Trying to Get the Dominoes Lined Up

I spent yesterday morning working on websites: I updated the church’s website with some additional information and I added a couple of tutorials to my website. If you click on the menu tab in the upper left corner, you will see that I’ve added a Tutorials link. Currently, the tutorial for the minky-and-flannel baby blanket is there as well as a tutorial for chain piecing binding/jelly roll strips. If you’d like to see other tutorials, let me know. I’m not making any promises, but if it’s a technique I can write up and photograph, I’ll consider making a tutorial.

My plan for after lunch was to get seeds planted. I gathered everything I needed and headed over to the greenhouse, only to realize once I got there that I didn’t have any water. We do have a spigot. It’s right here:

Sometimes it’s really hard to maintain forward momentum, you know? You think to yourself, “Yay, it’s 50 degrees and sunny and now I can plant seeds!” and then realize you still can’t get to the greenhouse because of the enormous piles of snow in the way. Or you say to yourself, “Yay, it’s 50 degrees and enough snow has melted that I can get to the greenhouse!” and realize the spigot is still buried.

The husband took pity upon me and went and dug out the spigot and hooked up a hose. “Trenching the water line to the greenhouse and pig pasture” probably needs to get moved up the priority list for this season, especially as we’re not doing pigs this year.

It’s almost impossible to get anywhere on this property right now. I am so used to dashing back and forth and I find myself stymied by huge piles of snow and drifts deeper than I am tall. I have to take the long way around to get to anything. The snow is melting, but it’s not melting quickly.

It is what it is. I look at pictures from Nebraska and remember that my home is not under water.

After the husband got the water hooked up, I planted seeds. I planted cucumbers, watermelons, squash, pumpkins, four different kinds of tomatoes, and a tray of lettuce. (I so very much want home-grown lettuce.) It feels good to have my hands in the dirt again.

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I found a new podcast—it’s called Clear + Vivid and it’s hosted by Alan Alda—AKA Hawkeye Pierce for those of you who used to watch M*A*S*H. I happened upon it because I got a notification in my Twitter feed that he had interviewed psychologist Jonathan Haidt. The husband and I watched a Joe Rogan episode on YouTube a few weeks ago where Joe interviewed Dr. Haidt. I thought he had some fascinating things to say and wanted to hear more.

The podcast is described thusly on the website:

Learn to connect better with others in every area of your life. Immerse yourself in spirited conversations with people who know how hard it is, and yet how good it feels, to really connect with other people – whether it’s one person, an audience or a whole country. You'll know many of the people in these conversations – they are luminaries in our culture. Some you may not know. But what links them all is their powerful ability to relate and communicate. It's something we need now more than ever.

Alan Alda is a great interviewer. He knows when to step in and lead or redirect and he knows when to shut up and let the guest talk. I am looking forward to listening to other episodes.

(Also, one of the BEST interviews I have ever seen is the one where Joe Rogan interviewed David Lee Roth of Van Halen. Look for it on YouTube—it’s priceless.)

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I’ve pretty much worked through the backlog of sewing projects, or at least gotten them moved along far enough that I won’t feel bad if they sit for a bit. The one thing I would like to make is some kind of zippered sewing case for carrying around embroidery projects. The Aneela Hoey book Stitched Sewing Organizers—which I have—has some good patterns. I’ll probably end up making something out of that book.

We’ve entered the run-up to the big fire department auction—it happens two weeks from tomorrow. All proceeds from this year’s auction are earmarked for the new main station that is currently in the planning stages. We outgrew our old one a long time ago. This is a much-needed improvement and a big project for the community to throw its energy behind.

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The husband has been out pouring concrete and while there has been some work on the shop, activity has slowed. As soon as I have something else of interest to show you, I’ll post more pictures.