Happy Easter!

Today is Easter Sunday.  Mr P and I are spending a quiet day here at home today.  Instead of the traditional Easter ham, we are having roast turkey breast.  Pickled eggs and beets are the traditional dish for today.  My walking buddy, R, and her hubby invited us to stop up at their home later this afternoon for some dessert.
The three photos below were taken last Monday.  About six inches of snow fell where we live but the ride to work wasn't a problem.  The roads were wet, not snow covered.  Everything was melted by the next day.

 

 

Yesterday was a lovely day.  I managed to clean up and weed my asparagus bed.  Rain is in the forecast for this afternoon so my plans to continue to work outside in a flower bed might have to be put on hold.  The sun keeps trying to peek out and then away it goes again.
Tomorrow is not only the first of April (The Puddle Pond photo day) but April Fool's Day.
Several years ago, Mr P told me, as I was leaving for work in the morning, that I had a flat tire.  I proceeded to grumble and tell him that I would have to take the second car and he would need to get the tire fixed.  Checking my tires, I realized that I had been caught with an April Fool's Day trick.  The entire ride in to work, I told myself that I would not be caught again that day.  I mentioned this to a coworker, S,  when I arrived to begin work for the day.  Shortly thereafter, one of my other coworkers, D, called to say she had been admitted to a local hospital early in the morning for appendicitis and was scheduled for surgery that day.  I kept exclaiming how surprised I was. I went so far as to ask for her room number at the hospital so that a group of us could stop at lunchtime if she thought she would be up to visitors.  S was listening to my side of the conversation and realized I had been caught again.  She kept saying "It's April Fool's Day!". Finally, when the lightbulb went off, I asked D if she really was in the hospital and she said Nope, she was in the car on her way to work.  We all had a good laugh once she arrived but
I have become very skeptical on this day.  Hopefully, it will never be a case where someone is in real distress and I will disregard them thinking it is a joke.
Hoping your holiday celebrations at this time of year (Easter, Passover, etc) are happy!
I'll be back tomorrow with the April 1st picture of The Puddle Pond. 

2 Hours and 2 Yds of Flannel

A coworker is expecting a baby in May and there is to be a surprise baby shower this week.  A card was passed around and a designated individual was accepting donations toward a gift card.  While I know the gift card will be appreciated, I like to make something that is a little different - a flannel crib sheet.

I purchased a Simplicity pattern/booklet when Grandson #1 was expected that had not only instructions for a crib sheet but other nursery items such as a diaper stacker (do they still use these?), crib bumper pads, etc.

Since then, if there is time, I usually make a flannel crib sheet for a baby gift.
This particular coworker knows she is having a girl so I was surprised when, as I was sitting next to her at a meeting recently, I asked if she had a "theme" for the baby's room and she said... "not really, but absolutely no pink!".

I made a trip to Joanne Fabrics yesterday and decided on this green and white striped flannel.  (The pictures don't really reflect the green well but it's an overcast day with snow predicted to begin tonight so the lighting was sketchy.)

Here is a quick tutorial that anyone with some sewing skills can use to make up a sheet which requires the following:

• 2 yards of 45" wide fabric (I use flannel since most people will buy regular cotton or polyester sheets)
• 1 package 1/4" elastic
• coordinating thread

I washed my fabric yesterday, dried in on the line outside in the breeze and then fluffed it for about 5 minutes in the dryer.
Straighten one edge (selvedge together).   Then measure 67 inches which will leave you about 4-5 inches to cut off on the other end.  Make sure this cut is also straightened.
You now have an approximately 67 by 45 inch rectangle of fabric.

Trim off your selvedge edges.
Now with right sides together, fold each corner together over onto itself as shown below.
Measure from the tip (on the right) in 9 inches and from that point measure up 9 inches.
Mark a line on your fabric with a marker (pencil, chalk, etc).  This is the seam line where you will stitch to make the corners.

The picture below shows you one of the corners after it has been pinned but not yet stitched.
I mark and pin all corners at the same time and then stitch along the line marked on all four corners.

Using a ruler and a rotary cutter, allow for a 1/2 inch seam allowance and cut the corner off using your rotary cutter.

This is how it should look after you take the corner off and the corner piece you are left with is next to it on the cutting mat.  You will end up with four squares of fabric that you can use for something else.  In the past, I have joined different combinations of these squares to make a foam filled baby block.

