"Stagnation of the lungs"

 Do *you* know what show that line is from? 

When I sat down to start writing this blog post, that was the first thing that came to mind, for some reason.  Maybe because that is how January has felt?  Stagnating? 

Maybe it's appropriate that my friend sent this gem through to me. 

Then, suddenly, it will be February in just a few days, and I will be thinking "Wow, that last little bit sure went fast!" 

The last time I wrote was just over a week ago.  Last week didn't feel that interesting as I was living it.  No sun.  Temperature's not as forecasted.  I was working towards a publishing day. Blerg. ... 

Tuesday I went to the dentist for a cleaning.  My hygienist is a really sweet gal, and we usually end up talking crafty things. Well, as much as we can while she's rooting around in my mouth, making sure everything is as it should be. 

When we were done, I got up and had pulled out my phone to show her something knitting-related and she saw the photo of Furby as my lock screen.  She enthused over how pretty Furby was and I had a hard time talking about Furby. 

Not in the way you might think. I wanted to tell her SO much about what kind of girl my Furby was that I got a bit stuck and didn't know what to say first.  She was my favorite girl and she is missed. 

It's been at least six months and I still get a bit teary-eyed and choked up at times when I think about her. 

*ahem* 

My son has been begging me to make eggrolls. Ever since the mom of one of his friends made eggrolls and he brought some home, he's pleaded with me to make them.  

I said I would if I found a good recipe.  Everything online calls for 100 ingredients.  I asked my mom's group if anyone had a good recipe. My friend E came through and gave me the recipe her mom used. 

Eggrolls were a big, fat hit! I even figured out a way to make them low carb, using low carb wraps.  

Another day I took advantage of the slowly thawing temperatures and cleaned out the chicken coop before work.  Yeah, I was out in the coop at 7 a.m., mucking it out. 

These two thought it was WAY too early for those type of shenanigans. 

The pine shavings were SO heavy from all the moisture. Then trying to move the wheelbarrow through the soft snow.  I thought I was gonna die! 

One of my hens was a bit miffed because she wanted to lay an egg and I kept messing about, and then I emptied the shavings out of the nesting boxes. 

Oh yeah ... when I first went out there I was looking at the tracks in the snow. 

Pretty sure this is a raccoon track. I am not fond of raccoons. 

Cleaning out took me about an hour.  I know I clean out my chicken coop more frequently than others probably do.  I want my birds to be happy. 

They are. 

I shot a quick video and my one hen had to come check out what I was doing.  This is my Stumpy Girl. 

Quilting ... 

The quilting has slowed down a small bit. Now that a few of the small sewing projects have been wrapped up I've not been quite as quick to run to the craft room in the evenings.  I'm still in there, though. 

I don't remember which night it was that I decided I was going to start working on squares for the Dancing Stars quilt. 

I thought I'd be so clever about it, too, and not look at the instructions. 

I have no idea what month this color set is. 

I sewed the pieces together in groups of two.  Then grouped two groups together. 

Like, I said ... I was being so clever. 

Three groups of four. 

I don't remember it being three groups of four ... Or the pieces needing to be sewn up into a Y seam. 

Drat!

It was supposed to be four groups of three colors.  

The first quilt square went in to timeout while I mentally kicked myself.  Then the next day I ripped seams and re-did the first square. 

Sewn back together as best as I could do.  There is some weird circular wrinkling going on. 

I know if I ripped everything apart and sewed it all back together, those wrinkles would likely not go away. So they will stay. Close enough. Not to mention 12 fabrics meeting in the same spot.  I doubt they would have come together again as nice as they currently are. 

Last night I ripped the remaining quilt squares apart, ironed and they are all ready to go. 

I have a goal of completing this set of squares by the end of the week, along with one square from the other quilt I'm working on.  Wish me luck!

And in the midst of the week I was out in the she shed and spotted a bag of DMC floss.  I was like "What chart is this for?'

I have no idea what project I picked these up for. *Eeks* It was nice to look at all those colors together.  So bright and pretty. 

About half of the fiber I weight out for January has been spun up. I have some kind of hang up about spinning.  It's all *right there* ready to go. 

When I have spun it's been wonderful. 

Saturday I finally did it! What did I do? I started some seeds!

I've been waiting for this moment. Then when it finally got here, I was like "What should I start?"  

Celery, onions and lettuce, duh! I also started a few herbs.  

My first set of mini soilblocks.  Aren't they adorable?

All the room in the house to work and plant seeds, and where do I go?  The kitchen table. 

Sometimes I really amaze myself with what I'm able to do in a tiny space I allow myself to work in. 

After I planted the seeds and dropped some vermiculite on it all. 

I decided to try something different this year.  No plant tags tucked between the soil blocks.  I have tape with numbers on them, and I have a notebook where I listed everything I planted.  Last year I had trouble with the plant labels sliding out of place. 

This weekend I'm going to plant some peppers, and ... I don't know what else yet.  A lot of perennial seeds were purchased and I'd like to set some of those started.  Just need to settle on how I'm going to start the seeds: Winter sowing, in seed cups, soil blocks ... I have a few ideas.  The mild winter is helping, too. Maybe plant a few small cups of seeds and set them out in the greenhouse? Or, I could use the material we got last year and make a low tunnel? 

My office chair out in the she shed got a makeover.  This chair is at least 12 years old.  Maybe 15? It's still in great shape but for the material.  The material is pleather and it's starting to split. 

It now matches MUCH better, I think. 

On Sunday the sun came out. 

Seriously ... My hubby and I were outside and when the sun broke through the clouds I went and stood in a sun patch. 

Our snow melted a LOT over the weekend. 

Yesterday was publishing day. 'Nuff said. It's publishing day!

Today was catch up day. 

When I was out in the coop this morning, before work, our barred rock roo decided to act up a bit with me.  I'm sure I did something he didn't like, such as sweeping away pine shavings so I can close the door. 

I grabbed him and held him for a bit and talked to him. Then he leaned his head over and nipped my hand.  Through the glove he managed to bruise me. 

The brat. I didn't hand raise him from a chick.  He was a rescue. There hasn't been any attitude until late last summer.  He would try to sneak attack me and I don't put up with it, so he's had his fair share of being held by me while I tell him he's a naughty boy. I thought we were making headway when he finally would take food I offered him.  Nope. 

The rest of this week ... I have Thursday and Friday off.  The last little bit of my paid time off before my work anniversary. My plan is to record a podcast one of these days.  

Soooo ... I guess that's all the news from Lake Woebegone ... 

Oh, and if you didn't know where the quote in the title is from, it's a line from the original "All Creatures, Great and Small."