Goals for WB 05-29-16 - Sunday

GO AND DO
Post office
GARDEN -
Visit and babysit with Evan - R

HOUSE

• Zone 1
• Front Porch 
• Zone
• WHB
• Entrance and 2nd floor landing
• Zone
• WHB
• Back Stairs
• Zone
• WHB
• Side Porch
• Declutter
• Zone
• WHB
• Zone 2
• Kitchen
• WHB
• Zone 3
• Bath
• WHB
• Laundry Room
• WHB
• Sewing room
• WHB
• Zone 4
• Bedroom 
• WHB
• Zone 5: 
• Living Room
• Zone
• WHB
• Study
• Zone
• WHB
• Paperwork - 
• M, W, F

GARDEN - M, W, F

• GARDEN - plant - peas,Re-plants bird hit veggies (greens, coles)
• GARDEN - Weed garden
• GARDEN - Water garden
• GARDEN - garden tools - clean and mend

DEHYDRATE

• FOOD PREP - W, F
• PREP - T, R

KITCHEN

• Breads
• whole wheat bread
• pizza dough (whole wheat)
• Challah
• Soups
• Turkey vegetable and freeze most of it
• Salad in a jar
• tossed salad, super salad

EDUCATION

• EXERCISE
• Yoga - routines 1, 2, 3 (alternate over 3 days)
• Strength - arms, legs, core (alternate and paired up with yoga routine)
• Cardiovascular - dancing, walking, marching, housework
• RUSSIAN - M, T, W, R, F
• MATH
• Algebra - M, T, W, R, F
• MUSIC
• Rachmaninoff - S, M, T, W, R, F
• RELIGION
• Torah - S, W
• Hebrew - M, R
• Holiday - T, F
• EARTH
• Pre- Camb - M, W, F
• HANDWRITING - M. T. W. R. F
• CREATIVE WRITING - M, T, W, R, F
• SCIENCE (doing review of some of work)
• Botany - S, T, R
• LEARNING TO LEARN MODULE
    
  • S, T, R
• ART - M, W, F

QUILT

• STASH REPORT (Sunday)  catch up year's amount
• DESIGN WALL (Monday) Take pix of all projects since beginning of year
• FINISHINGS - Bindings, movies, spiced tea, hot cider or hot chocolate (Friday at Open Sew)

• BINDING - 
• Baby quilt - sampler 1
• Baby quilt - sampler 2
• QUILTING 
• Baby quilt - sampler 1
• Baby quilt - sampler 2
• Awful Ugly Slippers
• Above is what I definitely PLAN - however - there ARE several others hoped for - BEFORE end of May!!!!:
• New Year's (2010) (January UFO)
• Charleston Baby blanket (2015) 
• Yellow Brick Road
• Summer Breeze (tie quilt)
• Valences (yes, these need quilting)
• Apple Cider quilt
• Lilacs in Bloom
• Hearts Around
• Hurricane Sandy
• Mondo Bag
• Cinnamon Stix and January table runner
• It's all about hearts table runner
• Luck of the Irish
• Snow people and Valentine TR

Any or all of the above completed before 05-31 will be GREAT!

• PIECING
• Eons old swap - finish ASAP and post  Deadline - 3 weeks - then turn remaining blocks into flimsy for charity
• Swaps - Caught up through JULY!!!!
• Jamestown Landing (goal would be entire flimsy - HOWEVER I will be overjoyed to get this ready for the outer border  (5 gazillion blue strings in border marching around the center!)
• Frog 2 upside down rows
• Re-do those 2 rows.
• Put rows together
• Inside border (Dark blue?)
• Four Patch Re-Visited - New and temporary LE only until 05-31!
• working on square in a square Leader - Ender method
• Orange Crush - LE
• LE in June - until all June projects completed!!!! - it is a quilt along with Wendy!
• Allieterre - still a vision on the FAR horizon! - IF and ONLY IF Orange crush is DONE DONE (quilted and bound!)

