It’s 1 am and I’m just getting to bed – but I didn’t want you to be disappointed in the morning when you’re having coffee and then look for the blog – ha!
I just finished this book and it was pretty good – contemporary murder mystery. I’ve read this author before and liked her.
Got a hair “trim” today – once again more of a cut than a trim – grrr. It was just at the perfect length but my hairdresser is going on vacation so I had to do it.
Then I drove on to my favorite thrift shop in Osage called Shop On State. I was disappointed for the first time – prices had gone up significantly and it was very crowded and mostly Christmas stuff. I bought our Wear Warm Clothes book for $1 and several other quilt books were free.
My chickens are sooooooo happy! I let them out into the yard and they are so busy exploring. I didn’t want Rick to have to deal with wayward chickens but I’ll get them trained to go in before I go. In fact they’ve been in the barn by 4:30 the last 2 nights. Good chickies!
I love to see them in the yard! I will pray that no predator is watching them as they explore further and further from the safety of the barn.
Reader photos
Hard to beat a good old pinwheel block!
Jenny Schonefeld – I have tried to email the answer to your question about the pattern but I am not an approved sender on your email account.
My rant for the day – Tidy Cat says there’s an easy open bag inside. I beg to differ – it requires a scissors or a knife to cut open the bag. There is no “easy open” to it!
Good Night! Enjoy that cup of morning brew!
Mary – Nice looking chickens. They all look very healthy.
JB and JB 3 could pass for brothers of my cats Geo and Kiki. 🐈🐈
All the quilts are so nice. When there are so many as posted lately, it’s hard to choose a favorite. They’re all lovely! Thank you for sharing.
Have a nice Sunday.
Take care everyone.
Sharon G. from eastern Washington.
Thanks for the hair cut advice…I never knew I needed to ask for a dusting!!!! I only go 4 times a year because so much gets cut off….
The chickens are just so healthy looking….beautiful!!!!
I have to update you friends on yesterday! It was 62* and no wind! An absolutely gorgeous day to be out and about in Sioux Falls! It is raining lightly making our east window wet. Wish it would pour.
I have one of those pampered chef jar openers and it really does work and I do use it often.
I am soaking my toe…I have to daily for 10-15 minutes. It is looking good, does not hurt and so all is good.
Does Mr. Rooster crow every morning?
Joy – your poor toe! I had forgotten – yes, I have two roosters – Mr. Frizzle is the white one and the barred rock is Rocky, of course. They crow many times a day!
Raining again – normally this would be snow? We haven’t even had a killing frost yet here in central Iowa. Hubby’s flower garden is all blooming! Grass is growing and needs mowing again. This is not normal. I’m not complaining, but I do like my 4 seasons.
Jar Lids: 1) Using the handle end of a dinner knife, tap firmly all around the lid, may have to do twice. That will “break the seal”
if that doesn’t work, 2) hold the lid area of the jar under HOT running water, rotating the jar. The heat causes the lide to very slightly expand, thus breaking the seal.
3) Using that non-slip shelf liners, cut a 6″ or so circle. Put that on the lid to twist – it doesn’t slip.
4) By now you are so frustrated you give the dang thing a violent jerk and it opens like a charm!
Still no sewing mojo, but really enjoying looking at all the great pictures, no matter what the theme is – quilts, animals, scenes.
Jar opening suggestion: one of my aunts showed me this years ago…like 60 (I’m telling my age I guess!). Hold the jar upside down and gently tap the lid on the counter then turn the jar upright and twist on the cap. The other method I use oftentimes, is to gently pry the lid by levering an old dinner knife between the edge of lid and the top of the glass. The thing that became the most difficult for my mother to open was a water bottle. She resorted to using what few teeth she had left. We do what we have to!
