What a difference a week makes

...And what an emotional roller coaster it’s been….Last Friday night we got a 1am call no parent wants to receive Our son who lives in San Diego was in the UCSD Medical center …ICU Trauma Unit.  They were on his motorcycle (with helmets) merging onto the freeway and hit a mattress left in the road. With traffic, there was no avoiding it and down they went. His girlfriend Bri, we think rolled off the bike, she had a quite a bit of road rash on her lower back where the riding jacket slid up and quite a few bruises.

When we spoke to those in the trauma unit checking on his condition I let them know I would be flying in Saturday the first flight I could get & they said no….you have to wait.    Ummmm what? WAIT?  WHY!!    Because as next of kin I had to be available to authorize any possible emergency surgery needed..and I couldn’t do that if I was in flight.  I flew in Sunday expecting all the nasty “road rash” & broken bones  which come with bike wrecks, I had the attitude if I visualized the worst any thing less would be wonderful.

Boy was I shocked when I saw him.  He had 2 black/purple eyes  Johnny Depp would be proud of, the backs of  his hands were pretty raw but looking at him, that was it.   Best they can figure he flipped over the handle bars and landed on the back of his head and left shoulder breaking his collar bone.  On his back he has a touch of road rash which a week later is nearly healed.  

 What you can’t see is, both temporal bones are broken, the bones above and below his left eye (I believe are the orbital bones), a fracture at the base of his scull and significant hearing loss in his left ear. 

Because of the frontal lobe trauma, Initially we were give a pretty scary recovery….as in long term care rehab facility…we were looking at all the options, he couldn’t fly because of the head trauma so bringing him home was not an option…and his recovery would be best in an area he was last familiar with….living here for a while? I was scared to say the least…

Less than a week later he was discharged from the hospital,(with constant massive headache’s) on his own 2 feet, grumbling talking, reading and resuming modified activities . We have our son back…a more determined and stubborn stronger version.  He knows how blessed he is, and we all are so very thankful for all the prayers, good wishes and positive energy sent his way. Healing will be a long rough & rocky road & he's on his way one step at a time

Believe it or not, he started back in classes today….

17 credit hours.

Thank you is just not enough.

I’m sure he had better plans for his spring break!

Give those you love a big

Katie

Beautiful Spring Weather

Calls for a few day trips. 

I’d planned on a surprise trip to a park by the river with the kids but, nearby construction had the entire playground equipment covered in orange construction barriers.

Surprise surprise!

Not to let them down, we drove a mile further to

“The Falls Of the Ohio”

Such a beautiful spot, so close and we forget the many beautiful parks nearly in our own “backyard!

We found a shady table on a quiet path & I turned the kids loose to run, climb and play.

. 

The photo’s are from my cell, so it’s not greatest. 

We played our version of “Where’s Waldo”

Can you find them in the photo below?

When I had shown Larry these photos, he said “how were the snakes”?

SNAKES!?!?!

I’d forgotten this type of log pile is a favorite of theirs, toss in the warm weather and the fact we were climbing all over in this…I about wet my pants. 

Alix, remained unimpressed and slept through the afternoon

I think this summer we’ll be spending more time here..nearly in our own back yard!

Technorati Tags: Katidids,day trips,staycations,falls of the ohio

Is this amount OK?

What is the saying ….make plans and God laughs?

My plans for planting salad greens this morning have changed.  Last night we had some heavy rains storms which left the garden a soggy mess.  It needed raked well of any weeds left after tilling.  We had a real good crop of stink weed going for a while & I don’t want to be fighting them all summer.

With the change in plans I ended up in town for a groceries, eggs & a few other things (oh, for chickens of my own!)  Any way, as I was checking out something caught my eye.  The statement above my total bill had changed from prior visits. It went from.”Is this total correct” to “is this amount OK?”  Are you kidding me????

Heck no!!! That total is way to high! I bought the same items as last month and this months bill is about $10-15. higher. 

It looks like all the talk of hyper inflation is starting already.  Yet another reason to urging us further along the path of learning to do for ourselves.in a sustainable manner. 

Last nights rain brought a new crop of dandilions raising their bright yellow heads behind the house which reminds me I wanted to try my hand at making dandilion jam.   So I’m off to look up a few recipe’s. Might as well take advantage of what we’ve been blessed with right?

Any suggestions for tried and true recipes?

Technorati Tags: Katidids,dandilion jam,gardening

Outdoor Spring Cleaning

Last fall we finished this stage of the remodel (for the most part) right as the weather changed, it got cold wet and rainy quick. We used the patio as a staging area for lumber mixing concrete & cutting tile.  When we were done, all the tools got put up but there were a few things that were left out. This mess, is next on the clean up list.

