Enough Time

It seems so amazing that every person we know 

can be busy all the time.

It's just how it is.

There's no time for this and no time for that.

The number one reason for not doing any given task is,

"I don't have enough time."

"There's not enough time" is a cliche in its own right.

I would like to share a little phrase that has helped me tremendously.

We always seem to have one or two larger projects and

several smaller projects going on around here.

When life throws a monkey wrench in the works,

it can get a little interesting, exciting, let's be honest - chaotic.

I know we are no different than many others as far as this goes.

It can get more than a little overwhelming for someone (me)

who likes order.

The phrase I learned?

"I have just enough time to. . . "

That's it.

It turns your brain around.

The brain is amazing.

It will jump ahead and fill in the blank.

So if you are thinking, "I don't have time to. . .,"

your brain will barrage you with the never-ending list of huge tasks

that take long hours to complete.

Likewise, if you say, "I have just enough time to. . .,"

your brain will also fill in the blank.

I have just enough time to  - get the coffee ready for morning,

just enough time to fold the towels,

just enough time to read my daily devotional,

just enough time to bring in some wood for later.

Whatever it is, it helps.

It's one more thing done or moment spent in a valuable way.

All those little 2-3 minute tasks make a huge difference

in the functionality of the home.

                             

And one more thing about it~

I typically work well off a list, but sometimes 

the bigger efforts are difficult to break down into a doable sequence.

This little phrase seems to help in that area as well.

I have just enough time to - measure that board,

time to gather the tools/supplies, etc

Good job brain!

(I need to encourage the poor little thing so it won't quit on me.)

Maybe give it a try and see what you think.

Gaining Ground

It's amazing what can happen when Mr. LB

gets the chainsaw out to trim a dead limb.

That's how it started.

There was a dead limb (or two) in the pear tree.

Once those were removed...

Hun, since you have the chainsaw out......

I have been plugging at this side of the yard 

off and on for years.

Anywhere you see lack of grass is where

there were briars.

It gets great sun so I am hoping to plant

some corn and beans along with flowers.

I'm not sure why it is that at one point in time,

people thought it was a good idea to put in

a barbed wire fence with chicken wire along the bottom

then not maintain it.

This is always how it looks.

Actually, I should clarify,

this is how it looks after we pulled all the lilac suckers,

black berries, briars, and weeds.

I've owned two homes in my adult life.

They have both come with such "fences."

Needless to say, it's coming out.

One other thing I have done periodically is

tie a bright ribbon around plants/trees I don't want cut down.

Here it's on a mock orange that smells delicious when it blooms.

I started doing this after Mr. LB

took the weed wacker around and eliminated

a young cedar, the wisteria, cauliflower, and raspberries.

It's fun to tease him about it now,

but he felt pretty bad at the time, 

especially since he likes all those things.

Also, I try to let him know if I have planted something in an odd spot

which I often do.

We gained about a 10' X 40' swath (roughly.)

Now, I just need to finish the clean up.

We will probably till it with some compost for good measure

since it's never been planted.

There will also be another little project over here

that I hope to share with you soon.

Just have to make a parts run in order to finish.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

How to Clean Bottles with Rice

How to Clean bottles with Rice:

If you have a narrow-necked bottle you would like to reuse,

but it has matter on the bottom or sides

that you can't seem to get to

put an inch or two of hot water in the bottle.

Add a squirt of dish soap and 1-2 tablespoons of rice.

Shake, Shake, Shake it up baby,

Twist and Shout.

Oh wait, got carried away.

The rice does the scrubbing.

Rinse well and let dry before capping.

Until next time, 
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Choke Cherries and Money Savers

Yes, we are still alive.

We have just had a lot of life come at us at once.

I'll fill you in on that later,

but wanted to show you.

 Here are my choke cherries all picked, cleaned, 

and ready to juice for some jelly.
(Working on Christmas gifts now.)

What do you think of that great metal bowl?

It is actually one of two.

I call them my fruit bowls.

They are just deep and wide enough to hold a lot of fruit

without crushing it.

They were purchased for $1 each ~

on clearance in the automotive section of the store.

They are really for changing oil.

Also, if you need buckets,

check out the automotive department.

The same buckets that you will find in the cleaning section

by the mops and brooms is often

a fraction of the cost if you get them in the auto section

of the same store.

The only difference being maybe the color.

Other items you might find cheaper over there are

scrub brushes, buffing/polishing cloths, and spritzer bottles.

If there is something you need along those lines,

you might just check out the automotive dept.

before buying it from the 'regular' dept.

and save yourself a couple dollars.

Tonight, we'll be cleaning the elderberries

into the other bowl:)

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Perfect Stitching Frugal Tip (A DIY)

In case you are newer to this blog,

I am a crazy quilter.

Maybe it's because there is no such thing

as a wrong crazy quilt.

There are a few specifics I like in the design

on some of the crazies though.

One thing is the right color for the accent stitches.

I love the old fashioned wool crazies

with big primitive looking stitches.

Here in-lies the tip:

Use size 30 crochet thread

(often found at thrift stores for a quarter - as long as

it's not stained, discolored, or smelly, and is in good condition.)

Then comes the fun part. 

Dye it the color you want it.
Even if the crochet thread is a color,
I typically just dye them a darker shade.
In the picture above, the peachy color
would go into a pumpkin colored dye, etc.

I often end up dying a piece of wool

a specific color. 

So when that happens,

I throw in some thread.

Here is a vintage yarn winder that I use 
to measure how much I am pulling off the spool/ball.
You could also use a notebook or hardback book,
just so you can slide the thread off of it easily.

Note:

If you have left over dye,

add a little vinegar, label it and save it

until your project is finished.

If you don't, you'll end up needing more of that color.

I know there are some very good quality threads and flosses

out there that are sworn by.

I happen to live in No-where-ville.

We don't have a quilt shop any more.

We do have a newer fabric/craft shop,

but they are a small business trying to make it.

They have many necessities but

not a lot of specialty items.

I don't want that to sound negative in any way as

I am extremely grateful for them.

However, by dying my own,

I end up with a perfect matching/contrasting thread.
(and fingers too as I usually don't wear gloves:)
I like two strands on wool.
One strand on cotton is very dainty looking.
To me, the colors just seem more genuine.
Of course, if you don't like to dye things,
you might just stick to store bought.

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches