WIP (Works in Progress)

I began this post a few weeks ago, um well... to be honest - I began this post in October! Yikes!  When I came back to the post, this is what I saw:

I guess one might also consider that this post is a "Work in Progress!!"

I have been juggling projects. Thirty-some years ago, I actually learned how to juggle! But, this is a different sort of juggling... and another blog post!

I have been involved in some home improvement projects:

Most notably, we finally started, and almost finished our fireplace!!

We taped out our first idea on the wall last December:

We weren't sold on it. We came up with another plan.

The mister began to frame the fireplace. If we are struck by an EF5 tornado, the fireplace will stand! We will tear out the fireplace and crawl in the space and we'll be perfectly safe!

We revised our plan. We rethought it. We reimagined it.

I wanted to have a wood-grain fireplace. The mister liked that idea, but wanted a painted area above. We considered different ways to use trim to "marry" a painted top and a wood lower section that stood out by 3/4". Then, after looking at wood flooring, tile flooring and rough-sawn lumber...we found "blue stain pine siding." OMG! This was perfect. The color was just what we liked. The variation was sweet. The price was right, and it serves as a reminder of our time in Colorado!

Onward!

The mister surveys the structure he created, and the first pieces of blue-stain trim on the corners.

We began installing wood planks and painted the niche for the TV

Now, we have to install the TV and put in baseboard molding.

So, we have made a lot of progress, but it is still a WIP!

The TV is in... but we want to do some sort of "wash" to tone down the yellow of the wood, but maintain the gray. Yup... still a WIP!

One of the local quilt shops decided to have a "challenge". We were to make a self portrait out of fabric incorporating a fat quarter we purchased from her shop. This was my completed project. 

Everyone had so much fun she gave us another challenge. This is now one of my WIPs. The challenge is to make a 20" X 20" quilt using the multi-color fabric on the bottom, and at least two others. 

When I saw the fabric it reminded me of sea fans. I can't wait to see other's responses to see if the fabric influenced others to think the same way. I sketched out my idea. (It is on the bulletin board above a bat I made for one of the littles. )

Here is a picture of the project that is almost finished. I am thrilled with all of the different techniques I used. Regardless of how it is judged, I am pleased with how the project pushed me to try new things!

A few months ago I had an email from one of the quilting shops. It was featuring a quilt with a whale on it. I liked the fabric...in fact, I had purchased some of the fabric to make pillow covers for our great room. I didn't pay much attention to the email. However, I began thinking about our guest bathroom. I was thinking of it as a "seaman's cottage" and realized the colors of the fabric, and the theme of the quilt would make a great shower curtain!! So, I ordered fabric, cut most of it, began sewing some of it...WIP!!

This is the pattern.

This is my "Quilt Wall" with the cut fabrics displayed so I can sew them in the correct sequence!

Finally, perhaps the biggest challenge and WIP involves me! My benefits department sent out notices about a weight lost program* in May or June. They would pay for the program. I had nothing to lose, except a few pounds that had crept up on me over the years. I began the program at the beginning of July. 

Here is a picture of me in Nov. 2019, and another (in the same clothes) at the beginning of Oct, 2020.

Wow! Just...wow!

I've lost a few pounds since the last picture was taken. I've lost a total of 32 pounds, 

over 20" (bust, waist, hips, thighs) 

I've dropped from size 12 or 14 to size 6 or 8, 

(Oh and a bra size of 36 DD to a 32 C or B!!!). 

Wow! I can't believe it myself!

So... what WIPs do you have???

*The program my Employee Benefits Office paid for is called "Naturally Slim"

I have tried many, many weight loss programs through the years. I have "successfully" completed Weight Watchers (twice!!), the Atkins diet and countless others. Naturally Slim is the first program that I truly believe I can follow for the rest of my life. I don't count calories. I don't have to eat specific foods. I can eat and drink whatever I like.... in moderation. The program has changed the way I think about my hunger and food. It has truly been a life changer... and I hope in years to come, I can still support the program and that I am no longer a WIP!

Rocking at Babcock Ranch

 One of the residents in our community began a "Babcock Ranch Rocks" page on FaceBook. The page is used to post painted rocks that you find throughout our community. Every once in a while, if I am lucky, I find a painted rock. When I do, I post my find on the FaceBook page and relocate the rock. 

This is one of the rocks I have found. 

Way back when, I painted some rocks to look like turtles, but sadly, I can't find my pictures of those. They were painted on rocks I found on the beach in Oregon, which were mottled like a turtle shell, so I added features to bring the inner turtle out! I decided that I could paint some more and hide them in our community. It's a lot of fun to create something...and then set it free!

