Do You Know Where I Put My Mojo?

I can't find my sewing mojo. Do you know where I put it? I've been in my sewing room for short spurts of time trying to organize it. I figure if I work for 10 minutes at a day, I should have that room the way I want in in 46 days!!! That's really a good idea and I should start keeping track of the time I spend and see how close I am. ;~) What I need to do is just get in there and get busy.

I've been doing outside things. The "little girls" are growing like crazy and the "big girls" have been giving us eggs and I say thank you to them every day for that. The "boys" have settled down and like to lay by the pen and guard their new friends. I think they are just waiting for the day one of them escape! We plan(ned) to leash up the dogs and let the hens out this afternoon--I'm not doing this by myself--and see how the dogs react. ( I just let the dogs out, a robin was in the yard and they both took off after it. I don't think our hens will be free ranging. I do think Hubby will be making a chicken run this weekend.)

The garden is all planted and I'm seeing signs of corn and beans already-we planted the seeds on Saturday. It's been sunny here all week and is supposed to stay sunny for another week. I think I should turn on the water this morning for a while. It's hard for me to buy produce when I have it in my garden--I know, kind of a dorky thought but that's the way I think! Why should I buy tomatoes when I have 20 plants in the garden! Doesn't matter that there is not one plant with a tomato on it! The potatoes in garbage cans are doing awesome. I am having to cover the new growth every other day. I should have fresh potatoes in no time--I need them too, I didn't buy any!

I need to bake some bread, pizza crusts and hamburger buns . These recipes make the best breads I have ever made. Thank you ladies for sharing with us. I have meat in the fridge that needs to be prepared for the freezer. I found pork loin on sale at Safeway so I bought 3 to make into roasts, steaks and sausage. I tried one sausage recipe yesterday and will try a different one today to see which one will be the keeper. I'll let you know. I froze yesterday's sausage after making patties so today I will cook part of it up so I have some ready to use in the freezer and for pizza topping tonight.

Gotta get moving........I have lots of things on my list today.

What's On My Design Wall-Monday

Judy L over at Patchwork Times is having a Monday post "What's On Your Design Wall". This is what's on mine.

When I saw a photo of this quilt called Pig In A Poke, on one of my Yahoo Quilting Groups, I knew I wanted one like it. Within a few days, Jean, the gal that posted the picture, posted her instructions. I had a drawer full of 2 1/2" squares and a bin full of half square triangles. So I started making blocks. Pretty soon, I was working on the border. All of the sudden, I was putting blocks into rows. I am now ready to press this top and measure for the last 2 1/2" off white border and it will be ready to quilt. I still have a drawer full of 2 1/2" squares.......wonder what I can find next!


While Hubby was cruising through Craigslist today, he found an ad for 3 Buff Orpingtons/something cross hens. I called and they were right up the hill from my house! How cool is that. So Crystal and I jumped in the car and went to adopt these girls. They are used to free ranging and no dogs. Surprise, we have a pen and 2 very curious dogs. They have settled down now and so have the dogs--I hope. Let's hope we have fresh eggs in a few days.

Munckins Meet The Chicks

Elliot was fascinated by by the baby chicks. These chicks are going have to be tough birds to live around here. I'm trying to handle each one several times a day so they will be friendly. See the water jug? That thing was too much money for what it is. I can't figure it out......something about adjusting that lid so the water flows to level itself. I say forget it, I'm going to get the simple water jars--something I can use!

Mae Mae didn't want to touch them at all! Get that thing a away from me now! She is the one that will make them strong birds. We put a big chunk of lumber down for her to stand on so she could see inside and that was as close as she wanted to be. She did discover how fun it is to pound on the screen and see the chicks run. Yip, they have to be tough birds to be here.


This picture is just too cute not to share. This girl was a total grub ball by the end of the day.

Does This Make Me A Chicken Farmer??

The boys are checking out the newest family members. DJ, on the left, wants to be the mom and Tony wants to play with the chicks. We brought home 10 chicks today. I wanted hens but they are hard to come by so I'll just be patient and spoil the chicks.

We got 2 Black Sex Links, 2 "Production" Rhode Island Reds, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 3 Black Australorps. I believe what the gal told me so we'll see if we have "Great Egg Layers".

It will be an adventure, especially teaching the bird dogs that these birds are family. Oh and the water thingie I bought, not so great--could be the operator but I'll let them use it until I find something better. Wish me luck!

I May Be In Serious Trouble

This DSL thing may cause some serious trouble around this house! I am having a heck of a time pulling myself away from the computer. I can see so many things so much faster and one blog leads to 6 others and the pages don't time out and the next thing I know the dryer buzzer is going off and I need to fold a load of clothes. And then I get sucked back in to blogland and then............. I am just like a kid with a brand new toy.

So I am going to show you a picture of a little part of the quilt I finished quilting a few days ago for my friend Nadine. I played with some line dancing and some loops. I need to practice both but she is very happy with the quilt.

Now I am going to get my shoes on and go to town to pick up Hubby's medicine. It should have been mailed but it seems that I have a problem refilling on line. They say you have to put in all of the correct numbers! Imagine that!! So like the good wife I am, I will go get it so he has his medicine for today. I wish he would say something before he is totally out so I can check up on myself. I need a watch dog!

Playing

It's a big day for me!!! I finally have DSL. WoooHooo! So I'm seeing if blogger will let me upload 3 regular sized photos without resizing them. Oh yeah, I am being super brave. And it worked!!! I'm giddy with excitement. :~)

Let's see what we have here, first off is Clella and Elliot playing with the wagon and rocks. Elliot loves rocks and because he does, so does Clella. Next is our old house. This is the front side.

The lilac bloom is as exciting as the DSL for me. I bought 2 little lilac starts several years from the Hulda Klager Lilac Garden I have babied those bushed all this time. Last year I had one bloom. This year both bushes are full and beautiful.

For years I've said that I want my yard to be kind of like a park. Not all fancy schmancy, just full of bushes and flowers. Slowly this is happening. Someday it will be like I want it but for now, I'll just keep working on things and try to keep up.

OK, here we are, it's time to click on publish post.......hopefully it worked.

ttfn

The Chicken Condo

I am going to have some happy chickens. I just wanted a simple chicken tractor for a couple of hens but Hubby decided we needed a fancy house and eggs for your kids that want them. We spent the weekend working on it and now it's ready for occupants.

How sweet is Elliot bringing Poppy a bottle of cold water!! And of course, Tony must be right where the action is.

I was kind of wishy washy about getting chickens. As a teenager, I spent some quality time working at my Uncle's fryer farm. There were thousands of fryers in 2 barns. Then as a young wife, we had farm animals and raised chickens from Uncle's farm for meat--we never had any layers and I'm not too sure why. Now that we are trying desperately to simplify our lives, he decides we need a few hens. I'm thinking that is not simplifying...maybe it is.

So hens will be coming to the farm as soon as I can find some. I don't really want chicks but I may have to get them. I just hope he doesn't want to get a goat!!! No offense to the goats but...

I Should Be...

...Quilting.

Instead I've been making blocks. I did finish a charity quilt this morning but I haven't taken a picture of it yet. I made the 2 May blocks for my Stashbuster BOM. They are the top left and top center in the photo. I think I am really starting to like these blocks. And it is very exciting to be caught up.

I've been thinking today about how I want to sash them. I know I don't have enough of the cream background that I'm using so I may have to find a different cream. Whatever I decide, I want to do it soon so I have it when we are finished with the blocks. That is one thing I have learned with the Stashbuster group, use what you have, only buy what you need. (Don't tell anyone but I don't always follow the rules!)

Another Retreat Has Come and Gone

And what fun we had! I have sore cheek muscles--all cheeks--from laughing and sitting! My stomach hurts from laughing. Just a look or a sound or a simple word can send me into hysterics.

Show and tell was awesome and I was very happy to show my finished Orange Crush quilt. I wrote about finishing the top in my post for April 9th . It is now residing on my guest bed.

I spent most of the retreat working on another quilt as you go string quilt. I have one more row to add and then put the binding on and it will be ready to give to Nadine for a local charity. I even gave a demo on how I join the blocks-boy talk about pressure! On Saturday night, Berta gave a lesson on locker hooking. I now have another obsession. It is so fun to visit with everyone and the inspiration from everyone is almost overwhelming.

I love going to the retreat but Monday morning I'm not worth anything. I spent most of the day today trying to get a few things done around here but as my friend Karen so eloquently put it, I had a retreat hangover! It took until after 2 this afternoon before I finally felt like a normal person. It might have helped if I could have went back to sleep this morning but I had too many ideas in my head to settle down. It's early to bed for me tonight.

Hubby is watching his rasslin' and I am going to pull out the string quilt and see if I can make some progress on it. I have a full day of quilting tomorrow so I better sew tonight.

TTFN

Hooray, Hooray, The First Of May

Hooray, Hooray, the first of May is a naughty little song that I learned 20 some years ago when I was driving school bus. You can only sing it one day a year and I sing it all day long. :-) I didn't learn it from a child, I learned it from a woman who loves life. I can hear her laughter right now.......sing your heart out Bo.

I haven't been too busy in the sewing room this week. I do have my Orange Crush almost quilted but haven't touched it since Tuesday. I have been packing a bit for the retreat next Thursday. I have another string quilt as you go ready to work on. I have a couple other projects I am taking. Stashbuster sent out the new BOM so I will get that ready to go. I have a three tote bags to finish--maybe I'll get them done this weekend. It's supposed to be rainy for the next several days. I have a few things to work on outside today so will do that and enjoy the last day of sunshine for a while.

The photo was taken looking through kitchen window (yes, it needs washed!). I love looking out the window. A few days ago the flowering plum tree on the right was filled with butterflies. I have never seen so many at one time. Of course by the time I got the camera, they had flown away. The azalea bush right in front of the window was one my Gramma planted in the 60's. She recieved it at Grampa's funeral. So it's been pampered for 45 years. I also have a climbing rose and a peony. But with those 2, I've had to fight and scream to save them. They are finally in their permanent homes, never to be moved again. A couple years ago, they had a near death experience when Hubby got carried away with the Round Up. I'm happy to report that both the plants and the husband are doing fine.

But first, I get to go to town (3 days in a row-that is not me) and do some serious grocery shopping. The hall cupboard is almost empty and that makes me nervous. Not nervous really, just twitchy. I like looking at it packed full of goods. But I am so good at not going shopping that I let it get low.

Here I go, I'm going to get there before the hoards of people do. Get in, get what I want, get out, get home!!! I wonder if I can put this off for a few more days...hmmmmmmmmmmm