Tiny Needle Tuesday 8/22/23

 Hello and Good Morning,

How are you?  I am well.  I slept well (8 hours - woo-hoo!) and believe I am ready to face the day.  We ended up just getting our flu shots yesterday - the new Covid booster will not be available till mid-September.  I'm still not clear why CVS scheduled us (since that's where we have received our other boosters, so they have our records....).  Whatever!

Yesterday Fletch cleaned out the bird house where the wrens had nested.  Not a very pleasing nest - lol

The little wren building it struggled to get twigs, etc. into the house.  It provided for good entertainment watching him/her, but it also provided for sloppy nest building.

And, no frogs at the water feature yet, but some sparrows were sure having fun cavorting in the water yesterday!

(Taken through my kitchen window)  At one point when I looked out there were six birds around the water and more waiting their turn!  While Fletch and I sat on the patio a little later, they would not come in, but they were flying all around hoping we would leave so that they could get back to splashing and having fun.  

Well friends, it is Tuesday, so time for a Tiny Needle update.  A bunch of progress has been made.  First up we have the cacti triptych:

It won't take long to finish the Prickly Pear portion.  This is such an engaging piece to stitch - I'm loving it.

There was also some progress on the Sampler Aux Bouquets.  First an overall view:

And then a close up of what was done this past week - a few more blooms in the vase and another winged friend.

The vase seems to be taking FOREVER to complete and I confess to being a bit weary of PINK.  Fortunately I am still enjoying this piece a lot too.  Good thing as there is still much to stitch on it.  I think I am roughly half way through (yup - it is going to be a BIG sampler when completed).

Good news - the parts for my washing machine already came in!  We got a call yesterday while we were out and about saying they could come today.  However, we already have plans (and I'm sort of caught up on laundry anyway), so we are sticking with our Thursday date.  Good to know that everything is ready though.

Cloudy and grey here today.  Hopefully it will not get too sticky out.  Wishing you all a wonderful Tuesday - do something FUN!!

Weekending 8/21/23

 Heigh-Ho Heigh-Ho,

The weekend zipped by, didn't it?  And mine was not what I had planned.

Saturday started off nicely with a meet up with Dee.  We chatted and sipped and did a little knitting.  I don't think we solved any of the world's problems that morning (but we always try).  We went our separate ways and I headed home to gather up laundry and then head over to C&M's.  Colin had suggested that I run the washer on a cleaning cycle first since it had been sitting for so long.  I put an Affresh tablet in the machine but then I could not get the damn machine to turn on!  I unplugged it and plugged it back in a couple of times and kept hitting the power button, but nothing.  So, the machine is sitting over there with a cleaning tablet in it.  I ended up going to a laundromat nearby.

The laundromat was not bad - very clean and two sizes of machines.  I just did one load, but it was done in under half an hour.  I brought the wet clothes home to dry.  I ended up going back on Sunday and doing two more loads.  While the machines were washing, I walked down the shopping center to the grocery store to pick up a few things and by the time I got back the laundry was finished!!  Again I brought everything home - some dried on the clothes line and some went into the dryer.

Meanwhile, I had heard back from the repair folks and everything had been ordered and they should be back out again on Thursday with a new motor and whatever else had been ordered for my machine.

I did have a very nice surprise when I got home on Saturday.  A number of years ago Fletch built a water feature at the edge of our patio.  We love sitting out there and listening to water flowing - almost like having a little stream.  For a variety of reasons, it was never set up this year and we were talking about missing the sound of water the other day.  When I got home on Saturday from the laundromat, Fletch had set up a new feature as an early birthday gift for me!!

I love it!!

We are scheduled to get flu shots late morning and...supposedly...the new Covid booster.  The CVS we go to scheduled us, but since then we've heard it won't be available till September.  Guess we will find out later.  We wanted to get all this taken care of before we take off for a little bit in October.  I keep hearing that Covid is back on the rise...I'd rather be as protected as I can be.

And that's a wrap for me!  Tell me, how was your weekend?  I hope it was a good one and let's make this next week an easy one if we can.

Friday and No, My Washer is Not Yet Fixed 8/18/23

 Hey Hey and Good Morning,

I woke early and sat up in bed reading (finished Tom Lake) and listened to the rain and the wind!  It was dark - darker than normal thanks to the cloud cover, but it was lovely if you know what I mean...peaceful.  A good way for me to start a day with 3 conference calls.  Yuck!

So my washer is still not fixed.  Oy!  The repair guys (2) came around 11:30, pulled it out from the wall, fiddled with it a bit and then said that there is a "service bulletin" out on our washer - that other folks have been having the same problem (turning on...skipping all the cycles...and then skipping to done!).  The recommended cure fix is a new motor and something else (I confess I sort of stopped listening).  They promised to get the parts ordered that day and I should receive a call in a day or two to schedule their return visit.

