A DECEMBER PREVIEW

 The Fall items of orange were all exchanged for the red and green!  The tree still needs its skirt but I still have a box to go through. I find I put up less each year! I was still pretty tired out but did enjoy putting up some new decorations. 

 I will look forward to church today, grateful that I have survived another health crisis. 

 I can't think of the last time I mustered the energy to put up Christmas colors before December first!

SLOW IS A GOOD THING

Unwinding with a bit of knitting....Sea Haven sweater #7!

Lena is glad the company is gone...three dogs were just too exhausting!  

 

WED/TH CATCH-UP

I did finish the Christmas table runner and

the New Year's table runner in between

 all of the food prep on Wednesday.

Here's proof I can bake pies, even if I only do it once a year!!!

The gathering around our thankful table.

After dinner, we did our usual shooting and I blew up an old stove by shooting the container of tannerite inside the oven! 

 Real country fun. 

 The kids did shooting, tractor rides and climbing trees.

Our house was full of grand-pups, too.  

 

ANOTHER TABLE RUNNER

I put the binding on the New Year's table runner

 (the black and gold  one) and decided to use some Christmas fabric to make one with the same pattern.  The triangles along the side were too much like the fabric I fussy cut in the middle so I took them off the design board and tried a different print.

Ah, yes!  The red plaid was just the contrast it needed!  

I added the borders and then the piecing began!  Everything went smoothly and soon it was ready for the frame.

I did have to piece a backing because I made this runner a bit longer than the pattern suggests.  It is basted in place and I will do the stitching tomorrow in between kitchen work--I have a houseful coming and we do like to eat!!!

 

A GOOD START TO THE WEEK

The quilting was completed on the runner.

I think it passed inspection!  

I ran out of steam before I could get the binding sewn on.

But I did refresh my knitting skills

while I stayed in bed for the afternoon!

 

A SIDELINE ADVENTURE

 

So I learned that a prescription like Lyrica (pregabalin) cannot be stopped because it will cause withdrawals of the most horrible kind.  It has not been pretty and yesterday I woke Bill up to take me to the ER!  The doctors hooked me up to an IV, did a chest Xray and an EKG and then administered an anti-seizure meds along with something for the nausea.  After 20 minutes, they gave me some Lyrica and a 'script for a few more to take (2xday) until the mail order meds arrive.  I only missed two days of the meds which are from a mail order pharmacy and I'm telling you,

 I thought I was dying!

My official diagnosis was titled,

"Substance Withdrawal".  

Not one of my proudest moments.

ALL IN A DAY

First thing yesterday morning, I finished cleaning out the good and the bad pieces of wood and didn't I drop on which kicked out another piece which almost took me out!  It is mostly just a bad scrape and after a good cleaning out, I decided to head to the studio for some less dangerous work!!!

This is fabrics from the latest FatQuarterClub at my local quilt store, it is so very classy!!!  (I am going to cut out the fabric from last month's selection and use the pattern again for a Christmas one!)  It measures  15" x 40". 

And after that satisfying morning, DH asked me to go one last time to look at this vehicle.  Suffice it to say he loves wheeling and dealing and I DO NOT!  7 hours later, we drove it home.  I will be more excited about it when I recover from the mind numbing experience of spending a Friday night at a dealership!  

 (2023 Ford Explorer)

 

IN ACTION!

The morning went fine after the mammogram; 

 what a barbaric test anyway! 

 Well, when I got home, I couldn't wait to get out and play....it was a lot of work and I am sore this morning but it was worth it! 

 I got so much wood sorted and cut into manageable chunks

 in just a few hours!  

See, all labeled and sized to grab and put right on the lathe whenever I want to now!  I am going to cut a bit more this morning and finish sorting through the pile and then I will move into the studio and get creative with fabric for a change!  

 

A SAWBUCK IS ACHIEVED!

Bill bought me the supplies and I went to town with the construction!  Several hours later, I have a fold-up SawBuck for cutting my logs and pieces of wood for use on the lathe!

The two legs are closer on one end 

to be able to support smaller chunks of wood.

The chainsaw has oil now and I have fired it up! 

 I can't wait to use it today!

(but first I have to go into town for a mammogram--how irritating is that?!)

