Quiet Here

Edge of a local field.

Life is quiet in our small town. Every once in a while one of the farmers' pigs, cows or goats my get out and that causes a little excitement, lots of laughs and photos, as well as warnings to drive with caution, on our local message board. Nothing in the world beats the country life! 

The garden is doing well in spite of the lack of rain and the heat we've had. I have not been fond of the high temperatures and humidity this summer has brought with it. It seems like we went from winter to summer with no real spring this year. On the up side, we've been pretty much been living out of the garden. It certainly has helped with the grocery bills these past couple of months! We also had a nice surprise from it as well. We purchased some composted horse barn muckings from a local farmer and it appears that it also contained sunflower seeds. We have sunflowers all over the garden - and that doesn't include the ones we intentionally planted on the back edge! The garden is gorgeous with all the happy yellow flowers all over. (Why did I think of Bob Ross when I wrote that?) We planted the Giant ones and have some that reached 11 ft tall, but the ones that were in the compost were smaller and many were multiheaded. I saved some seeds from those.

We are doing a trial of both cherry tomatoes and bush beans for Seeds Savers Exchange (SSE) and have been having fun watching them grow, taking notes and tasting them. I love trying new things and am looking forward to seeing what I'll get for next year's trial. 

There is a downside to living here. We are in a quite transient area, so people are always coming and going. Because of this, we have tons of stray cats - especially here near the farms. According to the vet, people think they can just drop them here in the country and they will find shelter in the barns and have plenty of food to eat with the mice, etc. Sadly, a house cat doesn't always fare well since they've been always sheltered in a home and never outside. 

We currently have two that have adopted us. One is a feral female that I have been working with since December. She came to our house so skinny and it was below zero here when she first showed up. I put food out and some shelter, but she never used the shelter - no matter how cold it got. She had her ear clipped (a practice done here on feral cats to mark they've been fixed). She has come a long way in trusting us - but still not totally. There is definitely a wild side to her that I don't think will ever go away. Even after all these months, she still afraid of hands reaching out to her and any sudden movements. You can approach her slowly, but only on her terms. She's taught me a lot when it comes to patience and trust.

The other was pretty much a kitten that would cry in the bushes when I would go out to feed the feral. I put another dish out for the little one and she'd come after I left. Every night she would cry and slowly would come to eat but boy did that girl run! Then she was gone - but we heard a cat crying like she was trapped, so we went searching. We finally found the cat was closed in the neighbor's garage. I went and talked to the neighbor and she told me not to worry - her daughter was involved with the local no kill shelter. But for over 3 weeks we heard the meows and no little one showed up here. I was sure it was the same cat. Then one day, the kitten reappeared and no more crying in the garage. She settled and became more friendly as we watched her grow larger. Sadly, not from eating, but the little one was pregnant!

We got her tamed down, coaxed her in the house with the door always opened and one day, she came in and didn't leave - she decided to have her kittens that same day in our living room. I put her in a box and we helped her deliver 7 kittens. She was exhausted after 3 and didn't try cleaning the rest, so we cut the cords and did it for her. That will be 6 weeks ago tomorrow. Six of the seven survived. I don't know what happened to the one. I discovered it away from the others dead. I felt awful. It was only a week old.

Now we have a house full of fun, playful babies. We are working with a shelter that says it will be so easy to find them homes as kittens are quickly adopted. I hate to see them leave, but going through this shelter is the best way to home them. They do background checks and require references including ones from their family vet. I will definitely miss them though.

As Good, If Not Better!

I was over the moon when Aldi put a new store in our area. Our closest one before they came was over 40 miles away, so we didn't visit much unless we had other things we had to do in that area. Now, Aldi is my store of choice and where we do the most shopping at. The produce is beautiful and reasonably priced and there's a nice selection. Actually, the store has a nice selection of everything! 

