michael breakfast, garden flowers

Friday morning (6/29) Beth and I went walking while Michael took a bike ride.  He had cereal (with fresh picked blueberries) for breakfast

and we both spent the rest of the day relaxing….reading…playing pool, knitting, watching TV…whatever!  Michael picked some fresh zinnias out of the garden: 

We got cleaned up after dinner and headed to Rock Hill to see the Shakespeare play that Michael dropped out of months ago.  There were several people in it that we know…and we sat with a friend in the audience…but those were the only 2 redeeming things about the play  L.  It was MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING…and although many people know that title, they have no idea what the play is about.  Coupled with the fact that about 1/2 of the people I couldn’t hear and the other 1/2 of the people I couldn’t understand (YOU try listening to Shakespeare sometime), the word ‘interminable’ went through my mind over and over and over again.  I should have knit through the whole play…it was light enough, but thought that would be rude, so I didn’t.  I think we were both glad when it was finally over around 10:30.  It was after 11 when we got home and after playing with the dog for a bit, we fell into bed.

entrelac sweater - 6 rows

Thursday morning (6/28) we jumped up early because Jimmy was coming over to install a spotlight for the beaded wall hanging.  I put a sour cream coffee cake in the oven (using up the buttermilk I had left instead of sour cream which I didn’t have  J) and took off to walk with Beth.  Michael took it out of the oven while I was gone and the house smelled just heavenly when I got home.  I got showered and changed and took off for a (routine) dermatologist appointment.  By the time I got home, the light was in and the coffee cake was practically all gone J (good thing I had a piece before I left).  I read a bit in the afternoon, and also managed to put a new color in the sweater: 

You know, the color at the bottom is a really pretty lavender that just doesn't show up well in these pictures.  Anyway, Michael and I had Chinese for dinner, then headed over to Kathy and Dave’s house.  Jan and Walt were already there and we had a great time checking out their house (they’ve only been in for 3 weeks and their house looks better than ours did after 6 MONTHS!!)  After the tour we sat around and talked for a couple of hours, and then had ice cream and toppings before heading home.

Wednesday morning (6/27) Michael left early for golf (coming home later IN THE MONEY with an 85!) and after walking with Beth I hopped on my bike and delivered a few items to the neighbors, returned books to the library and stopped at the farmer’s market for corn and a cantaloupe.  When I got home I started cleaning.  I did all sorts of extra cleaning jobs around the house and when Michael came home he mentioned how beautiful the house looked….I LOVE having a clean house!  I read a book for most of the afternoon and we picked up pizza for dinner, along with the corn (which Michael pronounced excellent!)  We watched TV and I knit just a tiny bit on a side project.

entrelac sweater - 5 rows

I spent Tuesday morning (6/26) knitting with Nancy, the afternoon knitting with Stitch ‘n’ Chat and the evening knitting and watching TV….I now have knitter’s elbow (kind of like tennis elbow) and have to take a day off…but I DID get to add a new color: 

We had a quick and easy dinner that Michael said was in the top TEN of all dinners ever made!!!  I had a side dish worth of fettucini alfredo left over from dinner out Saturday night.  I took 2 zucchini’s from our garden and one yellow squash and a large onion and sautéed everything in a bit of olive oil until it got some good carmelization.  I added a tiny bit of seasoned salt, and put in the leftover noodles.  I stirred it around until everything was hot and that was it.  We ate the veggie heavy dish with slices of THE FIRST TOMATO FROM OUR GARDEN!!!  It was really pretty scrumptious and it will be easy in the future to make the alfredo part myself….so I have another quick and easy and relatively healthy dinner.  Michael said it needed more noodles, but I reminded him that I said it was going to be a veggie heavy dish...I thought it was perfect!