 This is a butterfly I painted. I also created a turtle, a frog and a dog, a ladybug, and some with random designs in bright colors. 

Then, I experimented with painting apple snail shells. Many of these are exotic, invasive species. The shore birds delight in eating the animal (hooray for eliminating the exotic species) and leave the shells on the shore of our lake so that I can find them... and paint them. This is one of my favorites! It is supposed to look like an echinacea flower. 

It's hard to explain, but finding a special rock makes a special day!

For the Birds

My obsession was started by my BFF. She attended a workshop by Lynne Tyler, and raved about Lynne's "Liberated Birds".  I checked out Lynne's "Patchwork Menagerie" and I was hooked! I adored her simple bird design. I decided that I wanted to make a quilt with her birds.

This was just the beginning...

---of my flock!

I made a bird here... and there. I discovered that each bird had his/her own personality. They became good friends. They "talked" to me!

I positioned my birds on my flannel wall. I tried them this way... and that! I rearranged one side, and changed birds top and bottom. I swapped this guy for that guy. I worked at varying colors and patterns. I stared at my wall, and swapped one bird for another for days! I tried to balance so many variables: color, direction bird is facing, fabric patterns, size, leg color... it just about drove me crazy!

Then came the challenge of putting it all together. Measure twice, cut once... oops! Try again! It was tedious at best, and involved a lot of muttering to myself!

My quilt began with a "charm pack". A charm pack is an assortment of 42 fabrics from a designer's collection. I purchased the pack years ago, and when I saw the birds, decided it met my needs. However, needs were greater than I anticipated. First I had to order more white, Then I needed more dark blue prints. Then I needed more, more, more. As I neared the completion of my birdies I worked on a pieced backing for my quilt with the leftover fabrics. 

Finally the piecing was finished; top and bottom! Hooray - celebration #1!

Next, I very carefully loaded the backing (I needed to keep it straight) and the top on my long arm quilting machine. I quilted some of the birdie wings with swirls or feathers, or added details to their chests. The white fabric was quilted with a meandering leaf design. 

I pulled my quilt off of the long arm machine. Celebration #2: not only was it finished but the backing was perfectly square! Woohoo! The quilt was bound, and sent off to my brother and his wife. He previously shared pictures of their new "cabin" in Idaho. They had tiles with birds on their backsplash. I think this quilt belongs to them! But, to be honest... I am going to miss my little birdies!

Yum! Sandwiches!

Well, you won't find these taste very yummy, but I think the colors are yummy!

I learned about an online free motion quilting class by Lori Kennedy. The class follows her new book, 25 Days to Better Machine Quilting: Hands-On Learning to Improve Your  Skills. Lori is expanding on the book by offering 25 weeks to better quilting on posts on her Web site. 

The first thing Lori suggested is that we make a number of quilt "sandwiches", putting batting between two layers of cotton, one of which should be a plain color to better see our quilting work. I hastened to the store and selected a number of yummy colors that would match or complement a quilt I made for our bed. That way, I could practice quilting and then make something practical out of the sandwiches: pillows!

This is my first sandwich. The color is much prettier in person.

Trust me!

Lori also encourages us to doodle on paper. So, I made oodles of doodles, and I began to feel twinges of my old nemesis, tennis elbow. So, not to be outdone, I began doodling with my left hand!

Lori incorporates writing in many of her quilts, and says she always signs her quilts. I love it!

Here are my first two pillows.

...and my pillows are multiplying. 

I have a few more sandwiches that I have quilted, or have yet to quilt, that will become the last 2 or 3 pillows on the bed.

So, then what?

a table runner or two

placements

wall hangings

who knows? Maybe the dogs will get their very own quilted dog bed!

Gypsy wants one like this!

You are not welcome here!!

We have run across two unwelcome amphibious critters who have made their way to Florida.  Geesh! Everyone is coming to Florida!

The first is the cane toad. These toads secrete a toxin through their skin that can kill dogs. Luckily, neither Gypsy, nor Tucker, find any fascination in investigating any toads or frogs they happen upon. Many times, after rain storms, we come upon a variety of toads and frogs on the road. They are totally ignored by my dogs. Unlike this snail, who gets a thorough going-over by the guys!

The other invader is the Cuban tree frog. We recently became aware of their existence from an article in the newspaper. This guy is a bad dude! He eats indigenous tree frogs and lizards. 