In the summer this is usually one of my favorite spots on the patio.  Lots of shade for plants & a nice calm, quiet spot. Right now…. it’s a disaster

We’d moved the old table from the back deck to the corner near the hose (for the tile saw) and working in the shade…which just happens to be where I store my pots in the fall & winter.  With everything going on things got away from us pots & outside toys were placed in front of the mess.  We were burnt out, it was easier to let it go at the time.   Installing the water barrel  entailed shifting more pots, plants, hose hangers, potato buckets & the kids have been digging in the outdoor toys….It’s become a royal mess.

Another leftover from the bathroom is all the scrap tile, angle cuts and slices. I hate to just throw them out, there’s got to be a way use them.. I just can’t think of any…...

Any ideas?

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,Patio,construction

Is this March or May?

Everyone’s talking about this weird weather we’re having,  I can’t get over how warm it is and have to wonder what this means for the upcoming summer’s growing season.    With that thought in mind and, taking advantage of our beautiful weather this weekend Larry installed our first water barrel.  I bought it end of last summer and was able to purchase it at a really good price

It sure beats my system of buckets under down spouts when it rains….who am I kidding, I’ll still do that for other areas

It took a quick trip to the hardware store for a few gutter connector pieces, a little over an hours work and it was done. One step closer to sustainable living!

I’ll use it for the herb bed and pots on the patio. It’s hard to believe the county we live in wants to stop the use of these! They think it will create “dry areas”…. I think it has more to do with lost revenue as your sewer bill is based on your water usage.

Thankfully we are still on septic system….for now anyway.  They were scheduled to run sewer lines down our road 2 years ago so I’m not holding my breath for that to happen, They can take all the time they need

My next task is to get the patio cleaned up, it’s still cluttered up with the remnants of construction

Have a great day

Katie

 

Technorati Tags: Katidids,water barrel,sustainable living

Test Knitting for Myself

Test knitting and it’s for me!

The “Painted Hills Shawl”

Design by Raya of Blissful Knits

I’m using a colorway of hers “Secret Garden” on

 Blissful Knits & Dyeworks Cloud MCN Sock

I’ve drooled over this colorway for a while & as soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it…exactly what I would use it to make I wasn’t sure but, then I saw this shawl Raya designed and I just knew!

Although the colors are not that of the “Painted Hills” theme, they are perfect for my tastes and style.

Raya is know for her intricate and detailed designs & I’ve knit quite a few of her designs over the past few years.  I have to admit reading the directions of her patterns and thought “what? No way!”

I’ve learned to just follow the directions and am always pleased with the results  & so far “Painted Hills Shawl is proving to be no different!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids Knits,Blissful Knits,Painted Hills Shawl,test knitting,hand Knits

Growing Greens

No, not the edible kind, the fun and decorative kind.

Our daughter Danielle is getting married in May.  The 12 th of May…go ahead, run and look at the calendar….. I’ll wait….that’s right Mothers Day weekend!  The busiest day of the year for florists. Good thing she isn’t planning on a lot of fresh flowers as most just laughed at us when we asked. 

The reception will be outdoors and family style, with a garden theme.    By garden I mean plants succulents to herbs. So,  right now, I’ve baby starts rooting all over the house…this is what some of my window sills look like

The family room

with the monster spider plant which has about 50 more baby shoots to harvest

The Kitchen window

One laundry room window, the other has more.

These badly need to be separated

My work room, hmm a few more to separate already

Kitchen counter…

And a surprise begonia that popped up in this pot. 

I ran out of pots & need to scavenge more from some where soon.  I think I have about 50 started and Danielle has more at her house.  

Herbs I’ll start this week and they should be the perfect size by the wedding which will be held here. How much fun will this be!

Have a great day

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,planting,weddings,plans

Nasty Storms Bring Reminders

The last 24 hours (and still ongoing) have brought the mid-west some really bad storms.  High winds, tornado’s & sever weather have just wrecked havoc leaving a path of destruction.  And it’s not even storm season yet…by normal conditions. 

Today the weather forecasters made comment although it’s months early, this is the start of our tornado season with more rough weather is due by weeks end….lucky us!

So it’s time to check the storm tubs which contain the following:

Hand crank radio with battery or electrical ability…a must in this area.  With television & radio now all digital, the first heavy wind drops the signal. So much for information!  We were fortunate to find one that has TV also and it’s been worth it’s weight in gold.

