Under the Needle: April

 I've had quite a few folks ask how I accomplish so much. I guess it's all a matter of perspective because I don't feel like I get much done. All of us are busy in different ways and I think we all juggle our hobbies around the rest of the things that fill our days. 

When we have company, I don't sew a stitch and this month we had 3 different sets, totalling 8 nights. I love having friends and family here and as much as I enjoy sewing, I will always table it in order to enjoy time with them because being present with them is important to me.

I also started the year with a backlog of finished tops. I don't usually quilt my own quilts and I hand them off to my friend Jackie and her daughter so, with the exception of the Smokey the Bear quilt, the finishes so far this year have only needed binding and they haven't been huge quilts. I hand bind and I am VERY slow at that. 

I always have multiple projects going on at once and they are all at various stages. It works well for me. And I make simple quilts. 

This month I cut and mailed 8 yards of fabric for a low volume swap I joined

 I started pulling fabrics for an I Spy quilt for our grandson

And I made a couple of simple aprons for grandbabies when they are cooking up fun in the kitchen

I am currently binding my Love You S'more Camping Quilt in the evenings

I added the last stitch to a Fall Flannel quilt

And  I finished this Smokey the Bear quilt as a raffle quilt for a fundraiser that's coming up in a few days 

I'm squeezing in those stitches whenever I can, but I'm pretty sure we all do that when it comes to making quilts.

Smokey the Bear Quilt

 As soon as I finished the Smokey the Bear top, I took it to Jackie and asked her to put it in front of the 3 quilts I had taken her earlier. A few days later she called and said it was ready. She and Sandy are so very kind.

Last month, I had mentioned about possibly making a Smokey the Bear quilt as a fund raiser for our local volunteer fire department. Our little town is home to Smokey the Bear and the annual Smokey the Bear Days are being held in a few days.  Our son and DIL had gifted me 2 bolts of this fabric last month

 so I quickly whipped up this quilt 

I selected this free pattern

I loved the orange with it up close, but once I got it all together, I didn't care for it as much. It still seems a little loud so I'm thinking it would have worked better if I had decreased the width of the strip or used a different color.

Still, I think it turned out cute and I hope it'll be a good fundraiser.

I used both fabrics on the back

And pulled this brown gingham and cut it on the bias for the binding

Jackie and Sandy quilted meandering leaves across it

It finishes at 60 x 75...a good snuggle size

I couldn't resist this photo op. 😊

Chick Moving Day

 I guess they aren't really moving, but just being shuffled a bit and set free to expand their world a little. We brought them home March 21st and after 3 weeks in their little heated brooder (really just an empty water trough) 

we moved them into a cage in the coop on April 12 so that the older hens could get acquainted with the new tenants, yet still remain separate for a bit until the youngsters grew a bit more.

DH had added a new jungle gym using scrap lumber for them to play on - they loved it

They stayed in there for about 10 days and we turned them loose on Wednesday

Everyone will stay shut in and not be let out to free range for a few weeks until the little ones understand that this is home though they have access to the coop and chicken yard.

It took a little while, but they finally ventured into the yard

DH added a cement block to give them a stepping stone

The older ones won't be very happy since they are used to their freedom, but they'll be fine and it's only temporary.

DH also added a new roosting place in the yard

It was an instant hit with the guineas

The pecking order is being established

It'll take a few days for them to become acquainted, but everyone is settled in for the night.

And in a few weeks the 7 little ones will join them 

When Friends Become Family

 On Friday afternoon, I drove into town to pick up a friend from the airport who was flying in to spend the weekend with us. When we moved here, I sent her this photo and said, "Come visit!".

I wrote a post about this special couple who we've known for almost 30 years HERE. Through those years, they became family and I could not have gotten through the year my mom was sick, her passing, or the packing up and selling of her and daddy's home without these special people.

 Sadly, Bob passed in 2021, but Sue and I have kept in touch and I was so looking forward to her visit. She was due to land at 4:39. I went in early to run a few errands. Needed to pick up horse feed and a dab of groceries and make a few more stops.

She texted me at 3:00 and said, "If you are on your way, turn around. I missed my connection."

She had been visiting their daughter, SIL, and grandkids in Colorado and the flight was delayed because they had to de-ice the plane. She rushed to make her connection and got to the gate 13 minutes before take off and they wouldn't let her board.

Our airport is tiny. There are only 3 flights per day, but she was able to secure a seat on the next flight coming in at 9:39. 

We live 1 hour and 25 minutes from the airport and there was no sense in going home so I puttered in town. I rarely have the time to do that. I had a lengthy conversation with.an employee at the local hardware store. I poked around for a long time at the nursery, I wrote a card and tucked chocolate bunnies in my former boss' mailbox, I found some cute clothes for grandkidlets at Marshall's and some goodies to tuck into the welcome basket in the guest room. I strolled around Hobby Lobby and then Sue called me to say her flight had been delayed due to mechanical issues. Then it was delayed again until they could locate another plane...and pilot...and flight attendants. She told me to go home and she'd just get a hotel for the night when she got in. Absolutely not. So I read in the truck until her plane landed at 11. 

What a long day for her, but I told her that there was no clock watching where we lived and we spent a wonderful, relaxing weekend just catching up. 

We chatted over a puzzle when the cold wind picked up on Saturday

And explored a few trails on Sunday after Easter dinner. I introduced her to the chicks

And evening chores

And we shared stories and memories and reminisced all weekend before her return flight on Monday. My Daddy used to call them "the kids" because they were about 6 years younger than my folks. I have to say that Sue makes 79 look really good! She's such a joy, young at heart, kind, agile, and athletic. I want to be like her when I grow up!

Her sweet Bob and my mom and daddy would be happy to know we're keeping in touch. I love it when friends become family.

Project Updates

The other evening, as we collapsed into our chairs out on the deck, I told DH that he had certainly tackled a lot of projects in the 8 months we'd been here, but I wished he'd slow down just a little. It was Sunday and he'd just worked 12 hours on his current project.

He replied that there were so many projects and he didn't feel like he'd accomplished much.

10 days ago he made another 12 hour drive to check on our cows and put out bulls. He drove down Wed., put out bulls on Thurs., and drove back 12 hours on Fri. 

 The next morning he was out in his shop by 7. He's been designing and building a hay fork for the skid steer.

He's always been super handy, but even after all these years, I am impressed with how much he can do. Every so often he'll request my assistance and I'm always willing to help, but he really does deserve better help. The other day he asked me to man the skid steer and I broke out in a sweat. LOL

But with his direction, I was able to manuever things into place so that he could finish welding

 We spent 3 afternoons pulling and cutting out old buried high fence 

down by the old homestead

We straightened it all out as best as we could

And then we rolled it all up by hand so that DH could squish it and cram it into the dumpster. We ended up with 5 huge rolls.

His next project was a 22' flagpole

When our boy was here, they sunk the pipe 10' into the ground  and put in 5' of concrete. Then DH welded up the rest and we were ready to roll

our innaugeral flag day was April 14th

One of the first things we said when we looked at this property was, "What a beautiful spot! It just needs a flagpole right here." Mission accomplished

 

I'm grateful that we are still physically able to do these sorts of things, but we definitely feel every bit of the 60+ years that we are when we fall into bed at night.

However, at the end of the day, with the help of a couple of Advil, we get to close out the day together on the deck and thank God for all of it.

Adding to the Flock

Yes, we have 6 laying hens. 

Yes, we have 4 guineas.

Yes, we just added 18 baby chicks.

Yes, we have more than we need.

 

Yes, I just picked up 7 more.

Yes, we may be in need of an intervention. 😂