Friday's Fast Post 8/14/26

 Hi All,

I actually overslept this morning!  I was up at 5 to let Mabel out and then went back to bed and fell sound asleep with some very strange dreams.  HA!

The knee X-ray was quick yesterday.  I arrived at the facility around 8:30 when registration opens...went in...registered...went upstairs for the X-ray and was out of there around 8:50!  My doctor should have the results by sometime Monday.

Look who showed up the other day!

Two sweet fawns.  One resting and the other nosing around looking for apples.  The mother doe was also there - just not in the picture.  As soon as she started moving into our neighbor's yard, the resting fawn got up and trotted after her.

I tried a new recipe for cookies.  No flour, no eggs, no white or brown sugar!  They are chickpea peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips.

Just one can of drained and rinsed chickpeas smooshed up in the food processor.  Then you add 1 cup of peanut butter, 1/3 cup of maple syrup, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of vanilla.  Mix all then fold in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  The dough is very wet and sticky.  I used an ice cream scoop to get them onto the baking sheet.  They only need about 10 minutes at 350.  They don't look like much, but I think they taste good.  Fletch says they could be sweeter (naturally) and he would like them crispy.  So, this batch is going over to Colin & Mailing today.  Hopefully Iris will enjoy them!

Any big plans for the weekend?  None for me other than dinner at C&M's on Sunday.  I'll be taking homemade vanilla ice cream to go with the flourless chocolate cake Colin is baking!  YUM.

Unraveled Wednesday 8/12/26

 Hello My Friends,

The weeks keep zipping by, don't they?  It's hard to believe that soon the school busses (or, as my brother calls them, the little yellow prison wagons) will be on the road again.  And, the bottom of my street (which is a narrow road) will be clogged with cars waiting for the school bus (apparently the kids can't walk down to the end of the street and wait...they must be driven).

The doctor's office was successfully found yesterday and I had a great visit with my primary care physician.  All of my "numbers" have improved which is great news.  I am going tomorrow for an X-ray of my knee.  My doctor is sure it is simply arthritis (which is more than enough) and not some other issue with the knee...but an X-ray will be done for confirmation purposes.  Meanwhile, I've started doing some exercises specifically for arthritic knees and this morning things already feel better!

I'm continuing with my arm exercises with baby weights (3 lbs) and doing that has completely eliminated the shoulder pain I was having (again arthritis).  And I've started incorporating some other movements that I used to do on a regular basis.  I believe that movement is key.

Meanwhile, enough of the aches and pains of aging.  It's Wednesday and time for linking up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about making and reading.  I don't have a whole lot to talk about, but let's jump right in!

First up is the almost finished first Honky Tonk shorty sock.

I was positive this would have been finished by today, but life got in the way.  I've about 10 rows left on the foot until the toe decrease.  With any luck, I will finish this today whilst Iris naps.  Then it will be time to start (and finish quickly) shortie #2.  My August yarn from the Farmer's Daughter arrived and Fletch really likes it, so I will be making a pair of socks for him.  And, of course, there are still many more skeins waiting to be knit up for various people.  Iris has said she would like another pair of socks (I'm sure the ones I last made for her no longer fit...she is growing so much!).

The Farmer's Daughter's August yarn:  "Harvest Lantern" - the little mini skein has a bit of loden green in it and the two skeins together are so pretty.

On the reading side of things, I'm still reading The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett.  I'm past the halfway mark, but my reading has slowed.  I'm actually getting a little tired or bored with this.  The book seems way longer than necessary...but that's just my opinion and I may have a change of heart once I finish it.  There are so many different stories going on and of course various bits of ugliness (1933 Oxford, MS).

Fletch and I are continuing to really enjoy Robert Mcfarlane's The Wild Places.  We have enjoyed all of the McFarlane books we have listened to, but perhaps this one may be the best so far!

Not started yet, but I decided to go ahead and download from Audible John of John by Douglas Stuart.  The queue at my library for the book is still pretty long and I'd like to have read it before our RWU book club meeting in September.

And that's a wrap for one.  I'll be with Iris again today and am looking forward to that time.  I hope your Wednesday brings you something delightful to enjoy!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 8/11/26

 Good Morning!

It's Tuesday and we seem to have survived another most humid day...more in store of us I'm afraid.  We had a few sprinkles and some distant thunder, but nothing significant.  We need a good, strong summer thunderstorm to clear the air (and water the garden).  However, it did cool down enough last evening that I did not even have to use the AC in the bedroom!!  That was wonderful.

