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.

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!

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 6/29/26

 Good Morning!

Whew!  It is soggy here.  We did not get the anticipated rain - just a smidge - but everything feels damp or wet.  The air is heavy and not much is moving outside.  Even the birds seem to be rather still.  Seems like everyone is gearing up for the nasty heat wave headed our way.  I've been going through recipes and finding cool salads to make and recipes that don't require a lot of effort.

Our weekend was nice.  Nothing much going on.  I managed to do a few chores (laundry and bathroom cleaning), but otherwise just took it easy.  Knitting, stitching and reading were on my agenda.  And, I have started working out with my weights (quite light) at home and I can feel an improvement in my upper arms and shoulders after only a couple of days.  Movement needs to happen every day!

Yesterday I did turn the oven on.  I made a peach/apricot/blueberry crostata...and made it just in time before all of the fruit went bad!

I have not yet tried it, but Fletch had a piece and pronounced it excellent!  And then, since the oven was already warmed up, I decided to roast some nuts and used fresh rosemary and thyme along with sea salt and a little bit of red pepper flakes.

Almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and pistachios.  YUM!!!

Saturday night we watched "Song Sung Blue" which we both thought was ok.  Not great, but an easy watch on a hot summer night.

Mabel has been taking it easy and hanging around.  She goes over to the apple tree and nibbles/munches on her catnip plant now and again.

We have a screen around it to protect it from the lawn guys who whacked it down with one of their weed whackers one day!  It came back and it is now above the top of the screen, so easy enough to bite now and then.

Wishing you all a relaxing Monday.  Stay cool and hydrated!!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 6/16/26

 Good Morning!

Mid-June found me turning off the ceiling fan in the middle of the night!  I was chilly.  And when I came downstairs and looked outside, the thermometer was in the mid-fifties!!  What a change and what a relief.  Yesterday was a pleasant day as well with cooler temps and strong wind all day.  The thunderstorms Sunday evening seemed to have cleared things out.  Though pollen still seems to be high.

Anyway, here we are at Tuesday and it's time for a TNT update.  The last large creature has been outlined and it is a lion!!

After I outlined him, I realized there was more grass in the Garden of Eden to be filled in just under him.  I got that green stitched and ran out of steam before I could start filling in the lion.  Here is an overall shot.

As I mentioned last week, there is still another creepy crawly bug to be stitched to the right of Eve as well as the words "And All Was For An Appil."  I didn't care for the lettering on the chart, so I spent time the other day looking at alphabet books and deciding on different letters to use.  My plan is to get the lion filled in before starting anything else...but plans don't always happen, so we shall see.

I have an eye doctor appointment this morning and then, at some point I need to pick up a few groceries.  And, two more books came in for me at my library!  Hopefully some stitching time will be found later.

Our cool morning brought a couple of visitors to our back yard.

Looking at that photo makes me realize it's been ages since I did any archery.  I need to get out my bow and do some!

Finally, I'll share a recipe that we had for dinner last night.  This is a recipe from Colin and it is delicious!  I added a bunch of fresh spinach and we had it with warmed Italian bread.  Yummy and very filling.

Wishing you all a happy Tuesday!

Friday Cooking and Other Things

 Hello My Friends,

Today is a later-than-usual post from moi.  My morning was busy, but all in a very good way.  Our temps are rising (as is the humidity) and I knew I wanted to get a crostata in the oven before the heat of the day.  And voila!  A blueberry/peach/rhubarb crostata was made.

I wish there were sniffable monitors - this just smells amazing and I cannot wait to try it (but I will!).

My socks were finished this morning!  They are matchy-matchy up until the very tip of the toe.