Of course, this begs the question why not come prepared?  If there is a "service bulletin" out on the machine about the problem I described, why come out without the necessary parts?  But, I guess that's just my thought (apparently).

Dee had texted asking if the washer was fixed.  When I explained what was happening, she very generously offered her washer and dryer for my use.  Thank you Dee.  It so happens that Colin & Mailing's house is a little closer, so I will be spending a bit more time over there using their washer and dryer and catching up on the piles of laundry.  Colin did suggest that I could leave a few quarters on his workbench when I use the machine!  LOL  

I will just look at it as more found time for knitting, stitching or reading.  I can't be doing any of my own chores while I'm at their house!

No more huge cukes, but then I have not been out to the garden to check.  Some of the giant platter-sized leaves of my rhubarb are beginning to yellow and wither, so I need to get out there and harvest the rhubarb.  Hopefully this weekend...or maybe even this afternoon.

The hisbiscus is still blooming.  It seems to open only one or two blossoms per day.  I can only imagine the beauty if ALL of the buds opened at once.  It would be amazing.  For now it is gentle and lovely.  And the figs on Figgy are growing - they are now marble-size.  Most of our lettuce bolted and Fletch pulled it out in preparation for planning Fall spinach and lettuce, but there is still some red romaine that is good and we had some of that in a salad last night.  

I spotted a couple of larger tomatoes (still green) on a plant and more cherry tomatoes are beginning to ripen so there is some hope there.  Fingers crossed we will at least get a few home-grown tomatoes this year.

Two things to share with you.  You all know how fond I am of crows (really any birds) and Bonny sent me a great cartoon the other day:

And this - I love it.  Saw this on a blog the other day.  Wise words.  Have a good Friday and a wonderful weekend!

So Big!

 Bonjour!

A bit of a later start for me today.  I slept 9 hours last night!!  Woo-Hoo.  And then, of course, I had to jump right into work, but things are quiet now so I have a chance to write a brief note to you all.

The other day Fletch mentioned that he had seen a giant cucumber that had been hiding on the vine, so yesterday I walked out to the garden.  There was not one, but four!!

They look more like zucchinis that cucumbers.  LOL  And, they are just as productive as zucchinis.  Our neighbor Rob said he did not need any more (his plants are finally producing), but that a work colleague of his would appreciate some (the work colleague's plants had all died).  So we took 2 over to Rob for his friend.  

Meanwhile, Zhongren had brought over several on Saturday.  So, we are a bit swamped with cukes.  I've started adding them to my infusion water bottle (a nice change from strawberries - very refreshing).  And, I guess I should make some more pickles.  I only make quick/refrigerator pickles - I don't process any, and we still have one jar in the frig from my last pickle making day.  Whew!

When Fletch and I went over to Colin & Mailing's on Tuesday to water plants and trim back weeds, we apparently forgot to shut the garage door when we left!  Geeze.  One of Colin's neighbor's texted him to say the garage door was open...he (the neighbor) went over and shut it.  I might be losing my mind...not sure.

Finally, I received a confirmation call yesterday that the washer repair guy will be here today between 10 and 2.  YAY - laundry has been piling up.  Hopefully it is an easy/quick fix and I can get to washing this afternoon.

That's it for me - short and sweet.  Hope your Thursday is a good one.

Unraveled Wednesday 8/16/23

 Good Morning!

How are you mid-week?  I'm doing well.  Just took my first sip of morning coffee.  Yum.  Today I brewed my coffee with some cinnamon sprinkled on top of the grounds - quite tasty.

Mid-August and mid-week...time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Come on and join in - you know you will find inspiratioin all over the place!  My making these days seems to be a little more focusesd on stitching, but since I showed that yesterday, today it will be all about the knitting.

My second Allsorts sock is coming along nicely:

Hard to tell from this picture, but my stitchmarker is a tiny flip flop - too cute.  I've 10 more rows to knit before the heel flap.  With any luck, I will get there today.

My Shakerag skirt looks just like last week, but trust me - a few rows have been added.

This is not a difficult pattern by any means.  BUT...the rows are so long I find myself getting bored.  I rarely do more than one row at a time.  Then I need to stand up and take a break.  At this rate, the skirt might be finished in 2025, but I'm not positive about that.  LOL  I just need to sit down and DO IT, or rather KNIT it.

On to the reading portion of this post.  I finished A Place in the World by Frances Mayes and thoroughly enjoyed it.  An easy, pleasant read with recipes!!

