Finding Some Peacefulness When Life Can Be Stressful

I have had some stressful days during this world-in-crisis time. I am sure most people have a moment or more of stress. My most stressful time comes when my husband and I have to go to the grocery store. We have masks that I made. We found going to a smaller non-chain grocery store was less crowded, which helped a great deal. Shopping at a larger chain store two weeks before was chaotic. People were crowding aisles and visiting friends rather than getting their needs and moving on.

I have also found that if I do not watch the news, I am calmer. I will visit the CDC website to get updates and read our local MLive news reports regarding our governor's orders. I can only look out for myself and my husband. We aren't going anywhere, or having people come to visit, so I probably don't need daily information about the nation or world.

I have found that keeping busy is a good thing, especially when I am creating. I don't rush to get things done these days, I savor the busyness. I have found plenty around the house to keep me active.

Have you found things to keep you busy as you stay at home right now?

I get outside for 1 or 2 hours each day. We are blessed to live on 10 acres of wooded land, so a walk in the woods is a treat each day. Yesterday, 3 butterflies hovered around me on my walk. There must have been a hatch with the warm weather we had.

I have turned up the soil for the vegetable garden. There is another garden area to the right of this one that will be worked over this week.

I started seeds indoors using the seeds from:

a yellow pepper we used in a salad, 

a honeydew melon,

 and some kale seeds (package dated 2018).

A few years ago I read about fun gardening experiments for kids. One of the suggestions was to place the parts of veggies that we normally toss away into water and see what happens. Carrot tops grow more greens. That's great if you have a pet rabbit or guinea pigs. Romaine lettuce stumps (I call them that) put in water actually grow more leaves! So, I started "hydroponic gardening" with romaine leaves near my dining room window.  Maybe at the end of the month, I'll have a salad! 

These photos show 3 weeks' growth. 

Using my domestic sewing machine, I finished the quilting and binding on our daughter's quilt that she sewed almost 2 years ago. She's really pleased with how it turned out, but doesn't want me to go to the post office to ship it to her. She said she can wait patiently.

I am April's Queen Bee of the online group I belong to: Gridster Bee. I chose the Totally Tulip block from Missouri Star Quilting Co. for each of my beemates to sew for me.

I made mine and received 2 others so far. (When my mail comes, I isolate it for 3 days.) They look so fun and pretty together. I eargerly wait to get the rest! But waiting is a fun part of the bee block exchange!

Treats are especially enjoyable after dinner. I make one treat a week. Last week I made Joy Bauer's Chocolate-Peanut Butter Energy Balls. They were quite tasty and sweetened with a little maple syrup.

This week I baked a packaged sugar cookie mix and added freshly grated orange rind. I read that citrus fruit rind has more vitamin C than the fruit. Well, the flavor of the cookies is wonderful! 

I ended the last week by making face masks for a friend and her extended family. Michiganders have been encouraged to wear face masks while attending to essential business. I used the free pattern from Orange Dot Quilts website HERE. I was very pleased with how they fit. They were fairly easy to make once I made two of them. 

Have you been out for a walk? or sewn something? or relaxed with a hot cuppa and a treat this week? I hope you have had a chance to relax for a moment or more this week and are keeping well and safe. 

Quilting While I Follow Stay Home Orders

My sewing area in the basement is not yet organized. (I have more than I will use in 20 years!) But I just couldn't work on organizing in the basement with few windows. I was feeling a bit trapped during this time of a stay-at-home order for the next few weeks.

My husband suggested putting two portable tables in the living room (since we will have no one coming to the house for awhile). I told my daughter over a year ago I would get her quilt done, and this was the project I chose to work on.

So, here are some photos of what I've done in the past 2 days. She is very excited. I am keeping her abreast of the progress. 

I am using my walking foot, working section by section with lines in different direction.

I've quilted 1/4th of the quilt and work until it gets dark outside. I think it will be take 3 more days to finish, with another for the binding. While quilting, I am listening to a book on CD titled: Beating About the Bush (an Agatha Raisin Mystery) by M.C. Beaton. 

I do hope you are able to find a calming craft or activity to work on during a time where isolation has been encouraged, or ordered. Be safe, and I hope you stay healthy. 

Thank you for stopping by.