Sock #1 on the left has a little bit of the next color showing in the toe.  The sock I finished this morning had no need of that additional color.  Maybe I knit tighter?  Maybe the length of colors was slightly different?  No matter...matchy-matchy doesn't matter to me and I am very happy with this pair of socks.  They are now tucked away to be gifted later (recipient TBD).  The yarn is from Fibernymph Dyeworks    - Lisa is amazing with her dying.  The color way is "Mountain House Winter" but they remind me of polo or rugby stripes.  Whatever, they are lovely.  And, if you have not tried Lisa's yarns (I know most of you have), you really should give them a try.

After that, I had a massage booked for 11 a.m.  Bliss!  Mallory, the massage therapist I have been seeing for months now, is a miracle worker.  She found knots I didn't know I had - lol.

When I got home, Fletch and I had lunch and then I started cooking again!  We want a cold dinner tonight, so I set about making a Lobster Orzo Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette.  It's fast to make and quite tasty.  I used Langoustinos (tail meat) that I found at Trader Joe's instead of lobster.  It tastes like lobster but is much, much less $$$.  It is now in the fridge chilling.

We'll have some more radishes from Colin's garden and sugar snap peas to go with this.  An easy, fast, cool dinner for a warm/hot day.

Did any of you see the MDK post about the road trip to Florence, Alabama and The School of Making?  So tempting.  I would love to do that, but I don't think the timing is good for me right now.  Are any of you considering it?

And with that...let the weekend begin!  We have no plans (which is so nice).  I want to get to Target (I need printer paper).  Maybe I'll do some laundry...maybe not.  I'm sure I won't be doing cleaning.  I hope to swatch this afternoon for a Shakerag and maybe pick out yarn for the next socks.  I'd also like to sit down with my stitching.

Here's hoping you have some fun ahead of you!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 5/12/26

 Good Tuesday Morning!

A chilly one here.  I actually got up in the night to put another blanket on the bed (I leave the back window wide open so that Mabel can jump into/onto the sill and look out...plus I like the fresh air).

It was wonderful to finally be with Iris again yesterday.  She, and C&M too are suffering from jet lag.  Combine that with more teeth coming in and she had some uncomfortable moments.  She slept for 2.5 hours in the morning - we finally woke her up so that she would not sleep ALL day.  But then she slept for another 1.5 hours in the afternoon.  Anyway, their trip was fun and it is good to know that little Iris is such a good traveler!

Colin said that last night she was awake from 10:30 - 1:00, so that is a little progress.  And, her hair is long enough now that sometimes Mailing puts it in pigtails!!

There is not much to show for Tiny Needle Tuesday this week.  I almost didn't bother to post, but here's the update.

Just a little more filling in of the grass in the Garden of Eden.  I hope to get a bunch of stitching in today.

Happy Birthday to my oldest brother who turns 79 today (I'm not sure how that happened!!).

Before I forget, I made THIS RECIPE for dinner last night and it did not disappoint.  Quick, easy and very, very tasty.  I did use 2 chicken breasts and we have so much leftover!  Naturally I didn't think to take a picture until we were finished...oh well.  Give it a try if you like chicken, mushrooms and asparagus!

Weekending 5/4/26

 Good Chilly Morning!

Yeah, it's on the chilly side here.  Fletch and I did get to the greenhouse on Saturday, but everything is still in the back of the car.  Our nights have been too cold to leave things out!  It should warm up a bit in a day or so.

Meanwhile, some flowers are beginning to open at C&M's

Talbot has been a good boy, though it is obvious he misses his family.  The other day as I sat on the couch reading he climbed up and into my lap and then onto my chest...drooling and trying to lick me.  Luckily there have been no more hairball messes to clean up.  I'll see later what today brings.

Yesterday I made a Dutch or German pancake for breakfast with blueberries and raspberries.  I wish you could smell it!

There has not been much time for stitching or knitting with all the back and forth to care for Talbot.  I have been reading some and I have been cooking.  But tonight is leftovers, so maybe I'll find some quiet moments later today to settle down with a needle (or 4).  I hope this Monday finds you well and doing something fun!

