I even had to look up today’s date, that’s how out of touch I am with the world. Yesterday we had probably at least an inch of rain – yes, rain! And then it got colder and this was the scene out my window.
See that big puddle behind the pickup? Rain created that and now it’s ice. Yikes! Ice under everything. Travel last night was so treacherous – cars were just creeping along on the highway. It was heavy wet snow but if the wind comes up, even that snow can be blown around creating blizzard-like conditions. Sigh. Weather in North Iowa.
This is today.
One of our readers from South Dakota, Mary W., has introduced me to Heartland Docs, DVM Saturday night at 9 pm on Nat Geo Wild. The two vets are a married couple named Ben and Erin and each show is a trip along with them or in their clinic showing them treating different animals. Some I have had trouble watching but it’s all in a day’s work for them. I wish they were my vets but they live in Nebraska so I guess that’s not possible. Erin is very tall and I was not surprised when she said she played basketball. Last week their family adopted two little dogs! I can’t tell you how much I love this show and these people. Mary W. Was in the show last week as she, Ben and Erin captured a feral cat in Mary’s garage who needed dental treatment for an infected tooth. Tune in on Saturday night if this sounds like a great show to you!
I got all my blocks made for Friendship Starter so I put them aside and started cleaning my sewing room. When I can’t see anything beyond the piles of stuff, I simply have to stop and sort and clean. Here’s a before picture.
I was overwhelmed but started on the sewing island first. I was mopping the floor at 1:15 Sunday am and hope to continue working today. I have found so many small UFO’s on the island that I’m going to tackle as soon as I finish the cleaning and sorting. I’m moving Dianne’s litter box to the bathroom – and she’d better get used to it! I’m also putting a dog bed under Island close to my chair. Big changes are coming! Ha! Here’s a wagonload for fabric that goes back to the shop – I try to bring in fabric for only my current project. Looks like I got carried away on Friendship Starter, doesn’t it?
Here are some wonderful finishes.
And here is Harvey with the Easter Egg trousers – isn’t he handsome?
Harvey, in two sizes, is available for $10 sent to Country Threads, 2345 Palm Ave,Garner,IA 50438. He will be available until Easter. Remember how many of you made Harvey last year? Connie and I loved them all!
On Sunday and Monday nights I watched the American Dog Rescue Show on the Hallmark channel where they had categories like, Best in Snoring, Best in Ears, Best Underbite, Best Wiggling, Best Special Needs and more – I absolutely loved it! Did any of you watch? What did you think?
Saw this gal online – I think she or he was in the Best Ears category – obviously!
Remember these little pots I planted?
This is 4 days later!
Wow! Those are some fast growing oats and the cats are loving them. I took the big dishpan full of grass to the chickens and planted more. I need more potting soil before I can continue planting which means I’d have to go to town which isn’t going to happen today. Here are the new pots.
Denise and I are trying to send an email to all of you but we’re running into trouble sending a mass email. We’ll get it to all of you in time.
Like I said, there’s no news from the farm and the person living on the farm with two compromised knees! I love to hear from you however – makes my days going faster! And just a question – are all blogs supported by ads? I’m just curious.
Just curious, I am getting ready to get my sewing room organized. If you or any of your readers have organizational tips for sewing rooms, please share. I have looked online for suggestions and most of these are way too fancy and impractical for me. I am pretty basic and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on fancy storage. Thanks–
I did not see any ads in today’s post.
I have watched the vet show a few times. Very interesting. Glad to hear you are getting around better. The best thing I found was no pain.
Yes I had lots of ads today. You have given us lots of great things to watch on TV. Very interesting things. The snow looks beautiful but so cold. Great to see picture of Harvey.. I needed a reminder to get my done. Thank you Mary
No ads to close, today. It looks mighty cold in your neck of the woods. I wouldn’t be going out in the ice. Brrrr🥶
No ads here ☹️
I love closing ads. Call me crazy 🤪
It’s cold and windy where I am (near the Quad Cities) but fortunately not the snow and ice you’ve had! I am definitely ready for winter to be over, though!
May I ask what size the 2 Harvey quilts are, please? I’m sure you’ve said before but I can’t find it.
Thanks!