Menu for WB 05-29-16 - Sunday

SUNDAY
B:Fried eggs
L:Turkey Burgers
D:Leftovers
S:

MONDAY
B:Cous cous
L:Soup
D:Baked Stuffed potatoes
S:

TUESDAY
B:Biscuits
L:Super Salad
D:Lo country Beef and Rice
S:

WEDNESDAY
B:Hard boiled eggs
L:Cheese sandwich
D:Leftovers
S:

THURSDAY
B:Cold cereal
L:leftover casserole
D:
S:

FRIDAY
B:English muffins, Jelly
L:Leftover luncheon menu
D:Blackened salmon
S:

SATURDAY
B:Doughnuts
L:Crockpot Italian Vegetable Stew
D:Pizza
S:

Goals for the rest of WB: 05-22-16 Sunday (and this is Wednesday!)

GO AND DO
DONE Post office
Called and cancelled GARDEN -Groomer Appointments?
DONE Visit and babysit with Evan - DONE M, DONE W, DONE R, DONE S
HOUSE

• Zone 3
• Bath
• DONE WHB
• Laundry Room
• DONE WHB
• Zone 4
• Bedroom 
• DONE  Zone
• DONE WHB
• Paperwork - 
• DONE T, DONE W, 
• DONE Bills

GARDEN - M, W, F

• GARDEN - plant - peas, DONE bought in plants, squash, cucumbers, sweet potatoes
• DONE GARDEN - buy in remaining plants

EDUCATION

• EXERCISE
• DONE Cardiovascular - dancing, walking, marching, housework

QUILT

• PIECING
• Jamestown Landing (goal would be entire flimsy - HOWEVER I will be overjoyed to get this ready for the outer border  (5 gazillion blue strings in border marching around the center!)
• DONE Complete Rows
• MOSTLY DONE Put rows together
• Four Patch Re-Visited - still sitting there!  New and temporary LE!
• DONE working on square in a square Leader - Ender method

Whu-u-ups! It's MONDAY - and almost the end of MAY - and I haven't posted my menues!

SUNDAY
B:Baked eggs, milk, coffee
L:Hot Turkey sandwich, salad, tea, fruit
D:Leftovers or Pancakes
S:Milk, fruit

MONDAY
B:Couscous, brown sugar, milk, coffee
L:Green bean Soup, toast, tea, fruit
D:Mexican torta, milk
S:Milk, fruit

TUESDAY
B:Muffins, milk, coffee
L:Turkey salad, fruit
D:Pasta Turkey Satay, Baked sweet potato, salad, tea
S:Milk x 2, fruit

WEDNESDAY
B:Scrambled Eggs, w wheat toast (homemade bread), milk, coffee
L:Cheese sandwich, Milk, fruit
D:Leftovers, or Turkey burger
S:Milk x 2, fruit

THURSDAY
B:Cold cereal, milk, coffee
L:lo casserole, fruit
D:Black and White Checkered chili, corn muffins, spinach salad, tea
S:Milk x 2 , fruit

FRIDAY
B:French toast, honey, milk, coffee
L:leftovers from lunch, tea
D:Pan-roasted chicken and potatoes, Carrot coins, spinach salad, tea, challah
S:Milk x 2, fruit

SATURDAY
B:Coffeecake, milk, coffee
L:Orange chicken (turkey, subst)(crockpot), coffee or iced tea, challah
D:tuna salad, challah, milk, fruit
S:Milk, fruit

Trying ONCE again!!!!! Sparkpeople - I'm ba-a-a-ack!

Today I didn't even bother to climb onto the scales!  I KNOW I'm overweight - WAY overweight!  When I put my arms down at my sides and the pudginess keeps me from feeling my ribs - I am too entirely fat!  Not just overweight, not pudgy - but FAT!

The emphasis these days is to love yourself regardless of what weight or size you are.  Fine, well and good!  However when I'm FAT - I have increased problems breathing, problems standing and walking, my knees pop out more, my chronic fatigue makes itself known once again and my metabalic rate plummets!  I also feel bad!  WAY bad!