Weekending 4/6/26

 Hello One and All,

Happy Easter Monday.  How are you?  And, how was your weekend?

It definitely was not the best Easter Sunday for a Sunrise Service!  It was breezy and chilly (cold at times) and rainy quite a bit.  My Dad and I used to go to a Sunrise Service North of here - above New Hope when a friend was the minister there.  He moved on after a bit and is now retired.

Anyway, on with the weekend.  I had yoga both Thursday and Friday.  Saturday was a gorgeous day.  And warm.  Capri leggings, a tee shirt and flip flops were the order of the day.  I baked the coconut pie

First I had trouble with the crust.  I think I processed mine too long...I could roll it out, but it was goopy and I could not get it into the pie plate.  I ended up running out to buy Pillsbury pie crusts.  The kids liked the pie ok, neither Fletch nor I really cared for it and the last of it went home with C&M last night.

By the time the kids arrived, the rain had pretty much stopped so Colin was able to help Fletch outside with some projects.  The meal pretty much sucked!!  Although everyone seemed to enjoy it.  I have always loved the 7 hour leg of lamb recipe. I've made it so many times.  Yesterday?  Not so much.  Even the smell was making me sick.  I joked that maybe I was pregnant.  LOL. The lamb was tender and falling off the bone (as it should be), but I found it dry and (again) the smell make me sick to my stomach.  The carrots, parsnips and onions all caramelized but so much they were hard to get out of the pan!  The tomatoes and potatoes were good though.  And the asparagus was tasty.

I enjoyed pulling out the china and silver (which I should have, but did not, polish).  Most importantly, the kids all loved the dinner.  Iris was particularly excited when six deer wandered into our yard.  She kept waving to them!  Too cute.

A little lamb and some veggies were saved for Fletch, but the balance went home with C&M&I.  

Today I'm looking forward to playing with Iris.  I hope your Monday is a good one!

Weekending 3/30/26

 Hello Everyone and Good Morning!

How are you this morning and how was your weekend?  Mine was good, though filled.  Lots of errand running and lots of back and forth to C&M's to feed Talbot (and clean the litter boxes...).  The kids are back home again safely and they had a lovely time in Virginia.

After errand running Friday morning, I baked a strawberry crostata.  YUM!!

It was like a taste of summer!  Half of it ended up in C&M's refrigerator for them to enjoy.

Then on Saturday I made a new-to-me recipe for chicken and garbanzo bean soup,  I used dried chick peas (soaking them overnight).  The soup had chicken thigh meat, carrots, onions, fennel, celery and spinach.  It is a recipe my sister-in-law shared with me.  I didn't much care for the scent while it was cooking, but the soup was actually very good.

I also made Morning Glory muffins which have shredded carrots and shredded apples in them along with applesauce, white & whole wheat flour.  (I think I remember the recipe from long ago - the "hippie days" of eating brown rice and veggies for dinner - LOL). A large container of soup and half the muffins migrated over to C&M's on Sunday morning.  I wanted to be sure they had something to eat when they got home from their travels.

Despite all the errand running and back and forth to C&M's, time was found for some knitting, a little stitching and some reading as well.  All-in-all, a lovely weekend.  I even managed to do some chores (laundry - of course - as well as vacuuming and dusting).

Even though it cooled down over the weekend, I think temps are back on the rise.  And then a bit of rain is forecast over the next few days.  My expected yarn never showed up over the weekend, but it should arrive today!  I'm back to watching Iris today and I cannot wait to see her again!

Here's hoping your Monday is a good one.

Weekending 12/15/25

 Good Morning!

Well, I guess it really is winter!  On Saturday our forecast was for 2-4" of snow starting that evening.  I was at Collin & Mailing's feeding Talbot, so I put an extra bowl of food out for him...just in case.  Fletch and I watched the latest Knives Out movie and by the time I went to bed, the forecast was saying less than an inch of snow.  This is what I woke up to Sunday morning:

A little bit more than "less than an inch".  Of course there was also sleet involved.  I made some pear waffles for breakfast (really good - highly recommend) and by the time we were finished eating breakfast the snow had mostly stopped.  I took the leftover waffles out for the deer and measured the snow on the picnic bench:  8"!!  

