Plumbing trumps Electricity

I had hoped to be showing you beautiful pictures from our trip to Oregon by now. Like this barn quilt I thought was wonderful, but alas, life got in my way!

Day one home was fine, errands, some food in the fridge, etc.. Day 2, not so good.  The shower backed up as Sweetie was taking his early morning shower and one of the toilets did some bubbling, but I chalked it up to early morning line maintenance. Later in  the morning when shower backed up on its own and toilet bubbled with no house water running I knew we had a problem.

Mr. Plumber arrived in a timely manner, and they took the top off the pipe in the yard used for cleaning out said pipes. Things went downhill from there. First they bring out chunks of what looks like condensed paint, or grout or cement, followed by duct tape, followed by large roots. Then his roto- snake won't go any farther and all we're getting is dirt. Two large pine trees sit on top of this part of the yard and he's talking broken pipes. My stress level continues to rise. So, he goes to get a larger roto-snake, which of course takes a couple more hours. And when he comes back that won't go anywhere either. One direction (toward the street) , nothing. the other direction as far as the outside of the house.
Oh, yes, and its raining. It hasn't rained REAL rain here in WEEKS, but today it is. To the tune of 5 inches.

Since no progress is being made with the roto-snake thingy it is decided that he will return this morning and they will dig up the pipe, and dig up more pipe to see where the break is, and fix it. And they are going to have to hack through the mass of tree roots along the way, which will probably eventually kill  the tree.

By now I am not too fond of these pine trees. Many of my neighbors have removed theirs--they shed needles constantly and fill roof gutters. But I'm pretty much opposed to randomly cutting down trees. With so much building going on it seems the bulldozers just come in and level things with no regard to trees or the wildlife living in them. However, I am rethinking these trees if they are going to cause damage to my house. They also sit next to the driveway so I am now expecting them to suddenly break through the concrete.

Needless to say, we did not have plumbing for the night . We had to go out to dinner in the rain, and since neither of us wanted to  go far, and I hadn't gotten my shower that morning, we ended up at a chain Italian restaurant near home. It reaffirmed why I don't eat at chain restaurants except in emergencies. Adequate was about all I could give it. If I had been willing to drive a little farther and spend a small amount more, I could have had good food. But that would have required me to put on some makeup and change clothes. Next time I will.

Washing my face and brushing my teeth in minimum water in a plastic wash basin brought back memories of camping with my parents. Back then it was more fun. Sponge baths were in order--also not very satisfying.

I had hopes that Mr. Plumber would be here early this morning even though I knew he had a small job to take care of. When he wasn't here by 10 a.m. I began to panic, fearing he had decided that chopping through tree roots were not how he wanted to spend his Saturday. (Insert additional stress here.)

But he finally called and arrived an hour later . After chopping and digging for awhile he called me out to see...this!

This is a picture of a clean out pipe that goes-- NOWHERE!!!

To the left it goes as far as the house foundation and stops. To the right, where it would lead to the main sewer, there isn't even a pipe! No wonder the snake was pulling up roots. And the other debris were just junk thrown into the hole by the builder people.

Now, we have no idea where the clean out pipe is located, even if there is one.  Maybe this is just some ugly builder person joke--"let them think they have sewer access".So they remove one of the toilets and run the roto-snake through there, hoping to find the clog or hear where it exits the building to give some idea to the location of the clean out pipe. Well, they heard what they were looking for, and found, under landscaping and several inches of pine needles a true clean out pipe--yeehaw! The snake did its job, we heard running water, everything flushed, everything drained, and the pipes weren't broken.

It was a lousy two days, though. When Hurricane Ike blew through we were without electricity for 2 weeks. It was like we were the forgotten area, we aren't close to the coast, just in the wrong convergence of power lines. Galveston got power before we did, and there wasn't anyone there to use it. But during that time we had hot water and plumbing.  I  could shower and I could flush.We cooked on the grill, made drip through coffee on a camp stove and went to bed early.  This is why I say, when push comes to shove, I'll pick plumbing. First thing I did after Mr. Plumber left was take a really nice shower! 

