The day after...

It's the day after Christmas and all is quiet.  Maybe everybody is still slumbering with full stomachs.  I know that MY stomach is still full.  How aS YOUR holiday? 

Mine was pretty good.  Dan came over.  THe food turned out right and my bread pudding got me afinger tip thrown kiss from him.  He also took it all home with him for leftovers.  LOL.  Oh, before I forget, srry for the larger print.  It is easier on my eyes and helps me see.  My eye is getting better.  I know it is but it still isn't right.  On Jauary 6th I have an appointment with a eye doctor in Jonesboro for abn exam.  Hopefully I will be able to start to craft again soon.  It kills me that I can't do anything right now.  In order to do something like crafting, I have a thread a needle.  That isn't going to happen yet.

I hope that you will be having a great day.  It is time for me to get going on dishes from last night.  AFter that I have to do laundry.  Back to mundane life.  hehe

What I've NOT been up to

 This will be a short post to letyou know why I haven't postedin a bit.  Yep, this time I have an official excuse. 

My left eye has been giving me problems.  That is it is making it hard to see etc.  Today, for example, I am squinting about 4 inches above my keyboard while I'm typing.  I have my regular glasses on and also my dark sunglasses on with no lights on in the house.  It's challenging but I am getting things done, just not in a timely manner.

Now it is time to take more ibuprofen and put in some eye drops and lay back dwn.  Not a problem considering it is chilly here today.  :)

Everybody be safe.  Dont worry about me.  I will get through this and will type when I can.  ]]Love ya all!

First Thanksgiving is done!

 Hey I survived my first Thanksgiving of 2021.  Feel good about that.  It turned out pretty good.  Dan gave it a 9 out of 10 (overall).  The chicken dropped it down but more on that in a bit.  First of all, Smidge wanted to say hello.  

That is her royal face.  She is saying "Good Morning".  I am awake so you should be petting me instead of trying to get a picture of me MOM!"  Don't feel too bad for her.  She got her petting in PLUS I put my sweater around her a bit and I think that the neighbors might have even heard her purring after that.

So for Thanksgiving with Dan I let him chose the time and he chose 3.  Of course that meant he actually got here at 2 and, of course, that meant that dinner wasn't ready yet.  That is ok.  It gave him time to open up his birthday present from me.  His birthday is the day after Thanksgiving so I made sure he got his present in time.  He will be travelling to Tennessee on his birthday and meeting up with friends.  3 of his friends all have birthdays within a day of each other so that gather together and merge.  

See the crackers sticking up from the bag?  I made him five dips and gave him crackers.  The brown box has the real present in it.

https://www.ltdcommodities.com/Kitchen---Dining/Dinnerware---Serveware/Sets-of-2-Stoneware-Soup---Side-Bowls//prod1171340.jmp?fm=search

The sour cream container is filled with leftovers for him to take home.  No meat was left over (even though it was low man on the totem pole for points) but he did manage to take home leftover:  stuffing and gravy, some but not all of the mashed potatoes, a scoop of  mixed vegetables, some yam casserole, and fig bars.  He passed on taking any of the lava fudge brownies home (and forgot the ice cream in the freezer) because he knew that he wouldn't be able to handle both the brownies and the fig bars.  Smart man!

My timing for the meal wasn't too bad.  I mixed up the dips and made the fudge brownies the day before (cooked the brownies in the crock pot so all I had to do was keep it warm) and then on Monday morning, I pulled out my double folding table so I could get everything organized on it.

I think that is the best I've done so far.  The table is wide enough that I could line up the ingredients for each recipe and have them all out and ready.  Then at 3 p.m. we were all ready to eat and for the next 1 1/2 hours that is what we did.

We like to keep the table simple so this year this is what it looked like.  That is corn bread with honey butter on the table with us as well as the cup (literally) of gravy  for whatever.

Do those blocks in the background look familiar?  LOL.  I use my ironing board like a table so it held the dressing, the sweet potato casserole, the mashed potatoes (made with sour cram, garlic, and cream cheese) and the mix veggies.