The small size are finished at 11 x 27″.
Thanks, Diane! I may have to make a couple for my grandkids!
Thank you, Diane – you just saved me finding boots and making the trip to the shop to find out the sizes!!! Conditions here are treacherous!
I will send you my Dirty Dozen picture. Just finishing hand sewing the binding on! I have to do what you are doing – cleaning and organizing my sewing room!! I did it years ago and it need total redoing! I have lots of things that need my getting to them so I had better get started. Thanks for doing it so I get busy doing mine! I will have to try to find that site on National Geographic – sounds like fun! Glad to hear you are up and doing. It will keep getting better.
Funny, I had at least 5 ads to close! Most about coins?? One for shoes.
We had a pretty nice day yesterday and then it SNOWED!! We got another 5″! A week ago we were blessed with 10″. At least we have had some blue skies in between storms. I hope it doesn’t get windy. It is 19 right now.
I am working on a birthday gift table runner, tomorrow I go make diapers with the Sew Blessed group. I brought 5 home to finish here, so much easier to make them on my machine!
Your sewing room will look great!
I would love that little dog!
Have a great week…praying your healing is going better this week.
Only ONE ad to close. SO darn frustrating!!!
no not all blogs are supported by ads…….
I love all the finishes, especially Harvey. I am working on a baby quilt for my daughter’s best friend. My daughter’s dog, a Maltese/Poodle mix, would win “Most Excited to See Grandma”. I am in between cataract surgeries. One down, one to go. I can’t believe the difference in how I see colors. I love your blog. You are an inspiration to the rest of us with your cleaning and organizing. Keep at it!
Yes I had ads from your blog and do not close them because I thought you said you got in trouble with them. I’m now 3weeks out from knee replacement surgery and given green light to begin using a cane WOW! Must remembered to take it slow. I walked upstairs for first time!!
The more snow you have, the brighten your red barn shows up! Beautiful picture.
Mary,
Looks like you have your own ice skating pond now!LOL. Our pond is frozen and has lots of snow on top. I enjoy the Heartland Docs program and enjoy watching Dr. Pol as well. He recently had an ankle replacement.
We have so much snow on the property here…probably 130” or more. Takes a lot of plowing and snow blowers/throwers to keep our own road clear to hiway!
Hi, we actually had TWO 60 degrees days this weekend. But not to get excited snow in the forecast. I did have ads today. But to answer your question, I think most blogs do have ads. I was going to start a list for you and haven’t done it of blogs I see, who they are hosted by (wordpress etc) and if they have ads or not. I think if it is a “blogger” then there are ads. If it is a fabric company or machine company etc. they are running the blog through their website servers and don’t need the ads. Hope that makes sense. I think the hope for many bloggers is that eventually they get “famous” enough that companies want to advertise on their blog. But there has to be someone out there who knows more about the quilt industry blogging. More research to come! Stay inside and warm!
I live in Des Moines and the weather could not be more different! Partial sun, low 30’s. Snow is almost all melted.
I met a woman Saturday that also follows your blog – small world!
Stay warm and hope you feel better soon. Spring is on the way – Robins are in central Iowa!
Every time I see a Harvey picture, I say to myself to get moving on mine. I actually went to a Joann’s store yesterday for some spring inspiration as I need to take down from my mantle my snowmen and valentines decor. I have my own stuff to pull from but I just wanted some color to look at for feeling like spring was coming. Ever get days like that?? I didn’t want to go to the thrift store cause I would be tempted but going to Joann’s is better since their decorating items are so overpriced and I won’t pay it. Keep on cleaning Mary as you will feel so much better having a nice work area. I really liked seeing the pictures your readers finished. I did get a mass type letter from you.
Mary, you asked about other blogs and ads. I follow several blogs and many have ads but none of them ask readers to click on the ads. They may mention that they are ad-supported but that it. One is a new blog and she explained that if people open an ad and purchase an item that has been advertised on her blog, she gets an additional payment, but she does not request that people to do anything with the ads. I have read Bonnie Hunter’s blog daily for several years and other than a simple statement at the very bottom of the blog saying that the blog is ad-supported, I cannot remember any time when ads have been mentioned by her although they always appear within the blog. (Although I think I remember she may have mentioned them one time a few years ago when a reader complained about the ads being disruptive and she explained why they were there!)