Prices of everything keep climbing and we're cutting out more and more items. Girl Scout cookies were one of the things we removed from our buying since it's an overpriced unnecessary item. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across these look-alikes of my absolute favorite of the GS cookies. I had to purchase them to try. They cost under $2 here at my local Aldi. Now, at that price, I wasn't holding a lot of hope, but they are from the Benton brand, and most of their cookies are awesome.

We got them home and after bringing and putting away the groceries, we sat down to a nice cuppa and tried a cookie. OH MY!!!! I was in heaven! Both of us agreed that the cookie not only looked like the GS cookie but tasted AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER than the originals!! Now I can treat myself get a taste of my favorite cookie without feeling guilty for spending so much money on an unnecessary item.

I took the rest and put them in a jar in the freezer, where they will stay fresh and we can nibble on a lovely treat now and then. Another Aldi score for me!!!

Another Item I Stopped Buying

 

So many don't believe that we pay so much for milk in Pennsylvania. We are a regulated state, so the prices are higher than most other states here in the US. I understand the idea behind regulation, but at over $5 for a gallon of milk, does it really help the farmers when folks like myself cannot and will not pay that price for milk? I really can't pay that price - it was hard when it was $4.50 - and that was a treat then, but over $5, that has taken it our of our diet. No more fresh milk for us. I still use dried milk, but even that took a pretty substantial jump. The specialty milks like almond are now cheaper than our cow milk. I may be looking at them for an alternative every now and then. 

With the cost of groceries continuing to climb, my spending habits have changed. We eat meals that are made from the items that are on sale. I'm always looking for clearance, sale, and manager's specials. Some days we don't have meat. Beans are a cheap source of protein that can really stretch the budget! One pound of dried beans can feed more that one pound of hamburger at a fraction of the cost. 

My spending on craft supplies and sprucing the home up has dwindled and will soon be stopping. I've hit a few sales, but outside of that, my subscriptions have been cancelled as well as Craftsy. I hate to see them go, but I do have enough supplies to last me quite a long time. My husband bought me a year subscription to Potomac Beads Best Bead Box XL for my birthday. I was over the moon with that and will enjoy that more than he'll ever know. He bought it for me 2 years ago for an anniversary present, but I didn't use it all, and put it aside until earlier this year. This year, I went to town on them and finished them all. He saw me enjoying them and decided that I would love getting them throughout the year, especially since I cancelled my others. He also surprised me with a few months of a subscription to Bargain Bead Box, so you man see some postings from time to time for that. I'm not good when it comes to being handed a bunch of beads and being told to create something. So that will definitely be a challenge for me! I'm sure that will be cancelled soon as the prices everything else climbs. He is so good to me to give me such wonderful gifts!

I'm considering adding dresses to my wardrobe as things wear out. I can never find pants that fit my legs correctly. I have lymphedema and even though it is controlled, my calves are large and there are many pants that just don't fit around them or look absolutely awful if I can get them on. To think that this all started with a spider bite many years ago. Sigh.... So now I need to change my wardrobe some. It would make life so much easier to not have to worry about finding pants that fit. I've been looking at some dress patterns and have settled on a modest Mennonite Cape Dress. It kills me to pay $15 for a pattern, but it is a paper pattern and designed by a Mennonite woman that also supports her pattern (in case you need help). Overall, I will be saving money by going this route. 

I'd love to hear how grocery prices are changing your outlook and what you are doing to cope.

What Skills Have You Learned?

I've heard that since the Pandemic, many people decided to try new skills and hobbies to pass their time and try something different since they finally had time. I find that so awesome that people started learning new "old' skills that our grandparents did on a daily basis, like making bread. A bread machine is nice to have, but there's just something about getting your hands into the dough and connecting with the feel of the kneading process and knowing when the dough is "just right". What I do find interesting, though, is we have lost many of those skills our grandparents knew. How did we forget?

For me, I was groomed from a child on, to go to college, get a degree and find a good job. I wasn't interested in that though. I wanted to grow up, get married, have tons of kids and live on a farm. My parents, who both grew up on farms and knew how difficult that life could be, wanted something more for us. I was not taught the domestics when it came to cooking, canning and keeping a spotless house. My mother and grandmother did teach me knitting, embroidery and crochet, though.

In my mother's defense, she was not only taking care of us, but was taking care of her ailing parents as well as the chores on the farm. Dad would do the heavy stuff and take care of the equipment on the weekends and holiday/vacation time. She would do many of the things that needed done while we were at school or while we were in bed. She was exhausted and just didn't have time to teach and that was ok with me, since I was out working or playing on the farm any chance I could get.

I did the college scene but the dream of country life and family didn't go away. Working with computers had me exposed to the computer crowd and I ended up marrying someone who worked on and maintained the main frame. He, too, wanted to live in the country, but wanting and being able to were two different things. We prepared to get some property in the country. We saved and every time we were at the point where we could possibly do it, the prices went up and once again, things were out of reach. 

All was not lost, as we were both working on our skills - gardening, canning, preserving, raising chickens, fixing things on our own instead of tossing and buying or paying someone else to fix it, etc. During all this, we homeschooled our children and taught them the things we knew. Both kids turned out able to do many things - both are creative and they can fix many things around the house. And they both can cook - boy can they cook!!!

Each year, I try to add to my skills by learning something new. Our kids seem to be the same way. I see others around me doing the same thing. After lock-down, I wondered if people would just go back to their "normal" way of life, but those here that I know are still enjoying their new found skills and have made sure to make time to continue those skills. It makes me smile - it's so cool seeing others doing the things I enjoy and loving them like I do!

Most For Your Money Cookbook

Stretching the dollar as far as it can go is nothing new. With your bills, there is really not a lot one can do, but purchased items like food, clothes, etc., we can make changes that can really make a difference. I found this 1938 cookbook online at Internet Archive and have found some tips and recipes that are not only interesting but still useful today - almost 100 years later! Times may change, but there will always be a need to make the money go just a bit farther.

If you enjoy looking at this cookbook, you can download a free copy for yourself by clicking the 3 dots in the circle on the left in the cookbook frame. There you will be able to download in either pdf or epub format.

Time to Get Serious

I cannot believe that life has changed so much in the past few years. I look at the world now and I cannot say that I recognize it any more. I imagine that is what my grandmother thought when she was looking at the world when the Great Depression hit. She had 8 children to raise. She was luckier than some, as my grandparents lived on a farm, but still, money and shortages still would have affected them greatly. 

At times, I wish my grandparents and parents were still here. I could definitely use their wise words of wisdom. Yet, I'm also happy they are not here, so they don't have to see the problems the world is facing. They had their trials and hardships and I hope I've paid enough attention to all their stories of those times.

I have to admit, my skills had gotten a bit rusty. The kids grew up and penny-pinching wasn't as necessary, so I got a bit comfortable and didn't mind my pennies as much as I used to. Guess it looks like we'll be going back to that challenge again. I'm not complaining, because I used to really love the challenge of seeing how far my money could stretch. Hubby used to tell everyone that he found someone cheaper than he was and I took that as a great compliment!

All over YouTube, you can find preppers giving their doomsday advice. Some of their videos are downright scary! Should we put things up? Sure - you find something on sale, you buy a few, but ONLY if you used that item. I've seen the lists of things to store and some are really off the wall. If you don't use certain things, don't buy and store it for a time when you think you will need it. Food storage needs to be rotated and used. 

If I find fresh foods like carrots, celery, etc at a great price on sale, I'll buy extra, dehydrate it and put it aside for making my own mixes or for soups, stews, or anything I need to cook awhile that has a water base. I've found times that the grocery store didn't have celery when I needed it, so I turned to the dehydrated jar I had on the shelf. Thank heavens there was some there! I know you can freeze these things, but freezer burn and freezer space can be an issue. Dehydrating is better for me in the long run. I also dehydrate frozen veggies I find on sale. No blanching or prep work - just dump on the racks, rinse and dehydrate. Another way to save money without worrying if you have freezer space!

