What a Monday.

 First off, we got a nice deluge of rain yesterday. A big radar blob was over my area for about 30 minutes. A few miles down the road got nothing, but we were grateful for the rain. The grass was getting pretty crunchy. We are getting some more rain this afternoon. The ground will be happy and hopefully the fire risk goes down a bit. 

Well, we got a call after midnight from the first alert folks. My FIL had fallen down and was unable to get up. We got another call around 6AM from the nurse. He has a broken right hip. We headed over after the kids left for school. Aidan was heading to Jacksonville for his Skills USA competition this week. We got Toms house locked up and secured and readied a bag for him. Then visited the hospital. They are going to do surgery on it over the next couple of days when they can get it in. Until then, they are trying to manage his pain, but the meds are drastically dropping his blood pressure. 

I got home and then logged onto work for the afternoon. Emily was late but not for the math review she was planning. Her teacher was out today so it will be tomorrow. She went to Symphonic band rehearsal instead for their concert next Monday. They have different sections in various classes through the day, so this is their chance to play together. 

Since Aidan is gone for a few days, Emily got the selection of meals this week. It appears we are doing a bunch of vegetarian type meals, although I notice she grabbed some chicken breast from the roaster chicken I picked up yesterday at Sams. She just prefers meals with vegetables.

Tonight was a Halal Cart Style Cauliflower Bowl. I forgot to add salt and pepper to the cauliflower before baking it. I served it with a sliced up romaine head of lettuce. We did white rice in the pressure cooker. It was ok, probably needed a little something to perk it up a bit, maybe the hot sauce? Not bad though and something new to try. 

Tomorrow is rice noodles with snap peas and a bunch of other things. She found that recipe on Tasty I think. Then I get to have a meal Wednesday and Thursday will be a burrito rice bowl with seasoned black beans and charred corn and rice with pico. We will see how that one is. I mentioned the meals to Aidan and he said Friday should be a meat fest! Turducken anyone? 

I think I'll pick up the kitchen, then sit and watch some tv. Not sure any stitching will happen, but it might. We will see. 

April TSC

The Table Scrap Challenge this month was rain and the color selected for the RSC was red. 

Umbrella with red rain is the first thing that came to mind. Emily mentioned a red sunset with rain. That was a little harder for me to figure out how to do. So, I went with option 1.

I found a nice black swirl and then cut a very off shaped umbrella with a dotted handle. 

 

I found this fun snowman with snowflakes - red background and snow is just frozen rain, right?

I finished the table mat with a nice red binding. Then I stitched some red rain on an angle with some embroidery thread. Finding a needle that fit the embroidery thread was interesting, but I found one. 

Next month should be a little easier.

Linking up with the Table Scrap Challenge.

A yard day.

 I snapped a few photos' Saturday as I was cutting back shrubs and weeding. A few of my flowers and a pretty butterfly that was feasting on the sweet smelling tea olives.

Blue Plumbago

Mexican petunia

tea olive bushes (taller than my car!) They form a hedge around the stone parking area.

I hand stitched these two hexagons into sets of 4, so they are all ready to be stitched into a row to be added to the original quilt.... eventually. I have the parts for 2 columns to be added, but I think I might want 4. We will see. Each column needs 48 hexagons.

I started on the gold string of beads block last night. Note to self, prep this on the cutting mat, not my recliner arm. I might need to check to make sure they are placed in the correct spot before I add the other six peels. 

the blocks so far.

I did some emergency surgeries last night. Bear loves to destuff his animals. Poor lambie. 

Lambie, bear and the reindeer got a little machine stitching and then hand stitching to close up a lot of the holes caused by the destuffing process. As you can see - Mr Moose is scheduled for surgery later today. I have a bucket of 'stuffing' to put back in him as I close up those holes. We will see how long before I have nightly crime scenes of stuffed animals all over my living room floor!

Aidan is heading to Jacksonville this week for a Skills USA competition. Emily will get to drive herself to and from school this week until he returns late Thursday. She has various AICE testing preps after school, so it works out well. As her brother is gone, I asked her for meal ideas. She gave me 3 vegetarian ones that we will make this week. 

