an easy fix

This is the very easiest and cheapest repair of anything  to do with a vehicle.  Well...maybe just the older ones...the ones made before fancy headlights...like my Jeep.

See that tail light?  I've got the turn signal on and it should be blinking, but it's not. This has happened before and the Sasquatch told me what to do.

Bulb Grease to the rescue!  I bought this little packet a few years ago when this happened before. 

Cost 99 cents and there is enough in there to use several times (if you can remember where you put it).

Just unscrew and remove the cover...

Take out the misbehaving bulb and smear a bit of bulb grease on the end that fits into the socket. It's not black grease, it's almost like vaseline.  

 It helps make a better contact for the current to flow through.

Ta-Da!    It's flashing now but I can't really show that with a photo.

Years ago, the first time my turn signal wasn't working, before it was fixed I tried using hand signals for turning like everyone did before turn signals were common on vehicles.

That didn't work. No one expects that these days. People kept getting angry at me because they thought I was showing them a not-so-nice hand gesture...if you know what I mean!

Then they would give me a nasty look and make a hand gesture of their own.   

I was glad to get that turn signal working!

refrigerator pickles

We are just back from a little trip up north and I haven't had time to get my photos organized and settle back into a routine yet, so here is another post from the Sasquatch.

I have shown pictures of how the Sasquatch made Fermented Pickles, but he also made these Refrigerator Pickles that came out really crunchy and good.

Here are his photos, and instructions...

Thoroughly wash cucumbers and remove about a 1/4 inch of each end. -- Brine ingredients --1 cup of water 1.5 cups of vinegar 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of salt Spices

Cut up the cucumbers however you like and pack the jars as full as you can. Combine all the ingredients for the brine and boil. Pour into the jars while still hot, put the lids on, let cool and put in the refrigerator for a week or so before eating.

I used about a 1/4 cup of sugar and thought they were still too sweet. The only spices that I added were a chopped up Golden Cayenne pepper.

You should use non-iodized salt. Salt with iodine will work but it may turn the brine cloudy.

taking a blog break

 Celebrating my birthday this week and taking a break from blogging for a few days.

  I will be back soon with more stuff.

Meanwhile, I have a few of the Sasquatch's photos of bugs and insects.  Nice close-up detailed pics.

See you later!

busy Quilting Bees

A fun day with Mt Washington Quilting Bees this week. A lot of the members showed up for "play day"...because Jackie was demonstrating how she makes greeting cards with her fabric scraps.

I have tried making some of these before... using glue, and they look like they were made by an elementary school student.

Jackie has a system using an iron on bonding product that gives much better results.  She brought all the supplies and also some fabric pieces so that the rest of us could try making cards too. It was fun, but Jackie is such a pro at it - I think I will just continue buying cards that she has made!

We had time afterwards to work on our own projects.  

Jo makes little girls dresses that are sent along with people going on mission trips to Haiti. She uses her serger to sew gathered skirt fabric to purchased t-shirts.  She is always so happy while she sews these. 

Shirley is working on something really pretty...a table topper in fall colors! It looks like stained glass, doesn't it?  That will make you think about getting fall decorations out.

Sandy (on the right) is showing Joyce a binding technique.  You probably can't see it, but Sandy is wearing a ribbon on her ponytail that is printed like a tape measure. Now that's a cute thing to wear to a sewing group day!

Here, Joyce has the binding in the machine. That gold color is perfect for the Marine theme T shirt quilt she is finishing up.

Carol is cutting paper dolls and clothes from doll printed fabric. She fuses them to a stiff interfacing and sells them in craft fairs.  I am getting ready to try this myself...hope I can make mine look as good as hers!

Susan is putting together blocks that she got in our group block swap.  I didn't participate in this...and it looks like I missed out on some nice blocks!

Phyllis was cutting some Halloween fabric. I didn't get to ask her but I'll bet its for making Halloween goodie bags for her grandkids.  She makes some kind of a little surprise for them at every holiday.

And Linda was hand quilting this cute little quilt that she said she made several years ago and just never got around to doing the quilting.  Here she is marking the quilting lines with a disappearing ink...

