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Busy week!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 4:42 pm

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I sewed a lot this week. I was trying to get somewhat a head of things. I had sold things last week and I wanted to try a new type of tote bag. We went out almost every day. I am still using the computer at the library. It's been hot and humid and Thursday we had a lot of rain. Fortunately, it didn't rain on Friday and Saturday. We went to the Farm Market on those days and I did really well this weekend so I guess I'll have to sew everyday this week. I sold seven aprons and several tote bags. I tried a new style tote bag and sold the first one on Saturday so I may make some more of them. I do need to finish the stuff I have cut out though. I made some spaghetti sauce this week and it turned out well so I want to try to make some for the freezer. Brian says he may need to buy a generator to keep the freezer running if we have storms this summer. I hope they all go around us. You can't depend on that though. We have had more than our share of rain so far this year. We have more than our share of grasshoppers too. If anyone can think of a good use for grasshoppers, let me know. One of the guys at the farm market says we need to catch them and put them in the freezer, too. He thinks they may be good breaded and deep-fried. I'm not too sure about that but there are some cultures that do eat insects. I suppose you could if you were hungry.
I got up this morning and pulled the weeds out of the rose bushes. Last night I pulled some out of the yard. It's too hot to do anything during the day except sewing. That's done inside with the a/c in use. I'm not a fan of cold weather and I don't like to complain about the hot but the humidity could be a tad bit lower. I knew when we moved here that the humidity was higher than in Arizone but it was too dry there. I could use a happy medium. Complaining done! Have a good week! dooley

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Tomato sauce

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 6:47 pm

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I made tomato sauce. Usually I just chunk up the tomatoes and freeze them. But, with all the rain we've had it made tomatoes grow fast and they split. The farmers at the market picked them and brought them and tried to sell them for canning, etc. There were a lot left so I ended up with them. I washed them off, cut out the split parts and chunked them into a pot. I cooked them until they got soft and then mashed them through a colander. I ended up with six two to three cup bags of sauce. There are a few seeds that got through but they'll be okay in soup and such. I may try to strain them out when I defrost the frozen tomatoes when I use them.
I've made 18 jars of strawberry jam, 14 jars of peach jam and 18 jars of blackberry jam. I have a place to get muscadine(?) grapes. When they are ready to pick the man will let me know. Free for the picking. I think I have enough for a couple of years since there are just the two of us.
I've orders for aprons so I guess I'll be keeping busy this summer for sure. I do need to get out and pull some weeds and cut some more brush. Our fence is in the process of going up so I can plant some flowers along it. The roses are growing but no blooms as yet.
dooley

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Rain, rain and more rain

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 5:09 pm

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We've been having a lot of rain the last week or so. Last week we had 4 to 5 inches in one day and night. Then the temperatures went up into the upper 90's and cooked everything. It started raining again on Monday and it rained Tuesday and Wednesday and we are having showery weather this morning. I hope it clears up but it will get hot and humid and cook the rest of the stuff in my tubs. We had thunder and lightning and pouring rain the three days this week. Poor Chance hates thunder. We woke up Wednesday morning at 6 am to loud barking and booming thunder. I had to get up and sit with Chance and tell it was okay.
We got a window a/c unit for my sewing room so I can get to work again. I spent yesterday afternoon cutting things out and sorting things. I met a lady this morning that has a lot of material and sewing things she wants to sell. She will get it all sorted out and call me when it's ready to pick up. I may put some things in her country store when she gets it up and running. They are still working on it.
I've been going to the farm market and business it picking up there. I hope the rain doesn't keep it closed this weekend. I know, we need the rain but it could be spread out a bit more than it is.
Chance loves being outside but doesn't much care for getting wet. I don't much care for it either.
dooley

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Digging the stumps!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 6:40 pm

