My Little Rag Rugs

Here are a couple of pictures of some of my rag rugs. One or two winters ago, I undertook to make a little rag rug, by tearing narrow strips of fabric. Mostly clothing or sheets that were no longer needed. I rarely ever buy new fabric for my crafts. I feel that is my purpose for doing the crafts. To make use of anything that is no longer usable in it's present form. I got started making the little rugs and got carried away. I think I made about 20 of them that winter. I gave most of them away to family and friends, but kept a couple for myself. I can always make more if I decide I need more.

There is something about the little rugs that brings me peace and contentment. I guess it is the thought, more or less, of the day when folks use to make them back in earlier days when times were much more simple. I can just imagine how it would have been to lived back then. I'm sure it would not have been as wonderful as we imagine. It only seem so now, because we have lived through the fast pace times in which we have.
Just thought I would write about the rugs since I ran across the pictures this evening while removing a lot of pictures from my hard drive to discs. A lot of reminiscing going on here tonight. Until my next post,Happy Reading!

I Love Consignment Stores.

Here are a few of the nice things I found today as Mom and I browsed through a local Consignment Store.The crowd was unreal.Mom
and I love hitting yard sales, when
the weather is fitting, but with
Mom's age, we now have to do a
lot less of it, and when you are addicted, it's rough. So now when
it's cool or Mom doesn't feel like walking that much, we go to consignment shops and get our yard sale fix. It's just as satisfying, to me anyway. She never buys much.
Since she is 83, she says there's no use cluttering up more for us to
worry with when she's gone, but I think it's more because she is on a
very fixed income, and her better
judgement holds her back. I don't
have that much restraint. Most of
what I buy nowadays, is for the
pattern. Ilike to try lots of different things. The valance was just cute. I have not decided if I will keep it as a valance or make something else out of it. I'll need to study about that. The casserole carrier was so pretty, it was irresistible, also. It seems to be a fairly simple pattern, and it would make a nice gift for any occasion.
The little crocheted dress was darling. I think it is a hot pad, but possibly I could feel my way with the pattern and make something close. I crochet by eye.I'm not much for reading pattern directions. So Folks, Another Post, Another Day, Happy Reading!

Do We Worry Too Much?

I guess it is a "woman thing."I worry

about every bite I fix,when preparing a new dish for others. I suppose that's why it's not a good idea to fix anything you have not previously tried out on your own family.I had a package of dates my Mom had given me, since she doesn't bake that much anymore. I wanted to use them, but I really didn't want to make Date Pinwheel cookies. I had baked those in the past, and they were wonderful, but not exactly what I wanted for Thanksgiving. I preferred to make a cake. I got a new recipe off of Cooks.com for a Date Nut Cake, that seemed pretty simple, and I had all the ingredients, or close enough. I had to make my own buttermilk. No problem. I had done that lots of times. I whipped up the cake and iced it with Cream Cheese Frosting. We really didn't need it for our big meal, so I kept it here at home. No problem moving it here. The coffee drinkers stop by after their morning Deer Hunt every day, and you see what's left. It went great with the guys with hot coffee.I love cooking, if it gets eaten. The local coffee drinkers are a big help in that department. Any time I have something I want to move along, leftover wise, bring it out and serve it to the coffee drinkers.Pop provides the entertainment, I provide the refreshments.It works out good for us both, since we both love company.I love my quiet time. That's when I do my crafts, but I love it when company drops by, too. Any day brings in lots of visitors around this house, as most of the neighbors will agree, but on holidays, our driveway is usually extra full. I drove a school bus for several years, so we have an really big driveway.I had such good luck with this cake, I plan to try this recipe again.It may be one of the recipes I put in my little home made recipe box. (that's most likely another post at a later date)Until then, Happy Blogging!

My Handy Little Pouches

I am so proud of my new additions. I worked on these off and on yesterday, between baking and getting ready for the big day today.We will be spending Thanksgiving with Mom. Several of the family will be there. I fixed a sweet potato casserole,one of my family's favorites, and a Pineapple Cheese Ball, and a Date Nut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Those are my contributions to the meal.But while things were cooking,I worked on my little pouches. They are so handy to keep things in that I use on a regular basis, but cannot seem to locate when I need them. I have all sizes of crochet needles in one. Machine parts in one, and my bobbins in one. I love these little pouches. I get to use lots of my pretty remnants of fabric, and they are out where I can see and enjoy them while I am working.I have done the stitching all by hand, and I enjoy that so. I am as proud of the interior as I am the outward look. Is it wrong to be so proud of your own work? I guess next to some folks work, they are 'small potatoes', but I am truly proud of them.I feel I will making more of these this winter. Till my next post, Happy Thanksgiving!

My Apple Basket

This is one of the baskets I covered a while back. I hardly ever buy brand new material, but when I do run across a piece I dearly love, I try to make something with it that I can use, and have out where I can see it on a regular basis. I use this basket for a catch-all to hold my pretty little remnants of material. I use material in a lot of my projects, so I get to see it often.I don't really know what the fascination is with the covering of the baskets. It could be the hands-on work it takes to fix them. I love hand stitching. Not enough to do a quilted quilt, but I do love hand stitching small projects. There is something peaceful and calming about it.I guess there are those who would say it was nerve wrecking for them, but not so for me.I have a young neighbor who feels the same way. She makes beautiful quilts, and all by hand stitching. She says she will never own a machine.Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I'll keep my machine.Till another post.Could be in a few hours. Who knows. I love blogging, too.Happy Reading!

My Deer Basket

Another day, another project. Today

it's a half bushel basket in which a friend of mine gave me some pears this past few weeks. He sent 2 full bushel baskets and this half bushel basket full. Pop said the friend did not want the baskets back, so I decided to cover the smaller one. I love covering baskets. It seems these kinds of baskets are few and far between any more.I have covered all sorts of baskets. Usually they are ones that have been damaged, or soiled, or just plain falling apart. You can hide just about anything with a little batting and some pretty fabric. I covered a small basket a few years ago, just as a project I carry with me to keep my hands busy. "It just so happened" (like Brother Art, from Mom's church, says,"Nothing 'just so happens'")to be at Mom's that day, and it 'just so happened' that she would be going to her annual Christmas party for her Sunday School class.Well, of course, I was invited to go along.On such a short notice, and I had no gift,except the basket I had just finished.So I took it for my exchange gift. It was a hit. I was never so proud. Everyone wanted my basket.I have made and gave away so many. They make nice catch-alls for whatever you care to use them for. Pop asked me as I was finishing this one, what I would use it for. He never even notices usually, but I suppose it was the deer pattern on the material I was using. I think he would probably love it for his own use. Men need catch-alls for their stuff, too.I'll probably put a brown ribbon around the rim and cover the handles with the same ribbon, and then if he still seems interested, I guess he can have it.I can see it now, by the door filled with his caps and house slippers and gloves.

Christmas Leftovers!

No, I'm not referring to food. I am talking about all the little fragments of ribbons and lace, greenery and hardly ever used ornaments,imperfect bulbs,etc. Anything left lying around after the tree and the house are decorated for Christmas. Most folks would toss these things. No qualms about it. But we crafters, don't think that way. It's "Put it in a box somewhere, and I'll think of something to do with those things later. They are much to pretty to throw out."I guess most crafters have thought those very words more times than they care to mention.Then one day, when I need something to fill my day, I'll drag out that box, my glue gun,my scissors, my glasses, my cup of tea,and I spend the day assembling cute little coffee table pieces like the two at the bottom of the left hand picture and the wreath in the right hand picture.(Vicki, the mitten is the one I spoke of earlier. I bought 4 and plan to use the pattern to make my own similar mittens.The little angel is one we made in Homemakers.)I have so much fun putting these little things together. They just add another touch of Christmas in a spot that needs perking up.They are nice just to give to a friend, or take to the nursing home, or to a shut-in that might not be able to decorate on her own. And all the small bits and pieces left over from Christmas are recycled and bringing someone a bit of Holiday Cheer.

P.S. One way of using up the bits and pieces, is to glue them in a pretty arrangement on the top of a gift-in-a-jar which a lot of folks are making nowadays.

More Childhood Memories

There are a lot of things that happened in my childhood that I have no memory of. Things my siblings remember , that I don't. Funny how you remember certain things, but not others.But this one thing, I remember well. I ran across this old receiving blanket , probably at a yard sale, and it brought back memories from around the time I was 9 or 10 years old. Mom had a set of twins born in 1957. We were fairly poor and did not have all the amenities others enjoyed.
Since we had very limited storage space(we were living in an unfinished basement at the time. I suppose Dad was waiting for more money to come in, to finish up the house.) However, Mom needed storage for the twins diapers, so while the first four children were at school, Mom would take the pictures from her embroidery patterns, and trace them onto long rolls of freezer paper.(We always had freezer paper since we processed our own meat on occasion.When the four older kids got home from school, we would line up around the table, and color those little pictures.Very similar to these I have posted.When all the pictures were completed, she would take the roll of paper and cover a cardboard box with them, and that would hold all the diapers.A very simple ,but ingenious way to keep us busy and make the storage container that she needed.Poor people have poor ways, but they usually get the job done.Till my next post,Happy Reading.

"My Smokey Little Red Devil"

I woke up early this morning since I crashed early last night. I had both grand kids all day yesterday, and no opportunity for a rest or a nap, so you can imagine. I had no trouble falling to sleep, and if I lay in the bed too many hours, my back begins to hurt.So I'm up at 4 a.m.The first thing I see when I opened my eyes this morning,was this little Red Devil.It was the only one thing,out of many pieces of memorabilia, that was saved from the house fire,from my grade school days.He's a little smokey himself, but I had to keep him. He is so cute. (For a Devil) I thought while it was fresh on my mind, I would jot down the words to my school song which he always reminds me of. So to the best of my memory, here it is. If only I had a way to put the music on here, too.

On, on, RHS We are right, for the fight, to-night. Make that bas-ket Ev-ry-time And every Red Devil Star will Shine. Fight, fight, fight, For the Red and Black We will push those Trojans back, We will shoot, pass, and run, Till the battle is won, And we'll bring home the vic-to-ry.(Trojans came to my mind, from my High School days, but you would use the name of the opposing team for the game that night.)

I was never into sports that much, but always loved that little song.And I loved my school. Especially grade school. Even though I was small, I knew the names and faces of most of the folks I went to grade school with. On up to the twelth grade. Many years later, I would run into folks that I went to school with and say, "Oh, I remember you from school." They would say"No, you couldn't possibly remember. I was eight or ten grades ahead of you."That didn't matter, I remembered them.I had an excellent memory back then and I was always interested in who was who. I guess that's why I love geneology today.That's my story about the Little Red Devil. Thanks for listening.

New Friends

I missed going to the grocery store when I was out with Mom on Friday, so I stopped by the little discount store in a neighboring community, a bit closer to home. The lady and her husband,running the store, both had a history of crafting. It was such a joy to talk to them both about things they had made in the years they worked with the crafts. I did my grocery shopping, and since the little store was not that busy, I pulled up a chair and we exchanged stories of our crafting experiences for about an hour or so.When you are talking about something that interests you so, time gets away. It was so refreshing to hear about all they had seen and done with their craft business. If my memory serves me correctly, they had a trailer of sorts that they would load up with their crafts, and travel to other states where they had a prearranged calendar date set for them to be certain places on certain days. They had another person planning out the various setup dates and locations for them.That must have been nice to have a spouse that is interested in the same things you are, and being able to do the things you love so well, together, and travel, and make a little money along the way.What could be better?Hopefully, I will get another chance to visit with them again or even better, maybe she will get her daughters together and start up a blog or two, so we can share some more crafting ideas. I have found that I enjoy blogging, about as much as I do crafting. Who knows, I may end up being a writer. I love the writing part of it , as well as the crafting. It's strange how life take so many unexpected twists and turns. Never say never. Anything can happen in life.One door closes and another door opens. I guess that's what that means. If we could only see it in time to take advantage of it. Until my next post,Happy crafting.

Booties, Snuggie, Blocks & Snowman

I finished up a couple of projects last night and wanted to post them today, before the grandkids arrive.When they get here, that's all she wrote when it comes to using the computer.I finished the granddaughter's booties.

