Unraveled Wednesday 12/14/22

Hello and Good Morning,

A bit frosty out there, but warmer than yesterday.  Currently (6:42 a.m.) it is 27 degrees.  Yesterday was, unfortunately, spent running around doing various errands.  A trip to CVS ended up being longer than expected:  I was picking up 3 prescriptions for moi, or so I thought.  But one of them was not ready and the reason was that they did not have enough pills to fill the prescription!  Then, dropping off a new prescription for Fletch I learned that our current insurance does not cover it.  The out of pocket cost?  Over $1,000.  YIKES!!  I did not get that filled.  Will try again in the new year and see if our new insurance covers it.  If not...back to the drawing board with his doctor.

Today promises to be more running around.  Karyn comes to clean and will be here by Noon.  At that point, Fletch and I will leave (getting out of her way and avoiding the noise of cleaning - LOL).  We are going out to lunch and then will go to Colin & Mailing's to check on a few things, water the house plants and put the trash out for pick up tomorrow.  A contractor was over doing some work while the kids were in town and now there seems to be a problem with the sink in the basement.  Fletch will check that out...hopefully no major issues.

But on to nicer things.  It's Wednesday, or specifically, Unraveled Wednesday, so let's link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to see what everyone is making and reading these days.  You all know that I didn't do any stitching last week, but I did manage to get a bit of knitting accomplished.  The first Turning Leaves sock is off the needles!!

Isn't that just the prettiest?  I had planned to cast on for Sock #2, but that has yet to happen.  It will most likely to to Texas with me.

The second Christmas sock is almost finished:

(Clean and different Christmas tablecloth is on the table!!).  Heading down the foot - about 40 more rows of that and then it will be toe decrease time.  This one WILL be finished before we leave town.

On the reading side, a mixed bag.  I finished The Colony by Audrey Magee.  Not sure how I feel about this one.  I found the writing awkward (though I liked the knitting references) and the story disturbed me (as I guess it should have).  I'm still thinking about it, so there is that!

I returned several books to the library.  This One I started reading, but could not get into.  And Booth I knew I couldn't finish before we take off...and it was due back by 12/22 anyway.  Then I tried The Netanyahus but again I couldn't get into it.  Finally I started Eastern Shore Shorts a book of short stories all taking place on the Eastern Shore (duh), but I'm not finding it very interesting or very well written.  Looks like I may be in another reading slump of sorts.  Oh well, I will find something to take on the plane and we plan to visit Book People our first full day in Austin.  Colin & Mailing have raved about this store, so I cannot wait!

Now it's time to pour a second cup of coffee and dry my hair (my head is COLD!!).  Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 12/13/22

 Good Morning!

Sorry my post yesterday was a bit on the whiny side.  I hadn't intended that at all.  But geeze Louise, I am tired (ha!) of broken sleep, being awake for hours in the night, etc.  So many of us have the same issues, I know.  Anyway, last night was a good night of sleep (about 7 hours straight!!) and I did get a nice hour long nap in yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday was a good day for errands, too.  I went to the post office early and who knew?  Shipping priority mail was much, much cheaper than shipping UPS from my office where I get a nice discount!  I shipped off the packages I had (so far) to mail and the cost was less than half of what I spent last year on UPS and all packages will arrive by tomorrow or Thursday.

After the post office run I went down to the local food pantry and donated a bunch of canned goods and pasta, etc. - things we had that were not going to be used within a reasonable period of time.  I'd really like to remember to do this on a regular basis.

And now it's Tuesday and time for a Tiny Needle Tuesday update.  Sadly, no real stitching was accomplished during the past week.  Even the long-legged bird did not feel any love.

My hope is to put some stitches in this one today...I'd really like to finish it up quickly.  There's not much more to go on it.

But...I also have a bit more wrapping (for TX) to do and a little shopping (for TX) and I may try to squeeze in a haircut this afternoon!  Fletch and I will run to the grocery store later this morning, but the list is very short - not much needed.

