What Happened to 2024?

Hard to believe this is the last day of the year! Right now as I type on the laptop I am watching numerous birds at our feeders and birdbaths. Yesterday we had a flock of Cedar Waxwings eating berries off one our bushes. Haven’t been out to look but I think they did brake a branch. One is hanging down a lot lower than it had been.

We have spent a good portion of the last 5 days cleaning out our biggest storage unit. We got rid of quite a bit this year. Galen moved all our shelving to a smaller unit plus our climate controlled unit. We even have empty shelving. That won’t last long tho. First unit is new unit, second the climate controlled unit. I was still sorting through boxes in the controlled unit. And have a few more to sort through. I went through 2 photo albums- one from Taiwan and one of my Mom’s (1998-1999). Need to scan some of the pictures in hers to send to cousins. Not sure how many boxes of slides. Galen took mostly slides while we were overseas and my Mom took a lot of them through out the years.

We went out to Granger a couple of mornings hoping to find the Burrowing Owl again. No such luck on our last trip. We may go out again tomorrow morning.

No sewing this past week. Between working in the storage units after Christmas and getting ready for Christmas and dinner with friends, I needed to clean up the dining room a little. No we ate in the kitchen, but the area around my sewing machine ( on the dining room table) was a disaster.

For dinner I fixed oven roasted strip steaks. 2-20 ounce steaks prepared pretty much like prime rib. It’s a recipe from Milk Street and really good. Made green Chimichuri sauce to go with it. Wild rice casserole plus an asparagus dish. And like my Mother, I make a fresh fruit dish. Always tastes good with a big dinner. Bev and Lady, a mutual admiration society!

Lady must have been worn out the next day. Probably didn’t help that someone felt the need to set off fireworks on Christmas either. She snuggled up with Galen. One of my friends said she was the liquid dog. She was very relaxed!

Will end out the year with a few pictures from Christmas

I didn’t put as much out this year. My Santas stayed packed away for next year as well as a few other decorations. This was enough.

Wishing everyone a safe New Year’s Eve and a healthy and happy 2025!

 

Almost Christmas

 poodlegirls  Daily Happenings, Gardening, General Sewing, Life at home, Nature, Our Girls, Quilting, Uncategorized  December 20, 2024 2 Minutes

Took a little time off from the blog, trying to get things done in the house, getting ready for the holiday. It’s that busy time of the year! We don’t exchange gifts as we pretty much buy what we want or need throughout the year. Christmas is a time of fellowship with friends. As in the past we are having our friends Bev and Bill here for dinner. The 4 of us have had lots of things going on through out the year and really haven’t had time to catch up. The menu is planned and no not turkey or ham.

I was not able to get back to my Blooms and Buds quilt so no new blocks there to show. I did get the Texas quilt bound so it is ready for whenever we can catch up with the friends we are gifting it too. Reminds me I had better get a label made. Moda fabric comes out with Texas themed fabrics just about every year I think. Some of it went into this quilt. I had enough of the prints with names of Texas towns for the backing. The front is made from preprinted panels of Texas themed images. So happy my friends at Classi Creations and Wombmate Creations came up with the pattern. Was fun to make.

I did make a few more doggy bandanas for La Mia Bell

And here is Lady sporting her Christmas Gnome bandana.

Our Fall has been very mild. Yes we have had a few nights in the 30’s but no killing frost. We still have plants that are blooming, The plant on the left is often called Tractor seat. I think you can see why. If you look closely at the other one you may see a couple of Cubabelle peppers. We still have other flowers blooming as well.

I did find several pre-cut log cabin table runner kits from Jordan Fabrics. It is mindless sewing which I do appreciate at times. These were in blues that pretty much match our everyday dishes from Taiwan. May combine the 2 to make one long one or make 2 and use one for a gift!

My parents are buried at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Pennsylvania. There is a National program called Wreaths Across America. Each year in December there is a big convoy I believe from Maine that bring a distribute wreaths to the National Cementeries. I have several cousins who live nearby who also have family there. Several years ago they sent me these pictures. It’s hard to believe it is 9 years since we lost my Dad-December 2015 and 22 years since we lost my Mom-December 2002.

The pictures on the internet of the ceremony and people laying the wreaths is pretty amazing. Maybe some year we will be there at wreath laying time but doubtful. We are very grateful for this program.

 

December!

We have officially started the last month of 2024!  Did everyone get their plans they had made for the year completed?  I sure didn’t and with only a month to go, I won’t!  Always next year!!!

I did get a fairly large quilt bound. My 2015 bom from Honey Bee in Austin is done!

It was a little windy but you get the odea.

Made progress on my Buds and Blooms, a cozy quilt pattern. All 20 block A’s are done.  Had hoped to start block B but that will wait for a few days.

Am loving Kaffe with the black.

We are finally having cooler weather.  Good soup weather, but then we will eat soup anytime.  Opened up a jar one night of my canned chicken corn noodles soup.  Added noodles while it was heating up. Another night I made Hot Italian Sausage and Clam soup.  Another favorite of ours.   If you Google it I fix the recipe from the Kling House at Kitchen Kettle Village.  It is one of their signature recipes and it is free online

Our Thanksgiving was quiet, just the 2 of us.  A little quieter than usual.  Donna, our sister in law I’m PA, passed the night before.  Even when expected it is still hard. 

Our Christmas decorating has begun.  Galen worked on the outside on and off last week.  As always need to replace a laser light or two.  They do wear out.

We replaced our getting old artificial tree with a Balsam Hill tree this year.  Our 20 plus year old one was shedding a lot of needles! The tree is up.  Galen did it yesterday. He is getting really good at decorating our tree while I work on something else.  Yesterday was getting Christmas doggy bandanas sewn for Lady’s groomer.  Will get those finished by Monday evening so we can drop them off Tuesday when they open.

That about does it for us.  Until next time stay safe.

 poodlegirls  cooking, Daily Happenings, Donation Quilting, General Sewing, Life at home, Nature, Quilting, Uncategorized

 

A Little Rain Today!

 poodlegirls  cooking, Daily Happenings, Donation Quilting, Gardening, General Sewing, Life at home, Nature, Our Girls, Quilting, Travels, Uncategorized  November 18, 2024 2 Minutes

We were supposed to have rain yesterday but it went way East of Round Rock. We got a little this morning, not a lot but any is welcomed.

Late last week after Galen got through his 300 plus pictures he took while on the trip to the valley more plants were pulled out of the beds. It’s time. Now to get the support cages disassembled and put away until next Spring. We also need to transplant some Iris and get the new bulbs in the ground. Galen did spend the weekend trimming our one big bush out front. Needed too before the net lights go up. He will probably start on that later today and finish up tomorrow. We won’t turn them on yet but they will be done!

We met Osie last Thursday. She had one quilt ready for me and I gave her the 3 I had here to be quilted. This is the one I got back. A very old 5 at the Hive block of the month from Honey Bee in Austin. Have black binding machine sewn on the front. Now I have something to work on in the evenings. Good thing I have good lighting by my chair-black binding on a very busy black backing! That’s Lady in the picture she turns 9 this Friday.

There are times when it seems I go out of my way to make a pattern difficult. They say read through a pattern several times. And Cozy quilt patterns aren’t normally that difficult unless you make it that way! After a lot of ripping, sewing again, and sometimes ripping once again I finally got an A block made. B blocks are easier. Have a lot more to make but now I will keep this one at the machine where I can see it! Yes a few threads to get rid of!!!! I am loving the Kaffe fabrics with the black background. Would make a good pattern for scraps.

The other day Galen and I were having coffee on the deck. We both had a chuckle at our Anole pole dancer.

Yesterday I was watching one through our clear roof extension. Reminded me of when we lived in Taiwan. Sometimes we had small wood carvings framed with a plexiglass mat and then the wood frame. The geckos would run and hide behind the clear plexi!!! They thought they were hiding!

Spent a little time in the kitchen yesterday cooking a whole chicken so I could make Mom’s recipe for PA. Dutch Chicken Pot Pie. Chicken is cooked and boned, broth is strained and saved. Sometime later this week we will have it for dinner. I don’t think Mom would mind since she has shared this recipe many times. Mom always made hers with chicken and she did use saffron. My one aunt sometimes made it with beef and rarely used saffron. When ever the Kleinfelters got together for a reunion a lot of Pot Pie was made and eaten. Comfort food! and memories of home.

