Little people and the land of lost things

One of the few things I got done while hubby was off fishing earlier in the month was painting these little people. I carved them 5 or 6 years ago and I just kept moving them from spot to spot when I was looking for something in my creative resources and projects c.r.a.p. closet, it could also be called the land of misplaced or lost things.  I was looking for some little votive jars to decorate the rehersal dinner tables and could not find them.  I looked in all the sensible places where I might have put them since the last move but then I couldn't remember seeing them since 2 moves ago and I knew exactly where they were in that house. Where did I put them?  Did I move them? To get the brain worm out of my head, does that ever happen to you, I can't stop looking for something until I find it like some musical tune you can't get out of your head.  So I pulled these little guys out and the paints and painted them and it didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would.  Then I enjoyed an afternoon on the deck in the sun with the paste floor wax buffing them.  When I put things back in the magical closet of disappearing and reappearing things I say that because the next time I am tearing things apart looking for the latest misplaced item I will find what I was looking for the last time I dug through all the baskets, boxes and totes.  Anyway what I found was the little glass yogurt jars that were extra when I sorted my buttons last fall.  They are the perfect size for a votive or tea light. And I have an excuse to eat more of that delicious yogurt.  --Ann--

On the needles

No new projects in the last couple of weeks. The only progress lately has been on the needles, hubby dear has been going to wellness at 5:30 am why anyone who has retired needs to get up that early is beyond me. It was a happy day when I didn’t have to get kids up for school. Anyway he is up at a ridiculous hour then he needs to nap half the afternoon and he likes to nap downstairs so there goes my afternoon of sewing. He’s napping at the far end of my sewing space. Now this hasn’t been all bad because the days have been sunny and a delight to sit on the deck and read as you could see by yesterdays reading list, or I sit on the deck and knit. I should be done with this sweater but started a wrap for me for son's wedding next weekend because the weather is turning cooler especially as the sun goes down.

The pattern is Nelia by designer Ambah O'Brien.  I bought the yarn in Germany last summer.  Its just knitting with an occasional eyelet row and a central double decrease.  I goofed early in the pattern and knit 10 rows in the eyelet section rather than 8 but I decided who would know so I continued and there are some sections with 12 rows.  Its not for 4-H and the focus will be on the bride and groom not my irregular rows of eyelet.  I plan to have it done and blocked early next week.  --Ann--

Book list #3 2019

Apples for birds on the many flowering crap apple trees in the neighborhood

1. The Disappeared by C. J. Box more adventures with game warden Joe Pickett
2. Miss Mary’s Daughter by Diney Costeloe takes place in England in the late 1800’s about family and inheritance and a love story.
3. Three Silver Doves by Deborah Garner mystery in New Mexico
4. Off Kilter by Hannah Reed romantic writer goes to the Highlands of Scotland and gets involved in a murder investigation.
5. Hooked on Ewe by Hannah Reed second book the same characters another murder mystery.
6. Twist of Faith by Ellen J. Green murder mystery and search for birth mother lots of twists in the plot, suspense and intrigue.
7. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney  85 year old Lillian Boxfish goes for a walk on New Years Eve 1984 and reminices about her life in New York.  A work of fiction but loosely based on the life of Maragaret Fishback who wrote ads for  Macy's in New York City in 1930's and 40's .  The writing was delightful I don't often underline passages in books but I did many times.
8. Duel in the Sun by John Brant for book club about Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar and the Boston Marathon in 1982
9. The Star and the Shamrock by Jean Grainger about Jewish children are in Northern Ireland during WW II.
10. The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure WW II France
11. Wolf Pack by C.J. Box  # 19 I have to wait until 2020 for the next book
12. The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg about family and sibling rivalry and forgiving.
13. Together Forever by Jody Hedlund orphan train story book 2
14. Scraps of Paper by Kathryn Meyer Griffith  30 year old murder mystery
15. Digging to America by Anne Tyler for book club adoption story and also about Iranian immigrants and cultural differences and a love story.
16. Searching for You by Jody Hedlund orphan train book 3 
17. The Knitters Book of Wool by Clara Parkes everything you would ever want to know about wool and the breeds of sheep that produce the wool.
18. Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber romantic fluff just for fun
19. Educated by Tara Westover memoir, non fiction, growing up in Idaho, homeschooled, survivalists, dysfunctional family and breaking free.
20. The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay for book club 2 week holiday to an estate in England specalizing in Jane Austen themed holidays and a modern day romance in a tech company.
21. start a new list   --Ann--