 

SOME TIME OFF

I had to go to the doctor yesterday because of a UTI. 

 I didn't feel like doing much

 but Lena and I had a good long sit on the front porch.

  I do love this time of year!

This is what I was looking at from our bench--the sun going down, the sound of birds and being calm.

This is what Lena was focused on---birds on the ground, 

feasting and being 'noisy'!!!  lol

 

A SWEATER PARADE!

 Here  are the six sweaters that I have knit using the Sea Haven sweater pattern.  I used a DK yarn from Drops, Merino Cotton. 

  And I ordered some red yarn to knit in time for Christmas!  

This is what Florida calls a Bleeding Heart vine. it is very pretty and blooms all summer until a frost kills it for the winter. This is in the same family as the very tall plant I posted the other day.

It is hard to see that they are in the same family since the flowers are different, and the leaves are different and the stalk/vine structure is different

 but no one asked me how to group plants!!!  lol  

A SOCK IS BORN

 One sock done and the second one just begun!  I hope to stay home today and start to catch up on a lot of things again--watering plants, filling bird feeders, doing some stitching

 and catching up on blogs again!  I am missing everyone!

SWEATER FOR SUNDAY

The best sweater knit #6 is completed and blocked 

and ready to wear  today to church!

I had a good time figuring out a slightly different pattern for the yoke on this one.  I am wondering if I could tackle a colored yoke for my next one!  The pattern is Sea Haven, in Drops Cotton Merino yarn on #4 and 6 needles.  

(I will post a pic tomorrow of all of the sweaters in one pic!)

 

AMAZING PLANT FACTS

Clerodendrum Trichotomum is finally doing its thing!!!!  See the berries forming?  Soon they will turn a very deep blue!  It is one of the rare natural blue dyes on the planet!  I have been reading up on how to dye with it so you will see a follow-up post eventually!

This plant is tall--15+' right now!  

Here is another plant that shows up in November,

 it is the Indian Pipe or Ghost Pipe.  It looks like a mushroom or fungi but it is a plant that just lacks chlorophyl!   The little bell shape at the end is the flower and has a very pleasing aroma.

 

NEW EXPERIENCES

There is such a pretty park with a paved path around this large pond.  It was a perfect day for a walk 

after waking up to another freeze!

On the other side of the pond, the lighting was so different!  

This photo has no adjustment on the color!

I saw this new-to-me tree called a Chinese Elm.  This is about 5' from the ground, about 18" diameter and just a crazy section with so many branches!  I would love to get my hands

 on a piece like this to work on the lathe! lol  

The park would probably frown on my idea though!

The leaves were in clusters with the round, brown things that were flowers but I didn't see any berries.

And to top it off;  Jeremiah's Italian ice Gelatis and soft ice cream in Mango! Think orange ice and vanilla for a wonderful Creamsicle taste! Delicious!

 

A DIVERSION

 The binding was attached, and the quilt folded up to go to the label lady from QOV.  I will be delivering it next week.

The stars and swirls go well together

 and are an easy panto to use.

I'm staying at my sons for a few days;  and though it looks like we have gone into the everglades, it is just a short walk from their home.  So much of the wetlands have been filled for new housing and it is a foolish way to build.  When the wetlands are destroyed, so is the water table.  This is an old neighborhood and the builders maintained a balance between the low, water areas and the places they built houses.  Much smarter!  

We also saw so many birds-storks, herons and egrets to name a few!  The tree cover was so dense,

 I couldn't catch a photo of any of them!

IT'S THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE!

I have wanted to have my 'own' chainsaw for a while now and since Bill has had such shoulder troubles, I can't rely on him to be the chainsaw guy for me.  Anyhow, I watched a great review

 from one of the Wood Turners I enjoy on YouTube 

and this is what he recommended.  

And now I have one!  Bill helped me figure it out and charge the batteries, etc.  I can't wait to put it to use in the lathe area!  Most of the wood I have needs to be trimmed or split

 and now I can do it when the muse hits!  I'm pretty excited!  

On the way to church yesterday, we saw that the field we pass was finally cut and baled!  We were afraid it wasn't going to get done this year!  I love the way a freshly cut field looks!