I like making things: Still OK here in the boonies

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Still OK here in the boonies

We are still doing OK. Last night we made a dash to the gas station to fill up the vehicle with gas and get gas for the mowers. We were very careful, we wore some old surgical masks we have for my husband, just the flimsy sort, and some disposable gloves.

We filled up the vehicle and the gas cans then disposed of the gloves in their trash can. The gas station is on a busy highway that goes across the state so one never knows where the person who filled up before you has driven from.

Our nearest store is still taking grocery orders over the phone and City Hall delivers them. They even had salt for the water softener. I just asked out of desperation because when I looked at Amazon the cost was astronomical for a bag of it. We usually pay about $7 to $8 a bag for it at Walmart and the cheapest I could find on Amazon was $24. So much for free shipping!

Our land is coming alive with trees and bushes flowering and the bulbs in flower. The grass is also growing but the ground is still to wet to mow with all the rain we have had.

I picked up my knitting needles again and decided to start and knit the second shepherd for the nativity scene I worked on last year. Also I cut out a cover for a dog crate we had stored away. Our sweet Maggie is terrified in storms so I thought it might be a nice place for her to hide away when the storms come. I have to get on and sew it all together now.

I took the old bread maker out of retirement. It is a cranky old thing but it still works. I have to set an upturned dish on top of the basket as it jumps off the thing that turns the paddle when it is kneading the mixture. The dish rests against the top but today the glass cracked on it, probably because the dish bashed against it, in the middle of making a loaf. I stuck a bit of painters tape over the crack. It is still in progress so will know in an hour or so if it still cooks properly.

I have sent off an SOS to my good friend and neighbour for idiot proof instructions on how to make a basic white loaf by hand. She bakes all her own bread and always has. She couldn't believe that I have never baked any from scratch before.

So that's about it for now here in the middle of nowhere. Stay safe and well everyone. XXXXX

4 comments:

mamasmercantileApril 2, 2020 at 2:51 PM
Glad you are doing OK and managing to get by. Flour has been an issue here, there has been a shortage but I managed to get some eventually. Hope you are successful with the bread making. I am thankful for my bread maker it saves all the hard work. Take care.
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JoyApril 3, 2020 at 2:32 AM
Very glad you are staying well. Long may it continue.
Making your own bread is so satisfying. Definitely a happy place for me. I hope you find it so too.
xx
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Carol- Beads and BirdsApril 3, 2020 at 7:56 AM
I hate yeast. I have tried bread from scratch but it never rises. So I have a bread machine and call it one of my best investments ever!! Stay well.
xx, Carol
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barbara woodsApril 3, 2020 at 3:38 PM
we went yesterday and picked up groceries at a local grocery store and went to fill out water jugs, we had gotten gas the day before , Tommy has on a mask and gloved and I used sanitize
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As in the words of Thumper: If you can't say 'nuffin nice don't say 'nuffin at all.

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I started this blog in 2011: Ever since my Mum taught me to knit at the age of about six or seven I have made things. Back then it was doll clothes. I was also inspired by Mrs Levitt an elderly lady who had a sewing room in a conservatory type room on the back of her house. I would sit and watch her in awe as she sewed.

When I was a child living in England the school system was such that you started at 5 years, did two years in Infant School, then four years in Primary School then five to seven years in Secondary School, depending on whether you chose to stay on after fifth form to get qualifications to go to University. I can't remember much of the Infant school other than making the standard square doily thingy from fabric that had holes in it so you could embroider patterns into it. A bit like the modern day cross stitch fabric but with bigger holes and spaces to make it easy for small hands to use. I also remember with great joy getting a toy sewing machine one Christmas which sewed only chain stitch but I did make doll clothes on it and that was before I started Primary school. I do have very vivid recollections of Primary school and having sewing and knitting lessons. In Primary school I knitted gloves and made a dress from scratch hand sewing it all.

Secondary school continued on with sewing by which time I had progressed to using full sized sewing machines and was making more intricate skirts and dresses. My parents bought me a proper sewing machine when I was thirteen. I used that same machine right up until I emigrated to Canada at age forty six years.

I have always had a fascination for sewing machines and knitting machines. I bought my first knitting machine at around age twenty one from an ad in a newspaper for twelve pounds. I had absolutely no idea what one was just that I wanted one. I trundled on the bus to the address in the advert and handed over my twelve pounds having absolutely no idea what I had really bought. Fortunately it came with a manual. It was an aged Knitmaster, very basic and I loved it. I wore it out. Next was a Brother push button one which I didn't keep because it was at a time in my life when things were difficult. Later on in my life, around forty, when things were better I bought a brand new Brother punchard machine with a ribber attachment. I loved it and made many things. Life took a different turn, I moved countries twice and along the way, regrettably I sold it.

Now, through the universe's blessing I now have another machine. It is a vintage one because they stopped making them early 90's but works perfectly and I love it. So I decided to make this blog to document my knitting progress and include sewing projects.

In 2013: we embarked on a new hobby, leather-work. My husband got started with it and it drew me in. It is something we can do together. We have a workshop so have plenty of room to work. We added another workbench for me to work on in 2013. We already had one but we were tripping over each other both trying to work at it. We only make things we want to make. It is strictly a hobby. We made some things for our good neighbours who help us out a lot. I am also working on Christmas presents. So this blog now incorporates the leather-work. Knitting and sewing will always be my first love though.

Fast forward to 2023 and now age almost 75 years. I have seven sewing machines, four knitting machines, several ribber attachments and a garter carriage for one of the machines. I am blessed beyond words, but I know that I have more than enough machines to keep me going in my lifetime so I don’t think I will be adding to my collection any time soon……….unless a nice embroidery machine manifests itself very cheaply.

I am a Brit living in the USA, sometimes I spell like a Brit and sometimes like an American. Sometimes I use slang and even make grammatical errors. I blog for the pleasure of it and to record my endeavours in the event that my memory fades, as I am sure it will with more age. I will be able to look back and remind myself of the things I have made along the way. So please forgive my mistakes when reading about my life making things here in the hinterlands and I hope you get as much enjoyment from my blog as I do from reading the blogs I follow.

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Thursday, April 2, 2020

Still OK here in the boonies

4 comments: