Busy Week Helping Out Where I Can!

Well it's been another busy week. This week was spent mostly helping others where I could. I'm glad when I can and able.

Most of this week was very hot and humid - yuk - and downpours and then hot sun. It's the weekend of the Philadelphia Folk Fest ( http://www.pfs.org/PFF.php ) and seems to rain every year - they even had it a week earlier this year but still bad rain - The local news was comparing it to "Woodstock" with all the mud - and the traffic was backed up for 4 hours - and you would get a real laugh thinking traffic backed up in these little towns if you knew the area! (I live less than a mile from the Old Poole Farm where it's held) Probably the only time of year you see out of state cars! LOL!

Anyway - putting on a few pics of my week - all in a hicky picky way - no order here - just like my very own scattered brain!

This was taken this afternoon - Now what is that on top of the plant? Could it be one of those ceramic "plant ornaments?" Why no - Look at that - it's just my little Jonesy sound asleep!

Hmm putting laundry away upstairs - and who could this be - there is no beginning or end - just one round bagel named Miles laying on the bed

Earlier this morning I had my helpers while I was trying to gather and fold laundry and do sheets- They are so helpful aren't they? Pete and Re-Pete

And yes - this is my "little" Jonesy on Friday - My baby is getting so big!

And speaking of Jonesy and his growing - this little boy eats and eats and then wants some more. Oh and he's very helpful with trying to eat whatever I may have - He even grabbed a piece of cantaloupe out of my bowl earlier this week! Never met a cat that likes fruit before him - he likes cantaloupe and watermelon! You have to be careful when you eat - you know how cats are - they are very quiet when they want to be! Tonite he actually tried to steal an ear of corn off my husband's plate! He's too much.

Because he's eating us out of house and home on Monday I decided to go to the discount pet supply place as they were having a sale on kitty litter and cat food - It's over near my husband's work so met him for lunch at a pub first and then to the pet supply store - It was very very very hot and I was sweating after lugging those huge bags of kitty litter (hey when it's on sale I stock up) and cat food. There is a good thrift store across the street so went there next.

I found 2 yards of heavier red and white ticking for $3.50...
The white was way too white for me - so when I got home pulled out my big agate tub and made a concoction of coffee and tea - left it to soak for 2 days.

It turned out nice but the pic I took of "after" almost looks like before - the camera didn't pick up the color.

Also found these two cool wooden boxes - they are pretty large and look like drawers and the top opens up and latches on the side.

Can you hear Miles thinking "Now what is she draggin in the house now and what in the world is she going to do with these?"

Well I don't know yet but I thought they were cool and they came home with me. Inside one of those boxes is another couple of treasures I found that will be "RAK'd" to an online friend! (RAK = Random Act of Kindness - just something we do in our online group). Just have to get it in the mail!

Also decided to dye some wool this week. Had some hideous pieces of wool previously dyed and some wool odds and ends from the thrift stores

Soaking the wool in warm water and jet dry getting ready to dye - here are two of my 5 pots! These are pretty big tubs so threw a blanket on the floor and put the tubs there - not enough counter space!

Getting the pots started on the stove -

Riley can't understand why there are pots with wool and water on the floor and why he was just told to stop playing in the water! I think he's mad with me here.

I spent about 4 hours dyeing wool - Here's Jonesy staying out of the way....

What a yawn...Hey Mom are we done with this yet - I'm bored...

I'm so bored - i'm taking a nap...wake me when it's over

This is some of my "ugly" wool - threw this in a pan with onion skins to prim it up a bit...

The top half of this pile is the results of the onion skinned dye - the bottom half was wool I overdyed - I needed some prim gold colors. Oh my camera colors were off on all these wool pictures - it's more drab in person and more brown/gold -

Now Riley is getting impatient with me paying attention to the wool and not him. He was asleep a few minutes after this.

Here are some of the blues I did - again the pic made them look way brighter and more purple than they are in person.

Again - terrible colors - but great in person - this is antique black/browns, and some greys

This pile s more brown/tan than the pic shows -

This is my reds - of course the pic looks pink here but it's actually some good reds!

