We live in an interesting area west of Chicago. Fifteen years ago, we built a house at the end of what was a row of “farmettes.” As nearly as I can tell, that means long, deep lots that may have been used to keep horses or farm animals, or perhaps to have small veggie farms. Our land had been purchased in the 1930S by a couple who started a nursery. The remains of the nursery can be seen in the grove behind our house, and the evergreens on our lawn.
Monthly Archives: November 2004
No see-ums
NO, not the little bugs that drive you wild when you’re sailing, or gardening. I’ve been thinking about how much of the time I do work that has little to show for it.
Tuesday, was one of the rare days when I didn’t have to leave the house. I spent the first hour cleaning the kitchen, and the rest of the day I alternated between moving loads of laundry through the washer and drier and cleaning up stacks of work in the office. My niece and her boys joined us for our weekly dinner, and when they left, I went back to work in the office. At 2:00 in the morning, I finally crashed for the night, after creating the envelopes for the invitations to my Mother’s open house.
Everything I did NEEDED to be done. I didn’t get everything done that needed to be done. And except for the fact that we had clean clothes, and you could see the counters in the kitchen…..there was no evidence of the long day I had put in.
It’s difficult to have a life where there is so little to show for your efforts. I used to be able to proudly point to children who were becoming musicians as a sign of my efforts. And, at one time in my life, I churned out quilts.
It’s said that if you want something done, you should ask a busy person. They seem to be able to squeeze in one more thing. Maybe I need to force the issue and add one more thing to my week, and then one more, and one more after that, until I can list my accomplishments.
Or, perhaps, I need to find a way to be satisfied with the work I do. After all, caring for your mother is an honorable job. Keeping your husband out of jail, by filing federal quarterly reports is a commendable job.
Still….I’d like to be a little less “faceless.”
Catching up….
…in the gardens.
Today, one of my nieces gave me an afternoon of help out doors. Last weekend, when I should have been out doing yard work, I was inside. So this week, I’ve been playing catch up. I’ve planted four of the six dozen tulips, and now I’m running out of space. If I can find two matching containers that are not terra cotta, I may try planting the last two dozen in pots to be set out on the sidewalk next spring.
My niece raked the small lawn at the front of our house while I cut back the peonies, removed their supports and covered the stalks with compost. The compost helps to insulate them over the winter, and gives them a slow release feed that makes the peonies glorious in the Spring.
My attempt at lasagna gardening last year was quite a success. I managed to reclaim a long stretch of garden that had been over taken by grass. I added two more small sections of lasagna garden today, and hope to do one more small area before we quit for the winter. Normally, a “Lasagna” garden is created by putting down layers of wet newspaper and then layering “browns” and “greens” over it. “Browns” are dried leaves, shredded paper, straw or leaves. “Greens” are hotter materials like manure, kitchen scraps, or grass clippings. You need to make a stack six inches or higher to get an effective compost pile. I cheated. I laid down a heavier layer of paper, and then we put ready made compost over it, to hold it in place. That will deprive the grass of light, and kill it off! YEAH!!
Then, my niece moved a bale of hay to the covered area at the front door, and we decorated it with a potted mum, pumpkins and gourds. We cleaned up the leaves that had blown in, and either cut back or removed spent plants. I have to make room in the garage for several plants that will be wintered over, but things look much tidier now.
There are a number of plants in the gardens that edge either side of the sidewalk that are still going strong. I refuse to kill off something that has that kind of heart, so I can expect to be out in freezing weather cleaning up the rest of the gardens. I hope that they don’t all die the day before Thanksgiving!
It was chilly this morning, but I was comfortable as I ran errands in a heavy sweater jacket. Then the wind picked up, and as we worked we could feel the temperature drop. By the time I went in for the day, my fingers and toes were really feeling the cold. Dear Husband and I collected two tarps of leaves for the compost pile and called it a day. My niece and her boys joined us for dinner, and it was nice to end the day in their company.
I still have 50 crocus to plant. It will be worth it, when they bloom next spring!
Leftovers!
Thank God for leftovers! Tonight, I don’t have to cook. Instead, we are cleaning out the refrigerator.
There’s Chili, Minestrone Soup, Country Rigatoni, and Broiled Shrimp that were marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. We have Green Salad, Waldorf Salad, Coleslaw, Salsa and Guacamole. There are Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, Asiago bread, Pumpkin Pecan Dessert Squares and an incredible Chocolate Layer Cake.
We’re a little short on veggies tonight, but I’m willing to eat an extra apple just so that I don’t have to cook.
Tomorrow, we have family to dinner…..Pork Chops and Rice, Green Beans, Broccoli with Cheese Sauce, and salad.
I know, it sounds like my mind is on food again, but actually, it’s focused on the freedom to get other things done, rather than cooking. Everyone needs a day off now and then!
Vote Early and Often
Yes, we voted. Dear Husband went during the work day, and I drove over to the polling place with my Mother. Like Wichi Dude, I probably should have posted this on Tuesday, but it was on my list of “……when I get back to the computer” subjects.
Mother was rather funny about the subject. There was NO thought of not voting, but she announced on Monday that we would have to go EARLY because she had to get back to see Johnny Depp on the Oprah show.
She was rather ticked when I announced that to the members of the exercise class. Tonight, she said that she didn’t understand why people thought that someone who is 88 (or almost 88), shouldn’t be interested in the opposite sex. I told her that I didn’t understand it either. I was right there with her, watching Johnny Depp!
So….we’ve voted. Not everyone we voted for made it into office. You win some years…..and you loose some years.
Mea culpa
MAXIMA mea culpa!
