Making Beds The Easier Way

We had the loveliest weekend at the lake. This time, just the two of us. It's wonderful to have every bed full and to have the lake cabin full of grown children and little grandchildren. To have the house filled with voices and laughter. But a quiet weekend for two is a different kind of wonderful.

It was an unexpectedly pleasant weekend when we could enjoy being outside. Usually in July, it's so hot and humid, that staying inside seems the better choice. I loved spending my time on the porch working on a new baby hat.

 Daddy-O spent his time on the pier with a fishing rod and reel. 

I would meet him there in the late afternoon to compare notes of our lazy day.

And being the very best kind of Daddy-O, he brought me coffee in bed in the mornings.

Before we left, I put clean sheets on the bed. It's ready for the next guests. And that reminded me that I need to share a tip that I learned a few months ago. For years that I dreaded putting on a fitted sheet. More times than not, I had the short end on the wrong corner of the bed. It made this chore take longer. And it aggravated the daylights out of me.

My genius solution to that problem was to buy sheets with woven stripes so that I could tell which way to turn the sheet. Stripes go top to bottom. Easy enough. But not all the sheets I own have those stripes. So with those, it was always "try and hope." I was wrong more times than not. 

Then I read a brilliant tip on a blog I enjoy—Everyday Cheapskate. A tip that was in the "how did I not already know this?" category. 

Look for the corner seam with the tag. This tag was a few inches away, but it's obvious which seam goes with the tag. Most times the tag is right at the seam.

Then put the corner with the tag on the right hand corner of the bed at the foot. (When you are standing at the foot of the bed looking toward the headboard.) And voila! You've got your fitted sheet turned correctly. No more trial and error!

I've been making beds for many, many years. But this was new to me. I've tried it with an assortment of sheets, new and old, different brands. Some at the lake are really old ones and this works with them, too. After a family week, there are a lot of beds in need of clean sheets. So far this tip has worked every time.

Then when our housekeeping chores were done, we went to brunch on the lake. Brunch with pirates. It was a delicious end to the weekend.

Now we are home, getting ready for Mimi Camp that starts tomorrow. I don't think you'll hear from me again this week. Two little girls in residence for the rest of the week will undoubtably keep us busy. But if we survive (and we will), I'll be back here in a week or so.

Knitting And Unknitting

Deschain sweater, Kestrel yarn from Quince&Co.

I know. I know. You can't see a mistake on a galloping horse. That's what a lot of knitters say when they talk about mistakes they've made in their knitting. And I can agree...up to a point. Deciding when to correct a mistake, or to even start over is a purely personal decision. Let me share my thinking on this issue that is bound to crop up from time to time.

I haven't knitted much since the wedding shawl. For the most part, knitting has been in the background this summer. But I've had this yarn staring at me for nearly a year now. I bought it last fall while on our anniversary trip. I bought the yarn to make a summer sweater. I thought it would be nice to use the yarn before our anniversary comes around again. So I cast on a few days ago.

It's a pretty straight forward pattern. But I managed to make one mistake fairly quickly. Somewhere I was missing a stitch in the lace panel. I added a stitch in the next row to compensate and kept going. Then I did a wrong stitch at the very edge.

Then I discovered I was one stitch short AGAIN in that lace panel. Made another correction. But as I neared the end of the first skein of yarn I took a hard look at my knitting. I tried to tell myself it was okay. No one would notice. And I figured out where I had made my mistake. Twice. So I wasn't likely to do that again. (See the circled stitch on the pattern in the top photo?)

I set it down and went to bed still thinking about it. The next morning, before my coffee, I decided that I could see the mistakes and I was never going to be happy with this. Then I pulled it all out and rolled it back into a ball. Doing it before my coffee was the key. Quick action. Less thinking. Like ripping off a bandaid.

I erased my check sheet of rows and cast on again. Then I had my coffee. And more coffee. And then I  started over, with a clearer understanding of the pattern.

