I prefer doing compared to housework.

Like dying wool this is before....

this is after! Not a great picture but a toned-down limey green.

And I much prefer a hook in my hand than a duster. 

Or flipping through an old cookbook salvaged from the dump (aka swap shop)

Or maybe having some really great cheese and crackers I got at Aldi's while chatting with husband. 

And that is just a few of the things I like to do. 

So how about you? Good at housework?

***

I meet up with the hooking ladies again tomorrow looking forward to it. (Another thing I would rather do) 

Have a wonderful week!

***

I am having issues with blogger not posting the comments to my email. I went in to try and fix it but no luck and not sure why it just stopped. I will try to post my notes to your comments on these posts until I get some kind of fix for it. 

The Best Biscuits

This jar of solar stars was shining brightly last night even though we were cloudy and got yet another dusting of snow.

I finished the rug I was working on and have started a new one.

This is going to be a challenge but fun. 

I also met two wonderful new hookers at a local library for some hooking. Not many rug hookers in our area so it was so nice to be with others and chatting. Looking forward to our weekly gatherings. 

I have made these biscuits again and they came out just as good as the first time. 

Oven 450 baking time 18 to 22 minutes

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon of baking powder

*1 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 cup of cold butter cut in small pieces

3/4-1 cup of cold milk or buttermilk.

Add dry ingredients and cut in butter

add milk or buttermilk

DO NOT OVER MIX

Just until it is all mixed.

scoop batter into a greased pan (I used and ice cream scoop)

*If you are using salted butter, use only 1 tsp of salt. If you are using regular table salt add only 1 tsp.  I added cheese so I cut it back a little more. I added about a rounded 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. 

This will make about 12 biscuits I did cut this in half for us as there are only the two of us. 

Let me know how you like them!

PS This is not the time to try to cut the fat. Real butter whole milk or half and half. 

 I will leave you with this. Turn up your volume 30 seconds of peace. Filmed on my walk yesterday. 

Have a wonderful day and may the luck of the Irish be with you this week!

It All Started like this

To recap I kept the germaniums from last year. I took all the dirt off the roots and cut it back, put it in carboard box in a cool closet and had this. 

I planted it just about 2 weeks ago and look! It worked! Now to plant the rest and how wonderful I do not have to buy new plants this year!

We got a bit more snow on Saturday. Heavy wet snow. I am so ready for spring. 

I checked the porch after the storm, and I spy a visitor! Time to check to make sure there is no little critter setting up camp for the summer. 

I made the best drop biscuits that I have ever had!

I added a bit of cheese they were crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. 

Let me know if you would like me to post the recipe.

The time change is already bothering me I wish they would leave well enough alone. 

****

Have a wonderful week. 

                         

Take Care Of Yourself

I have been having issues with a bit of anxiety lately. 

I have shut off the news. My heart breaks I cannot take the relentless detail of it.  Feeling anxious and restless will not help them, or me. 

We got a dusting of snow last night and look who came to visit.

We believe it is a red-tailed hawk.

Right under the bird feeder hmm, I am thankful I did not see him get anything for his breakfast. 

Speaking of snow, we are in for it on Saturday. The Maine station said up to 15 inches ugg happens every year so I really should be used to it but I never am. 

***

My sweet friend Pam from the woolen Pear did an article on rug hooking for our local paper. I am putting in the link so you can read it.  

RED HORSE RUGS / WOOLEN PEAR 

***

The world is becoming more than we can handle so take care of you.

Have a wonderful week. 

Love Your library

I keep telling myself this but it very hard when I am looking in the mirror.

We got rain then the sun came out I threw on shoes and out I went. yikes it was very icy! But I made it in one piece.

 

I had a few rolls that were not fresh anymore. I ground them in the food processor and put them in the oven on a cookie sheet on a very low temp. Voila bread crumps! 

Ever since my daughter was a little girl, we have used the library. I was a stay-at-home mom with not a lot of money to keep her in books. The library was very important to us.  (she is now on the board of the library in her town.) And libraries have come a very long way since those days. Our librarian of our little town is a very young man who is willing to help with technology and add more events all the time. I could not get the app for the library to go on my tablet. A few minutes later he got it up and running. I had not listened to audio books since we used CDs. I thought it might be a good change while rug hooking. Everything was free and I have had such a lovely time listening to one of my favorite authors. If you have not been to your local library go check it out so much is going on there. 

I am on the last part of my rug. Her face needs lots of help but I will get to that. I changed a few things on this pattern to suite my taste. I have another picked out and started to color plan a tiny bit of it. 

and speaking of libraries I was contacted by a fellow rug hooker in the area that I do not know. She and her friend have invited me to hook with them at their local library next week. I am looking forward to meeting them and having a hooking buddies in my area. 

***

I have an eye appointment tomorrow early we are hoping to get some shopping done and maybe out to lunch after. We will see I know they are dilating my eyes which is never much fun. 

Have a wonderful week!

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit

It is said that if you say rabbit, rabbit at the start of a month good luck for the rest of the month. But what if you say it three times? 

Saundra from Woodland Junction is hosting another challenge. 

Since I already hooked the bunny rug, and my grand has it I sat this one out. But if you would like to join, I am sure she would love it, but you will have to hook quickly to catch up. 

 

We had another 4 inches of snow overnight and tonight another 3 is predicted. We turn our clocks ahead next Sunday the 13th.

"Mother nature, we are crying uncle!"

In a previous post I showed my husband's shop. (The outside)

Well, this is what is going on inside this winter. He has blueprints and he builds these trucks all from wood. Each piece is cut and sanded to exact standards. He has most of them sold but he always gives a few away for fund raisers for local people. 

 There is a big fund-raising event planned for this weekend and Husband is talking about donating one for the auction at the event. 

 

I will admit I had moved away from shopping the sales in the past few years.

But I am back! I have always mostly been a scratch cook. Very little processed food is on our list. I have also been trying new recipes. 

I don't know about you, but I feel like I get in such a rut with dinner every night. I have tried a couple of new recipes that are keepers.

Mongolian beef and curry chicken. 

Both recipes can be tweaked to your taste buds and a very good change for us. 

***

My daughter is home this week it is her school vacation.

I called to see how she was and if she was doing anything exciting. She said, "No I am going to wash my floors and think about how thankful I am that I have floors to wash." I am so proud to be her mom. 

And our Sweet B is stitching bunnies like crazy. One of her favorite people at school is the librarian she saves books for B that she knows she would like and puts little notes on them. B took one of her bunnies in to give to her. The librarian cried, B said," I didn't know what to do?" Aww B you made her day!

****

Derek Cullen

 I will close with this link. It is a young man hiking in Ireland. He may be young, but he has wisdom and kindness I love to listen to.

Each video is about 2 to 3 minutes long. I sit back and close my eyes listening to his brogue and his thoughts. 

Have a wonderful week.