Stay Home - Garden On

We've spent most of our time at home this month, as is suggested throughout the country.  Our son has also been here for most of this month, deciding it would be better to shelter with family than shelter alone.  We were so happy to have him home!  He watches some cooking videos and decided we needed to use up some yeast I had in the pantry.  He made pizza dough and ciabatta (both twice!). We even made personal pizzas for our family and took them up to my mother-in-law's, all under the 10-person limit, last Sunday.  She is now 'entertaining visitors' in her garage with lawn chairs set apart.  We do what we have to, don't we?!

Unfortunately, his state is reopening and he needs to get back to his agriculture customers. It's always hard when he leaves but we know it won't be long before he's home again.  Here are a few pictures from the past month.  So much fun! 

Jack and his Uncle Andy 

Andy harvested a turkey during turkey season.

Jack learns how to feed the chickens.

       

With the "Stay Home" orders, I've been able to concentrate on my flower beds.  Andy helped with the mulching.  I don't think my beds have ever been cleaned and mulched this early before but I'm loving how they are looking!

My Secret Garden with hostas, heuchera, iris, lilies and quince 

in their partial shady spot

I think I planted this Bleeding Heart  last year and it has really grown!

These two quince shrubs got quite a pruning last year and I hoped they would come out.  What a beautiful display this Spring!

Over the last several years, we have created a curved flower berm in front of our house.  It echos the curve in our driveway and has had several changes and additions over the years.  It is still in transition but we finally have the foundation plants in place.  The area in front of it, toward the gravel road, is full of wildflowers and will remain unmown.  J mentioned yesterday how much he likes this berm as it is a good transition from the 'wildflower area' to the more manicured area around the house.  The berm contains crabapple trees, peonies, ink berry bushes, Russian sage, ninebark and lilacs.  Perennials include coneflowers, rudbeckia, moon flowers, clematis and salvia.  I'm so happy these have all come back!  This is the view looking down one side of the berm.  It's actually twice this size and but I haven't figured out a way to 

photograph it all in one picture.

The crab apple blooms have been gorgeous this year!

Even with social distancing, we were able to share a Palm Sunday brunch with my MIL.  Andy shared the scripture for the day and we all enjoyed these egg casserole cups, fruit and blueberry muffins - all sitting 'appropriately safe distances' apart!!  The recipe was shared by Ann on her blog, On Sutton Place.

I substituted sausage for the ham as that's what I had on hand.  Those fresh eggs really made a great breakfast!!

During the rainy days, I've been a little creative making face masks (like everyone else!) and some bowl cozies.  These cozies are one of the big sellers for our retired teacher craft club.  We make and sell items to support our Classroom Grant program.  I've also been working on digitizing some family photos.

These bowl cozies are great to warm up soup in the microwave!  (Be sure all of your supplies are ALL COTTON so they don't catch on fire!)

What have you been up to during these pandemic days?  I'm hoping you, your family and friends are healthy!  I'm praying for all who have been working to keep the rest of us safe and healthy and special prayers of comfort to those who are suffering from this disease and for those who have lost loved ones.  

Until next time....  Zenda

How Quickly Things Can Change

Things can sure change quickly in a short time, can't they?  This time last month we were on our way home from a fun vacation to South Carolina and Florida.  Now we are laying low at home.  I'm hoping you are taking precautions and staying healthy!  

I did get to take a shopping trip with my sister before the STAY HOME order came through and I'm so glad we got to enjoy our day together!  Two days later, we were basically home bound.  Since then, I've been busy trying to finish up several projects and I'm happy to share my progress.  The first is finishing up my Square Knot Quilt. This was my first attempt at machine quilting and I can say I learned a lot during the process. Although there is room for improvement, I am pretty happy with it.

Remember bargello needlepoint from the 1970s?  I've been seeing pillows made using this vintage needlepoint style lately and thought it  would be fun to make my own. I worked on this little pillow top during our vacation drive and really enjoyed it!  I finished it up when we got home.