Monday morning (6/25) Michael left for golf (coming home later with an 84!!!) and after walking with Beth I read for a bit, then headed to the studio.  I’m trying to make a dress and have to alter the top to fit my bust.  I got the alterations done on the paper pattern and finally got a muslin shaper cut out and sewn together.  Rose came over to look at my door apron for sewing supplies and helped to fit the muslin on me with Jan’s help.  I got the whole thing ripped back apart and ready to make a new muslin pattern for further fitting before heading upstairs to watch TV with Michael the rest of the evening.

milk crate, garden cleanup, entrelac, scarves

Sunday morning (6/24) Michael and I did our usual Sunday morning bike ride with a stop at the grocery store.  We had a longer than normal list and Michael wasn’t sure we could get it all home on the bikes.  Last summer when I started to ride my bike more regularly, I wanted some baskets or something on the bike that would make it easy for me to haul things.  I looked on-line, and there were lots and lots of panniers for my bike….for lots and lots of $$$$.  That didn’t float my boat, so I thought about it for a bit, and thought about making some kind of quilted bags, but I really wanted something hard-sided.  I finally figured out that a milk crate would be the perfect thing.  I was telling one of my friends about it, and she said she had a milk crate in her garage that she was going to get rid of….PERFECT…didn’t cost me a thing.  Michael bungee-corded it to the back rack of my bike and it was ok…but when I put something heavy in the crate, if it slid to one side, the bungee cords would stretch and the crate would slide off to the side.  Plus, it was hard to put bigger things in the crate, because the bungee cords went across the top as well.  I had the winter to think about it and I decided that those plastic strip ties would be a perfect solution.  I bought some a week or so ago, and tied the bottom of the crate to my bike rack and….viola…..perfect!  You can see the ends of the strips at the bottom of the crate and one out the back:

So, back to the this morning….this is what I fit in the crate: a gallon of milk, a 1/2 gallon of milk, a quart of 1/2 and 1/2, 4 large jars of pickle relish, 3 pounds of orzo and 2 pounds of butter!  And actually, I had a tiny bit of room left for a bit more, so I threw in a tiny box of TRUVIA.  Those milk crates really are quite large and best of all, the price was right J.

After breakfast I headed to the computer and spent quite a bit of time pulling together the minutes from our last volunteer meeting while Michael cleaned up the yard.  We had a really bad storm Saturday night and lost one of the branches of our crape myrtle: 

Donna stopped by for help with her sweater…that only took a bit of time, then I continued to knit on my own sweater.  I started the 4^th color:

Hope I still like it as much when all seven colors are in it!  I got the ends sewn in on some scarves I finished awhile ago:

and spent the evening knitting and watching TV with Michael.

door hanger for sewing supplies

Saturday morning (6/23) Michael took off for golf (returning later with an 86) and Beth and I took off for a yard sale at a local church.  I got to see lots of people I knew, but didn’t find any knives or wine glasses (which is what I was looking for).  Beth DID find several things, so it was a good trip.  Once home, around 8:30) I headed back to the studio and by 1 PM was FINISHED with my project!!!!  Only 2 days and I LOVE it….I started with this:

 

and this:

and this:

lots and lots lof sewing stuff!

and ended up with :

 

It is just perfect….exactly what I wanted.  It hangs on the back of the closet door (so it’s out of sight!)and holds so much paraphernalia…also in a way that I can FIND all of it!  I’ve been wanting to do it since I started de-cluttering the studio…and now it is finished and I am in LOVE!  It cost under 20 bucks to make (most of that was for the quilted fabric...but I DID get it at 50% off)…and took less than 2 days to make.  Michael hung it up for me the minute he got home from golf, and I promptly put everything away.

I spent the rest of the afternoon working on my sweater, and at 5:45 2 sets of neighbors picked us up for dinner.  We headed to Magiano’s and had a wonderful time eating and talking and laughing!!!  We got home at 9:30, just ahead of a torrential thunderstorm.  We sat and read until 11 and then headed to bed.

