Licking the bowl

 

 

 

 

Grandma duty this week yippee!! We made freezer jam with fresh raspberries from the local you pick.  The berries were few and far between but I persevered and picked enough for one recipe of jam. (The berries were thick on the canes just not ripe another week or two…..)  They helped wash the berries and crushed the berries and measured the sugar the added the sugar and stirred and stirred.  Wait 10 minutes for the sugar to dissolve add the pectin and lemon juice and stir for 3 minutes then into the container and lick the bowl. Just that slick.  I have been using the recipe in the pectin box forever and I do mean forever.  It was my first 4-H demonstration when I was 9 but back then it was powdered pectin and had to be cooked for a minute or two but still super easy.  —Ann—

New fur baby

“Hey!  How come we are all bunched in here again?!?  It’s not Christmas.”    “ The girl came with the furry thing like us but it moves on its own”

“ Yeah I remember it from a couple weeks ago, it had sharp teeth  my leg still hurts!” “ You’re still in one piece.”  “At least we are all together and got to bask in the sun room for the weekend.”   “I miss sitting on the shelf where I can see the dust bunnies playing under her chair where she knits—are they ever going to turn into real bunnies?”       “ He had his own toys too, I thought he was going to take the head off poor Lambchop.”  “The mom did surgery on Lambchop when they arrived.”  “He sat on command and laid down too but he still had to do time out a couple times, he he.  And no sock was safe until it was securely hidden in a shoe.”

Darling daughter and her new best friend a standard poodle.  He’s learning and she’s a very patient trainer.

And one for Dolly

 I finished those baby quilts and then thought big sister needs a dolly quilt. Dig through the bundles of scraps I find the scraps from a quilt that was given to the big sister’s mommy. Perfect. Just like mommy.  Time well spend on another hot day  —Ann—

Two-da-da-da-done

 

Finally I finished these quilts the baby girls are 3 months and one month, my niece’s two newest grandkids.  It has been hot here a good day to go downstairs and finish something!! —Ann—

Reading list #3

Three of the books I read took place in Ireland, this little watercolor is Fanad the farm where my 6th or 7th great grandfather lived in County Donegal.

This is the house where my 1st great-grandfather raised my grandfather  in County Tyrone. He came to America in the 1920’s.

1. The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner a fun magical story takes place 1820’s and present day about archaeological divers looking for wrecks and stregas — sea witches who could influence the waters of the sea and a love story in both time periods.
2. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose the second Maid book as delightful as the first.
3. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans I just about quite reading this book even though I waited a couple months for it, ( I just wasn’t getting into it ) then I went back and read reviews by readers and decided to continue reading. It did get better. It is a collection of letters written and received by a woman in her 70’s. The book turned out to be very good. Then I read the preface again (something I frequently do) and I read the whole book again in 2 days! Now I’m thinking I should purchase the kindle edition so I can read it again someday.  It was that good.
4. Isola by Allegra Goodman based on a true story takes place in mid 1500’s a young French noble woman is marooned on an island by her guardian. Not great.
5. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt a cleaning lady talks to the creatures in the aquarium, a young man is looking for his father. Very good story!
6. Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout for book club everyone liked the book. More about her usual characters.
7. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall very good takes place in England in 1950’s and 1960’s young lovers, aspiring writers, misunderstanding, new relationships, marriage, some unfortunate events. Lots of surprises in the story I don’t want to give it away. Did I say it was very good?!!
8. Draw Your Day by Samantha Dion Baker lots of inspiration to illustrate your journal each of her journal pages was like a little poster advertising her day—beautiful, but I just want to improve my drawing / sketching skills.
9. The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose book 3 and as good as the first two. This book reveals the story of Molly’s grandmother.
10. Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller for book club and as good the second time as the first time reading it.  I had forgotten so much.
11. If Walls Could Talk by Jean Grainger first in a new series centered around an old estate house in County Clare contemporary story about 3 women one has rented the house and is cleaning it, she dreams of turning the house into a retreat offering natural remedies. Another story takes place in the 70’s when the house was home to unwed girls. Good story I look forward to the next book.
12. Three Bags Full by Lennie Swann The Sheep Detectives the book was fun to read the author must have spent a lot of time observing sheep and their habits and personalities. Her descriptions took me back to my childhood on the farm the lambs were so much fun to watch, I loved bottle feeding the orphans.  I’m looking forward to the movie. But then I saw the list of actors voicing the sheep…..some sheep are missing or renamed hmmmmm do I still want to watch the movie?
13. The Alchemist of Paris by M. C. Dulac a journal written by an orphaned girl who grew up in church supported orphanage where she learns about natural remedies, she is hired as a maid in early 1800’s her master is a scientist working on a steam engine but also turning mercury into gold to fund his lifestyle and delving into ancient alchemy for an elixir of life. Fantasy I probably won’t read book 2.
14. The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan story takes place in western Ireland about friendship and new beginnings very good I will definitely be reading more of Faith Hogan’s books.
15. Murder at the Royal Ruby and The Nosy Neighbor both by  Nita Prose  two very short stories the second story reminded me of Shirley Jackson short stories. 
16. The Rector’s Daughter by Jean Grainger same characters as If Walls Could Talk learning more history of Dunmara House. Waiting patiently for the 3rd book comes out in September. 

