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!

Unraveled Wednesday 7/8/26

 Good Morning Fellow Makers!

How are you?  Gosh!  The air almost feels chilly this morning...I'm in a tee shirt and PJ pants and could almost use another top - a light flannel shirt or sweater!  And yesterday, whilst Iris napped on the couch, I had to turn the ceiling fan off at C&M's.  The door between the living room and sunroom was open and a fairly strong breeze was coming in.  We (Colin, Iris and I) walked outside to check on Colin & Iris' garden before lunch and even with leggings, a tee shirt and flannel shirt, I was cold!  Amazing after last week.  I've also noticed the morning light changing (already).  It's kind of dark now when I get up and the birds are not quite as loud early in the morning.  

Time marches on and now it is Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.

Well, surprise, surprise!  I have a finished object to share:

The first slip stitch sock is finished!  It was finished Saturday morning, July 4th.  HOWEVER, it might just be the only one.  Looks pretty, huh?  But let me tell you, it is small and tight.  Tight as in my foot can't get into it!  Friends, I know I am a very tight knitter (I'm trying to ease up, but...) and this sock proves it.  I used size 1 needles (I really should know better).  There are 15 rows of ribbing at the cuff; roughly 70 rows on the leg; the heel flap and turn and then about 65 rows on the foot before the toe decreases.  This should fit my friend Janet, but I'm betting it's too small even for her.  As proof, all that knitting used only 32 grams of yarn!

There are still 75 grams of yarn left from the skein!  So, I'm debating what to do.  

• I could knit another sock like this and then donate the pair
• I could throw this one in the trash (or make a cat toy from it)
• I could unravel this and use the remaining 75 grams for a pair of socks using #2 needles and have this extra yarn "just in case."

I have yet to decide what to do, so no knitting has taken place.  I'm still looking at patterns and looking at my yarn and thinking I really (REALLY) should finish my Semplice Shawl or I should use the skein of Jane yarn that I wound and cast on a hat or this...or that...  I will cogitate on this a bit longer.

Meanwhile, reading has been good (at least I've been able to concentrate better and finish 2 books!).  Over the weekend I finished Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer.  This was one of those books that I wondered if I would finish.  At first I was confused with all the characters and the various stories, but I got into the rhythm of the book and ended up really enjoying it.  Nothing wrong with a story set in Italy!

Next up was another Bruno, Chief of Police novel by Martin Walker - The Templars' Last Secret.  Definitely not my favorite Bruno book, but the food and wine in the Bruno stories are always so good.  Also, Martini Walker obviously does his research and knows what he writes about.  This book dealt with archaeological finds as well as present day tensions between Palestine and Israel.  

Fletch and I are continuing our usual slow pace of listening to a book for 15 o 20 minutes after dinner.  We are still into The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane and thoroughly enjoying it.  The narration is good and the journey is pleasant.

Meanwhile, I received notice that 2 more books are in for me from the library:  "Land" by Maggie O'Farrell (hoping I enjoy more than Bonny or Kym) and "This Book Made Me Think Of You" by Libby Page.  I've been in the rather long queues for both of these novels, so I'm hoping to enjoy.  My plan is to pick these up on Saturday and hopefully between now and then I can finish 1 or 2 of the library books in a stack on my nightstand!

Have a wonderful Wednesday and enjoy checking out what all the Unravelers are making and reading.  My guess is that you will find something (or many things) to inspire you.  Have fun!

Tiny Needle Tuesday With Food Instead of Stitching 7/7/26

Hello Folks,

Well, the title kind of explains this post on a TNT.  I've got no stitching to show!  The piece I had been working on - Sew Red - ended up in the garbage.  LOL. I was bored and I did not like the fabric.  Plus, when I looked back, it turns out I had stitched that exact pattern with that exact thread (but on nicer fabric) 2 years ago!  No wonder I was bored.

