Tiny Needle Tuesday 11/5/24

 Good Morning!

It's Election Day!!  I'm preaching to the choir, but if you have not yet voted, please do so.

It's also Tuesday which means time for a Tiny Needle update.  I thought I stitched a lot during the past week (and, maybe I did), but the picture doesn't lead me to think that way.  Yes, the house has grown a bit and there is now the beginning of a tree to the right.

I will admit to the house being a bit boring to stitch, but it's good to have that as an option when I am tired.  One of my favorite parts of this sampler has yet to appear.  It's a big ol moon above the new tree.  Bonus:  black birds in flight against the moon.  I may need to start that part this week.

It has been warming up here again.  Yesterday when I let Mabel out at 5:30 a.m. the temp was 28.  This morning when I let her out at 5:30 it was 46!  Our roller coaster weather continues.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Tuesday!

Weekending

 Good Morning!

Whew!  I slept over 9 hours last night (and around 10 on Saturday night)!!  I'm still in the waking up phase, but it felt so good to sleep in.  I must have needed it.  It's a chilly morning here, but the sun is out and I have some laundry in the machine - will hang it to dry on the lines.

Colin & Mailing were over for dinner on Saturday and it was great to see them.  The baby is only a month away!!  I keep wondering what we can get them (they keep buying everything they need/want themselves) or getting stuff from friends.  I finally asked Saturday night and Mailing said the best thing would be meals that we could bring over for them to have after the baby is born.  Easy enough since I love to cook.  I'm already dreaming up stews, soups and various dishes I can make and take to them.  As they said, they do not really need "stuff" and their house is small - they don't want to overload it with baby things.

Yesterday I made a new-to-us vegetarian dish that was so yummy!  It is Lemony White Bean Pasta With Sun Dried Tomatoes and Walnuts.  Here is a link:  https://www.lastingredient.com/pasta-baby-greens-beans-walnuts/

My friend Leslie had sent me sun dried tomatoes from Italy that were amazing!  Different (and so much better) than anything you can get here in the States.  I used both baby spinach and baby arugula and did not put the cheese in it (of course I didn't).  Fletch sprinkled his with parm, but said it didn't really need it.  We both agreed that no harm would be done by adding a bit of cooked bacon or crumbled sausage.  LOL. Anyway, definitely a keeper and one I will make again.

Today I've got things to take care of - received a doctors bill for a co-pay that I already paid when I had my visit (back in July), so I need to follow up with them.  I'm reviewing Medicare Advantage options this afternoon (I really dislike that this needs to be done each year).  And, I'm hoping that a couple of books will come in for me at our library - I had started a Barbara Pym novel from my own bookcase, but am having a bit of a struggle got get into it.  And, of course, I'm hoping for some "making" time (stitching and knitting).  Anything to keep myself occupied if you know what I mean (and I know you all do).

Take care my friends and be gentle with yourself.  Have a very good Monday.

A BIG Tree! 11/1/24

 Good Morning!

And Happy November!  There is a rosy tint to the sky this morning and...drumroll...our cars are wet and there is rain on our windows!!  Woo-Hoo!  No measurable amount, and nothing falling right now, but it was wonderful to see.

Can anyone guess how many trick or treaters we had?  Exactly None!  Happy I didn't go overboard on buying candy.

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day.  I set out a little before 10 a.m. and went to a section of the Perkiomen Trail that I had not walked previously.  I parked off Route 113 and then walked toward Schwenksville.  Very soon I came upon a magnificent tree:

A swamp White Oak which I have never heard of.  The tree's diameter was measured at just over 5.5' in 2021!

The trail itself was rather nice, though it veered away from the water and closer to the road than I like.  There were a lot of folks out walking and biking, but it did not feel crowded.  A little bit after the tree I came upon some small railroad tracks:

Turns out it is the track of a "live steam" rail.  Their "run days" are only the 4th Sunday of June, July and August from 10-3.  Might be fun to check it out next summer.

This was the first time I had managed to get out to walk in quite a long time.  I managed to go a little over a mile and by the time I got back to my car my back was screaming...I need to build my strength back up.

Today I need to tackle laundry, the kitchen floor and the bathrooms.  Not as pleasant a day as yesterday for sure, but needed.  Here's hoping that your Friday...and your weekend...are filled with good things.  Enjoy!

Thursday Stuff

 Hello All,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

It is so dark these mornings, but I think it is this weekend we "fall back" and turn our clocks back, so the mornings won't be quite so dark (at least for a little bit).  Afternoons, on the other hand, will be darker.

Yesterday was super warm and I think there will be more of that today.  Fletch and I sat out comfortably and then he grilled steaks for our dinner.  Yum!

Today I'll share some things with you - a miscellaneous 3 on Thursday (copying Carole) if you will.  First up, I did make both cranberry relish and cranberry chutney yesterday.

The relish (on the right is just cut up/ground up cranberries and oranges.  And a boat-load of sugar.  The chutney is a ground up orange and cranberries (not ground up) cooked on the stove with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, apple cider vinegar and sugar.  I don't process these as they keep FOREVER in the frig.  I made enough to give a jar of each to C&M and I even have an extra jar of the chutney for Fletch to take to a former client.

Because Fletch is going to visit his former client, I had to bake some cookies.  Connie and David LOVE cookies.  I made a batch of chocolate chip with the addition of some cut up uncrystallized ginger.  I think chocolate and ginger go so well together.  Fletch sampled one last night and pronounced it delicious.  I was too full from dinner to try one...but I will today!

Between the cranberry relish and chutney and the cookies, our house smelled like a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas!

