One of my daughter-in-laws wanted me to make her an apron, so in between making Christmas gifts I jumped at the chance to make one, I needed a break from what I've been focusing on, it's not that I was getting tired of what I was doing, I just need to do something different for a while, change it up a bit.

I can't show you what I've been knitting, these are gifts as well.  I'm finally on the last one and I can't wait to be able to show you, but that will have to wait until after Christmas.

Fall garden harvest...kale and carrots taste great with homemade bread and locally raised pork.  We didn't plant a lot of kale but next year we will.  The Pioneer Woman has a recipe for fried kale in one of her cook books which is to die for.

This is a bit of what's been happening around here.

Sewing, knitting and food.  Nothing gets better than that.

I am though...having fun and lots of happiness.  Pinch me...No!..Don't pinch me, I don't want to wake up from all this. 

I'm happy to say with the help of this man and the sale of our house, we are debt free.  If you follow this man, you will know that there are 7 baby steps to financial peace.  Steps 1, 2 and 3 being a $1000.00 emergency fund, the debt snowball (where you pay off all your debt except the house) and 3-6 months expenses in savings.  We are now on to steps 4-7, which are, investing and retirement plans, college/wedding funding (we added the wedding part, with 3 daughters still single we thought this would be a good add), paying off your home early and building wealth and giving.  I love telling our money where to go, I feel so in control. 

I've been wanting an embroidery machine for so long and I've been patient in waiting for one.  I didn't feel any justification to get one when I had a perfectly good machine (even tho it's over 10 years old sitting in my sewing room).  The only thing is it couldn't do this (see photo below) other than that it works beautifully.  Plus the only way I could get one was to CHARGE it and that was not going to happen while doing this man's plan.

But by following the man's plan, I now have this machine sitting right along side my perfectly "old" good sewing machine, and I've been having FUN...FUN...FUN!!!!!!

I can't stop sewing and I made another apron and I'm not really sure who this one is going to.

Like I asked...Should a person be allowed to have this much happiness and fun?

I think so.  How about you?

I've been able to check a few things off my to-do list.  On Saturday I took a drive to Janesville for lunch with two very dear friends.  I brought them each an apron I made...a little early Christmas present from me to them.

I just love aprons and I'm in an apron swap over at Country Pleasures where Sue is hosting a Christmas Apron Swap.  I jumped at the chance to join this and I've already started on the apron I plan on swapping.  I can't wait to show you it when I'm done, but I can't until the recipient receives it.

I always wear an apron when I cook/bake and believe it or not so does my husband.  You can never have too many aprons.

I hope you all have a wonderful day...I'll be enjoying my day sewing.

Blessings,

Judy

Susan over at Not Quite June Cleaver is having a giveaway.  So head on over if you want to enter.

This apron went to Zaroga.  She sent me some really nice books so I gave her an apron in exchange for them....kind of like bartering.  I do have about 4 more aprons that I need to make and give away.  I just need to buckle down and make them.

I have been in summer vacation mode lately.  I think it must be the  fresh summer air.  We planted an apple tree over the weekend.  I was too pumped to find a Honeycrisp apple tree.  The first time I ever had a bite out of a Honeycrisp apple was in Minnesota at my daughter Carri's house.  Since then I have found them at the grocery store.  Now I can have my own Honeycrisp apple.

Thank you Rose for the tip on thinning the apples.  That explains why we always get small apples.

We made a compost bin over the weekend.  We have been reading up on how to make one.  We are thinking about putting in another one next to it so that when we can turn the compost into the empty bin...and just keep turning the compost back and forth.

We are already starting to fill it up.  The neighbors with the horses have manure that we can take.  So we took a couple of wheelbarrow trips to get some.  Sitting in the backyard you think we live on a farm.  I just hope our neighbors to the back of us don't get too upset by the aroma.

If anyone has any other tips on composting I would love to hear about them.

We have been wanting to get Asparagus plants and managed to find some on line.  I can't wait to get them and we also are planning to put in a few more trees and some grapes.  If not this year, then next year for sure.

I hope all is well with you.  Our weather is starting to finally warm up...I thought summer would never get here.

You all have a wonderful day today.