 I heard people say they couldn't get canning jars or supplies. With dehydrating, you don't need them. Any glass jar that has a lid with a rubber seal (the ones that pop when you open them) will work. For long term storage, you can use a vacuum sealer or oxygen absorbers to give them a decent seal until you are ready to use them.

I have always done this as a way of life - not to prep and not for doomsday. These were the methods I used to save money and get me from sale to sale. I learned to cook from what was on hand and never did a menu when I purchased the items needed for the menu. That's how Mom cooked and I still do it to this day.

I am looking forward to getting down to business again and challenging myself to a tighter budget. Sounds strange as other complain, but challenges keep life interesting!

Small Town Living

There's something to be said about living in a small town. This morning I went out to the kitchen and saw a murder outside my window in the backyard. I tried to get a pic, but as soon as I was spotted the perps flew away.

A terrible photo through the blinds. The only way to capture this guys!

We have lived here over 9 years and this is the first year that the crows actually came down close to the house and visited the feeder. They have become daily visitors, with only 6 coming in at a time. They are extremely skittish and are far from aggressive with the other critters and birds that visit the feeder. I'm really surprised with that as I assumed with their size that they would be bullies. 

If you look closely, you may see it under the lowest branch.

We also have another surprise daily visitor - a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! It is January and cold, and certainly not an area that this bird would normally be. We are in the nesting/breeding migration area, and this guy should be many, many miles south of here. The poor thing looks so cold and sits perched on the tree all puffed out. It took me forever to figure out what he was because of how puffy he was. I knew he wasn't normal for here but it wasn't until the one day he was at the suet feeder that I saw his yellow breast. Oh gosh! The poor thing!

We now have another regular visitor. I'm not sure if it's a stray or just someone that thinks what we are feeding "him" is better. Every night, usually right after dark, we have a lovely gray, white and a tiny bit of orange cat appear. It stays in the yews next to the house and will not come out until one goes inside. It has now become vocal when I call it. It lets me know it's there by answering my call with a long "meeeoooooooooow". I then bring out warmed canned cat food and he will come out as soon as the door is closed and latched. As soon as he's finished, he runs back in the bushes. I give him a second can warmed, and then after that is done I put dry out for him to eat if he wants. Nights have gone below zero (F) and I know he needs the calories. He is starting to look better, but it really bothers me that he is outside in this cold weather. I put a shelter out with a nice soft, fuzzy blanket in it, but he won't use it. I wish I knew where he went and could rest easier knowing he had a warm place to stay.

Unfortunately, the only way to photograph our shy visitor is through the window.

Twist Hat Preview Knit

Twist Hat 

 I love doing test knits for two reasons - first I get to help the designer check the pattern and give some feedback that is actually listened to. The second reason is I get to try new techniques from a pattern that I may not have been able to purchase. If I buy a pattern, I want to use it over a few times to make it worth spending the money on. On some of the test patterns, I may only want to make it once or just learn the awesome technique. 

This hat falls into the first category. I love testing for this designer. She's great!!! The pattern pictured above is called Twist Hat and is by Verily Knits. Although designed to use 2 solid colors, I decided to try something way out of my comfort zone and use a variegated yarn with a solid. Well, it's turning out a a bit unusual and I'm not sure if I like it. It's bright and cheery but busy. The good thing about doing this with a test is that those that may want to try a variegated can see what it may look like finished and then decide if they want to put the time into it or not.

Not all designers allow you to stray from their norm. Some want the item done in the same yarn as they used, others want specific colors or fibers. Then there are others that you need approval from. This test is actually called a "Preview Knit" which allows you to knit using whatever yarn you want and even make some modifications to the pattern. The pattern itself has already been tech edited and tested, so no worries about catching problems or mistakes. I love the freedom that comes with this type of test.

I'm using Knit Picks Memories in the colorway Easter and Schachenmayr Regia for Hand-dye 4-fadig/4-ply in the colorway 1992.