Well, time for a TNT update.  I managed to finish the second row in the sampler.

Quite wrinkly, but there it is.  Next up some numbers.

I've a busy morning ahead of me.  My 9 a.m. appointment with my primary care doctor will be at an office I need to find!  Last week I got a phone call from the doctor's office telling me that a pipe had burst in their building and that upcoming appointments would be at another office.  It's not that much further away, but I need to locate it which means leaving the house a little earlier than normal.

Grocery shopping may be skipped.  We have so many (so many!!) leftovers in the fridge that it is crammed to overflowing.  I really want to use stuff up and then scrub the fridge.  Tonight I'm planning to make a quiche with asparagus and some left over ham.  I'll probably add mushrooms and onions because they are plentiful!

Here's hoping that this Tuesday finds you enjoying life!  Have some fun.

Weekending 8/10/26

 Good Monday Morning!

How are you and how was your weekend.  Mine was good.  I found time for a little bit of everything.  Some chores (bathrooms, laundry, kitchen floor) were done.  There was time for stitching and knitting as well as a bit of reading.  And baking and cooking.

A huge yellow bean casserole was made - like Thanksgiving huge.  Lots of onions and mushrooms sautéed up to go with the beans.  Actually I mixed yellow and green beans for the dish.  We've had it twice and there is still at least another serving!  And those beans keep coming in.  I won't bore you with yet another picture, but trust me when I say that Saturday I picked another two servings (at least).  And one of the large tomatoes finally ripened to where it could be picked.

A peach-blueberry cake was baked.  Good, but very sweet and rich.  Most of it will be going over to C&M today.

When I ventured out to the garden on Saturday I noticed that our hibiscus has opened a few of its buds!

The plant is loaded with clusters of buds - often 3 or 4 together.  It should be amazing when more open.

Figgy is doing well - still figs on it, but they do not seem to be getting larger or ripening.  Fingers crossed we get some.  And our apple tree is loaded with fruit.  The apples are all on the small side, but some look to be in very good condition - I may be able to make some applesauce!  So far the deer are sticking with consuming the fruit that has fallen - no standing on hind legs and reaching for branches (yet).

I hope your weekend brought some good things to you and I trust that the week ahead will be a good one!

Thursday Doings 8/6/26

 Bonjour!

We had some strong thunderstorms yesterday evening - just when we settled in to watch the first episode of the new season of Ted Lasso.  Fortunately the power stayed on.  We were gifted another inch of rain.

What you see above is perhaps the final glad blossom (there may be one more stalk that has not yet opened) along with a couple of zinnia, a couple of snap dragons and one marigold.  I do love fresh flowers in the house.

Yesterday was busy, but my mile long list was almost fully accomplished.  The only remaining thing that wasn't done was grocery shopping and we will take care of that this morning.  I've been wanting to cut the dead stalks from the Iris as well as the Glads and that was done.  More beans were picked and then blanched and quickly frozen.  Not having a chest or second freezer, my space is limited, but a few bags of summer beans are now in the freezer for cooler days.  There are still plenty in the fridge that I will be using in a day or two.  I also picked more cherry tomatoes, a cucumber, and noticed that FINALLY the bigger tomatoes are beginning to ripen.  There are not that many - maybe four on the plant, but any garden tomato will be so welcome.

There was a bit of running around - a trip to the post office to mail off a birthday gift for Leslie and (of course) a trip to CVS.  Another trip to CVS will be made today or tomorrow.  I'd also like to get to Trader Joe's - either today or (most likely) tomorrow.

Domestic chores (laundry, cleaning) were deliberately left off my list!  HA!  But really, towels should be washed and bathrooms cleaned.  Time will tell.

What are you up to as we wind down the first week of August?

Unraveled Wednesday 8/5/26

 Hello, hello,

I was out early this morning to have a blood test done.  On the way home there were actually sprinkles on my windshield.  I don't think rain is in the forecast, so that was a surprise.  It is very, very humid.  Thankfully my knee continues to feel better...it's just so weird though.

You all know I'm not a huge list-maker, but today I have a list of things to do that is a mile long.  There are not enough hours in the day.  But first, it is Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about making and reading.  Two things very dear to my heart.

Though it seemed to take FOREVER, I got through the heel flap and turn on my shortie sock and I am now onto the foot.

There were several times whilst knitting the heel flap that I would end up with extra stitches...or too few...always on a purl row.  I think I was just plain tired.  At least I was able to fix it.  The gusset stitches were picked up and then the decreases were done.  I'm now 20 rows into the foot, so not quite a third of the way, but close.  With luck I'll be casting on the second shortie sock soon.

