Reflections on the weekend...

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. Having Mondays off regularly is a new thing for me at this job. Usually I worked every Monday, including the holidays, which was not really a bad thing (can you say time and a half with generally less work?) However, it was nice to be home and share the day with my Sweetie. Used to be we would always try to head to one of the many lakes near LaPine on the Memorial Day weekend. No urgency to do that now that we are building our retirement there. Tom worked Sunday, so I caught up on all the laundry (he brought home a ton from his week in LaPine) and baking. I wanted to try a heavier grain bread, but could not find a suitable recipe in any of my books or online. A light bulb went off...I have developed a great recipe...why not experiment with adding more grains and see what happens? The results were fabulous, so now I have a super whole grain recipe and the confidence to experiment more! Next up I would like to try some millet with my sourdough french bread...yummo! Sunday also gave me an afternoon in the studio to do some embroidery. I have been working to tidy up my space with all the rain we've been having, and it has really boosted my creative spirit! I also made a decision on some UFO's. I had a vest that has probably been sitting around for 2 years. It was to go with a sundress that I dearly love and wear with a nice white cardigan. I felt guilty, but never could quite make myself sew it. I finally pulled the pattern pieces off the fabric and let it go. It felt good! Question...How long do you let UFOs hang out before you set them free? Or do you ever? Monday morning brought a planned Skype date with our daughter and grandson...Heaven!!! I miss them so much! Colt is growing up so fast and I just miss being able to chat on the phone with Sara or meet up for coffee or lunch when our schedules would allow. Bryce recently deployed again, so they are on their own for awhile, but thankfully she has lots of great friends over there and a band of local support. Memorial day is also a time for reflection and giving thanks to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I spent some time thinking and praying about that too. Tom was not feeling really great yesterday, so he spent time in the recliner watching an NCIS marathon. I puttered a bit, but did spend a lot of time sitting with him and knitting. I finished another pair of socks and next up on the needles will probably be some socks for Colt. He's got pretty big feet...I asked Sara for a measurement and she held her phone up...yup, his feet are as big as her phone! Ye Gads! He's going to be a bruiser if he grows into those feet! Love it!!! On the sewing front, I need to get busy on the apron/tops for the girls at work. Super easy project, but I can't seem to get myself enthused about it. I am enthused about sewing for me. I joined Club BMV over the weekend and have a bunch of new patterns heading my way. That's always fun. They had the membership down to $9.99 and a good sale on the patterns. In the past I have just waited til JoAnn's had them on sale, but a special trip to town to buy patterns always leads to buying more stuff, and truly I am disenchanted with their fabrics. The unsubscribing to Fabric.com has worked very well too in curbing my fabric aquisition. I have checked them out a couple of times (can you say "Liberty of London"?), but truly, if I want some Liberty, I want to buy it when I am in London...just sayin! Well, the rain is still with us...they are predicting we might see the sun on Saturday. I hope so...I am in need of some serious vitamin D! I better get on my horse an ride...back to work today!

Water

Coming from the sky and coming out of the ground at the Deeter's Old Folks home!!! Yay!!! Tom called last night to let me know that he set the pump and we have glorious ice cold water coming from the well! The rain is back and while we all long for sunny skies, truly I cannot complain when I see what our friends in the midwest dealing with the wrath of Mother Nature. The good news is that I don't need to worry about watering the garden, right??? And if it's going to rain, why not head up to the studio and play til it's time to go to work? That's where you'll find me!

A Salt on a Slug...

Actually that means I have begun my annual assault on the slug population. I found a couple of them in my broccoli and brussel sprouts, so me and my trusty box of rock salt went to work. I could get slug bait, but with Jo's love of helping me in the garden, I am hesitant to lay down any poison! I was thinking of my Mom while I was annihilating slugs this morning. Why, you ask? Growing up we had two pet ducks...Daisy and Dum-Dum. Daisy and Dum-Dum loved to eat slugs, but Mom was afraid to let them free range so every night about dusk we had to go gather up slugs onto a coffee can lid with sticks to feed to the ducks. Daisy just scarfed them up, but Dum-Dum had to wash his first. Maybe he wasn't so dumb after all? Another great story in the history of slugs was when Sara was about 3, she was playing out in the yard. She let out a blood curdling scream! We thought something horrible had happened (well, in her little world, it had!). Sara had stepped on a slug with her bare feet! Pretty traumatizing for a 3 year old although not dangerous. I digress...the sun is out today and of course I head back to work this afternoon! C'est la vie! I am inspired by Trena's Netherland wardrobe to start planning a new wardrobe for Greece...I love the planning part...time to "shop the stash" for the bones of this capsule.  More to come...

I'm still here...

