May News #2 the edible plants

My husband has taken over the outdoor gardening.  His big project this year is putting pavers between the raised beds to cut down on weeding and mowing.  He’s doing it slowly as he has a bad back, bad knees, etc- but considering all that,  I think he made lots of progress doing it all on his own.  

Somehow that silly gnome birdbath came home with is from Lowe’s.  

Some of the tomatoes are just starting to form 

We’ve been eating our lettuce and spinach for several weeks.  We are hoping the heads will grow back and keep replenishing, but who knows?  At least one of them looks very hopeful.  


also in the beds are assorted peppers and onions 

And Potato Land looks be growing so good! 

In the wildest corner of the back yard is a rose Bush we bought at Aldi years ago

We had to get rid of all our knockout roses as they all had that awful rosette disease 

 

And on the picnic table is this year’s fairy garden.  Grands and adults all enjoy rearranging the figures.  

❤️ Rhonda 

May news #1 May Day plants

Good evening everyone 

I’ve been filling pots with plants with a few bought ones and some brought outside from inside our house and some are from our son. 

These are on the patio near the door 

These are also on the patio,  some are succulents that I put in bigger pots and the petunias are from an 8 pack I found on clearance at Lowe’s for $1

All these pots look empty but they are all planted with caladium bulbs.  Our son ordered 35 pounds of caladium bulbs.  He’s planted a lot of them in his yard but 35 pounds is really a lot.  So he’s been sharing them.  

Caladiums are really fun as they all come up with different colors and patterns.  

And a few more pots of succulents and some ground cover I bought and planted last year and it survived all winter.  

In the yard is the berry patch.  The 2 mature blackberry bushes are loaded with new berries and my husband has been rigging up a protection cover to keep birds from eating the blackberries before we do.  

In the ground are strawberries and a few onions 

On the other side of the backyard are the raised beds and containers holding vegetables.  I’ll show those tomorrow.  

And my husband has put in all the work on them, not me.  I pull weeds but other than that,  the food plants are all his effort.  

Tonight I’m doing the Facebook painting party I posted about earlier.  

I see on the news that different areas are having different restrictions and different levels of restrictions being lifted. 

I know everyone wants to get back to normal but that virus is still out there. 

Hope you all are being careful and staying as safe as possible.  

❤️ Rhonda 

Quarantine update #14 - this weeks to do list and more masks and their drama

Hello everyone 

I made a new list for this week and it’s not completed but I’ve made a lot of progress 

I sewed more masks and learned more about them too.  

When I first started making them more than a month ago, the advice said to use flannel on the inside so they will be softer on the wearer’s face.  Well, I wore a flannel lined one when it was 88 degrees outside and that mask was so hot!  Flannel lined masks will just not be a wearable option in Oklahoma during warm weather.  

That spool of elastic I ordered never did come ☹️

I made some masks with some lingerie elastic I had on hand.  The elastic is comfortable but is not suitable for most men as it has a tiny scalloped edge.  

I also made some masks using the 2 mm hair ties/pony tail holders.  I don’t like how they feel on my ears but my husband thinks they are fine.  

I’m now adding a wire near the nose to all my masks as they make for a closer fit and especially help to avoid glasses fogging up if the mask wearer wears glasses 🤓 

Our masks get laundered every time they are worn and they hang in the laundry room, right by the door to our garage, so we always remember to take some when we leave.  

We live in a university town and I made these with a scrap of school logo fabric.  

My husband wore the top mask into CVS to use their ATM.  When he came out, the lady in the car beside us rolled down her window and asked about his mask.  She wants some but I have no more fabric and can’t get any more right now.  

And the other masks are spoken for. 

She was very nice and I would of shared with her if I could.  

So if you’re sewing masks, especially if you are wanting to make a business of it, (I am not)  any fabric design that is popular in your area would most likely be a great seller.  

Also, people that wear masks often will need several as they need to laundered after each use.  

This may sound like I am out a lot but I am not.  In the last 6 weeks,  I have been inside Walmart 2 times, Aldi once and Lowe’s once.  

We’ve done a lot of yard work and gardening this week and I will share those photos tomorrow.  