Rain is over, sun is coming out. The rain was nice while it lasted.

tagging up with Small Quilts

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/2024/11/design-wall-monday-november-18-2024.html

Until next time——

 

Veterans Day 2024

I am late in getting this written.  Busy last week into today. We worked more in the yard  pulling some plants that were finished for the year. Cleaned out a raised bed.  Will work up the soil with some compost.  May plant a few cold weather plants- who knows?

In honor of Veterans Day I am posting a picture of the 4 Marines in our family.  Somewhere is a picture of our 2 Army.  Need to find it.  Uncle Bob- WWII and cousin Bob- Vietnam.

Uncle Ted, Aunt Dottie, cousin Irv and my Dad LeRoy.  Ted, Potties and Dad WWII. Irv- Vietnam.

Galen has been in the valley yesterday and today, back home tomorrow.  My play time is over!!! Not really but have been spending more time sewing since I didn’t have to fix meals!

I decided it was time to get the top Plot Twist done.  Wasn’t happy with the directions. Couldn’t see cutting and wasting all those pieces of fabric to even up the sides.  Have enough fabric scraps to use!

I decided to add setting triangles to even up the sides.  I didn’t get a picture of it on the design wall so this will have to do until it’s quilted. But you get the idea.

Had hoped to have a block or two done for Buds and Blooms top.  A lot of units are done but no blocks put together.  Next week.

We did have rain last week.  Close to 2 inches, need more but happy with what we got.

Our evenings have been nice.  Now that we are back on standard time our evenings cool off.  74° is comfortable for a cup  of coffee after dinner on the deck.

Table top Tiki torch and solar lights

Hopefully I will have pictures of some blocks next week.  I will be meeting Osie this week to give her 3 tops to quilt and pick up 2.

Have a great week.

 poodlegirls  Daily Happenings, Gardening, Life at home, Nature, Quilting Leave a comment  November 11, 2024 1 MinuteEdit"Veterans Day 2024"

 

Design Wall Monday and Other Musings

 poodlegirls  cooking, Daily Happenings, Life at home, Quilting, Uncategorized  November 4, 2024 2 Minutes

I mentioned last week about having a consultation for a Root Canal.  That was Tuesday afternoon.  After looking at X-rays and 3D Imaging.  Yes and he had an opening Wednesday morning so I grabbed it.  In at 9 and out shortly after 10. Finished and the old crown back on.  Back in 6 months to see how things look.  Great job and very little discomfort.

We also voted early.  We know what the lines will be like tomorrow even with the number of voters who did vote early.

As promised here is a picture of my Pulsar quilt top.  It was a fun quilt along.  And fabric all from the Stewart shop. I do have to confess though to buying wide backing for it.  Didn’t like what I had hand . This was from a QAL by the Bear Creek quilt shop. Did learn a few new things, which is always a good.

Since I started taking inventory of my “store” I have been going through kits I either purchased or put together myself.   Some have gone elsewhere ( donated) and some kept  stacked near my machine to make.  Went through some of the bins on Saturday and made my decision.

I bought this kit probably from Jordan Fabrics several years ago.  My background is black. In the kit is a jelly roll (40—2 1/2 inch) strips Kaffe fabrics. The rest of the yardage is also Kaffe. Sunday afternoon I started cutting the fabrics and did get a little sewing in.  Accomplished 20 tubes.

You are looking at the wrong side in this picture.   It is 1 Kaffe and 1  background strip sewn into a tube. Next step is to find my strip tube ruler so I can get my half square triangles cut!

Kitchen time last week was spent making applesauce for the freezer.  Had planned on canning it but Galen wasn’t home to get my jars down from a higher shelf in the garage.  Put 5 containers in the freezer.  Got more apples yesterday so right now apples are simmering for another batch for the freezer. My pie pumpkins will get taken care of this week. And yes Lady is a little spoiled-  cooked up ground beef for her. I cook up a batch, put it in small containers and freeze. She gets a little taste in her meals.  Week before we dehydrated chicken for her bedtime snack.  Need I say more?!!!!!

Our big rain event last week- most went around us.  We had less than a tenth of an inch.  More is in the forecast so hopefully we will get more.

Over to Small Quilts to see what others are doing

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/