Monday, April 20, 2015

Aprons

To my family, I am a person with many aprons, yes, aprons.  I wear them almost always when I am cooking and also when I am baking.  I enjoy making pies and breads and seem to get lots of flour everywhere.  I have a great time and my aprons show it.  I have about eight hanging on a large hook in my kitchen pantry.  I also have two hanging on a nice hook in my "glamper" so I can have them while cooking, even over a camp fire.  

Recently I pulled them all out and washed and hung them on the outside line to dry.  They looked so pretty that I took some photos and will try to download one on this post.  As I am not that knowledgeable about the process, I will tell you that I will try.

Today I had the wonderful privilege of spending the day with my 12 year old granddaughter and her mother, my wonderful daughter in love, Kathy.  Kathy had asked me to come help Alorah sew an apron for her Project Fair sewing project.  She has made many wonderful things, but Kathy felt that in my helping Alorah sew this apron, we would also make memories.  And, I must say we did.  We had some great conversation, and laughed and even had lunch together along with her mother and brother. 

Alorah, soon to be 13, still likes Grandma time, and I feel blessed.  The memories we made today will stay with me always.  I will enjoy seeing her wear her apron.  I even got a few scraps of the fabric to put into my next crazy quilt.  As I had just made a really nice full apron, I wore it to visit them.  This helped me with earning my badge on aprons with Mary Jane Farms Sisterhood.  It also was fun to do.  I also wore this apron to my knitting circle to show it off as it is so very special.  The print is "aprons" and I purchased this print from our local famous quilting shop in Hannibal, Missouri.  It is called "Hickory Stick" and has been featured in quilting magazines.  I did note that they had similar fabric at Hobby Lobby, so check it out and have fun making your own apron.  Really, they are fun and fancy, and very useful.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Is It Easy Being Green?


Today, April 15, may not be a great day for those who procrastinated on getting their taxes done.  I am sorry for you.  As I had mine done early, not because I get a great refund, actually no refund, because we pay quarterly as farmers/business.  Anyway, is it easy being green when it comes to taxes (money), maybe not.  Kermit the Frog says it is not easy being green.  As I was walking my Daisy Mae Foxhound today I was wondering how easy it is for the grass, shrubs and trees to be green.  They do it every year, and I, for one, am so very thankful.  Even my strawberries are green and wonderful looking.  Actually, they are blooming.  My rhubarb has had one picking as of today.  The lawn has been mowed three times.   I am sure these plants go through lots of transformation to become green again.  I am so thankful.

Today I took out of the freezer my last package of homegrown strawberries.  Yes, from the patch mentioned above.  I also pulled some of the first rhubarb for the season.  I have two large plants and they are now five years old.  I was told the first three years not to use them.  It was so hard as they looked so nice.  I am glad that I did as told, as now, well, they look even nicer.  At this moment I have two strawberry/rhubarb pies in the oven.  One will be for us and one will go to our neighbors from South Africa.  Actually I am not sure if they have rhubarb there, so it will be something different for them to try.  Jonika makes us traditional things from South Africa, which is interesting for us to try also.  

Is it easy being green?  Even if it is not.  Thank you trees, shrubs, plants, even wildflowers.  We are blessed with green.  Spring time is grand, even if you have to pay your taxes today because you waited until the deadline!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Out and About

Spring in rural Northeast Missouri is a time of change as it is in many parts of our wonderful country.  For us, it can be cool one day and actually hot the next.  It may say it is going to rain and be bright and sunny all day.  We need the rain very much, but we also enjoy the sunshine.  It helps with the spring fever.

Spring fever.....well, for city people, it may be a stroll to the park, but for this country person, it is work, and hard but rewarding and refreshing work.  I have flower beds to clean out and then put out all the wonderful adds to my beds, like birdbaths and wind chimes and even ceramic birdhouses.  I enjoy some ceramic poppies on long metal stems which an artist friend made for me.  They are bright red, yellow and blue, and until the real things bloom, they cheer me.

My hot box is planted with many kinds of veggies and each time I head to water it I am waiting to see the first sprouts.  Yes, I do a little happy dance when I see them.  It means the seeds germinated and plants will grow if I tend to them.  I should even have plants to share with others.

As I grocery shop, I cannot help but stop to pick up a few pounds of potato sprouts for planting and some onion sets maybe.  I also found a wonderful new daisy plant this year called an Osteospermum or South African Daisy.  It is just so wonderful so I have plants to get another this week when in town.  You see our town is 15 miles away and I really only try to head that way on Tuesdays and Thursdays and of course Sunday for church.  

On Tuesday I go to the Y for yoga (wonderful) and swimming laps, a hit to the hot tub, shower, do the library run, and visit friends at the quilt shop before heading to the famous Java Jive coffee shop in downtown Hannibal, Missouri, where my knitting circle meets.  We have lunch, knit and talk and talk and talk.  Afterwards I may go visit another friend or run an errand.  

On Thursday it is a repeat at the Y and then I usually do errands such as grocery shopping.  I may hit our church thrift store mostly to visit with my friends, but sometimes find wonderful things for my stash for crazy quilts.  However, I don't look long because I so enjoy living in my country home that I want to get back, take my Daisy Mae Foxhound for a walk.  Yes I go for a walk with her on days I am at home, maybe several walks to total about 4 miles.  But on my Y days I still take her for a walk of maybe a mile.  It is about the quiet and the time outdoors with my best friend forever.....Daisy Mae, my dear dog.