Reading has been a pleasure.  Fletch and I did finish listening to The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane and we are now well into The Wild Places.  I had not realized, but these are part of a series on "Landscapes" by Macfarlane.  "The Old Ways" is book 2 and "The Wild Places" is book 3.  We will need to go back and listen to #1 and then #4.  Macfarlane's writing is so enjoyable and the narration of these books has been great.

I also read a volume of poetry:  The Wild Iris by Louise Gluck.  Though as a review states these poems celebrate being alive, I found them to be a bit on the dark side.  Still, some of the poems were extremely beautiful.  This particular volume won the The Nobel Prize in 1993.  Colin had seen a write up about Louise Gluck in The New York Review of Books and then bought this volume (because of the title!!).  Once he finished reading it, he passed it on to me to borrow.  I do love having a son who loves to read!

Before leaving Colin & Iris yesterday I grabbed one of the cucumbers from their garden.  Last week Colin used about 15 to make pickles and there are now at least another 15 on the counter in his kitchen!  I had used the last of mine the other day and the one still in the garden has not grown large enough to pick yet.  I think the one I took had been sampled by someone...perhaps a little mole?

No worries - I can just cut that section out.

Well, time for more coffee and getting a move on my long list of things to do.  I hope your Wednesday is a good one!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 8/4/26

 Good Morning!

How are you this first Tuesday in August?  I am doing well.  I've been having serious issues with my right knee - it often feels like it is going to "give out" or that I can't bend it properly to walk, etc.  This morning I woke up and it is just about 100% better.  Go figure.  I do see my primary doctor for a routine check up next week and I will talk to her about it.  The knee issue has been going on for several weeks - days that are bad and then a day or two that feel normal.  Weird.  Not sure if it is arthritis or some other issue, but hopefully it will stay feeling good!

Anyway, it's Tuesday and time for a TNT update.  I managed to stitch a few more letters and actually got to the end of the first (top) line, so now I can see how wide the piece will be.

Once again, the photo doesn't come close to doing justice with the thread color.  One of these days I will take it outside in the sun for a picture.  I should be able to get to the end of the letters soon and then I think there might be some numbers and then I'll be able to start in on the motifs.  I really enjoy stitching alphabets a lot, but it will be nice to get to the other things.

It was great to catch up with Colin and Iris yesterday (Mailing was at her office).  Their trip to Boston and East Greenwich, RI sounds like it was a wonderful time.  While in Boston Iris ate oysters on the half shell twice!  (I say yuck).  The first night she and Colin split a dozen oysters and she wanted more!  That girl can eat.

They enjoyed visiting the New England Aquarium and even watched the penguins being fed breakfast on Saturday morning!  Lots of fish and a giant sea turtle (500 lbs!).  They visited friends in Boston and Iris had her first subway ride.   

Though short (less than 24 hours), their visit in East Greenwich was fun.  The drive home was long, but luckily the rain held off.

I will be back over to watch Iris today and then I am done for this week!

Whatever your Tuesday holds, I hope it is something fun for you.

Weekending 8/3/26

 Good Morning!

Whew!  I woke at 2:30 this morning to very heavy rain, thunder and lightening.  We ended up with about an inch of rain overnight.  It still feels muggy and more rain is in the forecast for throughout the day.  I'm sure the garden is happy.

How was your weekend?  Mine was good.  Plenty of back and forth to C&M's to care for Talbot, plenty of cooking to put food for C&M&I in their fridge for their return from Boston and more garden produce was picked.  I made some ginger cream cookies.

Yum!  These cookies are soft (which means Fletch doesn't much care for them) and delicious.  The cookie jar at the house in Vermont was often filled with these (the recipe is from my Aunt Ellen),  More than half will find their way over to Iris today!

There were also blueberry muffins baked, Spicy Cuban Beef prepared and rice cooked.  Also a confetti corn salad (fresh corn, red pepper, cucumber, ginger, garlic, basil and mint with a dressing of oil, rice wine vinegar, a pinch of sugar and fresh lime juice).  The kids made it down from New England around dinner time, so hopefully they enjoyed an easy meal!

Talbot was happy to see me when I made it over to feed him.  I sat and read for a bit on Saturday morning after feeding him and he kept me company!

Talbot is a big licker - LOL.  When I was standing ini the kitchen getting his food bowls filled, he would rub up agains me and then lick my leg.  Better than clawing me I suppose!

I found a wine that I HAD to buy:

Great label - naturally from California.  The wine is ok, not great, a little sweeter than I prefer, but drinkable.