Another project I've started was embroidering a quilt top.  A cousin purchase these blocks and the blue floss several years ago but decided the project wasn't really for her.  I thought it would look good with more color and am pleased how they are turning out.  There are actually enough blocks to make two quilts.  I think the next quilt will have a variety of colored flowers instead of just yellow, like a flower garden.  It's been a long time since I've worked on a quilt top like this and it's fun to pick up and work on now and then.  

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you and your loved ones find creative and projective things to do while we also try to stay safe and healthy.  Let me know what you've been doing to pass the time.

These are frightening and historic times.  I'm pray for all who are affected by this pandemic - those who are suffering from the illness, those who have lost loved ones and those who are working so hard to help us maintain our lives.  

                                                                               Zenda

A Snowy February

We've had some snowy weather in our part of Missouri this month.  It hasn't amounted to as much as in other places in the U.S. but it has been pretty.  Here are some photos out our window

 The snow has been quite heavy at times and the sky dark.  Fortunately, we haven't had more than 3-4 inches with either storm

 Doesn't the snow make ordinary things look extraordinary?

 J and Sallie coming in for lunch.  

 You can see how big the snowflakes were!  We have an expression around here when they're that big - "hamster-sized snowflakes."  LOL! 

 The cardinals (both female and male) and woodpeckers visited the bird feeder.

I find sunrises and sunsets the most dramatic in the winter, don't you?  These photos were taken facing east early one morning.

I'm also celebrating a special birthday this month!  Jack and his mommy and daddy has us over for a delicious steak dinner. 

I hoped to share a new sewing project I'm excited to start but this post is long enough.  I'll share it next time.  Wishing everyone sunny skies and warm weather!  I know I'm ready for both!

Zenda

A New Year!

Oh my, it's been a long time since I posted!  Life happens and I just never seem to get around to sharing all my blessings and opportunities.  We had a wonderful 2019 and hope you all did, too!  With the new year, I HOPE to post monthly ... that's one of my goals anyway.  I'm retired and just like to share a bit of my life with my blogging buddies, so that is the focus for the foreseeable future!  Thanks for stopping by now and then to catch with us!!

We had a fun Christmas holiday.  We celebrated with family at our home and at my MIL's, 

and even with Santa!

Our little Jack had lots of fun opening his presents!  Here he is in his new rocking chair from Grammy and Grandpa and with his new comfy chair and guitar from Cami.

One fun tradition that Andy and his friends do over Christmas is go to a movie.  It has usually been a Star Wars movie.  They let me go along, too!

J and I continued another tradition, eating New Year's Eve lunch out then shopping for dinner and preparing it at home.  This year, we enjoyed grilled trout, sea scallops and delicious sides!

We still keep Jack once a week.  He and Grandpa like to have long talks sometimes.

Sallie has to get in on the discussion, too.































I've been keeping busy making some warm wraps.  I gave hand knitting a try making this afghan for Jack,

and a grey one for Andy's girlfriend, J.  She says she's really enjoying how soft and warm it is.  Jack likes to snuggle with his on the floor.  I made these out of chenille but the first ones I made out of a wool type yarn.

This cream cover is in our bedroom and I made one of sage green for our daughter and son-in-law to put at the end of their bed.  Although both are soft, the chenille yarn is more durable.  Jack likes to pull the woolen strands apart.

This winter, I've also been working on a couple of quilts.  Our Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter finished and presented the Quilt of Valor we've been working on.  The recipient is an Army veteran who is battling cancer.  She is also a member of our chapter.  It was a true blessing to create and then present this quilt to her!  She is a real inspiration to us all!

And finally, I started a different quilt, just a fun one for me.  The pattern is Square Knot from Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I've had this fabric for years and thought it would be pretty for a Spring quilt.

I hope to start quilting it pretty soon.  

That pretty much catches you up on our world.  Thanks for stopping by!  I'm wishing you a happy, healthy 2020 and look forward to reading about the adventures and opportunities that await us all in the new year!

                                                       Zenda