My poor rosemary plant on the patio:

I've been using it regularly...but it may be done for now.

Our street had now been plowed, but I managed to get out and head over to C&M's by 10 a.m.  Their street had not been plowed either, but I managed fine and just pulled into their driveway a bit.  I don't think they got the 8" that we had, but it was still pretty.

Talbot was very happy to see me (and get more food).  I also went back over in the afternoon.  I was so surprised that Talbot actually spent some time in the sunroom (which is not heated and was icy cold).  Luckily he came back into the main part of the house before I had to leave.

We had a yummy shrimp stir fry for dinner (over jasmine rice).

C&M and Iris all arrived in Aruba safely.  Colin texted that Iris was great on the plane!  And, the hotel they are staying at (a Hilton) had overbooked, so they were upgraded to a lovely suite.

Today's plan is to get back over to feed Talbot this morning.  I will probably hang out there for a little while - I'll take my knitting and maybe have a hot cup of tea while keeping Talbot company.  Later I need/want to wrap gifts that I hope/plan to mail out tomorrow.  I'll be back to feed Talbot in the afternoon and then, perhaps, start baking some cookies.

Unraveled Wednesday 12/3/25

 Good Morning,

I hope everyone is doing well.  I was thankful to be home yesterday as the weather was miserable.  I woke to sleet and that pretty much continued all day long.  It was cold and raw.

My morning was spent attempting to schedule my washer repair.  I've given up with the original service that Speed Queen had arranged.  After multiple e-mails, texts and phone calls, I still have not heard from anyone!  Another call to Speed Queen was made and now another service should be out tomorrow for the repair.  I have their number and if I do not hear by this afternoon with a window of time, I will be in touch with them.

But now it's Wednesday and time for us all to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about what is on our needles and what we are reading.  Although not much knitting has happened, there has fortunately been no unraveling.  I managed to (just barely) start my Panning for Gold cowl.

I'm enjoying the way the colors are playing together in this yarn.  I've cast on 150 stitches on #4 needles and have started with a K2P1 rib.  The picture shows 5 rows completed and that's where it stands as of now.  I'll do another 5 rows and then decide on another pattern.  I have several cowl patterns by Helen Stewart and I may just do a combination of some of the rows in her patterns.  I may add bobbles just because I love them and think they are fun to make.  There will definitely be some eyelets.  But for now the entire thing is just a mystery!

No pressure for this piece.  I'm not sure who it will be gifted to, but that won't be until next year.  This is definitely not a gift for 2025!

There has been reading, but no new books have been finished.  I am roughly 2/3 of the way through The Antidote by Karen Russell (the next RWU pick for discussion in January) and am still enjoying it very much.  Such interesting characters and such an interesting story.  I am finding that some parts drag on a little longer than I think are necessary, but overall I like it.  I also picked up and have started  The Salt Stones by Helen Whybrow.  I'm reading a few pages each night as I crawl into bed, so I'm not real far, but this is another good book.

Dinner last night was a frittata!  I had some asparagus in the fridge and sautéed that up with a bit of onion and some chopped mushrooms...added a bit of chopped up ham along with some tarragon and some thyme...then sprinkled a bit of Swiss cheese on top.  Poured in the eggs that I had whisked with a small amount of milk and a few chopped cloves of garlic.  Popped it in the oven, and at 400 degrees, the dish was ready in about 15 minutes.  YUM!  And, plenty of leftovers too.