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There are a lot of small stumps in the yard from where they just pushed all the brush and trees up into a big pile. I've been digging them out and cutting them off as I rake and pull the weeds. We had a big thunderstorm on Friday night and again on Monday night with a lot of rain. So, Tuesday we gathered shovel, trowel, saw and loppers and went out to tackle that rather large stump in the middle of the driveway. I've been driving around it but figured with the ground being wet from the rain it would dig easier. Last time we attempted it it was too dry and the shouvel wouldn't dig down enough.
Between dr and I we got it dug out enough to get a saw down under it and saw off the tap root. The tap root was more than two inches down about 18 inches. It left a big hole which we filled in with dirt. That's where the next load of rocks will get dumped. Our landlord is tilling his rather large garden and picking up the rocks and putting them in our driveway. Anyway I won't have to drive around it anymore. We both needed a shower after. I think most of the dirt ended up on us. Mostly I just dig down a little and cut them off but this one wouldn't work that way. We are going to build a new yard for Chance this afternoon. The backyard one is fine in the morning and evening but it's in full sun and much too hot for afternoons. We will put a yard in the front under the trees where it's cooler. It may be an encouragement for us to sit under the trees more, too. There never seems to be a lack of things to do. Tomorrow and Saturday is farm market day and Sunday is a day of rest! (Ha!) The lawnmower is fixed so we can do some mowing up at Bob's place now and some at our place and we have to get that big brush pile burned before it gets too dry and there are burn bans. dooley

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Getting Some Help!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 5:11 pm

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I think we will be getting some help with the yard and brush clearing. The boy next door got a truck for his birthday and is finding out about gas and insurance prices. We asked if he'd like to mow some weeds and help burn that big brush pile. We won't burn it all at once because it's big. He says, "Oh, weinie roast size." That's about right I guess. It's been awhile since I had a weiner roast. Usually it's just slap them on a grill. We don't eat them any more since they contain a lot of sodium and fat. He's going to work our work in and around school and another part time job. But, that's okay. We have no time schedule to keep. We had to put a fence between the rose bushes and Chance. She kept running over them when she was patroling the fence line. It's been hot and muggy so not much else is getting done at this time. Rain in the forecast for the next week or so. It doesn't come every day because it's those isolated or scattered storms that seem to scatter elsewhere.
dooley

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Getting things done

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:03 pm

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We've been getting things done gradually. We doubled the size of Chance's yard and yesterday I planted the climbing roses along her fence since our other fence hasn't getten put up yet. All things will come in time. What we are doing our Landlord is doing in triple since they moved themselves, their daughter and her father. They are also planting a garden about an acre in size. We are getting our driveway paved in rocks they are picking up out of their newly tilled garden.
After getting the roses planted I dug out several big roots that we kept tripping over. I went and cut the brush that was growing back in the front yard. We moved the pots of flowers around. Then, I decided I had done enough outside.
We had strawberries in the refrigerator that we bought on sale last week so I made them into strawberry jam. I now have 17 jars (half pint) of strawberry jam. They set up beautifully and I will put them in the storage cabinet. Strawberry is dr's favorite jam but he doesn't care for the store bought kind. I may make some peach jam when the peaches get here in summer.
Today, I am going to sort the picture boxes and send the boys the pictures of their childhood. I can sort them now and get them sent to them and they won't look at the boxes and throw them out later. I think I am going to discard pictures of people I knew as a kid because I have no idea where any of them are now as I haven't seen them since I was a kid due to our moving so often. It's going to be windy today so I need an indoor project. I have sewing to do too.
The puppies are starting to come out when I go down there. There are six of them. One white, one black and white, one black with white feet, one lt. tan and two brown with black ones. When they are old enough to be neutered (8 wks) we will take them to a shelter to be adopted. We cannot handle 8 extra dogs.

There are too many dogs in the neighborhood anyway and most of them just run around getting into things.
Have a good day, everyone! dooley

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Beautiful day for Outside work

Category: Yard work! | Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 4:32 pm

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Today is a beautiful day. We are going to extend Chaance's yard so she has room to run. Right now her yard is small and it's filled with tubs of vegetables and herbs. The clothesline is in that yard too. I got up early and raked all the sticks out of the area. I have all the near backyard finished now. I still have some roots to dig up but that will get done later today or tomorrow. The front yard has regrown some of the weeds and brush so I need to work on that too but later in the week I think. dr made me stop trying to do everything in one day. He said I was getting too tired. I do need to get those roots cut though because we keep tripping over them. Guess we should look down more when we are out there. We are thinking of asking the teenager next door for a little help. Only thing those kids are so busy with school, chores and daily life. He just got his driver's license though and may like to earn a little money for gas, etc.
I think he already has a part time job. We'll see if he has the time.
The house is looking good inside so I'm back to trying to get a little sewing done. We are starting to go to the farm market on Friday and Saturday mornings now. I'm making an apron for the little girl next door. Yesterday I had her come and pick out the material she would like for it. She was awed! She thought I just sold aprons. She never met anyone who sewed things. I have purple thread in the machine right now so when I finish that tote bag I will change to orange thread and do her apron. I may do one for her mom, too. Those things go pretty fast.
Now, it's time to get back to work. Have a good day.
dooley