We have lived with tree frogs for years. First, in SC (34 years) and now here. I kinda like the guys, except when they jump on me. Their icky-sticky feet, and the cold, clammy feel, are kinda creepy! I have discovered one who lives in the doggie poop bag dispenser down the road from us. Twice,  I stood in front of the dispenser to get a bag, only to have him/her jump on me! Yikes! Yeech! I now stand to one side, wiggle the bag a bit to give him a chance to move to the side, before extracting a bag san frog!! 

We moved a free-standing umbrella from our lot at the RV resort to the "cage" around our pool. When we opened the umbrella, three tree frogs jumped out. I caught two, and threw them outside where they would have more luck catching bugs. Number three eluded capture. We didn't see him/her for quite some time. Then, one day, I noticed the frog hunkered down in a channel in the frame of our sliding door. Ah hah! Now the smudges on our sliding door made sense! Those were his footprints where he foraged on bugs attracted to the lights inside our home! He became my pal. I began to watch for him, and enjoyed it when he stopped by every few days. 

However, after reading a newspaper article about the invasive Cuban tree frogs we became suspicious. Our pal seemed to fit the description they provided. In part because he was the largest tree frog we had ever seen; he was easily 2 1/2" in length, and because of his coloration; he was almost white! Of course, after reading the article he disappeared from his hiding spot in the channel of the sliding door frame. He heard us talking about his fate. But, I had become used to his comings and goings, and was confident he would return. 

This is a picture of the Cuban tree frog from the University of Florida. Yup. This was our pal. They are large; usually over 2" in length. Check. They have small bumps on their back. Check. They have large toe pads. Check. 

The University requests that Cuban tree frogs be humanely euthanized and disposed of. I really don't care to see animals die, especially a healthy animal. However, the information made it clear that these cute little guys, if left to their own devices, will destroy the native species and expand their territory. Our little guy was dispatched. He was sprayed with benzocaine spray and within moments he succumbed. His information, size, sex (undetermined), picture and location of capture will be sent to the citizen frog project at the University.  

 

Animal Experimentation

                    Disclaimer: 

No animals were maimed, damaged, cut, burned or tormented (well maybe a little) in this experiment. 
No animals were denied affection or food in this experiment. 

A friend posted a video on FaceBook showing a cat and several dogs negotiating a pathway among a marker and pen landmine. The cat negotiated the obstacle, with little or no hesitation, much like a pinball, taking different paths, but knocking down nary a pen. Each of the three dogs balked at the obstacle and eventually came through, knocking down one or more of the pens. It was entertaining to watch the dogs and how they reacted. 

I was curious about how my own dogs would handle this test, so set up a carefully planned scientific experiment!

Title: Tiptoe Through the Tulips; How Two Dogs Negotiate a Path With Objects Standing on End

Hypothesis: Tucker, the bold Australian Shepherd, will not hesitate. He will negotiate the barrier, knocking down many of the pens. Gypsy, the Border Collie, will hesitate to study the situation, but will then pick her way through the barrier, knocking down no pens.

Materials:     30-40 thin, cylindrical objects such as markers, pens or pieces of tubing.

                     A passageway 3 - 4 feet across

Procedure: Remove the test subjects from the area. Place each cylinder on end, about six inches from each other, covering an area in a hallway that extends about 4 feet in length. 

Data:

• Test 1 (Tucker) Tucker approached the barrier, turned in a circle. Stood at the edge. He would not cross.
• Test 2 (Tucker) Tucker approached the barrier, turned, left the area (He may have been influenced by Gypsy barking in another room)
• Test 3 (Gypsy) Gypsy approached the barrier, walked through it. She knocked down several pens, but I think they were hit by her tail, not her feet.
• Test 4 (Tucker) In this experimental run, Gypsy was on the other side of the barrier. Tucker approached, hesitated, and would not cross. 

    

Results:  Tucker would not cross the barrier. Gypsy crossed the barrier with no hesitation.

Conclusion: My hypothesis was incorrect. The "bold" Aussie was a chicken and never attempted to cross the barrier despite having me, and his pal, Gypsy, welcoming him. Gypsy did not hesitate, and although pens were knocked down, were it not for her fluffy tail, that might not have been the case. 

Gypsy

 

Tucker

The Shady Lady

We had to remove a tree in our front yard to allow equipment to have access to our back yard to construct our pool and lanai. The tree we removed was called an Orchid tree.  It has beautiful, pink orchid-like flowers throughout most of the year. It is a messy tree. It drops leaves and flowers all of the time. It is not truly a native tree. It originated in Asia and escaped from cultivation, so it is occasionally found in the wild in Florida. 