So - I need to tackle this problem.........  I don't know how others do it - but I DO know how I do it and what can work for me (IF I stick to it!).
1. EXERCISE!  Yoga for sure - especially if I enjoy walking, standing, sitting without pain.  And Strength exercise - my muscles are going in the wrong direction for now - and definitely need to be built up!  Especially if I enjoy the walking, standing, sitting activities for which Yoga has given me the flexibility!

Cardiovascular activity - uhm - IF I keep up the above - this one follows almost automatically - usually in the form of walking around the house, dancing (although it can - and has in the past led to knees popping out of joint again!)

2. STAY AWAY from coffee.  or at least stay away from more than 1 cup a day.  Tea is fine - to an extent - just not strong tea!

3. No dieting per se - but re-figuring my food intake options - and going for healthy food choices - and yes, I do like the Spark people diet.
a. Limit fat intake.
b. Limit sugars
c. More fiber
d. Veggies - esp raw ones are good - just watch the sauces
e. Make sure I consume 3 glasses milk daily - OR the equivalent
f. One helping
g. REGULAR times for eating.  Breakfast at 7. Morning pick me up at 10. Lunch at 12:30.
h. at 8 PM - evening snack - which is figured as part of day's caloric intake.
i. at 3 PM - afternoon snack - also part of day's caloric intake.
j. Weigh and/or measure EVERYTHING!
k. Make friends with salads!

4. Ummm - I SHOULD be journaling the diet - but considering that I spend too much time sitting and being on the computer anyway - that can be a problem.  Consider planning - and then following the plan!

5. Weigh in - uhm - this gets to be a problem and then I hyperfocus on foods and overeat or binge eat.  Consider losing inches rather than weight - and decreasing clothing size!

6. Rewards for each week?  hmmm - at this point a reward for each DAY would be nice!  should be something fun and NOT food!  Must think on this!  I definitely am too food oriented - and, no - hot fudge sundaes will NOT work as a reward! Neither will adding to my overly abundant stash!

May's quilting goals - and what I'm doing!

(Pix to come - eventually!)

Egads - I'm up to Number 20 (and probably a lot closer to #1 by now~!) on the UFO Queen's list on Stashbusters - something to NOT be proud of!  Trust me on that one!  Ah well, never mind - I'll have a week before I have to pay in a FQ should I hit the #1 spot!  And I have the little baby quilt that would be just right for it!

The numbers for May on the Numbered UFO list are - #12 - which is Four Patch Revisited and #53 which is Jamestown Landing, both Bonnie Hunter's patterns!.  I truly do NOT expect to be at the final quilting on either of these - but will be instead be glad to get them to the flimsy stage!~  I'm still at the practice a lot on the FMQ - and choose to do my practicing on table toppers of some description and baby blankets!  Hence the baby blankets!

As for pictures of either of these - well, ulp!  I don't have any yet - but I WILL have them!  and WILL update my flimsy gallery as soon as I get the pix taken!

Mostly though I'm working on Jamestown landing - and considering that prior to this month I only had 35 string blocks out of the 168 needed and that my dd and I have been doing swaps with her portion being 500 blue and white HST which would be coming my way 100 at a time (I need 840 of these doodads!)......  well, all of a sudden things started moving faster - and Wendy sent 400 to go with last month's 100 and I got busy on paperpiecing the remainder of the string blocks!  Currently I'm putting together the alternate rows (the star rows are DONE!) and will be making the remaining blue and white HSTs after I figure out exactly where I am with what!

Originally I had thought of changing the color of the intervening unit block to green - or gold - or red - because I was afraid there wouldn't be enough color in there!  ROFLOL!  Even though the string blocks are "light" - they are comprised of ALL KINDS of lights and I just love them!  Definitely enough color in there with the string blocks looking "light" from an onlooker point of view!  Love this quilt!
..............................