They are really simple(no pattern used). Just a drawstring little baglike slipper. We wear them around the house on cool mornings, especially if the fire went out downstairs, and the floor is cold. When they get dirty, just toss them in the laundry. The same with the little bottle snuggies. Mom uses these a lot. She has to take different medications throughout the day, even when we are out on the road, so she carries a drink of some kind with her at all times. The little bottles stay ready in the fridge, so naturally they will sweat when she takes them out. This keeps them from getting her hands or purse wet.(She does slip them in a plastic bag.)The little blocks are one of my favorite projects. We had so many ends and pieces left over when the Amish built our porch on three sides of our new house, I could not bear to put them in the firewood box. I do love wood. I use it a lot in my crafts. Any way, I try to think up lots of ways to use it. The 4 year old grandson helped me with the blocks, and he got carried away, painting before I got to sand the blocks, but what the heck. He enjoyed it, and it didn't matter that much. That is one example of "Choosing your battles."The little snowman is another project. The grandkids and I use clay a lot, and this is one little item that survived. John gets as much fun out of smushing my clay projects as anything. I usually make him things that don't matter so much and keep my special projects out of his reach till they dry.Deer season is still in, so Pop has to make the trip to the woods, to check things out this morning, but since I must go after the kids, it is his day to fix breakfast. I get a little break, and that is a tremendous help. Till another post. Thanks for reading!

My Christmas Stocking Story

I know my sister is proud of her first knitted Christmas stocking. I remember 30 years ago, I collected enough stockings for the entire family, each to have one of their own. Mostly to hang up for decoration, since it is almost impossible to put very much in each one.The tradition finally became simply putting in a large bag of M&Ms in each stocking. As a joke, which they all are good at, the size of the M&M bags grew smaller and smaller as the years went by, and the prices went up. This past year, their Dad had me to buy individual bags of M&Ms and only put in 2 or 3 little bags in each stocking. You've never heard such a fuss.(It was not my idea. He just likes to get those two girls stirred up, and that did it.)But back to the stockings. I had gathered up enough stockings for our family and we'd use them over and over every year. Well, when the time came to add on the two son-in-laws, I could not find 2 more stockings,anywhere close to matching the ones we had started with.When Pop and I first married he had a living room suit with large red flowers in the pattern of the set, so I bought enough red material to make drapes to match. We used those drapes for a few years, and finally when the sun had begun to bleach a few places, they had to go to the quilt scrap box. I remembered the red material which I had stored away, and dug it out. I cut out 2 more stockings from the red material and found some perfect white material for the cuffs. That only left the trim. I knew there was no need trying to find similar trim, so I took several strands of red and green embroidery floss and braided it. That was an excellent trim for the two new stockings. I still feel a sense of pride when I get those stockings out each year, knowing what I went through to get them made. No one but me knows how it makes me feel to know I had done that. But that's OK. There are lots of things we do, that never get noticed or complimented on, but the pride we get from knowing we were able to do it, is payment enough. I'm wishing you lots of wonderful Holiday Memories.

As I read "down---to---earth's" Just Do It

There is so much that I want to try after reading one of the blogs entitled,"down--to--earth". I am sure that is her intent. Just today, I stumbled across one of her topics,"Just Do It".It read like a self help book, which I am no stranger to. It really does help you to read all that she has done and is still doing. I think I read in one of her posts that she was a retired teacher. You can tell. She teaches you without you ever knowing she is doing so. That is a gift. Her plan is to get others interested in taking control of their lives. In my opinion, I think she is saying,"Don't sit there and expect life to fall in your lap. Just do it."My sentiments exactly.We must be around the same age. I think some of the wisdom I possess came with maturity.I like that word better than age. Don't just sit around wishing your life could be different. Do something about changing it, if it is not to your satisfaction.I hear it everyday. "Oh me,poor pitiful me."That kind of attitude will only get you to an early grave. There are so many possibilities in this world, everyone should be able to find something that satisfies them.Try them all. You will stumble across something that "strikes your fancy", then run with it. There are so many things that I have tried in my lifetime. And there are so many of them that I continue to do. I'll admit. I do have a lot of unfinished projects, but I eventually get back to them. I just put them up on a shelf when I get bored with that particular project, and go on to another.Even if I don't get back to it for 5 years, I will have a renewed interest in it, when I do. It will seem like a new project once again.Some projects 'strike a chord' with me, and I will continue them on through the entire winter. That's when I know I have found something I really like.A project that I am not interested in today, may sit well with me another day.I am that way with cooking. I did it for a job and loved it, but now that I have the freedom to do other things, I cook very little. I worked on a cozy for my sewing machine today. I found that idea in one of the blogs I had been reading. I had a small quilt of sorts, that I did not know what to do with, and when I read about the cozy, I decided that was what it would be.When I tired of that earlier today, I decided to get inside my freezer and use up some of the items that needed to be moved.I pulled out some venison, some ground beef, some sausage and some Italian turkey links. I am a great one for experimenting. I went to my old stand by,cooks.com , and found a basic recipe for meatloaf. I've never been able to get it just right. I made a double batch following the recipe fairly close, other than the meat, and it wasn't so bad. We had meatloaf sandwiches for lunch and there is plenty left to nibble on tonight and tomorrow. I have enjoyed both my ventures today. Only next time I make the meatloaf, I plan to leave out the sausage. Other than that, it went over well with Pop. He is picky about his meatloaf. Now I will have to rush out and let my goats graze awhile and feed the chickens and dogs before it gets too dark.

I have posted pictures of both my meatloaf and my cozy. I didn't put ties on my cozy, like the one pictured in the blog I read. This way it can double as a spread or whatever.

I Love My Pantry!

I've read over so many blogs from so many different folks, I cannot remember where I read about the pantries, but wanted to share my pictures and thoughts about mine. I think the topic was,"If you could add any room to your existing home, what would it be." and the pantry won out.That was the one thing I asked for when we rebuilt after our house fire in 2007. We rebuilt a very simple house, but with a full basement. That was another concern of mine. Tornadoes. I am so grateful for getting both. I use the basement now as my crafting area, and it is wonderful.The pantry has turned out to be a catch-all for lots of things, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. It is in the Big Room. Most people have Great Rooms, but ours is to small to be that, so I'll call it my Big Room. The room covers half the main floor. It is a combination living room,dining room,and kitchen.This is where the pantry is located. When the double doors are closed, it looks just like all the other closets in the house,as does the laundry area, which is directly to the right of the pantry. (I hate not being able to place my pictures and wording where I want them, but I guess I will learn in time.Thanks for visiting.)