Flash lights for everyone, extra batteries for each & glow sticks. The glow sticks give off an amazing amount of light and the kids will feel like they are helping…and you will know where they are!

Appropriate changes of clothing for each family member..changed out seasonally & check sizes.If necessary baby items, diapers etc. 

boots with 3-4 PR of sock.  Storm damage can leave an awful mess & boots with downed branches or siding are a must. Extra socks because you have to take care of your feet. Nothing worse than wet feet

 first aid kit-military surplus medical kit is wonderful! We mailed off for ours and it has a full surgical kit in there.  We keep Tylenol, aspirin and antihistamine, tea tree oil & clove oil for dental needs in ours. Be sure and stash a few days supply of any medications you may need along with copies of your prescriptions.

Food for 3-4 days at a minimum…per person

Water 3 gallons per day per person….this we still have to work on but are using bottled water for now.

Cards, games books a few notebooks, knitting and copies of  emergency contact info.

Yes, some folks will say we’re nuts but Katrina was an eye opener.  1 good storm system can put down over 100 tornados.   We had a huge wind storm here a few years ago that took power out of over 300K homes for over a week, some were out for over 3 weeks.  We were able to cook on the fire pit and camp stove with canned goods and fresh garden vegies.  Soups and stews I’d canned the fall before were pretty tasty. 

They say the average home has only a 3 day supply of food.  Living in the midwest… 3 days supply…..it’s just plain nuts.

What about you, do you have a storm shelter and ready tubs?

Stay safe out there!

Katie

 

Technorati Tags: Katidids,sever weather,prepare,ready tubs

Lovely Loot!

A while back I started following a wonderful knitting blog “Two sides of the Same Stitch”  It’s a tech knitting, fear stomping, educational blog written by 2 women Gwen & Kellie. Designers, teachers, daughters, Mom…. they write dropping nuggets of knitting gold through their blog posts.  

Recently Kellie wrote this post asking readers what knitting tricks they used…well from this post they had a drawing and……I won!

I feel like I should talk like a pirate Arrr, look at this booty!  A treasure box to be sure..

A sweaters worth of Comfort cotton! 

Totally drool worthy..I’d not used it before and plan to be selfish and knit for ME

“The Knit Kit”, which is a self contained package of nearly any tool a knitter would need….a “Fix a stitch”..both of which will be invaluable

 

A beautiful Shawl Pin…I’ve been looking for one to use with a test knit YEAH!!

This adorable Wacky Woolies Key ring (LOVE)!

It Itches which is a HOOT!

And at the bottom of the box this fun book of crochet designs by Lucinda Guy

It wasn’t even out of the box and I was flipping pages (how fun is this!) so,

 

Imagine my surprise when I did pick up the book and found even MORE!

This great project bag from Tangled String (perfect for sock knitting) and a beautiful beaded Clover Thread Cutter Pendant

And 2 more smallish clear bags for tools…which will be great to have filled with my new tools, ready in my knitting go bags!

Was I right?

Is this a treasure box or what!

Arrr, Lovely booty!

THANK YOU!!!!

Each will be put to good use!

 

Technorati Tags: Katidids,Two Sides Of The Same Stitch,Giveaway,winner,knitting toys

The Bumper is DONE!!!

I thought for sure Alix would be entering high school & Evie would have collage applications in hand before the bumper pad would be completed.  It’s been decorating my dining room table for nearly a month.

I tend to get bored with a project quickly & after it sets unfinished for a while well, they tend to be set aside and forgotten.  Like the flannel jammie pants I made for Erika a few years ago…Later this month when I add the elastic to the waist they will fit Evelyn. 

Any way, I didn’t think a young lady in High School wouldn’t appreciate a bumper pad…nor the crib so it was finished & sent home with Erika yesterday….and am I ever glad because I’m really tired of looking at these piles of prints.

I think this has to be one of the least expensive bedroom sets I’ve ever made.

The quilts & bumper pad were all made with scrap, the batting in the quilts was cut from a surprisingly sturdy & warm  $5.00 blanket.  The Nu-foam insert for the bumper was purchased with a 50% off coupon and stacked with another 20% off your total purchase. The fabric for the sheets 1/2 came from stash..I think I might have spent $20. total with the majority of that toward the bumper padding.

How’s that for frugal!

The colors are actually bolder than they show here

So, THEY ARE DONE!! I’m really hoping Erika will take a photo of the room set up for me.

As we  Evie & I were cleaning up the scraps, she picked up the excess from the bumper pad as said

“What’s dis Gwama”? It fow me?  Fow MY baby?”

What could I do but make another blanket…..and then because of help re make it. She chose the backing & stayed with me helping along each step. It was fun looking at a simple project with new eyes…and fingers

I’d trimmed the edges after sewing the backing on…set the scissors down and turned to grab the pins for my helper….and found her “trimming” about 4 more inches from the width.  Lessons for us both, a reminder for me of safety and a lesson for her again of what she is and is not allowed to do when helping… 

I left it as “she made it” and continued on.

 

Not quite done and “Belle” had to try it out

I’m not sure but I think I heard her say “What do you think of that Barbie!”

Evie Chose the “Wiggle Waggle” stitch for top stitching…

bet you thought it was called zig-zag

Not quite the size we’d intended but she’s very proud of her work

And I’m thrilled to have a sewing buddy…

Excuse me, I need to go hide all the scissors!

Technorati Tags: katidids,quilting,bedroom sets,evie,sewing,on the cheap,frugal make over

I got nothin

Nothing exciting to report that is.

Bits of randomness….

It’s been a weird week where you just kinda float through it.  Nothings wrong just having a hard time focusing on anything specific.

Made the girls some crib sheets,  still have the bumper pad to finish. It’s still sitting on the dining room table in a cluttered mess along with another t-shirt I need to make into a skirt for Evie.

On the de-crapifying side I did drop off 3 large bags to good will, & have quite a bit I need to list on free-cycle.

Evie’s had touch that flu virus along with a minor sinus infection that brings the cough,sore throat, wonderful attitude & no appetite which is saying a lot for a super picky eater. Lots of fluids to flush it out along with long cuddles have been the RX for the week. How one little nose can hold so much  “stuff” just amazes me.

I did get a little knitting done.  One of my long time customers is having her baby in the next week so I have this set ready to mail,  Super girly and just plain fun to knit. 

I need to get my seeds started for the garden but I’ve got to find a better area in the house to start them.  I sure don’t want last years fiasco of molded seeds. 

I’ve to many projects in the works laying around that need finished & cleaned up…again

Here’s hoping next week brings some focus.

Technorati Tags: Katidids,Random stuff,projects,grandbabies

Finishing Friday…The Hurrier I go

The behinder I get. 

Trying to finish all my projects before weeks end has left me with more work to do or redo.

I was able to get all of the strips sewn, pressed and cut to size for the bumper pad

I thought whooowheee, I’m on a roll.  I grabbed up the solid for the back and started cutting and was done in a flash

I matched the backing to the front and started to sew…I was going to have that sucker done by the time Erika came to pick up Evie

And then, I realized I’d cut half of the backing panels an inch short.

90 inches in width 1 stinkin inch short.  I wanted to have a hissy fit but I would have been the only one at the pity party  .  What’s the rule?  Measure twice cut once?

I can salvage it, I have enough of the lighter purple to use & have decided to alternate the shades on the back….it may turn out cuter than I’d originally planned.

.My second behinder fail was these string globes, (I’ve another hanging in the laundry room)

I scanned through the directions, balloons, string/yarn, glue.  I read all the comments on 3-4 blogs to find all the snags others ran into...well, it would have been nice if I’d read the basic directions! 

It was nice and firm, glue was great, dried nice..I popped the balloon and realized one important step…I forgot to put vaseline on the balloon first!

I think it’s fixable but, it would be just as much work as making another GAH!!

So, I walked away from that and decided to finish a knitting project third time a charm right?

  A pair of custom “Bella Mitts”

I’ve made a few pair, knew the pattern well by now and needed to finish them for the confidence boost.  20 rows, & the thumb is all I had to finish them off.  15 minutes later I slipped my hand inside feeling pretty good……and forgot

I needed to add one additional cable repeat (because I was using worsted weight weight instead of bulky which give a different gauge) I’d even made notes as a reminder on the pattern GAH!!!!!!!!

ripped out & ready to add the extra repeat

So, I had a glass of wine and let Larry take me out for supper, there was no way I was going near a stove!

So how was your “Finishing Friday”?

Katie

Protein & A bit of Sewing

Yesterday, I saw this post on Facebook by my youngest daughter Erika (Evie & Isaiah’s mom)

 Erika:FYI: There are 3 grams of protein in a Hershey's Bar.

Last night’s supper was fridge clean out, so just incase our protein intake was low we decided to give it a boost….

Chocolate pound cake

With just a little bit of icing

On the crafting front…

Still finishing up the bedding for the girls room.