Spunky was even stressed, This is where I found him when the Orkin man came.

I don't think he was even sure how he got up there!

Oh, as a final note, a good tip the plumber left with me was, if you are building a house, take video of all the plumbing and wiring in the walls before the dry wall goes up. Things are not always where they should be and it can save you to know exactly where that pipe or wire is located in the wall.

I'll be back soon with nice, pretty pictures of our Oregon adventures. 

Randomness

I'm moving along on the little stitcheries to hang on the wire frame. Finished up through December! But of course I've gotten a  bit distracted starting up some new projects. Since its been so hot I thought I might feel cooler if I worked on winter things:

Is this cute or what? I won't tell you how long I've had the pattern, but today was the day...with a little bit of greenery inside he will look cute hanging from a doorknob! Next up I'm doing a re-do of this pattern, making a garland of snowmen.

I've been trying to spend more time in my sewing room. I focus better, have more ideas, and get more done when I'm in there. More time should be devoted to the cleaning of said sewing room, but when I pick things up I can't find anything! One time my Mom made a cute little sign that said "Creative minds are rarely tidy" and attached it to one of the lamps--it was days before I noticed it!   All my little piles of stuff works!

I also finished a fall hexie table mat I started last year (UFO complete--Yay!) It was fun to do and brightens a table.

This is going to prove to be a good purchase. Lots of great projects inside.

I read an interview with Kathy Schmitz in Quiltmaker magazine where she said she uses Sulky 12 weight thread for her blackwork stitching. I've never been too happy with my  blackwork, for no particular reason, so thought it might be worth a try.  I haven't gotten very far into the project, but do think I'm going to like it. Think it makes a crisper line than floss. BTW, there are 3 nice stitchery projects in the Sept./Oct. issue of Quiltmaker.

Progress on my Snowbound quilt has been absent from this blog. I got it out the other day to start on the tree blocks and ended up putting it back. This is turning out to be more of a frustrating pain in the...than I anticipated. I am tired of the cut and paste method of getting the pattern pieces together and I still have a snowflake that I don't think is the right size and another snowflake had to be redrawn because it looked like something other than a snowflake! I would be happy to pay a bit more for a pattern that uses large paper and gives me full size patterns. I'll get back to it at some point, it is a cute quilt. (Whew! A little rant can make you feel so much better).

Picked this up at JoAnn's the other day. I'm embellishing a denim vest and this has some fun designs in it. May even be useful on pillows or wool.

Where has this stuff been all my life? I have to work hard to get my fingernails to look good. Yarn and fabric don't help either, so when I saw this written up I dashed out and got some, and it is great! I'm finding that even if my nails aren't long, if I can keep my hands moisturized and the cuticles looking good, it's not too bad. My other go to item is OPI Nail Envy--great stuff!  

See you soon!

July?? Already??

I can't believe it's July!  Hope everybody had a good 4th. This little stitchery is the only thing I have managed to finish. I love little  quilts  I can put out each month. These are Buttermilk Basin from several years back that I am just getting around to making. Having the metal stand was what  motivated me. They look cute on the mantle and are quick to finish. I'm working on October now, so think I have them under control. 

I have lots of projects under way--I love to start them, but working on several at a time means it takes longer to finish anything. Yesterday I pulled the fabrics together for this mini tree skirt.

Pretty sure I got the picture from Pinterest--it originally came from Jo Morton. My reds are a bit darker. I'll make a couple of the flowers and see how I like it. If it turns out, I think I may need a nicer mini tree than the ones I've picked up at Hobby Lobby!

We recently went back here to celebrate Sweetie's birthday. This is the same charming cabin we went to for my birthday, but the weather was much nicer than  in January! I love it here.