Garden Planning Starts Now

 

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels

This morning at 7am, our thermometer read -7F. Although it wreaks havoc with the old body and arthritis, I know it is only temporary and will soon be a forgotten as warmer weather approaches. It is days like these that we sit here and dream of the warmer weather to come as we plan out our gardens. 

Our seeds were all ordered last month and they have arrived, were sorted and categorized. My husband is in charge of the vegetable garden, while I do the herbs and flowers. Hubby is very excited this year as he works on his spreadsheet and plans. He tried using an app to diagram the garden, but decided it wasn't to his liking. On to find another he likes better and does what he wants. Me, I'm a simple kind of gal that puts pen to paper and write notes and sketch it all out. As you may have guessed, hubby is in IT and me, well, you already know I love arts and crafts. Funny how it shows in our methods of planning.

The other evening, I pulled out my old notebook to see if I could find some notes on a project I did years ago. Those notes weren't there, but I did find gardening notes from 2003-2005! It was interesting going back and reading them. That was another life at another house a growing zone from where we are now! One thing I'm quite sure about is, if I had written the notes using a computer, I probably wouldn't have them now. There is something to be said about doing it all the old fashioned way.

This year, I will be journaling my herbs. I bought a leather covered journal that has an old look to it. I guess you could say it looks like many of the journals that are used for the "Book of Shadows". The one I purchased has white pages, although I did want yellowed and deckled pages that had the aged look. I just wasn't sure how "aged" they were. I want something I can sketch and write on without the pages being too dark and interfering with being able to see the drawing clearly. I have enough inks, etc, that I can age my own and not worry about the pages being too dark. 

I am taking a couple of herb courses so the herb journaling is important. Actually, it's important even if I wasn't taking the courses! Learning about each herb is necessary, especially when you are growing and using them.

Last but not least, a little educational video to get the gardening mojo going...

Mando and Grogu

 

The start

I confess... I am a Geek at heart. I love the comic book heroes, Harry Potter, the somewhat older Dr. Who, Star Trek and offshoots, as well as some of the Star Wars (the original trilogy and the Mandalorian.) I totally adore Mando and Grogu, so when I saw the diamond art for them posted at Amazon, and at HALF PRICE even, I HAD to order it! 

Mando and Grogu 

Diamond Art isn't for everyone. It's sparkly and very simple and has a blocky look like cross stitch. My kids think it looks cheap, but for me, it's a nice alternative to counted cross stitch, which my older eyes don't do well with any more. My start is at the lower right hand corner. So far I'm enjoying this kit!

Last Year's Orders Trickle In

 

Gorgeous bulky yarn from Southern Skeins

I had done a test knit for Jenna from Southern Skeins last month. It was a lovely and easy hat pattern that used her Southern Bulky line. I ordered the yarn from her to use in the test but unfortunately, the household came down with an illness and the yarn didn't get sent in time. That was ok, as I dug into my stash and found something that would work. I know it wasn't the gorgeous Joyous colorway that is pictured above, but I was still pleased with the outcome. The yarn arrived today and oh is it beautiful! Such a bright and cherry colorway and the yarn is soooo SOFT! It is a 100 gram skein of 110 yards of a heavenly soft blend of 80% super wash Merino wool and 20% nylon and now begs to be used - and soon! She also sent me a bag, a sachet of Stash tea in Cinnamon Vanilla and a lovely stitch marker plus a note thanking me for testing! How lovely is that?!!!

Rip-It Rip-It Hat

The Rip-It Rip It Hat that is in the above photo, it the test knit I did for Jenna. You can go to Ravelry and download the pattern for free. There, you will see the hat in the Joyous colorway in all it's bright, squishy and cheerful glory. Isn't that yarn gorgeous knitted up in that hat on the pattern?!! My hat above is an unnamed mill-end and just doesn't have the same effect. I added pom pom to give it a little more color and I think it turned out quite nicely.