Another thing I did a couple of days this week is go over to a friends house who is moving to help her pack - She is a busy woman and I was glad I was available to help - Of course the one day we were working in her garage and it was 94 degrees outside - so you can image how hot it was in the garage - image her not having it air conditioned for me! LOLLLL! We went inside for lunch and then started packing up her collections (and she has a lot!) so it was nice and cool inside. The next day was spent bagging and tagging and organizing more. I couldn't stay all day because I was meeting my husband to drop my car off for inspection but we got a lot done - and I came home with some treasures! (You know that saying - one man's junk is another's treasure!)

I saved these two quilts from the trash bin - she was going to toss them! Can you image! I brought them home and washed them and now they are folded up on top of bureau in the spare room just to admire!

This one is in pretty good condition - it's the size of single bed - I can't remember the pattern's name but I love looking at all the fabrics they used - you just know some of it came from some little girl's dress or a boy's pair of trousers. Of course I couldn't put this one the floor without some furballs helping

Love this one - this one has a little bit of wear and is a little wider than the other one. Of course it didn't come with those two lumps under it - that would be Jonesy and Riley inspecting the undercarriage I guess...

Friday Afternoon and Life is Good in the Sunbeams....

Jonesy's been nabbed - Caught him licking the sink... Bad boy! He has been jumping up on the couch and coming into the kitchen via the pass-thru from the living room! He's been told NO so many times - he's just not getting it yet! (I bet he knows what NO means and doesn't care!)

Well on Thursday I was without wheels - I just hate that feeling - the car had to be inspected so my Dad came over to pick me up to take me to their house - They got sent 3 boxes from Comcast to install by September so their TV's would work - I tell you what a time! Got thru it though - but it took all afternoon - lots of issues and on the phone with them. My Mom did have fresh peach pie thoughfor after lunch and that's one of my favorites!

My Dad took me for my car and guess what Sharon! I have tread - actual tread on my tires finally! Yep - 4 brand spanking new tires. They were sorely needed. Other than that my car which is 200 miles short of 100,000 miles needed nothing else. Still the bill was high enough to make me fan myself!

While I was at my parents they were telling me the nightmare they were having with their cell phone - Their phone had been recalled because the phone blocks "911" and the place they got it from wasn't honoring fixing it, etc. Plus the phone never works anywhere - calls they make say "out of range" - come on - no matter where they are - i tried calling to their home phone 3 feet away and it said that - My Mom had cancelled service but it was still working My parents do not have a computer and struggle with some of this "new technology" but they should have a cell phone so my Dad who takes walks everyday can take it with him - you never know with his medical problems. So on Friday I went to the phone store and got them an easy to use phone and added them to our service on the family plan - Of course spent another 2 hours over there trying to explain to them the operation of the phone! LOL! It's a very easy phone to use and they are very happy with it - I got a call tonite thanking me and saying "I done good" but they still weren't sure how to bring up "that contact list" i entered for them! I couldn't stop laughing - anyway - will go over tomorrow and give them another lesson and one of the peach buckles I made tonite (My parents picked peaches on Wednesday and gave me some) I printed a pic of the phone out on the computer and will make a cheat sheet for them! Hey whatever works.

So that was my week - I'm hoping maybe tomorrow sometime I can start on another rug - I'm itching to hook!

Hope everyone is staying cool and having a great weekend!

Friends, Festivals, An Ocean, and Jonesys' (Yep More than One!)

Well it's been a busy week but fun. Headed down to the Jersey shore earlier this week. Right before I left found these two peas in a pod were found napping.

Even though he couldn't open his eyes - at least Jonesy waved goodbye to me! LOL!

It was a beautiful beach day on Tuesday and Wednesday. Spent the day in Ocean City with my friend Donna and her daughter Kate and their friends. I haven't seen Donna in over a year so it was great catching up! We spent the entire day on the beach and then went back to Donna's for a shower, Margarita's and snacks. Thanks so much Donna and Company - it was great seeing you again!

Donna and Kate adopted a new kitten last week and you won't believe what they named him! He will be joining another cat in their household named Cody who looks a lot like him.

