More Beans! 9/17/26

 Hello My Friends,

Gosh!  This morning feels downright balmy compared to our recent cool mornings.  I guess the warmth will be coming back, along with some rain later today.

Yesterday a friend sent me a picture from my college days.  It shows me in a midriff top and I was skinny!

I'm the one in blue jeans on the right.  My friend Janet is next to me in white pants and a midriff top.  We were all getting ready for a Steve Miller Band concert!  I went to Wagner College on Staten Island and you can see NYC and the World Trade Centers in the background! What a throwback!

While cooking yesterday I went out to the garden to gather some parsley.  The caterpillars are still there, but I was successful in avoiding them and getting what I needed.  The beans though!  After saying I was done with them, I ended up picking more.  We had finished the large amount we had in the fridge and now that has been replenished.

This is probably enough for at least 3 servings!  I may have to blanch some more to freeze.  I've never seen a plant produce so much!  Meanwhile, our figs look good and there are a bunch of them, but they do not appear to be ripening at all.  Hopefully soon.  And the hibiscus is still putting out blooms!!

Today is flu shot day - hopefully with no reactions.  We had no reactions to our Covid shots last week.  Most likely a nap will be in order since I did not sleep all that well last night.  With the increase in temps, tonight we are having shrimp salad for dinner.  I need to remember to take the shrimp out of the freezer, thaw and cook them so I can make the salad.  Hopefully I'll find a bit of time to knit as well.

Hope your week is going well!

Unraveled Wednesday 9/16/26

 Good Morning!

I'm sipping hot coffee and have a shawl wrapped around my shoulders as I type this post.  It feels wonderful!  Yesterday morning I actually turned the heat on in the bathroom when I took a shower.  The days do warm up a bit, but these deliciously cool mornings are bliss.

Yesterday we had flower beds weeded and mulched.  It looks so nice!  Fletch is no longer able to weed and I tried it but I'm not really a gardening type of person.  I don't enjoy it.  So...I called the guy who sends a crew out to mow our lawn and they took care of doing the job.  It feels good to have that done.

It's Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to chat about what we are making and reading.

Though I have not done any stitching in two weeks, I did manage to find a bit of knitting time and the first of Fletcher's birthday socks is finished and the second one started!

I wish the colors were showing more accurate in the above photo.  The heel and toe are knit using a mini skein from The YarnSmith in the color way "American Robin."  The other two colors are from the Farmer's Daughter - the August Sock Squad colors called "Harvest Lantern."  The band below the ribbed cuff, the heel and the rows before the toe decreases are knit in the mini - it is really a very pretty loden green color.  The main color is very light.  I like how the first sock turned out and am eager to complete the second.  Hopefully by Fletcher's birthday which is next week (I'd best get moving on it).

Reading has slowed for me a bit.  As I've mentioned, it has been a busy time and there are many nights when I'm too tired to pick up a needle or even read more than a page or two.  I did finish another Bruno, Chief of Police book, The Children Return by Martin Walker.  This is just such an enjoyable series.

I am continuing to listen to John of John by Douglas Stuart.  After last night's Zoom meeting and discussion, I am more interested in finishing this (I still have about 9 hours of listening left), but I tend to forget about it!  

I'm also continuing to read slowly Local Wonders: Seasons in the Bohemian Alps by Ted Kooser.  The short little blurbs (for lack of a better word - some are only a paragraph) about life where Kooser lives (Southeastern Nebraska) are just delightful.  I'm taking my time with this one to thoroughly enjoy it.

After some false starts with other books, Fletch and I have settled in to listening to Landmarks, another book by Robert Macfarlane.  This one has been described as a field guide to the literature of nature.  We both enjoy his writing so much.

Now it's time for my day to begin!  I hope to get a bit of knitting in this morning before I have a haircut appointment.  No other plans at this point which is just how I like it!  I hope your week is going well.

Mid-September! 9/14/26

 Hello My Friends!

Well, that was a bit of an unintended break - LOL.  I decided to not post last Tuesday for TNT because I had no new stitching to show (and I still don't, so unless I manage to sneak in some stitches this afternoon there will be no TNT post tomorrow).  And then one thing led to another and life got busy and I just stopped even looking at the computer (which really is an okay thing to do).

Nothing major went on - we did get our updated Covid shots during the week (and I'm scheduling our flu shots for this week).  There was a trip to Quest for lab work to be done.  Meals were prepared.  A little (very little) knitting was accomplished and a bit of reading (but again, no stitching).  I had a quiet, but lovely birthday and managed to turn another year older.