Now, ready to take a few stitches. She had it in a wooden hoop earlier but had to remove it as she worked her way closer to the edge.

It's always fun and inspiring to see what everyone else is working on!

I did a bit more on a baby quilt. Since it's applique, it involves more prep work but should go together quickly once I have everything cut out.  I'm still not a hundred percent sure that I have chosen the right pattern.

cow creamer collection

I was over for a visit at my parent's house earlier this week.  My mother had something new to show me...a red cow cream pitcher.   She has a cow creamer collection, and a couple of other cow themed items people have given her (like a butter dish,etc).

This shiny new red one is from W-mart. I think it's part of  "The Pioneer Woman" line of dishware.

She said they had a blue one too - and she almost got both, and who knows...she might  have already went back for it by now!

Anyway, she dresses up all of her cow creamers with a bow and a bell...so we got out the pincushion and found a big eyed needle to string some yarn through a little bell.

Now Ms. Red Cow is ready to join the line up.  Mooo, MOOO, Moooah, Mmmoooo!

Well, maybe on the other side would look better. Yes, definitely.

My mother has to be careful about starting collections. Years ago she had a few Coca Cola collectibles. Everyone started giving her Coca Cola items for every gift giving occasion and sometimes in between.  It got to be too much and she had to pack it away for awhile.

Now I see her cow creamer shelf is getting pretty full too...especially if she goes back to W-Mart and buys that blue one!

what I've been sewing

I sewed the borders on Barbara's donation quilt...and got it pin basted.

It's all rumpled and mussy in this picture because I didn't smooth it back out when I laid it down for a photo. Sorry!

Here's a close up. I like the color combination of this block...

Since I had it all ready for quilting, I couldn't resist taking it up stairs and getting a few stitches in.

I think the quilting on this one will go pretty fast. I'm making larger loops and it's not a huge quilt.

I have also made two different starts on a baby quilt. The first one just didn't seem right for some reason.

I will be showing photos of that too - when I get a bit more done on it.

there were more birthdays

We had a double whammy with birthdays this weekend...we also went to a birthday party for two of Lonnie's great-grandchildren!

We were late getting there because of an earlier commitment that day. It looked like rain would start pouring down any minute during the drive out to the farm.

We arrived in time to see see the kids break the pinata.  I notice they didn't wear blindfolds to do it ...much safer that way!  

That's the two birthday kids, with their older brother to the right, and a middle sister in the background.

Lots of candy from the pinata. That's their mom on the right and a little cousin with her back to the camera.

There were still plenty of burgers and salad left...and birthday cake.

They had cleaned the barn up spick and span and had the gathering out there. It was out of the sun and nice and breezy.

Time to open gifts!   Brother and sister are lending a hand by bringing up the presents.

The birthday boy helps with the clean up duties.

They had the cutest chicken run...and they sent us home with a dozen fresh eggs.

Lovely skies on the way home that evening too. 

August is a big month for birthdays on both sides of the family...still a few more coming up!

Chopper has a birthday

Chopper, my older son, has a birthday this week.  Usually we celebrate on Sunday with a meal of the birthday person's choice...but since Chopper was having one of those big milestone birthdays, Lonnie wanted to take us all out to dinner to celebrate the day.

First, Chopper had to open his gifts.  A couple of books including a music theory book (he plays a bass), also two pairs of shorts, and an unusual gift he mentioned he would like - some of the specialty ginger ale drinks...or ginger beers (non-alcoholic).

He had to drive us to the restaurant because the rest of us have smaller vehicles.

We are here!  To the top of the tower...to Ruth's Chris.

Lonnie and the birthday boy...

I didn't take my camera out inside so as not to cause embarrassment for my sons.  But it was a nice and delicious meal!

The server offered Chopper a piece of cheesecake birthday cake at the restaurant, but he declined, saying that I had a birthday cake waiting for him back at home.

It was a Mandarin Orange Cake and we had vanilla ice cream to go with it.

He blew out all the candles so his wish will come true.  Hope he remembered to make one!

Happy Birthday Chopper!