Leah's 1st hand crafted doll

I'm sure you know that Leah, my eight year old granddaughter, did not make this doll, since it was her first.She did pick out the material for the head and arms. I would have picked something more like unbleached muslin.She liked this color, so she cut out 4 narrow strips of the cloth and sewed two of them completely together around the edges by hand.Which was a good start for an eight year old. She doesn't want you to tell her how, on a lot of things. She says she knows how to do it. But then after her way comes to a standstill, she will ask for advice. At this point I showed her how she would need to turn the arms inside out after they were sewed, so we started over with me showing her step by step, how it was done. I was hoping to show her just enough, that when she tries it again later, she will do better. Her attention span is improving as she gets a little older. She loves to experiment with my sewing machine. I am so proud she is wanting to learn a little about sewing at all. Neither her Mother,her Aunt, nor her natural grandmother, do crafts of any kind, to my knowledge.With one exception. her Aunt has crocheted an afghan.Kids have so little to do in their homes nowadays, other than TV and computers, and those types of games, I want these two grandchildren of mine to be exposed to other things in order to learn to occupy their minds by themselves, when needed. It has got to be a boring life to depend on someone else to entertain you, in every idle moment of your life. I don't need anyone to entertain me,ever. I find so much, on my own, that I want to do, I can never get to it all. However, it will most likely boil down to genes.I am a firm believer in heredity playing a huge part in how a person turns out, but I,also, believe that your environment plays a big part. What ever you are exposed to in your growing up, you will absorb some of that, to a point.At least, I have tried.

Oh Deer!

Today is a rainy old day here in the Bluegrass State. I think it has rained all night, but that doesn't stop a deer hunter. I cooked Pop a giant sausage sandwich and a thermos of coffee and sent him on his way before daylight. (His cousins are connoisseurs of fine sausage, and they found some they really liked made by Boone's, a local well known sausage maker in this area, so that is what I fixed for his breakfast this morning.)This family of cousins and Pop are very close. They work and 'play' together a lot.Of all his family, he is closest to this bunch of cousins and two others further south.They help each other in any way they can. We really don't need the deer meat, but Pop is still hoping, as all hunters do, to get the Big One.We never waste any deer meat,even though we don't keep that much for ourselves. If there isn't anyone in the family that wants it, we have Amish friends that will take any we have to offer. With their huge families to feed, I can see why. The families of Amish that we are closest with in our community, have 15 children. Most Amish do have large families.
Most hunters nowadays, build deer stands in their favorite hunting area. That puts them up higher off the ground in most cases. So,hopefully, the danger of getting shot by another hunter is not as great.There are so many people hunting these days, I am almost afraid for Pop to go. When they all get Deer Fever, the adrenalin kicks in and the danger is greater for someone to get hurt. You hear the horror stories of hunting accidents every day during deer season. Sometimes I think Pop is more interested in spending time with the cousins, then getting a deer.They are all younger than him and most of them look up to him as an Uncle or Father, since he is so much older. When they were all much younger, he would spend time with them doing these types of things.I don't think their fathers were interested that much in these kinds of activities. They cherish those days and relive them often when they are all together.We'll say a little prayer for all the hunters out there today, and wish them a safe return home to their families.(I don't have a picture handy of them in their hunting gear, but hope to add one shortly.)Till my next post,May God Bless You and Keep You Safe!

P.S. Sorry, Rusty!I will continue to search for one with you in the picture. I guess you were doing the picture taking here.

Birthday Party and New Friends

My Mom, my granddaughter and I went to a birthday party yesterday for a friend and Sunday School class member of Mom's. Mom had been telling me how this friend was a couple of years older than her and still grew a big garden and canned quite a bit, even yet.She had told me about her having a large house, living in her basement, about having a huge window down there and having it lined with pretty glass ware.Mom and another friend had gone to visit her once, when she was poorly, taking something from their garden to her. When they arrived, they found she had a big turnip green patch. I think they came home with turnips and greens that day. Mom's friend is slowing down a bit just like Mom. Her eyesight is getting worse, so the family watches their mother's every step, as we do our mom's.This friend had 8 children, Mom had 9. So they had a lot in common to talk and compare notes about. One of the sons helps out a lot with most of the canning now, and I think he had done most of the nice munchies they had for us there yesterday. Everything was nice, and there was an abundance of it. We stayed for the food, and waited until she opened our little homemade gifts, then we eased on out. My husband was due to meet family to do some deer hunting, so I had to take the grandson, and free him up for that.We met several new friends at the party. I spoke to one of the daughters about our blogs. She seemed excited to look ours up read them and maybe she'll give it a try for herself. I will be watching for her to start hers up any day. I wish her luck and hope she enjoys it as much as I do.Good Luck Elaine.I'll be waiting.

More Memories!

Isn't it funny how you can go to Mom's and sit and eat the types of things, like the bread pudding, that she use to fix when we were kids and just love it. I guess it comes from the fact we were always hungry enough that anything tasted great. Like Daddy always said,"If you don't like what is served at this meal, come back for the next meal. It will taste a whole lot better.". I love cooking anything, if I know it will be eaten and appreciated. Like when the Amish fellows help us on building projects. Anything you cook, they eat and simply love it. I guess they had worked up a good appetite and were really hungry. That's when food tastes the best.That's why I loved cooking for the school. There were always a few picky kids that you could never please, but for the most part, the kids around this area, ate just about anything and appreciated it. Then, too, when you are in school, you can't run to the kitchen every 30 minutes and get something to eat. The smells coming from the cafeteria use to get to me bad when I was a kid waiting for lunch. I thought I would starve to death before they took us to lunch.Mom use to have something for us to eat most days when we got home from school. She knew we would be starving and we usually were. While walking in the mile lane, from the bus to our house, we'd fight over a green apple one of the bunch had left from their lunch, we were so hungry.One of the things I remember best, that Mom would have ready for us, is the cold biscuits from breakfast, sliced open, dipped in milk and egg, pan fried, then rolled on cinnamon and sugar. Now that was good. And then there was the burnt sugar milk. We had lots of milk with our own cows. She would burn a little sugar in the iron skillet, and just as it began to turn black, she'd add water, then we'd sweeten it to taste. Ummm! Now that was good.Once in awhile, we'd raid the refrigerator and gobble up whatever we found, only to have Mom throw a fit because we had eaten what she had planned for supper.I know it must have been a job, planning ahead for meals to feed our bunch.We were never really hungry though. We learned to eat pumpkin and squash more ways than I care to remember. We ate a lot of rice since Mom grew up in south Louisiana. We had all the dairy products you can possibly make from milk.Fresh whole milk, thick sweet cream,cottage cheese, butter,buttermilk.Mom even tackled home made cheese a few times.She had a way of fixing cottage cheese with mayonaise and diced vegetables. I know it had onions in it, and I think radishes. That was gooood!We didn't have a lot of material things, but every nook and cranny in that big house was packed with those Bob White syrup jars filled with squash, pumpkin, apples, green beans, tomatoes.Mom would buy peanut butter by the bucket, I think it was a half gallon, and a half gallon of Bob White syrup every Friday. We ate every drop every week, what I didn't use to stir up some type of sweets for us all.Those jars used the # 63 jar lids. I'll bet Mom bought most of those lids that Mr. Stringer carried in his litttle store.When she could get a ride she would shop at Houchens, but a lot of things she bought at the little store 3 or 4 miles from home. Houchens was in town and a little harder to get to, and Mom didn't drive. One of us girls could drive one of Dad's old trucks to the little store, even though we were only 12,14, and maybe 16 years old. We'd get there somehow, even if we had to drive the tractor, or pull a little red wagon through the fields. I could go on and on with these memories, but I'll stop here and maybe relive a few more at a later date. Until then,Have a Good Day!

