Sunday Surprise.

With temperatures well above freezing the last few days, signs of Spring are everywhere. The Poop Trail is a mixture of slush, crusted melting ice and ice itself. Not to mention the mud. Bandit does pretty good walking on the edges, but I kept wishing for ice skates.

The snow has melted enough for access to the zipper on the raised bed topper. Enough to take a picture of the chard and spinach inside. Sure wish Tractor Supply had more of these in stock. I'd buy a couple more.

Walked around the side of the house and noticed the lavender I neglected to cover last year has new growth. Glad it survived the winter.

Took advantage of the warm spell yesterday and did some pruning on the apple trees. What a PITA (pain in the a_ _). Still have a few small branches hitting the electric lines. Gotta do it before the electric company does it for me.

Today is my Aunt Judilyn's birthday. The family threw a surprise party for her yesterday. I think she might have turned seventy. Was going to send her flowers, but they've gotten so expensive I couldn't afford it. Am sending her a gift card so she can download books for her Kindle reader instead. 

Saturday Silliness.

Bandit and Romeow keeping each other (and me) company in the office.

Yes. Those stacked pots waiting to be hauled out to the shed are the remains of the plants I've killed this winter. 

Most of the plants have survived and are thriving. Especially the Aloe vera.

I'm off to read the paper and work the Jumble and Crossword. 

Hope you find a reason to smile today.

Friday Progress Report.

Not much progress was made on the denim stained glass quilt over the last week. Partially due to the weather, mostly due to sewing problems. Had to rip back one of the sash seams three times due to my own stupidity (all because I was in a hurry and not paying attention). 

Also had trouble with the machine tension that took hours to fix. Don't know about anyone else, but I have to walk away from SNAFUs sometimes. Too frustrating.

Got the blue checked flannel out to determine if there was enough to back the quilt and I guess the answer is maybe. Turns out there are two different dye problems with the fabric itself. Will see what other fabrics are in the Rubbermaid tote. Really don't want to have to purchase more fabric. (yeah, right)

My Aunt says she uses sheets purchased in thrift stores. Great idea now the average yard of good fabric sells for $14. Ouch!

Bandit and I are both a bit foot sore after the last couple days of walks. Yesterday we walked a total of two and one half miles. A long way on snow covered ice. 

Snacking at night is still a dieting problem. 

This rash is driving me crazy. I don't like to take medication every day. Don't like to itch all the time either. A little over a month until I find out what it is and how to treat it. Hope this dermatologist is good.

Terriffic Thursday.

Yesterday was a beautiful day with the temperature reaching fifty-four degrees. Downright balmy for this time of year in the Pennsylvania Wilds. Bandit and I took advantage of the warmth and hiked a bit at Kinzua Bridge State Park.

Had to park in overflow parking because there was too much snow along the side of the road to park by the emergency access like we usually do. 

Even though snowmobiles had packed the snow down, walking was still a bit of a challenge. Bandit kept trying to walk off the compacted snow and kept sinking to his belly, but he kept trying. Made it almost to the little pavillion before giving up and turning back.

Don't know if you can see them in this picture or not, but those two little dots to the left and a bit past the pavillion are cross-country skiers. Would like to try that someday.

As you can see there was nowhere to sit a spell and catch our breath. I squatted on my haunches a few times; not the most restful way to catch your breath. This also gives you an idea of how deep the snow is. 

Took us almost an hour to traverse a mile. 

Saw this cool looking tree on our way back to the car. Just liked the way it looks - like a slide for squirrels with its branches all twirled around its trunk.

Hurt my knee (too much slip and slide) and shoulder (trying to shovel the back sidewalk). The knee feels better today. The shoulder not so much.

Kiki was outside again this morning. Caught he and Honey Bun swatting each other via the kitty-cam AFTER they had had their breakfast of kibble and canned cat food, of course. Went outside to break up the fight; didn't seem like they were hurting each other. Honey Bun seemed like the aggressor. Poor Kiki. 

Someone must have frightened a skunk. Stinky out back this morning.

Temps are going to be above freezing again today. Only twenty-eight degrees right now as we head out the door to the Poop Trail. Judging by the light reflections on the remaining snow it's going to be a slippery walk. 

Hope to get another nice walk in today.

TTFN

Wonderful Wednesday.

How can you feel anything but blessed when looking at a beautiful sunrise like this? 