Omaha

Darling daughter and I had a wonderful weekend in Omaha, Nebraska.  We went to Hamilton and it was amazing!!!! We both learned some history that was skipped over in high school.  It was fun if you get the chance to see it do!!!  Omaha has lots of big old buildings downtown and so sad that the big department stores that were once there are gone.  Closed by the big discount stores and now being renovated into apartments and office space.  We also spent a day at the Omaha zoo,  hadn't been there since DD was 2 years old.  It was so much easier this trip she could walk on here own and no stroller, everyone else had one.  We walked 6 miles at the zoo then 2 more downtown.  --Ann--

Bluebird of Happiness

 My Bluebird of Happiness and just one thing that I did accomplish from my list last week.  It was really quite quick to knit as there aren't very many stitches in each row but there were short rows and wrap and turns with k2tog or p2tog in the next row which makes for some very bulky stitches.  It was a lot easier when I switched to knitting with a single yarn rather than the double that the pattern suggested and I used sock yarn on smaller needdles, the belly yarn was self striping and the color changes were just right.  The designer does some very delightful woodland creatures.  I'm going to try a 4 legged one next.  --Ann--

Monkey brain Ginger candy

I've had a bad case of monkey brain the past week. All my great plans of getting all kinds of thing done while hubby was off fishing have washed away with the rain, 6 inches or so in as many days.  There was one gloriously sunny day in between and I sat on the deck and did nothing but soak up some vitamin D. Maybe its from too much sugar and junk food.  I made ginger candy one day you just slice the ginger root at thin as possible then cook it in a cup of sugar and a cup and a half of water then scoop out the ginger onto paper towels and let it dry then dip in more sugar so it doesn't stick together.  Its a fraction of the cost of ginger candy from a health food store.  Then I cooked the syrup and a couple jars of syrup from past candy making and boiled it down for chewy candy. A jigger of the syrup with club soda makes a marvelous ginger ale.  The recipe had been translated and the Celsius to Fahrenheit was wrong.  I used the candy thermometer and cooked it to 225 F like the recipe said but I still like to do the drop of syrup in cold water to see how it tastes.  Well 225 F was syrup so I cooked it to 260 F firm ball like caramels and poured it onto parchment paper.  Let it cool very tasty.  Ginger candy has a burn to it like cinnamon red hots,  I love that burn.  Cutting through it -- what a mess it just melted back together.  The thought of wrapping individually in wax paper........not going to happen.  Let it sit for a day nibble nibble too much sugar for someone who doesn't eat much sugar.  I dusted it with cornstarch then cut it with my heavy duty kitchen scissors and dipped it in more cornstarch.  What a mess, cornstarch on my hands, the counter top, my shirt, my pants, my shoes, the floor, into the container then into the freezer.  I should have put layers of parchment between.  Needless to say the candy is not very pretty or photo worthy.  It will be tasty to melt a couple pieces to put in gingerbread or gingersnaps in addition to the dried spices.  If I ever  make it again I'll cook it to the hard crack stage. Between all this I have flitted from project to project and not completed anything.  That's been my week.  starting my to do list for next week,  oh wait I can use the same list!  --Ann--

18 years

 I remembered what day it is so I put my American flag out.  The anniversary is more somber for me this year because daughter and I visited the memorial when we were in New York City last winter.  I didn't take any pictures inside because it didn't seem right.  There is a reflecting pool in the footprint of the south tower.  The new World One Trade center and the New York skyline.  The tour of the museum ended with a short film about the weeks and months after the attack.  The last scene of the film was the budweiser super bowl commercial and the clydesdale horses bowing at the site.  --Ann--

Color Me Happy

Another finish!  Color Me Happy is really how this one makes me feel. Those cheerful colors brightened up the many gray days we had this summer.  I had binding left from an earlier quilt and scraps to make the backing wide enough for this quilt.  I had second thoughts about the binding because it was not used in piecing this quilt.  The color changes in the bias pull it all together, a little aqua blue, a little orange, a little green and a little more orange and yellow.  I'm glad I used it. Super simple quilting to show off the fabrics and piecing.  Just a diagonal line through the 4 patches and 9 patches and arcs in the pinwheels and a little loopy thing in the side squares of the large 9 patches.  Need to think about some new projects.  --Ann--

another finish

 Shawls are finished for my son's fiancé, the wedding is in October.  A short burgundy wrap for her cousin the flower girl, who is 4 or 5, the bride's is also burgundy and the bridesmaids will wear burgandy dresses with the natural yarn.  They feel like a dream the yarn is kidhaze which is mohair and silk.  The count down continues.  --Ann--