Yeah, it's pretty, but we wanted its replacement to be a true Florida native.

We both began reading about native trees. We wanted something with a pleasant shape. We preferred not to have a deciduous tree. We did not care for a tree that dropped fruit, seeds or leaves. 

We read about the Black Olive tree (which doesn't produce olives), also known as the Shady Lady. The South Florida Plant Guide says:

The exquisite Shady Lady black olive tree, with its lush layers of tiny leaves on zigzagged stems, is one of the most beautiful South Florida trees. With the look of a natural bonsai, this tree lends an Oriental garden appeal when it's young. It grows in layered tiers with a distinct space between each set of horizontal branches. The tree matures to form a beautiful, well-shaped rounded crown.

We wanted to see this tree. It sounded like it would be perfect. We asked around, and lo and behold, we actually had one in our back yard already! How embarrassing! However, we had both admired the tree, so it seemed like the perfect replacement. 

We arranged with the local landscaper to get a large tree. We awaited its arrival... and watched, in awe, as it arrived and was transported and transplanted. 

We love our new tree, and can't wait to see it grow, providing wonderful shade in our yard!

Meet the Monarch

After our pool was complete we had to restore landscaping to meet the requirements of our HOA. Our community requires that 75% of our plantings be native. However, they do allow a bit more leniency in back yards where the landscaping isn't quite as visible. At the last minute we decided to disregard "native" and install butterfly gardens on the east and west corners of our pool "cage". Our landscape maintenance guy gave us the names of a number of plants that attract butterflies,  as well as the name of a wholesale nursery. Off we went. Among the plants he suggested we purchased: salvia, tickseed, scorpion tail, milkweed (lots of this), sweet almond and lantana. 

As always happens, I regret not taking pictures of the back of our truck becoming an instant garden. The plants were placed and planted and our back yard looked truly finished. 

It wasn't long before mama monarchs came. We noticed them laying eggs on the leaves. Then the magic began to happen!

Do you see the newly hatched caterpillar? He is about 1/8" in length. His egg case is directly below. The "eyeball" in the center right side of the picture is a caterpillar that is about to emerge. The black dot is his head. Before they are ready to emerge, the eggs are tiny, creamy white balls 

More very young caterpillars

We bought some more plants to bring onto the lanai. 

We placed them in a butterfly "cage"

It was fun to see the caterpillars grow, and grow, and 

grow!

We watched them form chrysalides. 

This one became detached and after taking the picture I pinned it to 

the top of the butterfly cage.

We had a "run away" caterpillar, and finally found the Chrysalis on the floor of the lanai. I meant to attach it to the cage, but didn't get around to it. Then... I noticed the coloration of the wings showing through the chrysalis. I needed to mount it so the emerging butterfly would have space to spread its wings.

When I picked it up to attach it to the screen of the butterfly cage, it popped open in my hand and the butterfly began to emerge. 

The miracle of life!

We took it outside and superglued the top of the chrysalis to a leaf of the milkweed plant. 

The story of the Monarch does not stop here. This is only one generation of four that this species goes through. There are four generations each year. The final generation butterflies are the ones that migrate to Mexico, via Texas, living seven months!

CAUTION

A protozoan parasite of monarch butterflies, Ophryocystis elektroscirrha or OE for short, can travel with monarchs visiting the plants and become deposited on leaves. When caterpillars hatch and start eating the plant, they ingest the OE. ... Tropical milkweed can also interfere with monarch migration and reproduction. -Xerces Society

The Mister is a voracious reader and researcher. Soon after we became intrigued with the Monarchs, he discovered trouble in paradise! Most of the nurseries in our area sell Tropical milkweed. It is a perennial in this part of Florida, and has pretty orange and red flowers. Because it doesn't die back in winter, the protozoan lives on and can infect future generations of Monarchs. Additionally, the fourth generation Monarchs may resist the urge to migrate if there is a supply of milkweed where they are living, or along their migratory path.

By the Sea

Many of the homes we looked at in our exploration of the area had swimming pools in their back yards. The house we purchased did not. I wasn't keen on having a pool. I know how to swim, but I've never really enjoyed it. However, the Mister wanted one. So, we contracted to have a pool installed in our back yard. 

Here's the story in pictures:

I am so glad that we went forward with this project. I love having the pool. What a surprise! I find it amazingly refreshing to simply jump in, paddle around for a bit, and then get out. (Especially this week with temps in the high 90's and a heat index in the triple digits!) Our project has also given us a beautiful outdoor room where we spend many hours each day.