On my dresser is where I put the fig bars and the entrée.  It was a new recipe, cranberry chicken.  Dan gave me the chicken thighs and asked if I could use them to cook "somehow" for Thanksgiving.  So I made that.  Never made it before and it was "ok" but after talking to him about it while we were eating, we both thought it was too many steps for what the end result was.

The cranberries (which also had carmelizing onions, brown sugar, white wine, and spices was too thin.  Since he showed up early, I didn't cook it down any more.  What we thought was a bit strange was that you didn't put the cranberries gravy (that is what it was meant to be) OVER the chicken.  It went into the bottom of the container first.  I think it would have been simpler and easier if you made cranberry relish or cranberry orange relish and put it on top of the chicken to bake into.  I might tray that sometime.  Also you zested an orange and used orange juice but only at the end of the baking time and then you mixed it into the cranberries.  I think that I would just put drizzle orange juice (it only called for 2 tablespoons) at the end over the chicken and then put the zest on at the last minute.  Or put orange marmalade on.  We'll see.

Still it was good to hear him groan and moan while he ate.  Every cook likes to know her cooking was appreciated.  Since we liked this challenge he has already invited himself to New Years Eve (whenever we decide to celebrate it) and he has some chicken leg and thigh quarters that I get to cook.  It has to have cheese in the recipe too.  LOL.  He will be here for Christmas Eve dinner which, so far, will be ham. 

Today I put the house back together and did the dishes.  I will probably do laundry tomorrow.  It's time to relax and pull out some of my own dip and crackers since I'm still full from yesterday.  Of course I might also pull out the mashed potatoes which I love so much and just eat them.  We'll see.

Here is a picture of my fig bars.  They truly are fig bars since they like to stick to the plate.  If I make them again, I think I will make sure there is wax or parchment paper on the plate first.  Still it didn't affect the taste.  They certain are "figgy" since the recipe calls for 2 cups of chopped figs!

Every have a great day/evening and enjoy life.  

small finishes

 I'm slowly getting some projects finished.  Nothing to get excited about but I did finish a mug rug.  That is to go as part of a Christmas present so I was happy to finish it.  Another thing I finally finished was this months block for Ladies Aid New York Sampler.  I am caught up on that so I took a picture of all 8 blocks that are completed.  Ignore the lower right had side (below the flag and next to the trees) since I jut pinned up the blocks on top of another project that was on the design wall.

There are four more blocks to add tothis.  It's coming along.  That is all I have done so far.  I'll try to get more done tomorrow but that will be all I can devote to crafting until after Monday.  Monday is my Thanksgiving with Dan because he will be out of town later in the week.  I hope to take that time to work on his Christmas present which will be a zipper quilt. 

Please keep some of my friends in your prayers.  They aren't feeling good.  I'm not going to say why but they ARE good people and deserve a break.  In the meantime, everybody stay safe.

Update Time!

 I know i'd be repeating myself if I say "Wow!  What a whirlwind of a month this has been".  I think that line can be said until maybe around February!  Tis the time to work non stop on projects for the holidays.  Projects and menus that is.

My menu for Thanksgiving has changed.  Dan gave me some chicken thighs and wanted me to cook them (and invite him over to help eat them).  We decided to take ham off the menu for Thanksgiving and put it on the menu for Christmas.  Then I'll do chicken thighs for Thanksgiving.  I found a recipe that has cranberries and orange in it and that sounds Thanksgiving enough that we'll try that.  

Dan then came down with a fungal infection and hasn't been able to take me to the grocery store yet this month so who knows what the meal will be like if I don't get to the store!  He was going to take me this last week but then his eyes started to swell up so that interfered.  Now his rash from the fungal infection flared up again.  His medicine that the VA ordered to be sent to him through the mail hasn't arrived yet.  When it rains it pours.  Luckily I live a couple of blocks from a Valero gas station which has soda there so the world will be safe.  I can still get my caffeine fix.