Re the Four Patch Revisited - I have ALL the little blocks leftover from when I downsized Bodacious to a baby quilt which I gave Evan.  While I don't have any double pink like Bonnie used - I do have several other pinks and am switching my LE to attaching the triangles for the square in a "square" (the tiny Bow-dacious 4 patch blocks)!  Still need to figure out what other color to use!  This will probably be a quilt for my bed - uhm - an alternate winter quilt????  not sure! (My Log Cabin is first choice!)   This is the LE as stated - HOWEVER since it is also a May quilt - it is of short term duration - and LE will revert back to the Orange Crush quilt once Jamestown Landing is done!

................................
Jamestown Landing is a Bonnie Hunter quilt - and found in String Fling.
Bow-dacious is also a Bonnie Hunter quilt - and is found in Adventures with Leaders & Enders.
Four Patch Re-visited is also a Bonnie Hunter quilt and is also found in Adventures with Leaders & Enders.
Orange Crush is a Bonnie Hunter mystery and is found on her blog: quiltville.blogspot.com  Quiltville's Quips and Snips.

Needless to say - I'm a Bonnie Hunter fan and I LOVE scrap quilts!

Menu for WB 05-01-16 - Sunday

SUNDAY

B:Cheesy eggs, toast

L:Hot turkey sandwich

D:Leftovers

S:

MONDAY

B:Rolled Oats, brown sugar, butter

L:Green bean soup in turkey broth

D:Turkeyetti (with veggies)
S:

TUESDAY

B:Pancakes

L:Egg salad sandwiches

D:Succotash soup

S:

WEDNESDAY

B:Poached egg on toast

L:Turkey sandwich

D:leftovers

S:

THURSDAY

B:Cold cereal, milk

L:tuna salad

D:Asian Burrito

S:

FRIDAY

B:Waffles

L:leftovers from lunch menu

D:Mediterranean fish, baked potato, sour cream (lite), spinach

S:

SATURDAY

B:Muffin

L:turkey pot pie (crockpot)

D:Noodle kugel, veggies, fruit

S:

Goals for WB 05-15-16 - Sunday

GO AND DO
DONE Post office
DONE Medical Appointments
DONE Visit and babysit with Evan
HOUSE

• Sewing room
• DONE Zone - am rearranging room - ugh!
• Zone 4
• Bedroom 
• DONE WHB
• Zone 5: 
• Living Room
• DONE WHB
• Study
• DONE WHB
• DONE Paperwork - F

GARDEN - M, W, F

• DONE GARDEN - plant - beans, bought in plants, 

QUILT

• PIECING
• DONE Swaps - Caught up through JULY!!!!
• Jamestown Landing (goal would be entire flimsy - HOWEVER I will be overjoyed to get this ready for the outer border  (5 gazillion blue strings in border marching around the center!)
• DONE HSTs - the rest of them made up - 168 I think
• working on it Complete Rows
• SOME ARE DONE Put rows together
• working on it Four Patch Re-Visited -Leader - Ender method
• Orange Crush - this will be a quilt together with Wendy - on hold until both of us are ready for it
• Allieterre - still a vision on the horizon!

Stash Report for this past week - Week 22 - 05-31-15

I could come up with some fabulous excuse - but honestly, I can't thank of any rational-lies - uh, rationalization that would be appropriate!  The reality is - I just didn't work on anything.

Well - almost!  That isn't totally true - I did add to the crazy quilt vest I'm working on and I have added more to the growing pile of square in a square thingies I'm working on (I need 120 - and have 80-90 so far, depending on how you count and how much you lie!)

But finishing....?  Nope - didn't happen!

And that has GOT to change!  For one thing (the BIGGEST thing, I'm thinking) - I am now #4 on the queen's list!  And I don't wannabe!  But I'm there!  Time to get going!

Goals for today - 05-31-15R Sunday, and Accomplishments and Future Goals!

Urgh!  Trying to write with this computer is for the birds - and birds are too nice for me to pick on (excepting those that like to invade and eat out of my garden!)  It truly has a baaaaaaad bad case of sticky fingers!  And I hope it gets over it - SOON!

It's still the weekend today - and I'm on critter patrol - feeding, medicating, walking and watering any and all the critters!  Evan is visiting Meemaw and I know he is thoroughly enjoying himself (I'm backup this weekend if Sherri has to make a fast trip to the store or back to work for a short bit!)

