Progressing

 Hope everyone had an enjoyable long weekend.

Finally finished the lawn.  Wow.  The shrub to the right of the house was charted for four branches and I did six as in the left. 

 Have a sweet day folks.

************

Lawn care

 Almost done!  Will finish the small background section of the bottom right, the rest will be one color fill.  

My pink calibrachoa that I showed has an section that is withered and needs removed, about 1/4 of the plant.  Looking at the center, the fullness comes from hundreds of mini shoots off of several very thick main stems.  That makes them susceptible to being crimped at pot's edge from weight.  I decided to make one more trip to the Amish greenhouses and very few pinks remained.  This came home with me, the old guaranteed trooper.  Vista.  Silverberry, Bubblegum, and Fuchsia, half the cost of locals.

The plastic pot is a real bargain too.  Not intended for my flowers, but with a 15"opening, perfect place for this monster now.  Slightly less than $16 at Lowe's, not near the investment of nicer urns, and offers us time to play with this size before deciding on a pair.  Two piece and we need to drill a few drainage holes.

That's it.  More adjustments to Carole's house, this time for outdoor access, and finishing flowers.  I spoke with someone that has an answer regarding those downtown floral displays.  He believes they start with the 4"pots, and a deep basket.  By using those pots, each plant is already well on its way to full size.  Five pots in a 16"basket.  Boom.  Makes sense to me!  

I will show the steps for the keeps/ tags/ fobs soon!

Memorial Day.  Hard to believe I'm still waiting for the landscaper to finish the mess from the sewer project of 2021!  If I find someone to deliver the truckload of dirt, a good pair of gloves and a bottle of Advil will be lined up.

 Have a great day!!

*****************

Can't let go

 Of what?

My removable center tube pans for mom's chiffon cake recipes and poppy seed!  I received mom's and Aunt Nancy's so I own three and just can't part with them.  Very heavy and well loved!  But how many chiffon cakes can I bake at the same time for a family of five?  One!

I made two ring pendants/keeps/tags.  What the heck is the correct term?  Easy to make, hard to snap a pic without glare.

Waiting for the poppy seed cake to cool, and I need to add the white vinegar to my towel rinse cycle.  Softens by removing soap buildup.  

Have a great day!

 ****************

SL Supplements

I've saved these wonderful supplements of offerings from The Scarlet Letter for many years.  After purchasing new generic ink for my printer at one fourth the cost, the sharpness is gone when printing my labels.  Highly rated ink, color is fine, the printhead on the cartridge must be inferior.

 I'm making the floss ring pendant (called ring drop, floss tag, keeper, ring tag ....) because #1 - I'm watching $$$$ and #2 - I like the really large ones.  Now I know why the majority are small.  They're fricking heavy!  But I bought supplies and can make quite a few. 

When I came across these mini catalogs with perfectly sized photos to use I was elated.  Do I really want to cut these?  No.  Staples color copier may be the answer.

More stitching this evening, but my contacts have become a problem since the Prokera.  Cloudy, blurry, uncomfortable in a very short time.  Drops clear vision as always but the clarity is very brief and drops are constant.  Without the contacts, fine.  But my contacts were fine for hours before treatment, this doesn't make sense.

Hope your weekend is great!

Be safe.

*****************

The house

 Big, but not as big as I thought.  Quite tall, not very wide.

The window trim and bars are over one as are the curtain swags.  There is a special stitch used there, will decide when it's time if I have the panties for it.

Been working outside while hubs is golfing, doing projects that he doesn't want me attempting.  Somewhat strenuous, heavy work that  can result in obscenities.  And pain.  So far so good! 

My new book is arriving today so I doubt there will be much stitching.  But maybe it's best to limit pages, spread the joy over a week.  That's difficult for impatient people.

Enjoy your day!

*************

One pink, sorry it's not two!

 After a very chilly night, the sun is out and warming enough to do some transplanting.  Except for the large pink supertunia, the others are more economical 8" pots that will be moved to larger containers.  

Birdbaths make great holders for large flower baskets.  This pink actually has three different colors but one took over, the yellow is only a few blooms, and the third is missing.  They had another similar and I would love to have it also, but didn't want to buy more.  Now, I am sorry.  And by the time we can go back next week, surely it will be gone.

Never had summer long success with calibrachoa, hoping that changes this year.  The 3" pots of yellow were to be mixed with two pinks, and if I find them, will do so as a backup.  

I don't remember if I showed the massive baskets in town last year, but I would love to know how they manage to keep the glorious condition of a dozen or more throughout the streets.  This was from September!!

The doctor was surprised that the lens had dissolved in a day, said the dryness must have been extreme for that to happen.  Back in 3 months for evaluation.

Enjoy your day! 

*******************

Hit a wall

 A brick wall.  After all the enthusiasm to work on the lawn, I think I hit a wall!  Thankful the brick "grout" is left bare, no stitches, and the roof edge matched with the side.  As with the lawn's pattern, the brick is somewhat random in spots so I need to pay close attention. That tall outline is the house side.

Found my pink tunia, enjoyed the ride in the country.

My eye appointment can't come soon enough.  The center of the lens dissolved overnight and I am left with the ring in my eye.  Obviously not the usual expected outcome so I don't anticipate success.  I will wait a few weeks if he wants to try again.

Meanwhile, that's a big fricking house.  Should I set Sarah aside for a few days, and hope a break will help the mojo?  Monogamous for decades, trying to change.  

Can you believe it's mid May already?

***************

A gift to me

Saw my dentist this morning.  Augmentin and Advil are helping a great deal.  

 A wonderfully generous stitcher gifted the Kindred Spirit chart I was looking for along with the linen!  Two pieces!  So very thoughtful and unexpected, and greatly appreciated.  I have not been following the five day plan of stitching but really want to start Kindred so may give it a try. 

That patterned lawn area of Sarah's has not been easy for me.  On forty, with one eye, my stitches are not the best.  Typical for me!  The worst part was filling in the second color where many times I was over one linen thread on the corner poke.  No one knows the difference and misses are very hard to see in that pattern.  If easily noticed, I just went over it with another thread. 

My June birthday is around the corner and since my five person family doesn't seem to take interest in gifting, I bought myself a gift!  It shipped today.  Can't wait. My right lens is coming off Wednesday and I will be back to two eyed viewing!

This treatment will not increase tears or change my condition, it heals the cornea and offers more comfort, less burning, less inflammation.  Any little bit is welcome.

Off to the Amish greenhouse tomorrow.  Their four inch pots are 3.50 and locally, 6.00.  First time in years, no pink petunias were purchased.  And every time I see one (like the ones we bought for Carole), I want it!  I was so in love with the massive mix in a downtown area last year that I decided to imitate at home.  Tri-color calibrachoa.  But I have to get a pink tomorrow.  Just one.

Hope you had a special weekend.

Be well, be safe!

**********************

Happy Mother's Day to all

 Not much happening here.  The front crowns done for the second time months ago, worse than the first they were to correct, are continually hitting the uppers.  The trusted lab tech retired, new techs must all be stoned.  Now, major issues.  Antibiotics and pain meds, can't eat, can't sleep, will see him this week.  I will probably lose them.  Am I ticked?  You have no idea.

*******************

 

Moving forward

 Hiya.  My Prokera lens is off.  With it, vision is one eye only which creates a perception problem.  The lens eye is like looking through sheets of waxed paper.  My dryness level on a 1 - 4 scale was 3.75.  It is now 1.5.  The corneal surface was like a mountain range, now much smoother.  It will not change the lack of tears, but offer more comfort and less inflammation.  The right eye will be done Monday, and we'll see how long this improvement lasts, maybe up to a year.

Progress with one eye and 4.0 mags plus my Dazor mag lamp.

Can't wait to finish the patterned lawn section.  Then, fill in with second color!  But won' t need to count.  Whew.

Enjoy your week!

Wait, it's Thursday.  May is moving quickly isn't it?

BTW, today is final day to order free at home covid test kits.

*******************

Monday

morning the ProKera lens will be inserted.  No stitching for a week.  This is where I ended.

