Giant Paper Clips

Today I embellished these giant paper clips.  They are 4 inches long.  I think they will work very well in my planner.  Of course I will pick a favorite or two to use and Joy wants a couple.  The rest will most likely find homes soon too. 

To make I cut the shank off the back of the buttons with a side cutter plier thing.  Then I cut a piece of felt just smaller than the button.  I laid the felt down then the paper clip (making sure to place it so that it can be slipped over paper) (you don't want to glue the button to the wrong end), then I put some E6000 glue on the button and placed it on the paper clip and felt.  I then picked the paper clip up carefully and pressed the felt on real good.  Now they are laying in a place where they wont be disturbed for the next several hours.

I would take better pictures but I don't want to disturb the paper clips until they are good and dry.

 CAN YOU BELIEVE TOMORROW IS FEBURARY FIRST?  What happened to January?  I think it only lasted two weeks instead of four.  I must be getting old  because time sure flies.  If I was ninety years old I bet I would get up and  it would be the next day before lunch.  He ha

Baby afghans

Lately I have been crocheting baby afghans.  I am working on a very complicated one for a sister in law and when it gets too much for me I put it down and work on something not so intense.  Since I started the fancy one I have completed two more simple baby afghans.  Both in the Call the midwife pattern.  The latest one is the gray, pink and white one which I added a fancy border to.  The white one can easily have a fancy border added either in white or other colors or left as is. 
I seem to go through phases where I sew a lot, weave a lot, crochet a lot or whatever.  Right now I am crocheting.

My legging store

I am so excited to be an affiliate for Legging Army.  You can shop my store from any computer or phone.

If you enjoy quality~affordable leggings please check out my store.

https://leggingarmy.com/#pinkmonkeyleggings

As I learn more I will be able to make a better advertisement for my store.

I miss these cuties

Living 14 hours away from two of my grandchildren is a real bummer.  Thankfully their parents and other set of grandparents post lots of pictures on facebook and I get to see and save them.  Here are the latest photos of Kastyn and Jasper.

They just grow up so fast.

I fixed my sewing room chair.

I have been wanting to fix my sewing room chair for a while now.  It would slowly get lower and lower until I had to stand up and pull the handle to raise it.  Jeff said to order a new one but I wanted to try something first.

I went out to the shed and got a piece of big pvc pipe.  I cut it ten inches long and washed it up.  Then I took the bottom part off the chair and slipped the pvc pipe over the post of the chair.  I replaced the bottom of the chair, taped the little piece that holds it on and flipped it over.

I think it will work.  I wont be able to lower the chair but that is okay.  I always had to make the chair higher for my long legs.

I'm happy that I fixed the chair in about 15 minutes using stuff we had around the place and saved who knows how much on a new chair. 

That is my frugal fix for today and I'm hoping it works because I'm pretty proud of myself.

Not much to report

     I spent the last week out of town with Jeff for his work.  Now that the girls are grown up I am able to go out of town with Jeff occasionally.  I am involved with the Agri life extension and belong to the local club where I am the vice president and treasurer.  I enjoy it and attend one meeting a month with our club and one meeting with the area association because I am an officer.
      I also attend the Ladies missionary club from the Mathis Baptist church.  We meet once a month for a luncheon and to discuss who we are going to help.  We also maintain a small food pantry at the church.  There are a few of us who crochet hats which a lady sends to Franklin Graham's Samaritans purse where they distribute them.  I also crochet hats for other groups.
     Anyway, if I don't have any meetings and Jeff has to go out of town I sometimes join him.  This past week we went to Plano which is near Dallas.  Jeff had work to do there.  I spent the time in the hotel room crocheting and doing other crafts.  Its boring but I do like to be with Jeff.
      I've been working on a fancy baby blanket which I had hoped to enter into the fair but alas, I did not get it done in time as the entries are due tomorrow.  Oh well. 

     Today I am making bone broth.  Right now I am roasting the marrow bones.  Then when they are good and browned I will add them to the crock pot.  I have the vegetable parings I have been saving in the crockpot already.  I will add water and 3-4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the crockpot to allow the goodness from the bones to come out.  I will cook this on low for a couple of days.  Then I will strain the broth and keep it in the refrigerator.  I love cooking with this fresh beef broth.  I could can it but I tend to use it fast enough that it isn't necessary.