I've got a Sams run today, then hope to play in the sewing room. I will be stitching peels and/or hexagons later this evening as I relax before the new week starts.

Linking up with Kathy and the other Slow Sunday Stitchers.

RSC in red

I finally got some red sewing in this month! 

I added 6 BITA blocks. I just need 5 more next month and then I can start assembling my rainbow of blocks.

I added the second red string of beads block this month, along with two pinks, two blues and a yellow. I have another gold yellow prepped that I'll start working on later this evening. These are hand applique. I need to add some orange, teal and maybe bright green? White would not show on the background. I plan 16 blocks for these.

This hawk was on the fence when I got home from school with Emily today. Aidan was late with some AICE testing prep after school. Emily has some AICE prep for 2 classes tomorrow morning at school. 

When I messed up making the BITA blocks back in January, I ended up with this 'Alternate' block. I really need to come up with a name for them. I added 8 in red this month.

One 16 patch block in red. I realize I need to make one more of these. I have a couple of parts made and will sew a few more as I am making the Table Scrap Challenge. I hope to link up with that Saturday afternoon.

Linking up Saturday with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Mid week

 I started the light pink block on Wednesday.  These middles will have a round over it, I have not decided the colors.  Might be all yellow or each blocks color. I'll decide when they are all done.

I had a girl pick up at school, so I grabbed the bag. I added a grey round to a granny square. I have had finishing ideas running through my head on these. We will see what happens! 

A visit to my FIL today after a dog walk. I'm sure he will need a grocery shop. He is still very weak, so we will see. I've been calling him each morning, since greg won't, and his meal delivery was not starting until today. 

I do hope to play with red more. I've got alternate blocks to make and a table scrap challenge.  I had an idea for it, then mentioned the prompt of red and rain to Emily last night.  She had an interesting idea. We will see which wins!

I had bought a ham last week ($1.98 a pound) but since we went out Sunday I cooked part of it on Monday night with the Boars Head brown sugar sauce on it. I got a 5 pounder and cut it into chunks and cooked about a pound of it and seal a mealed chunks for the fridge. I did save off the bone part and cut parts to add to salads for a couple of days. I still had that and had pinto beans in a can of dry beans. I looked up recipes for the instapot and made this one yesterday. Emily had something else, but Aidan was game to try it. His response, a little less salt (I added some at the end and should not have) and some savory herbs next time. I made cornbread to go with it. 

I get a whole day Saturday to myself! I plan to get the Arkansas Traveller quilt pinned and quilted this weekend.  Emily has test review at school and will drive herself! Aidan has skills usa next week, so will drive to school Monday, hand keys to Emily and return Thursday evening after a competition in Jacksonville. Emily gets to drive herself to school and back! Her comment, darn, I need to get up 5 minutes earlier to eat breakfast. I guess she eats in the car while Aidan drives. It is quite early - they leave for school at 6:55.

Someone is ready for a walk before it gets too hot. 

Light blue string of beads block

 

I needed to prep more peels since my last green one for this block had the white selvedge on it. I prepped a new one and got this one finished. Onto the light pink next. I also prepped some pretty gold for the second yellow block.

A little red sewing

 I added 6 Birds in the Air blocks. I believe I only need 5 more of these and then I can start assembling them into a quilt top.

One 16 patch block got sewn as I was making these.

I also got a little prep work in on some more bead blocks. Three more backgrounds cut out and some green and gold orange peels cut and marked. 

Progress!

The audiobook in progress is The Women by Kristin Hannah. 

Good morning

 

I started stitching the light blue beads block yesterday. I need to prep more backgrounds for the rest of the blocks. I'm hoping Angela calls for purple next month so I can get all caught up with the light blue, pink and yellow.

I'm hoping for sewing time this week to  make my red BITA blocks and the 8 alternate blocks. I also need 16 patches and some chickens. The table scrap challenge is due this week as well....

Red and rain. Now that should be an interesting link up! 

Easter weekend

 I have yet to go sew any red with my machine, but I did get some hand work RSC in this week. I added pink and blue string beads blocks this week and finished up the second red one last weekend. I plan on making 16 of these.

After going with Emily to horses and watching F1 qualifying with Aidan, I took a little 'me' time. I went for a haircut and then a nice relaxing pedicure. I also picked up an Easter Lily for my MIL tomorrow while I was out. I ordered flowers to be delivered to my Mom and Dad today as well. 

My FIL was released from rehab yesterday and is settled in at home. Let's just say it has been a stressful week and I'm glad to be on the other end of it. I think most of the kids extra activities are over for the year as they roll into testing time - AICE and Florida state. The AICE ones are for college credit. 

Tomorrow we are heading to my MIL's house and will go out for Easter lunch and then will play some games at her house. Nice and relaxing.

Audiobooks - I finished 'The Twisted Women's Book Club' by various authors through my Audible. I just started 'The Women' by Kristin Hannah on my Libby app. Netflix - I watched The Residence. It was just the right mix of mystery/comedy and drama for me this week. 

Linking up Saturday with the RSC and Sunday with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitchers. 

Another Sting of Beads block done.

 I pulled out the dark pink peels and got another block done. 

Today we were planning to go to a 12:30 care meeting for my FIL to see how he was doing at the hospital rehab. We got a call a bit before 11AM - they were transferring him to the rehab facility about 30 minutes from us. It seems he was unable to do the 3 hours of PT/OT in their program, so he selected the rehab facility to go to. They were to inform us of when he was transferred and his room number. We will pop over tomorrow after work to see him. Kids are late after school, and one is driving and one has a late pick up.

I had picked up a 10 pound boston butt at Sams Club on Sunday. It was $1.98 a pound. It did not fit in my big oval crock pot, so I cut off a little under 4 pounds and that went into the small crock as pulled pork. The bigger portion went into the oval one as Carnitas. 

We had the pulled pork for dinner with potato salad and Bush's original baked beans.

Depending on what time we get home tomorrow - either steak on the grill with asparagus and baked potato or carnitas with cilantro lime rice, pico and guac. 

Weekend

After a very busy week, the weekend was nearly as busy! I need a vacation.

The newly licensed girl was not up for her first solo drive to be across town through traffic to horses. So, I got to ride along with her and got to see the horses and baby mini goats. The girls did not even get onto the horses until 11:30 for their 11 AM lesson. They were enjoying goat time. Since she did have a lesson at noon, she let the girls go over to the other pasture areas and hang out on their horses. Kyra's Grandpa calls this their 'solve all the worlds problem time.... or teenage girl time!'. They go to different schools and Kyra is a year ahead of Emily. These girls have been riding together for a few years now.

Once we got home, Grandma drove up as she wanted a Pig and Cattle restaurant meal and it is just down the road from us! We had a nice late lunch. She had not heard of a bunch of the USA/Florida bills being brought to the house/senate floors that will remove rights and various programs. Guess who owns all the media outlets now - the $$ so they choose what to report on! Sigh. I try to educate myself with news outlets from across the globe to stay informed.

After a little resting, this one insisted on a walk and since it was a beautiful day in the mid 70's I was able to do that late afternoon. If it is 80 F + the pavement is too hot for his paws. I have melted many a sneaker bottom walking on the roads in Florida.  See Bears smile! He does love his walks. He is waiting for one right now, in fact.

I have about 1.25 peels left to stitch down on this and it should be completed in the F1 race today at 11AM. I would have completed it last night, but Bear decided I had stitched enough and he needed Mom lap time and snuggles.

This is a block I saw back in the 1990's that I loved. It was done in purple and green. It was on my 'someday' list when my skills got there. I was reminded of it in this book I got years ago that I flip through every once in a while for inspiration. The block is called String of Beads, which is the name I remember it being called way back when. I decided to do mine in a rainbow of colors with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC). Red is this months color.

Linking up with the RSC and Slow Sunday Stitchers.

 

A busy week

 It has been a very busy week in my house! I did get a few of my string of beads blocks prepped today and started some needle turned applique in red this afternoon. I hope to get the other 2 red peels added tomorrow.

If you don't want to feel exhausted, feel free to stop reading now. This was my crazy life this week.

