Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Sidetracked

I am afraid I am one of those who is easily sidetracked.  I have in mind a chore I want to accomplish and before I know it, I am off doing something else.  I call it my "Oh, look.  Squirrel!" syndrome.

I know I have been talking about canning cranberries from my freezer.  I had really good intentions.  But they are still in the freezer and I am busy with other things.  Squirrel.

Last summer I tried growing some herbs in pots on my windowsills.  I don't know what happened, but I managed to kill them all.  In frustration, I took the pots, dirt, dead plants and all, stuffed the whole shebang into a trash bag and tossed the bag into the back of my closet.  Well yesterday I found them.

I cleaned the dead foliage from the pots, stirred up the soil, watered it down and planted some seeds.  I now have pots with peas, yellow snap beans, cucumbers, sweet green peppers, cherry tomatoes, cantaloupe and zucchini.  I have no idea if the seeds will even grow, but I thought it would be fun to try.  I have no expectations of harvesting anything, but at least I may end up with some greenery growing on my windowsills.

So this morning I thought I would can cranberries, but squirrel.

Now that the weather is warmer, I want to get out to the fabric store.  I need fabric for the backs of several quilts and batting.  So I was digging through the tubs that hold the quilt tops - both finished and partially finished - to see what I needed to finish them all.  And in the process I found two bags containing partially crocheted afghans.  I had started them to use up yarn left over from other projects, knowing I would need more yarn to finish them.  So I took some pictures to remind myself of the colors I need.  The fabric store carries yarn as well, so I will get some when I go to buy fabric.




I love crocheted afghans.  My grandmother had a couple of them in this same 'granny square' pattern that I remember from my childhood as being soft and warm and comfy.  The pattern is easy to do and is something I can work on in the evenings while watching a movie.

So as long as there is no canning going on today, I think I will finish my afternoon doing those piddly household chores that never seem to go away - mop the kitchen floor, vacuum, straighten up my pantry, etc.  And I may have to find a cage for that pesky squirrel that keeps diverting my attention.  :)

12 comments:

  1. I think we have a lot in common, Vicki. I am often afflicted by the same "squirrel" syndrome. At my age, I'm pretty happy if I get any tasks accomplished...guess it doesn't matter if I write them on my "to do" list before or after doing them.
    By the way, I really like the color combinations you chose for your afgans! Great use of your leftover yarn. Thank you for sharing the pictures...
    CW from Iowa

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    1. CW...I can stick with a task if it is something important like canning tomatoes or meat that can go bad if I don't take care of it right away. But other times I get distracted and, well, that squirrel takes over. I guess now that I am retired, it really doesn't matter, does it. If I find something fun to do, the rest will keep until tomorrow. :)

      I really like the 'granny square' afghans. Two of my grands have graduated from high school so far, and each gets a hand crocheted afghan from grandma as part of their graduation gift. Most of that yarn was left over from those. I have always enjoyed needlework. It is relaxing to me and I like making things that are useful.

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  2. I'm the same way, Vicki. That may not ease your concerns, but at least you know you're not alone. ;-)

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    1. Gorges...I figured there had to be others who get sidetracked like I do. Sometimes chasing that squirrel can lead to some enjoyable days. :)

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  3. Love the post. Hope we get to see more of your stuff.

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    1. Thanks, BW. I thought about you when I found those partially finished afghans, which is one reason I posted the pictures. :)

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  4. Love your afgans. I'm still content with making dishcloths.
    From an earlier comment - yes,when you add up all my garden space now, it is quite a bit. Each garden has a little different climate which is a bit of a challenge. In my oldest garden, I have transitioned it to mostly perennials. It's where my asparagus and strawberries are growing. And, truth be told, meeting people is easiest for me when I'm sharing an activity with them. As I've written before, it's hard to make friends and build community in my 60s.
    Good luck with your window sill garden! SJ

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  5. SJ...Thanks...I like the afghans, too. The two pictured are for me, but I need to make 4 more for the rest of the grands when they graduate from high school. I do want to try making dish cloths so will pick up yarn for those when I go to the fabric store.

    I completely understand the making friends and building community thing. It may seem odd, but I thoroughly enjoy the friendships I have made through this blog and others. Yet, I just don't go out of my way to develop friendships in my offline life. I think I so truly love the peace and quiet of my home that I am reluctant to share that except for family. I have worked hard since my husband died 9 years ago to get rid of the stress and drama, and now that I have, I want to keep it that way. Perhaps I have gotten selfish in my old age. I don't know.

    It will be interesting to see if any of the seeds I planted even come up. If they do, I will have to work at keeping them alive. We both know my murderous tendencies with indoor plants. :)

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  6. It's hard not to get sidetracked. There's always so much to get done, and when you are getting ready to do one thing, other things pop up.

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    1. Harry...I seem to be gravitating toward the more fun and relaxing things. Probably an antidote to the news.

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  7. I love afghans! They remind me of the ones that have been around since I was a kid! My mom has one that is orange and brown and cream...we called it the A&W blanket!

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    1. Jenn...The A&W blanket - love it. I think I love afghans as much as I do quilts. There is just something comforting about wrapping yourself up in one. :)

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