The wondrous woman who hosts my blog was born on Halloween. I know that fact. I’ve known it for ages. Somehow, when October 31st came around this year, I forgot to send her my best wishes.
How embarrassing! Mortifying! How RUDE of me!
Okay….enough breast beating.
T…..I love you, girl, and I’m dreadfully sorry about missing your birthday. I hope you painted the town red, ate all the chocolate you wanted, and danced the night away!
Happy Birthday, hon!
Friday night
Last night as our quilting bee was coming to a close, I asked the members if they had all voted. I received a resounding “YES!” I should have known these ladies would have been johnny-on-the-spot to see to their obligation as a citizen.
What interested me was that they are all rabidly Democratic! Wait…I don’t mean that in a bad way. When I graduated from school, I was a Democrat, and over the years, as a businesswoman, I have gradually become a little more conservative. You could describe me as a person who votes the man, or the issue, NOT the party.
So, I was amazed to find that these women were all aggressively Democratic. They span years from 40 to 66 and are all college educated. The older ones remember what it was like to live through Viet Nam, and one of them marched against the war in Washington. Another is a walking textbook of statistics on Dubya’s first four years, and the youngest member lost sleep election night, hoping that Kerry would make it.
My mother, who is a Republican, announced this week that she had, for the first time in her life, voted for a Democrat. I assumed she meant Kerry, but it’s possible that she was speaking of Barak Obama, who has been elected as one of our Senators. I wish she had been present as we discussed politics last night, because it would have been enlightening to learn how she looks at the world. While she has never missed the chance to vote, I have never heard her make a political statement.
I’ve known my quilting friends for YEARS…..more than twenty years, for most of them, and I never knew how they felt about politics. I’m really glad I asked!
Saturday Morning
My quilting bee met last night. There are nine ladies who meet once a month at my house. We take turns providing a sinfully delicious dessert or two. Normally we work on our own projects, but occasionally we will quilt together at a frame to help one of the members finish a project.
Last night we had an abundance of desserts: fudge frosted devil’s food torte, crumb topped apple pie, and pumpkin pecan dessert squares. Unfortunately, last night only five of us made it to bee. It was a bit quieter than usual, but we had an enjoyable evening.
One of our members is a certified quilt appraiser. There are only 65 certified appraisers in the United States. The National Quilters Association is the body responsible for certifying quilt appraisers, and those who wish to be certified have to pass an intense course of study, and a grueling final test.
Two weeks ago, when I visited the Antiques Market with my sister, I bought two quilts. I rarely purchase quilts, so it was odd that I bought two on one day. I found a S Trip Around the World quilt that was in fairly good condition. The link shows you the pattern for the quilt. My quilt is a bit gentler in appearance because it is made with Depression era fabrics.
The second quilt I bought is a S quilt that I plan to give to my Mother for her birthday. It’s in shades of white, pink and rose, and the design has been created in counted cross stitch. It’s a very feminine quilt, in excellent condition, and the hand work is beautiful.
I asked my friend, the quilt appraiser, if she would do her magic for me on these quilts, so she brought her kit and appraised them as we chatted. I was astonished at the outcome. In her opinion, to replace these quilts, I would have to spend four times what I actually paid for them. Dear Husband says that we have our quilts appraised to make us feel better about what we spend on them, and this surely made me feel better!
Like anyone else, I like a bargain. I probably wouldn’t have sprung for these quilts at their appraised value. But, I’d like to tell you that the art of making a quilt is generally undervalued. If I were to take the quilt on the back of my couch and add lines of machine embroidery to it to jazz it up, and then describe it as “Fiber Art,” the quilt would command twice what it is worth now, or more.
For some reason, quilts are seen as an everyday item of little value, when it takes considerable talent to make a beautiful quilt. Years of practicing stitching, learning endless techniques, and developing color sense are all disregarded because it is just a “quilt.” Some people are not even able to tell you what makes a quilt, and will call it a “comforter” or a “blanket.”
In case you are not sure…..a “quilt” has three layers, a top, a batting (in the center), and a backing, and it is stitched together through all three layers, either by hand or by machine. This is the most basic of definitions. It’s possible to have a quilt that doesn’t have batting, but the stitching that goes through all the layers is essential. A quilt top could be “whole cloth,” or a pieced design (like the Trip Around The World), or it could be embroidered, or it could have fabric appliqu
Again….
I posted tonight, but MT must not love me.
Yes….I’ve been away longer than usual. I’ve been saving up things to share with you while I’ve been chained to my office desk. Hopefully, I’ll get the time in the next few days to write a bit more.
We are already into November and I’ve barely scratched the surface of my Fall gardening. The Herb Garden is just about ready for winter, but it’s the only garden that has received any attention.
If you have iris, now is the time to add a gentle fertilizer. Go buy a bag a alfalfa pellets, the kind of thing you might feed bunnies. Sprinkle them around your pods of iris, and let them deteriorate over the winter. They’ll feed the iris and you’ll have the most spectacular blooms you’ve ever seen.
I need to cut back peonies this weekend, and the plants in the container gardens. The pots need to be emptied and cleaned for storage in the garage over the winter. I want to insulate two roses and a pot of herbs that I’m going to try to store in the garage, too.
Saturday, we plan to attend a wedding reception late in the afternoon, and then go on to dinner with the kids, to celebrate Dear Husband’s birthday. We’re a little late with that celebration, but this was the first time we could gather. Sunday, one of my nieces is coming for a visit in the afternoon. So, I should be able to do some gardening during the mornings.
So…while my mind dwells on gardens and celebrations, the filing calls me. I’ll be back soon.