We could sit out and enjoy the view and watch the turtles. And depending on  the time of day, enjoy our beverages of choice.  Since this was a road trip I took my Nespresso Pixie along--it was great to have good coffee.  (and yes, good wine). I can't be the only one who likes to travel with their coffee since they make a travel case for it. Any place we go we are usually busy nonstop, but this is one place where we like to just hang out.

On Saturday morning we got up early and went to Fred's Lounge  in Mamou to hear Cajun music.  

Fred's is only open one day a week and they broadcast on the local radio station.

Very fun--if I were around Cajun music much I would have to learn to dance! We also searched out and sampled boudin from several places. Since moving to Texas we've had our summer of BBQ joints, our quest for the best hamburger, and now all things boudin. Each place is different and we are finding which places we like best for future visits. Need to clear out the freezer to make room.

To continue the birthday celebration we went to Oxheart in Houston for dinner. This is a really small place that is getting rave reviews. With a name like Oxheart I was originally skeptical of the menu, but they offer three "tasting" menus a night and change it often. One is vegetarian, one has a combination of vegetables and meat (our night it was grouper and guinea hen), and a third that is a bit broader with a couple more offerings.  We took our own wine, but they do offer wine pairings, and I think we would try that next time. I was able to get our seats at the counter where you can see into the kitchen which was fun. Chef's do place things on the plates with tweezers--it's not just for TV!

This is another reason why I don't get as much done as I would I like--I have helpers! Spunky evidently decided I had worked long enough and it was time for a kittie break. I ultimately finished the stitching and am ready to start on block 3 of "Snowbound".

We hadn't been to Trader Joe's for awhile and I wanted to pick up some of my favorites. These were the one new item I picked up--tasty.

That brings us up to date. I'm going to try to have more fiber related pics next time, and not wait so long to post! We'll see how that goes. 

Bye!

Julie

What I did on my Spring Vacation

I take this picture every year as we head to wine country. Not only is it the Golden Gate Bridge and so beautiful I never get tired of it, but it symbolizes the start of what I know will  be a wonderful vacation.
We go to Sonoma every year--it is just my favorite place. It's beautiful, and tranquil, great wine, wonderful food, and an uninterrupted week with my husband!

The weather was unseasonably warm, which means I packed all the wrong clothes, but it was so nice to be able to sit outside and not worry about rain. You could almost see the leaves opening up on the vines. ( I forgot to mention that we've been home awhile--everything is all leafed out now).

Food and wine pairings are the trend in lots of restaurants. This is a shot of some of our food at Partake by Kendall Jackson in Healdsburg. We really enjoyed it and found it was the  perfect amount for a light dinner. Another night we did the same thing at Mayo Family Wineries in Kenwood. This is a great way to have some interesting food and try several different wines at the same time. And with the small portions, you haven't made a big commitment if you don't like it. I frowned at the beet salad placed in front of me, but found it wasn't bad. I definitely wouldn't have selected it on my own, but tried it, shared a bite with my husband and it was gone. (No, this has not changed my overall feeling about beets)!

There was even wildlife! At one of our favorite wineries the wine maker was telling us the story of a gopher snake they had in the tasting room a few days before, when we heard commotion in the other room. Said gopher snake, or a relative, had just wandered out from under the desk where a tasting room employee had just been sitting. She was a bit rattled and not as interested in  the snake as we were. After some picture taking and snake touching they released it farther out in the vineyard.

Have you ever seen a dog bed this big? These were the biggest dogs I've ever seen--and there were THREE of them! Looks like we missed a picture of #3, but he was just as big as these two. The spotted one had some major slobber going on, too, but they were very nice dogs!

There is nothing better than a fresh, small, yummy oyster! They taste briny, and fresh, and kind of hard to describe. It's like taking all the good aspects of the ocean that you have in your head and putting it into one lovely bite! We've been wanting to go to the original Hog Island Oyster Company location since we drove past it a few years ago, so we wrapped up the wine tasting early had headed to Tomales  Bay where we weren't disappointed. The view was great and the oysters don't get any fresher.