The quilts we put together from my fabric stash.  Having worked in a fabric store for 8 years I learned that fabric breeds (because I won’t admit I purchased all that is in the basement!)

Simple bright shades cut to 3 inch strips & each quilt bordered and backed in different shades of purple.

These have been done for a few months, Erika’s patiently waited for the rest.

I pulled all the scraps from the quilts together to make a bumper pad for Alix. I’ve sewn all the strips/scraps together and will cut the new “fabric” to face one side of the bumper & the quilt print backing for the back side

If there are any scraps from this, I’ll piece those to make a tiny quilt for Evie’s doll bed as a birthday gift.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

Technorati Tags: Katidids,sewing,crafting,homemade/handmade

 

T-Shirt To Skirt Quick and Easy Make Over

Thrifting with Evie the other day she nabbed up this “pink” t-shirt.  She loved it, it met her highest criteria ….it was pink.

Never mind it wouldn’t fit her for another 8-10 years it was PINK! Pinterest has had quite a few photos of t-shirt skirts and I thought well for .89 cents I can’t go wrong.

With so many making do & wanting to learn basic sewing I thought I’d show exactly how  I did this.  So, dust off those sewing machines dig through your t-shirts and lets get busy.

For reference, Evie wears a size 3 or 4.  The t shirt I’m using is a Junior large with a bit of a flare at the bottom (a ladies small would work also)

Measuring Evie, I knew I needed a finished length of 9-10 inches. Or, measure a skirt you know fits well) For the elastic I used  a 3/4 inch.  In my opinion anything wider would be to bulky for a toddler.

This t-shirt had a decent hem so I used it.

Lay your t-shirt flat ensuring the front and back hem is even & the shirt is not bunched in the back. Measure from the hem upward the length you need plus 1-1.5 inches.  From the hem toward the arm I measured 11.5 inches on the side marked it, & did the same toward the other arm.  Use a ruler or straight edge and draw a line between the 2 marks and cut. (make sure the shirt is not bunching underneath)

 

Turn the “skirt” part inside out and sew or pin about 1/4 inch. Pressing helps (please note I did not use the 4 letter word….. I R O N ) Once that is done, fold over 1 inch and stitch down all the way around creating a casing & leave a 1 inch opening.

Next measure your little one with the elastic around their waist making sure it will easily clear their hips.  You want it snug but not tight.  Use a safety pin to thread the elastic through the casing making sure it doesn’t twist.  Once it’s all the way through overlap the ends of your elastic and stitch through both layers, slide the sewn ends inside the casing and sew the casing shut.

I forgot photos of that part but I‘ve another shirt I need to redo & can provide more photos if needed

Once it’s all the way through overlap the ends of your elastic and stitch through both layers, slide the sewn ends inside the casing and sew the casing shut.

Put on your little one and watch the twirling begin!

Look through your donate pile there is always a t shirt in there. Look for shirts that are straight and have kept their shape.  Avoid plastic or vinyl prints as they tend to  grab and skip stitches. Kids outgrow clothing so fast why not save where you can?

Happy sewing!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,thrifting,repurposing,sewing,t-shirt skirt

Tuesday Make Over

Thrift shopping yesterday you  may remember I picked up this girls sundress…obviously way to big for Evie. But we liked the colors & the fabric was in fantastic condition

I removed the bodice leaving about an inch,

to fold over & create an elastic casing.

Erika and I were laughing because she was using Isaiah’s race car control as a walkie talkie to “call her plane to pick her up”  have no idea where she got that one!

Perfect fit for a size 3/4.  I left all the fullness in the skirt & she was twirling right away.

It took about 30 minutes from start to finish.  Would have been much quicker but I now have a “helper”  Evie is the official family “pin puller”.  As she removed each pin she would say “careful, careful, gently, gently…She loves to stand at my side while I sew and is starting to understand the process of “what comes next”.

I think I’ll have a sewing buddy soon as she is now asking “where’s mine sewing machine”

Last week we made reversible tunics. ”

One for her and one for “Baby Alix,

Prints for St Patrick’s Day on one side and Valentines on another

Evie slipped hers on as soon as they were done, Erika’s had to hide them to save for Valentine’s  I love this style for little girls, tunics in winter when an extra layer is nice and as a sun top with shorts or bloomers in the summer. 

It looks like winter may actually be coming to our part of the world as snow is in the forecast!

Timer is going off which means the Bread is ready to come out of the oven & I need to actually do something productive today.

Have a good one and stay warm out there!

Katie