Once it warms a bit we're going to get outside and enjoy the warmth. Hopefully the weatherman is right and it's going to be in the upper 40s. 

At this time of year anything above freezing is good.

Counting all the blessings around me.

Y'all take care.

Tuesday Sock Day.

The meteorologist was wrong about a temperature rise to thirty-eight degrees Fahrenheit yesterday. Either that or I blinked. Today the prediction was better. Tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be in the forties. Can't wait. Spring is twenty-five days from now.

The hatch on the car thawed and intended to go to Manilla Bridges Trail, but Julie walked by with her pup, Mishka, so we walked around town with her instead. 

Long as we were in town, I stopped internet Post Office and picked up the Mast General Store sock order. Their brand of wool socks fit well, last long and are affordable. 

Monday Surprise.

Went to play solitary this morning, glanced at the "kitty cam" and there was a snow covered cat peeking in at the food dishes from the stair side of the porch. I hurriedly grabbed a can of food, slipped on a hoodie and stepped outside. KIKI IS BACK! It's been so long I thought he had headed for the rainbow bridge. Little Bit and Honey Bun came out and sniffed him all over in greeting. Am so very glad he's alive. 

On the To Do list today is fixing the bathtub hot water knob. Must have tightened it too much when I turned it off Saturday. Have an instructional video pulled up on YouTube so I can see what it entails. Need to get a new knob before I start because the old one was discarded.

Good thing I have two full bathrooms. The second bath is a childrens bathroom, so even at 5'2" I must bend my knees to wash and rinse my hair. 

Two to four inches of snow predicted this morning but this afternoon will see a balmy 38 degrees. Perhaps I'll be able to clear the last of the ice from the porch.

Gonna gather up the garbage and get it outside before the garbage men get here. Lots to do today.

Sunday. A Typical Day of Rest.

W plowed the icy driveway yesterday and I was going to take Bandit to Manilla Bridges Trail, but the hatch on the RAV4 was solidly frozen shut. Am hoping it thaws today so we can head out later on.

Nothing much else going on. Will probably watch CBS Sunday Morning. Gonna be a quiet day. 

Slippery Saturday.

I'm told the main roads are clear, but here in Boro they're a sheet of ice covered with snow that is still falling. 

Guess I'm going to be making bread today to swap for eggs so I can make treats for Bandit. Either that or venture forth on the road and I sure don't want to do that.

My lower back and shoulder are hurting; mostly because of the cold weather. Partly because I've been trying to shovel a path out front and chopping ice from the porch and stairs. What a wimp, eh?

Gonna grab a cuppa and get this day started. As my cousin would say, "Enjoy, enjoy!"

Friday Progress Report.

Woke up this morning to find little two inch square pieces of denim scattered throughout the house. Evidently they are the perfect size for kitty toys. Made me smile and gave me a good memory for the Blessing Jar.

Got a lot accomplished this week with much more to go. 

Reorganized some of the hand sewing supplies. Still have to string the embroidery cotton so its not on those little cardboard tabs. The tabs seem to put kinks in the thread making it tangle. Usually not a big deal - unless you're working on a big project. Have to get in the shed to grab a paper punch. Once they're organized I can do an inventory and restock.

Ripped the seams on the first denim stained glass quilt section; replaced with a two inch block strip which completed section one. Ripping back black thread on black fabric was a load of fun. I liked it so much I did it again on the next section. 

NOTE TO SELF: Only three of four squares need the black strip. The last black strip will join the pieces together. 

Two sections complete. Four sections to go. Then I need to decide whether to back it with blue or red flannel (I have both). Will stitch in the ditch to finish.

Winter weather has disrupted our daily walks. Both trail and town are hard walking. 

Diet and snacking are going well. Started a food log Monday. The way my eyes are today ( itchy and swollen) wheat might be a contributing factor in this rash. The rash on knee and elbows that was looking better yesterday morn has flared up. I had four slices of homemade oatmeal bread yesterday - the slices are small. Still something has made this bad enough I took a Benadryl last night and am going to be take another soon.

No wonder I'm tired all the time.

IN THE NEWS: Climate. 18 February 2021.

Parts of Texas are without power and water due to a Winter Storm which caused a large portion of the state-owned power grid to fail. So far 21 people have been confirmed dead, many due to hypothermia and Carbon Dioxide poisoning.  Although the Governor claimed the failure was due to the renewable energy sector, the actual cause was (mostly) due to frozen natural gas lines. 

