TNT: Tiny Trees

 

The only cross stitching that happened this week was to add five little trees to the squirrels patch of the Garden. I'm afraid to count how many more of these trees I have to stitch. My brain goes numb just thinking about them all. I need to get on a schedule where I just do one a day. I might be able to handle that. 

The little trees might be tedious but the quilt is anything but. The blocks are flying by. I finished number 12 this week and have started number 13. 

As for Taylor Barbie's dress, my plan to line the bodice worked perfectly in theory but it was too small. I'm going to have to add an additional seam allowance. I'm doing all this stitching by hand since my machine tends to eat up small pieces like this and I have to say it's been a much better experience with at least 80% less swearing. 

Explain This

 

When I posted about my rogue Black-Eyed Susans you all did a great job of explaining to me how they jumped out of the pot and into the front bed. Now tell me how a broccoli plant sprouted up in the middle of a dry patch in the front yard. I have never planted broccoli here. My neighbors don't have gardens. They pretty much have let their yards go to forest. There's even a tiny head of broccoli. Crazy, right? 

In garden news that makes sense, my cherry tomatoes have tomatoes. 

The pot of lilacs that I've had for years has produced its very first flower. 

And my pot of herbs has really taken off. I guess all the extra sun on the deck is a good thing for them. Not so much for me.

It was really hot again today so The Mister and I spent some time filling out our mail in ballots for the upcoming primary. It took a lot of homework since it seems that everyone and their brother is running for office these days. Thanks to the Supreme Court, being a public servant is now a ticket to untold wealth so it makes sense to throw your hat in the ring. It's better odds than playing the lottery. 

Absent Friends

 

Blogger is driving me crazy. I keep track of all my friends out in Blogland by using the Blogger Reading List but it hasn't been updating very well. I won't see anything new and then I'll see several day's worth of posts. I check for updates every day. Sometimes several times a day and always when I'm writing my own daily post. If you think I've been ignoring you, I swear, it's not me. 

In other news, my Saturday haul from the Farmer's Market looked like this.  Not too impressive. There's a lot out there but I was too hot and grumpy to want to spend any time shopping. I told The Mister this might just be my last trip until cooler weather.

We're always down there early, at 8 am, when it opens because The Mister has to have his oatmeal whoopee pies from the Amish stand and they sell out fast. The problem is the sun off the bay cooks that area of asphalt in the early morning since we are on the western shore. I usually stay in the shady park once it gets this hot with Pup while he shops. No fun there but I hate to be hot. Pup's not crazy about the heat either.

I Knew It

 

The Swiftieverse was all in a twitter yesterday over the release of the single I Knew It, I Knew You from the upcoming Toy Story 5.

There were hints last month that something was coming. She telegraphs with her outfits and this one had social media in a tizzy making guesses so.....

...a few weeks ago I went looking for blue striped material for Taylor Barbie.

I made my first attempt yesterday and it didn't go so well. The neckline is wrong. The waist needs to be dropped. The skirt needs to be wider and longer. I'm also going to try to line it next time to stiffen that bodice. It was 92 degrees here yesterday so fooling around with doll clothes was a good way to waste a terribly hot afternoon.

You're Only Old Once

 

I was thinking about this book yesterday after I realized that my home has become a nursing facility over the past few months.

I was sitting in my chair at the time with my new lumbar support pillows that I carry around all day so I can sit comfortably for more than a few minutes. 

I just added this crazy looking thing to my bed pillows because I keep waking up with a stiff neck. It's an ergonomic neck pillow. Then there's the stability balls all over the house. They get a lot of use.

On my nightstand is a new tens unit for my back. It's keeping my glucose monitor, blood pressure cuff and pulse oximeter company. 

The thing that really broke me was this. I had to get one after I spent a day thinking I had taken a double dose of my new meds because I couldn't remember if I had taken them already. I've never had to deal with daily pills before and nothing screams OLD to me more than having to have one of these now. 

Except maybe still having The Mister's walker by the tub so I can haul my old carcass out safely. I don't want any falls. I've seen what falls can do especially when you're slippery and wet. No one wants to go out in an ambulance in their birthday suit. I sure don't. 

Are We There Yet?

 

The hardest part of these long commutes is this right here. Pup does not travel well. She pants and frets the whole way up and back. I have to sit in the back with her on long trips or she whines the whole time. I pack pillows and blankets and try to make a cozy spot for us so I can knit but she politely paws at my arm for the whole two hour trip making getting anything done impossible. Thankfully we are done for a few weeks. We go back for another few days in early July.

We usually arrive around 9:30 just after breakfast. I had to laugh at Baby Grand walking around eating a bag of Cape Code Kettle Chips yesterday morning. I remember Daughter's carefully planned and executed organic meals when Big Grand was a baby. The chaos that the second one brings usually puts a quick end to all that. It's suddenly all about survival.

While Baby Grand was concentrating on his chips, Big Grand was working on his new obsession. Legos. Tiny little Legos that make cars and trucks. He spent almost the entire day working on this snowplow.

I coaxed him into taking a break with some kaleidoscopes I had brought. He figured them out right away. Baby Grand kept holding them up to his nose. 

 

Wednesday WIPs: Sockapalooza

 

There's a lot going on in the sock basket at the moment. I've got all the disciplines covered it seems. Double points. Magic Loop. Two on one needle. When you've got this many going at once you've got to break up the monotony. 

The only other thing that got any love this week was Chestnut. I finished that top green section and have headed into another dark brown pattern row. It really pays to have put it in the knitting stand next to my chair because I've been able to pick it up pretty regularly. One round a day really adds up.