Pumpkin Soup, Auction Bidding, Binding Stitching, Christmas Quilts, Mouse Update

 When in the work world, I often lamented not enough time for my hobbies. I used to think I would spend all morning reading for instance, when I retired and had nothing else to do. However, to sit around reading in the mornings still doesn't work for me. My days must still have busyness in them but, what do you know, there is no end it seems to the things to do. Filling the hours is not only not a problem, it is uncanny how busy we seem to be and this is even in a semi-lockdown situation.

Autumn Ornamental Grass at the Farm

For instance auction bidding took up part of one evening. Pool stuff, a headboard for our bed, duck decoys all caught our attention and we won everything except the ducks which were my favourite part. We were willing to go to $50 and they sold for $55.  There were four wooden and one ceramic. This is a house that totally suits ducks. To do this week will be venturing to a new part of the city to pick up our winning items. 

Last night I made the barest of meals. A pumpkin soup cobbled together with veggies from the fridge added to a large can of pumpkin. One of the recipes I consulted suggested adding maple syrup and despite misgivings about it, I did, a little at a time, taste testing all the way.  It was good and gave the raw pumpkin added flavouring, which if you've ever tasted it, you know it needs. Toast rounded out that supper.  Feel like I should come up with something with meat for tonight.  Protein, iron and all. 

About meat. I must research and order a Sous Vide for us. I've talked about it for years now-even here on the blog, and don't know what is stopping us. If I'm going to pay for grass fed beef, I should be cooking it carefully and properly. Apparently these things take all the guesswork out of it, a good thing for me these days. And they're not just for cooking meat. Even oatmeal can be cooked perfectly with a sous vide. This video explains how versatile it is. And I do like my small appliances!

Look what's keeping my lap warm these nights.  I machine stitched the front of the binding and am now hand stitching it to the back.  I picked more modern and not exactly flowery kind of fabrics for the binding but ones that have soft colours to suit the hearts. This must be finished this week no ands, ifs or buts!

Down the Rabbit Hole Looking: I found this free pattern for a more modern-ish looking Christmas quilt I thought you might like too.

The link is here at the All People Quilt site.

While searching about I found more I liked here - Swoodson Says- 30 Modern Christmas Quilt Patterns, so you can take a stroll through yourself.  It's from 2018 but still more or less modern I guess.

Mouse Update

 Two Humane Mouse Traps- Mice captured and released to date-6

I forget just how tiny mice are. This one was itty bitty with a tiny sharp nose. Yes, I have old batting and cloth in there because it is cold in a metal box on a concrete floor. There is also crackers with peanut butter. Daughter said I'm providing hotel accommodations, mouse style.

As long as it keeps them out of the cars, that's all I care.

Here's hoping all of you have a great week.

Linking this post with Kathy's Quilts, Our World Tuesday, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Home Sewn By Us and The Jesh Studio.