Weather - it must have rained a bit last night - which figures since I watered my garden yesterday!  And it looks like rain again today.  Considering how dry and powdery (like fine talcum powder) the soil has been - it has been STRONGLY needed (soil doesn't really crack like in most places - probably because there is entirely too much sand - sort of like trying to raise a garden at the beach!)

I can't believe May is over already!  Seems like yesterday  I was complaining about how fast everything is going and that it was the beginning of May when it felt like it should have been March AT THE LATEST! (Personally, I'm still working on August - 3 years ago!)

Accomplished this past month - ummm - not a lot - hence my return to outlining what I theoretically HOPE to get done!

Housewise..... and moving right along.....

Garden ..... I broke down and hired a young man to re-work my gardens.  Son was so in favor of this that he donated money as well!  I would have felt happier about hiring this young person if I had known that he was actually saving the money or using it for his expenses.  Unfortunately there were indications that this didn't happen - such as when he started off each day asking for money ahead so that he could buy some lunch - "just $10 or so" (I ate PBJ meanwhile!) despite being told (repeatedly) that he was to provide his own lunch.  Third day in he hesitantly brought up that I had deducted the $ amount provided earlier from his overall day's earnings (he was paid by the day) - at which point I looked surprised and reminded him that he was told he was to provide his own lunch - and he himself said as much as well.  He was here a week - then neither my son nor I needed (nor could afford) to have him for the following week - but he is supposed to be back this coming week to mow.  I hope he shows up.  He's a good kid - just very young.

Anyway - garden is IN - finally!  and I have a humongous pile of stuff for composting - probably enough to supply the neighbors, myself and all friends as well.

Quilting -wise - well - I'm #4 on the queen's list and may have moved up already.  Should I say more?

Study-wise - some studies added, some changed around, some being reviewed, some re-done (as in - where WAS I when I studied botany?  My brain sure wasn't engaged in it!  Am re-doing all experiments!)

Studies added include:Garden, Homestead, Food preservation, Learning to learn (learning tips), Finances, Music (yes, I have a piano), Art - as well as all the other stuff.

The Earth subject - I'm still Pre-Cambrian - which would be helped a LOT if I didn't keep finding these fascinating books (texts) on Pre-Cambrian period and the development of the planet Earth!  Of course, I'm finding LOTS of other books as well......

And, yes, I have re-designed the WAY I am approaching these subjects.  Learning calendar is definitely 6 days a week now.  Daily subjects include: Russian, Exercise, Music (practice), Math, Food preservation (trying for one food a day).

Three days a week (Sun, Mon, Tues) I also work on Religion, Earth, Creative Writing, Handwriting.

The other 3 days a week (Wed, Thurs, Fri) I work on Botany, Garden studies, Learning Tips, finances.

Very lopsided, I know - BUT I seem to be more motivated at the beginning of the week - so I can handle more.  By the end of the week, I am more than ready for a change of pace, and a lighter load. (Well.... maybe not at the VERY BEGINNING of the week!)

HOUSE

• Zone 1
• Front Porch 
• Done WHB
• Entrance and 2nd floor landing
• Done WHB
• Zone 3
• Sewing room
• Done Zone
• Paperwork

GARDEN  - not today

KITCHEN

• DAYS MENU
• done 

  
  

  SUNDAY
  B:Cheesy omelet
  L:grilled cheese sandwich, milk
  D:leftovers or breakfast for dinner
  S:fruit
• COOK
• SOUPS 
• Lentil Stew
• BREAD
• whole wheat rolls
• whole wheat bread
• Homemade granola 

PRESERVE

EDUCATION

• DAILY
• RUSSIAN
• Done Lesson 25
• Done Lesson 26
• Done Lesson 27
• MATH
• Done  103
• MUSIC
• Done  Rachmaninoff - 2nd C
• Review sect 1-5
• intensive 4-5
• once over up through 12
• EXERCISE
• Done Yoga - R1
• Done Strength - core
• Done Cardio - cleaning
• SUN, MON, TUES
• RELIGION
• Complete P. module
• JW 
• Done 147-150, 
• Song
• Done 178
• EARTH
• Done Watch How the Earth Was Made - Season 2, Disc 4 - 1 segment
• Read + Notes - Story of Earth
• Done Intro,
• HANDWRITING
• done 62
• CREATIVE WRITING
• L. 13 - 
• Done 13-3