And I have not been able to settle on a pattern.  I pulled out one BIG sampler - AED Germany 1746 - and pulled threads and fabric and then decided I didn't feel like stitching it.  Then I pulled another one - The Practical Sampler - by Eileen Bennett.  I enjoy her samplers because they incorporate a lot of different stitches and this one has white work which I love.  But I started it and didn't like the fabric (again).

Bottom line, nothing appeals at this moment.  I'm hoping the break in the weather will change my attitude.  Meanwhile, I've been cooking and thought I would share two recipes with you.  First up I made Egg Roll Ramen Skillet which turned out well.  Naturally I forgot pictures.  For those of you who don't like or don't want ground pork, I'm sure ground chicken or turkey would work just fine.  One ramen noodle packet would have been sufficient for us (instead of the called for 3 packages!!), but it was tasty and easy to make.  There is some in the fridge for Fletch to have for lunch and I took some over for Colin.  There is also some in the freezer for another day.

Last night I made Enchilada Stuffed Mushrooms.

Easy-peasy and quite tasty.  Also, lots of the enchilada filling left over which I put in the freezer.  I may add chicken or beef to it when I pull it out to thaw.  The portobello shrooms were huge and Fletch and I ended up splitting one.  The second is ready for Fletch for lunch one day.  Here's the recipe if anyone is interested:

Sorry for the shadows, but if you click to enlarge I think the recipe is legible.  Hopefully I'll have some stitching to show you next week.  Meanwhile, have a great Tuesday!

Weekending 7/6/26

 Good Morning All,

How are you and how was your 4th of July?  The weather...so freakin' oppressive.  I pretty much had a feeling of lassitude ALL weekend.  It was hard to settle to do anything.  Nothing appealed.  I did not want to stitch, I did not want to knit, I didn't even really feel like reading much.  I did cook though.  Go figure...when the temps are over 100 I end up baking cookies!

We went to Zhongren's house Friday for dinner and he asked that we bring cookies.  So, I made a bar cookie using oatmeal, pumpkin and peanut butter.  I forgot to take a picture.  Once cooked and then cooled, a thin layer of chocolate is spread on the top.  They were good.  I also made basil lime shortbread cookies.

Who doesn't love a shortbread cookie?  Well, Fletch is not that fond of them...  These have fresh chopped basil and lime zest in them.  YUM!!!  The best part was watching Iris walk around with an ear of corn that she would gnaw on - too cute.

Saturday we ended up at Colin & Mailing's for dinner.  Colin grilled and I made a corn and black bean salad.  There was also an avocado and cucumber salad and Colin baked a fresh cherry pie.  Oh my!  

Finally after we got home on Saturday, the winds picked up (a lot) and then the rain came.  We only got about half an inch, but it cooled things off a bit and we ended up getting another inch or so last night.  The garden is happy.

The feeling of ennui is still with me somewhat.  I can't settle on any one thing to do or make.  I'm sure that will change in a bit (fingers crossed), but first I'm heading out later to watch Iris.  Luckily it looks like a rainy day with cooler temps.  I hope your Monday finds you doing something fun!

Thursday Musings

 Hello,

Well, It's a sticky mess out there, isn't it?  The temp is already up there and not much air is moving.  I'm trying to get stuff done early this morning.  I've already cooked bacon to put in a broccoli salad and I have shrimp thawing - I will cook them in a bit and we will have cold shrimp and salad for dinner.  I've also hard boiled some eggs to make deviled eggs - much easier for a warm morning than frying or scrambling an egg.

Years (decades) ago when we moved into our house, our woods beyond the back lawn were filled with wild blackberry bushes.  We would pick tons.  Then all of a sudden, there were a. lot of ticks and I stopped going into the woods.  Fast forward to this year and Fletch announced that there is a wild blackberry in the garden!  It's right by the fig and hibiscus.  Yesterday when I got home from Colin's I strolled out to the garden to take a peek.  Sure enough - and the berries are beginning to ripen!

The off-white thing in the background is a raised bed (tall cylinder) where we have lettuce (an over-abundance) growing and bush beans beginning to grow.  You may need to enlarge the pic to see the berries, but they are there!  I'm hoping we get some before the birds grab them all.