One day I wandered out to the garden to pick some parsley for whatever I was preparing.  Look what I saw:

I think/hope this is a Monarch caterpillar and there were more than a dozen of these guys all over my parsley plant.  Now I need to be careful when I pick!  For the record, there were also plenty of yellow beans hanging and ready to be picked, but I did not bother.  Fletch will save some for next year's seeds, but we already have a large bag in the fridge and there is the full gallon bag at Colin's, so I let these go.  One can only eat so many beans!

The kids have been away again, so I've been running over to feed Talbot (and clean litter boxes) twice a day.  This morning will be the last run - the kids come home today.  I have a big pot of Brunswick stew to leave in their fridge for their return.  And Bonnie, Mailing's Mom, is back from her Alaskan cruise, so she is taking over Iris duties for the balance of the week.

No real plans for this week other than a haircut on Wednesday and a flu shot (whenever I book them).  I'm really (seriously) attempting to clean out the freezer, so grocery runs have been lighter (and cheaper).  Today is forecast to be cooler, so Fletch is planning to grill a pork loin roast I discovered in the freezer...and I guess I may cook up some of those yellow beans that have been hanging in the fridge.

So, nothing exciting, but I'm hoping to get back to checking your blogs at some point today.  And I hope everyone is doing well!  Cheers to another week (and how can it be mid-September already?).

Weekending 9/7/26

 Good Morning!

Happy Labor Day!  It's a long weekend here in the States, but honestly since retirement it's hard for me to keep track.  I will tell you that the weather has been just about perfect.  Sunny days but low humidity and modest temps - I think the high temp yesterday was 78.  I've had a few texts from the kids who are out in Pittsburgh and it looks equally beautiful there.  They've had fun meeting friends for meals, visiting Phipps and the Aviary and then yesterday they took off hiking/backpacking in the Laurel Highlands.  They will come home today.

Do you remember how the other week I said I thought the beans were winding down?  I was wrong.  LOL

Saturday afternoon I wandered out to the garden to get some parsley.  This is what I came back with.  The yellow beans completely filled (to bursting) a gallon zip lock bag.  There was a quart bag of green beans, some cherry tomatoes and the parsley is on the top.  And a cucumber too!  All of the beans and the cucumber have found their way to C&M's house.

Yesterday afternoon I walked out to cut some flowers and came home with another basket full of beans!  HELP!!!  Today I will be cooking up a yellow and green bean casserole.

Yesterday I made Slow Cooker Italian Summer Soup using THIS RECIPE.  Wow was it good!  I used both yellow squash and zucchini and I also added some asparagus stalks we had.  This is a great recipe for cleaning out the fridge.  I think it would be great with hot Italian sausage rather than the sweet (or a combination of both), but I used sweet as I plan to leave a big container in C&M's fridge this morning for their return later today.  The sweet sausage is ok for Iris but the hot is a bit much for her.  On my way over to their house this morning to feed Talbot I will also stop and pick up a loaf of crusty bread to go with the soup.

I'm planning a few chores for today (bathrooms, laundry, etc.), but am hoping that the afternoon will find me with either a stitching needle in hand, or a pair of socks in progress in my lap.  Or both.  And a book too.  Probably a nap will occur as well.

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the week - enjoy!

Unraveled Wednesday 9/2/26

 Hello My Friends,

Hoo-Boy it is hot and humid this morning.  Not what I consider to be typical September weather (but who knows?  That could be changing...).  We had a lovely thunderstorm last night which cooled things down for a short while.  I was hoping to fall asleep to the rain, but it ended before I went to bed.  But...nonetheless...I slept much better than the night before and I am thankful for that.

And now it is Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk all things making and reading.  Everyone always shares such interesting and fun projects and a wealth of books is explored.  So hop in and enjoy!

If you keep up with my blog then you already know that I finished the Honky Tonk Shortie Socks last week.  Needing something on the needles for easy knitting whilst Iris naps, I cast on for another pair of socks (naturally).  These will be for Fletch's birthday which is later this month...so I need to stay focused and get them done!

This is the start of the first sock.  The two solid colors (and the green is like a dark olive or loden green - very pretty) are the selections from The Farmer's Daughter August Sock Squad.  The variegated yarn that I used for the cuff is from another dyer (I can't remember who) that I picked up at a fiber festival (I think NJ a few years ago).  The color way is "American Robin" and I love how it blends with the two solid colors.