Homemade Crafts Make Nice Gifts!

Mom, my granddaughter,and I will be going to a birthday party tomorrow for one of the members of Mom's Sunday School class. I am not sure of her age, but it is in the 90's. Mom has told me so much about her and how she still cans fruits and vegetables and raises the biggest gardens. I simply must go and meet her. Can you imagine, in your 90's and still going strong. We had another friend like that. Remember Mrs. Ishee. She had Indian blood and I always figured that made her stronger than most.I have so many crafts made up. Mom was worried about the gift. I told her not to worry. I have that covered. I made a pot holder from one of Mom's Cathedral Windows squares. I crocheted a dishcloth. I crocheted a scrubbie that we learned about when visiting Oneida.And I tossed in one of the poppies I helped Mom's Silver Threads group make to pass out at the the Honeyfest.Mom and I both helped make them, but we never got to see not the first one at the fest. We got lucky this year and ran across this one lately.Hope she likes our little gift bag.

My Pocketbook Sewing Kit

I ran across this little project one night while rummaging through my supplies of 31 years, trying to get things better organized.I love doing little projects like this, but at this rate,I'll be 195 years old before I use up all my craft inventories. I really need to take on some larger projects.This project caught my fancy simply because I take some type of project with me where ever I go. I never want to be bored.When my hands are idle, I'm bored.This way I have what I need with me at all times.And I can use some of my pretty pieces of fabrics to make the covers. I made a similar case years ago, to hold the nail trimming kit.When the older daughter moved out and got a home of her own, she wanted to take it with her, and I never got around to making another. I have also made similar pouches to hold my calligraphy pen sets. It is much easier to find things when you get use to seeing them in a particular colored case.I plan to make more of these type of cases this winter, but you know the line from Robert Burns poem,"The best laid plans of mice and men."Things to tend to go awry. I'm enjoying this blogging more and more every day.Till my next blog entry,Have A Good Day!

Surprises Are So Nice!

Surprise! Surprise! I got the nicest surprise in the mail today after a long hard day of working up pears with Mom.Personal mail is so rare nowadays. It's usually bills or advertisements., but today it was a mini package with a booklet on Hummingbirds, and a lovely Thanksgiving card. I enjoyed it so, I decided I would go down to my work space and conjure up a card of sorts myself. The finished product was not as neat as I wanted it to be, but it's getting late and I wanted to finish it tonight. So here it is. Maybe my future cards will be a little more refined(I hope). If I continue on the path of card making in this manner, I may have to invest in a better camera and/or a lighting set up. You know Frugal Me.I wonder if a grow light could double as a photography light. I'll need to check into that. (Love you, Vicki. Thanks a bunch for the little gifts.)

Worth a Try

Vicki, I have a chipped cup that I no longer use for drinking. Maybe I will use it for a pencil holder or a catch all. You know me and cups. Anyway, it has a picture on it, that you possibly could imulate on some napkins or something to use around Christmas when you are using your new tea set.I will try to come up with an idea, hopefully before Christmas. You, or one of the girls, can look at the pattern here, and sketch it off enough to use it on something of your choosing ,if you like it and think it matches close enough.

Finally, I'm Back to the Pears!

I'm headed to Mom's today, since I didn't get to the pears yesterday. Pears are one fruit that deteriorate fast.I really don't need any preserves, but pears are a rare find for me. I planted a new tree this year, but it will be awhile before it bears, I'm sure. I have bought pears at the auction over the past few years, and then I have got lucky and found friends who had a few to share, but I seldom get the chance at such a big quantity as this. Mom says she is finished with the quilt she was making for a grandson's family, so she is bored and would welcome my visit, so she will have something to do. She gets bored real quick if she doesn't have something major to work on. I hope I continue to feel that good at 83, soon to be 84.I will keep you posted as to how we come out with the pears. Our plan is to peel and core them and preserve them anyway we can, then divide them with the family.With a big family like ours, no one will be over loaded with pears.

"Chicken Heaven"

My 9 chickens will think they have died and gone to "Chicken Heaven".It still needs a little tweeking, but it looks a lot better than it did 12 hours ago. I'm not sure if chickens are color blind or not, but I like it. I think I read sometime in the past 50 years, that certain animals are colorblind. Maybe it was cows. I forget. Oh, well. Next spring when the honeysuckle vines cover the top of the screen wire coop and the forsythia bush by the door is in full bloom, it will really be pretty. I might even hang a flower box or two of red flowers. That blue hen house will make the red pop.

"Our Old Reliable Hen House"

"Our Old Reliable Hen House" has served us well for now onto 20 years or close to that. I think it deserves a little face lift. I hope to put in a few hours on it before the really cold weather arrives. It's amazing how 30 minutes of work can change the look of anything. I just spent 30 minutes out there clearing the clutter. The hen house was never a priority on my"to do" list, but it does seem to give you a little more incentive to do something, if someone new is going to see it. I'm embarrassed for you to see the old hen house, all piled and junky, but like I said, I had so many other more important "fish to fry" over the years, I just didn't see the need to cutsy it up.After viewing several other blogs, I have decided to put this project on my list. It is such a long list. I don't think I'll ever get to everything, but I'll not be bored.I hope to give an updated photo of the hen house when I have done a little more work on it, but today, I will be canning pear preserves. I just fell heir to an unexpected bushel of pears late last night.They cannot wait.