I closed 5 ads today! 🙂
I had 3 ads to close. We had snow in WI but it is melting today. I shoveled the ice left on the driveway from the truck that plowed. We have huge piles of snow around our driveway. I wish someone would come an organize my sewing room. I put something down and forget where I put it. My memory is like a sieve.
Hi Mary, I had a fun morning driving through the city to get to the airport (MSP) to pick up my husband. Took an hour and 15 minutes, then had to take him to White Bear Lake to pick up a vehicle, then back home to Maple Grove. I was gone from 8:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., one quick stop for breakfast at Mickey D’s. Treacherous, but doable. I grew up in south Minneapolis so it’s helpful that I know the back through roads to get to the airport. And now it’s going to get colder and slipperier. Saw many cars in the ditch – I was prepared for icy conditions on the freeway so drove more slowly than others were driving.
This winter is much better than last year’s abominable cold weather. Two weeks till clocks spring ahead – but of course not our weather.
I’m not complaining – just thought you might like to hear about fun times on the road!
I would not like to be driving in Mpls in the snow and ice – talk about white knuckle driving!!! I do love to hear what every body is doing – thanks!
Hi Mary….Well, I just ordered something I badly needed from one of your ads. Underpants!! I am wondering if you will get extra points for that?? A famous underwear company.
Oh, your ice and snow!! Looks so cold. We have been having glorious sunshine, but it is not warm.
It’s warm in my greenhouse though and I have been busy starting little veggies for our spring garden.
The finishes are wonderful. This group makes beautiful quilts. For some reason, I thought your sewing room was in the shop. Now I see you shuttle things in your cart.
That little dog is adorable and reminds me of my Vinnie that we had with us for 17 years. His ears, however, did not stick out like that. Wonder how they got them to do that??
Take care and stay warm and stay away from the highway.
Interesting that some had no ads to close. I had several!
I need to get my Dirty Dozen photo to you, Mary! I’ve been busy this month, just enjoying playing with fabric and creating. I am so grateful to the women who taught me to sew! My Mom claims she just provided the machine, though whether she taught me or not, I appreciate that she supported me in that endeavor because it certainly brings me joy! My project last night was a “scissors cozy” for my sewing shears. I went out today and bought more fabric to make more! I certainly have plenty of fabric in my staff, but like someone else said, sometimes I just need to go to the store for inspiration and new color!
We had snow last night too and it looked much like the picture of your storm. It didn’t amount to much here which is perfectly fine by me! This is supposed to be another snowy week in northern Colorado, but I’m sure enjoying today’s sunshine!
Cold and windy in West Michigan, but at least we are seeing a little sun this afternoon. I didn’t realize we will be “springing ahead” in about three weeks, I really like the longer nights. In the summer, it stays light until 10PM in this part of the world. Like one of the other readers, I thought you sewed in your quilt shop. I have to haul fabric up from the basement when I want to sew something, and it makes such a mess. Then when I take it back downstairs, it just gets dumped onto one of numerous piles. Maybe some day I will get into an organizing mood, lol! I closed several ads today, wonder why some readers don’t get any.
Keep working on those knees!
Love Harvey. I can’t remember if I ordered him last year or not. I just love those bright colors. I have too much stuff and not enough space. Maybe if I spend some time sorting and giving away I’ll either find Harvey or know that I need to order him. Love the snow photos but don’t miss the cold and ice. Stay warm and dry inside.
I had 3 ads that I eas able to close and a couple of more that I could not close.
You are getting snow, and we are getting so much rain! It just does not end. Mary, just be careful if you have to go out. It must be so hard to take care of your barn animals and your new knees all at the same time!
Maybe tomorrow will be better…
I saw 5 ads. I can’t believe I missed the rescue dog show! 😩 The dog with the biggish ears you show in the blog looks very similar to our dog, Brody! So cute!
After 2 or 3 nice sunny to partly sunny days with high temps near 60, it’s raining here again! Storms tonight & now they’re saying light snow Thursday! Ugh. I don’t want your snow but all this rain is sooooo depressing. 😕 I don’t want all your snow & ice either. But it does make a pretty scene with your red barn. 😉
Take care & I’ll pray for your snow & ice to end if you pray for our rain to end! Deal?
I read some blogs with ads and then some who I think of hobby blogs who don’t have any. Mostly the daily blogs have them but others that are less frequent usually don’t. Love the picture of the dog! Bet that one will be adopted quickly! I’m impressed with you cleaning your sewing room. I’ve been doing a major reorganization in mine and I’m pleased to say I looked for something today and found it right away! A place for everything and everything in its place!
Mary: You asked about the ads and do we see them? I had 5 or 6 ads to close today. That is about an average number each day. My part of the state had about the same weather that you had yesterday: rain, snow, wind. It’s like Mother Nature has gone insane! I am getting in the mood for spring, robins, daffodils, Easter decorations, etc. My pianist friend and I went to one of the care centers this afternoon to play some music for the residents. I play the violin. We do a mixture of hits from the 1940’s as well as some good, old gospel tunes. We have been playing together for years and love doing it. I started doing this when my mother was a resident of a care center years ago. Your cleaning binge is starting to inspire me to do some of my own! Now that spring is around the corner, I should get busy so I can spend time outside when the weather is better. Bailey (my little pit bull) loves to be outside with me. Take care!
Looks like a big job organizing your sewing room! It’s amazing how quickly the piles grow, but a good winter project. I also didn’t have any Ads to close. What was here actually opened in new windows if I clicked on the arrows.
I watched the rescue show with my puppy and my daughters dog. Our Stanley was watching too and my daughters dog was frantically looking for where the dog noises were coming from. It was fun to watch their reactions !!!! It was a fun show. I’d like a Harvey pattern but have to wait til I’m home to send you the money and stamp…correct? I’m at my daughters and her new baby girl!!! She and her husband are doing great with their daughter and of course she’s adorable!!!! My dirty dozen is kindof at a stand still as my machine quilter is in Arizona for the winter!!! We missed the icy roads…just a dusting yesterday!
I received your email and saw ads on your blog today. I love Harvey….May have to get the pattern. Please don’t go outside and risk falling or slipping on the ice….it’s just not worth it. Love to read about your life on the farm in the Midwest. I wish Reed would call or visit you. It seems like he just disappeared.
Deb – Reed’s family decided he shouldn’t sew here anymore. I miss him so much!
30 more days until Spring. I am looking forward to it. More sunlight and watching the leaves on trees come out. By that time I hope you are able to get out and about better.
I love seeing the finished quilts. I need to sandwich, quilt and bind mine….hopefully I’ll get it finished. Can’t wait to see your sewing room. I need to work on mine!
Do you lay the oat seeds on top of the soil? I thought I’d try that for my daughter’s cats.
Charlotte – yes, just a bit of dirt and then a layer of whole oats and set them in the sun. The dish pans are sitting in a heated floor so they dry out fast!
I love the 2 sugar bowls, creamer and plate they sit on.
I wonder if you can buy oat seeds in Jordan. Our daughter and her two cats recently moved there. They flew and one of her fellow Peace Corps friends from years back went along so the cats could be in separate carriers. The cats are turning up their little noses at most food except for an import from Italy.
I see ads on other blogs, but nothing is said about closing them. However, those bloggers are constantly linking me to their etsy pages. I would rather send a check and a sase for Harvey and hear about life in NW Iowa. ! Time for some cheery spring sewing
Donna Sproston – so the cats need to eat some grass along their Italian food – don’t know if you could send some while oats to her or not. They’d probably be confiscated.
I closed 6 ads today. A lot of our snow has melted in Oskaloosa. We didn’t get this last snow that you received up there. Today I sewed at our church with other ladies. We are making quilts for a Boys Farm School in Honduras. We have probable made over 100 in the last few years. We are fortunate that we don’t have to put batting in them as it is so warm down there. We use sheets for backs. I watch for nice sheets at Thrift Stores. We have always had someone take them to Indiana, where the headquarters is for this mission project, so we don’t have the expense of shipping. Vermeer’s, in Pella, has shipped them for us when they are sending parts to the mission for the Boys Farm. We really enjoy doing this, and the boys are delighted to get them as most come to the school with very little. ‘
I really enjoy reading your blog and all the comments. Do be careful on the ice. That is the worst in the winter time.
