The Finish Line…

Although I’m still recovering from surgery, I am happy to say that I’m getting more mobile with every day that passes.  I am now able to fix most of our (simple) meals, wash dishes, and fold laundry.  Poor Charming had been performing all of these tasks, plus the other chores that I would have normally handled such as feeding and watering the cats and dog, cleaning the litter box, laundry, sweeping, and taking out the trash as well as cooking.  He does all of this in addition to grocery shopping, keeping the woodstove stocked with wood, packing for the upcoming move to the farm, and small renovation projects.  Most importantly, he is responsible for keeping my tomato seedlings alive and watered.  He has performed admirably and simply says that it’s just part of living up to the “in sickness and in health” part of our marriage vows.  (He really is such a good guy.)

I’ve spent most of this past week finishing up the sweater that I’ve been knitting.  I have to say that I’m really happy with the way it turned out.  It fits like it’s supposed to and will look really nice with a turtleneck shirt and jeans.  The pattern that I used is knit from the top down, which means that I start knitting at the collar, work the shoulders, body, and finally the sleeves.  When you knit a top down sweater, there is very little sewing to do because there are no seams in the sweater.  The body is knitted in one piece and the sleeves are knitted onto the body of the sweater.  The stitches for the button bands on the front of the sweater are simply picked up and knitted, not sewn on separately.  This is my absolute favorite type of sweater to knit because, unlike a regular sweater that is knit in several different pieces and then sewn together, you don’t end up having a gazillion threads to weave in at the end.  It’s really a marvelous way to knit a sweater!

In addition to knitting, I fill my waking hours with playing spider solitaire on the computer, reading magazines, checking out recipes on my favorite recipe websites (bettycrocker.com, allrecipes.com, pamperedchef.com, bobsredmill.com and kingarthurflours.com).  Although this may seem like a life of leisure to most people, it’s pretty tough for someone who really prefers to move around and actually “do” things. 

I have to admit that this temporary sedentary lifestyle has made me realize how fortunate I am to be in good health (normally).  I have great sympathy for those who are unable to get up and move around freely.  After the memory of this surgery fades, I need to make myself remember how lucky I am to be able to get out of bed every day and do the things I love to do like working outside in the garden, taking a walk in the fresh air, and even just walking up or down stairs.  A healthy, working body is a wonderful thing!

My sweater.  Looks like it's on a mannequin, but it's me holding onto my "scooter".

I'm ashamed to say that Charming's shorts actually fit me...uggghh!

The back side is definitely not my best side.  (I do love the colors in this yarn!)

A length of knitted cord, doubled into two loops form this button closure.

An Idle Mind…

For the past three weeks I’ve divided my time between sitting in my recliner in the living room and sleeping in the bedroom.  If I sit too long in the recliner, my left shoulder-blade starts to ache.  Sleeping in bed presents its own problems as well because I do not sleep well on my back so I awkwardly shift from one side to the other many times during the night.  The side shifting is necessary because the weight and size of this honking-big foot cast makes it necessary for one leg to be positioned away from the other, in scissor-like fashion.  This causes my hips to ache, so sleep is elusive for the most part.  However, looking on the bright side, I only have three more weeks to go with the cast.  On my next doctor visit on the 28^th, I should get a “walking cast”.  I’m hoping it will be the kind that I can remove while I’m sitting and sleeping.  I shouldn’t whine, though, because I know life could be much worse.  I’m thankful that I did not have a lot of pain from the surgery.  I don’t work, so there was no need to take time off from work.  AND…I should have better balance and no (or substantially less) foot pain after this is all over.

I do have to admit that the surgery has allowed me plenty of time for knitting and crocheting.  I’ve completed several projects already and when I’m not knitting or crocheting, I keep occupied with designing new patterns.  Before surgery, I loaded up a box with a fair amount of yarn and brought it up from my basement craft room because I didn’t want Charming to have to root through my stash to bring me what I needed.  (I think Charming’s sense of “manliness” would definitely have taken a hit if he had to sort through my yarn on a daily basis.) 

In addition, I have managed to fix a basic supper a couple of times…really just spaghetti and meatballs that I had made pre-surgery with store-bought sauce.  With Charming putting the pot of water on the stove and draining the spaghetti after it was cooked, we managed to have some semblance of a regular meal. 