(Test) Patchwork Postcard

( Vicki, is this what you had in mind? It had crossed my mind, and
I am serious, about the same idea you were telling me about.
Strange. I've told you before, our minds work a lot alike.)
This is not the finished product, but I suppose I could use it in various ways. This is just a sample.I had to stop working on my project today to cook lunch for Ray's Tree Trimming guys. Pop called and asked if I could have a meal ready in 30 minutes to an hour. Of course, I can do that. No plan, whatsoever. I learned that from Mom.I opened 2 quarts of green beans,peeled 4 large potatoes,quartered them,and tossed the potatoes and 6 polish sausages into a big skillet and let them simmer till all were done.I thawed 3 bags of corn, cut off the cob this summer, I baked an iron skillet full of cornbread,I opened 2 bags of fried apples from the freezer.(The apples will have to do for something sweet.I didn't have anything handy to make a dessert.)I made a big pitcher of tea and a pot of coffee.I had cooked 4 large turnips earlier in the morning for our noon snack, so I added them to the dinner.I thought it was a wonderful dinner and it took only 49 minutes to prepare it and sit them down to eat.After dinner was over, the Tree Trimming fellows went back
to work.I went back to my project, only to hear Pop working on the hen house. I had been helping him with that, so I dropped my project and went back to help out. We finished insulating the hen house.It's needed that for 31 years. We are just now getting around to it.Better late than never.He went to check for coyotes in the neighbors cattle, while I sanded and pitched some old roofing we were putting on the hen house.Howie dropped in for his usual 4:00 cup of coffee with us, only to find me working alone, so he jumped in and helped. We had the roofing sanded and pitched before Pop got back, and the coffee drank, too. I sent some of the leftover dinner home with Howie. He is always bringing us dinner. Isn't it great to have neighbors like that?We had enough left for our supper. Pop's sugar was 105 before supper, so I guess between the good lunch meal and all the work we did today, it all panned out.I'll see how my project turns out and give an updated version of it at a later date.

Ray's Tree Trimming Service

It is so nice to have a family member in the tree trimming and mulching business.I could not have asked for anything I needed more, unless it would have been a family business of cleaning out stables. Manure being another one of my most needed comodities around the farm. My husband lends a hand with the business whenever they need a little extra help, so we have access to all the mulch and firewood we need. I use a lot of mulch.I put some in the chicken pen to keep down the mud, and it gives them something to do, so they don't get bored and peck at each other. They look for bugs and worms that hide down under the mulch.When they scratch it around, it turns into black compost for my gardening needs the following year.It beats the back breaking job of turning the mulch with a fork so it can decompose faster.I can use it to mulch down large flower beds in areas that I cannot mow for the rock. It is not as pretty as the red mulch you buy, but the price is right.

Something from Nothing!

This is one of my favorite crafts. Making something, hopefully, something pretty and usable, from things that others would throw away.I guess it is in my genes. Out of nine siblings, it did not come to us all, or I would think it comes from growing up poor. Poor in the sense, we did not have a lot of extras and pretty things sitting all around the house.We were never without food, clothing, or shelter, just lacking in the pretty things that other folks had.I went to my craft area, to work on my quilt. I try to work on it a little each night. It is a work in progress. I still have not decided what it will be. It will take on a life of it's own after a bit. But as I began to tire working with it, I started to gather up all the bits and pieces left from the quilting project, and headed to the trash can. Garbage coming from this household is almost nill. We just give them the $17 per month for garbage pickup.I hate throwing anything away. It either gets reused or recycled, in some way.(I started a blog once before, but it never got off the ground. I didn't have any help with it to get it going good. It was entitled "New Life as a Craft", all about using recyclables.)Nevertheless, as I was headed to the trash can, I looked at the scraps, and wondered what I could do with them, besides start a fire.I sat down at my work table and began to assemble the pieces like a small quilt.The ideas began to flow. I found a piece of scrap wood, which I collect,and began to glue the pieces in place. When I had the wood covered, I went to my ribbon drawer and found the tiny rick rack, which I had stumbled across a few days earlier, and added it to my project.It is not yet complete, but it, too, is taking on a life of it own. Not sure just what it will become, but,I think,it will be pretty, and hopefully, useful,no mater what it turns out to be.

The Herbalista

The Herbalista

I found this site while doing some research on the Magnetic Laundry System where you use no detergent. I was just as interested in the herbs as I was the soapless laundry method, (I'll check that out later), so I found the way to add it to one of my posts, and here it is. I enjoy reading what others are doing with herbs. Although I am just a beginner with them, I intend to learn more as I go along. I have a few in my garden, and in pots, but I am unsure as to what to do with them at this point. I have brought a couple of them to my basement for the winter. Now I am not sure if I should get a grow light for them or not. The only external lightening I have down there is a double glass paned door.Now that we are not growing such a big garden, I may have time to experiment with the herbs. I had a start of garlic, for a few years, but I think the rich dirt from my play garden got spread over the main garden site since the season had ended, and I forgot to dig the garlic.Maybe I will get lucky and find a start in next years garden or I might just order a few more bulbs.I will be studying up on this topic over the winter months.

