Cindy’s World

We have been working quite a bit on the garden. The lattice is almost finished and we built a pergola as a gateway into the garden. I have planted so far a tomato plant, green beans, sweet peas and edible peas (which are about 2 inches up), broccoli, carrots, lettuce and spinach. I have also done some transplanting of roses, azaleas and dahlias. In another 6 weeks the garden should look very different, I look forward to that!

I tried a recipe for a quick bread from a website recommended by my daughter, Sarah. It calls for sprouting quinoa, a high protein grain and using agave syrup which I have not used before and brown rice flour. I followed the recipe and was very pleased with the result. It was a different taste, one I was not sure I liked so I spread more agave syrup on my slice. (Thumbs up for agave syrup)! I gave the bread another try and decided it was pretty tasty after all, especially toasted. We had more bread with soup and cheese for dinner. Here is the website: Pattycake.ca

I am using my entry today to vent.

Today I saw the city take down 5 or 6 big fir trees that lined our road. We live on a pretty busy road and one nice thing about it was that it was lined with beautiful trees of varying kind. The city is ‘improving’ a busy cross street and so is also doing some work on our street. But it seems shady boulevards are not going to be a description for our city. I hate to be a pessimist but even were I to protest the tree cutting I don’t think it would do any good. I definitely feel in the minority when it comes to the environment. People would rather have wide streets that enable them to get to their destinations in the least amount of time, and so it seems that shady lanes are not compatible to that end. I am all for sidewalks for safe walking and biking lanes and it seems that all needs could be met without loss of natural habitat. The city seems unable to think creatively when installing infrastructure and is not able to work around such ‘disposable’ and ‘unnecessary’ things as trees.

I am saddened to see the trees gone but the deed is done.  In a little while it will be as if they never existed….

So far this month we have been working in the yard, trying to create some spaces and interest. I have my vegetable garden started and Rick is working on a cottage stone retaining wall that will divide the parking area from the woodland area. The weather has been mostly rainy and cold here but we are getting a few dry days to work with.

We are also planning a trip to Spain and France to travel with our daughter, Sarah. We have a great house to stay at in Altea, Spain and from there will travel by train to Paris, stopping along the way. We leave in about 5 weeks! So much to do before then! I hope I can find some miniature stores along the way!

It has gotten cold here, I guess spring is a lion this year (some saying like that)! It snowed this afternoon for about 20 minutes. We had a layer of snow on our deck but it stick around too long.

I worked this morning on the house again. I painted and installed the attic trim. Cutting angles without a miter box is cetainly challenging but it fit together pretty well considering. Next project is the bathroom vanity. The new Pottery Barn catalog was in the mail yesterday and had some inspiring bathroom to recreate!

I made this blue quilt and pillow sham over the weekend. I had a white wire bed which I spray painted black. This bed will go into the attic bedroom.

I am finally back to working on my house a bit. I installed some under cabinet lighting. I think it gives the kitchen a nice warm look.

I also made a couple of Easter baskets. I used some cross stitch fabric and glue. I made some white fimo eggs that I then dyed in food coloring. It took about an hour for the fimo to take the dye. But now they have nice pastel colors. I also made a ‘chocolate’ bunny to stick in the basket.

And lastly I am finishing up the attic. I used wood patterned scrapbook paper cut into strips amd then glued to cardstock for flooring. I will probably use some laminating film for a top ‘coat’. That’s what I did for the other flooring as well. The attic will have the bathroom, a dressing room and a bedroom.

I made the sleigh bed for my 1/24th scale house so today I made a night stand to go with it. It is made from bass wood, then painted ‘asphalt’ and waxed. The drawer pull is the head of a pin. Next will be a dresser to match.

We woke up to snow this morning. Not even one inch but everything looks so pretty!

Yesterday afternoon Rick and I went to see the local theater production of ‘The Odd Couple’. We had front row seats. The actors were excellent…I particularly liked Ryan Demerick who played ‘Murray the Cop’. But really, they were all great! We laughed all they through it.

www.paradisetheatre.org

The holidays are officially over now for us. The last party has taken place, Max is back at Reed College and Sarah is on her way to Greece for her semester abroad. I already miss them both.

Looking ahead, I need to prepare my garden beds for planting…but first I need to make some garden beds! It is our first year in this house and we are starting with a blank slate for the yard. I have my vision and am ready to go. If it would just warm up outside!

I am knitting some fingerless gloves (or mitts or wrist warmers). This is my 3rd attempt. When they are done I will add some embellishment of some kind…The pattern is a simple K2P2 on 3 double pointed needles. The original pattern has just a hole for the thumb so I added a little ’sleeve’.

My miniature dollhouse is slowly getting furnished. Yesterday I built an entryway bench and shelf. I used the Pottery Barn catalog again! And I made a sleigh bed over the weekend (again PB). I still need to do the dressing but I like to get all the furniture done and then go back and finish out.

I ordered some light bulbs from miniatures.com (Hobby Builder’s Supply). They arrived and so I can now put lights on the Christmas tree….maybe next year it will be decorated in time for Christmas!