First week in May 2026

 poodlegirls  Daily Happenings, Donation Quilting, Gardening, General Sewing, Life at home, Nature, Our Girls, Quilting, Travels  May 4, 2026 2 Minutes

May 1st started off with over an inch of rain.  No complaints here, we needed it and more.  We were lucky, some areas in Texas got hit hard with tornadoes, straight line winds, big hailstones and more rain than needed at one time.

Sunday we met our friend Nancy.  She and Galen were heading out of town to go to Gus Engling Wildlife Management area near Palestine, TX and then on to Jasper, TX.  When I talked to Galen last evening he had 150 pictures to download for the day! Hoping today will be as productive.  They should be back sometime Wednesday.

I am trying to put my time here sewing and cleaning.   Not sure I will get everything on my list done, but it will be a good start.

Still sewing dog bandanas. Mailed some of to my friend Lisa in CA for her salon and delivered some to the local salon.  Lady goes for grooming this Thursday so will take more then. I have added a new size, it’s between a medium and small. So about 9 inches at the top.

On the quilting side I have finished a lot of batik log cabin blocks.  These are from Jordan Fabrics.  Sometimes it is nice to just sit and sew and not have to do a lot of prep work.  These will go into a king size quilt for a very good friend.

I finally added the border to my Jolly Bar quilt. Not great pictures and it’s not pressed yet. Won’t be meeting up with Osie until early June so there’s time to press and pull out backing.

While taking the apples out for the rabbits yesterday evening I noticed a plant in our center flower bed.  A lot of it and it wasn’t anything we had planted. Had my phone and pulled up the Picture This plant app. Took a picture American Black.Nightshade!  Not a good plant to have.  Leaves highly toxic to animals. Lady rarely nibbles on plants. But…..I pulled a bunch last night but will try and keep on top of it as much as I can while Galen in traveling. Not sure how we got so much of it but we have had a very windy Spring with the winds mostly out of the West.

Have been enjoying deck time and watching the birds at the feeders and the squirrels trying to get over the baffles at some of the feeders.   Some of the antics have been fun to watch.  The rabbits come in late afternoon, early evening.  We’ve put up decorative fencing around some ground beds.  Had planted one full of Hostas last year.  They never stood a chance.  Put new ones in this year.  They are growing.

Need to get back to work.  Wednesday will be here before I know it- back to fixing meals!!

 Needed a break!

I decided to take a break from writing a blog post for a little while. I have been sewing Log Cabin blocks for a king size quilt, sewing up dog bandanas for my friend's 2 grooming salons and a little planting, mostly herbs. It's that time of the year in central Texas!  Good news is we have been getting some much needed rain, now that we are in a El Nino pattern.  We most definitely need the rain.  The rain has made it difficult for Galen and our friend Nancy to get out for pictures but they have managed a few outings.  Hoping that next week the forecast holds true and they get out for a few days to East Texas. Top picture is garlic and cilantro

Thai basil, oregano, thyme, regular basil, dill and parsley

Our few tomato plants are doing great.  We also have some volunteer tomato plants. Galen added lots of our compost to the beds this Spring.  And we some red cherry tomatoes.  The sure taste good!

About 15 years ago we planted some different Agave plants in one bed in the front of our home.  Trees had grown a lot and too much shade for grass.  We turned that into a river rock area with succulents. Parry's agave or century plant has a huge flowering stem this Spring.  First time.

                                                          And yes it is blooming

                                                   

  The Red Yucca plants are also really pretty thus year!

I love trying new recipes. We order local Texas food from farmers and ranchers via  Foordbox. I needed to find a different recipe for Leeks. I normally use them in soup.  Wanted something different.  I found one "sauteed Leeks with bacon".  It was really good. Galen thought so as well! It is definitely on my make again list!

Our bird feeders have been very busy with American Goldfinches, Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches, Titmice, several kinds of Woodpeckers and of course White Wing Doves.  Also Wrens and Blue Jays. And Hummingbirds have been coming in to the feeders for several weeks.

Just a few of the Dog Bandanas

I make several different sizes-Medium, Medium/Small, Small and Extra small.  These are over the collar.  Right now I am playing with the scrunchy type as well. 61 so far for 

April. Total for January through March 300!

I need to get off the computer now and back to my sewing! The to do list never gets any shorter, cross off 1 and add 2!

 

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Tuesday musings

By poodlegirls on March 10, 2026

Greetings from an overcast Tuesday morning. A little rain this morning, more in the forecast.   Fingers are crossed! Our big forecasted rain event for this passed weekend didn’t happen.  Not in our area anyway.  North of us got hammered.  We did get 3/4 of an inch.  Will take it! The yard is really greening up and the Spring flowers are in full bloom. Our few tomato plants are growing. On our last drive near Granger Dam, farmers were planting corn and the fields planted earlier, the corn was several inches tall. It was a productive week cooking and sewing.  I got out the big stock pot and filled it with saved chicken carcasses and lots of veggies to simmer for broth.  A good way to get rid of the vegetables that need to be used.  They do add a little flavor. About 8 quarts of broth in the freezer.  Most will be used to can chicken corn noodle soup. Worked on the blocks for Petal Star.  All 64 now pressed and trimmed and ready to go on the design wall! I also worked more on the blocks for the Jolly Bar quilt Raspberry Summer. Pictures to follow We stopped at storage and brought some fabric containers home for me to sort through.  Some will be going elsewhere! There is a lot on my list  for this.  But I sometimes have dragonfly moments and flit from one thing to another. Hope everyone has a good week.  Bye for now!

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Design Wall Monday on Tuesday!

 poodlegirls  Canning, cooking, Daily Happenings, Gardening, General Sewing, Life at home, Nature, Quilting, Scrap Quilts  March 3, 2026 2 Minutes

Didn’t get to write my blog yesterday.  It was a busy day.  Had ham bones thawed to make broth for ham and bean soup.  Kept it simmering on the stove for most of the day.  Finished it and put it in the freezer until ready to soak beans and then can the soup.

This past Saturday we had a new washer and dryer delivered. Really like it and does brighten up the laundry room. No more getting on hands and knees to clean out the bottom filter on our older front loader.  As we got older that was getting harder and harder.  Not the getting down, it was the getting back up!!!

Galen worked in the yard some also over the weekend.  He planted my new lime plant.  This one we hope to keep on the smaller side so we can bring it inside if we get any freezing winter. We still want to repot our other one.  We have it in a grow bag; needs to be in a new bag etc. We lost quite a few leaves on it when we took off the covers we had over it for protection. More so than our 2 really bad winters; 21 and 23.  Another reason we decided it was time to repot! It is getting new leaves.

Spring has arrived here

I love our Texas Laurels

Managed to make more everyday dog bandanas in the small size. Love this print!

I had planned on getting back to the Jolly Bar blocks I had started. Discovered I either mis-cut the first block or the next 19!! Anyway need to go through, see what I have here to see if there is something I can use and won’t scream “different”.  If not will check out Fatquarter shop to see if they still have some left

While sorting I found a few more UFO’S. One from probably 2003 or 04.  Need to take a picture. Another one is from a Kim Bracket book. It’s the one on the cover, Star Petals.

Probably about half of the parts are made.

My birthday was yesterday, the 2nd.  Galen bought me a beautiful lemon colored orchid.

I have been having a little luck with the others from past gifts.  No flowers but am getting new leaves.  Maybe I have found the right location and fertilizer.   Anyway progress.

Until next time.

 

Last Week of February

By poodlegirls on February 23, 2026

We’ve been staying busy.  Had our yearly eye appointment last week.  Not much change for me. Yes, cataracts but not needing anything done yet.  Galen will probably get one out sometime this Fall.  Doesn’t want to schedule anything that would interfere with photography trips. We have been adding some fencing around flower beds.  Rabbits ate just about everything we planted in them last year. I tried a recipe I found on line for Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. It wasn’t quite like the soup I remember from our days there. But it was good. Stayed busy on the bandanas.  Sent a box off to CA today and will drop the rest off tomorrow to the groomer here. Added this one the stack Also started on some generic ones. Will cut more out this week. Worked a little more on the Jolly Bar quilt.  Squares sewn, cut and ready to put back together.  Not on the design wall yet.  But this is what a block looks like. It will be fun putting the pieces together. Plans for the week; more bandanas, play with the quilt blocks, plant the herbs we bought.  Fence off more of the flower beds and hopefully start planting in a week or two. What are your plans?