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Archive for the ‘The Farm’ Category

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The Compost Post (not heap)

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

I spent some time today looking into devices for composting kitchen and yard waste for my farm. I spent the afternoon checking out some local sources – most are out or didn’t have what I wanted. So back home to the computer. I ordered this for the backyard:

41070rvk1al_sl500_aa280_

This turns so that you can continually mix up your compost stuff.

41rtatmdxul_aa280_

This lovely will reside in the kitchen to collect waste to go down to the composter. It has a carbon filter in the lid to cut down on odors (I hope) I’m hoping that having something this attractive will encourage me to save the garbage and get it into the composter.

This morning I also did some work on my 12 X 12 challenge. I auditioned some fabrics, but I think I need to dye some colors that I am missing. I also finished the Photoshop design that I will use.

Tonight, I discharged one of the pieces from the shibori class. I wrapped it on a pvc pipe and sloshed on some Sunlight Dishwasher detergent. It discharged the outer edge so I washed and dried it and wrapped it the other way. It now looks like this:

dischargedshibori

The photo is not that great as I took it in the kitchen just now. It looks better than this. Here is a thumbnail of the fabric before I went at it with bleach.

sodaashsoakedpainted

Posted in 12X12 challenge, Discharging fabric, shibori, The Farm | 8 Comments »

Still Cooking, But There’s More

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

yowzashibori

I got into the dye pot today. You must click on this piece to see it better. It was a piece that I underpainted with dye and wrapped on a pole at the class a couple of weeks ago. I brought it home with me because there was not room in the dye pot. I mixed up a teal dye bath. Here is a detail shot.

yowzashiboridetail

I also wrapped the violet folded piece from the class on a long skinny pole. Here is the result. I like it.

violettealshibori

I didn’t have pvc pipes of the right size, so I wrapped some small pieces of fabric on wine bottles. these will be underpainted and dyed again.

smalltealshiboris

tealshibori

I also got a great idea for the next 12 X 12 challenge and started working on it. I am so happy with the plan that I have. It has to be done early because I have a lot of conference stuff to take care of between now and the next reveal plus I am leaving for Kansas City on May 22.

Yesterday, I spent an hour working on my garden beds. I got all the old winter plants pulled out plus a ton of weeds. I was excited to find many of my herbs had survived the winter.

I had to make a dessert for a meeting tonight. In spring, my thoughts go to rhubarb. I love it!!

rhubarb

I made these Rhubarb Dream Bars — sort of a shortbread crust with rhubarb in a custardy topping. I had none to bring home. They were devoured in an instant.

rhubarbdreambars

Good thing I had extra rhubarb and I made a crisp for Mr C and I.

rhubarbcrisp

And here is the broccoli cheese recipe.

It is so easy!! Steve’s mom made it for every holiday/family gathering meal.
Dump into a large bowl and mix:

  • 1 large container of cottage cheese (32 oz.)
  • 6 eggs
  • 8 ounces mild cheddar cut into small cubes (I buy the slices because that is what she did)
  • 6 ounces butter cut in small pieces
  • 6 tablespoons of flour
  • 1 16 once package of frozen broccoli (chopped), thawed

Place the mixture into a buttered 9 X 12 pan. Bake at 350 (convect) 375 (regular oven) for 45 – 60 minutes until set in center and nicely browned on the edges.
There you go!

Posted in 12X12 challenge, Cooking and Recipes, Dyeing, shibori, The Farm | 7 Comments »

This and That and Queen for the Week-end

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

Want to see something scary?

Meet Kirstin, Mia’s American Girl Doll. Steph found her at a yard sale a couple of years ago and she has been loved almost to death!! She recently suffered a serious accident and lost an arm. So today, I boxed her up and sent her to Chicago to the American Girl Doll Hospital. She will return with her arm reattached, wearing a hospital gown and bracelet with a get well balloon. It should take about 2 weeks. This is what Grandmas do!!