Scientists looking at the bigger picture confirm the Storm is yet another symptom of the Climate Crisis.

Note: Renewable energy resources only account for about 7% of their grid. Also,  investigators have discovered ERCOT, who manages the system, opted for less expensive wind turbines rather than ones with heated blades.

Thursday Tasks.

As you can see I use graph paper to lay out quilt designs. Here each individual square represents two inches. 

Today's tasks include making one inch strips of the black fabric and ripping back part of what's already sewn and re-sewing with the proper pieces to fit the revised plan.

Luckily, the denim blocks are already cut.

Time for a cuppa coffee and some breakfast. Mmm...Kashi Cinnamon Harvest.

What Are You Working on Wednesday.

Now that the pillow is finished I've pulled out a couple UFOs to complete. First up is a denim stained glass quilt which is shown here about a fourth completed. 

Couldn't find the pattern I originally drafted, so a couple hours were spent re-drafting the layout. The color variations will have to be done on the fly. Used the knowledge gained from a free pattern on laying out the setting so it joins easier and us more in line with the properties of an actual window. Am probably going to draft it again because [just now] realized what is wrong with this particular layout. 

Set up the ironing board. Pulled out the sewing machine, cutting mat, rotary cutters, scissors, thread, fabric. You know... All the things needed to prepare to work on a project. 

Once the third layout draft is completed comes the cutting of the one inch sashing. Lots and lots of sashing. Then the fun part - sewing it together.

P.s. (Three degrees outside. Am avoiding taking Bandit Good Boy for a walk until daylight at least. Wish me luck.)

Tuesday, The Monday of This Week.

Got back from walking Bandit a few minutes ago. Knew it was going to be weird when I stepped out the door and didn't step down. The surface was almost level with the bottom of the door. Yikes!

Yesterday's storm didn't drop a lot of snow; maybe a few inches. What is out there looks like a fondant wedding cake. A beauty to behold. That "icing" is actually a treacherous, several inches thick crust that intermittently gives way when weight is applied. Bandit did his business in the middle of the trail because the edges were so difficult to navigate. Then he immediately turned for home. I successfully managed to stay erect.

Usually there is a little bit of traffic in the morning. To and from the Key stone  Metals factory. Semis mostly. Nothing is moving out there yet. Fun times. Hopefully folks will take it easy on the roads this morning. Gonna be a bad travel day.

Put a warm compress on my eyes last night. Helped enough that I'm doing the same this morning. Wish that Restasis didn't burn my eyes so bad.

Presidents Day Monday.

No garbage pick up today because of the holiday. Yippee!

Weatherman is predicting a severe snow storm. Wayne says 15 inches. Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am for not having to travel when the roads are snowy? Extremely grateful.

Spoke with daughter. She emailed me a cartoon captioned "You're so fabulous I bet you fart glitter." I laughed all day long thinking of it. Tucking it away in my brain for future purposes.

Met my neighbor, Mary. She was out burning garbage when we went for our evening constitutional. She was under the impression that whoever lived here was vacationing in Florida because there are never any tracks in the snow (fishing for information). I let her know I'm retired. She seems friendly.

Finally finished the appliqued on that pillow. Will sew it to the backing and insert the pillow form. Bad idea to make something for myself with a black background that shows all the pet hair. 

Toodles.

Sunday Valentine's Day.

Woke up shortly after 2 a.m. because my eyes were swollen. Took a Benadryl and laid here for hours trying to go back to sleep. Gave up around 5ish and dragged myself out of bed. Fed all the little animals. Walked Bandit. Came back in and went back to bed. So dang tired and still had a hard time sleeping. Finally made a pot of coffee and fell asleep a few minutes after it had perked. Got a good half hour and dragged through the day.

Had to take another Benadryl later on. The rash is not going away. My eyes are still a bit swollen. Hope I can make it until April. Really don't want to go back on antibiotics and/or steroids again. 

Peanut butter is definitely a trigger food. Guess it's time to keep a food diary and make note of reactions.

And while I'm at it ... Figure out what to do with my life.

Happy Valentine's Day to me! Got a phone call and was surprised to get even that seeing earlier in the week was told he didn't have to buy me anything because I don't love him anymore. His words - not mine. *sigh*

What to do indeed. Time to count my pennies.