I guess the rapture came and left me behind. You too? Guess I am in good company then! In all seriousness, I have been thinking up posts, taking pictures for posts and then what do I do? Not post! Sorry to disappoint, but this isn't going to be much of a post either, but at least I'm making the effort to splatter my brain on the page again. My new work schedule is wonderful, but like any change it takes a little time to adjust. It's my weekend and of course I had big plans to work outside, but as if on cue the rain has returned! There are a few absolutes I want to get done this morning, so on comes the rain gear. I was fortunate enough to receive a trunk full of irises throught the kindness of a stranger on FreeCycle. I noticed she has reposted, so I guess the other lady and I didn't clean her out! I need to get them in the ground today so Mother Nature can take care of the watering for me! I also have some greenhouse work to do, which I can do regardless of the weather. The rain has me seriously itching to spend some time in the studio, and I will! I have done some paying jobs, but that is not fun sewing. I am working a new to me sock pattern and I really like how the heel turned on this pattern. Maybe I am just getting better at it with all my practicing!!! Tom is working a double and then is leaving Tuesday morning to work on the LaPine project. We will have water soon and the concrete guy is ready to get working on the shop floor! Whoo-hoo! That also means the money is going to start flying out of our account, but what a worthwhile investment in our future! I am so excited! We saved a small inheritance that I received when my Dad passed away a few years ago, so I feel like this is the building that Mom and Dad built with all their hard work and saving. I know they would be happy.  Well, enough nostalgia...time to get digging in the dirt so I can start stitching!

Cuteness...

I haven't shared any pictures of the cutest baby in the world lately, so here's a quick pic of our Colt. Sara had some professional photos done and this is one of them.

I know I'm a bit prejudiced, but I think he is adorable.

Busy

My weekend was filled with work...lots of hard work...

Laying the forms and digging a hole for the chase...

Mixing and pouring cement...

Halfway...

Supervisor...

Fighting the elements...

Grubbing and burning brush til the nice Fireman shut me down...

The visiting neighbor rooster...Jo Jo kept him in line...

All in all it was a very productive weekend...pumphouse and water to come soon!

Where in the world is Mary Deeter?

My poor blog. It's been so neglected. A friend from work asked about Me Made March today. She said she hadn't checked my blog in awhile. I told her she hasn't missed much! I think about posting, but I have been pretty busy just keeping up with life lately.  I have done some sewing for hire jobs, but very little for me. I did a couple of "Put a Bird On It" shirts for my boss' granddaughter. For those of you who are wondering what the heck I am talking about, here is a link to Portlandia...a show about Portland and what "Put a bird on it" is all about...just keeping Portland weird! The garden is progressing nicely thanks to Tom's hoop-a-rama. The bedding plants are thriving and the first beans, radishes and lettuce are up...whoo-hoo! Finished my ribbon scarf and starting some more...wait for it...socks! Totally addicted to knitting socks...totally! My work schedule has changed and guess what...no more evil doubles! Can I get an amen??? My new days off are Sunday/Monday...they are predictable and easy to remember as opposed to every other Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday...can you keep up? Me neither!!!! I don't mind working weekends because Tom's schedule is every third day, but I do appreciate having some continuity to my life! Our days off fall off together this week, so we are going to LaPine...hopefully we will not be snowed upon like last time. The plan is to pour the slab for the pump house. Tom will construct the walls here and take over to construct the actual pump house. He bought a generator to run the pump, so we will have running water come summer! That is huge, even though Norm has been gracious enough to let us come fill our buckets. He was just afraid we were going to burn his house down! LOL!!! And the permits have been approved, so the shop is going up! Another Whoo-hoo! And we're going to England and Greece in November! You see...life has been crazy! Well, Tom just called and the boys are hungry, so to the fire house I go...Later!!!

Reunited...

and it feels so good...Yep! I made it into the sewing studio the other day because it rained. Well, not only because it rained, but Outlet Shirts not only has the best prices, but also the quickest service in the world. I ordered some Port Authority hats for a DOT order on Wednesday and I was in total shock when they arrived on Thursday, with enough time to stitch out a couple samples for the customer. Seriously? Less than 24 hours for delivery? They are my go to embroidery blank source from now on! I didn't work on any garments for me, but as soon as the orders are done and the garden is planted there should be some time for working on my wardrobe. I'd also like to do a shout out to all the Mothers in the world...Happy Mother's Day. Where would we be without out Moms? Here is a picture of Sarah...my Mom

Love you...Miss you Mom!

Note to Sewing Machine...

I miss you. Sorry I haven't been around much lately. Tom, work and the garden have been taking up alot of my time. I know you are jealous of those big boxes of yarn you see me poking about every couple of days, but I swear you are my first love...really! I promise I'll come visit you...the next rainy day!