Jeanine- what kind of design do you use for your donated quilts for the boys?
I sew with a group of ladies and we use various scraps of 6” blocks to make ours. Sometimes they all match and others times, it’s a mish mash.
We mostly do 5 or 5.5″ squares, but sometimes if we have a panel or something that works for a strip quilt we will do some like that. I made one from my 3″ squares, but usually work with 5″ squares. Ours are always scrappy. We usually do a four patch block and sometimes each row will match, and sometimes they are different but in the same color line. We work with what we have available.
Jeanine – sounds like you do what we do too. Thanks for answering. You continue to do this good needed work, please. I worry about generations after us will feel the gratification of making quilts for less fortunate people if these stories of giving aren’t talked about.
Hi Mary — no, not all blogs have adds, but many of the ones I have followed for a long time are starting to add them. Unfortunately on your blog, I see the adds, but the do not have x’s to close them most of the time. I wish they did. If I view blogs on my iPad they do not have any adds — strange.
My son paid for my blog for the next five years. He’s a nice son. Your weather looks like what we usually have in Indiana in the Winter, but this Winter has been strange. Mostly rain and temperatures way above normal. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop! I don’t know how you get so much done with two compromised knees. More than I do with two relatively good ones. Love seeing all the finished quilts and all your projects. I’ve finished one bulls-eye quilt for my grandson for his graduation and have a Christmas one almost done. Those were fun quilts to make.
Oh, I do not envy your weather! I can do snow or rain, but ice is not fun. Stay safe. As for blogs and ads, I’ve been blogging for 12 years and have never had ads on my blog, but I just blog for myself and I only have about 300 readers. I don’t post every day. I blog through Blogspot and it is free.
It was cold and windy in Wisconsin today. Sunshine made it tolerable. Went out to vote and to buy a few groceries. I’m also cleaning my sewing room. Always think I need more room but that would fill up with more unfinished projects and extra stuff too! LOL!
Glad you are making progress with your knee. Stay in where you are safe, I know the days are long when you can’t interact with the animals or friends but we all want you to be safe.
Dianna – and I will definitely stay inside!
I,too,have started watching Heartland Docs. I tape it so I can fast forward the commercials. Great show and love that they include their sons in some episodes. I am not getting your blog anymore through email. Have to search for it on Google. I tried subscribing again and it said the attempt “failed”. Is anyone else having this problem.
Diane Deibler – I’ve had others tell me this n’s it has happened to me personally when I subscribed to two other blogs. No matter what I do, I can’t subscribe and they can’t help me. It’s got to be a WordPress issue but there’s nobody to ask – just a help screen that refers you to other problems. Ugh and grrrrr.
No ads here, ever…
It was 38F here this morning when I started hanging out clothes. It was a good giggle for me (transplant from MN) to watch a lot of the neighbors scrapping off their cars. Being 20 minutes from the inland sea, we get a lot of humidity. Sunny and almost 60F predicted for later this afternoon. Plum trees are blooming and we are about 4 weeks from peak cherry blossoms. I love seeing all your outside pictures, snow included, but don’t miss it at all. Take care out there.
Deb in Japan – I have not forgotten I promised to write to you! And I will – it just seems boring to me.
Mary, As my daily life does to me. It is funny how little things we take for granted and seem common place to some are fabulously interesting to someone else.
I watched the rescue dog awards. It was pretty corny but very cute!! I’m so glad people rescue so many dogs and feel sorry for the ones that don’t get adopted. I get ads all the time – usually ones about stuff I just looked at on-line, etc. I think they’re tailored towards things we usually look at. With that said, I get the Katy Quilts blog and I know she gets a stipend from a couple companies if you go to their site through hers. Like AccuQuilt and Urban Elementz. I’ve ordered from both of them.
I have the #1 UFO top done but need to appliqué a gazillion leaves on the border so I know it won’t be done this month!
Hope your knee(s) continue to improve every day!
No ads here, ever either!