Today I'm back over at C&M's to watch Iris (I'm hoping my car doors are not frozen shut with all the sleet).  I need to stop at the store to pick up sunflower seeds for the birds.  This will be my last day watching Iris this week.  I was scheduled for Friday, but I asked Bonnie if she could take that day so I can go to yoga.  In exchange, I am taking care of Iris next Monday when Bonnie was originally scheduled.  

Here's hoping your week is going well.

Weekending 11/24/25

 Good Morning Friends,

Whoosh!  What happened to the weekend?  It feels like it went by in a blur.  I hope yours was good.  Mine included a lot of yoga (which is really helping my back!!).  Saturday morning I watered all the house plants and two of my Christmas cacti are really putting on a show now.

These two usually sit on my sewing machine cabinet, but I moved them to Mabel's ledge to get a good shot of them.  The one on the left actually has two plants in the pot and I think the second one (which is loaded with buds) will be a different color than the red.  If you click to enlarge, you will see all the buds which appear to be white with a light tinge of pink.  Time will tell.

The weekend also included some cooking.  Saturday I made a delicious salad (new to us) to go with the lamb chops that Fletch grilled.  I can't remember where I saw this recipe, but I will be making it again!  You chop up 4 beets (cooked), a pear, half a red onion and about a third of a cup of walnuts.  Toss all that together.  The dressing is 3TBS EVOO, the juice of a lemon, S&P, a quarter cup of chopped parsley. a third of a cup of chopped celery (which I forgot) and a TBS of honey.  Mix together and pour over the beets and pear.  YUM!!!

On Sunday I got to work making the cranberry-orange relish and the cranberry chutney for Thanksgiving.  The cranberry orange relish is from my Mom's recipe files.  You just chop up a bag of cranberries and an orange and then add sugar.  It is still tart, but a little sweet.  The chutney is one of Fletcher's Mom's recipes and includes a chopped up orange, another bag of cranberries, a lb of raisins, some cider vinegar and then cinnamon, cloves and ginger.  Everything is dumped in a pan and cooked on the stove till the berries pop.  It thickens up nicely.

The chutney's are uncovered to finish cooling.  We had a little with dinner last night - I wanted to make sure it was good enough for Thanksgiving.  LOL

There is still a pie to be made - that will be done either Wednesday or Thursday morning (depending on what time we need to be at Mailing's parent's home on Thursday).  Today and tomorrow I'm caring for Iris and on Wednesday my washing machine is scheduled to be repaired!  The days keep zooming by.

This time of year is one I really enjoy - candles at dinner, wrapping up in a warm shawl, etc.  But, I know many (Fletch included) are impacted by the diminished amount of sunlight.  Just remember, it is less than a month until the Winter Solstice and then our daily dose of sunlight will steadily increase.

Wishing everyone a gentle week.  Enjoy!

Weekending

 Hello My Friends,

Time does seem to be marching along, doesn't it?  Already November 10th.  So, tell me, how was your weekend?  Mine was good.

There were two yoga classes again.  The Yin class on Friday (LOVE!!) and then a regular Vinyasa class on Saturday.  Boy could I feel it though!  The Yin class focused on stretching hamstrings (can you say TIGHT??).  The Vinyasa class included a lot of twisting which I enjoy, but my back was more than a little tired after that.

Chores were (finally) accomplished!!  Both bathrooms were scrubbed, the kitchen floor was cleaned, multiple loads of laundry were washed and dried and I was able to pick up my new glasses Saturday afternoon.  Yay!

In addition, I managed to do a little baking.  Sunday I made the Parisian Apple Cake.  A fast and easy recipe that turned out delicious - highly recommend.

Last night I roasted a bunch of mixed nuts.  Usually I just toss them in a tiny amount of EVOO, salt, red pepper flakes and fresh rosemary.  Instead I tried a sweet and savory recipe.  They are ok, but I think I prefer my simpler way of doing them.  This recipe called for egg white, sugar, cinnamon and then a bunch of spices.  They taste good, but I'd rather not have the sweet part - just give me the savory.