Won't have any trouble sleeping tonight. 

Saturday Sleep In.

Guess I'm going to have to set my alarm clock  to get me up every day of the week. I woke up at the normal time, but went back to bed and fell back to sleep until 7 o'clock in spite of the fur babies trying to get me up. Of course, taking Benadryl at night doesn't help.

This morning my eyes are all swelled up and they hurt. Been doing some research online mostly at the Mayo Clinic and WebMD to see what this condition might be. Think it might be psoriasis with a blepharitus complication. Took another Benadryl. 

Spent the better part of a day watching videos on chalk painting to learn how only to be told by daughter that  using that technique on the kitchen cabinets will make the area look too busy. Guess I'll think of some other way to change these cabinets. 

Gonna play keep away with Bandit seeing he is squeaking his toy at me.

Friday Progress Report.

In spite of frigid temperatures Bandit and I have been getting close to two miles if meandering on the trails every day.

Nighttime snacking has been decreased and a gradual switch to healthy snacks in progress.

No. The pillow isn't finished.

That is all.

Thursday Tribulations.

Had a disagreement with daughter this morning and can't seem to get it out of my head. I know I should just let it go. That would be the smart thing to do. Guess I've never been smart as far as interpersonal relationships go. 

It was one of those Science vs. Fiction comments about masks and their usefulness that started the whole conversation devolution. I'm on the side of Science - as always. Give me proof from reliable, verifiable sources.

*sigh*

Made Susie's Oatmeal Bread. The whole house smells simply wonderful. It has a sweet flavor and a nice, thick crust. A very hearty bread.

Gonna find something to do to cheer myself up....later... Watched Jim Henson's Swedish Chef and Kermit and Fozzie Bear videos. Lots of laughs.

What Are You Reading Wednesday.

Last week I finished reading H2O by Irving Belateche.  It was a quick read although I don't think I would call it a book because it is only 192 pages; to me it was more like a short story. 

Now I'm reading Dostoyevsky's The Idiot. Not about five chapters in and having trouble with the names. Might have to make a cheat sheet for who is who. Might even have to read it twice to understand what all is going on.

Tuesday Trial.

Today is the first day of the second impeachment of Donald John Trump. Am getting chores completed so I can watch the circus this is sure to be.

Made carrot cake from scratch yesterday. Was easier than I imagined. Gave some to Aaron, Linda, and Trudy and Pete next door. And there's still some left.

Another snowy day. Deer were at the apple trees out front this morning. Waited until they moseyed along before Bandit and I ventured forth. Step, step, step. Sniff,sniff, sniff. Twenty minutes to walk a third of a mile. Sheesh!

Good day to be snuggled up inside.

Makin' Monday.

Look at that gorgeous sunset. My grandma would surely enjoy it. She and her friend, Betty, would go for drives in the country. Taking pictures along the way. Many of them of sunsets. "Quick, Betty. Get your camera!" is a shared family memory and story that will be told around the campfire for years to come.

Have to make some kind of baked goods today to thank my neighbor. Someone had hit and crippled a possum out on the trail and you could tell it was in distress. Times like that I wish I didn't know how to read tracks. Poor opossum. I called Aaron and he put it out of its misery. Didn't think my little .22 would get the job done. I remember shooting a woodchuck point blank thrice with a .22 many moons ago; it still moved. Freaky.

I hate to see an animal suffering.

The Buccaneers won the Superbowl.

Meanwhile, the COVID virus has mutated into two different worrisome strains. One from the UK is doubling infections every ten days and is 45% more transmissible.  It is spreading like wildfire in Florida right now. The African variant is less affected by current vaccines.

Freaky.

Superbowl Sunday.

Not for me, but today is a long awaited day for thousands of football fans. Chiefs against the Buccaneers. Played in the midst of a pandemic. 

Hopefully folks will heed warnings from healthcare officials and maintain safe practices. If not, we'll probably get another surge in hospitalizations. Thank goodness most essential workers have been vaccinated.

Second load of laundry is ready for the dryer. Garbage ready to go out for tomorrow morning. Vacuum run in all but back bedroom. Gonna mop the floor, hit the shower and read some Dostoyevsky.

Forty one days until Spring and these onion bulbs couldn't wait for it to get here. Time to finish an inventory of seeds on hand and then order whatever is lacking.

