Thursday, July 30, 2020

I Like Thursday # 204


Welcome to this week's list of likes! Not everything goes right but there's always something to like each week, so to start with this time, I Like Flamingo kitchen towels!

Sewing

SEW much accomplished this week!!!
I've been very enthused about my flower series, that all started from a painting. With each small 12" square work, I'm changing one or two elements and loving the process. Plus pink is calming, they often use it in hospitals and mental treatment centers. I need peace.

Painting


I have been sewing, watching videos, and knitting more this week but have a couple small works to share tomorrow, this is a tease!

Farming


no blossoms on vege yet but we harvested some lettuce!
the flower seeds are pretty little delicate stems, so I have hope for them!

Social

My latest mask... and yes that's how I often feel!!

Joy and I had another zoom meeting and aside from some glitches in technology, it was fun. We've also fallen into a very comfortable daily email of what we're doing that makes me feel very connected to her.

I got to chat to Rose via google hang outs but the tech. will not work well. Mary and I talked this week by phone too, and caught up in just a few minutes.

Our neighbor's little puppy was trying to come into our yard under the fence, and we had given the last of our wire mesh fencing to a different neighbor, so from a distance we asked Keith if he could fix that side to keep the puppy over there. I didn't expect him to care enough to do it but he did. Kind of restored my faith in them as neighbors.

We can no longer let our dog run in the yard freely as our fence touches three other fences on zero lot lines, and they all have dogs now. You might not believe me but dogs can transmit the virus on their hair, and actually catch it. Not one of our neighbors social distances or even seems to believe we're in the middle of a health crisis so we have no choice but to keep Milo from going right up to other dogs.

It's taking a toll on all of us, but y'all.... America is rising to 1000 deaths a day, and now takes up one fourth of the WORLD'S infection numbers. I am grateful to DH for finding work he could do from home for a while, as his office reported cases.

fine dining


we had to finish up some smoked turkey luncheon meat this week, so I made turkey reubens on the stovetop. A pan large enough to hold four slices of bread, melt butter and place bread, place some gruyere cheese slices on each piece. Layer on meat if you're like me, then drained sour kraut, then some thousand island dressing. Allow the bread to toast slowly, melting the cheese. Flip the toasted bread over the other slice holding the sourkraut. So as to really melt the cheese and not burn the bread, I take the sandwich off, microwave it for 30 sec. and it's all toasty and melted. Sliced in half on the diagonal, include some pickle slices and you've got a good lunch.

dh found collard greens at the store... he got two bunches as it cooks down so much. Many non southerners don't know what to do with these. Here's what I do:
wash well, fold leaf in half, grab the tough center stem and pull out, leaving tender green leaf
Pile these up on a cutting board, roll tightly into something that looks like a cuban cigar
cut across the roll in thin slices, this is called chiffonade
put shreds, about a cup of water, salt and pepper in a big pot and simmer til tender.
my mother put in pork to season but I'm allergic/intolerant of it.
When serving include the yummy liquid, and pour on pepper vinegar

The grocery stores here continue to be limited, and each time we go/order delivery  many items are unavailable. In my whole life, I've not known this to be the case. We continue to wipe each package with vinegar (soap and water for cans or bottles) to try to limit the virus load, and most vegetables and fruit accept it. We learned this week peaches cannot stand the vinegar.

Reading

I'm listening to The Namesake on disc in the studio... the story is gentle and real, and the author won a pulitzer prize. It involves themes common to us all, where to live, how to change cultures, how to care for a family and maintain your sense of self, maintaining traditions while adopting new ones, change...
the reader has a most excellent voice and I get lost in it as I quilt.

A forgotten murder
At night I'm reading an E-book the third in Jude Devereaux's Medlar mystery series... she had me at her first novel, A Knight in Shining Armor and to my mind, has gotten better with each book since. This series has likable real characters and intriguing mysteries I don't figure out til the last page!

While reading the Writer's Almanac's daily page, I followed one writer to find this site:

I had a great time reading this painter's round up for the week, including  funny cartoons


Watching

I liked seeing Koko the gorilla meet Robin Williams who she had seen on video

ever thought about building a small natural materials home?

now, for a craft ANYONE can do and it's so pretty... mandalas again! (the technique can be done on paper, fabric, clothing too)

Milo's Moments

oooo that widdle face!