We were blessed with some nice warm days for the past week and today it is raining. My urban garden is thriving. I think I will be harvesting some lettuce, soon.

October 12th is my 70th birthday, but, this week-end, I am being whisked away to a luxury mountain house near Mt. Hood so that I get to spend a long week-end with my core family. This was my greatest wish for my birthday. We will hike, play games, eat, drink and be merry. Oh, yes, Miles told me he is bringing a jigsaw puzzle. We love to do puzzles. I do not have to do any cooking!

There is wifi so perhaps I will share some of the frivolity with you. Lisa arrives in the morning, without Wilfredo. It was too expensive to include him. Mark and Jayme are arriving tomorrow night. Needless to say, I am excited!!

Posted in Family, M & M, The Farm, This and that | 11 Comments »

A Quiet Week-end

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

I have been plugging away on the next 12 X 12 challenge. The theme is shelter. I have had a couple of ideas. One was very  simple and one was not. Guess which one I decided to do? I am having a problem getting this done or getting excited or something. I hope to start some stitching on it tomorrow, but I still have some cutting and fusing to do. Here is a sneak peak at some of the cutting I have been doing.

Yesterday, we made another trip to the garden store to pick up some new grasses for the front landscaping. I also wanted to get some raspberries as my planting guide says to plant them now. The problem is that the nurseries do not get them until January so I will have to wait. I did pick up some mesclun mix starts and some more herbs and trailing/carpet rosemary. I am lining all of the beds with carpet herbs and rosemary which I will train to grow over the sides. (At least that is my plan!!) Here is a progress photo. I think we can start harvesting some romaine soon. I also need to thin the arugula and spinach.

We are having cooler weather and less sunshine. I guess fall is officially  here. I have a WW update. I went to a new meeting on Friday. I really liked the leader so I am going to switch from Wednesdays to Fridays. I was down a pound. I  am sure the strep throat contributed to my weight-loss last week!

Thanks for checking in.

Posted in 12X12 challenge, The Farm, weight loss/gain | 4 Comments »

A Pretty Good Monday

Monday, September 8th, 2008

Yesterday found me in a funk (Sunday that is). Perhaps I spent too much time vegging with sick Mia. The parents picked them up in the morning. I went for a nice long walk while Steve was still at church. In the afternoon, we went to Obama’s headquarters to get some training in voter registration. The training was: here is your clipboard, here are the forms, here is a pen, get out there and register some voters. I was not prepared to spend 2 or 3 hours in the hot sun (it was still pretty hot in the late afternoon) so I begged off until another time. I think I will try the Farmer’s Market on Wednesday, if I have time. Mr C went to the nearby Trader Joe’s, with his Obama emblem and clipboard. He got thumbs up from the TJ crew. He stayed for 2 and half hours and registered 7 people!! One African American gentleman said he had not voted in 20 years. They were blown away by his success at the headquarters. I am very proud of him. We have decided that this election has taken a turn that requires action. This may be our last chance to save this country.

While he was gone, we had a 2 hour power outage so I couldn’t get out of the garage to do my grocery shopping until 6:30. I sat on the porch and read.

Anyway, I am feeling better today. I saw my dermatologist this morning. I had to have one little zapping on my upper forehead where I forget to put sunscreen. The good news is that I don’t have to go back for a year!!

This afternoon, I got busy in the studio. I was going to work on the 12 X 12 challenge, but I got sidetracked. I put 2 of my Liz Berg class studies together to make this piece that I call Line Dances.

Do you like that orientation or this one?

Someone requested that I let you know the size of my pieces. This one is 10″ X 15.” The Black and Red Construction piece is 10 1/2″ X 12″.

Tonight was Back to School night, as our EFM class restarted. It was good to spend time with our friends. Next week, we start on the Middle Ages — a dark time in church history.

I am looking forward to some quality time in the studio tomorrow. And look, the farm is still thriving.

Posted in My creations, Obama, Progressive Politics, The Farm | 11 Comments »

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