I also noted that our Sun Gold Cherry Tomato plant at long last has tomatoes!  Woo-Hoo.

I have a bit more cooking on my agenda.  We are headed to Mailing's parents tomorrow for a cookout.  Well, Bonnie will be on her way to China, but Zhongren is hosting and he has requested that we bring cookies.  I've decided to make Basil Lime Shortbread (which both Colin and I LOVE) and a recipe for bars that I found - it calls for mixing oatmeal, peanut butter, pumpkin and some other stuff and baking in an 8" pan.  Then melted chocolate goes on top.  Sounds good to me!  On Saturday, the 4th, we will be at C&M's for a cookout.  I've been tasked with making and bringing a corn & black bean salad.  Easy peasy.

 A trip to the library will also happen - there are 5 or 6 books waiting for me to pick them up!  Finally, I hope to find some time for stitching and knitting, but we shall see.

Thanks for all your nice comments on my hair.  I love the cut and am so happy to be rid of so much length!

Please take it easy if you are in the midst of this heatwave.  Our township (Lower Providence) has even cancelled the July 4th celebration and fireworks due to the excessive heat warnings.  And Fletch read that our air quality (lack of) is being impacted by the fires out west.  

Unraveled Wednesday 7/1/26

 Good Morning!

I'm enjoying the early hours before the heat and humidity really settle in for the day.  Right now it is rather pleasant, but I know what this afternoon will be like....

So hey!  It's Wednesday (the first of July which does NOT seem possible) and it's time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about making and reading.

Monday early afternoon was actually quite pleasant outside.  I put a small table in front of my chair on the patio and set out my knitting, a book, and a glass of Pinot Grigio.  Bliss!  I had to bring out a different chair as the one I usually sit in is a deck chair with arms which doesn't really work for knitting.  Easy enough to remedy.

My first slip stitch sock is almost halfway down the foot.  I was easily distracted by bird song and Mabel roaming around.  Slow knitting is nice.  No one wants to wear a wool sock today, so there is no rush to finish.

Reading has also been a little slower, but so good.  I finished Whistler by Ann Patchett and loved it!  Honestly, I wasn't sure I would.  There has been so much (so much) buzz about this book and then, of course, Ann Patchett is set to win the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction.  So I wasn't sure, but oh my!  What a wonderful book.  Strong, likable characters and a wonderful story!

I am now in the midst (roughly 100 pages in) of Villa Coco which (so far) is proving to be an amusing romp through Italy.  Such fun characters - but so many of them!  I might need a cheat sheet to keep all of them in my mind.

And, finally, Fletch and I are listening to The Old Ways - A Journey on Foot by Robert McFarlane.  We had enjoyed listening to "Is a River Alive?" so decided to try this one.  Very good.  Though I don't retain as much listening to books, it's a very enjoyable listen.  Kat - I think you recommended this one quite some time ago (at least that's what my notes say on my TBR list).

I'm still in queue (long queues) for a number of books (Theo of Golden, Land, Country People, etc.) so I requested some other books to fill time while waiting for the popular ones.  Well, late yesterday I received an email that four of those requested are waiting for me to pick them up!  When it rains it pours!  As I always say, not a bad problem.  I will not pick them up today (I'll be with Iris all day), but probably tomorrow.

Yesterday I did a thing.  I got my hair chopped!!  It had gotten long (like down to my bra strap on my back) and all I ever did with it was pull it back into a pony tail or with a clip or put it in a bun on top of my head.  I was bored and tired with that.  And hey!  Cutting so much off is kind of a weight loss plan.  LOL. Anyway, here is the new (slightly cooler) moi:

Just a chin length bob that hopefully will be easy to "do".  I'm not one to spend a lot of time with a blow dryer or product.  I'm a wash and wear type of gal, so we will see how it works out.  It looked fine this morning when I got out of bed, so that's a plus!

Wishing you a wonderful start to July.  Have some fun and stay cool and hydrated!