The last thing to share is wine!  You all know that at times I buy wine by the label and the other day was no exception.  I have not heard of Cult Wine from Napa previously, but I picked up a bottle of cab to try.  For some reason, my pictures are not loading...or I can load one but it won't show when I preview my post.  But here is a LINK to what the front of the bottle looks like.  The wine is just ok - not great, but it went well with our steaks.  The label though?  That just cracks me up!

I have no idea if we will get any trick or treaters this evening.  It's always a crap shoot.  Sometimes we get some and many years we have none.  I was remembering that years ago my aunt in Vermont would bake chocolate chip cookies to give out.  She used to have kids (little and big) come from miles around for her cookies.  Today, of course, no one would let their kid have home-made cookies which is kind of sad.

Hope everyone's Thursday is spooky!  Have a good one.

Unraveled Wednesday 10/30/24

 Good Morning!

It is looking to be a fine Wednesday morning here.  Milder than yesterday.  And yesterday ended up being SO busy!  Running around and doing stuff all morning and into the early afternoon.  I really was feeling like a nap would be the BEST thing, but seeing all the tomatoes and peppers on the counter I decided against that and instead buckled down and made sauce.  We had it for dinner and it was quite yummy.  All that is left now on the counter is a small bowl of little green tomatoes.  Not sure what I'll do with them, if anything.  They are too small to make fried green tomatoes and there is not really enough to chop up for any salsa verde (which I know is made with tomatillos, but...).

Today I was going to make a new recipe for baked apple bread, but I think I'll wait on that till Saturday when the kids are coming for dinner.  Today I may focus on cranberries and make some chutney (Fletcher's Mom's recipe) as well as some cranberry orange relish (my Mom's recipe).

And maybe, just maybe today will be the day I get to explore a new trail.  Time will tell.

Meanwhile, it's Wednesday - the last one in October (gasp!) and time to link up with Kat (and Franklin!!) and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about what we are making and reading.  My Tapped Maple sock #2 is progressing.  Kind of a snail's pace, but progressing.

I took that picture last night after dinner and the foot is roughly half knit.  I managed to knit another 10 rounds, so I'm getting even closer to the toe decrease point.

The mail brought my November Sock Squad yarn from The Farmer's Daughter:

Once again two half skeins and a mini.  I prefer one regular skein, but whatever.  The color way is "Mourning the Abundance" (which I don't get).  I like the purple mini with the silver but not with the other skein and I do like the two half skeins together.  No idea what they will become, but eventually something.  Only one more shipment to come for the 2024 Sock Squad.

Reading has been good.  Fletch and I are listening to The Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heinrich after dinner.  There are lots of funny parts to the book and we are both enjoying it.

On my own I am reading You Are Here by David Nicholls.  I've enjoyed this novel quite a bit - thought I would finish it last night, but with only 40 or so pages to go, my eyes would not stay open.

Well, time for me to pour another cup of coffee and attempt to wake up more.  Here's hoping your Wednesday is filled with delights!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 10/29/24

 Hello, Hello,

Another chilly morning, but gosh!  Yesterday was in the mid-seventies.  We've had snow on Halloween in the past, but that certainly will not happen this year.  Though any moisture would be appreciated.

Well, it's Tuesday which means time for a Tiny Needle update.  The last for this month of 2024.  Progress seems to be slow, but it is steady:

Fence construction was completed and construction on the house has started.  Part of the right wall and one window has been installed.  There is so much solid stitching in this piece that it is slow going.  Thankfully I'm still enjoying it (and hoping no one has gotten too bored with it by this point).

No definite plans for today other than grocery shopping and hopefully making the sauce from the last of the garden tomatoes and peppers.  If time and the weather allow, I'd like to get out for a walk - there is an area of a trail that I have not walked previously...would be nice to add another option to my choices.

Time to pour the coffee.  Have a wonderful day!

Weekending 10/28/24

 Hello My Friends,

There is a bit of a nip in the air and mornings have been quite chilly...but it is supposed to warm up again and possibly even hit 80 by Thursday!  What??!!??  That is crazy weather for the end of October.  It is also terribly dry.  Between the dryness and the wind, our township now has a Burn Ban in effect, so no fires in the pit for us.

How was your weekend?  Ours was good.  Lazy, but good.  We went to CVS on Friday for our Tdap shots.  Amazingly neither of us had any reaction to the shot - not even a sore arm!  I actually felt pretty lousy over the weekend, but that feeling had started Thursday night before we got our shots.  I think I must have had a touch of a little bug, but I'm feeling much better as of this morning.

Fletch spent most of Saturday and some time on Sunday dismantling the garden  taking down trellis pieces, pulling spent plants (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.). He also did a bit more work on the cold frame.  And, he gathered the last of the tomatoes and (maybe) peppers (pepper plants are still standing and offering some green foliage in the otherwise brown garden).

I guess I'd best whip up some sauce or something with those tomatoes - and add in the peppers as well.

We have a little round metal table at the end of our picnic table and that is where I put peanuts in the shell for the jays and squirrels, etc.  Sunday morning I spotted a raccoon at the table!  By the time I turned around to get my phone for a picture, he had scurried off into the hedge between us and our neighbors.  Mabel went outside looking like she was going to defend our property, but I guess thought better of it - she ended up huddling on the patio by our door (smart girl).

It's been decades since I've seen a raccoon on our property.  We used to have them regularly when we were feeding some feral cats.  Once Cheech and Chong (the ferals) disappeared, we gave up that practice.  I enjoy having them around - and possums, skunks, etc., but I don't want to encourage any of them to be around regularly!

And that's a wrap for moi.  Hope your week is getting off to a wonderful start!