I’ve also spent quite a bit of time surfing the internet.  It was on the internet that I found instructions to make “energy balls”.  These are protein-rich, bite-sized pieces of goodness that taste a lot like candy.   There are many different recipes, using many different ingredients to make these.  They are great when you feel that you need just a little something to eat, but you don’t necessarily want a full meal.  I don’t like to take any medicine on an empty stomach, so I find that a couple of these are just the thing to prevent any associated stomach discomfort.  I don’t really even measure the ingredients when I make these.  The objective is to end up with a really thick mixture that you can fashion into small mounds.  So I combine:  peanut butter, oatmeal, finely chopped raisins and prunes, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla, a little flax meal, and a little protein powder (Charming buys protein powder in big containers from Costco and uses the Nutri-Bullet given to us by my sister, Joyce, to whip up a shake on days when we do not eat meat).  After I make these, I store them in a lidded Pyrex container in the freezer so they keep their shape.  I stack them within the Pyrex container in layers, separated by parchment paper.  (Oddly enough, they don’t seem to freeze into hard chunks…they are soft and chewy, which makes them simply scrumptious!)  You could also add other nut butters, chopped nuts, other dried fruits, coconut, etc. and/or roll them in confectioner’s sugar or cocoa powder.  Depending on the protein and fiber content of the ingredients that you use, these could be especially helpful to the elderly or those who are “sickly”, as my Momma would say.  A few of these are much tastier than those expensive pre-packaged liquid protein shakes that you buy in the store.  Try whipping them up sometime…you might never be tempted to buy store-bought candy again!

Charming came up with this fix for my cold toes.  Warm, but...

My "idle mind" came up with this design to keep my toes warm.

It also sends a message to those who may come too close.

This sweater is my current knitted project.

The yarn is called "Fruit Cake"...quite appropriate for me!

My energy bites...rolling took too much time, so used a small scoop.

A close-up shows the oatmeal and chopped prunes & raisins.  Yum!!

Oh, My Aching Foot…

I’ve been limping around for almost a year due to what I like to call “Raspberry Over-Enthusiasm.”  Last spring, I transplanted about sixty raspberry bushes from the side of the house to a nice sunny location in the field, next to the garden.  Shortly after transplanting the bushes, my right foot began to hurt.  I limped around for a month or two and then limped around for another month or two, thinking that the problem would resolve itself.  Well, it didn’t.  So in November I began the long journey to my current location where I spend most of the day in my armchair recliner with two pillows under my heavily-bandaged foot, binge-watching episodes of “Call The Midwife”, religiously watching the clock to be sure I take the prescribed antibiotics and low-dose aspirin to prevent infection and/or blood clots. 

I had the foot surgery last Thursday.  The pain after surgery wasn’t nearly the howling experience that my mind had led me to believe it would be, thanks be to God.  After a day of taking pain killers, I stepped down to ibuprofen and I was able to wean myself off of the ibuprofen within three days.  The doctor says I will not be able to bear any weight on the foot for six to eight weeks, but due to a remarkable piece of equipment called a knee walker, I’ve been able to maneuver around the house a bit.  I’ve been able to go to the bathroom without help and get in and out of bed on my own.  I have also been able to fold laundry and wash dishes without much difficulty.  This morning I was able to sweep the kitchen floor, while scooting around the kitchen on the knee walker.  Although I had to ask Charming to use the hand-held vacuum to clean up the pile of dust and the effort did make my back hurt slightly from the awkward angle of holding the broom, being able to do these small tasks makes me feel a bit less like a lump. 

Prior to the surgery, I started working on a cute little crocheted crib blanket for a new great-niece who is scheduled to make her entry into the world in March.  I also started a crocheted short-sleeved cardigan for my sister who had a February birthday.  I have since finished both items, which turned out nicely.  In addition, I recently finished re-upholstering a footstool that my sister, Joyce, had picked up at the local dump.  The split bottom was badly frayed, so I removed the splits and covered the board with batting and brown vinyl.  The footstool is the ideal height for use as a cat perch so that our cats will be able to look out the living room windows at the farm.

All in all, I guess things are going really well for me.  Family and friends have been really kind with phone calls and visits.  Charming has kept me well-fed and entertained.  I don’t think a girl can ask for more than that.  I am now setting my sights on the prospect of planting my vegetable garden, working on the farm, and last, but not least…harvesting those dad-gum raspberries that caused me this pain in the first place.

The crib blanket that I crocheted for my great-niece who is due in March.

A close-up of this easy stitch pattern. It reminds me of ocean waves.

I designed & crocheted a stuffed duck to go along with the "wave" theme...

...the yellow & peach colors of the duck match the stripes in the blanket.

With leftover scraps of yarn, I made this heart garland to match the blanket.

A close-up of the whole set shown together.

