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February 22, 2011   Pretty Stinking Cool

February 22, 2010   Petite Partner

February 22, 2009   Bob

February 22, 2008   Runoff

Tonight was our third meeting and this week's choice was Food Of A Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky.  It was all based on the WPA's work done in the 1940's collecting regional food stories and recipes.  It was interesting to an extent... though recipes have never been a great interest of mine.

I cook because I have to feed my family... who work very hard and need a good meal.  Working all day on a little bowl of oatmeal or a salad for lunch, isn't gonna cut it around here!  

People brought spoon bread, cornbread, sopa bread pudding, and pasties tonight... all recipes from the Food book.  No one brought blue crabs, clams, possum, or squirrel.  Neither did persimmon pudding, pumpkin soup, gumbo, or Waldorf salad make an appearance.  We were all out of lamb fries and Rocky Mountain oysters, although we'd all eaten THOSE!

We had a fun time discussing what we'd eaten that was included in the book, or strange things that weren't.  (I've eaten seal, caribou, and "muktuk", whale blubber... I think I won the "weird" category)

I had no idea about this project (and others) through Roosevelt's WPA.  I know of the work of the CCC, but had no idea the government hired writers to give them jobs.  Same with artists.  

The other books we've already read and discussed are Second Hoeing by Hope Williams Sykes and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  In two weeks we'll finish with My Life in France by Julia Child.  

It's been fun to do... I would never have chosen to read these books.  

What are *you* reading?

P.S.  Thanks for the tips on rototillers... I took notes!

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February 21, 2011   Any Ideas Part II

February 21, 2010   Every Morning (so you WANT to live on a ranch?)

February 21, 2009   It Has Begun...

February 21, 2008   It's Disgusting... (Are you SURE you want to be a ranchwife?)

Though my garden is non-existent at this point in time... I will get my act together. 

 

Even if it means calling in Vernon and his tractors to rip up the spot for me!

Back in the day, M. had a wonderful garden here.  I think she was probably 85 or older before they seeded it to grass and she had to give up her garden.  I usually FAIL at having a great garden... just one good enough.  However, since I seem to have more time on my hands... and with Brandon coming home after graduation to help out even more around here, perhaps I will be able to keep up with it.

Time will tell.

The seed order will be going in soon.

I need your help though... I want a new rototiller.  I'm tired of the humongous tank that has no reverse and runs only when you hold your mouth just right.  You're my experts... so, what do you use?  

Troy-built, Mantis, what?

What do you like and dislike about them?  

Are they heavy?  

Front tine or rear?

Thanks for your advice!

Rio had to follow me around like my dogs today... Here's looking at you, buddy boy!

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February 20, 2011   Any Ideas

February 20, 2010   Spirit Wind (cool photos!)

February 20, 2009   My Desktop Background

February 20, 2008   Reflections and Shadows

I'll show you both ways... and hopefully, you won't get too confused.

Go ahead and cut your feed sack into what resembles the bottom half of the letter H.  Turn it inside out and wash.  Fold in the legs and tape them into place.  You can pin them if you want, I just had tape handy!  

Once you've got them in position, sew the overlapped area together.

Stitch the long seams twice.  Since I wasn't using heavy duty thread, it seemed only right to double stitch!

The handles are made 2" wide and as long as you like them!  Some people like long handles to throw the sack over your shoulder... others prefer to carry them by their sides.  I folded them into 1/3 and stitched along the length.  One bag I sewed the handles twice, which makes them stiffer.

Sew the handles on wherever you like... I like mine at the "corners".  Zig zag back and forth for strength.

Then fold the top edge down.  Now fold it down again.  That gives you a nice clean hem.  Sew into place, making sure your handles get sewed in the "UP" position.  Be careful not to break a needle while sewing through the handles and doubled over bag edge... it's THICK!  

Cut the bottom seam off of your bag.

Turn it wrong side out and wash.

Sew a double seam across this opening.  (See first photo)

Take the corner you've just created and with some smashing around get it to "peak" like the top of an "A".  (Do not do this while your husband is asleep!)  (Unless you WANT him to wake up!)

Here's the cool thing about J.'s design.  If you want to make a wide bag, you just sew farther up along the side!  I'm making this about equal to a grocery paper sack.  Sew closer to the point and you get a narrower bag.  Farther away from the point... a fatter bag.  Get it?

Do your handles the same way... and, voila!

You've bagged it!

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February 19, 2011   Happy With It

February 19, 2010   Heifer Check, Check? Right...

February 19, 2009   More Preparations

February 19, 2008   Preparations

But this time there was a different twist, for it's my Bountiful Basket morning... meaning our food co-op was delivering.  I had to disappoint my dogs, telling them, "No.  Stay in the yard."

What disappointed looks!

I drove my Durango to help feed, then took off for Ten Sleep.  I was filling my laundry basket with pink oranges and apples and spinach and other such goodies, when a friend of mine waved something in my face.

"Ha!  I beat you by two weeks!" J. said.

She showed me her gorgeous bag.

A feedsack bag.