Test Knit and Happy Mail

From Catherine at Creative Ewe
Aren't they gorgeous??!!

Yesterday morning, I found a surprise in the mailbox - a nice squishy package addressed to me from Catherine at Creative Ewe Yarn Shop. Catherine has a wonderful YouTube channel that I love and look forward to. Her projects and her conversational style keeps me coming back again and again. Her videos are done in a style that feels like you are sitting at the table with her and having a cuppa while enjoying a nice conversation about all kinds of things from home, to family, to knitting and crocheting. Well, one day, I commented on her video and the next thing I know is that I found an email from her asking for my addy because she had something to send me. Boy did she send me something, too!!! In the package was 2 skeins of Mariquita! They are sooo soft and the colors are to die for. Each skein has 400 yards of the most luxurious 50/50 blend of baby alpaca and tencel. I have been oooh-ing and aaaaah-ing over it ever since it arrived. Now, to find the perfect pattern for them. 

On the needles:

I am currently working on a test knit for Nadia Bugakova. It's a lovely cabled pixie style hat that I'm really enjoying working on. Right now, it's slow going, not because of the design, but because my arthritis has decided to make knitting difficult. I will make the deadline, but really should have been done by now. Make sure to hop on over to Nadia's Etsy shop to if you'd love a digital download of this hat. It is just as awesome.

Peak Cable Hat in progress

I'm working on the worsted weight version of the Peak Cable Hat using Lion Brand Lion Wool in the Rose colorway. I'm using 16" circular needles in 4.5mm and 5mm as well as a cable needle. The rabbit stitch marker is from Kristie at Teadoddles. I bought one of her Mini-Mini Maker Club that was offered inher Etsy shop and that was included in it. I LOVE her Maker Bags. I'll have to show the ones I have from her in a future post. You will definitely be hearing more about Kristie and her new quarterly club that I joined this year. I can't wait to receive my first shipment!!! (and no - it's not yarn!)

New Year, New Challenges

 

Although January 1st is just another day without a calendar to mark its importance, there's something satisfying and almost mystical to think about a new year and a new beginning. Each year, my last week of the December is spent reflecting and looking at my goals list to see what I had accomplished, what I didn't get done, and deciding what I would like to roll over to the next year. Most of the time, I will roll all of the goals I didn't meet, but I do find things that won't make the cut because of life changes. Births, deaths, marriages, divorces, illnesses, moving away etc. all have an impact. Since life likes to get in the way (quite a bit I should say) I make goals and not resolutions. To me, they are much more realistic and I don't feel guilty if I don't make that goal, as there is always next year.

The goals this year are not much different than any other year. There will be a few changes - and these are bit more significant than my list from years past, so I will list them here:

• Hubby and I will be planting a decent size garden which means a lot more work both in the garden and putting it up.
• I'll be challenging myself to learn new skills in different crafting areas, including knitting, crochet, leatherwork, sewing, jewelry making, embroidery, paper crafting, etc
• I have a few adult pant-by-numbers I want to do. I got them for a Christmas present for myself. 
• I will be attempting to sew some much needed project bags
• Now- the biggie... No more yarn purchases. I really, really need to use my stash up. I will put an exception in, and that is I may have to purchase something if my daughter requests something special. She has done that in the past, so... 
• I am going to be working on donations throughout the year. Since I will be working on my knitting and crochet skills, I'll be working the special techniques on hats, mitts, etc., so this way I can practice my skills and create some lovely donation items. 
• I need to smash some paper pads and supplies and get some cards made. I am planning on once again donating some cards to the #cardsforcubs program that Bearly Arts collects for every year. 
• I'll be creating a herb study journal. I'm waiting for my journal to arrive from Amazon.

That should be enough to keep me busy for the year. I do find it funny when people complain about being bored - especially with this time of being limited on what we can and cannot do as well as limited travel. I don't have enough time in the day to get everything done, let alone be bored. LOL

Do you have any plans for this year?