During the afternoon I knitted this again. No mistakes this time. I marked the spot where I had left out a stitch both times to remind me not to skip it. (How did I not read that in the beginning???) Hopefully it's smooth sailing from here to the end.

Here's my thinking on correcting mistakes and ripping out and starting over:

1. The most important factor is "will this bother me forever?" Doesn't matter if no one else will notice the mistake. If it really bothers you, admit it. Be honest. You'll never enjoy your hand knit if that mistake annoys you. 

2. Many mistakes are easily fixed if you see them soon enough. Best knitting advice I ever got is "Stop often and admire your work." Spread it out and give it a look over. It's easier to make a correction if you see it before you are six inches past it. If I had realized that I had skipped a yarn-over when I did the next row, it would have been an easy fix. It would have been an actual correction—and not a compensating added stitch.

3. Think about where the mistake is. My wrong stitch on the edge wasn't a big deal. It was going to be under my arm when I wear the sweater. Truly no one would see that one. Not one I would have bothered to fix.

4. But if the mistakes fall front and center, it might be time for drastic action. My missed yarn-overs were right in the front in the most noticeable spot of the sweater, close to the neckline. And I had TWO mistakes in that area. 

5. How much have will have to be ripped out? I had knitted less than 50 grams of yarn, so it was not so painful to pull out a few rows. 33 rows to be exact. Rows less than 100 stitches. That was not the end of the earth to undo. I decided that starting over would be faster for me than trying to drop down stitches and make corrections.

Again, be honest with yourself. My mistakes weren't going to affect the fit, so I could have kept going. (And the front would be done now.) You might be fine with forging ahead. I am much happier now that I pulled it all out and started over.

There are many mistakes that can be corrected fairly simply without ripping back rows and rows. If you don't know how to pick up a dropped stitch, change a purl to a knit, or add a missing yarn over, find a class on "fixing your mistakes." Or, look it up online. Not all mistakes can be fixed quickly (like mine this time), but any knitter needs to know these skills. It's well worth your time to learn.

PS...I let this post "rest" for a few days before I posted. And I let the sweater rest, too. Picked it up yesterday and worked a few more rows. And darn, if I didn't do the edge stitch wrong again on a couple of rows. Realized it a few rows later. THOSE mistakes are staying! They will be caught in the seam and it was too much to rip out again. See? I told you that to rip or not is a personal decision. And it might be different each time. It all depends.

Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn, Size 5 needles.

In the knitting success category, here is another sweet baby hat, knitted for a new granddaughter of a friend. As long as babies keep coming, I'll keep making these.

For newborn size, use DK yarn and size 5 or 6 16-inch circular needles. Switch to DPNs when necessary as you decrease.

Cast on 72 stitches. Knit for 5 to 5-1/4 inches. Begin decreases:
K2tog, k6
K2tog, k5
K2tog, k4, etc.
When there are 5 stitches left on needles, work i-cord for about 6 rows. Last row, work two k2tog and k1 to have 3 stitches left. Cut yarn and with a yarn needle, run tail through those 3 stitches. Take yarn down through inside of stem and work in end.

Deep Dive Decluttering

In a rare week with nothing on my calendar, I've stayed at home, emptying cabinets, pulling things out of drawers and then getting rid of lots of that stuff. According to Psychology Today, mess causes stress. I should be much more serene now.

It's a law of physics, isn't it? "Nature abhors a vacuum." My cabinets are proof positive of that. I have a crazy amount of cabinet space here. Don't be envious. It just provides more places for things to accumulate. As I've emptied, we've taken boxes of books to the library for their ongoing book sale. There is a stack of things headed to a thrift shop. And bags of trash are already gone.

This set of cabinets was like an archaeological dig. So what did we find? In the "why" category were empty light bulb cartons and broken remote controls. There were duplicates of items that I'm sure were bought because we couldn't find the original. Because how many rolls of masking tape or flashlights does anyone need? That's all sorted out now.