My Semplice shawl has been on my mind.  I really need to pick that up and finish it...I'm not far from the end.  But with a 4 stitch increase every other row, the rows keep getting longer and longer!  And though I like the pattern, I'm not thrilled with the color I chose.  Oh well.  Sometimes that happens.

Reading continues apace.  I did finish Country People by Daniel Mason.  The book started off great for me - lots of laugh out loud sections and the quirkiness of Vermonters came through.  But, after a bit it just felt ridiculous and a little stupid to me.  North Woods by Mason is a much better book in my opinion.

Next up I read Winter: The Story of a Season by Val McDermid.  What a delight this little book was.  I could have read it in one sitting but someone was hankering for dinner (not me).  This little gem was charming and cozy and made me look forward to winter days!

I am also continuing to listen to John of John by Douglas Stuart, but it is a slow listen for me.  My mind tends to wander while listening to this book and even though I'm keeping an open mind, I'm not really into this one at all.  But, I will continue to listen and hope that it gets better for me.  Our discussion is next week I think, so I'd best get moving on it.

Fletch and I did start listening to The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman, but we both are having difficulty getting into it, following it, and not falling asleep while listening!  I think we will go with another book.

What are you making and reading this week?

Tiny Needle Tuesday 9/1/26

 Good Morning and Welcome to September!

School busses are rolling and kids are back to school.  Where did the summer go?  Mailing's Mom is traveling again (Alaska now and Europe later in the month), so I've got a full schedule.  But, it's a little different as Colin, Mailing and Iris are going away the next two weekends.  I'll still be going over twice a day to feed Talbot, but I will have more free time.  This week I'll be with Iris Tues-Wed-Thurs and then feeding Talbot Friday afternoon through Monday morning.

It's that time of year where I'm finding it difficult to come up with dinner ideas.  I'm tired/bored with stuff we have during the summer, but it's still hot - too hot for soups and stews and those comforting foods.  I'll figure it out, but sometimes it feels difficult to even think (stupid humidity and heat).

But for now it's Tuesday and time for a TNT post.  Some modest progress has been made on the Aquamarine Sampler.  Modest progress is still progress though!

The second Quaker motif has been completed and a star has been added.  Now the debate is whether to continue downward or go across.  I'll just wait and see what I'm in the mood for the next time I pick up my needle.

What do you have planned for the beginning of September?  I hope it is something fun!

Weekending 8/31/26

 Good Morning!

I've been up and at it for some time already.  Cookies have been made (oatmeal raisin) and the kitchen cleaned up.  All that and Fletch is just getting up!  I had promised Iris I'd make her cookies and since I will be with her tomorrow I thought I'd best get at it.  And before the heat of the day.  There are two dozen without nuts that I will take to Iris and another 2.5 dozen here for Fletch with walnuts.  I may be ready to go back to bed - LOL

Meanwhile, the weekend was so nice.  Plenty of time for stitching and reading and cooking!  Colin came for dinner on Saturday (Mailing and Iris come home today from their weekend away).  I made a shrimp and scallop dish with cherry tomatoes and spinach thrown in at the end to wilt.  Tasty!  I also made the shredded carrot and beet salad that we enjoy so much.

The day was lovely and after dinner we sat outside with a fire.  A new ginger kitty we had not seen before showed up.

She (or he...I don't know) was so friendly.  Jumping up in our laps.  Talking, etc.  She kept going over to the door looking for Mabel (who was inside already for the night).  When Mabel finally came downstairs and wandered over to the door, the little ginger kitty got so excited.  She (he) just wanted to be friends and Mabel was NOT having it at all!  Mabel hissed and growled.  Ginger kitty was not put off.  She (he) hung around for another hour at both the front and back doors!

Saturday morning I had to run to the grocery store (for the spinach for dinner) and scored a great find at the front of the store.  Bulbs!  You may remember when I showed a picture of the Tigridia flowers in Colin's front bed and mentioned that I wanted to get some.  Well, I found them at the grocery store...and a couple of other ones that I had never heard of!

Our flower beds will hopefully be a riot of color next year.  The Crocosmia even claim to be deer resistant!  I think we will still be putting everything inside the fenced garden anyway.  But, who knows?  I may go back to the store and get more bulbs.

Schools around here are starting today.  It's the first time I can think of that they are starting before Labor Day.  

Time for me to pour another cup of coffee.  How was your weekend?