Meanwhile, the garden continues to produce.

A few green beans, some lettuce and Swiss chard, a few sun gold cherry tomatoes and another abundant amount of yellow pole beans.  This was yesterday's haul.  The yellow beans are on a mission to outshine any zucchini plants in the neighborhood!  I have never seen pole beans produce so much (we really do not have that many plants!).  Luckily our neighbors Rob and Eva took yesterday's amount.  I had also left a huge bag in C&M's fridge and still have way too many beans in our fridge.  I may take a page from Bonny's book and start blanching and freezing some.  We love them...just not every night!

Colin's front garden bed has another Tigridia bloom:

I just can't get over how gorgeous these flowers are.  I'm definitely getting some bulbs to plant next Spring.  He also has another flower blooming that I have not seen before:

Very pretty.  I'm pretty sure this is one of the native pollinators he bought.

Well, time for coffee and I want to pull together some kind of lunch to take over to C&M's today.  I'm excited to see Iris again.  Whatever your plans, I hope they bring you joy.

The End of July 7/31/26

 Hello!

How is everyone doing on this last day of July?  And who can believe that tomorrow is August already?

Yesterday was such a lovely day for me.  It was humid, but not hot.  Laundry was done in the morning and a run to the post office to get stamps and a box for shipping Leslie's birthday gift to her.  Also (naturally) a visit to CVS to pick up a prescription.  I also ventured out to the garden.  

Yesterday's haul!  The bush green beans are now coming in along with more (and more and more) yellow pole beans.  Another small cucumber and a good picking of the sun gold cherry tomatoes.  I took a very large bag of yellow beans over to Colin & Mailing's yesterday afternoon when I fed Talbot - I was having a hard time finding room for everything in my own fridge!

Early yesterday afternoon I had the most wonderful massage.  Mallory, my massage therapist, is a miracle worker!  I wanted to just come home and fall into a deep sleep, but instead I folded towels from the dryer and then drove over to feed Talbot.

Today I plan to spend a bit of time over at C&M's.  I'll feed Talbot, clean the litter box and then settle in for some knitting.  I need to tink a bit - I discovered my heel flap has a few extra stitches.  Not sure how that happened, but hopefully I can find the error and correct.  Later I'll venture back out to the garden - I know there will be more beans to pick.

I started to read The Calamity Club, but the book is so big and heavy and my eyes grew tired and heavy too.  Hopefully I'll make more progress in that later today.  It is laugh out loud funny in places.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend and a great start to August - enjoy!!

Unraveled Wednesday 7/29/26

 Good Morning!

The forecast rain did indeed roll in late yesterday afternoon and evening and we ended up with an inch or so of rain!  Much needed and appreciated.  It sounded and smelled so good!!  And, more is in the forecast for late in the day again today.

It is so hard to believe that we are at the end of July.  Where did it go?  It's now the last Wednesday of the month and time to link up with Kat  and her Merry Band of Unravelers to chat about making and reading.  I know it's difficult to believe, but I have finally picked up my Honky Tonk yarn and started a shortie sock!

The photo shows that I am part of the way down the heel flap. Honestly, I thought I would finish the heel flap, turn the heel and at. least pick up the gusset stitches.  But, I guess my less-than-stellar nights of sleep finally caught up with me - yesterday I had a two hour nap and woke up just in time to get dinner ready!

A new pattern that has caught my attention is Flyover by Alison K. Lee for Quince and Co.  Has anyone else noticed this one?  I love the looks of it for a nice Fall walk.  No plans yet to make it, but I'm thinking...

Meanwhile there has been reading.  I finished This Book Made Me Think Of You by Libby Page.  This was a quick read and a bit of fluff (my opinion).  A cute story but perhaps overly sweet.  However, it was the perfect book to read after consuming "Land" by Maggie O'Farrell the other week.

After that I read The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry.  Again, an easy read, but quite enjoyable.  And, it's based on a true story which I had not realized until I read the author's notes at the end of the story.  Plus, Beatrix Potter is mentioned, so what's not to love?

Today I'm back to watching Iris and looking forward to that.  Mailing is headed to Boston today for work and Colin & Iris are driving up there tomorrow for a long weekend.  After hanging in Boston, they will head over to Rhode Island for Saturday night.  They will be staying with Jan & Pete (Leslie's sister) and as it turns out, Leslie will be there too.  I'm so glad they will have a chance to see everyone.  I will still be going over to their house each day (twice a day) to care for and feed Talbot.  I also want to cook something to leave in their fridge so that they don't need to think about dinner when they return on Sunday.