Cherish the Happy Moments

I can remember a lot of special things that happened during my childhood, but when we were growing up, anytime we were able to spend a few minutes at our grandparent's home was really special. There are so many things that I remember about those days. The smell of fresh brewed tea leaves in a little granite pot on the old gas cook stove.Other pots would make it bitter. Going to the garden with Granddaddy to pull some fresh green onions for the next meal. Cutting out the dough with a saucer to help Grandma make fried pies(I dropped the rolling pin in her big glass biscuit bowl and broke it.I don't remember a single word from her about how hurt she must have been. My dishes are all special to me, as I know that bowl must have been to her. I could have been a collector's item today.)Helping Grandma iron the little seams open on the 4-patch pieces she was making into a quilt.I remember the old hand pump out on the back porch where they got their water from a well. The cast iron kettle hanging in the back yard where she would make lye soap or wash her clothes. The chickens in the chicken yard and gathering the eggs with Granddaddy.The flowers all around the front porch and in the yard.The catalpa tree we use to climb. The white rocker and chair sets where we sat in the shade in the yard and watched the cars go by. We knew most every one that passed back then.I remember the smell of the meat house where they stored a lot of canned goods and meats. I remember those sulphured apples in big half gallon jars.I remember large white cloth bags, I think they were flour sacks, of dried apples hanging in the meat house.I remember pushing Granddaddy's old time green push lawn mower.No motor either.I remember the smell of cashmere bouquet soap filling the air as the breeze blew through the little four room house.I remember the granite top table sitting in the kitchen with a granite water bucket and a dipper in it for drinking. I remember coming to their home anytime and finding something good to eat stashed in the oven, probably left from one meal waiting to be used in the next, but it would never make it that far.Us kids would eat every bite, no matter what it was supposed to be for. Grandma never seemed to mind though.I remember staying nights at their home and getting on the bus there the next day, and Grandma fixing me the best little sack lunch ever. We never had any kind of goodies like that at our home. She'd put in a fruit, some type of cookies, maybe some chips. I really can't remember what all she did put in the lunch but I remember it being really special every time. I worked for the School Food Service for nigh on to 30 years, and each time we fixed up sack lunches for the class or school trips, it would bring back memories of those sack lunches Grandma would fix for me. I remember Daddy coming home after a long day's work,running the bulldozer, so dirty, all you could see was his eyes, but he had taken time to visit his parents, and Grandma had put in a few cookies or goodies of some type in his lunch pail and he would always leave something in it for us kids to have when he got home. It is so funny now to think of how we use to break our necks to get to his lunch box, when he returned from work each day, just to see if he had anything left to eat, and he always did.I remember us kids loving hot dogs and ice cream, but never were able to get our fill. It was costly to feed 9 kids all they wanted of anything like that.But I remember Daddy saying when he got his tobacco check, he would buy us all the hot dogs and ice cream we could eat. He did, and we all slept with a washpan at our heads because we were so sick that night.We had our problems growing up, like most other families, but now that just doesn't seem to matter. I remember so many wonderful things that happened, it seems they have lessened the pain of the bad , at least, for me. I am so happy to have had all these memories to think back on now and I am sure I could write for days, just about the good memories of those days gone by. Our life on this earth is over too quickly to let anything, and I mean anything, keep us from finding peace and happiness for ourselves and our family. My mother's dad deserted his wife and children during the depression, leaving her Mom with five small children. It's hard today, but imagine being a single parent,trying to care for five little ones alone,during a depression.She could not, so she put them in an orphanage. Over the next few years they were all adopted out by different family members, but when it came time for Mom to go, the last to be placed,it was with older aunts who didn't really want her, but took her anyway, since she was the only one of their brother's children left to be adopted. You can imagine being raised by old maid aunts, who drank heavily, to boot.It had to have been a horrible life. Our parents had their own problems, but as children, like most kids, most of us never suspected a thing, until we heard all the stories when we much older.I am so grateful for all the happy moments we had when we were young. They will always be there to draw upon when we are down.

Some Mysterious Force Keeps Holding Me Back!

No, my girdle is not caught in the couch. There are so many projects that I am working on,and want to work on, I can't decide what to do. As bad as I hate to, I may need to make up an agenda. My Mom uses that to a fault. She is forever telling me to try it. She starts one job on her list and doesn't start another until that one is completed(for the most part). I have always said it was because I fall under the Aquarius sign. I need to look that up again. Mom is an Aquarius, too. I may be putting the blame in the wrong department. Then again, I contribute it to nerves. It depends on the state of my nerves as to what task, I will undertake at any given moment, and how far I will get with it, before changing to another.I could have ADHD. I think that means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.Back in the days when I was young and growing up, the only medication for that was a good spanking. I know today they have found better fixes for it, but I haven't sought any diagnosis or treatment on it as of yet and I am 61.I guess I'll ride it on out and keep taking my Vitamin B Complex and drinking my chamomile tea.The craft will have to wait another day. I did some more painting while trying to decide whether I want to go or stay home today. I never knew a gallon of paint could go so far.It's like the Army says,"If it moves, salute it, if it doesn't, paint it."I've painted everything in my craft area that doesn't move.Not the best picture, but you can tell, it's getting there.

Everybody Needs a Little Help Now and Then!

No, I'm not talking about a laxative. I think that is the line they used in the laxative commercial of years gone by. I'm speaking of spending the day with my sister. She is in the middle of remodeling, and needs some help. And when I say remodeling, I mean just that. She comes from a family where the women don't wait for a man to help. All the women in our family learned many years ago, that if you want something done, you must learn to do it yourself, or wait, and wait, and wait.We may have started out that way with our men, but soon learned that our patience in that department was lacking. I have not tackled the feat of moving a wall yet, but my Mom has, and so has this sister.She is moving a couple of walls. Gee, I hope their not load bearing walls. Nevertheless, I am headed that way to see if I can be of assistance. My house is topsy-turvy at the moment, with material, ribbons, lace, woodwork and paint supplies strung everywhere. I can only hope that no company drops in before I get back to my organizing.Oh well, I'll just hang out my sign"A Neat House Exposes A Bored Homemaker." I live in my house. It is not a showcase for company, just in case they should drop by.You can tell a lot about a person, by the way their house is kept. I shudder to think what folks think when they enter my house, but at least I am never bored. That emotion never enters my range of feelings.I will take my camera, so hopefully we can get some before and after shots of her remodeling. One of us will keep you posted on her progress. Have a nice day!

I'm So Blue!

No, I'm not "depressed" or "down in the dumps." I've been painting. I am truly a neat painter. Hardly a stray drop on anything. I'm gradually gathering things for my work space. There has been some talk of getting the Amish fellows to come and get it started soon.Who knows what "soon" means. I'll be drawing Social Security "soon".Nevertheless, I'll continue on toward my ultimate goal.I've inherited the blue rug from a brother-in-law. He got it in a package deal when clearing out an old house or out of a box collection he purchased at an auction.He runs across some good stuff now and then. That's where I got my little work desk.He only charged me $5. for it. I painted it cranberry with a natural top. It's sitting behind the shelves in the picture. I use it when working on small crafts.The little quilt I started(hanging on the room divider behind the shelves) inspired me to go with the blue.That color blue is so calming and peaceful to me.Funny how certain colors can do that.I go through different color stages. I'm in the blue stage now.It had nothing to do with the fact I had 3/4 of a gallon of paint left over from painting the roof of my shed.I have a blue hide-a-bed love seat that I will use in my space with the other blue items. Maybe one day soon, it will all fall together into a cute little work space.

