See These Pants?

I went downstairs yesterday after my haircut to sew up a pair of pants that I had cut out a year or so ago.  I used a wider seam allowance and they went together wonderfully.  The best and easiest ever.  I put the elastic in the waist in my usual way--and the thickness of the fabric stretched the elastic so it didn't snap back to its measurement.  In other words, I can't wear them.  They rest on  my hips and if I put my hands in the pockets the pants fall down.  Not good.  I tried to figure out a way to take them in but I put in in-seam pockets so my only recourse is to shorten the crotch seam.  That won't work.  So I sewed them up, hemmed them, and I'm tossing them.

It made me frustrated enough that I went to Joann Fabrics and found some navy linen blend (30% off) and a couple cottons to make more Shirt no.1s.  The cottons were on sale too. Plus I had a couple gift cards floating around in my wallet so I didn't even have to spend any money.  I've already washed and dried them so when the spirit moves me I can get them cut out and have more things to sew.  That fit.

Look at this fist of fern fronds.  I love the way this looks before the fronds start to grow and unfurl.  I don't remember the name of this fern but it spreads so my fern garden is lush when everything is up in summer.

The bleeding hearts are opening more too.  I love the dainty look of the pink heart-shaped blossoms with the little drop below.

The mints are taking over the garden.  This is chocolate mint (the darker green) and peppermint (the lighter green) and they are relentless.  I wish I'd never planted them but they smell so good when I step on them.

Tonight's knitting was on May Preemie Hat #3.  I cast on when Friday Night Knitting started and here's how far I got in three hours.  Sadly, this is the end of the crazy colored yarns I've used for preemie hats for years.  I'm confident that the yarn is discontinued so I'll just have to keep going with more usual colors of yarn.  Drat.

Today's toss was the cup holder console that Durwood had the mechanic take out of his van when we bought it.  I would have tossed it then but the dealer told me to keep it so I did.  DS called this morning to say that they're buying a newer van and trading in the one we had.  I'm not sorry to see it go, it had a good life and served the family well.

The prompt today said to write an ad for a self-peeling banana.  Really?  So I sold an organic, vegan, non GMO banana with a built in zipper for ease of peeling.  Silly.

--Barbara

Black & White

Today was a day for black and white and red birds, with a little green thrown in.  First off the Rose-breasted Grosbeak couple were here for quite a while.  I didn't get her photo, she was a little shy, but he posed nicely in the platform feeder.

 

 

At the same time the male Downy Woodpecker flew to the suet cakes and stayed on the side where I could see him and take his picture.  He also flew over to get a drink but didn't stay long enough for photos.

 

I did catch the chipmunk getting a drink.  I could never figure out how it gets up there but today I found out.  It jumps from the ground up to the birdbath!  Just crouches and leaps!

 

This afternoon I saw this White-crowned Sparrow on the patio.  I'm a big fan of his stylish black and white striped hat.  He was very skittish so I was lucky to snap this one.

 

 

And the Hummingbird stopped.  I keep craning to see the throat of the birds because the males have a red throat and the females don't.  So far I think all of the ones, or the one that keeps coming every day, are females.  I think.  It doesn't help that the red of the feeder reflects on the throat so sometimes I think it's a male but then realize that it just a reflection.  I can't resist sharing a picture of it every time I manage to snap a photo.  I don't mean to bore you.

 

Tonight I knitted on May Preemie Hat #2 at knitting guild social knitting and got up to the crown decreases.  I should have just enough yarn to finish the hat with a little bit left over.

 

No, NS, I'm not running out of things to toss, I'm just too lazy to go downstairs and dig.  I promise to get better at it.  Soon.

The prompt today said that astronauts have discovered life in space and they're planning to come visit Earth.  It said to write a welcome letter.  My letter told them to stay away because the planet is in a mess with the pandemic and climate change and fighting here there and everywhere.  Stay away!  That's my welcome letter.  Not very cheerful, I know, sorry.

--Barbara

Hummm

 The Hummingbird came for a visit again today.  I suspect that she comes more than once a day but, if I'm lucky, I catch sight of her once.  And if I'm really lucky, I manage to snap a photo.  Today she was barely visible on the side of the feeder but I'm sharing it anyway because I am in awe of the little miracle.  She's so small she doesn't seem real.

I captured a Chickadee too.  They're another zippy bird that comes and goes many times a day and rarely stays long enough for a picture.

 

 

I spent some time out in the garden weeding because it was in the mid-60s and sunny today and I found some more asparagus.  Not really enough for a veggie with supper but I ate it anyway.  Yum.  I pulled a bunch of onions that survived from last year so now I have a handful of scallions from the garden in the fridge.

The Bleeding Hearts have started to open.

I started May Preemie Hat #2 so I'll have something to knit at  Zoom Social knitting tomorrow evening.  I suspect that I'll be playing yarn chicken when I'm near the end of the hat but I'm forging ahead.

Instead of tossing something today I boxed them up and took the tosses to Goodwill.

The prompt today asked that you describe a table to someone who had never seen one.  Not a difficult task but one that required a bit of thinking.

I also took my favorite yellow sweater to the cleaners to see if he can get out the apple stains.  I am astonished that immediate washing didn't take them out and I had to confess that it had been in the dryer.  He said he'd do his best.  Oh I hope he's successful.

--Barbara

More Lilacs

The lilac bush got a serious trimming last fall and the first flush of buds must have frozen, I think, because interspersed with the blossoms are cones of dead buds on the ends of a bunch of branches.  They're a little early but I'm glad to see them.  Maybe tomorrow I'll pick some to bring into the house.

 

 

I saw movement on top of the retaining wall this morning and there was the Flicker pecking its way down the wall.  I don't know what kind of bugs it eats but it found them.  Maybe ants?  I took two pictures of the Flicker, one blurry and one not.  Naturally the not-blurry one is the one with the bird's face behind the shepherd's crook.  Dang.