More beans and tomatoes were picked yesterday - they are really coming in like gangbusters now!  I'll be able to leave a healthy serving for C&M&I and still have plenty for us!

And a surprise visitor yesterday - Froggy made an appearance!!

The green he is sitting on is a microfiber cloth sitting over the pump in our water feature.  The cloth helps keep debris from settling on the pump, so it runs better.

Well, time to sip some coffee and wake up.  Also I need to pull together a lunch for today.  May your Wednesday find you happily doing something you love!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 7/28/26

 Good Morning Everyone,

How are you?  It is still so muggy here in Eastern PA.  We had a little rain yesterday afternoon, but it did not clear the air.  More rain is expected today - in fact there are flash flood warnings out.

Anyway, it's Tuesday, so time for a TNT update.

A few more letters were stitched and I'm relieved to tell you that the piece is beginning to draw me in and appeal to me.  Whew!  I wish I could get a picture that more accurately shows the thread color which is labeled "aqua marine" and is a gorgeous shade of blue.  The silk thread is hand dyed, so there are subtle variations to it which are just lovely.  You may have noticed that there is no "J" stitched.  Most early samplers left out the J as it was not included in a classic or traditional alphabet.

Yesterday some of you asked if I would make elderberry syrup from the berries that have ripened.  I have never done that, but decided to give it a try yesterday.  The recipe I found only called for simmering a cup of berries in 3 cups of water along with fresh grated ginger, cloves and a cinnamon stick.  After 30 minutes or so you use a potato mashed to squash the berries to release the juice, then strain it to get rid of stems, the cinnamon stick and cloves.  Once cooled you add a cup of honey or agave nectar.  This is what I ended up with.

It is ok - the flavor is not real strong, but I think it might be good drizzled on vanilla ice cream!

There were also more beans and sun gold cherry tomatoes harvested yesterday.

We took some beans over to C&M on Saturday and Colin cooked them on Sunday.  Colin said Iris kept asking for more, and ended up having 3 servings!

Here's hoping your Tuesday holds something good for you!

Weekending 7/27/26

 Good Muggy Morning!

Yeah, the mugginess is back and rain is in our forecast.  But, what a glorious weekend it was.  Perfect weather for being outside.  Once again we ended up at Colin & Mailing's for dinner on Saturday.  We had ribs, greens and corn bread.  All yummy.  I brought a lemony turmeric teacake for dessert.

It was pretty and lemony, but honestly it was not that great.  It was a new recipe that I was trying and I have not bothered to save the recipe...lol.  But really, the meal was wonderful and we ate outside.  Afterwards it was pleasant to sit by a fire in the pit.

Yesterday was laundry day and two loads were hung on the lines to dry.  When hanging the clothes, I noticed our elderberry bush and saw that the berries are already turning dark.

Soon the birds will be feasting.  It feels a little early to me, but I can't really remember when they started to turn last year.

The plan for today is to just relax and do some making and reading.  Fingers crossed nothing gets in my way!  How was your weekend?

Thursday in the Garden 7/23/26

 Good Morning!

Once again this morning our air feels a little chilly!  It's a welcome feeling.  Our humidity is lowering (finally).

Today I thought I would share some garden stuff with you.  First up, our Gladiolas.  You've seen the red ones I've shown, but now we have some pink.  They are nice, but from the patio they look just pink.  Nothing more.  Up close is another story though.  Just look:

From a distance, the gorgeous inside is not really seen.  But, oh my!  And now, we also have a stalk that is an orange-peach color:

Stunning!

Now on to the veggie section.  I am still picking just one or two cherry tomatoes per day.  Soon it will be a mad rush to keep up with the production (at least I hope it is), but for now it is slow and steady.  The cucumber and cantaloup seedlings that Colin gave us have not been doing as well.  In fact, we thought they all died.  But then, I spotted one lone plant with a cucumber about an inch long.  Several days later, the cucumber looked like this:

There is another inch-long one coming along!  Our green bush beans are beginning to form.  We had not noticed any of our yellow pole beans and when I asked Fletch, he said there were not any yet.  However, when I looked I found an abundance of beans!  This is what I picked:

These were cooked up for dinner last night and they are delicious!  I'll check the plants later today because I know there are more hiding behind the leaves.

After thinking we would not have much of a garden, things are growing so nicely.  It's wonderful to pick fresh produce and then use it.

