48 Hours in Indiana!

There is a saying in Indiana: "If you don't like the weather, stick around a little while...it will change". This week is fair week and Monday, Margaret and I spent a good portion of the day watching the Swine show....it rained heavy off and on all day(we have had a LOT of rain this Spring)...it was chilly (we were inside) and by time we arrived home...I was chilled to the bone. So I donned some socks and shoes, long pants and a light shirt with a cardigan type sweater to wear to the Mexican restaurant my husband and I were going to that evening. I froze in the restaurant and wore my sweater. When we left we went to Wal-Mart and the sun was starting to shine and things were warming up. Left the sweater in the truck and when we came out of WM, it was nice and warm again....time to take off the shoes and socks....but since we were just heading on home....I left them on.

I worked with Chris yesterday in the heat and it was so hot-ugh. My dau. and I ran out to the Beef Show afterwards and sat in the hot barn for a couple hours (the same barn that was chilly the day before). It was hot and stuffy, but a nice storm passed through and cooled everything off when we were leaving. (go figure) So, if you are ever in Indiana and don't like the weather, stick around for awhile...it WILL change. :)

4H Results

Margaret did well on her entries.
The basket (reed craft) received grand champion over baskets.
The knitted vest (knitting craft) received grand champion over knitting as well as Runner Up-Best of Show over all crafts.
:)

4H Entries

It was hard to get good pictures of the vest today. But it and the basket below will soon be on their merry ways to the county fair. Margaret committed a good deal of time on each project.

Welcome to our home....

Molly

Plantain

Over the years we have given our neighbors more than one occasion to have a quizzical brow in our direction. This morning was no different. :)
While they have manicured lawns and bills to the chemical lawn care companies, we sometimes let ours grow too long and unruly. They spray to kill weeds and whatnot. (I am so sick of sprays and pesticides and herbicides-that's another post)
Well, anyway, with all of the rain we have had and had and had and will still have over the next few days, we have had a bumper crop of plantain. It looks like a weed and I considered it one until last year when I learned it is an herb. A healing herb in fact. Get stung by a wasp or other nasty stingy thing while out of doors...away from your store bought ointments, etc. what you gonna do? Chew up some plantain to loosen the juices and slap it on the sting....relief before you know it.
Margaret and I picked a nice big batch of plantain this morning to dry. She has comfrey, yarrow and some lovely smelling lavender drying as well. She will use these herbs solo or in combinations for healing salves and soaps. She made her first batch of salve last year and shared it with others and has had a lot of positive feedback.
One of the most memorable instances of healing with her mixture of comfrey, yarrow and plantain last year was when...after years and years of our border collie having 'hot spots' and the doctors ointments and remedies never working, I trimmed a large section of hair from the areas she was affected and applied the salve. Shortly after applying it she stopped biting and scratching at it...I applied it twice a day for a week or so and she didn't have any more problems. A relative stated that it helped a difficult splinter come out naturally. Our friend Forrest had an unfortunate incident with dog spray. He applied it and felt relief.
Anyway...we like plantain.

Some of the leaves before drying.

The Kid Did Good

Margaret knitted this vest for 4H. The pattern is here.

I am quite proud.

These Socks Fit Like A Glove

The orange socks have finally been liberated from the needles....they had been on them since January! Yikes.
Custom made for a pair of little lady legs, they fit like a glove.
Today we had a heat advisory 97° plus humidity. Not the best day to model wool socks, but she humored me. You know how it is...when you finish a project you want to take a picture! :)
Come this winter....her legs will be toasty.

(I want to give a little shout out to my little friend...Sarah P.)

The Calico Trio

From Small Planet to Baby Blanket!

I got such a kick out of this skein of yarn. 1020 yards=45+ minutes to roll into a ball. I thought about dividing it into two balls, but the intrigue was so great wondering how big it would be if I rolled it into ONE big ball, besides I don't like to join yarn if I don't have to and the pattern said one of these giant skeins would knit a baby blanket. A little gal I know is having a baby and I told her I would knit her something.....well, I was at a total loss about what to knit until I ran across a pattern on Ravelry, which is really here. Ravelry is a wonderful knitting and crocheting site. So I am just gonna knit this up and see how long it takes and if it as cute as they say.

Orange socks are almost done and pictures will follow soon.