      No bake cookies sound good too.  Maybe I will stir up a batch of them today as well.

I pray that all of you who read this are blessed and healthy.

Elijah

We have been fortunate to be able to spend the last 9 days with Elijah.  Here are a few of the high lights of our time together.  He is the youngest son of Bill and Christina Derixson and one of my grandsons.

Hannah took Elijah to the state park to go fishing.  He had a blast.  They went kayaking one day and several days they shot bows and arrows.

Elijah sure loved this silly wig.  I took a picture of him in it and then after his hair cut and sent it to his mom and said, boy he really needed that hair cut. 

My new knitting machine

I recently purchased the Addi professional knitting machine.  I've been having a lot of fun with it.  I wanted to use up my bits and bobs of yarn.  This is just the ticket.

First I made socks.

And then I made ear warmers.  They work up quickly and are using up all that yarn.  I still need to make lots though.  There is also another knitting machine that is much larger and makes more things, but for now I will be satisfied with the smaller version.

 

Mezuzah

Bill and Christina went to Israel a few weeks ago and brought back several gifts.  They must of not had to worry about the weight of things or left some clothes there, he he.
One of the things they brought back for us was a mezuzah.  Its a little box that you attach to your door for blessings coming and going.  Its suppose to have a rolled up scroll inside.
This is the information on the paper she gave me.
On the door post of every Jewish house, a tiny parchment scroll is placed in a small case called a Mezuzah which is Hebrew for door post.  It contains the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, and continues with Deuteronomy 11:13-21 which emphasizes obedience to God's commandments.  The Mezuzah is a reminder of God's protection of the Jews during the final plague in Egypt, and is a symbol of God's protection in the present.  The home marked by a Mezuzah signals a home where the laws of God reign supreme.  A special prayer is read when the Mezuzah is attached to the right door post of the family home.  As the family members enter or leave the home the fingers are kissed and then touch the Mezuzah a the same time the words of Psalm 121:18 are recited: "The Lord shall preserve they going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and forevermore".

Even though we are not Jewish I think we will attach the Mezuzah to the door post of our home.  It will be placed there as a remembrance that the Jews are Gods people.  I believe I am saved by grace and God protects me and my family because I believe in him and have taken him as my savior.

Price book

Years ago I kept a price book.  I wrote down the size and price of groceries when I bought them along with the name of the store I shopped at.  I had let that habit go and decided its time to make a new one.

  Next time we go to Sam's I want to write down the prices of the items I buy often.  Then I will compare them to the prices I can get with Amazon prime.  If I can get the same price and not have to go to the store I will sure be doing that.  We live quite far away from stores, and that is the way I like it but it does make shopping harder.  We have learned though to go early in the morning and get it done and get home before all the crazy people go out shopping.  We call them crazy because none of us like crowds and you will not find us among the holiday shopper frenzy. 

Do you keep a price book?

Buckwheat pillow

I made a buckwheat pillow. I'm at the lovely age where I get so hot at night that I don't sleep well, add to that my recent tummy trouble and I end up without much sleep. I like my sleep girls (and Wayne). So, I used 4 pounds of buckwheat and made a pillow. It's smaller than a regular pillow but big enough.

Last night was my first night to sleep on it and I'm sold. I wish I had remembered to add some lavender but I forgot.

It makes a little noise when you turn or move it but it's ok.

I'll take a picture of it later and add it to this post.

If I continue to sleep so well I'm going to be a happy girl.

Pillow is approximately 18 inches by 18 inches.  I just used a regular pillow case over it and folded it over.

I bought the buckwheat from my Amish friend who has a mail order botanical store.  I paid $4.10 per pound of buckwheat and used four pounds. 

If you are interested in ordering botanicals and spices here is the information you will need.

South Texas Botanicals

4156 Gaitan Lane

Beeville, Texas 78102

This is a mail order business only so you will first have to write and ask for a catalog, then once you get your catalog you can mail your order in.  It takes several weeks.  We live in a time where we are not used to things taking so long so be prepared.

I usually drive out there and hand him my order and then tell him I can come back in a few days to pick it up.  This is not normal practice and he does it because we are friends.  He does not have a phone or a store front and he doesn't take credit cards.  If I am in a big hurry for something he will go ahead and get it for me right then.  I try not to ask for that because its not polite in my opinion.