I had plans to next read "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida" for our "Read With Us" book discussion coming up in a month, but Tom Lake by Ann Patchett came available for me.  One day I was #35 in the queue and the next day I received an email telling me it was ready to pick up!  I'm about halfway through it and it is good.  I would not call it great, but it's kind of a good summer read.  Ann Patchett is an author whose writing I enjoy, but I would not say I am swooning over this - I am finding it very easy to put down and go do something else...or read something else.

Anyway, I need to step up my reading as when I looked at my requests, I'm in the 1st spot for several of them.  Isn't that the way it always goes?  All your holds come in at once!  As I've said before, a wealth of books is not a bad thing to have.

Time to pour another cup of coffee and get moving.  Be sure to head over to Kat's to see what everyone is up to this week.  Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 8/15/23

 Good Morning,

It's a little sticky here this a.m.  I woke at 4-ish to very heavy rain.  But it did not last long - not enough to show any measurable amount in the rain gauge.  The street, however, looks polka-dotted in front of our house: between the rain and the wind so many crepe myrtle blossoms are now on the ground.  There are still plenty in the tree, but the street is covered too, as well as part of our front lawn.

And, as long as I'm talking trees, I will show you how our apples are growing this year - at times they look like huge grape clusters.  LOL  I took these pictures because Colin was curious.

It's obvious in the smaller picture that a lot of the apples are already damaged - mis-shapen, bad spots, etc.  But the sheer amount of them is amazing.

And, finally, still on the gardening side of things, Fletch is using some of our bamboo to create hand rails along the top of the garden fence.  He spread wood chips on the walk-ways, but the other day he tripped and almost fell, so decided that handrails were needed.  He just started to install them late yesterday.

I do love the look of bamboo.  Years and years ago, Fletch built a bamboo bridge over our boggy area.  I wish that still existed, but 3 decades took its toll on that!  You can also see the HUGE rhubarb leaves (like platters) in the above picture.  I need to get out and harvest that (again).

OK, time for a Tiny Needle update.  Progress has been made on both the large (very) Sampler Aux Bouquets and the Cacti Triptych.  First up the large piece.

The vase is beginning to fill with flowers and there is even a little bird perched atop!  I would have been much further along, but I had a lot of frogging to do this week...The center stem on the top pink flower was missing some stitches and once I got the flower stitched and then the bird I could see that it was way off, so it all had to be ripped out (tedious work at best) and then re-stitched with a little more length.  Here is where it stands overall:

This does not show all of the empty cloth to the right...there is still a ton of stitching to do on this one!

Yesterday afternoon I was able to spend some time on the cacti triptych that Colin sent me.  It is a bit more detailed than I initially thought, but I am thoroughly enjoying stitching it.  This is the start of the Prickly Pear section.

There are a few more "paddles" to be added as well as more flowers.  The little thorns! - kind of hard to see, but they are there.

Obviously I have lots to fill any free time I may come across in my life!  LOL  Wishing you all a pleasant Tuesday.  May it be a gentle one.

Weekending 8/14/23

 Good Morning My Lovlies!

How are you today?  It is beautiful outside - just 66 degrees, a few clouds, but otherwise nice.  I've already been out and about!  I needed to have blood drawn and when I woke in the middle of the night, I decided this morning would be the day.  It worked out perfectly.  I did not have an appointment, but was the first person at the lab and was in and out in minutes.  Now my coffee is brewing and my day can start.  There was a lot of traffic at 6:15 a.m. though - I guess more and more folks are going into their offices on a regular basis.

Look what came up in my library queue!!  I started this yesterday and am about 70 pages in.  No opinion yet...but will let you know what I think.  I also picked up "Horse" by Geraldine Brooks, but I think I should buckle down and tackle This Book first.  I want to be ready for the "Read With Us" meeting in September!

So my weekend was very nice.  Saturday I met up with Dee as usual, but for a change, I drove to her house and then she drove us to Hellertown where we met up with Bonny  What a delightful time - lots of chatting and laughing and then a delicious lunch at Braveheart.  It was so nice to all be together again.  And I didn't even think to take a picture of us!  Boo....

Fletch and I tried a new Mexican place for dinner Saturday night and that was a big disappointment!  We cannot seem to find a good Mexican restaurant around us.

The balance of my weekend was spent doing some chores, a little knitting, a little stitching and a little reading.  What I call a well-balanced weekend!

We've been having a bit of rain here and there.  Enough that things have gotten damp and the little white mushrooms are popping up here and there.

More rain is in our forecast for tonight and tomorrow.  

No other news really.  I'm heading to the office soon.  I don't really have to go, but I want to go to Trader Joe's and since I will be there, I'll pop into the office, check the mail, etc.  An exciting Monday!  Wishing you a great start to your week - Enjoy!