But there were fun things, too.  I found a sweet crocheted baby cap that had belonged to Daddy-O. I uncovered other keepsakes, like the caricatures of our daughters that were drawn at a local festival years ago. Jessica was four. Mommy was six. The artist asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. You can see how they answered. Jessica is now an art director at her company. She knew even at four what she wanted to do.

But the real treasure was finding a ceramic chess set that I made for my father soon after I graduated from college. Remember when "doing ceramics" was a popular hobby? This was the only ceramics project I ever did. And I had wondered what happened to it. It was safely tucked away in a high cabinet.  In a box with no label. Daddy, who loved chess and woodworking even made a wooden chessboard to go with it.

He loved playing chess. He would have friends over in the evening to play. And for a long time he played with out-of-town friends by mail. He had a separate board for that game with numbered squares. In this day of instant communication and online games, it's hard to imagine that waiting a week or so between moves could possibly be any fun. Good memories were unearthed in this find.

My work isn't over, but at least I'm making progress in the decluttering game. Less stuff is the goal. Shelves aren't empty. (Before I started, they were crammed full.) But it feels like there is room to breathe now. I didn't make a "before" photo and I doubt I would have shown it to you anyway. But trust me, I'm making progress. And feeling calmer.

July Lake Life

I'm so tired today. But this is a good tired. We got home last night from a week at the lake with family. It was such a good week. You know having that many people in a small space for a week could have gone all Chevy Chase on us. (You've watched those National Lampoon movies, haven't you?) But it was all good. The weather was unbelievable. Here in the Deep South, July is typically hot and muggy. Miserably so. This week, though, was like magic, with low humidity and moderate temps. If you could order weather from Amazon, this would have been the week I would have added to my shopping cart!

Here's what our week included:

Swimming. Giant Jenga. Skiing. Boating. Cornhole. Scrabble. Kayaks. Farkle. Hammock. Porch sitting. Reading. Puzzles. Wading pool. 4th of July family dinner. Lots of cousins. Spot-It! Bedknobs & Broomsticks movie. Fishing. Coloring books. Morning coffee on the porch.

Peach Ice Cream. Barbecue. Low Country Boil. Hushpuppies. Lemon Pound Cake. Macaroni & Cheese. Quesadillas. Blueberry Pie. Peach Cobbler. Food Truck Pizza. Baked Rotini. Burgers. Blueberry Pancakes. S'mores. Bean Salad. Homemade Lemonade. Fresh Cucumbers. Shrimp Dip. Snow Cones. Boiled Peanuts.

Here. You can see for yourself. And don't miss the recipe at the very bottom!

The cooking was shared, so no one was burdened. I headed to the store on Tuesday to find something for dinner. No particular plan in mind. Which worked out well because I tried the food sample that day. And bought everything needed for the burgers they were demonstrating. Really easy to put together and totally delicious. It's the Thousand Island dressing that makes it special.

It's from Publix Simple Apron recipes. Because it calls for pre-made burger patties, precooked bacon and bought pimento cheese and Thousand Island dressing, it's very easy. It's really more assembly directions than a recipe. We will do this again for sure. Daddy-O grilled the burgers. Big Sister microwaved the bacon (according to package directions) and Jecca sliced the tomato and onion. Many hands make light work.

PIMENTO CHEESE BURGERS

4 ground beef patties, about 1-1/2 lb (we used pre-made ground chuck patties)
1/2 cup pimiento cheese, divided
8 slices precooked bacon
4 hamburger buns
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 lettuce leaves
8 teaspoons Thousand Island dressing, divided

Preheat grill (or grill pan). Place burgers on grill; cook 4–5 minutes on each side and until meat is 160°F. Top each burger with 2 tablespoons cheese spread during last minute of grill time, then close lid (or cover) for cheese to melt.

Microwave bacon following package instructions. Slice tomato and onion. Separate lettuce leaves.

Spread 2 teaspoons dressing over top halves of buns. Assemble each burger in this order: bottom half of bun, beef patty, bacon, tomato, lettuce, onion, and top half of bun and serve.

