March 22, 2024

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. 

My sister just called so I will stop for a bit with my blog; will be back with more later today.

 
  


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



March 20, 2024

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. 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? 

 

Some pictures from the farm...


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

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.





March 17, 2024

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.



February 29, 2024

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.



July 27, 2023

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...


March 20, 2023

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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March 17, 2023

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.



March 5, 2023

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.

April 21, 2022

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



May 23, 2021

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.








 

April 27, 2021

Dear Blog

Tuesday, April 27, 2021, my sister and I are learning how to make cutouts on the laser machine at Rochester Makerspace. It requires knowledge of  the software program "Lightburn" which is free to download.

Class-Day 1: Learned how to Power Up and shut down Laser and to Never eve3r leaave the machine when operating.

Day 2: We were on our own. Spent 15 minutes for about a week just to get the machine running and shutting down when done.

Day 3: Laser disaster. OMG did we power down incorrectly!!! Machine caught fire and melted inside. My brother works on most of machines and came in to check on us. First thing he asked "Was it us?"It was a couple of nerve-racking" days before we found out it is not us, but one the the regular operators.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First attempt at etching stones.