Press these seams open.  Now stitch all the way around the rectangle 1/4 inch from the edge to help prevent any fraying.  You could use a zigzag stitch but I prefer a plain running stitch.
Using your iron, press this 1/4 edge toward the wrong side of the fabric to make a finished edge.
Then using your iron again, turn up and press another 1/2 inch of fabric toward the wrong side which will be your sleeve for your elastic (the edge you previously ironed up will make a nice finished edge on the inside of your sheet).
Stitch close to the finished edge around the perimeter of the rectangle to make this sleeve, leaving about a 1 to 1 1/2 inch opening for threading the elastic through.

Using a safety pin in a size that will move freely through the sleeve, "thread" the elastic from the start of the opening to the end of the opening.  I have never used all of the entire 3 yard package of elastic and usually have at least a foot left when finished.

Smooth along the sleeve as you thread the elastic using the safety pin until the gathering around the edge of the sheet is neither too loose or too tight.  If you need to, pin the tail end of the elastic to the sheet near the opening so that you don't pull it completely through and have to start the process all over again.
Sew the ends of your elastic together and then sew the opening closed using your sewing machine for both of these processes.
Below are the squares of fabric that you will have left (along with short piece of fabric from the one end.

I took the finished sheet (before a final pressing) outside to try and show the gathering and to try and give you a better idea of the green color.  I think you can see the stripping of the green and white in some of the other photos better.

An easy baby gift if you have two hours and two yards of fabric.

The weather forecast is calling for snow to start falling sometime tonight.  The snowfall is to be plowable  which could make the drive in to work tomorrow morning interesting.
Hope you have had a good weekend wherever you are.

Where's spring?

Check out the bluebird that was in the maple tree in our front yard.  The sight of it prompted Mr P to place a bluebird box in the trees off to the right of the driveway in the photo below.  

Monday afternoon the snow started to fall while I was at work.  The trip home was uneventful but the radio was reporting lots of fender benders during rush hour.  

Plans were to go to the movies in the evening to see the movie "Lincoln".  After dinner, I told Mr P that we didn't have to head out to the theater if the roads were bad and going to get worse.  He assured me that the worst was over and really it was.  

The trip to the theater was on mostly wet roads and by the time the movie was over at 9:45PM, every where we walked was just sloppy.  Today there are little hills of snow here and there where snow was pushed to clear a walkway to the detached garage.  Most of the snow is gone however which is great.

I borrowed the movie Argo from the library on Friday.  We were able to watch it on Saturday evening and would recommend it.   I remember the hostage crisis with Iran in the 1980's and who doesn't like Ben Affleck.  Oh he's easy on the eyes!
The movie Lincoln was also very good.  Completely different period of history but just as interesting.  Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Field were great as Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln.  Again, another one we would recommend seeing.

This last picture shows the stonework we had done behind the woodstove this week.  It certainly is a change in the living room.  Now to paint the rest of the room.

Today is not only the first day of spring but also the 10th birthday of Grandson #2.  We called to sing Happy Birthday to him about 1/2 hour ago and see how his day was going.  He assured us his day was Great so far and he still hadn't had his cake.
Happy Birthday again to the Double Digit Midget, Grandson #2!!!  We love you.
Remember spring is right around the corner.

Sneak preview

Grandson #2's 10th birthday is this week.  He loves soft cuddly things and a new stuffed toy is always a treat.  With some assistance from a coworker, I made him a sock monkey as part of his birthday gift from Mr P and myself.
OnlyDaugher may see these pictures before the package and his actual birthday arrives but I'm sure she will keep things under wrap until the big day.

As luck would have it, I was shopping for a birthday card for one of my brother-in-laws whose birthday is also in the month of March and stumbled upon a sock monkey card.  I couldn't resist making the purchase.  There is a gift card in the envelope with the sock monkey card that I know he will enjoy spending.  

Happy 10th Birthday Grandson #2!!!
We hope you enjoy your special day!

My regular consistent walking buddy is in another state for a week visiting and getting acquainted with her newest grandchild, a little girl.  The other walking buddy who doesn't relish the early morning hour when we normally walk or the chill of winter, pulled herself from under the covers and walked with me yesterday and today.  I had the day off work on Friday and we even got out later in the morning that day.     The weather forecast yesterday was bleak with cold temperatures and snow and sleet falling on and off.
A business expo was scheduled yesterday at the library where Mr P and myself volunteer.  Since it was too cold to get outside and make a lot of progress in the flower beds and garden, we decided to make a visit to the expo.
There were about 20 various local businesses represented.  I purchased a beautiful primrose and a packet of pansies to plant.  Mr P spun a roulette wheel that the local credit union had at its stand and won a nice shopping bag.  He filled it up with handouts, pens and before we left several boxes of Girl Scout cookies.
The highlight of the expo for the kiddies was the Easter Bunny who was available for photos.  I didn't join in for the picture but when I thanked the bunny for allowing me to take the picture, a very deep voiced bunny said "You're welcome".