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We are still around but still busy

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 6:00 pm

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We are still among the living but keeping ourselves busy. Haven't decided just yet what to do about the computer. We're thinking of getting another one but still having our current one fixed. It's thinking about it time though. We have everything moved from the old house and are slowly working on getting things where they belong, well where they fit. Today we flattened empty boxes and took them to the recycle place at the dump. The deck looks a little better now. We are beginning to be able to walk without tripping over boxes. Yesterday, I worked in the morning clearing roots and sticks out of Chance's yard. She helped. If I wanted the yard dug up she was already and then I had to rake the dirt back into her holes. Since I was digging up roots sticking up out of the ground she helped with that too and dug up the little mimosa tree. dr caught her at that so I was able to save it being pulled out of the ground. Guess we'll have to put some chicken wire around it. It lost it's leaves but I'm hoping new ones will come soon. I planted my eggplant in the big tubs yesterday and two tubs of potatoes. I have tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, green bell peppers and one melon of some kind. I found it growing along the porch before we moved and dug it and put it in a tub. I have rosemary, marjarom, basil, oregano, lemom balm and bee balm (monarda) growing too. Chance's yard is getting rather full since we also have a clothesline and two lawn chairs in it. So, we'll be entending her yard so she has room to run with out dodging tubs and chairs and herbs. She doesn't seem to mind doing that though. Next week I want to start on the front yard and get it cleaned up. Before we moved we cut all the brush but some of it is coming back from underground roots. I hung a couple of hummingbird feeders out there this morning. We have mockingbirds and cardinals that sernade us all day long. It's really nice but sometimes I feel like yelling, "Shut Up!" at them. I unpacked turtles yesterday but haven't decided where to put them. I guess they will find places to sit by and by. The bears are still in the large bathtub in the master bath. I'm not sure just where they will end up but I'm sure they will find their places, too. I can't post pictures on the library computer so you will have to be patient and wait for us to decide just what it is we are going to do with the thing.
dooley

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We are done moving, Hurrah!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:16 pm

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We are done moving. The dogs next door were barking this morning and woke us up. So we got up and went and moved those 12 tubs. We have them all in place along Chance's fence. We walked around the front yard trying to figure where to put flower beds and where to put the patio area. Wannabe bought patio blocks for a sitting area so we have tofigure where to put it and where to put other stuff. We want to build a bigger deck so we have to take that into the decisions too. dr went around the back trying to figure where to extend Chance's yard and where to put a small garden area for this year. Then, we quit and went to lunch and stopped at a vegetable market. Now, we are on our way home to sit in the yard with Chance. There are still things to be done but with the moving done these will come at a slower pace for sure. dooley

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Almost done!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 9:48 pm

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We now have only 12 large tubs of vegetables to move. We moved much of our garden yesterday and today. But, dr says those tubs weigh 75 lbs each so they will wait until morning when we are rested. They are the last things to be moved. The house is empty of our stuff and we are so ready to quit moving. dr says we will take a few days before we decide where to put things and to enlarge Chance's yard and decide if we need anymore garden. I've been trying to get things put away as we moved and the house isn't quite a mess but it's nor organized either. Chance loves her new yard. She has neighbors now and last night I caught her in the corner of her yard looking into the yard next door. There was a small white dog looking back at her. I swear they were having a conversation. First Chance would bark and then the white dog would bark and than Chance. It went back and forth for quite a long time and then then both stopped and went on to other things. I moved some herbs and flowers into Chance's yard and a couple of chairs and she is very happy with it. She is okay with the inside, too.
She has dog neighbors on both sides and sometimes there are kids she can watch and neighbors to keep track of and trucks going by on the road. She can see so much more from this house and it makes her happy. We have the little dogs up the road to feed and water and go there twice a day and feed them and talk with them and tell them how nice they are. I did get to look under the pile of boards at the puppies but only with strict supervision. I didn't stick my hands under or make any overt moves so I only got a few small growls. I think there are five or six puppies. They were rolling around so I may have counted one twice. It will be a few more days before they are out and around, maybe. Goldie keeps check on them and I didn't want to mess with them.
dooley

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