Crafting in July

Ahoy! Thanks for sailing in through cyberspace today to see where I am near the grand Mt. Hood close to Portland, Oregon, USA., and to learn a bit about what crafting I have been involved in July 2020.

February 21, 2020, just before we were asked to stay safe at home except when providing or getting essential services, I filled the gas tank of my 2005 minivan.   Mainly since then, I have gone out once a week for groceries. One Friday several months later my youngest daughter came to drive me to the grocery store because I had pulled something in my upper right arm and was having trouble driving.  She drove me to a grocery store that took us past this nearby view of Mt. Hood where I used my iPhone to craft a photo.  July 24, 2020, the gas gage in the car still said I had a little over a fourth of a tank of gas but I had it filled again, five months since the last fillup!

Day by day I crafted tried and true recipes like these GF dairy-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies most of which are still in the freezer. I think I have concocted some sort of soup and salads every day as well.

In July when crafting a mile walk in our neighborhood I took a photo of these stunning purply blue Hydrangeas that are growing nearby.

From the tiny garden I crafted on the patio, the three Sugar Snap Pea plants I planted in the planter boxes produced these yummy pods and a few more.

Because I am not a very crafty gardener the hanging plant and the Cala Lilies at the front of the unit have been amazing to view and try to tend.

Although some of my Wednesday morning group of ladies who knit and crochet preemie blankets for a local NICU only met online in Zoom meetings these are one batch of blankets and hats that was dropped off in July!

A soothing satisfying craft for me is crocheting double-thickness potholders like the one in the photo above that I finished in July for a friend. The style is my favorite kind of potholder and one I made long ago and use all the time is in the photo with the cookies I showed you.

These blankets and hats were made by a new crocheter who is in her seventies.  Another friend from our Wednesday church group is a prolific knitter and crocheter and she also crafted these sweet rocks and dropped them off in my patio one day.  💕

During the hot days of July, I have also been crafting cool drinks of almond milk swirled with various kinds of frozen fruit. I am especially fond of melon and blueberries!

In this batch of blankets and hats that were dropped off are ones crafted on round plastic looms by a friend who has limited mobility in her hands. She enjoys making them and does so with love.

The little rose bush in the front of my unit is producing its second round of summer roses.  I crafted this display of some of them amidst blue glass on the kitchen windowsill.  You might really enjoy the rose's delicate lovely scent~ ~

One of my favorite spots on the patio is this corner where I crafted this pottery fountain made from a bowl that my mom bought from a potter in Nederland, Colorado where I lived for two and a half years in the early 1980s.

This morning I pulled the spent Sugar Snap Pea vines from the planter on the left leaving the Sweet Pea flower vines.   Do you think they will produce some colorful scented flowers? In the right planter, I have a Clematis vine mingled with Morning Glory vines. The Clematis has finished blooming for the season and the Morning Glory has not produced any flowers yet. I have had mixed results in crafting gardens throughout my years, but I am ever hopeful for good results!

The July online prompt I got from my Joy of Artful Worship facilitator focuses on crafting the following verses onto decorated index cards to share with others.

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 

1Corinthians 15: 1-4 NIV

16 For the Lord, himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:16-18 NIV

Another thing I have been crafting in July is this blog post.  I have been using the new Blogger format and have not figured out how to sequence photos in the order I want, but other than that  I have survived😊

and you have too if you are reading this.  Bravo! Please let me know how you are crafting your life these days.

Gracie xx

Five on Friday: Late Summer Delights

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!  Overall we have been having perfect late summer days since I last posted.  I am cherishing the sunshine knowing that soon our days will be more gray and rainy and I might need you to remind me how delightful I told you the days are now.

With thanks to Amy for hostessing, I am joining in with Amy on Five On Friday, I have five late summer activities to show you some photos of and type to you about. 

One: Canning Apple Butter

While I have not dunked canning jars in and out of boiling water, I have helped a little with trimming fruit before we preserved it.  One day we gathered two of our Crock Pots into my room and we made some Apple Butter using a recipe from our Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Our Apple Butter has no fat in it at all, but is made with apples, water, sugar and spices that lushly perfumed the air in our home.  Mmmmmmm~~~

Two: Tea for Ten
Attending a tea held at my friend Carol's backyard was delightful!  I truly wish you could have attended with me.  There were ten of us there. Through the many years they have lived in their modest home, Carol and her husband have arranged in their yard, plants and seating areas that welcome and embrace you.

 Three: Four Courses, Three Teas
Carol served us four courses: Sorbet, Scones, Salad and Sandwiches, then Cookies, Tarts, and Fudge. The three flavors of tea were Lavender Tulsi Tea, Chai Spice Black Tea, and Raspberry Earl Black Tea. While I did not try everything, what I had was delicious, and we all enjoyed our time together.  I learned that Carol had made the vases out of pickle jars and covered the jars with river rocks...organic and lovely.

Four: Artistic Garden Planning
Carol and her husband are self taught gardeners.  Through the years they visited garden centers in each season of the year.  They picked plants in each season that pleased them so that throughout the year their garden has colorful highlights hugged by various textures of green.  Carol is a self taught artist as well, and particularly enjoyed making garden mosaics on stepping stones, birdhouses, benches and water fountains.  She also imprinted a very large leaf on a piece of concrete and tucked it under some bushes which is a delight for one's eyes to spy.

Five: Across the Columbia River in Washington State
It has been a great blessing for me to ride across the Columbia with my dear friend, Teresa.  We love stopping at various parks to enjoy the view. Yesterday it was pleasantly windy, and we enjoyed watching the kitesurfers sailing on the water and in the air.

Rain is supposedly headed our way in the next few days which will make the plants happy, and me too, because I do like the rain even if I do eventually fuss about prolonged periods of gray skies.

Whatever your weather may be, what is bringing you delight...or challenge?

xx
Gracie