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    T Tuesday: Ivanhoe journal pages edition

    August 24, 2020 - By 

    I was thinking about what I wanted to post about for the T stands for Tuesday, I suddenly realized that I never have posted a couple of journal pages I made early this month. I guess that would be part of the August acceleration I talked about last week.

    I know I gave a sneak peek of this page several weeks ago. It was my first page in my Ivanhoe journal.

    I can’t get enough of looking at the texture… The gold and bronze are UTEE. The white is your basic embossing powder.

    I chose these words after thinking about the Paris image I had used…dancing and wine seemed fitting.

    This next page had me again playing with some metallic colors.

    I used so many layers! This book will be another chunky one… The words I used reflected my mood. Things it seems will never be the same. Its sad really.

    Moving on to more pleasant things.

    I am attempting to make apple cider vinegar again. My last attempt did not turn out. I think I used tap water which killed off the fermenting bacteria plus I never feed them any sugar in the beginning. These apples were heading for the compost pile since they were getting soft and shriveled. Blech. Hopefully in 6 weeks I’ll have some lovely ACV to show off.

    My second crop of beans is continuing to impress me with how quickly they are growing. There are even some tiny blossoms beginning to form.

    The deck box garden is nearing the end stages. Several green tomatoes, beets and summer squash will all hopefully make it to harvest.

    My pole bean plant is definitely determined…it is reaching out to whatever it can find to continue to grow. I’m thinking I really need to grow more of these next year. And bonus…no fuzz!! Nice smooth green beans like they should be!!!!

    I’m posting Monday evening since I have my first back to school work meeting tomorrow. Thankfully its a remote meeting…unfortunately its FOUR HOURS LONG!!

    T stands for Tuesday
    What are you doing today?
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    T Tuesday: not a food blog edition

    July 28, 2020 - By 

    This post may make you think twice if you’ve arrived at the right place. It’s centered around food. Growing, eating, drinking, and baking with a little artsy-crafty splash thrown in just so you remember where you are.

    This is my new favorite breakfast. Blueberry Oatmeal Bake. I found the recipe on Pinterest…where else?!  I modified things slightly to fit the ingredients that I had plus I don’t like using artificial sweeteners.

    Check out this kohlrabi I got in our CSA box! Crazy!! I haven’t cut it open yet…I’m thinking today. I set it next to the loaf of bread we got as well with our farm share this week. I love it when they do community partnerships.

    Between the beans from the CSA and my garden I needed to can some more spicy beans. I mixed up a double batch of the brine since I had so many. Not wanting to pour it down the sink, I grabbed some random veggies to try in a jar with some extra spices since I wasn’t including a jalapeno. Time will tell if we enjoy them or not.

    Speaking of the garden…the high heat and humidity have done a number on the garden. The beans and squash have quit producing and of course you know about my deer chomped tomatoes. I was watching a youtube video about harvesting potatoes and the gardener mentioned doing a second planting of some of the quick turn around crops that stop production in the heat. Hmm…sounds exactly like what’s happening here. He said to look up the first frost date and count backwards from there to see if there is enough time. Our first frost date is Oct. 2nd so I have time!! I’ll let you know next week what I decided upon.

    Since we’re talking about outdoor things…look at these lovely lilies my neighbor so generously lets me pick.  She had some other colors but those must be a little tastier to the deer…they beat me to them. My tiger lilies should be blooming this week…if the deer don’t get them first. Darn deer!!

    With the heat and humidity I’ve been drinking tons of water. That gets boring sometimes so need to mix it up. My new favorite is club soda with a squeeze of lime or lemon. So refreshing.

    All my walking is doing something that I hadn’t really noticed until I put on a shirt I hadn’t worn since my birthday.

    I’ve lost 12 lbs. Both my walking and staying away from things such as those in the birthday basket I received. I want to keep this momentum going. Wish me luck!

    On Saturday our state wide mask order went into effect for all indoor public spaces…its about time if you ask me.

    I started making more masks. J will need a bunch at college. Mini-me will be doing her classes at home for her college courses. We find out later this week what the fate of K-12 school will be.

    Are you still with me…I think we’ve finally arrived at the artsy part.

    I’m not in love with this page as a whole. But I do love some of the little details.

    The textures….

    The colors…

    And the message.

    Today has me replanting in the garden, sewing and stupid household chores.

    T stands for Tuesday
    What are you doing today?
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    T Tuesday: full ADD happening edition

    July 14, 2020 - By 

    Wowsers! My ADD is in full gear. I want to try everything. So many irons in the fire but not much getting fully finished. Its a self-diagnosed condition and I am not making light of those who struggle with the medically diagnosed form. I’m with ya…I get it!

    Where or where to start….

    These seem like the perfect way to begin to explain how my ADD is working these days.

    I pulled out my sewing box looking for a needle and button thread to reattach a button on J’s shorts. Yes, this would have been the optimal time to teach him this skill but I didn’t think of that until I was done. Perhaps I’ll have to snip a few threads on another one. *insert evil laugh*

    Anyway…I noticed a few completed yoyos and several circles ready to sew. Of course, I dive full in and begin sorting through my scraps for pieces big enough to cut circles, then sit down and sew all these. I decided to exhibit a bit of self-control and actually began to tackle my to-do list.

    I canned my spicy beans…although 2 jars never properly sealed so those are in the fridge for immediate consumption.

    I also made Kimchi for the first time. You can see that I sampled quite a bit from one jar before thinking to document. It is so good! I sort of cobbled together a few recipes since I didn’t have the exact ingredients for any of them. I wasn’t sure if it would taste as good as the local brands I picked up at the co-op but it did! Now I have my fingers crossed that we get another Napa cabbage in our farm share box this week.

    Sticking with the food theme…

    The summer squash is beginning to ripen, We really enjoy these grilled. I use the grill as much as possible to cook with during the summer. No use heating up the house if at all possible not to.

    I came home from my walk yesterday to find this…looks ok since you didn’t see it before. The deer ate a good 1/4 of the plant leaves and stems in addition to EVERY SINGLE tomato on the vine. There had to have been at least 15 maybe closer to 20 tomatoes in various stages of ripening. UGH!!!!!!!

    Moving on…no use crying about what is already done.

    My walk yesterday morning took me to the lake where I would take the kids swimming when they were little.

    The water was so calm. Even the boat launch made for a pretty scene.

    The rental craft are always a pretty picture but I was honestly very surprised that they are renting them during the pandemic. HMM…

    This week after much deliberation, I decided to reopen my Etsy store. Mini-me said that she’d help me in exchange for a sales commission. I think that is fair and savvy on her part.

    I have only gotten a few cards listed so far but its a work in progress.

    More works in progress are masks for the family. J will need a bunch for school. They are required to wear them on campus while outside of their rooms. The dining center and any classrooms that require other protective gear are the exceptions. Mini-me will also need more if she will be attending community college as part of the PSEO (post-secondary enrollment option) program. She’s been accepted but her counselor quit two weeks ago. We’re kind of stuck at the moment. She may be starting her senior year at high school then transition to the college classes…who knows?!?!

    Too soon? LOL I indulged in a cold beer over the weekend in my Corona glass.

    Today I’m attempting to get some of the chores I really don’t like doing so that I can do a few fun crafty things I’ve been wanting to try. I’m dangling the carrot for myself…we’ll see if it works or not.

    T stands for Tuesday
    What are you doing today?