I downloaded the app for Merlin, which will identify all calls and chirps in your yard.  All of these were recorded yesterday during a ten minute span.  Each bird is highlighted during their call making it easier for the listener to identify their sound.

Have a good week!

************* 

Tempting

 Additional flower threads arrived for Tindale.   Tempted to start!  But will continue the lawn sections for another day.

Three down, counting errors in two, I'm sure more to come.  None will be noticed.

Sun is out.

Hope you have a great day.

*************

Landscaping

 Another section done.

This will be a fun landscape to stitch.

Did a little press, the creases were difficult to remove and the bottom one won't release.

For those interested in flower thread, Ginnie Thompson's website makes ordering easy with very reasonable shipping.  A sample is also offered to try.

Enjoy your day.

*************

Uh oh. 40.

 Picked up Sarah's start, very happy with the Prairie Grass linen that I questioned previously.  See what a good nutroll will do for you?   Clarity for decision making.  Well, not really but it's a damn good excuse.  Sorry for the wrinkles.

But I failed to remember the count is 40.  Much slower and careful stitching, my errors (already) are caused by my usual ..... failure to read the chart correctly.  All will stay.

I think this will be much less boring or tedious when stitching the pasture or lawn.  Different threads create smaller sections, interesting and counting is easier.  Sarah may be hard to put down, but I would like to try working on several projects and attempt the 5/5 plan.   Monogamous I've always been.

I've had comments and seen posts from stitchers who will not stitch a particular reproduction because of the reference in the verse to religion or God.  That was the creator's belief and back then, it was an important part of their lives.  I personally don't feel that by reproducing their work it has to reflect my own.  Others do.  Unless the sampler is mostly verse, I rarely pay attention to the message once stitched and honestly, can't even read the tiny over one!!  I haven't paid attention to Sarah's cartouche yet, have no idea how it reads.

It's not raining.  Yet.  Five days in a row, very chilly, all my fault since I put away the winter clothes.

Off to Staples to get a working copy of the lawn area, hoping to use a marker to help with placements.

Have a good day!!

****************************

Start. Stop.

 While waiting for the flower thread, I reviewed the big girl starts.  Sarah Needham will continue on the current linen.  Jane Southward may change, a few options chosen.  Kezia Turnock is a real problem.  Sarah Stewart Hardman was kitted, not started, so I made an attempt.  

She is quite a bit larger than I thought!  Following the dmc legend, the 898 for the flower stopped me.  Not interested right now in choosing/changing threads, but will soon.  

This border is larger than usual for me, not an routine repeat, and not my favorite thing to do.  Back to Sarah Needham.

Nutroll recipe will be posted soon.

Thanks for the needle suggestions, my standard is 26, tried a 24.  My thread is still sticking/snagging in the eye.  I really have to tug to get it through the eye.  No idea what they are, will just purchase new.

Have a good day!

*******************

Sisters

 Tindale Sisters.

Ordered the flower thread this morning, had some of the colors.  Recently stitched a small red sampler with it and like the look, plus using the single strand.

I need a piece of 32 count and am not sure one of the designs will be the next start.  I'll pull out the big girls that are kitted and started, see if my menomind (yes, it's back along with the flashes) can decide if I'm staying with the chosen linens.  Carol (SBS) mentioned the 5/5 stitching plan and I may attempt that (working five projects, five days of the month each).  I'll make sure two of them are small.

Question for you, I think I know the answer and don't like it.  I adore the Kindred Spirit design from Blackbird that was a club piece back in 2017 and now in the Crowns and Shields book.  That's the only one I would stitch and can't find it elsewhere.  Is it not available as a single chart?  Is it offered in another book?

Tootsie has not been trapped yet and the boys are after her once again.  I thought it was over weeks ago but she is in constant chase and hiding in my ditch pipe again.  They surround her house/shelter and I have to chase them away.  One is a gorgeous apricot color and acts more tame than the sad faced (but mean feral) ginger tabby.

Yes, that's the leg of a shower seat you see.  The absolute best seat for gardening, height adjustable, handles to help me off, and rust free aluminum.  I have a kneeler too, but until the knee gets an injection it's not comfortable at all!

Enjoy your day!

************************