So while I wait for Dan to feel better, he has one week before I *have* to get to the store, I made Amish chicken.  Have you ever made that recipe?  It's a simple recipe that has some spices and whipping cream.  After you make a flour mixture to dredge your chicken in, you pour equal amounts of heavy cream and water together and pour it over the chicken.  Then pop it into the oven and ignore it for about 1 1/2 hours.  Yummmy!

Do you realize how close Christmas is?  I have plenty of projects that need to get done by then but my muse for finishing them has deserted me.  I am in a 12 days of Christmas exchange and today I sat down and looked at how much more I need to do.  It's a good thing that I talk to my partner in this because she is in the same situation as I am.  We both agreed to postpone mailing out our packages to each other until January.  That way if there is something we need to get done for family for Christmas we can concentrate on that.  I have around four more things to get done for my 12 days of Christmas box.  I also need to get done Dan's Christmas gift.  I am making him a Zipper Quilt.  He might not get it in time but then 99% of my presents are usually late.  :)  I think their recipients would have a heart attack if I got them their presents on time!  I do need to work on getting my quilting mojo back.  It's getting there.  My brain is starting to look at fabric and such and ideas are running through my brain.  Who knows which one will stop and say MAKE ME!  I do know that I have projects already lined up for 2022.  I want to do a couple of small() things by the quilt as you go method.  I've been watching the Poole method and I will try that first.  This will be no sashings in the front but you will see them in the back.  Wish me luck!

That's about it.  I've got kitten staring at me.  Of course it disappeared when I got my camera phone out but I did manage to get a picture of Mini the other day.  The first picture is of BC.  He was sitting on my lap when I took the picture.

This second picture if of Mini.  Mini was, I think, trying to figure out how BC got up on my lap.  3 of the 4 kittens like to climb up on my lap and walk around me when I sit on the stoop.  They aren't sure about hos to get up on my lap when I sit on the chair that is on the stop.  

 I hope everybody has a great day.  Keep on stitching!

Thanksgiving Prep

 It has taken a bit to get used to thinking of meal planning ahead of time.  Take Thanksgiving.  I normally wouldn't be thinking about it yet but since I only go to the store the first Friday of the month, I have to think about what I'm going to need to pick up for Thanksgiving!  That's not easy for me because I don't normally plan out my meals.  I'm trying to get better.

So this is what is on the Thanksgiving Menu so far.  Dan will be coming over so I also need to get his birthday present ready for him since it is the day after Thanksgiving.  So much to do in so little time....sigh.

Thanksgiving Menu - 2021

Ham

Yam Casserole (the old marshmallow on top type)

Mashed potatoes with cream cheese added to them

rice pudding with raisins 

mixed veggies

fudge brownies with ice cream on top - dessert

pumpkin pie - dessert

I have most of the ingredients for the meal.  I just have to pick up one or two things to replace what I will be using.  Now for Dan's birthday, I have some snack plates for him.  These are ceramic and have both a bowl and tray attached.  They came today and they are cute.  I'm glad that I ordered two for myself also.  To go with that, I will make him my Italian Hummus and put Ritz crackers (his favorite to eat with dip).  I also plan on oatmeal raisin cookies and some peanut butter cookies.  It will be a snack present.  LOL.  I might also put in some popcorn since I know he likes that too.   

What do you think?

But before we get to Thanksgiving, we need to get past Halloween.  :)

Tooting my Horn - again

 Contrary to what this blog might seem, I don't normally toot my own horn.  Actually in today's email, I had to be told to toot my own horn.  :)

I did a test pattern for The Quilt Pattern Magazine.

https://quiltpatternmagazine.com/

This time the pattern that I was testing was called Nora Bear.

I'm sorry that you can't see theq uilting that much.  It was done with silver (Kreinik thread) silver snowflakes, etc.    I think Nora is cute.  What do you think?  The pattern will be in the next issue of the Quilt Pattern Magazine.  