Sweetie's brother lives in the bay area, so we spend some time with them, and when possible, hit the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building, which I love. And since we were doing some cooking, there were reasons to buy produce! Here I am picking out multi colored baby carrots to roast--I'm happier than I look, it's that picture phobia thing...I also scored some wonderful strawberries and two great cheeses that we had for dessert. Oh, and the cookies, an oatmeal, molasses and peanut butter filled  peanut butter sandwich cookie that I just barely shared with anybody! I'm attempting a duplicate of that one! 

So there are some of the highlights of our vacation. There was no shortage of wine, we brought back more than was my original plan, and we added two wine clubs to the family. But each time we open a bottle, it gives us the opportunity to relive our trip and make plans for next year.

I don't have anything woolie to show. I finished a cowl, but haven't blocked it yet since it will be 6 months before I have a chance to wear it. I'm prepping a couple other projects and hope to start knitting the yarn I got on vacation.

I really need to stop "following" some of my Pinterest boards. Too much good looking food keeps showing up on my page. I'm making this for bee this week--I hope it's good!

And I hope my friends will forgive me if it doesn't end up looking this nice.

Since there were dogs pictured on the blog today, Daisy felt it only right for there to be a picture of her as well.

She wishes you a happy week. I'll try not to stay away so long. I blog a lot in my head...it just doesn't seem as interesting in type! :)

Julie

Snowbound Block One

I finally have all of my first "Snowbound" block stitched down. I plan to add the embroidery details after I get all the blocks made. That's going to be the fun part and my reward when I finish the blocks. I hope that now that I have one block done, I will move on to the rest of them a little faster. I'm always nervous about my accuracy when it comes to cutting pieces of fabric that ultimately have to match up!

That's the only fabric project I currently have going. I've been working hard to finish the Brandywine Shawl that I have been working on for something like 3 years (maybe longer).

It's not that it was hard, like I had to figure anything out, it was hard in that I had to pay attention on each row and count on each row, so knitting had to be done with no distractions. And, I'm not too crazy about the yarn. It isn't the yarn's fault--I just made the wrong color selection and didn't send it back when it arrived. Over all it looks nice, the black yarn with the subtle colors works the way I wanted it to and it will look good when worn, I'm just not crazy abut the purple and  green.

 I'll wear it on vacation and think it will be good to jazz up an out to dinner outfit without taking up valuable suitcase space. That's one of the things I like about hand knit scarves and shawls. The mere fact that they are hand made elevates whatever you are wearing to a higher level. 

This shot shows the  colors better.

I've started two new knitting projects. Mainly so I can have choices to work on while on vacation. I rarely spend much time sewing or knitting on vacation, I just like having projects with me for the airplane and in the mornings.x Knitting travels well--no scissors required, no snippets of thread to leave on my host's floor, no pins or pattern pieces to keep track of.

Had to say goodbye to the Easter decor. I hated putting it away since I don't really have much else to put out till summer. I''m sure there is a wool project tucked away somewhere that would be perfect! Oh, and there is the Little Stitches quilt with the wool crow on it--it's been on the top of  the pile for a while now...but wait--it, too, has little pieces of fabric that have to be accurately cut out and sewn back together...Maybe all  this uncertainty of what to sew will send me out into the yard to trim the roses and clean out the flower beds!

If the number of blossoms on the Meyer lemon are any indication, this will be another  bumper crop. I'd better start a folder of Meyer lemon recipes. I must say, by far my favorite from last year was the lemon curd. Love it on yogurt!

So, before they go into the closet till next spring, here's a look at my favorite Easter decor.

Till next time!

I have a plan!

 I've been away, but I've been busy and am excited about some projects I have lined up. First up is this really cute quilt! When I saw it last fall I knew I had to have the pattern and when Pat over at Silver Thimble Talk started a quilt along it gave me the motivation to actually get started. I have my fabrics lined up so hope to get started this weekend!