A CHICKEN feedsack bag.

It was cool.

OF COURSE, we had to compare methods.  I happened to have my bag with me, full of goodies and snacks for a friend going on a trip this week.  So with some thought, we figured out each other's techniques.

I'll give it to J.  

I think her method is easier.

So. 

Here's the deal.

Tomorrow, hopefully with some creative work, I'll compare the two styles... and you can choose whichever one will work for you.

It's only fair!

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February 18, 2011   Promise!

February 18, 2010   Ten O'clock Shift

February 18, 2009   Subtle Signs

February 18, 2008   no entry.

Yeah, the sewing machine never made it out of my basement.

Due to the breakdown of some equipment... I was called into action today.

We grained the peewee calves...

And fed some cows.

And chopped some ice.

Why, yes, I *DO* live on a ranch... thanks for the reminder!

****

To begin your "feed bag", cut off the bottom seam of your feed sack of choice.  Make sure you're even with the lettering... stay fairly close to the seam.

Create "legs"... leaving the folded edges of your sack alone, just cut up and over, removing a rectangle from the front and back.  Hopefully, the image won't be too distorted from this!  No slicing through heads of animals.  Yuck.

Your "legs" must overlap in the middle.  I have PLENTY of overlap... I could have backed off a bit and had my legs a little shorter (and shown more of that pretty palomino - oops)  The overlap helps with the strength of the bag, so you don't want just a quarter of an inch, unless you're carrying feathers or quilt batting.

Along the top edge, cut two strips about 2" wide.  These will become your handles.

Now...

Go wash that sack out.  You might like the smell of horse cake or dog food... but the person you're giving this to, may not!  (Then again, why are you giving it to THEM?)  Let's just say, those crumbs will be hard on your sewing machine!  

Go wash... let dry... pull out your sewing machine and come back tomorrow.

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February 16, 2011   Wordless Wednesday - "Boomer the Mouser"

February 16, 2010   I'm Back... and There Was No Axe-ident

February 16, 2009   Neighborly OOPE

February 16, 2008   Working Dogs Video

The last stop before home... the gate is thrown open... ready to drive on in.

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February 15, 2011   Smiling Here

February 15, 2011   No entry.

February 15, 2010   Meanwhile... Back at the Ranch

February 15, 2009   No entry.

Got a "plastic" bag that your dog food comes in?  (Or chicken feed, horse feed, cow cake, or pig protein?)

Maybe you have a big sack of salt for your water softener or potting soil?

If it is woven reinforced plastic, not paper, GO GET IT!

Here's mine.

We're going to create this...

A shopping/beach/overnight/work bag!

All you need is the bag, scissors, marker, yardstick, and your sewing machine!

If you're happy with the angled bottom, you can sew a ribbon right over the paper seal to conceal it! (ha!)  Cut it in half (taller would be too tall for most uses) plus you could sew two bags out of one.  You could use different handle material... like rope or braided twine... and simply sew a seam on the top edge.  Ta-da!  You're done.

I had to be different.

First:  I wanted a flat bottom on my shopping bag.

Second:  I want to use the pretty picture... What's the point if the horse's head is cut in half?  Yuck.  That's kind of Godfather-ish, don't you think?

Third:  I wanted handles made out of the same bag...

Tune in Thursday for step by step instructions!

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day!

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February 14, 2011   Valentine Volunteer

February 14, 2010   No entry.

February 14, 2009   The Winner Is...

February 14, 2008   No entry.

It's difficult to blog without my camera anymore.

*I* was ready for my dog walk/heifer checking/craftiness today... but I had a DEAD camera.  

Absolutely lifeless.

No AED was gonna revive it.

Sure, I had other cameras AT HOME... but that didn't help out with today's events.

I listlessly plugged it into the wall on my return... and moved off to other projects.

I accomplished some things... 

I dehydrated the borderline veggies and fruit in my fridge.  I actually enjoy that.  Knowing that instead of pitching them in a few days... I've preserved them for later use, not waste!  Far from being a Prepper, I do believe in being Prepared.  I live a long ways from the store, which is another reason I chose to be an Emergency Essentials affiliate, too!  See the sidebar...

I sewed a great little bag today... perhaps a photo in the daylight tomorrow?... just a cute idea I just HAD to try...

Then, for those of you who are Pinterest-aholics... You may have seen various versions of the "Family Tree Wall".  I wasn't going to share this quite yet, because I'm not done enough... but since none of the other photos worked out...

Here's my beginning...

You see this from my dining room.  Victoria's photo of a gnarled old cedar tree... and my painting.

I kinda like it.

I've extended the limbs clear around the entire hallway... not exactly true-to-life, but who cares?  The photos I've been hanging are NOT visible from the dining room, at least so far.

I was planning to do this anyway... but thanks to Pinterest, I have a cool "theme" that keeps it all together!

I'll share more photos as time goes by... or my camera dies... whichever comes first!

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February 13, 2011   Entertainment

February 13, 2010   No entry.

February 13, 2009   Long Day Off the Ranch

February 13, 2008   No entry.