Swell Saturday.

While Saturday is certainly swell, the swell referred to is in my eyes. The pain woke me up from a nice sleep. A 3:30 a.m. dose of Benadryl was followed by another at 10:40 a.m.

Not a good thing. 

The sun is shining and I'm watching some black-capped chickadees and one lone blue jay enjoy the seed in the feeders. Am not sure why they haven't eaten any thistle seed. 

One of the buds on the Christmas Cactus is in full bloom. The purple African Violet is growing and still blossoming. The smaller pink ruffle-edged African Violet has fallen victim to kitty shenanigans involving the curtain; it's still alive but has lost its flowers.

The $2 Primrose picked up at TOPS has perked up a bit. Amazing what a little water can do. Killed one of the Aloe Vera sprouts. Over watering. One of these days I will learn.

Friday Progress Report.

Yesterday was above freezing so Bandit and I took a walk on the Blaisdale Emery trail from Browntown Road north toward Custer City. It's one section of the nearby trails we frequent year round. About fifty yards from the entry is an old railroad bridge with a nice swimming hole that Bandit likes. On the Custer City side is a big marshy area where beaver have dammed one of the Tunungwat Creek tributaries. There is almost always wildlife around on this section of trail. Especially in Winter when fewer folks are out. In fact, I saw my first wild mink there about a month ago. Pretty cool.

We usually head toward Custer City, but rarely make it that far in the Winter... Snow can be rough to navigate on uneven surfaces. Well, maybe not for four-paw powered pups, but for us old farts its challenging. I keep telling myself that the marsh us going to be pretty - as incentive to keep going. Encouraging words don't help much when your body aches.

Yesterday we started earlier than normal. Took our time and made it to the frozen over marsh. Lots of birds out singing their the sun is shining! song. Bunny and deer tracks all over the trail. Was surprised that there is still open water on the creek. Then again, this winter has been rather mild. Same as last year. 

All told we walked two and a half miles yesterday. We were both feeling our age by the time we got home.

PROGRESS:

The diet is going better now the Oreos are mostly gone. Been trying to have a real meal more often. You know, meat, vegetables, fruit. Trying to eat more fruit. 

Some progress has been made on the Jacobean pillow. Hope to finish the needlework this week.

The sourdough seems to be turning into something I like to put off. ? Se la vie.

Terrific Thursday.

Only six more weeks until Spring (44 days) and the weather forecast today is calling for temperatures near 40 degrees. Looks like Bandit and I will be taking a long stroll this afternoon. 

Henrietta is perched on the roll-top desk watching me as I type. Bandit is curled up behind my chair presumably waiting for me to play or give him a treat...most likely the latter.

Speaking of the latter (being chubby), the diet's not going so well. Have been stress eating and was bad at the grocery store and bought empty calories (eggo waffles) and oreos. Note: calories from chocolate are NOT empty...they're soul soothing! Am glad Spring is around the corner so I can be outside and get more exercise. Until then I guess I'm gonna have to crack down on working out. Really don't want to drag the elliptical back in here, but might have to. At least I actually walked on it while watching TV instead of sitting on the couch like a lump on a log. I'm starting to resemble a hippo; amazing what ten pounds looks like on a 5'2" frame. *sigh*

No time like the present...

Weary Wednesday.

Took a Benadryl at bedtime last night. Slept fairly well; only got up to pee a few times. Forgot to fill up the cat food dishes before turning out the lights so Tigger started waking me at 5ish. I'll be ready when the clocks jump ahead an hour - that's for sure!

Tired today. The only things accomplished were balancing the checkbook, writing out bills (including $360 in property taxes) and submitting an order to Walmart for pick up tomorrow.

First Monday in February.

Got groceries yesterday. Am shocked at the rise in prices. Bacon was $9.99 a pound bringing the per pound cost to $4. Well within the budget. Picked up some sale items not normally purchased turnovers and readymade toaster waffles. Guess I'll look into making breakfast that can be frozen.

So nice to have a freezer so I can stock up. Gretchen cans meat. Will speak with her about difficulty. Might need to do this; its so much cheaper than buying canned meat.

Put a generator on the Need list. Would hate to have all that food go bad because of a power outage. 

Gotta go to the spring today. This liquid the town pumps to residents tastes horrible.

Bandit wants to go out, so that's my cue to sign off.