Hope you are all fine.  

Our state and town are easing up restrictions a little this week and May 1.  

But my husband and I don’t plan to change anything we have been doing just yet.  

❤️ Rhonda 

Quarantine Update #13 - mask problems, a little sewing and question about DIY disinfecting wipes

Not much to talk about- I’ve done some weeding in the flower beds and am so pleased so many of our pretty perennials came back and look good.  

At the beginning of last week,  I ordered a spool of elastic for masks.  I wanted it as soon as possible and paid the $17 for expedited shipping speed - and $17 is almost double what the elastic cost.  This elastic is made in the US and is shipping from the US,  and I bought it through Amazon.  Well,  I’m shaking my head as that elastic has still not arrived and looking at the tracking, I’m not sure it has even actually shipped.  I think the seller made a shipping label for it but the package doesn’t seem to of moved.  

Amazon will make good on the waste of shipping money, if it ever does come or will refund my money if it doesn’t arrive by April 30.  

I still want to sew more masks though.   I did find clothesline cording with a Walmart pickup and will try to sew masks made by this method that Laura showed on her blog  here 

link to mask tutorial

It has a different way of putting in one long string that goes behind your neck and then ties on top of your head.  It also seems to be a very quick simple sew.  

Last month my daughter asked me to sew Easter eggs for a mantel garland.

This week she asked me sew these flowers.  They were simple and fun to make 

    

Disinfecting wipes 

At normal times,  I don’t use disinfecting wipes but now I’d like some and they can’t be found.  My parents wants some too.  

I just watched a YouTube video where  the homemaker poured Lysol and water into a pack of babies wipes and bleach and water into another pack.  Then she was using them to clean her home.  

I like the idea but I know regular bleach breaks down after 24 hours when mixed with anything.   and of course it’s not safe to mix bleach with any other cleanser. 

So I started looking at other advice and saw someone just add a cup of Rubbing Alcohol to pack of baby wipes.  

I have a bunch of baby wipes from a bargain purchase back when we had grandchildren in diapers.  

I like the idea of just using alcohol,  do any of you maybe have a science background and know if they would be effective as a disinfectant?  

And if any of you were going to do the Friday night paint along classes,  it may not happen today as their family has gone camping.  If their internet at the camping place is working, she will host it live on Facebook - Creative Disasters for Beautiful Minds.  

Tonight’s subject is supposed to be a cactus, which is not really my cup of tea.  She did a country church paint along a couple weeks ago and it is on demand on her page.  I’m thinking I’ll play it and paint a church instead of a cactus 🌵 

Hope you all fine. 

And we are one day closer to this situation being over- but I have no idea when that will be............

❤️ Rhonda 

Quarantine update #12 Sink or Swim

check the comments of yesterday's post to see something from Jane of Thrift&Hope



When this quarantine started,  I thought people are either going to thrive or do terrible.  I’m happy that all my children and grandchildren seem to be thriving during their staying at home.  Before the quarantine,  they all had very busy lives with all the adults working, all the children in school all day, after school activities for all the children,  extra things for the adults like church activities, gym time, social events, etc.

Some of them are having major financial changes from being off work, but other than that,  life seems to be very good.  

The farm grandchildren have been fishing, taking care of animals and the oldest learned to backup and park the hay trailer.  

The big city grandchildren have done lots of crafts and lots of cooking 

Both their parents have done lots of cooking.  Their daddy does everything big,  look at that crazy amount of cinnamon rolls! 

When they were cooked,  they dropped off a lot of them on their friend’s porches.  

The in our town grandchildren have been busy with school work, gardening and crafts too.  

All the kids have helped with cooking and the parents have cooked some very nice meals.  

Some of the parents are completely off work.  Some are working at home.  

All seem to be doing more thrifty things than before.  

One showed me picture, instead of paying a very high price for a travel bottle of sanitizer,  they washed out a hotel sample bottle and filled it with sanitizer from a big bottle.  

Andie is 7 and this is what she just told her Mom

I think Andie is very wise.  

Ok, that’s all my bragging for now.  

❤️Rhonda