Makes 4

Make Ahead Salad

Someone just saw this photo on Instagram and told me how peaceful it looks. It's an illusion. We are here for the week. Two little girls. One teenager. Parents. Grandparents. Aunt. And a boyfriend is coming later. It can get noisy, but it's fun to have everyone here. (If it all starts to overwhelm me, I'll look at this photo for a quiet moment.)

Tomorrow the extended family comes for our annual picnic. At last count I think about 25 of us should be here. I did some of my lake cooking yesterday and brought with me. Any make-ahead things I can do really help make working in the tiny kitchen easier.

I'm closing the computer for the rest of the week to spend time on the porch with family. But I'll give you one recipe before I go.

If you are in need to a dish for your 4th of July meal, this is a good make-ahead salad that will keep for days. It's quick to put together. Thanks to my friend Carol for sharing this recipe. Make it today and let the flavors develop overnight.

CAROL'S MARINATED VEGGIES

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2—3/4 cup sugar (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (15.5 oz.) can light red kidney beans

1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans

1 (6.5 oz.) can mushroom stems & pieces (my can was smaller)

1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts

1 (2 oz. ) jar diced pimento

frozen white corn (amount about equal to the kidney beans)

frozen green peas (amount about equal to the kidney beans)

1 bag frozen shelled edamame beans, cooking according to package directions

1 rib celery, finely chopped (optional)

Combine oil, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it cool while prepping the rest of the ingredients. When cool, pour over vegetables and refrigerate.

Drain and rinse canned vegetables. Cook and cool edamame beans. In a large bowl, mix drained beans, pimento, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. 

Vegetables will keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Yes, you add the corn and peas frozen. No cooking. I have cut the slices of water chestnuts into smaller pieces. I'm sure if there is something that you don't like here, you can leave it out. Like this time I skipped the water chestnuts when someone walked through my kitchen as I was making this and said, "I don't like those white things."  Make it suit yourself.

I've Got Your Back

Mommy sang a solo at church on Sunday. The choir nearly takes the summer off. It was the new pastor's first Sunday. So the choir director asked if Mommy would possibly be here visiting and would she sing. That was a "yes" to both questions.

That meant that Daddy-O and I sat with the little girls during the service. He got Little Sister, who has lovely church manners. I got Baby Girl, who is not experienced in morning worship yet. At her church, she goes to the children's program. Now understand, we survived. She was quiet. Sort of. I told someone afterwards I think I could have managed "still" or "quiet"—but not both. Quiet was what we aimed for.

Soon after the service started, there was a stage whisper. "I think my tummy is hungry." I explained that we were having communion soon and she would get a bite of bread and some juice. "Grape juice?" "Yes." And the promise of that took care of her hunger. Fidgety, we didn't do so well with. There was lots of moving about. (We sat in a corner where we didn't bother many people.) On my lap. Off my lap. Open the hymn book. Close the hymn book. While I was trying to sing.

Because it was the first Sunday for our new young pastor, we were asked to wear name tags. "I want a name plate!" I wrote out names for all of us and Baby Girl got her "name plate." These didn't stick too well and I soon gave up worrying with them.

Midway through the service, just as we were starting the communion liturgy, a gentleman slid into the pew behind us and whispered to me, "I was sent over here to tell you that you've got a name tag on your back." I felt all over my shoulders. Down my back as far as I could reach. No name tag. Again. "There is a name tag on your back." Then it dawned on me. I felt WAY down my "back" to the part I was sitting on.  And I felt a name tag. It had Baby Girl's name printed on it.

I gave a grateful smile and a nod to the wife across the aisle who had sent her husband to warn me before I walked up to the altar for communion with my rear end labeled. Can you imagine the snickers if I had not removed it? I whispered and asked Baby Girl if she had put it there. She gave me the biggest grin.

Now to be honest, I don't know if she put it there. (Although the location was about the height where she might have stuck it.) Or if I sat on it after it fell off her dress. But I am happy to know that I have a friend who's got my back. When someone else had "gotten to my back" first!