Yesterday brought a lovely surprise for me.  Bonnie is back from China and among all the things she brought for Iris, Colin & Mailing, she also brought something for me!  A beautiful cashmere wrap.

The picture shows it folded in half, but it is roughly 30" by 70" or so - a wonderful size to wrap around you.  Colin thought it would also make a lovely runner for the buffet.  I may try that idea.

Naturally today holds some errand running for me as well as some (previously avoided) chores.  Dinner will be easy - just nachos, so not much bother about that.  Therefore, I am hoping for an uninterrupted afternoon of making!  Wishing you a wonderful Thursday!

Unraveled Wednesday 7/22/26

 Good Morning!

Despite some thunderstorms late in the day yesterday, it is still extremely muggy.  Ugh!  And, not that much rain fell here - less than third of an inch by our rain gauge.

Before I get back to watching Iris today, it's time for linking up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers for an Unraveled Wednesday post.  No, I still have not knit or started anything new, and I did not pick up Semplice.  I did, however, make a catnip toy for Talbot using the too-small-sock I knit.

After getting rid of all the stems and sticks from the dried catnip, there wasn't really enough for two toys.  Anyway, Mabel has her REAL plant outside!  I took the too-small-sock and tucked the cuff end down into the rest of the sock so it would have a double thickness, stuffed it with the dried leaves and then sewed it shut.  Hopefully Talbot will like it.  I'll take it to him this morning.

Since I last posted about reading, I have finished two books.  I read Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin.  I don't know why this book never crossed my path previously - so many have read it and loved it.  Food memoirs are one of my favorite genres to read.  However, I did not really care for this book.  None of her recipes appealed to me and I found myself disagreeing with many things she said about food and cooking.  Oh well, to each their own.  I'm glad to have read it anyway.

Next up I read Land by Maggie O'Farrell which many of you have already read.  I think most of you will be very surprised to learn that I absolutely loved this book!  Yes it was bleak and harrowing in places.  Certainly no good fortune but plenty of bad luck.  Yet, I found myself responding to how resilient the characters are and I even found the book hopeful in a way.  I thought the ending was great.  I also kept thinking about how strong the female characters are that O'Farrell creates - not only Rose and Enda and Phina, but also Agnes from Hamnet and Lucrezia from The Marriage Portrait.

Now I'm almost finished another book - much less intense than Land and I'll be able to talk about that one next week.  Fletch and I only have a couple of hours left in our listening to The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane.  I've already downloaded The Wild Places by Macfarlane for our next listen.

What have you been up to in the making department and what have you been reading?

Tiny Needle Tuesday 7/21/26

 Good Morning All,

Gosh!  Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day with mild temps.  It felt wonderful.  Today is grey and cloudy.  We are forecast to have strong thunderstorms with strong winds - mainly later on - but it looks like the skies could open at any moment.  It's dark!

After dithering about for a couple of weeks, I did finally put needle and thread to fabric yesterday and made a (very) small start.

Yes, just 3 little letters.  This is the start of a Quaker-ish piece by A Mon Ami Pierre (no longer in business).  I do like Quaker pieces and the thread is lovely - it is silk hand dyed thread by Vicki Clayton and the color is Aqua Marine.  It is lighter than the photo shows.  I am just not sure about the fabric which is 28 count.

Of course, after that small start and being not sure about the fabric or the design, I spent yet another 1.5 hours looking over patterns and fabric in my stash.  Nothing called to me (again).  Most likely I will stitch a few more of the letters and see what it looks like.  Or not.  LOL

The weather, as I mentioned, was so great yesterday I did a lot of cooking.  I made potato salad for dinner.  A blueberry crostata was baked.

I confess to having a tiny bite while it was still warm from the oven.  Heavenly!

Then I roasted some nuts!  Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts were all tossed with a tiny amount of EVOO and then sprinkled with fresh rosemary and thyme, sea salt, a little habanero salt, red pepper flakes and a touch of black pepper.

I need to remember that nuts are a healthy snack...but not in a huge quantity.  LOL

Dinner was simply hot dogs to go with the potato salad, but I decided to do them on the indoor grill and added marinated mushrooms (which fell off the skewer I had them on) as well as slices of zucchini and yellow squash.  

Once again, it's obvious that we love to eat!

Today will find me back at a a grocery store - I'm planning on shrimp and pineapple skewers for dinner with corn on the cob.  Need the pineapple and the corn.  The bathrooms are begging to be scrubbed, but time will tell whether that happens or not.  This weather is making it feel like a very lazy day!

May your Tuesday find you with something tasty to eat and something fun to do!

Weekending 7/20/26

 Good Morning!