Colin and Mailing have been busy putting a list of things together that we can do while in TX.  Looks like we will be busy and have fun!  One thing they have already bought tickets for Friday night is Field of Light which looks like it will be beautiful.  And the boys (Colin, Fletech and Zhongren) have tickets to see Avatar Saturday morning.  Not sure what we girls will be doing.

Time for another cup of coffee and to get my day started.  Hope your Tuesday is a wonderful one - enjoy!

Sometimes Mondays 12/12/22

 Sometimes Mondays - this one in particular - find me lacking words.  I have not slept well the past two nights and that is taking a toll on moi.  The first night (Saturday) I did hear an owl in the wee hours, so that made the wakefulness a little more bearable.  Last night I just didn't feel well.  Not sure what's up with that but I'm hoping for an easy work day.

The kids made it back to Austin around 6 p.m. yesterday, so they and the cats are safely back in their TX abode.  That's a relief!

Yesterday I did manage to wrap the few gifts I am shipping and will run to the post office today to get those out.  And I have a bag or two of goods (food) to donate at the local food pantry.  I do need to still wrap a few small gifts for Texas and I guess I will ship those as well - probably to Mailing's office since packages shipped to their apartment tend to get "lost."

Meanwhile, I will drink coffee and try to feel more awake.  I hope your Monday is off to a better start!

Cuban Bread

 Hello Friends!

Monday when I posted about the weekend and mentioned making Cuban Bread, Kim in Oregon said she hoped I would share the recipe.  Today seems like a good day.  Here's the picture (again) from Sunday's baking:

The bread has a very good crust and a nice, chewy interior.  It is good plain.  Good slapped with butter.  Good toasted.  Good dipped in EVOO or some kind of soup.  It's good any way you choose.  It's bread!  So yummy!!

Cuban Bread

• 5-6 Cups of flour
• 2 TBS sugar
• 2 TBS yeast
• 1 TBS salt
• 2 C Hot Water

Put the HOT water in a large bowl.  Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, mix together 4 cups of flour with the salt and sugar.

Pour that flour mixture onto the yeasty water and beat for 100 strokes.  Add the remaining flour (a little at a time - I only needed one more cup) and knead for 8 minutes (adding additional flour as you knead to keep it from sticking to you or the surface on which you are kneading).  cover with a towel and let it rise for 15 minutes.

Punch it down; divide and shape into two round loaves.  Set the loaves on a greased upside down cookie sheet and cut an X on the top of each loaf.

Place in a COLD oven - do NOT preheat the oven.  Place a pan of shallow water under the rack.  Turn the oven on to 400 and bake for approximately 50 minutes.

That's it!  Easy peasy and so tasty.  We are, in fact, having it again tonight along with grilled sausage and a green bean casserole.

On another note, I can't remember if I mentioned or not, but the two lemons forming on our lemon tree fell off!  I found them both on the floor.  But, now the tree is blooming again (and is so fragrant!), so I'm hoping for at least one more lemon to form.

Time for me to get to work!  Have a wonderful Thursday.

Unraveled Wednesday 12/7/22

Hello and Good Morning,

I'm more than a little sleepy this a.m.  I woke up at 2 a.m. too warm (it's in the 50's here this morning) and had a difficult/impossible time getting back to sleep.  Glad yesterday was my going to the office day and not today!  Today (Pearl Harbor Day) is also the 33rd anniversary of my due date with Colin.  He, of course, held off showing up until the 11th.

It was fun to see that boy again for dinner last night and the newest Mexican place in town turned out to have quite tasty food!  Mailing was busy with holiday celebrations at her office where they actually had live reindeer brought in!  She had texted Colin a picture of said reindeer while he was here.  With all the rain yesterday (lots and lots) and the mild temps, I'm sure those poor reindeer were confused and not happy. 

Let's talk making and reading, shall we?  There has been some knitting progress this past week!  The Turning Leaves sock (#1) has had the heel turned and there has been some movement down the foot a little.

It doesn't look that great on the tablecloth, but oh well!  The cloth is one that my Mom hemmed and used at Christmas for years and years.  Now I use it!

Christmas sock #1 is finished!!  Woo-Hoo!  And, #2 has been started (the cuff ribbing is finished).