So meet their new kitten - Jonesy!

He is the sweetest kitten - nice and calm and so soft to pet and so adorable. They said they batted around different names but Jonesy won out! Too cute!

Came home on Thursday so it was a day of laundry and stuff like that - such fun. On Friday Kathy came to visit me all the way from Shippensburg! We spent the day running around this area. The local 4H was holding their 4H Fair but we only stopped by for the fabric sale -

Hey Kathy - guess what I forgot to give you - looks like I will have to drive out your way (on a hook-in day of course at Linda's) to give you your thread! LOL!

I didn't buy that much but found some thread for $0.15 each - heck when I zigzag around my rugs I don't care what color it is! Found about 2 yards of this lovey (not) plaid (will definitely be hitting the dye pots with this one!) for $2, and also a pinking shears which is left-handed (like me) for a whopping $0.25! So all in all it was a great bargain.

After the fabric fair we went back to my house to feed Jonesy - it was lunchtime. And being I was away all week I didn't have any food to feed Kathy and I knew she wasn't up for "ocean whitefish with tuna" - so we went to the PC Pub - their menu is like reading a novel but all their food is good. After lunch I took her to The Cinnamon Stick - a primitive store (you can see Judy's blog here - http://thespicecupboard.blogspot.com/ - i don't think she has a website anymore but she has a lot of nice primitive wares and antiques in her shop - Soon she will be decorating for fall - love that season at the Cinnamon Stick!

After the shopping it was off the Goshenhoppen Folk Festival (http://www.goschenhoppen.org/). It's a yearly PA German Folk Festival where they demonstrate trades and crafts from the 18th and 19th century. All the demonstrators are more than happy to share some history with you. We saw all sorts of demonstrations - lots of hand work, construction type work, food prep, linen paper making, gun making, and more. It was a beautiful day to walk around the grounds of the Antes house. I was carrying my camera but forgot to take a lot of pics - here are few -

Here is where the local peddlar of sewing goods was set up (A lot different than going to your local fabric store!)

Here are some young girls making corn husk dolls -

This was the local beekeeper -

And a remedy of his for a cold (This is for Judy - she was suffering from a summer cold when we saw her!)

And Kathy finally got her funnel cake of the season -

When I got home there was a package from Jo - she RAK'd me with some wool worms, an adorable cross stitched stocking, and a whole load of hankies for my Mom - Thank you so much Jo - I took them to my Mother today and she was thrilled!! You are so sweet!

I took Kathy up to my wool room where we were discussing wool colors and looking at patterns and things - I had a piece of bright blue wool (out of place for me) that was leftover from a few years ago - and told her it was a piece left over from a rug I made my Mom - So here's a picture of that rug - the way the wool was dyed was to replicate the speckled blue agate which my mom collects when hooked into the background. So this is why such a bright color was in my stash. This is a pattern called Pearl, May and Laverne from Rebecca Erb -

So after a day of running around - poor Kathy still had to drive back home - Sent her home with my wonky directions - via the Hayloft Fabric Store (She did make it home so they weren't all that bad! LOL) I had a great day and thanks for coming out all this way!

So that was my week - I'm thinking now that my grocery shopping and errands are done I may figure out what colors I need to dye for my stash - been in the mood to dye some wool!

Hope everyone is having a great week.

I Love Ticking

Well it's Sunday nite already - hard to believe - the weekend just seemed to fly by. Got a lot done again this past weekend - not creating so much but just things that needed to be done like grocery shopping, visiting, and paperwork! Spent about 4 hours today going thru paperwork and shredding a lot - I mean really - why do we keep so much - who says we have to keep an electric bill from 6 months ago - i never have needed it, have you - and if so what for? So from now on I'm only keeping the previous month until the next one comes in and is paid - Same with some of the other statements. I went looking on the Internet for a list of what you need to keep and for how long and didn't find much information. So anyway - I decided I didn't need a lot of these things and into the paper shredder it went!

Yesterday you can see how busy Jonesy and Riley were, (Miles was asleep down on his heating pad). The weather has been so weird - thunderstorms and rain and then hot and humid and sunny.