The skies have cleared and the smoky haze is no more.  Thank God.  And, temps have moderated.  This morning the air almost has a little nip to it which I am loving.

Our young visitor one morning.  You can spot the rear side of the mama doe at the bog area.  This little one was just so sweet.

How was your weekend?  Mine was good.  There was a lot of laundry and a big grocery shopping (still more of each of those needed).  I read a lot.  I did not get to knit or stitch, but I'm holding out hope for today.

More Glads have opened and the new ones are pink.  So pretty.

Some of the red stalks are falling over.  Surprisingly, the deer have not touched the ones that have fallen over the fence.  Perhaps they prefer the apples that keep falling from our tree.  I also picked our first cherry tomatoes (ours are the "Sun Gold" variety).

Last night we went over to Colin & Mailing's for dinner.  Colin grilled chicken and romaine lettuce (I had forgotten how good grilled lettuce is!) and had made a wonderful pasta salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, chick peas and Kalamata olives.  We took over an almond cake I had made in the morning.  It was so nice that we had a fire in the pit after dinner.  That seemed odd coming off our smoke-filled recent days, but it was fun and felt good too.

Right now I have potatoes and eggs cooking on the stove.  Later I will make potato salad to go with our dinner.  There are a few errands I want to run this morning, but otherwise my day is free.  I'm holding off on chores (bathrooms) until tomorrow.  It feels weird to not be going over to watch Iris after 2 straight weeks of non-stop watching.  But a little break is nice too.  I'll be back to watching on Wednesday and Friday of this week.

Here's hoping your weekend was a good one and that Monday morning finds you ready to face a new week!

Thursday Miscellany. 7/16/26

 Good Morning All,

I was feeling weary yesterday and pretty much stayed off the computer.  I may catch up today...or I may not.  This sultry weather is pretty draining.  Damon (Fletcher's brother) texted yesterday that in the morning our temps (in Eastern PA) were higher than Death Valley at the same time!  And now we have major air quality issues with the smoke from Canada coming down.  

Luckily (since I was so tired), Iris took a 2 hour and 45 minute nap after lunch!  I usually read (or knit if I have anything to knit).  I might close my eyes for a few minutes, but I don't nap and it's a good thing I don't - Iris almost rolled off the couch yesterday twice!!  She sometimes tosses and turns whilst sleeping.

We have not been grocery shopping in quite some time, so options for dinner are limited.  Last night I fixed a dish I've been meaning to try.  Onion and garlic is sautéed in butter, then gnocchi is added.  Once that cooks a bit and the gnocchi starts to brown, a can of drained and rinsed white beans is added along with a lot of cut up roasted peppers.  Kale is supposed to be added but our kale had grown yellow and slimy so that was tossed.  Instead I added a lot of fresh parsley.  We also had the first two cherry tomatoes from our garden and a cucumber cut up from Colin's garden!

Fletch added some parmesan cheese to his bowl, but I skipped that!  The kale would have been a great addition - or spinach or chard or any green, and next time I would skip the gnocchi - I didn't much care for that!  Still, an easy and quick dinner.  Rummaging around in the freezer I found a container from when we had chicken fajitas a few weeks back, so that will be dinner tonight.

When I walked out to the garden to pick the parley I saw two things.  First up, our first zinnia is blooming.

More importantly, I discovered the first figs!  Figgy is growing fast and getting big, so I'm hoping we will have lots and lots of figs.

It will be another oppressive day, so stay hydrated and inside as much as you can.

Tiny Needle Tuesday - Again With No Stitching 7/14/26

 Hello Friends,

Here we are at yet another Tuesday and I have NO tiny needle projects to share.  I still cannot settle on a pattern or fabric.  Now I'm leaning towards a Quaker-like piece from A Mon Ami Pierre (no longer in business) that I found in my stash.  I even picked out a silk thread to try (aqua marine) as the piece will be done as a monochrome.  But, I haven't had the energy or time or will to look at fabric and put needle and thread to it.  Hopefully soon, but I guess for now I just need a break.

Now, of course, the heat is building and we are in for a few days of scorching heat which might mean no stitching.  Time will tell.  Fortunately, by the time dinner is over it has been pleasant sitting on the patio to read (that may not be the case today, tomorrow or Thursday though).  What we need is a good, strong thunderstorm to clear things out!

What I do have to share with you though is a photo of the trio who showed up in our yard last night.  Triplet fawns!!

Sweet things!  Do you see the Glads?  (Picnic benches on top of the table so the mower guys could do a thorough job.  Also the hose coiled up and hanging on the fence rather than laying in the yard for the same reason.)