The damage to this footstool appears to be from cat scratches.

Not a fancy re-do, but perfect for my cats to sit in the sun by the window.

The Faster I Go, The Behinder I Get…

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged because the program I use to convert pictures from my camera to the blog disappeared from my computer.  Luckily, my Charming computer guy restored the program and everything is again working nicely.

Since November we've been weekly trips to the farm to check on the barn kitties and start the farm vehicles to make sure all batteries are working.  The cats seem to be doing fine without us.  We found a big cardboard box and made them a snugly place to stay.  A fluffy pet bed inside the box and a cat-sized hole cut in the side of the box allows them to go in and out as they please.  They have a continuous-feed cat food bowl and they get their water from the river.  They seem to take their mouse patrol duties seriously, as we’ve found dead mice in the shed where they stay, so I’m glad to see that they can get along fine without too much help from us.

I have completed quite a few craft projects while we’ve been home and, as usual, it seems like I cook all the time.  I love doing both of these things, so I don’t mind at all.  As soon as the weather warms up, we’ll be going back to the farm to finish up the kitchen renovation and a few other projects before we move there permanently. 

Below is a hodge-podge of pictures that I've had on my camera that cover a few months worth of our wonderful life in retirement.

 

The "Before" picture of the front of the house.

 

The "After" picture.  New siding, windows (including bay window, which I disliked), & door.

I pick red clover to dry & use for tea. Herbalists say this tea fights cancer. I just like it.

 

 I put the clover on paper towels & let them dry in the new shed for about 10 days.

A new pair of socks for Christmas...from me to me!

A quilt that I've been working on for what seems like forever.

A close-up of the "pinwheel" quilt block.

I put my quilting aside to go to the bathroom & someone burrows in for a nap.

Made this tree skirt for Sis for Christmas. (Inspired by the pine trees in moonlight at the farm.)

I put my crocheting aside to get something to drink and someone...oh, well...

I knitted this Old World Santa stocking for my nephew, Luke.

The back side of Luke's Christmas stocking.

The women in my family love to treasure-hunt at yard sales,

thrift shops, & even the local dump (which has a drop-off/pick-up

building for usable stuff).  My sister, Joyce, & her daughter, Lisa,

found a half-finished latch hook kit & a boot-shaped glass vase at the 

dump. They gave them to me, so I made a pillow from the latch hook kit 

& added a crocheted cuff, felt lace-up, and gingersnap cookies to the vase

and added them both to the raffle table at a big family Christmas party

thrown by my sister, Betty.  These projects were the result of family team

work for a family cause.  Another win/win situation! 

Some of the many cookies I baked for our friends & neighbors at Christmas time.

Made this pumpkin cheesecake for Christmas dinner...and it was YUMMY!

I used my rotisserie to cook the Christmas ham & freed up the oven for side dishes.

Right on schedule, my 12-year-old Christmas cactus bloomed beautifully this year!

Going Nuts...

September 29, 2017

Earlier this year my sister (Sis) gave me a pound of black walnuts that she had gotten from one of our cousins who cracks walnuts and sells them.  I had some shredded zucchini in the freezer, so I re-worked an old recipe that I had used years ago and turned it into a gluten-free recipe.  I didn't have high expectations for the final product because gluten-free rarely tastes as good as gluten-full, but I tried it any way and...oh...My...GOODNESS!  It turned out great!  So I used the rest of the walnuts to bake about five or six more of the yummy loaves of bread and stored them in the freezer.  They say all good things must come to an end and so it goes with my zucchini bread.  We ate the last one several weeks ago and now I'm wanting more.  Why don't I just go to the grocery store and buy more walnuts you ask, well almost every nut available in the average grocery store in America has a note on the package that reads something like, "These nuts were processed on the same equipment that processes wheat, soy, and peanuts." Since wheat is a real bummer for my tummer I try to steer clear of it as much as possible. 

While at the farm this week, I was lamenting over the fact that we had no more zucchini bread with the wonderful walnuts in it.  (Yes, I do go into a state of "lamenting" when I run out of certain foods...mainly just potato chips and some form of sweet bread, muffins, or donuts...gluten-free, of course.)  So Charming says something like, "We've got acres of woods.  Surely there's a walnut tree out there somewhere."  So we drive around the property with Charming at the wheel and me hanging out the passenger window peering intently into the woods for the familiar leaves of the walnut tree.  (We were driving, not because we're lazy, but because I've had a bum ankle for the past few months.)  We did not go on the other side of the river because I have a fear of tramping through the woods in warm weather.  I don't want to stumble upon a snake of any size or color...the only good snake is a...well, there are no good snakes.  I don't like ticks either.  Or spiders...they're worse than snakes in my book.