QUILT

• done STASH REPORT (Sunday)

Goals for 05-29-15 Friday

GO AND DO

• DONE Babysit Evan

HOUSE

• Zone 2
• Kitchen
• DONE WHB
• Zone 3
• Bathroom
• DONE WHB
• Laundry Room
• DONE WHB
• Sewing Room
• DONE WHB
• Zone 4
• Bedroom 
• DONE WHB

GARDEN

• DONE Planting

KITCHEN

• DAYS MENU
• DONE 
  

  FRIDAY

  B:Breakfast out
  L:PBJ sand, milk
  D:

• 

Goals for WE 05-30-15 and WB 05-31-15

Trying again - because - I'm drifting - blast it!

Actually - have been studying - some (not enough), was babysitting quite a bit with the most beautiful baby in the world!, have been ignoring my cleaning - and my quilting as much as possible (yes, I AM in the queen's court - somewhere!)

Mostly I have decided this weekend - I am going to clean this place up (NOT done yet!), plant the garden (which has been completely re-designed - don't ask!) - and which is DONE!, sort the papers out (yeah - right!), pay the bills (MOSTLY done - and I'm broke again!), babysit (done this morning!), dehydrate stuff - hopefully, study, quilt - and in my spare 2.5 seconds that I have designated for sleep - achieve world peace!

Uh huh!

Sooooooooooooo - for THIS weekend and NEXT week - goals are......

HOUSE

• Zone 1
• Front Porch 
• Done WHB
• Entrance and 2nd floor landing
• Done WHB
• Zone 3
• Bath
• Done WHB
• Laundry Room
• Done WHB
• Sewing room
• Done WHB
• Zone 4
• Bedroom 
• Done WHB
• Zone 5: 
• Living Room
• Done WHB
• Study
• Done WHB

GARDEN

• Done Planting

EDUCATION

• DAILY
• RUSSIAN
• Done Lesson 25
• Done Lesson 26
• Done Lesson 27
• Done Lesson 28
• MATH
• Done 103
• Done 104
• Done 105
• Done 106
• Done 107
• MUSIC
• Rachmaninoff - 2nd C
• Done Review sect 1-4
• Done intensive 5
• Done once over up through 12
• SUN, MON, TUES
• RELIGION
• Complete P. module
• JW 
• Done 147-150, 
• Done 150-154
• Done 154-158
• Song
• Done 178
• Done 180
• EARTH
• Complete EH module
• Done 78-79
• Done 80-81
• Done 82
• Done Watch How the Earth Was Made - Season 2, Disc 4
• Read + Notes - Story of Earth
• Done Intro, 
• Done Birth (Ch. 1),
• Done The Big Thwack (Ch. 2)
• HANDWRITING
• Done 62
• Done 63
• Done 64
• Done 65
• Done 66
• CREATIVE WRITING
• L. 13 - 
• Done 13-2
• Done 13-3
• WED, THURS, FRI
• SCIENCE (doing review of some of work)
• L 1 
• Done 1- IL
• Done 1-Pl ID
• Done L 2 - IL
• GARDENING
• Mini Farm
• Done 5-12
• BYF
• Done 3-13
• Done 15-26

• LEARNING TO LEARN MODULE
• Done Ch. 1 
• Done Ch. 2
• Done Ch. 3
• ART
• Done Lesson 1 - Artwork

QUILT

• Done STASH REPORT (Sunday)
• Done DESIGN WALL (Monday)
• QUILTING
• Done Halloween table runner
• FOCUS on above
• Done Work on FAB 4 projects 

Menues (trying again!) for Week ending 05/24/15 and Week beginning 05-31-15

FRIDAY
B:Breakfast out
L:PBJ sand, milk
D:
S:

SATURDAY
B:Coffeecake, milk
L:Chicken Fajita Orzo, salad, tea
D:Asian burritos (use ground turkey), green salad, sweet potatoes (?)
S:fruit

SUNDAY
B:Cheesy omelet
L:grilled cheese sandwich, milk
D:leftovers or breakfast for dinner
S:fruit

MONDAY
B:Rolled Oats, brown sugar, butter, milk
L:Lentil stew, milk
D:Mediterranean Fish, broccoli, baby carrots, brown rice, salad
S:fruit

TUESDAY
B:French toast, jelly, milk
L:salad - veggie
D:Succotash soup, whole wheat rolls
S:fruit

WEDNESDAY
B:Fried eggs over easy with toast
L:cheese spread sandwich, milk
D:leftovers or breakfast for dinner
S:fruit

THURSDAY
B:homemade granola (with raisins), milk
L:lo casserole (mystery one with rice)
D:Turkey wraps, lo succotash soup and carrots
S:fruit

FRIDAY
B:waffles, syrup, milk
L:lo soup or stew, milk
D:Chicken Pasta with Artichokes (skip artichokes), spinach salad
S:fruit

SATURDAY
B:homemade doughnuts, milk
L:Orange Thyme crock pot chicken, green beans, rice, spinach salad
D:Pasta salad, tuna salad
S:fruit


Chicken Pasta with Artichokes (skip artichokes), spinach salad
Asian burritos (use ground turkey), green salad, sweet potatoes (?)
Succotash soup, whole wheat rolls
Turkey wraps, lo succotash soup and carrots
Mediterranean Fish, broccoli, baby carrots, brown rice, salad

And Mosquitos are OUT! Drat it!

Mosquitos LOVE me - for breakfast, lunch and dinner - and particularly if it is going to rain!

I've heard that mosquitos will "favor" someone who wears a scent - including scented underarm deoderants, scented hair lotion as well as perfumes and other assorted fragrances.  They will also "favor" someone who has blonde hair over brown.

So - guess what - I go charging out to my garden - complete with pear scented underarm deoderant, hair washed in aloe whatsis scented hair shampoo and otherwise resembling a fruit garden in the middle of summer.  And what color is my hair?  Well, that's a good question - I've been trying to decide that for the last 6-8 weeks - and having decided that yes, indeed, I AM allergic to hair dye - it is still blonde enough for mosquitos in the next county to come winging my way!  I swear - the mosquitos here - rather than keeping it all to themselves, put me on the net - and I ended with a full congregation of mosquitos giving thanks that I happened their way!  Ugh!

I am now back inside - complete with enough silver dollar welts that I only wish that they were in coin so I could collect and retire!

What about OFF and such like?  Outside of the fact that OFF and I don't get along on many basis (OFF spells ON to my mosquitos!) and that I am one of the lucky ones who is allergic to pennyroyal (a type of mint plant that does keep away mosquitoes - even if a person is allergic to the plant!) - I need to remember what I use every year to keep the dratted things away!  And therein lies the problem.  I seem to have a memory that doesn't remember important little things like this!  Ask me what the square root of - well, I don't remember that either - but you get the idea!

I do remember using cider vinegar and that it helped.  Now if I could remember if I used it BEFORE I went outside and it worked - or if I used it AFTER I came back in and that the vinegar killed the mosquito itch!  I do suspect though that since vinegar's effectiveness for many things lies in its acidity - that I used it BEFORE I went out.  So will have to test that and see.  More later.

Garden is IN!

Garden is IN!  With exception of.... Sweet corn, squash, melons, asparagus, and pumpkin, that is!  But the Root vegetables, leafy greens, coles, tomatoes/peppers/eggplants, beans (I didn't plant peas this year!), potatoes are planted.  Admittedly - I WILL have to transplant seedlings from the coles from one place to another a bit later - but overall - all of this is in - and I even have 1 bed for a second, third and fourth planting of lettuce!  And all of this in hopes of finishing off leftover seed from last year!  And - yup - I STILL have SOME seed left over - but may do a second seeding later!