I stopped in at my Uncles and left there with some fresh mint and some bamboo stakes for our tomato plants. Came home and made some mint tea. Mmmmmm so good.

Most of the night it was thundering and raining and lighening. Today it got totally black outside - looked like it was nighttime it was that black and the skies opened up and it poured and poured and poured - then it got clear and the sun came out after a few hours. Jonesy and Riley spent the day in the back bedroom snuggled together on the blanket - looked pretty comfortable to me! Every one in a while I would jump on the bed and snuggle with them - of course they were probably thinking "get lost".

Yesterday I decided to make my chairpads I had in mind. I saw a set that were much larger - My seats aren't that large - made out of an aged type material like a feedsack in a primitive store. So when Kathy and I were out last week I bought an black ticking that looks aged already. I love ticking. Always have. I'm always trying to "prim" up my house - can't stand that cutesy country and can't stand ruffles (my old chair pad had ruffles and were thick). I love the older prim look - Just do not have the money to buy all the antiques I would love! So I do what I can with what I have.

Anyway I can't sew worth a darn and never really had the urge to, and have a hate/hate relationship with my past sewing machines (which I have broken). Last month I bought a new machine and went into it with the mindset that I could "do this", and I tell you - so far we are getting along! I used this ticking and that warm and natural batting i found at a thrift store last month and made these chair pads - I'm proud of myself - Now I know most of you are out there creating beautiful quilts and sewies and could do these in your sleep - but for me - this is an accomplishment! So they look kinda plain in the pic - but that's exactly what i wanted - think "primitive"! I was thinking of using twine to tie them to my chairs but i am leaving them like this - The kitties would probably chew on the twine.

One of these days I plan on hooking a rug for under the dining room table too!

I finished another little rug and have to whip that yet and then will share a pic. So right now - nothing is on my frame.

There is supposed to a couple of nice days at the shore this week so I'm hoping to go down there and spend the day on the beach - I'm determined to get there this year on a day when it's NOT raining!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

A Whole Lotta Hooking Going On....NOT

Sometimes All You Need is an Ear Rub to Make it a GOOD DAY!

Monday Monday

Last night I stayed up late hooking and watching movies. Of course it was challenging when I needed my lighter wools because I had not one but two knuckleheads sound asleep in my worm pile. Don't know how they were twisted up - looks like Riley was stretched out over top of Jonesy - who knows with those two.
This afternoon I was sitting back and whipping a rug I just finished - Jonesy had been playing with his mouse and tearing around - I thought it had gotten quiet - well here is where he passed out - right on the base of my hooking frame.

Later found him on top of the basket again on top of the cobbler's rack. This boy always has his head hanging down - how can that be comfortable? He is sound asleep in this pic!

I have a handful of patterns in my stash and sometimes wonder why the heck I bought some of them. Well this one I bought 3 or so years ago - It's called "Mildew Man" from Searsport Rugs and since our theme on our group was Pumpkins, figured I would do this one. Finished it up today - so here it is all steamed and whipped. The background is really dark purples and dark purply blues - looks blue in the pic.

Besides hooking and whipping today, I finally listed some items to Freecycle and have a pile of stuff to donate. My husband has a bunch of stuff to put out with the trash tomorrow too. I don't know if anyone else feels this way but I know from cleaning out my hooking room a few weeks ago and having my husband really clean out the basement of stuff we never will use again or need for a long time, that it feels better. I think you feel really good when you simplify things in your life - it really makes for more creativity and just a happy lighter feeling, or maybe it's just me that feels this way. Who knows - either way - I've been working on this for a few years now and trying not to clutter up my house with useless things I really don't need. Don't get me wrong - I'm the first one to find something at a yard sale and think I have to have it or buy something I thought I couldn't live without but I do ask myself a lot of questions and instead of impulse buying - I wait and let it sit a bit! I am really trying to do this with my rug hooking too - I look through some of my books and patterns that I thought I would love to hook and wonder why I ever thought that! So again- just trying to simplify and turn off that "need" to have things I don't need. LOL!

Wishing you all a great week!