Monday - the girl turned 16 today and was a late pick up at school with Symphonic band practice. Stayed a little later to help with drum major try outs playing some stand tunes. She requested steak fajitas so that is what I made. 

Tuesday -

I was tapped to bring her for her driving test as Greg's head was feeling off. It was 30 minutes in one direction away from her school. Then the drive to school (50 minutes away). I just continued onto my doctor appointment (infection) and then home close to 11:00. I grabbed lunch, called out the rest of the day from work and headed to the hospital (45 minutes another direction) to visit my FIL who was doing better. They did not let us know they did his procedure Monday evening to replace his stint, that was originally an outpatient procedure Monday, but he landed in the ER/hospital with a UTI last Friday.  He was tired so we did not stay long, and I dropped Greg home and then headed to get the girl. I had to pick her up at school (Aidan had NHS tutoring after school - the national honor society started a tutoring program Tuesday and Thursdays after school). Fed her and then drove across town (30 minutes or so) for her All County band practice 5:30-8:30.

Wednesday - I tried to work. Then did the girl pick up at school, fed people and did the ride to the same place across town for the All county band practice 5:30-8:30. Aidan was late for Chess Club. We got a call late Wednesday that they transferred my FIL to the hospital Physical Therapy ward.

Thursday - A very busy day. I opted out of riding today. Aidan had to be at school for 6AM. I got up at 5:30 to see him off. He was headed to Orlando with the NASA MUREP team to present their project to NASA and UCF engineers. His team of 4 took first place! They thought they did horrible. They did not. We were able to watch them present on a Teams meeting that I cast to our TV for Greg and I to watch.  Lets hope the Feds continue funding this program. 

I had to drop the girl to The Reilly Arts Center for 8:30 for an all day practice for All County Band. They performed for us from 6:30-7:30. Quite the program considering the little bit of time to prep for it. They all did a wonderful job. 

After dropping her off, I headed home and made myself a breakfast burrito. Then watched the presentation. They were 3rd to present, they started the presentations around 9:30 and finished close to 2 with a 10 minute time limit. They were around 9:50. Then I made the dog happy and walked him. We headed to the hospital to visit Tom for a bit. Of the 4 rehab facilities he has been in, I think we saw the most people coming in and out of his room here. They were giving him some iron as it was low on his bloodwork this morning and he had just gotten lunch delivered at noon. It smelled yummy! He was talkative so we were there for about 1.5 hours. On the way home, we stopped for a bite to eat at Cracker Barrel. I had a couple of hours at home to prep some backgrounds for the peels with their placement of the peels and cut some red ones for my second red block. I got to add a few stitches and then headed to go see Emily at her concert. 

Friday, I'm on tap to pick up the girl as the boy is headed to see the movie Minecraft with his friends right after school. She asked me to drive her to school Friday evening so she can do her interview for leadership in band next year. Technically she could drive herself, but she will be nervous for the interview and is not up for the first solo drive yet. 

If you made it this far, are you as tired as I am?

Then I was chatting with Aidan all about his presentation and he mentioned 2 bills that were just presented to the Florida House or Representatives. They want to cut the AP, Cambridge Aice, and Certifications from the High Schools. They also want to cut the Bright Futures Scholarships (both my kids were offered up to 30 K in their Cambridge Aice program for college), dual enrollment and technical programs. 

First, they banned books, now cutting education funding? Florida House Bills 1105 and 5101.

Sunday

 It feels like Saturday was spent in the car. Probably because a lot of it was! Emily drove me over to her horse lesson and since they didn't even get on the horses until 11:30 (for their 11 lesson) we were running a little late. Something about 3 baby mini goats at the barn that took a liking to Kyra. 

The girls decided to ride bareback (no saddle or stirrups). Emily went with Goody instead of Doc as he can be a little unpredictable. The girl turns Sweet 16 tomorrow! She has a very busy week. Testing and late nights. Symphonic band late Monday. She made the All County HS band so practice is 5:30-8:30PM Tuesday and Wednesday across town and then all day Thursday together for the concert Thursday night. She informed us we'll celebrate next Saturday! I will plan steak fajitas for her birthday meal Monday at her request.

