Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Trying to get back in to routine

 Hello! 

I've been meaning to sit down and write since Sunday.  Things keep coming up and distracting me. 

How on earth did it get to be mid-June?  I feel like I've barely got anything done and the month is half-over. Oy! 

I'm still trying to figure out this whole having a graduate at home.  For those of you who have strong-willed freshly-graduated kids, you may understand what I'm currently dealing with.  The whole wanting to be an adult, but still wanted to be a kid thing. I'm not gonna lie, it's been a struggle.  I've read about this whole "dirtying-the-nest" thing, but reading about it doesn't fully prepare you. 

Okay. ... 

Last week I was on vacation.  Which basically meant I didn't have to go to work.  My hubby and I spent the week together, catching up on some things that needed doing.  

We butchered the meat birds, re-stacked some wood that tipped over, and cut and make a new wood round. 


... what else ... I don't remember. How sad is that. Mostly I was trying to decompress and relax when we weren't doing homesteady stuff.  Yes, I did do some work in the garden. No, I still haven't recorded a video or taken many photos out there. 

Wait, I take that back.  I do have a few things to share with you. 

Remember all the pepper plants I started back in February because i was so eager to get things started?

I have a big jim pepper, or two, growing. How fun is that?! I have never had peppers this early. 

Yesterday morning, before work, I was out in the garden, weeding and marveling at how fast the weeds spring up, and I spotted this little fella on one of the milkweed plants. 


I was excited to see this monarch caterpillar.  I shared it in a Facebook group and people excitedly told me how to best care for it. Some people were lamenting how they haven't seen as many as they used to. Truthfully, I don't know if I'm up to caring for a caterpillar in the house.  I don't usually see many birds over in that area of the yard.  It's usually butterflies flitting around.

I mentioned the weeds. Well, the weeds has started coming in the garden and I want to knock those down before I take any other photos or videos. 

One of the days we decided to take a walk through the back 20. It was nice to see all that green after the longest winter in recent memory. 





Then we came across an area I don't frequent too often because it's kind of swampy. 

We were tiptoeing on the moss, and trying to not get our feet wet when I said "Hey, look at that flower.

I've never seen a flower like this before. 


I learned these are lady slippers orchids and they are not that common.  

My hubby and I are in awe that there is a spot on our land that meets the requirements for these flowers.  


My SIL came up for a short visit and we had a great time.  She also brought her new puppy with her and he was adorable.  He was so busy and wriggly that I didn't get any good photos of him in action.

When he was fast asleep he was usually out like a rockstar. 

That face, though.  He looked like a little teddy bear. 

The chickens didn't know what to make of this creature and my young barred rock roo was on the alert and always trying to figure the puppy out.  

Furby, when introduced to the puppy, was nonplussed. (I think I'm using that word correctly). She wasn't too impressed. 

Yes, my Furby June is still around.  She's three years old now. I can't imagine a time without her.  She's given me a few health scares last year. She's getting close to middle age for a chicken, I suppose, and she's starting to slow down a bit.  As much as a pampered house chicken can slow down. 

Furby still loves watching Kimberly of the Fat Quarter Shop, but she doesn't caterwaul nearly as much if that channel isn't on.  Furby stares out the window more now, and gets upset when she sees the other chickens in the front yard, or when they climb up on the front stoop and stare at her.  One time she got so upset that she threw up. Apparently she doesn't want them on *her* lawn. 

I took a video yesterday of the birds hanging out near the garden area, and Furby was over there, too. She wasn't really with the group, but she was kind of hanging near them. 

I got some new glasses! I'm not used to taking selfies, and I feel so awkward taking photos of myself. 


They are awesome! I can see! Well, I can always see, but now I can read smaller words more easily and it's not such a strain with the cheater-readers when I'm looking at the computer screen and bouncing back and forth between it and something I'm typing up for work. I've tried using them while I cross stitch and I think I still need the magnification of the cheater readers for seeing those small holes in the fabric.  

What else ... Well, this is Wednesday, and I try to stick with the #WIP Wednesday.  

I'm still plugging along on my February Month-to-Month.  I'm so close to being done!  

This one feels like a slog.

Why?  Cause I'm pretty sure I've been working on it FOREVER.  Now that I'm so close to the end I keep making errors and having to rip out.  

Ugh! 

Do you see the circled part in the photo? 


I'm supposed to stitch some roses and fiddly bits in that area.  I keep messing up. 

See photo below.  Seriously, how hard it is to stitch some roses and fiddly bits? It's usually at the start of where I started stitching that the error happens

Finally!  Success! I got the roses done.  All that is left is the fiddly bits. 


Photo from last time I shared.


Started: Jan. 15, 2023
Finished: 
Fabric: Aida cloth 14 count Hobby Lobby Zweigart.
Floss: Using called for Classic Colorworks fancy floss
Colors: Black, pink, red, teal, green
Needle Size: 26
Made For: Myself

This weekend I decided to download patternkeeper to an older kindle fire I have. It took a bit longer than I thought it would, but it was easier than I thought it would be, if that makes sense. The tutorials I was seeing were for newer kindles.  I came across a website that explained which files I should use, based on the kindle model and with OS I was using. 

Finally, on Sunday night, at 10:45 p.m., I successfully downloaded patternkeeper. 

I haven't done too much with the app, yet.  I'm kind of just messing around right now with importing charts and seeing how they play with the app.  

I did import the snowflake chart I was working on and marked the stitches I've done. I think the app is going to help a LOT with this chart and another full-coverage chart I want to start very soon. 


Oh! Before I wrap this blog entry up I wanted to share something really special! 

My SIL is a bit crafty, like me, but her focus is on painting and drawing.  

When she came up last week she surprised me with an early birthday gift. 

Several months ago she asked my hubby for a photo of Furby. 

This is what she made for me. 


Isn't it wonderful?!

This is the photo she worked from.  I took this of Furby March 2022. 


The painting my SIL did is so bright and full of light.  She did such a nice job.  I'm still trying to settle on a spot in the house for it, so it can be seen a LOT. In the meantime, i've got it sitting in a spot where i can admire it when I'm sitting in my spot in the living room. 

Until next time! 





1 comment:

Becky G said...

Love the painting! What a treasure that is. I have one from an old third grade teacher who took up painting after she retired. Before she died, she gave it to my cousin and told her it was for me. Maybe next post, I'll put up a photo of it.