My like this week is Old toys
don't tease me Mama, drop it!

There's just something about an old chewed up toy to go to at night... an old comfortable friend !

Most of the time I go to this old indestructible chicken for play time.
It's old, it's not pretty, the wings, legs, and comb are chewed off but it still can squeak, and there's still fluff in there to hunt for. Every night I take him out of the toy box (how does he get in there without wings? ) and we spend quality time chewing and tossing and keep-away-from-the-daddy.

Also I liked that we have a bite-sized bunny in the yard now. It runs from me when I take off to catch it, but comes right back as soon as I go back in the house. It's got spirit!
Now sit! Stay! and visit mama's friends who kept a list of likes this week too!




LINKING WITH

27 comments:

grammajudyb said...

Seeing your mask reminded me I have some Blah, blah, blah fabric!
Thanks for the idea of turkey reubens. I need to add sauerkraut and cheese to my next grocery list! Not sure when DH will be able to eat real food again. We are getting pretty creative with the shakes.....but I don’t think sauerkraut and cheese and lunch meat whirled in a shake would meet his approval! 😆 Guess we’ll stick with protein powder, bananas and peanut butter.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Loved seeing the Robin Williams video with Koko! He was a favorite actor of mine. And you cold see Koko smiling as they played, too! Your quilted/painted flower series looks like fun to work on!

Michele McLaughlin said...

Hahaha Milo! Scout is having the same challenge with the wee bunny in our yard! I think she just wants to play with it and smell it but we are keeping her away from it anyway! Great likes, especially love that floral wallhanging you are sewing! Scrumptious!

Sara said...

We have bunnies in our yard too, and the wild turkeys came back through the other day. Lots of turkey babies. I hadn't seen them in a couple of weeks. But our ancient cat has lost interest in them - maybe because he knows he can't catch them. LOL Your flower series is so pretty! I'm trying hard to take practical precautions (masks, hand washing, distancing) without allowing myself to be too paranoid about life. Some days it works, and other days it doesn't. Hang in there!

Brian's Home Blog said...

Nobody social distances in our neck of the woods and our infection numbers are way up, we're the hot spot in South Carolina. You lady bugs are sure pretty. You're right Milo, sometimes old toys are the best. Thanks for joining our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!

Judy Biggerstaff said...

So much to look at and such beautiful work. Love color!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Good morning, LeeAnna! What a nice place for your sewing machine - right by the window. The lighting and view has to be fantastic. I'm so glad you and DH and, of course, Milo are taking pains to stay safe and healthy. I didn't know dogs could transmit the virus. Thanks for sharing the mandalas video - that looks fun and easy. Who knew?!! Oh Milo, that wingless chicken looks like an old friend. I sure hope you don't catch that bunny. ~smile~ Roseanne

Scrapatches said...

Hi, Lee Anna, I posted today. My summer hiatus is over and I am back to blogging. I have missed all of you and am enjoying reading and catching up. Thanks for all the lovely photos and links. I got lost on the poetry foundation site for awhile. Some of those I have not read in years. George Santayana, in particular, feels like running into an old friend. I am going to have to make my hubby some those toasty reubens which he liked to order when we used to go out for lunch. I never think to make them. I can put other fillings in my portion. We have been able to find some local produce at our dairy and apple orchard and we have discovered a nearby source of tasty crunchy baby lettuce. Our container veggie garden of three tomato plants has been producing, but our backyard ground hog ate all our tender lettuce. I can make a meal of lettuce and tomato and hummus on toasty homemade bread. Groundhog, whom I am calling Spud, is a young male that must have been sent out of the family burrow to make his own way. Spud is very picky about his food. He also eats some of the weeds in our yard, including one to which hubby is allergic, so he can also be a good yard pet. Now if only he would stop eating all the leaves and breaking the flower stalks of our brown eyed susans. We have had to wrap them in netting to try to save them. We have bunnies, too. I love the little woodland animals that share our urban neighborhood. I did not know that about dogs. Milo is so dear. May you and yours stay safe and well ... <3 Pat

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

You probably get lots of smiles when you wear that mask...if you only knew they were smiling! I miss seeing people and greeting people in the store. Love those flamingo towels. I think I need some of those! Enjoy your creative week! Hugs!

Sandra Walker said...

Oh, I'll be back tomorrow to see what lovelies you've created. So glad to read that you are creating. A lot. It's so good, and necessary now more than ever, for the soul. Thanks for the Devereaux recommendation; I've seen her books but never have read one. I have rediscovered audio books too! Poor Milo; Rocco feels his pain at not being able to have sniff-contact with other dogs. I'm sad to hear about your grocery stores, inside and online. Ours are fine here. I did my month-end post today. :-) Thanks for hosting these. Hugs.

Mary in Peoria Handmade said...

I so needed Robin Williams today. Cute dish towels- mine are so generic! Can’t wait to see more of those lady bugs. Maybe I need a pink bedroom-hmmmm.

Su-sieee! Mac said...

Hey Milo, I love your curly-top do. Mama gave me something similar when I was a kid. She permed my hair with smelly stuff, then fashion a curly crow's nest right above my forehead. Yours, Milo, looks much much better than mine.

LeeAnna, I didn't know pink was a calming color. I had a recent dream where I wore pink, a color that works on me but I've only come to appreciate and stopped avoiding in the last several years.

I like your new mask. You've reminded me that I need to make a few more for us. I suppose the anti-maskers will get real when more of them become infected and do not come out of it at all like the flu. Grrrrrr. Okay, I must do something fun and full of color today. Cheers, LeeAnna!

Laura said...

Hi
Thought this might interest you if you don't already follow. https://www.whimsandfancies.com/watercolour-series-on-the-paper/ I have some watercolour pencils but don't tend to use them so may try with her techniques.

Sherrie said...

Hi,
Really liked your post this week...so many things to look at and read about...thanks for sharing...have a great day!

piecefulwendy said...

Ok, I'm now on the right post and the right year. Fun likes, but I'm sorry that Milo can't play in the backyard. That bunny is cute though!

CountryDew said...

We still have a lot of items unavailable to us as well. Like you, this is not something I've experienced before. I've always been in a grocery store and found everything I needed. Not anymore. Strange new world.

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

Thanks again for such a great roundup of items, LeeAnna. You seem to be in a very creative cycle now which is awesome. Collard greens I've never had but they sound like turnip greens at home which we call greens and have once a year and they are cooked like you explained too.
I didn't know pink was calming but I do know I'm enjoying working with it for those Solidarity blocks. We had read that dogs can transmit the virus which seems surprising...so much still to finalize about all this.
Milo is such a joy.

sandyland said...

great!!

Sandee said...

I love seeing you Milo. Are you keeping mom company? I'm sure you are.

Have a woof woof Thankful Thursday. My best to your mom. ♥

colleen said...

I like flamingos and lady bugs. My grandmother was named Millie.

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

Great likes. Oh no fun for Milo, he is such a social animal. Your paintings are so pretty.

MissPat said...

Is it Thursday already? HaHa. Weird that your stores still have shortages. I think the only things you can't find around here are disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer. The Covid numbers in NY are really low right now, but everyone is still being good about mask wearing, at least where we live. I guess in NYC there's a problem with bars, etc.
Pat

Tails Around the Ranch said...

That adorable little cottage is so cute. If I could find an affordable piece of land, I'd want to make a similar Hobbit style house.

Tom said...

...you sure busy! I like that No! No! No! mask, when will some of the many idiots out there get it through their heads. Maybe there needs to be more funerals. Thanks for joining the party!

PaintedThread said...

This has been a week for bunnies! That mask made me chuckle. Milo is looking as handsome as ever!

Ida said...

Enjoyed your post. I like the flamingo towels, the cute bunny, Milo of course and it's fun to hear what you've been reading and doing.

Miaismine said...

Hello There! Oh! Those flower blocks are coming along nicely! That’s a great shot of your work! Sad about your neighbors…my sister (the one that works in a hospital as a social worker) said, “I just have had to make peace with the fact that people don’t care about my life. But, if/when they get sick, I’ll still take care of them.” 
You are correct: Dogs can get the virus: this info came directly from my vet.
Glad your husband was able to find some work at home. Mine has been doing that as well – thank God for his office! He’s now on shift work this week, so both of our sleep/life schedules are shot. Not complaining, just stating a fact. I’m grateful he has a job!
The Namesake sounds fabulous! Jude Devereaux is one of my favorite authors – very talented!
Hello Milo! My Chico has his favorite toys as well, he’s quite talented at hiding them throughout the house!
Take care my dears!