After a late lunch, hubby and I headed to The Villages Hospital to visit my FIL. He was much the same as Friday when he landed there. They are treating the UTI infection and will work on strength. We will head over in a few hours to check in and see what the doctors are saying. The hospital is a good 50 minutes from us.

I decided to lay out the 2 rows of QAYG hexagons I have been hand piecing. The first column is mostly attached, I just need to stitch the bottom set of 8 to the top. The second column is in sets of 4 except the purple and brown which are sets of 2. I was too lazy to grab the bag out of the car last night to work on while watching the Florida Gaters in the tournament. I hope to get a few of these connected during the game Monday night.

I'm a little late, but trying to clear the garden area up so we can try and plant a few things to grow for veggies. We will see.  It is Florida and pretty hot down here already (90's).

Linking up with the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Progress

 I have a stack of these granny squares in a box and I have slowly been adding the grey border around some. Another one into the grey round added pile.

The brown hexagons got stitched and into sets of two. I just need to get these stitched together and then I'll start assembling my row of them for the next column. This is the second column of 4 that I am adding to the existing quilt.

I have the yellows and 2 of the green peels added to this bead block. I am using needle turned applique for them. There is something soothing about needle turned applique. I'm using my silk blender threads for the colors and a matching green Gutterman on the green peels.

These are the 3 that I did last year. I see I need to select a red and prep another red block so I have 2 of them, I'll also select another yellow while I am cutting so I have 2 of yellow as well. I envision 16 of these blocks to make a wall hanging - so I need 2 each of 8 colors.
Note to self, pink, purple, blue, teal, bright green, yellow, orange, red. Light and dark of each color if I can or brights. Mix up in the 4x4 quilt. Maybe a green peel border? 

I hope to get a little red play time in this evening. 

****Edited for a Saturday RSC link up.

It turned out after work (a little before 3PM) we got a phone call from the first alert company that has the wrist band on my FIL. He tried to get up and could not from his recliner (too weak) so he pressed the button. They sent the paramedics and called us. We waited an hour for the kids to get home from school and for the ambulance to get him to the hospital ER. Then headed over to the ER. UTI and very weak. We just saw him Wednesday when we took him to his eye appointment. They admitted him and started asking him about assisted living and we also gave the option of moving in with us. He was in the ER in January for the same issue. Sigh. He lives alone about 45 minutes from us. I see lots of driving to the hospital/reab in the next few weeks. Greg's medicine is making his head fuzzy, so I've been tapped to drive him the last two times. Thank goodness for a very flexible workplace for me! 

April fools stitching

 It appears I was in a hand work mode yesterday. Unfortunately, the special elections were not my district in Florida.

I added the grey surround on these two while waiting on my 20 minutes to stretch the sourdough bread. I let it double overnight and then formed it into my loaf pan this morning. It took another few hours to rise and I have it in the oven now baking. I logged off work as I was tapped to drive my FIL to his Dr appointment today. (Standard eye doctor appt as he has missed a year from being in rehab) Greg's head is feeling wonky. I had offered and he took me up on it this time. I'll work tomorrow morning at work to make up the hours. 

I had time at my lunch to stitch a few of these purple hexagons and then finished them off after work and got them into a twosie. I also got one of the 3 browns done. 

Then I opened the baggie with the string of bead blocks and the yellow had one peel attached. I added the other two and have the third one pinned, before I needed to make dinner and then pick up Emily from flag practice. It appears they are now prepping for a fun show the end of the month, so instead of 7:15 they only practice until 6 and then fold the floors for a 6:15 pick up. I have more of these bead blocks prepped - light and dark blue, light and dark pink and this yellow. I have one red completed and a light and dark purple. I believe I was planning 2 of each color and the outer 4 peels will be a consistent green. The four middle petals change to the color of the month. I saw this pattern back in the 1990's and loved it in purple and green. It only took me 30 years to finally give it a try! 

Dinners so far this week. Monday was eggroll in a bowl using some hot italian sausage and the leftover cabbage I had in the crisper. Tuesday was Crispy Parmesean baked Chicken and veggies. Aidan mentioned the shrimp in the freezer, so tonight I'll grill those up with various veggies and maybe some sweet potato fries.