Dear Blog

Today is a good day...I think. On April 8, 2024 I took a ride out to the house we left to the kids upon my husband's death. The house and acre was much too large for me to maintain (and too many memories). No one was home and while there I tried uprooting a couple of my favorite peony flowers. I dug down in the dirt around the new shoots as far as I could and heard a cracking noise when removing from the soil. Poop!  Probably wasting my time. I filled a couple of storage bags with a damp towel and covered with dirt, stuck the shoots in the dirt and zippered the bags half closed. I transplanted them a couple of days later after arriving to my new (4+ years) home.

I forgot about them until today and I decided to check on their well being. I expected to see nothing but shriveled up or disintegrated blobs. OMG! It appears they are not dead. The largest shoot is bent over but still has reddish color and some life. It is cold but I will start documenting with pictures, keeping my fingers crossed. I have  also purchased wild flower seeds, creeping phlox, Cosmos and various poppy seeds and one Crimson Red Poppy plant. I am preparing the soil, removing weeds, I will plant Memorial day taking pictures and inserting markers as to what I plant and where.

Dear Blog

 I am 84 finally getting to the point of gardening since purchasing a new home 4+ years ago after my husband's passing. Years ago I was an active member of a seed swap group.  I will have no seeds to trade until I can deadhead flowers in the fall for trading 2025. I have learned how to use a laser and made wooden garden stakes I can offer for trade this year. Also made my own seed packets and can offer for trade. Not all are pictured. The seed packets can be customized; i.e., addy, name of seeds, etc.

NOTE: I made my first swap this month. I mailed out five garden stakes at a cost of $5.40 and in return received an envelope containing two packs of seeds labeled 4 for 1 dollar. I don't know if they will germinate as they have to be almost as old as I am--but I will do my best. For the garden stakes I will need to cover the cost of mailing.

Dear Blog

Finally getting around to my gardening. I have no flowers thus far so no seeds. I am working on it, starting now. I am surrounded by Rose of Sharon and hoping their buds/seeds can be used to trade in the fall. 

I am lucky to be 84 and still pretty active. Below are some pictures of what I have been dealing with since February of this year. I have been raking, raking, raking. My house is on the corner of two streets  surrounded by a gazillion trees. Plus, I have a huge tree in one of my two yards. I don't know one tree from another, but I do know they all produce leaves for me to dispose of. 

This spring I decided I needed to take better care of the outside of my house. Any suggestions on what I could plant along the sides of my house/back patio would be appreciated. I am 84 so don't want to do as much weeding as early on. I have two very large yards, one on either side of my house; what was I thinking? 

 

  

 

One less tree, thanks to the town of Irondequoit...

Dear Blog

 My husband and I used to love working outside, growing flowers from seeds (many from seed swap group I once belonged to) and vegetable plants. The house and property were more than I could maintain after he passed. I purchased a house in the city to be closer to my family. I created a blog  and occasionally make notes to use as my journal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also some trees we planted years ago. Our very old and large Catalpa Tree blew over in a windy storm. I planted strawberries in it for fun. Over time a tree formed on top of the downed tree. It grew snakes. In 2004 I removed a couple of seeds and stuck them in a pot and yet another tree sprouted.

 

 

 

 

 

2019 July 16 as of five years ago. I will go visit to see how it's doing.

 

 

Each year we planted a 3' Blue Spruce, my favorite trees.

Dear Blog

Snuck in a few more painted rocks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I have just found a new hobby; but first. I found this image on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/p/Urday-100093682065747/

 

 

Another image from Facebook. Printed both on fabric and made the frames on a laser.

 

And, having way way too much fun scaring friends and relatives with wind-up mouse I purchased online for around two dollars.

Dear Blog

Tired of raking leaves. When my husband passed I purchased a new home as the farmhouse was too much for me to maintain. I don't know what I was thinking...I now have too large yards and a gazillion Rose of Sharon bushes to keep up with. Need to get back to Rochester Makerspace.

 

Dear Blog

 Waiting on April and getting back to Rochester Makerspace. In the mean time I have been passing time painting on rocks and leaving all over Rochester, NY.

 

Dear Blog

 I probably shouldn't be posting this. What I don't need is hate mail. Weird sense of humor I guess.

Dear Blog

Overwhelmed, will get back to my previous post...soon. I took time off from Rochester Makerspace projects on the laser machine for the winter. OMG, it's as bad as blogging. When you don't stick at it, there are always changes and you have to start learning all over. Cutting/Etching/Engraving on wood/c
hipboard, stone and slate. Really, there are not enough hours in a day.

 

 

 

Darn, darn, darn. Now I can figure out how to rearrange images side by side. LATER...

Dear Blog

 If at first you don't succeed__try again. Need to put some clothes on her and she is about to lose her hair. That's my sisters wig!

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Dear Blog

I came across a video https://www.callmegrandma.com/how-to-make-a-doll-thats-a-life-size-version-of-your-child/ and decided I needed to make an adult size rag doll. To do this I had to convince my seventy-five year old sister to get down on the floor; I needed to trace around her body for a pattern. How she would get up we will worry about later (wish we had taken a video of her rolling over to sofa to pull herself up--without my help).

OMG, I will need to update the pattern! Found and SUBSCRIBED to the best link ever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=789lPgFLkJY&list=PLA205BC46D72EEB58&index=2&t=6s. She has died a death by scissors and gone on to doll heaven.

Dear Blog

 

What's new? My sister and I set up a booth in an Antique store for six months but made just enough to pay for the rental. The shop was half an hour from where we live, gas was high, so we closed shop. Nothing ventured "nothing learned". Ouch, what to do with left-over inventory?

 

 

 

 

 

I now have the burnt up laser machine in my garage, thanks to my little brother. He is going to get it up and running so my sister and I will have a new toy to play with. 

Owing to the weather (it has been a long, but mild winter) we have slacked off going to Makerspace until Spring. Missing our Makerspace buddies---who take the time to humor us with our never ending questions.

Dear Blog

OMG, it's been almost a year since my last entry; I have totally forgotten how to blog.  Still missing my husband big time and trying to keep busy. I have made a few things since joining Rochester Makerspace and during the summer spent time wandering the beach for pebbles (pebble art).

 

Santa String Puppets. I made six for family members and hand painted

Dear Blog

My sister and I are beginning to get the hang of how to operate a laser machine and learning the necessary software to make and engrave wood cut outs. We are learning how to operate a chop saw, jig saw, table saw and much more, making mini wood houses, at the Rochester Makerspace, https://rocmakers.org/ , giving us access to their tools & equipment, free training classes that teach you how to be safe and productive with that equipment.