Most of the blogs I read are supported by ads, but not all. People who never see your ads probably have an ad-blocker enabled in their web browser, and may not know it’s there. Some blogs use Patreon, a system where readers can send the blogger a small monthly contribution, charged to their credit card. $1.00 is typical. I do this for some blogs.
I found a treasure on my guild freebie table today: Country Threads’ Quilt Shop Series book!
I LOVE that book and have made many quilts out of it over the years. I hope you will too, some of the patterns are crazy cool done with Kaffe Fasset style fabric.
I always get ads, usually at least 5 which is what was there today. I also miss Reed and don’t understand why he doesn’t come to you any more after all you taught him and places you went. So sad.
I closed 6 Ads today there are always a lot of them. But the other blogs I follow have ads but no closing to them. I feel bad about your weather. Have always lived in Iowa until last year when we moved to MO. After 57 inches of snow decided to retire where there is hardly any snow and a lot warmer. Love it here but miss my quilting friends. Hang in there spring is coming!!
Hi Mary,
I am getting a birds eye view of life in Iowa. I live in San Diego, CA and if I have to put on shoes with socks, well, that’s a cold day for me. But I’m a woman who doesn’t feel the cold like some of my girlfriends. I watch the news and wonder how anyone can venture out on the roads with the snow, wind and ice. Scary. Thank you for sharing you life with us. Makes me feel closer to others.
Love your quilts and books.
Happy sewing, Susy B.
That yoda dog was just toooo cute! I only have an antenna for tv, so I miss a lot of shows like that. We get Lawrence Welk on Saturday night🥴!
I got my taxes finished this morning, I must set up a better system, or schedule time to keep on top things. Their not hard, just time consuming.
This week my friend gave me jelly rolls for the jail. And more charm packs. Those women were so excited. We did show and tell first so they could share last week’s accomplishments. Then talked about all the patterns that can be done with precuts. So much fun. I wish I could take pictures of their work.
The sunshine has melted the snow just enough to freeze ice into ruts in the drive way. Scary! Let Rick take care of the barn. The ice is deadly.
Today l packed up 4 UFO quilt tops to go to a group that finish them for a women’s refuge centre, it’s going to be a long ,hard job sorting out my sewing room! Best wishes, Sandy
My sewing area is a total disaster to… must be a going trend right now!!! Lol
How is your knee from the first surgery? I’m so disappointed in my knee replacement. It clicks or pops, aches when the weather changes. I thought it would make my life easier but it hasn’t. So I pray your knees are doing good.
Kate S – oh no! What does your dr. say? My first knee went so flawlessly that of course I expected the second one to be the same but it has been more painful and debilitating- my 6 weeks appt is this Friday and I hope to get some answers.
Please go back and insist your dr. listens to you! And then let me know.
I am so sorry.
Mary-we don’t get Nat Geo wild so haven’t watched the show. The mom of one of them owns and runs Sassycat quilt shop outside of Yankton. I visited it last fall and its an awesome quilt shop on a former horse ranch. Also, not sure if its mentioned on the show, but the vet couple renovated an old hotel in Hartington, Nebraska. They are amazing people.
Jean – wow! There’s another whole series for tv – renovating a hotel! I love them both and wish there were my vets!
Did Mary also tell you that Ben’s mom owns the Sassy Cat quilt shop north of Yankton, SD? Very nice shop on a former horse ranch. And yes, isn’t the show fabulous? I may be biased since I’m a Nebraskan!!
Carmen – yes, she did tell me! I wish I could visit both establishments! I love the show!
Mary, I am so glad so are healing and your knees are getting better and stronger each week.
I have a request from your readers. I am looking for a crib sized quilt pattern to buy that has farm animals and a barn. Thanks
I also have been organizing my sewing space. I just moved my mom to senior housing so I inherited her fabric hoard!
She took some with her but the amount of fabric was quite impressive! Ha ha. I have been going through it and sorting what I want, what goes to honor quilts and what to give away. Now friends are coming over and taking what they want. It’s kinda fun. Have four more people coming, then the rest will go to a local church who makes quilts for South America:)
It was a really big job, but now everything is very organized and it feels soooo good!
You will be happy when you are done!
I’m almost finished with the quilt with embroidery, too. Hope that number is called next month! Such a fun quilt to do, too. Don’t see any name, but it’s really pretty.