There are now fresh sheets on the guest room bed, although that room still needs to be dusted and vacuumed.  We are expecting Damon to drive up from Virginia on Wednesday and he'll be staying until Sunday.

I'm debating about joining the Farmer's Daughter Sock Squad again for 2026.  I haven't even used all the yarn I received in 2024, but it's an awful lot of fun to have a surprise in the mail each month and the price is beyond reasonable.  Plus, for 2026, the theme is color!  The button hasn't been pushed yet, but I'm very, very close!

Here's hoping your Monday finds you doing something fun.  I'll be with Iris and that is always a good time!

Happy Friday and a Correction!

Good Morning,

When I posted on Wednesday I shared a link to a book I am not reading - LOL.   The book about Oak Ridge, TN and the women who worked on the Manhattan Project that I am reading is The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kieran which is a non fiction book, not a novel.  Sorry about that!

Last night when I finished reading "The Letter Carrier" I picked up Atomic City and read another chapter.  There are photographs in the book including some "then and now" pictures of a few of the women.  It's an interesting read, but unlike my normal behavior, I will most likely pick up another book (novel) to read alongside.  There are a few on my nightstand to choose from as well as another one ready for pick up at my library.

Both Wednesday and Thursday were great days with Iris.  I can see the four teeth on top that are beginning to come in.  That little girl is a trooper and doesn't complain too much.  We spent a lot of time reading (as usual) - many books multiple times.  One of her favorites that we read at least 4-5 times a day is Grandfather Twilight which is just such a beautiful and sweet book.  Another favorite is Night is Coming which is so soothing to read (even in the daytime).

The other week Bonnie (Mailing's Mom) had gone apple picking at an orchard.  She brought over apples for Colin & Mailing, but also for Fletch and me.  The apples had been sitting in a bowl on the buffet, and I was beginning to smell them every time I walked into the kitchen.  Not wanting them to go bad, last night I peeled and chopped about 8 of them and made some applesauce.

Yum!  Brown sugar (not much), cinnamon and nutmeg plus a sprinkle of vanilla sugar.  There are more apples still and I'm planning to make a Parisian Apple Cake hopefully this weekend.  

Today is busy with multiple errands (CVS, wine, library) and yoga at Noon.  Laundry has piled up again and after successfully avoiding my chores for multiple days, I need to buckle down and get them done.  We are looking forward to a visit from Damon (Fletcher's brother) next week.  I need to find out if Peggy, his wife, is coming with him or not so that I know which bedroom to prepare!  And what meals to plan to fix!

Time to have some coffee and get started on my day.  Have a wonderful weekend!

What's For Dinner?

 Good Morning!

The sun is shining brightly here.  It's cool, but lovely outside.  I was able to sleep in a bit this morning and then when I got up I cooked some bacon and made French toast for Fletch and me.  Yum!

As is often the case lately, I forgot to take any pictures, but I wanted to share a dish with you that I made for dinner on Tuesday.  It was so delicious!  I made Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta.  I used regular thick cut bacon, but I think turkey bacon would work also.  Or, skip the bacon completely.  It would also be tasty with sun dried tomatoes added in.  I used light cream instead of heavy and I think milk would work just as well.  Anyway, it was fast, easy and very satisfying.  We had a nice salad with greens from our garden to go with it.  I will be picking more greens for another salad tonight and will be making some spaghetti with clam sauce.  I do enjoy food a lot!  LOL

Later this morning we will head over to Colin's to borrow one of their cars.  The car that Fletch usually drives is in the shop - needs a drive shaft - OUCH!  Still, cheaper than a new car for sure.  That repair won't be done until next Tuesday.  Meanwhile, I need to be at Colin's tomorrow to watch Iris and Fletch has a doctor's appointment in the morning to have some stitches removed.  Thus the need to borrow a car.