It's cold outside again today but even so Mr P did manage to rake the leaves off my asparagus bed.  Now we just need some warm weather so I can be outside to start weeding.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend wherever you are.

 

Harbingers of Spring

Yesterday was a beautiful day!  Our temperature got up to 58 degrees and the sun was shining.  I made it a point to get outside in the afternoon to do a little yard work and enjoy the nice weather.

Mr P decided to let the fire go out in the wood stove yesterday and not build a fire overnight.  His plan was to clean the chimney and chimney cap today while the temperatures were warm.  This job is done once or twice over the winter months to help avoid the possibility of a chimney fire.

I failed to take any pictures of the brush that he uses when he gets up on the roof but it looks like an oversize bottle brush.  Sometimes the brush gets stuck down in the chimney and I'm forced (I mean that literally) to get on the ladder and provide some added muscle power to pull the brush out.  I do not do well with heights and even though our home is only one story, it's one story too high for me when it comes to getting on the ladder to get back down.  Going up is slow but coming down is just plain scary for me.
Good news is that he didn't need help pulling the brush back up the chimney so my chores were to use a scraper to clean the chimney cap and clean out the clean out box at the base of the chimney in the garage.  Easy tasks and now we won't need to clean the chimney again until next burning season.

While we were outside, constant gaggles of Canadian geese flew overhead heading north.  Their formations were interesting and their honking loud.  We took a walk to The Puddle and I snapped a few pictures as they flew high overhead.  Because the sun was so bright, I wasn't sure if I captured any but as you see below, I managed to get a string of them as they flew by.

My mini daffodils that are in one of my flower beds are not yet in bud but the foliage is up and a lovely green.

These green sprouts are the beginning of my "ditch" lillies or day lillies as they are called.  Being out and cleaning the border around the front of the house is giving me spring fever.  

On our walk this morning we noticed some of the lower branches on the crabapple trees we planted last year were broken.  The reason became apparent when we saw the buck rubs on the trunks of both trees. The second picture of a buck rub was taken in the woods on the way back up to the house.    

 

It was a chilly walk yesterday morning for my walking buddy and myself but today was even colder.  We needed our headlamps this morning for almost the entire walk.  It will be nice to have daylight last longer in the evening but I will be glad when the days begin to lengthen and we have daylight in the morning too.
I have the dishes to do from lunch and then I will be heading outside to clear more of the flower beds.
Have a good weekend wherever you are.

Where, oh where, did February go?

Here is the March 1st picture of The Puddle Pond (or maybe it was taken on March 2nd since Mr P forgot to go down during the day on the 1st to snap the photo).


It's been quite a while since I posted anything here.  I won't make any excuses because I just haven't taken the time to get any pictures or make time to post.  Let's blame it on the mid-winter doldrums.

Mr P has been busy with the camera during the day when I am at work.  Noticing the absence of birds at the many bird feeders we have stationed on our back deck, he noticed this hawk just at the edge of the woods.  

The few remaining pictures are of some of the herd of about 14 deer that roam in the vicinity of our neighbors and our home.  I have a cool lawn ornament that OnlyDaughter and OnlySonInLaw bought me which is a dragon.  One part is his head and shoulders, the middle section is one of his humps and the final section is his tail.  These marauders below knock over the pieces as they wander through my flower bed in the early morning hours.

These will be the same scavengers who will visit my garden this summer and eat a good portion of what I plant.  We are toying with the idea of fencing in the garden but haven't figured out the dilemna that poses in figuring out how to get the rototiller inside the fence and down the rows if we need to till.

 

 

Tomorrow night at 2AM Daylight Savings Time begins.  I remember how to turn the clocks by reminding myself, Spring move them forward, Fall move them back.
My walking buddy and I will start out our walk at 6AM in almost full daylight but Sunday morning we will be back in the dark.
I like that it will stay light longer as the days begin lengthening.
With temperatures predicted to reach the 50's tomorrow, unless it's too muddy, there's lots to do outside.  Here's hoping your weekend is a good weekend and you enjoy some of the same lovely weather.