I've got my fingers crossed.

So Many Scraps!

Here is the little baby quilt I started. I couldn't decide if I wanted to continue on with it as a quilt or stop as a runner. I have so much material, I think I should continue on. I am hoping one of my sisters will let us use her little country barn for a nice family yard sale in the spring, and hopefully by then, we will all have a good assortment of items to set up and possibly sell.

She is hoping to have her wood work shop set up in part of the barn, but it is big enough for both(my opinion but she may have other plans)Most of our family is very crafty in some fashion. Some of us love any type of woodwork,some like sewing, some like cooking, some like gardening,some like to paint. Out of 9 kids, I think we have it all covered.Some of us dream constantly of having a little shop of sorts, but with all the red tape involved, it is next to impossible, especially with limited funds, but it is such fun to dream.

My Free $40.00 Table

Here is where I am with my Sewing Table project. It needs a little tweeking, but it works great the way it is. I used it yesterday immediately after getting it together. I started a little quilt of sorts using up some of my small scraps. I loved the little quilt so well, I stopped working on it till I can decide whether or not I want to proceed on with it as a quilt or stop and use it as a runner for a table setting.If I make a baby quilt, I will have to part with it. I don't need another baby quilt. But if I make a runner, I can keep it to use. I know that sounds selfish, but I give away so many of my pretty things already. I read someone's blog lately, who had the same problem. She hated parting with her crafts after putting so much of herself into them. I know the feeling.Back to the table. After using the table for a few hours, I decided to get back at it. I debated on varnish or paint. I had a 1/2 quart of paint left over from previous projects, so I went with that. I am well pleased with it. Now my husband says I need to round the corners off, so the grandchildren won't hit the corners in their play, and hurt themselves.I will be doing that this morning. He plans to make some other minor adjustments on the table for me, possibly later today, after he visits the Flea Market, which is one of his favorite things to do every Wednesday.He mulched up some of the leaves for me yesterday, (that's normally, my job)so today,I only need to let my goats out to graze for about an hour then feed the chickens. After that, my day is mine. Barring any unforeseen emergencies,I can play amongst my crafts to my hearts content.

Good Neighbors are Hard to Find

It's good to have a friend in woodworking.I had a little scissor sharpener which was made of heavy cardboard. The best I can remember, I got 2 in a box of ribbons and lace which I had purchased at an auction. I love ribbons and lace. The sharpeners was an added bonus. I gave one to my Mom since she takes spells of sewing a lot. Just lately she asked me to sharpen several pair of scissors for her, since she had misplaced hers. I carry a little "emergency bag" with me at all times. It includes anything anyone might need at any given time.Sure enough, there inside, was my little sharpener. I proceeded to sharpen her scissors, and low and behold, broke mine.I was sick. What would I do without my little sharpener. They are $5 at the store and they are nothing like mine.Every evening we have a friend that stops in for coffee and a visit, and I thought about running the idea I had for a wooden one, past him. He has the neatest woodworking tools.He makes exquisite intricate lamps and he is very good. I knew he could handle this task.Sure enough, the next day, he came over and handed me a new sharpener he had made just that very morning. It works great. He was a life saver.I am so grateful. He brought us supper tonight, also,as he has on other occasions. Everyone needs a good neighbor like mine.(The roses are from my yard.I will miss them shortly. Winter is fast approaching.).)

My Little Friendship Baskets

A few years ago, probably at a yard sale or a consignment shop,I found a tiny little crocheted basket that caught my eye. Cute little things tend to do that.I bought it to use as a pattern with the hope of making a few for myself. I got started making them that winter, and ended up making about 25 or 30.I typed up a little verse about Friendship, and put it on a pink background paper, since I was using pink ribbon and roses. I tied each little verse to the handle of the baskets and gave them out to friends.I don't know why I do these things, but I will take up a project and end up making the same thing over and over, all winter. I usually give all my crafts away. There are so many people in our area, making crafts, it is hard to sell them, unless someone like me,wants it for the pattern. I have several friends and neighbors who make crafts all year round, then takes them to one of the larger cities to sell, around Christmas time.I think they do pretty good that way, but then they are really good at their crafts. I love to make all kinds of crafts, but I am not great at them. I work on something till it suits me, and I am happy with it. Most of the crafts I do, I do by eye. I never follow a pattern, nor do I like to follow recipes. I like to "wing it" when I make anything. "If all else fails, I will read the directions."I think that is the Aquarius way.

Back to the Basement

It's quite cool out this morning, so I will head to the basement to see what I can get into. He has built a little fire in the heating stove down there, so it will be nice and snugly to work.I have gradually brought several of my supplies for my hobbies in from my 2 sheds, to the basement. I am just waiting for him to comment on my taking over the basement. Oh well, he has his own "pouting room" in the garage; bath, kitchenette, and all, that's more than I have in the basement as of yet. Maybe, one day soon, I will have those things in my little space.I am gradually collecting all the pieces needed for it anyway. We have a commode, from a friend who remodeled, a vanity, I found along the roadside, sitting out with someones garbage,I have a mirrored medicine cabinet, given to me by a neighbor, when she remodeled. I have shelving which I bought for a song at a yard sale.I have wall paper galore, left over from previous projects.I have a gazillion curtains, which I will not need at all. I have 2 overhead cabinets left from the old house. My mom gave me an apartment size gas cook stove.Sounds like all I need is a little help to put it all together. I'm still waiting. We've been in the new house 2 years now.I can find ways to petition off my little craft areas though, so I'm getting by. I have the parts to build myself a table for my crafting needs.Come to think of it,I might just work on that today.He had a perfect door of sorts that I have pleaded with him to let me use and I got the folding table legs from one of my sister's yard sale. I plan to use it for whatever my crafting needs are at the time, then fold it up and hang it on the wall. So I will probably decorate it to double as a wall hanging. I'll need to close for now and get started on it. Will let you know how it turns out.