Now to get the rabbit wire cages up and in place - and I would love to do this one tomorrow!  Hopefully none of the birds were watching!

Tomorrow I am hopeful of getting the asparagus in - as well as the rest of everything - and maybe even getting the fence put up for the blackberry bushes!

OH - and my Grape vines are starting to leaf out!  Whew!  I ALMOST pulled them out thinking that our last late freeze had killed them off!  Still I know there is definitely damage - just not sure how much!

And the raspberries - the tree in the middle of that patch is a mulberry! and it is doing a berry thing!  Sigh!  I do love mulberry trees!  Still remember eating myself silly on them as a kid!

Sorry - no pix today - will take some tomorrow and post then!

The Reason why......

The reason why I haven't been blogging the last couple of days............

My son came over Tuesday after work and got my tiller started - fresh gas - the whole thing!  YAY!

Of course, this meant that I had no longer an excuse to not till - so I did.  OMG!  Am I out of condition!  I am by NO means a lightweight - in fact I have 35 more pounds to lose (I've lost 40 pounds already! Two years ago!) and have been bouncing around on the scales + or - 5 pounds and generally on the fence about the whole thing.  Still and all - when I was running the tiller I felt like Linus and the Security blanket in the Peanuts cartoon strip!  That tiller ran wantonly all over the place and whenever I would finally get it to turn the corner, I'd go whipping around it just like I was taking flight!

About that time, my back decided it was time to kick in and make itself felt. DEFINITELY felt!  To the point of tears!  Son came back over when I called him to start the tiller again (it doesn't like me!) - and finished the last little strip!  At any rate I told him that HE could keep the thing over there!  And NEXT year I was getting either a high wheel cultivator or a Ro-Ho - both of which are NOT machine driven but people powered and both of which I can handle - probably with less pain!   Nathan, being "modern" and very mechanical and machine "more power" minded, was not impressed!

At any rate - after tilling I DID get my potatoes in before it rained (just a spit and fit rain), showered, ate - and fell asleep right after I medicated my Widget cat!  At 8 PM, no less!  AND slept until 8 AM Wednesday!

After medicating Widget (morning insulin) again, I was outside again - weeding strawberry plants, planting beans, and generally leveling out the soil in the big garden as well as the strip garden (4' x I think it is 40' long).  Came in, showered, straightened house, sat down - and woke up 3 hours later!

Geez!  would like to think it is all the fresh air!  More likely - it's all the Tiller Trauma and bending over!  All I can say is - I sure wish I had invested money in those back patches!  I'da made a mint by now!  Just on my useage!

today - it's back outside for a spot of weeding (strawberries! and I have a hunch that it is either woodbine OR it's P***** I*y I'm pulling!  Ugh!  woodbine has 5 leaves, PI has 3 and this has either one!)

After weeding - it's planting any root crops, brassicas, salad crops.  NOT planting peas this year - too late I think!  NEED to plant corn now - but really chilly out and I'm not fond of having seed rot in the ground!

More later!  Who knows - I may actually take pictures!!!!!

What's on Tuesday's Agenda?

GO AND DO

• DONE Post office
• DONE 3 meals a day
• DONE 3 snacks (part of each meal) - and mention

GARDEN - 

• DONE D group - feed and prepare soil.  Set up wood frames.  clear back fence.
• DONE Orchard - plant remaining trees, clean between trees and get plantings done.  mulch orchard and bushes.
• DONE Plant all Root crops

STUDIES - (NOTE - will work on week's assignments - Mon AM to update from weekend frenzy)

• EXERCISE - 
• DONE garden

MENU

TUESDAY
B:Apple Fritters, tea
L:vegetable soup
D:Layered enchilada casserole, orange sections

KITCHEN

• SOUPS (serving kept out for Monday - freeze the rest)
• DONE Vegetable soup
• BREAD
• DONE Apple Fritters
• MAIN DISHES
• DONE Corned beef - cooked but ate at Nathan and Lynn's last night!