After about twenty minutes of driving at one mile per hour, we returned to the camper.  Not finding a walnut tree during our drive only made me fixate on having my own walnut tree.  (Yea, unfortunately for Charming, I'm kinda like that.)  Driving up the gravel road that leads to our house, I counted at least five walnut trees that are dropping walnuts on the road.  So about that time, I was feeling like a villain in a Batman movie, "I MUST HAVE MY OWN WALNUT TREE!"  The next morning after the morning dew had evaporated, I gimped across the open field towards the woods while Charming was busy working on the siding job.  I followed the exact path that we had taken in the truck, but I took the time to look on the ground for leaves that had fallen off the trees.  I knew if I could find the leaves from a walnut tree, the tree had to be within sight.  Sure enough, when I got back within sight of the house, I found the small pointed yellow leaves on the ground and instinctively looked up to scan the tree tops and saw the green and brown clusters of nearly baseball-sized walnuts hanging in the tree.  Yippee!!!  The tree was about ten feet inside the wood line.  There was quite a bit of undergrowth in front of the tree that was hiding it from view.  The undergrowth needs to be cut out and the tree is not huge, but it's definitely a walnut tree.  I count my blessings as God does indeed provide!
 

The walnut tree hidden behind weeds & bushes.

The top of the tree looks to be about 30 feet tall.

I used loppers to remove some of the undergrowth.

Just like finding Easter eggs!

Need to let the walnuts dry out a bit then remove the hull & crack them.

Siding Into Fall...

With colder weather looming on the horizon, Charming has been feverishly working on getting as much work done on the outside of the house as possible.  Because the house needed new vinyl siding and new windows, we figured it made sense to do them both at the same time.  The old windows were the type that you find in a mobile home/trailer, which looked really awful and weren’t insulated.  The new windows are insulated and tilt inward for easy cleaning.  Although I’m not a fanatic about cleaning windows, it’s nice to know that I won’t have to climb a ladder to wash the outside of the windows.  (This “Miss Grace” just ain’t what she used to be!)

So the process goes like this…Charming tears the siding off one side of the house at a time and replaces the windows and the siding, then moves on to the next side.  So far he’s gotten the back side of the house completed as well as one end, except for the apex part which requires quite a bit of angle trimming.  He’s now working on the front side of the house, where he’s removing the big bay window from the living room.  We were not a fan of the bay window for several reasons. The window went from floor to ceiling, which is an awful lot of glass.  (We have lots of small rocks that could get thrown by the mower, birds, and a fairly awkward farm gal, better known as…well….me.)  The window was not insulated.  I also wanted the extra “wall space” that a smaller window would provide.  I like the idea of having a couple of feet of wall space (from the floor up) if a sofa and chairs are going to be next to the window.  To accommodate our needs, Charming will install two smaller windows spaced 12” to 16” apart.  By installing the two windows, we should still have plenty of light without all of the down sides of having one huge window.

The gardening season is winding down.  We had a bumper crop of green beans this year so I was able to freeze about thirty-five quarts of these tasty veggies.  That should be plenty to last us through the winter.  In addition, we had a decent crop of potatoes, tomatoes, onions and squash.  The potatoes, onions, and squash have all been harvested and stored away for use during the coming months.  We’ve cleaned off the garden, all except the tomatoes and the pretty amaranth that I had growing just for the pop of red color.  Charming will turn the ground again in late to mid-October.  That should help to freeze out some of the bugs and bug eggs that might otherwise show up in next year’s garden.  It will also undoubtedly unearth more of the gazillion small rocks that are sleeping below the surface, just waiting for me to scoop them up and put them into my farm wagon for transport to the “burn pit” that we are slowly filling back in.  Come next spring, we’ll do it all again.  I just love the natural cycle of gardening!

When cold weather sets in we’ll be spending most of the winter at our current house with plans to finish up the kitchen renovation in the spring.  After that, we should be on schedule for moving in late spring or early summer…then the REAL work will begin!

The back of the house prior to installation of new windows & siding.

Bare outside walls look even worse than the old siding.

Installation of new windows & wrapping the exterior in Tyvek.

Compare these windows to the ones in the 1st picture...much better!

Most of the back side of house complete...again compare to 1st picture...much better!

Front side of house (without shutters) prior to removal of siding.

Siding on front of house removed.

Bay window has been removed and rough-in done for 2 new windows.