Other than that, no plans!  There is a library book that came in for me to pick up and I want to do some stitching and/or knitting.  No chores though!  

I hope your week is winding down nicely.  We are just about at the weekend!!

Weekending 10/13/25

 Good Morning!

Happy Columbus Day (I know it is now called Indigenous People Day, but I like Columbus Day better).  We will be celebrating by getting our flu shots later this morning.  LOL

How was your weekend?  Mine was simply lovely and I have absolutely no pictures to share, but I can tell you what happened.  Most of Friday was spent cooking.  I made Cardamom Cookies Thursday night and then mixed up the dough for butter cookies with cranberries and rosemary.  That dough had to sit in the frig overnight.  Those cookies were baked Friday morning.  Some of my favorite cookies!  The butter cookies taste like shortbread - rich and yummy.

Fletcher's sister Louanne and one of her daughters, Daria, drove up from Virginia on Friday.  They arrived in time for dinner.  I had put a big pot of spicy lentil soup on earlier in the day.  It is filled with veggies and protein and we had some crusty wholegrain bread to go with it.  And cookies.  After dinner we had a lovely fire in the pit.  It was a perfect evening for a fire.

Saturday morning we all drove over to Colin & Mailing's so that Louanne and Daria could see them and meet Iris.  We had a great, but very short visit.  C&M&I were heading off to the Brandywine Museum and Louanne and Daria were driving down to Arlington for a visit with Liam, Louanne's son.

The balance of Saturday I relaxed and worked on some stitching and some knitting.  I also read a bit.  The weather had turned chilly and damp with occasional rain, so it was a perfect day for staying inside.  We ordered out for dinner which made it even nicer.

Sunday I got to work cooking again.  I made red beans (a New Orleans dish) which take pretty much all day to cook.  I also pulled out all my wool sweaters and heavier tops and put away all the summery shirts and (most of) my shorts.  It felt good to do that.  I also put the winter comforter on the bed.  Usually when I do that I weed out things that I haven't worn or that I no longer like, but this time I couldn't be bothered - I'll do that in the Spring when I pull things back out.

Colin & Mailing and Iris were in New Hope for brunch, but decided to come over for dinner.  It was great to see them on both Saturday and Sunday - especially since I won't be back to care for Iris until Wednesday.

All in all, a great weekend.  Today there is plenty of laundry to catch up on as well as a few other chores.  I hope your Monday treats you well.

Weekending 9/29/25

 Good Morning!

How are you these final days of September.  The month has flown by for me.  And although my back is extremely grateful for a rest, I've been missing Iris.  I got so accustomed to seeing here every Monday - Friday, that having 6 days "off" in a row is a bit disconcerting.

How was your final September weekend?  Mine was lovely.  Filled with things I love doing - cooking, sitting outside, reading, stitching, knitting.  While Fletch was in the garden picking greens for a salad, I joined him to look at our fig.  Miracle of miracles!  I discovered one fig that had gotten slightly larger and had ripened.  We split it and it was delicious!  The next day I walked out again and discovered 3 more!  They are not as large as prior years, but the flavor is superb!  I'll be checking daily to hopefully beat the birds at harvesting them.

Raspberries were on sale, so I got a bunch and then made some raspberry puff pastry treats!  I have not tried one yet, but Fletch pronounced them "very good" which is high praise - he usually thinks I don't make things sweet enough!

One day I ventured out to Lowes.  I needed a shepherd's hook for hanging my new bird feeder.  My office window bird feeder was destroyed by squirrels last year, so we are trying just a regular bird feeder hanging from a shepherd's hook at the window.  Mabel should still be able to enjoy watching the birds come in and (hopefully) the squirrels will not ruin this one.  No one has discovered it yet, but I'm sure some birds will any day.  Meanwhile, this is what greeted me when I walked into Lowes:

It's September and already Christmas trees and everything else are on display.  We haven't even gotten to Halloween and Thanksgiving.  I did notice a few skeletons, but they were already packed in boxes to be put away!  Geeze!!  Makes me crazy.

The only thing I have going on today is a dentist appointment this morning (routine cleaning).  I'm hopeful that the balance of the day can be spent enjoying doing those things I love (stitching, knitting, reading).  Cheers to the week ahead - may it be a great one for all of us.

Weekending 8/25/25

 

Good Morning!

The weekend has come and gone already!  I'm enjoying several days "off" from watching Iris (though I miss seeing her).  This coming Wednesday starts my full-time gig through most of September while Bonnie is in China.

My weekend included some chores (glad to have gotten them out of the way), some running around (always) and some cooking (always).  One night I made a delicious stir fry.  So good with fresh veggies.

One morning I made peach waffles (and forgot to take a picture).  I've said this before, the stone fruits this year are amazing.  Last night I made shrimp scampi with the addition of marinated artichoke hearts.  Again no picture.  We had that over linguini and I roasted a couple of large tomatoes (cut off the tops, sprinkle with EVOO, S&P and add a lot of minced garlic...then top with panko and more EVOO...bake at 400 till browned).

Fletch harvested the first batch of green bush beans.

The angle of that photo makes it look like not too many beans, but there were roughly 125 that he picked!  I steamed them Friday night and they were delicious!  And for something completely different, I tried making steak bites in the air fryer!  Though I honestly prefer a grilled steak, these were not bad.  I cut a strip steak into bite sized pieces, tossed them with a bit of oil, S&P and garlic powder.  They cook up quickly at 400!

I harvested the last eggplant.  Boo.  We ended up getting 3 this year.  Not bad considering the plant developed scale early on.  It looked so bad I didn't think we would have any!  I used one on a pizza the other week.  The remaining two are in the crisper drawer and I'm planning to make eggplant caponata with them.

More errands are on the agenda for today (we need wine and I also need some DMC floss).  There are more books ready for me to pick up at the library, but I may wait until tomorrow for that.

How was your weekend?  I hope it was a good one and that this Monday finds your week off to a great start.

TGIF 8/8/25

 Good Morning!

Just popping in to quickly share a new recipe I tried.  Sorry no pics (I forgot).  And, of course, to say Happy Friday!

This is the Recipe I made:  Marcella Beans with Tuna and Pickled Onions.  Oh Yum!  And, I did happen to have a bag of Marcella Beans handy.  Boy are they good and boy was the recipe delicious.

I soaked the beans overnight and then put them on to cook in the morning.  Do NOT, as I did, turn the pot on high and then leave the room and forget that you turned the stove on.  I was sitting peacefully at my computer doing the NYT puzzles when Fletch suddenly shouted from outside that the pot was boiling over.  It was messy (but it cleaned up very easily).

Also, I had made the pickled onions a couple of days before pulling the dish together.  Fletch honestly was not thrilled with dinner prospects that night, but he ended up liking the dish - especially the pickled onions (to the point where he polished them off, so there are none to go with the leftovers!).

The recipe does make a lot.  I ended up taking some of the leftovers to C&M.  Next time I would cut the recipe in half, but triple (at least) the pickled onions.  Also, I don't think tuna packed in EVOO is absolutely necessary - especially since you drain it and then add EVOO to the recipe.  I usually buy solid white tuna in water and that is what I would use next time.

Anyway, a tasty and quite economical meal if you are so inclined to eat this sort of thing (we love beans).

After saying he didn't think we would have cucumbers to harvest, Fletch picked the first one the other day and then yesterday he picked a really large one!  And more yellow beans!

Good thing we like both cucumbers and beans.  Now, if only our tomatoes would behave in the same way...

Here's hoping your weekend is filled with good things.  We will be heading over to have dinner with Colin & Mailing & Iris tomorrow.  The forecast is nice enough that we will probably have a fire that evening.  I'll be taking a mixed berry crostata.  Yum!