With Easter just around the corner I got two little woolies made up and am finishing up two more stitchery pillows to add to the decor.

I love these little metal stands, they change up a display.

And since I'm feeling springy, think I'll start this wool runner--I've had  the kit a couple of years and the wools are beautiful!

I finally did something with my Meyer lemons. I zested and juiced most of them. I made two batches of yummy lemon curd and froze the rest of the juice/zest. Hopefully I'll use it faster than the blueberries that are taking up so much space in the freezer!

Because I am now so taken with the juicer I drug out of retirement, I added an extra box of citrus to my last Bountiful Basket. It included Seville oranges so I made marmalade. Didn't turn out so well--I over cooked it so it is really to thick to use. I'm not too sure I like it anyway. Seville oranges are sour and kind of bitter, so although it is authentic marmalade, and I know where I went wrong the first time, I don't think I'm going to use the rest of the oranges to try again. I like the concept of jam,  and like to buy it at farm stands, it just takes us a long time to get through a jar. Time to move on!

A few weeks ago for my birthday Sweetie surprised me with a get away to this charming little cabin

on this cute little lake

                            

near Lafayette, LA. The bed was in the loft, there was a wood burning stove in front of the sofa, and a nice breakfast.

Lafayette has an up and coming food scene and we had a great dinner at Cochon Lafayette. We'll be going back!

Guess I'd best get busy--the day's almost gone! Thanks for stopping by.

  

Ho Hum...

I''m having a bit of trouble getting into 2013. Nothing is inspiring me. I look at the lovely wool kits waiting but  can't decide which one to do first, so I move on. I can't decide which pattern to pick cuz I don't want to cut up a bunch of little pieces of fabric. There is stitchery, but most of it is Christmas and fall, and we just finished that and even though fall and Christmas are what I do most, I'm not ready to start in again quite yet. I am doing some knitting. Finished a cowl and am working on a couple more. One day soon I'm going to start a garment--I have yarn for a cute vest, a gray short sleeved cardigan and Noro sock yarn for another short sleeved cardi. But again--which do I do first? Someone please come and tell me what to make first! And second!

I'm putting a lot of the blame on the weather (that works, doesn't it)? It's been gloomy and dreary and dark for days. Bits of rain, but nothing to make the gloom worth while.

The most recent fun thing has been this:

Yes, it's fun with fruits and vegetables! Actually, these are my first 2 "Bountiful Baskets" (bountifulbaskets.org). BB is a vegetable coop available in several states. Every other week you make a "contribution", and later in the week you pick up your basket at a location near you. Here, I place my order on Monday, and pick it up at a nearby elementary school Saturday morning.  What's fun about it is that you have no idea what will be in your basket! So far, we've been really happy. I find that it is best to get the basket, then do some meal planning so that everything gets used effectively.  For an additional charge there is an organic option, you  can get bread, granola and various other add ons.

Just before our first bit of cold weather I picked all the lemons from our Meyer lemon tree.

There are 177 here, so I am guessing we got 250 lemons off our 6 foot lemon tree!  In the past it has only put out 6-12 lemons. I'm hearing that most Meyer trees did well this year. I need to juice what I have left and freeze it .

Backing up a bit, I will say we had a great Christmas! It was relaxing and fun. Dinner was really good and was easy enough that there was no cooking stress. 

For our anniversary we went to Underbelly and liked everything we tried. I'm sure we will go back.

Having been so happy with the bacon caramel corn, my next two bacon adventures will be Bacon Pecan Pie and Bacon Brownies, but yes, which one do I try first?

As a final note, I leave you with a picture I took on my way to aerobics one foggy morning.

All of the spider webs in the crepe myrtles  were covered in dew and looked just beautiful. By the  time I came out of class they had dried off and you couldn't even see the webs in the trees!

See you again soon!