Have fun and if you make your own Nora Bear, let me know.  :)

Quilt Exhibit at Jonesboro (AR) Public Library - 26 pictures

Today I was lucky enough to get to see the Quilt Exhibit at the Jonesboro Arkansas Public Library and take some pictures.  I thought I would share them with you.  when you see the one of Elvis, an internet friend of mine did it.  Her name is Pam Tucker.  You did a good job Pam!  enjoy everybody.  It's time for me to get to bed.  :)

Last Day of September

WOW!  I can't believe it.  It's the last day of September.  What am I doing on the last day of September?  I started to tackle my  sewing room.  It won't get all done today but I did make progress.   Before that, however, I changed out one of my wall hangings.  It's hard to see but I also used one of my zipper quilt wall hanging as a dresser scarf.  George was complaining that he missed his jungle friends so I put the jungle themed zipper quilt wall hanging on the dresser so he could chat with his friends. 

Once that was done, I pulled out my fabric from the shelves on the left side of the sewing room and reorganized them.  By reorganized I mean I made it look neater.  They aren't grouped by color any longer.  Now it is more of what size they are.  I doubt that will work any better for me but for now it will suffice.  This way I can see some of the "larger" pieces of fabric.  I have some backings I need to do and I didn't think I had too many pieces of fabric that are 2 yard or more.  Most of my fabric is either 1 yard or fat quarter.  Now I'm finding that I'm doing larger quilt wall hanging, etc. and need more fabric for the back.  Still it looks neater and it was good to go through the fabric.  I had some fabric I had forgotten about and some which I am donating because I don't want it any longer, etc.  Overall I thought it was about time that I went through it again.  I even have one "box" in the shelf for my Ghana fabric.  Hopefully I will eventually have all myfabric where I can see it and not have to "dig" into storage containers to find it.  I think I will be able to do that in a year or two.

I found a fabric which I forgot I had.  I had disected a wall hanging that Mom had given me.  It didn't have any batting in it.  After taking it apart, I am thinking that I will use it as a table cloth.    It is red and white so it will fit in with the Christmas themed time of the year.  I'm actually going through my white scraps and will be ewing together scraps to do the back.  It will sort of Frankenstein effect but that just means I can use it at Halloween, right?  LOL.  I won't be doing batting on it either.  It doesn't need it since it will only be a table cloth.  I'll take a picture of it when I'm done.

I did find more projects that are so close to being finished that I pulled them out also.  Those will be the ones that I will wok on first in 2021.  Wish me luck.  In the meantime, 

 

Catching Up

 After looking over what I need to work on to catch up on my BOMs, I figured out that I was REALLY behind on one of them.  Like 8 blocks behind!  I am trying to catch up and feel pretty good about it.  I have gotten two blocks done.

Besides those two blocks, I have another block ALMOST done.  As in three petals to stitch down and then it will be done.  I also have the binding on the gnome table runner and that wll be done.  I feel pretty good about all oft his.

That little tidbit of information will have to suffice for now.  I'm back to the sewing.

I hope everybody has a great day.

 

Hmm. What to work on next...

 Isn't that always the question?  What to work on next.  I have never been one to work on one project at a time.  Nothing would ever get done.  At least when I work on multiple projects, SOME things get done.  LOL.

Today I am prepping myself for a Sit and Stitch tomorrow.  It's just some of my Our Time To Quilt Friends getting together via Jitsi (think Skype or Zoom) and stitching or chatting with each other two Saturday morning each month.  Tomorrow is our second Sit and Stitch this month.  To not waste time, I like to figure out ahead of time what I will work on.  

I have fused on my latest Ladies Aid - New York Sampler block.  I can always stitch on that.  That is my go to block.  They are 15 1/2" so nice and large and not "crowded".  

I just discovered how far behind I am on my Pat Sloan Summer Soiree blocks.  I have three of them done but this month I just downloaded the 10th block.  I will probably look for fabric for that.  Even if I don't get anything stitched, it would get me back on track.

Another thing that is on the burner is to copy 4 blocks to embroider.  I have the fabric picked out and cut out so all I need to do is copy the patterns on the fabric and get going.

I did quilt a table runner.  That was the gnome table runner.  I didn't do too bad on it.  I still need to find my Merry Christmas Reindeer table runner (remember Declan and the gang?) and get that finished.

Anyway, that is what is running through my mind on what to work on.  I'll let you know what I figure out.  :)

Anyway, Have a wonderful day and remember - 

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! - STOP THE PRESSES!

 What?  you think that is a tad over the top for a title?  That I might have exaggerated a bit?  Yeah.  Maybe.  But let e tell you this...I got the call this morning.  That's right.  I, Declan the Reindeer, got THE call this morning.  Yep, that's right.  Mrs. C called ME and told me to get my peeps together and start training as back up for the BIG guys.  

You two legs might not be excited but all us reindeer know thatit really is a try out in case one of the big eight can't make the run on Christmas Eve.  YOU remember the big eight right?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.  

Then there are some others.  Rudolph pushed his nose into the line up a lot but they don't need him all the time so he doesn't go on the run unless it is bad weather..  Then there is the Olive.  We don't talk a lot about her but she is cute and I like her but I'll deny it if you tell her that.

The thing that most people don't understand is that it is also about their personalities.  Let me break it down for you.  I didn't leak this information out.  I found it on 

https://holidappy.com/holidays/The-Personalities-of-Santas-Reindeer

Dasher	He loves to go fast!	Sewing
Dancer	Completely extroverted	All kinds of dance
Prancer	A bit vain, though affectionate	Prancing
Vixen	Slightly tricky	Magic
Comet	Handsome and easy-going	Good with kids
Cupid	Affectionate	Bringing people together
Donner	Loud	Singing
Blitzen	Fast as a bolt!	Can electrify others
Rudolph	A little down on himself	Nose glows
Olive	Admits when she's wrong	Good at hide-and-go-seek

It's predominantly correct but in order for the second string or, s we like to call us, understudies, We also have to have personalities.  I think it is pretty evident that we don't have an understudy for Rudolph.  I mean either you nose lights up or you buy a clown nose that lights up and hope batteries don't go out.

So that leaves who is the understudy for Olive?  That would be Suzie.  You remember her right?

She is really sneaky.  How do you think that we found out this information?  Yep, Suzi. 

I think that I could take over Dasher's position.  I mean I can go REALY fast and I like to sew.  Well not sew per se but I am learning to quilt and that's like sewing right?  Needle and thread and all of that.  Besides don't you think that I would look good hooked up to the Big C's sleigh?  Come on, how can you resist a face like this.

I think that Chad would be good to replace Comet.  Everybody smiles and loves him.  You might think that would be cupid but no.  Chad loves and deals with kids the bet.

The quiet one of the bunch, usually quiet anyway, is Hiram.  He could take over Blitzen because of his electrifying personality. People flock around him and just stare at him.  They reach out to touch him and before you know it they pull back their hands as if they had a shot of electricity go through their hand.  Then you hear Hiram give a little snort of amusement.

Fritz is no doubt Donner.  He loves to sing and be loud.  We just have to get him to sing on tune and then he'll have a better chance to step in for Donner.  Either way he is LOUD so he is half there.

I know I didn't list ALL of the understudies but I am running out of time.  When Mrs. C. tell you something you pay attention to her.  I will let you know if we get picked this year.  I have to round up the gang and then start our training...I mean our reindeer games.  That runs up to Thanksgiving.  At Thanksgiving it is announced who will pull the sleigh.  Wish us luck!  In the meantime Bonni finished a top that she will make into a wall hanging.  Here is a picture of it that Suzie took.  I think it turned out really good.  I might have to get her to teach me that pattern.  I like log cabins...especially ones with hot chocolate and fire in the fireplace going.

I hope you have a great day and can get some stitching, singing, or anything else done today.  :)

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