A Project?

Who wants to do another project?  Maybe a “Back to School Project”?

If you’re not going to do it no matter what we do, you can just skip this post.  If you might be interested, please tell me which of these options you prefer:

(1)  Quilt for an Hour:  You would see the top (or maybe the quilt if I get it all done) ahead of time and know exactly what you’re going to be making.  Instructions are posted each weekday.  The instructions for each day should take about one hour to complete.

(2)  Quilt Along:  You’d also see the top ahead of time.  You would have to sign up and would be given a date to complete the steps.  In order to receive the next step, you would have to have submitted a photo of the previous step . . completed or mostly completed.  If you miss a deadline, you’ll receive no farther instructions.  I understand everyone has different time constraints but I think the average mom/housewife will not be rushed with the time frame if you truly have some sewing time several days a week.

(3)  Mystery:  You’d be given the fabric requirements and dates for instructions to be posted but you wouldn’t know what you’re making til it’s done.  You would know ahead of time what size the finished quilt will be and you’d see my fabric choices.  (If we do the one I’m thinking, you can use a good bit of scraps/stash.)  I wouldn’t rush you too much but you are going to have to work.

(4)  Labor Day Quiltathon/Mystery:  Probably starting on Thursday before Labor Day, we would begin posting and you’d have to work your tail off to keep up but by the end of the day on Monday, you should have a completed top.  You’ll go four nights with no sleep! Not really but it will be work to get this top done.

Hint:  There are no half square triangles!

You have til the end of the day August 19 to get your vote counted.  Thanks for taking the time to vote.


How to Get Rid of a TV

If I had my way, we wouldn’t have a TV in this house.  I suppose I wouldn’t mind it so much if there were a few shows Vince liked to watch and he would turn it on and watch those shows and turn it off but it’s always on.  He’s always surfing . . zipping through channels.  And, half the time, he’s napping in his chair with the TV on some goofy show I don’t even like.  We have one in the basement and one upstairs in the family room.

I’m trying to devise a plan to get Vince to cancel satellite . . which means NO TV . . for a year . . just as a trial.  If after a year he’s dying for the TV, then we just get it again.  If after a year, he hopefully finds he doesn’t need TV, we never have one again.

Before I even mention it, I know what he’s going to say . . What are you going to give up?

Well, what would I be willing to give up in exchange for getting rid of the TV?  I can’t come up with anything.  I want to be able to say:  I’m willing to give up ???? if you’ll give up the TV for one year.  Any ideas?  Cooking, Cleaning, Laundry??  Don’t think that would fly.

Internet?  No way! I use it too much for “business”.

Cell Phone?  No way!  I need it when traveling.

XM Radio?  Maybe but that seems kinda “token”.  I would just use the iPod and it wouldn’t be a real sacrifice.  In fact, because the price has gone up, when it’s time to renew it, even though I love it, I probably won’t do it.

Yesterday he had a big discussion and the TV always being on was part of that discussion and until time to watch the local news last night, which we don’t normally watch, the TV wasn’t turned on and so far, today it hasn’t been turned on.

It would be cruel and unusual punishment (though it really isn’t punishment) to ask him not to have TV during football season so I guess my “No TV” plan will never work and I really don’t have a problem with watching a show here and there . . it’s keeping it on every waking moment that makes me dislike it so much.

How does everyone else handle the TV issues?

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My Lucky Day

The chickens are still new enough for me that I check for eggs a dozen times a day.  I’m still waiting for a blue or green egg from the Ameraucanas and either they aren’t laying or they’re laying brown eggs.  Yesterday morning I went out to check eggs and two hens were in the laying boxes.  I have three boxes and only the middle one was without a hen.  I didn’t want to disturb the two who were laying so I walked away without checking for eggs.  By the time I got back out there, I had 2 eggs in each box, for a total of 6 big brown eggs.   I’ve never collected 6 eggs at one time, though I do sometimes get 6 eggs in one day.

I’ve been using the older eggs first but one of the eggs looked longer and bigger than the rest of the eggs.  I was making a cake that needed 5 eggs so I cracked the big one this is what I got!

dy3

A double yolk!  Isn’t that just so exciting?  Then I remembered that one of the eggs Vince had gotten on Friday while I was out of town was a really big one so I got it out and cracked it too.  Yep, another double yolker.  I read that it happens more with young hens in their first year of laying and some hens are more likely to lay a double yolked egg than others but it was funny to get double yolked eggs two days in a row.  I’ve also heard that getting a double yolk means you’re going to have good luck.  That’s what I need . . good luck!  :)

cake

Here’s the cake made from my double yolkers.cake pan

This is the cake pan I used from here.  Pretty, huh?

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Week 33, 2009 Stash Report

How’d you do this week?  A whole lot of nothing going on in my sewing room.  I was gone a good chunk of the week . . if that’s any excuse! :)   I am going to use at least 250 yards net this year.  Yes, I am!  :)

Used this Week:  1-1/2 yards
Used year to Date:  314 yards
Added this Week: nothing
Added Year to Date:  176 yards
Net Used for 2009: 138 yards

Please share a link to your stash report.