Oh, Sandy, your sleep test story is so funny. I have had two tests and quite understand how tangled up one can get. I was dismayed when I required a second test. I did not pack a bag, just wore shorts and a tee. The hospital for my second test was only four blocks from home, so I left the house at almost dark with minimal necessities. My husband laughed the next morning and wondered what the neighbors thought when I arrived home with my pillow. All kidding aside, I love my CPAP.
Your chickens are quite lovely Mary; the white rooster is especially beautiful!
Thanks, 🥰
The chickens are beautiful. I always enjoy all the pictures you post. I thought of you a couple of times today. I was sewing and using the pincushion I bought from you at Rosemont. I’m gad you were able to get the piano with the money from those pincushions. Then I was looking for my recipe for Creamy Cranberry Salad for my quilt guild Christmas party. I found that recipe and also recipes that I had saved from the Goat Gazette. One was Easy church bars and the other brownies with candy bars. Both sound good. I think I need to go through my recipes again to get rid of a few. Have a good day tomorrow.
Hi Diane, would you share your “creamy cranberry salad”…. I like all things cranberry but have not heard of this dish. If you have the time-Thank You…
As a little side note, if you want to read a super fun book, it’s “Harris and Me” by Gary Paulsen. He also wrote “How Angel Peterson got his Name”, also funny. The books are geared towards preteen and teens. Paulsen also wrote “Hatchet” about a boy being stranded in the wilderness. The book is much better than the disc.
Now I have to go figure out how to take a picture of a quilt and upload it to the computer so I can email it to you. Wish me luck. It’s beautiful weather (52*) today in southern Minnesota.
Have a good day everyone.
I believe in you Janet. Go for it.
thank you for my daily smile!!
yes, you are not alone.
scissors and box cutter blades are my new best friends!
(that and the scoop away litter, because when purchased at costco it comes in 4- 10lb bags packaged on a box bottom. box cutter away the wrapping and now i only have to carry 10 lbs at a time! crazy cat lady win) ok, and the box cutter to siice the bag open too
I’ll join the rant about impossible to open packaging!
Thanks for the book recommendation; I’m always looking for a good book and mysteries are my favorite.
There is an ad that repeatedly shows up when I look at the blog, and also other places on my phone. It’s a online quilt shop ad and features a kit for a Christmas quilt that particularly strikes my fancy. I must have seen the ad a hundred times over the past week! Very tempting, but I really do not want to buy the kit! I have 5 projects in the works that I don’t want to set aside, so I can’t start a new one now! And I don’t want to buy it and put it on the shelf where all the other new projects are waiting. This isn’t a rant, or complaint about the ads. I just thought other quilters would sympathize with being constantly tempted by something.
Beautiful pictures today of quilts and animals. Have a great day everyone!
If you have Netflix check for seven seasons of “Foyle’s War”. Deb in Idaho mentioned the Lincoln Lawyer series. After I watch Moonstruck again I was going to rewatch the Jesse Stone movies. If you like Tom Selleck you might want to find:
Night Passage 2006 (prequel to Stone Cold)
Stone Cold 2005
Death In Paradise 2006
Sea Change 2007
Thin Ice 2009
No Remorse 2010
Innocents Lost 2011
Benefit of the Doubt 2012
Lost in Paradise 2015
Has anyone else seen any of these?
Yes, Li! I have the complete Jesse Stobe set on dvd! I bought them for my husband a few years ago but I enjoyed watching them also. Maybe we should get them out and watch them again over Thanksgiving break. Tom Selleck is so easy on the eyes!
I LOVE those movies and wish they would show up on Netflix here. Also, Longmire is fabulous.
The first one I looked up, Foyles War, was not on Netflix. Are you sure the rest of those you listed are on Netflix?
It has been quite a while so I tried Amazon just now and found Night Passage (with ads in spite of my Prime Membership) -https://www.amazon.com/Jesse-Stone-Passage-Tom-Selleck/dp/B0029EDMEG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3DE309YROWBWN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6p3DRykkYRTHlIP0WWhCPlwRpi3QEtQD00Qm1sZkxaYHtFtJJAyV7Ij4jZDCUr4BpSeI9GrnXFdthbUfcWsWLpfzetoMYKzON4nDDUFB3Vnn4lEcyjfHm6l2vdEGd07uStYLJ1wkiF2fnrOmmG__JQAP7YHskKDTpDrkMfqVDRY2ORMIQv42YPFBG6obzFLgtIihbmpzr8efsbLMGn1IdngIq1mqU4HvXqRbt6uZYZU.7hDrvOT1PuDwP6SwZm57m5TOXNynQDL7cqPhdRkjbBU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Night+Passage&qid=1731182416&s=instant-video&sprefix=night+passage%2Cinstant-video%2C135&sr=1-1
hi all. such a great group of pictures today. quiet around here. i took myself upstairs the hard way yesterday. i needed backs for the two recent quilts. i wanted plaids but i also wanted some plaid fat quarters to play with down here. found the backs, only came across a couple small pieces of plaid. guess i mainly bought larger pieces.
was looking for my mary ellen hopkins books (mr. ed only found 3 and not the ones i wanted) but no luck. i did look through what i call my primitives – meant to bring one down that had stretched out cats in it but guess i left it up there – was either jan patek or linda brannock, i think. i have lots of country threads books down here.
so today i will recover from that effort. the backs were prepped and i have one binding left to make and the first two challenges are finished and ready to go. i want a break before i start the next one. i did come across two small plaid tops – think i will border them and make them ready for a couple little boys. though i’ve always liked plaids so don’t know why they can’t be for girls.
am thinking maybe i could make something new for myself. we will see. i have two quilts i need to make labels for to send to my sister and a great friend that needs a hug. i’ve been sitting on this one quilt for a long time and i think she would like it. so i’m getting those ready to get out of here.
while upstairs looking at my ‘wares’ i was thinking – boy this is going to take a long long time and a ton of energy. well, one step at a time and i can only go so fast. it was obvious that i was the one that everyone gave their scraps to – in all shapes and sizes.
coffee is finished so off to start the day and see what happens. patti in florida
Hi Mary! I’ve been quite upset when I leave a hair salon with my hair much shorter than I wanted when going in for a ‘trim’. I learned from my new hairdresser the correct term to use to remove dead ends but leave the overall length is ‘dusting’. I used it a few times now and leave with even ends and the length I want.
Love the chicken pics! They’re so pretty.
Mary your hens are beautiful. I miss not having chickens but when we got Eddy, he’s a golden doodle, we couldn’t trust him and I was worried he would kill one. Luckily we have a friend that has a farm and took our gals. She says I have visiting right, that made me laugh, amd when we are out her way she always gives us eggs.
Good Morning, Mary! Thank you for the beautiful pictures once again. I love seeing your chickens. I miss mine. I was wondering if you ever have one of your hens sneak away and set on a nest of eggs, and you don’t find them until she comes out with a bunch of baby chicks. That has happened to our daughter in ND many times, and she really doesn’t need more chickens as she already has around 50. Just this past week another hen showed up with just three baby chicks, and with winter coming, she really doesn’t like that thought. She has been able to sell most of the chicks that hatched this past summer.
I always enjoy seeing all your pictures whether quilt related, seasonal pictures or animals. Like someome previously mentioned—-it’s like looking through a magazine. Thanks for doing this for us, and have a great day.
Do you know what day your surgery is scheduled for? Still praying all goes well.
Jeanine – yes, I’ve had that happen several times and the last time it did, the hen showed up with a tribe of 16! There is one black hen left of the tribe. Next summer I would expect this to happen but this past summer they’ve all been in one large yard – until 2 days ago.
Oh Mary, your chickens are beautiful 😻! Jeanie, I love all of your Fall decor 😻. We have had some much needed rain here and temps in upper 70s. Enjoying my favorite season!
You are so right I would have missed seeing your post as I sit and drink my tea. Your white rooster is the whitest chicken I have ever seen. He is gorgeous and I am sure the hens are enamored.
I hate going to the beautician as she and I are on a different wave length but afraid to try someone new. Trim and cut are two different things but sometimes she gets talking and a trim is now a definite CUT. They say the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is about a week.
I know your surgery is coming up soon. I just want you to know we are all in your corner with prayers
Your chickens are lovely. Hope they stay safe, too. I agree with your comment about the pinwheel quilt. Simple and beautiful. All the fall pictures are fun to look at. And JB and JB Three are too cute.
Read a fun book, Ms. Demeanor by Elinor Lipman. All of hers are humorous.
Thanks for the blog.
Sandy your story gave me a visual of seeing you cutting your undies to get out of the contraption to take the sleep study😂. I know it wasn’t funny, but it was, reading it.
Mary your chickens are so healthy looking. The rooster is so white and handsome! The weather has been so beautiful. Every day in the 50s is one day less winter!
The pictures are all beautiful. The tree is especially beautiful!
We are headed to Sioux Falls today. Out for lunch is on the schedule!
I agree with your rant! Pictures are beautiful as usual Mary!
Absolutely love the chicken pictures! They are so beautiful 🤩
I agree with the package opening rant – it seems to me that some times I have to get a chainsaw out to open some packages 🤣 I have limited use of my hand due to rheumatoid disease and it’s quite frustrating that “easy open” doesn’t mean that most of the time. I can so relate to Henners in MN about the wipes – I use Huggies wipes and their “push here to open” spot usually ends up with a huge tear this leaving the wipes container with a hole and drying out the wipes! Good grief 😡 if we can put spy satellites up, why can’t people invent easy open containers and wipe packages that open without tearing? 🙄
Ok I’m done ranting! Love the fall pictures! You all have a great day!!
Opening bags etc has become a real problem & not because my hands aren’t as strong not have the muscles but why should one need an extra tool to open something? I bought some Aveeno face whipes (purchased previously) but no spot to open. If I cut with scissors then they would dry out unless I put them in a baggie (defeats the purpose) I’ve looked over the packaging over & over under bright lights with my glasses on and there is no opening. It’s supposed to open like the wet ones some use. My second rant for today and the day is young 😉
I look forward to reading your blog everyday. You post so many wonderful pictures..eye candy!. Seeing the picture of JB and JB3 made me wonder how many cats do you currently have? They all are so loved and well cared for, as are all of your animals. Love your little farm.
Thanks for the book title as I like trying new to me authors.
I think the beautiful and inspiring pictures we see from your readers is like our very own magazine. It’s like page after page of things that interest me.
Mary,
You have some of the healthiest looking chickens I’ve seen in a very long time. Hope nothing is looking at them for dinner or a late night snack.
As for the cat litter, maybe they put the bag in the box upside down??????
Take care and think of you a lot as the days get colder and shorter.
Deb – I’m going to look at the bag when I get to the bottom – I’ve used many of these boxes and it’s always the same. If I thought I could reach anyone at the company, I’d try to get an answer.
Hi Mary, trying to open bags,jars,tins all getting too hard! I have 2 jars on the counter waiting for my son to open, then l forget to ask!
Got all snickered last night for sleep test (stickered! ),had to cut my way out of undies,tangled with leads!Usual 3 to 4 hours sleep, so shattered day,but 2 hours in afternoon and half hour nap tonight, feel OK now. Just waiting for results. Very windy today,but warming up.. Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
I’m always seeing tips online .. how to do this, that, or the other thing, lol! However, one I actually decided to try is wrapping a wide elastic band around the ‘stuck’ lid, then twisting. This actually seems to work, at least the few times I’ve tried it. Sometimes jar lids are just too big for women’s hands, no matter what we try.
Sandy – now there’s a visual!