Half was through this reading list I was trying to keep characters and plots straight in my head, this is another list with lots of connections from one book to the next.  The Mystery Guest connected to The Maid  (previous list) same setting, same characters, same author, jump ahead to Remarkably Bright Creatures (RBC) two women obsessed with cleaning and a mystery.  The Correspondent about getting older but then aren’t we all getting older.  Tell Me Everything (TME) also about getting older and being in a nursing home.  Broken Country missing a child also missing a child in RBC. BC naming the sheep and the sheep all have names in Three Bags Full. RBC and TBF talking sheep, talking octopus solving a mystery. A couple of the books deal with adoption mysteries. 

 It has been hot here too hot! But a good day to stay inside and read. —Ann—

Re knit and re knit and re knit……….

 

It’s finally finished and I might love it this time. I knit this yarn last summer into a sweater  https://straythreads-straythreads.blogspot.com/2025/05/off-needles.html that always felt 2 sizes too big so rip and rewind which took less than an hour. The pattern I’m using this time is Poppy by Petite Knits. I changed the hems from ribbing to garter stitch because ribbing stretches out with this Remix yarn and doesn’t pull back in until it’s washed so the garter stitch is a better finish.  The same with the neck I did a stockinette rolled hem. I ripped this so long ago maybe March that I have forgotten how many times I ripped, my swatch was right on gauge but my stitches really relaxed as I got going……too big…..start over then on the shoulder seam……one side was tighter than the other…..rip again.  Finally I got it right —-pull that increase stitch extra long.  I only re knit one sleeve twice no problems on the second. Now to throw it in the washer and dryer it should come out perfect!  About the yarns I have knit several sweaters with the remix light—they are my summer sweatshirts. The tweed it yourself yarn combination was from a Danish knitter I follow on facebook I can’t understand a word she says but her yarn combinations speak for themselves. Fabulous!!

Washed and dried and shrank to almost perfect. If I knit this pattern again I will make the arm scythe shorter. Happy summer and strawberries —Ann—

Another flimsy

 A third hummingbird quilt top sewn sometimes I cut way too many pieces for one quilt but I just cut one 6 inch strip of each fabric and i like variety in the colors and prints……..so three quilt tops later I’ve almost used all the pieces.  This one I used just one background fabric it sewed together much faster and I could turn the segments just for fun.  Now to find backing fabrics and pin them on the frame to baste.  Backing is my least favorite part of quilting.  —Ann—

More watercolors

 

Reminiscing over trip to Ireland in 2024 and now those paintings in the sketchbook are finished. Amazing what consistent practice can do, hubby was off fishing so I had a watercolor week while he was gone.  I should have cropped all those pics but then they are saved as panoramic and they take up more space.  I need to delete pics again.  Hopefully a week of watercolor got me in “the habit” so I will continue.  It was really just playing with paint —Ann—

Watercolor

 

It has been hot here 94 and humid……a good day to go downstairs and play with the watercolors.  I’m making progress on my sketchbook I started in Ireland.  The paintings are not in chronological order I go through my photos and decide I’ll try painting this today as my skills and confidence grow I might go back and try a scene that I thought was too complicated.  Sometimes I use the Waterlogue app to turn a photo into a watercolor and work from both as I paint, the app simplifies the photo.  Having fun with the watercolors and maybe sewing a few quilt blocks as the paintings dries.  —Ann—

A Bit of wisdom and a flimsy

 

Same fabrics different grouping of the background fabrics.