Deer have been coming down into the yard to feast on apples that are starting to drop from the tree.  I've seen both bucks and does.  But these are the first fawns I've seen this year.

Hoping you see something that brings a smile to your face!  Have a great Tuesday.

Weekending 7/13/26

 Hello Everyone!

How are you?  How was your weekend?  Mine was filled to the brim.  Due to watching Iris 5 days last week (and this week too), I had a long - VERY LONG - list of things to get done.

Dusting was successfully avoided.  BUT, vacuuming was completed as well as washing/scrubbing the kitchen floor.  The library was visited as well as the liquor store.  Much cooking was done.  I made deviled eggs, chicken salad, two batches of cookies.  Dinners were cooked and salads made.  I also candied a bunch of jalapeños!

One of these jars will find its way over to C&M this morning (along with cookies).

The first tomato was picked and the Glads have exploded (with no damage from deer!).

If you click to enlarge, you may notice that the Glad blooms are outlined in white.  So pretty!

I also repotted some plants.  A new cactus was bought for my little camper pot and the juniper Colin dug up for me found its was to a new pot.

The juniper almost looks like a little bonsai plant, doesn't it?  I hope it survives and I hope it produces some berries.  That would be fun (and pretty).

Naturally I'm exhausted now, but am looking forward to time with Iris.  I hope your Monday has something good in store for you!

TGIF 7/10/26

 Good Friday Morning!

The sun is strong this morning and it looks like it will be a beautiful day.  We may get some rain but not until late in the afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon I was thrilled to see that our first Glads have opened!

Last year we had these Glads in a front bed and the deer chomped them as soon as the faintest color showed.  This year, Fletch planted the bulbs in the raised bed box at the rear of the garden - where we used to grow potatoes and garlic.  Zinnias are planted there too, but no buds yet on them.  The garden is fenced, so hopefully the deer won't be able to get to these.

This photo shows the bluebird house (where wrens took up residence this year) and the raised bed box where the Glads are.  It also shows the fence which consists of tall green metal poles to which the screened fence is attached and then a railing at the top of the fence made out of bamboo (from our yard).  Yesterday, while sitting on the patio, I was amazed to see Mabel climb paw over paw up that rear most metal pole!  She walked a little along the railing and then jumped down by the bottom of the box.  There was something down there - a mouse? a rabbit? a mole? that caught her attention because she kept nosing around the bottom of the box.  Usually Mabel will climb the wooden gate at the front of the garden to get in.  I've never seen her climb a metal pole before!  I wish I'd had my phone with me to get a picture.  She could join the circus!!

This has been my first full week of watching Iris (5 days) and it has been great!  Next week will be another full week as Bonnie (Mailing's Mom) is still in China visiting friends and family.  As wonderful as it has been, it means my weekend will be filled with chores that I can't get to during the week.  I already have a long list of things to get done this weekend.  Luckily we have decided to just order out steak sandwiches for dinner tonight.  Yay!

Wishing you the best possible weekend - hopefully the weather will be nice and there will be some fun!

A Flower and a Cake! 7/9/26

 Hello and Good Morning,

Dawn is breaking, but I think we are in for a bit of a rainy day.  After the humidity kind of lessened the other day, it now feels as though it is back (with a vengeance!).

Yesterday morning, before lunch but after Colin's meeting, we walked out front with Iris to check on one of the front beds.  Lo and behold!  A tigridia was blooming.  Gorgeous!

Colin planted a number of tigridia bulbs the other year and he may have had one or two blooms in the past, but deer love these flowers.  I'll be surprised if this is still visible when I go over this morning.  This year a number of native pollinator plants were put in this bed.  Some are surviving, but there are noticeable "chomps" here and there.

Last night I had enough energy after dinner (and a load of towels washed) to make a coffee cake!

I used This Recipe for a blueberry buttermilk coffee cake.  (Note:  I did not have buttermilk, so I did the white vinegar added to milk thing and I used fresh blueberries rather than frozen.)

Back in the day (in my late teens/early twenties I was making coffee cakes all the time.  I used my Mom's Betty Crocker cookbook and they were always good.  I like coffee cakes because they are easy and fast to make and usually very tasty.  Once this had cooled, I cut it into eight pieces.  (A little piece did break off, so I HAD to taste it - YUM!!!).  Half of the cake is going over to C&M's today.  This is one cake I will make again...maybe even with raspberries for a change!

Here's hoping your Thursday finds you having something tasty!