Sewing

Do you sew? I have sewn all my life but have had times where I did a lot and other times I did little to none other than mending. I would hate to think of not being able to mend and operate a sewing machine! It has to be expensive to either pay to have mending done or throw clothes out for not being able to mend.

One of the most memorable sewing projects I have done over the years was to make my 3 daughters matching tops with skirts. They got to choose their color and all had lots of lace and ribbons on them. Then I took them to get a free pic at a photographic studio.

I recently came up with a craft idea that will take a bit of sewing. I've been drying homegrown catnip and am going to sew some catnip mice. I hope to be able to sell a few as I have a few people who expressed interest. I've thought of doing an Etsy shop but it needs enough crafts in it to make it worth while. This should be a good one - I hope. Too bad there isn't "dog nip" too!

Then yesterday I read that September is National Sewing Month. Coincidence maybe? I guess I better get my sewing machine in gear! Fortunately I don't have a lot of mending needing done. I can just get to the sewing.

This That and the Other Things

It's hard to report on something as important as Pickle Week when you read about it and then follow a link and see a different date! So off I go on a google search thinking this will be quick and easy. Yah, right! Now I have 3, yes 3 different weeks for Pickle Week. AND, they are all LONG "weeks"! In fact, they are 10 days, not a week. With the variety of pickles available, not to mention the relishes, etc, a LONG week is fine with me. They have ample material for their celebration and who wouldn't love to attend a "birthday party" for a pickle? There HAS to be a lot of fun involved and something for everyone. Just imagine the vendors with pickle trinkets such as key chain fobs, pens and pencils, tee shirts, caps, etc. I would like to attend a pickle party and see what all they can come up with! I would think in spite of some seriousness behind it, that most everyone would have to have a good sense of humor and it would end up being a fun event to leave one a trip home with a smile and enjoyable type of tiredness.

Now I just have to figure out if it's May 21st - 31st, May 15th - 24th or May 18th - 28th! And if it's National Pickle Week or International Pickle Week! How confusing is that? I have to wonder if one of those is 2010 and the others previous years that still happen to rate high but alas, I didn't see anything to encourage that line of thought!

Maybe it won't matter after all being it's going to interfere with the homestead as my goats need milked so getting to the party won't be a logistic I can manage. I bet it would have been fun to go! I love pickles and especially dill pickles! Do you have a fav pickle?

Being I couldn't leave well enough alone, did you know there are some who suffer from Tristadekaphobia? Did you even know there is a legit disorder for fear of pickles?

Now that's I've wasted and enjoyed an hour or so of pickle research, I really need to get a move on!

May 26th is National Blueberry Cheesecake Day and National Cherry Dessert Day

May 27th is National Grape Popsicle Day



Traveling on.....

May 28th is Hug Your Cat day!

Hubby has a new kitten who I hadn't announced yet. She came to live with us Sunday and came from a goat dairy. I've got to get a few pictures!

Here's a holiday I can celebrate at home.

Catnip vs roaches

A little catnip a day can keep the roaches away. Two researchers from Iowa State University say the old folklore that catnip repels cockroaches is true. In August 1999 Chris Peterson and Joel Coats reported their findings at the national meeting ofthe American Chemical Society in New Orleans. They said "roaches are repelled by two forms of Nepetalactone, a chemical found in catnip plants". This might lead to greater use of catnip or the development of new natural insect repellants that could be sprayed along baseboards to keep cockroaches from coming out of the walls. "There are really no commercial cockroach repellants", Peterson said. "Most are insecticides designed to kill roaches. People don't seem to just want them to go away-they want them dead.

"Milk may have potential as a fungicide.A report in the October 16 1999 edition of New Scientist suggests that spraying diluted milk on cucumbers and courgettes (zucchini) may be effective in killing powdery mildew, caused by the mold Sphaerotheca fulinginea. This could be a significant benefit for organic farmers trying to meet the growing demand for chemical free vegetables.According to the report, milk's fungicidal powers were discovered by Wagner Bettiol of the environmental laboratory of Embrapa, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, in Jaguariuna, north of Sao Paulo.Bettiol, who was looking for cheap ways to control plant pests, observed that by-products from milk-processing factories killed powdery mildew on squash. So he decided to simply spray fresh milk on the plants to see if it had the same effect.To his surprise, he found that it did. In fact, spraying heavily infected plants twice a week with a mixture of one part cow's milk to nine parts water was at least as good at stopping mildew as the chemical fungicides fenarimol and benomyl, Bettiol discovered.Bettiol added that several organic growers in his region were able to control less severe outbreaks by spraying once a week with a 5% milk solution. In many cases, milk was both faster and more effective. After two to three weeks of spraying with milk, the area of leaves infected was in some cases only a sixth or less of the area affected on plants treated with chemical fungicide.Bettiol is not yet sure why milk works so well, but he speculates that it helps the plants in two ways. Milk is known to kill some microorganisms. It also contains potassium phosphate, which boosts the plant's immune system and so may help it inhibit the mildew's growth.

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The above came from a group I belong to and didn't cite the source. It does include a bit about the researchers. Unfortunately I don't know where the source is to get permission to post it and will therefore gladly delete it if needed. I hope that isn't an issue though as roaches can transmit nasty bacteria and such so I"m hoping in the interest of public health that it's ok I have posted this. IF the source is found, I'd appreciate someone making a comment with the info so I can obtain permission (which I really do do!!).

On the home front, I now have catnip growing in a small flower garden spot outside the back door (both sides) and it's now going to stay for it's bug repelling potential. I hope it repels other than roaches (ants would be great). I'll also transplant some from out under my pasture fence to the outside of the kitchen where the gas line hole is (supposedly plugged) and I can sprinkle some (I have LOTS of catnip as I dry it and sell it too - hint hint) at the front door!

And, I now have a new use for souring milk! I wonder if whey does anything helpful like that? I hear it's supposed to be wonderful for tomato plant growth and raspberries!