It’s amazing how fast a quilt top comes together when I put a concentrated effort into it.  Like just sitting down to sew for a bit.  And getting the needle threaded, that seems to get more challenging as I get older.  I realized something today that makes threading the needle so much easier. There is that groove in the needle facing you as you sit at the machine……if I aim for the groove with my freshly cut thread (no long fibers from breaking the thread) get the thread in the groove then slide it toward the eye and change the angle of the thread from diagonal to more horizontal the threads slides right into the eye!  Easy peasy more easy peasy than the needle threader! Happy threading —Ann —

Reading list #2. 2026

 

1. The Crossroads by C. J. Box #26 of the series and did not disappoint 
2. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig for book club  as good the second time. 
3. The Irish Midwife by Seana Tinley about a young woman in Belfast learning to be a midwife then going to school in Dublin to become a certified midwife and a love story.  Story takes place in 1939.
4. The Last Post by Jean Grainger book 7 of Knockneshee series happy ending of the series. Yeah!
5. The Portrait by Emilia Kelly the story takes place mid 1800’s during the Victorian era the owner of a glassworks commissions a painter to paint a portrait of his fiancée. She finds the diary of his previous girlfriend…….the plot thickens….good story.
6. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman I think I have read this book 4 times and it gets me every time. 
7. The Forgotten Shore by Sarah Maine very good story takes place in three time periods, 1940’s Scotland a wounded soldier is recouping at his childhood home, 1960’s where he fled to Newfoundland to start over and flee the war trauma when he befriends a young girl and encourages her to read more challenging books and 1980’s where the girl is now a journalist in Scotland looking for the man she recognizes in a photograph at an old estate.
8. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout  this is a book of short stories Olive Kitteridge is mentioned in each but not as a major character. I’ve read other books by Elizabeth Strout that I liked much better.
9. The Maid by Nita Prose for book club everyone loved it and it’s a short series! About a maid in an upscale hotel she finds a dead body in a room she is to clean………good story!
10. The Monk of Mallorca by E. L. Nunez very short book a young woman travels to Mallorca and meets a 400 year old monk a lot of religion and faith in the story…..there is the 400 year old monk. Good story
11. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen a story of friendship in a small town and a mystery. Light reading just for fun.
12. The Emerald Shawl by Louise Douglas takes place in England in late 1800’s a young woman news reporter who writes a column of interest to women—recipes, housekeeping tips, decorating etc. gets involved in a murder story. Treatment of girls and women who don’t fit the norm of wanting to get married and have kids and lots of twists in the story.  We have come a long way.

If we weren’t packing up to leave the river today I would be sitting in the sun with a book and coffee I’ve got a little time to enjoy my coffee but I don’t want to haul a chair out by then my coffee will be cold and then need to haul it back to the garage. Oh to sit in the sun after a rainy overcast few days.  Everything is greener than last week before the rain.  Bring it on again.  —Ann—

Little artists

 

Fun weekend with the little girls as always low tech.  My watercolor pencils got sharpened…..while they were painting, cutting or gluing I was coloring in a Peter Rabbit coloring book from my daughter’s childhood with watercolor pencils then they would use the waterbrush to paint. They saw that I was using multiple colors for leaves and fur so they would try it.  They would try so hard to stay in the lines and be neat. They love their Prang paints the colors are as vibrant as from my childhood the paint brushes have gotten smaller if you can see that in the top photo.  They each have the Prang script. I buy tablets of 9 x 12 paper and cut the sheets into 4 the perfect size for them.  Little art lessons and they think they are just having fun. —Ann—

Organizing pencils

 My granddaughters each take a box of colored pencils and coloring books when they go places where they are expected to be quiet like church so I made them each a pencil roll with their name, it holds 12 pencils and is easier for their little fingers to get the right pencil out and put it back. I have several of these for my pencils and drawing tools and a couple have been recruited for knitting needles.  Sometimes I’m better at organizing my tools than using them.  But I have decided to use them!  Darling daughter turned 35 this month, she and college roommate have planned a fun weekend to mark the occasion because 35 is half way to 70.  Guess who will turn 70 this year!?! I have made the decision to use my art supplies with wild abandon ( as wild as I get but accepting there will be bad art days and just enjoy the process) because I cringe at the thought of DD filling the dumpster with unused art materials. I’m going to leave piles of filled sketch books.  If my kids want to tear pages out and frame them I will be thrilled.  Recently I have attacked my travel sketchbooks, those sketchbooks I buy special for a trip then do one or two pages and bring home a mostly blank book.  I have been sketching from my travel photos to fill the pages sometimes I add notes,  progress is slow but I see improvement.  Sometimes I jump up and sew a couple quilt blocks while the paint dries. 

Keeping busy—Ann—