 

There were two male Goldfinches chasing and diving on each other today.  This one sat down for a minute so I manage to get a picture.  I think this is the same one that I saw last year, the black cap on its head reminds me of a beret set at a jaunty angle.  The other bird doesn't have such a pronounced cap.

After supper I portioned out the chocolate ice cream.  I got 14 portions with just a little extra for me to lick out of the carton on a spatula.  I'm very tempted to eat two or three of these or to scoop out a bunch of ice cream into a big dish and just EAT IT, but I won't.  I've kind of fallen off the wagon the last few days, I even got a cheeseburger and fries for supper tonight.  I plan to clamber back into the saddle tomorrow.  Really.

Today's toss was another flannel shirt.

The prompt today asked what is your best feature.  It's my legs.  I have the Stephan's legs.  They are short and sturdy but shapely with nice ankles.  No cankles here.

It started to warm up this afternoon but is supposed to be near freezing again tonight.  But then we're supposed to get into the 60s and close to 70 for the next few days.  That will be a relief not to have to put on a fleece jacket to go outside.

--Barbara

Brrr!

It was chilly today.  I put "mow" on my to-do list and it took me until 4 o'clock to muster the determination to go out into the partly sunny chill to do the lawn.  The temperature eked up to 50 degrees and I spent an hour mowing the yard in jeans and a flannel shirt and didn't perspire, not much anyway, which isn't my usual mowing state.  But the job is done, the dandelions are mowed down, at least some of them are.  I could almost see my breath when I went out to take sunset pictures.  It's supposed to get down to 34 degrees overnight.  It's May, people, it's supposed to be in the 60s, inching up to the 70s by the end of the month.  Bah.

I finished the Purples Sock while I was procrastinating today.

 

 

 

The lilacs are opening.  They smell amazing.

 

 

And more of the fern fronds are unfurling.  I love watching them poke up in the center of last year's plant as little fists of green that hide down there, then extend, and unroll into beautiful fronds.

The male Downy Woodpecker came to the suet cakes a couple times today.  I keep hoping that the Hairy Woodpecker comes back.  It stopped for a very short time the other day but was too quickly gone for a picture.

Today's toss was a flannel shirt.

The prompt today asked you to list five uses for a plastic bag--and carrying things couldn't be one of the five.  I thought of using one to cover a jar top, cutting a bag into strips to be knitted or crocheted, laid down as a weed barrier under mulch, laid over the seat of a car to protect the upholstery if you're dirty or wet, and something else but I'm too lazy to go into the kitchen to see what it is.  Trust me, I had five uses that didn't involve carrying stuff.

--Barbara

I Caught One!

 

 

A Hummingbird.  On film, er, digital image but I was quick enough to nab a photo of the little lady as she rested on the perch having a sip of nectar.

 

I also caught a Goldfinch on the feeder.  He wasn't quite as zippy as the Hummingbird but I still didn't have much time to capture him.

The allium in front of the house are starting to open.  I always think that the flower head will be bigger.  It looks bigger in pictures but when it blooms it's smaller than a tennis ball, more like a ping pong ball.

 

Dad's rose is back!  It's sprouting from the ground.  I thought it used to sprout from last year's canes first but the last few years it has only sprouted from the ground.  I don't care, I'm just confused.

I knitted on the Purples Sock today and got to and halfway through the toe decreases.  This yarn is very thin and the needles I'm using are really too big for it but I just can't face knitting on such tiny needles so I make do.  I've knitted a couple other socks with this yarn and needle combo and it's turned out okay so it'll be fine.  I'll get it finished tomorrow, I'm sure, and then cast on another preemie hat.

Today's toss was an old "dressy" sweater that's four sizes too big.  Out!

The prompt today said to look around and write down the first initial of eight things you see and then write a poem using words that start with those letters.  I did that.  It isn't art but it is done.  It's pretty terrible, but it's done.

DD texted and called today and DS texted and invited me over for Mother's Day tea this afternoon.  It wasn't a dressy tea, there was no enthusiasm for tea-wear and it was too chilly, but we had a nice visit and DIL1 made strawberry rhubarb crisp.  It was delicious.  The kids played and the adults visited; it was a nice time.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there in blog-land!

--Barbara

I Saw One!

I saw a Hummingbird this afternoon! I didn't get a picture, it was too fast, but I definitely saw a Hummingbird.  Ahhh.  It's a good thing that I put the feeder out day before yesterday.

The bleeding hearts are fixing to open.  It'll be a few days but it's exciting to see the bud clusters forming on the branches.

 

And the lilies of the valley are up.  A few of them have tiny flower stalks emerging from the furled leaves too.

 

 

The violet clump under the birdfeeder is in fine form.  There are drifts of these white violets all over my lawn.  I'm sure if I sprayed weed & feed they'd all die but there are so many weeds that my lawn would be a sea of brown polka dots of bare ground in the struggling grass.

And the forsythia is starting to open up leaves.  I had it trimmed last fall so I was afraid that it wouldn't bloom this year but it had a good amount of flowers and now the leaves are coming.  Green!

Today's toss was another over-the-head hoodie.

The prompt today was to describe being at the seaside without using touch, sight, and smell.  That was hard.  I thought of blowing sand stinging your skin and the taste of salt water when the waves break and splash.

Today I got to pick up LC and OJ for a trip to the park and a picnic.  It was sunny but with a chilly breeze.  They played for hours on the playground and then we shared a Meemaw picnic of salami, cheese curds, Wheat Thins, grapes, and baby carrots.  I always bring the same thing for our lunch, it's easy finger food.  I should probably ask them if they'd like something else next time.

--Barbara