Again, not the prettiest on this tablecloth, but that's life!

Reading is good (reading is ALWAYS good!!  lol).  I read Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger.  I'm enjoying this series by Krueger - the books are quick reads and often a nice palete cleanser after something heavier (e.g., "The Marriage Portrait").  This one was particularly interesting to me because it takes place primarily in the area of Thunder Bay Canada and mentions Sleeping Giant.  Years ago when Fletch and I drove out to Minnesota to pick up our camper, we headed North after getting the camper and planned to hike in the area.  Weather, however, worked against us.  There was dense fog and some rain and before it cleared we had to be on our way.  Maybe some day we can go back!

Now I am about 125 pages into The Colony by Audrey Magee.  I wasn't sure about this book at the beginnning, but now I am into it and enjoying (the Frenchman has arrived).  Fletch and I are still listening to The Cartographers but that is slow going as we do not listen every day.

If you have not already, head on over to Kat's Blog to see what she and others are making and reading.  You'll find a thing or two that is tempting, I'm sure!

To wrap up this post, a sweet picture:

Tiny Needle Tuesday 12/6/22

 Good Morning All,

It's a damp morning.  Still dark, so I can't really see if it is doing anything out there just yet...but my computer says sleet off and on for the next 2 hours.  Fun...or not so much.

Let's see what's happening in the TNT world.  A bit of stitching was done on each of the 3 pieces in current rotation for me, but both the Praise Loudly Blame Softly and the Crazy Long Legged Bird pieces only got a little love and not really enough to show.  Ellen Harrison is the one that really grabbed my attention in the last week.

I was so happy to finish the top portion of this sampler.  

It cracks me up how she ran out of room for the last word in the second line...so it went on the top line (youth).  The whole line reads "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth."  Next I stitched the red and white border under that row and then the fun started...finally!  I was at the point where I started the motifs below the wording.

Just a start, but it was fun!  There are birds, a boat, some plants, etc. to stitch.  Then a big white house and an even bigger stag.  Proportions don't really count for much in samplers which I think adds to the charm of a piece.

I've shown this previously, but here is a look at what the sampler will look like when I finish it:

Obviously there is still a lot of stitching to be done on this piece!  This will keep me busy for some time to come.

Well, the weather is supposed to be pretty much crap all day long...rainy and temps hovering in the low to mid-forties, but by evening it will get up to 50.  Colin is stopping by for dinner one last time tonight, and it will be wonderful to see him again.  We plan to just order from a new local Mexican restaurant.

Have a great Tuesday!!

Weekending 12/5/22

 Good Morning!

How are you this fine Monday morning?  The sun is up and it is 23 degrees out.  It looks like it could be a mostly sunny day which would be nice...the rest of the week looks pretty wet in the forecast department.  Rain just about every day.

How was your weekend?  Mine was oh so nice.  Saturday morning I met up with Dee for our knitting and chatting time.  As always, we had a great time.  I tried a new recipe for chicken in the crock pot, but it did not turn out well, so no sharing.

Sunday afternoon Fletch and I drove up to Newtown (roughly an hour away) for a "holiday swing concert" put on by the Pennsylvania Philharmonic.  It was great!  The ensemble was a jazz band and a little smaller than usual (we have been to a number of concerts by the PA Philharmonic).  Colin's company is a big supporter of the group and Colin heads up that support, so we met him there.  (Mailing was busy having a spa day with some friends.)

We were home by 5:30 or so and Colin & Mailing came for dinner.  I had made spicy lentil soup in the morning, so heated that up and mixed up a salad of garden lettuce, radicchio and some of the persimmons that Zhrongren had given us - just a splash of EVOO and champaign vinegar was good.  I had also made Cuban Bread in the morning.  Yum!!

This bread is so easy to make and so delicious - a nice crust and a chewy interior.

Today will most likely be filled with laundry, bathroom cleaning and maybe a light grocery shopping.  Tomorrow I have to head to the office - I've got my annual review at 9:30 and a conference call or two after that.  I can't believe the kids head back to TX on Friday and then in less than 2 weeks we will join them down there.  Time is flying!!!