Friday morning (6/22) Michael and I took a long bike ride, then I had a quick breakfast and headed off to Joann’s.  I got exactly what I wanted…and saved 50% on everything I bought to boot!  I was home by 1 PM and started to sew on a de-cluttering project.  My hope was to have it done by dinner…but no such luck.  For dinner we went to a driveway party several doors down.  Luckily the clouds had moved in, so even though the temps were still in the 90’s, it was bearable sitting outside.  The party broke up around 7 and I headed back to the studio and worked until 10:40, when I fell into bed!

tea for beaded wall hanging, entrelac - 3 rows

Thursday (6/21) I was up early to get everything done I was supposed to do Wednesday  J.  The ladies started arriving at 11 and we had a WONDERFUL time.  I had a lot of new people at this tea….mostly from my Thursday quilting group, but a few from Stitch ‘n’ Chat, since they also got to see some of the progress on the beaded wall hanging.  There was lots of great food…and incredible desserts…and the talking and laughing never stopped.  They all got a tour of the house and were most envious of my studio (which IS totally wonderful if I do say so myself!)

Sandy, Jeri and Loree

English Sue, Gerry, Anne and Rosemary

just SOME of the good food (wish I'd taken a picture of the desserts!

on the right that's Patsy in the blue and Nancy
who I 'play' with every T





I was very tired after everyone left and tried to read, but ended up taking a nap (along with Michael and Cookie) instead.  Just before 6 we headed to Jim and Linda’s house and they drove to Rock Hill for square dancing.  I did manage to get the 3^rd row of my sweater going on the way. 

We had a fun time, although it was in a gymnasium type of building and the reverb off the walls made it hard to hear the calls.  We got home around 10:30 and I collapsed into bed while Michael stayed up for awhile to watch some TV.

 

Michael left for golfing Wednesday (6/20) and I was supposed to spend the day cleaning and vacuuming and getting ready for my tea on Thursday…but I just did a little of that and then headed downstairs to work on my sweater.  I put in a lot of knitting, but finally decided my gauge was off and ripped the whole thing out  L.  I got it cast back on and started across the first row when Michael said ‘let’s go the ball game and have hot dogs for dinner’.  Well, that suited me just fine since I LOVE the hot dogs that the tailgators serve.  So, we carted off my knitting, and 2 cold drinks and Cookie and headed in our golf cart to the ball fields.  Donna joined us and there we sat, in 90 degree heat, both knitting on wool sweaters!  We had a good (if hot) time and just lazed around once we got home at 8.

new pillowcases

Tuesday morning (6/19) Nancy came over for a visit and I got the 3^rd snowflake finished, and I also got my gauge done for a new sweater.  Nancy and Donna and I are all making the same sweater out of 3 different yarns….we all have our gauges done and are ready to start casting on.  Nancy left around 12:30 and Michael and I packed up and headed to Lancaster.  The UPS in Lancaster has copy machines that are generally used for architectural drawings; so they can print out something that is quite large.  I have a quilt design that I needed blown up 400%, and they did a great job.  I can’t wait to get started on this new wall hanging.  We hit Pizza Hut afterwards and then spent over an hour in WALMART, getting a few plants, some seeds, more poster board (for additional snowflakes…I just LOVE them!) and a bit of fabric.  We were home before 4 and I worked in the studio until we picked up Jan and Walt and headed out to see ‘THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL’.  We knew we wanted to see this movie when it came out because we are big Judi Dench fans…and it was AWESOME!!!  I would highly recommend to anyone.  Jan and Walt wanted to buy us ice cream on the way home….but Michael can’t really eat ice cream, so he suggested Krispy Kreme donuts instead….YUM…what a good suggestion!

By the way…here’s a pic of the new pillowcases:

original snowflakes

Monday (6/18) morning I made sure the house was all cleaned before leaving at 10 for my volunteer meeting.  By the time I got home, Michael was home from Pinehurst and got to tell me all about it.  He decided to take the dog for a walk in the early afternoon and I got to have a long talk with Mary Jo.  The only problem with talking on the phone with someone from CT is that I then want to SEE them and spend time with them too!!  I worked on more snowflakes in the afternoon and finished 2 more (and a third one Tuesday morning): 

before heading to square dancing for 3 hours in the evening.  Tim (our caller) really had us working up a sweat and we both took additional showers when we got home at 9:30!

original snowflakes #2

Sunday morning (6/17) I took a long bike ride, stopping at the grocery store on the way home.  I made my morning tea and took it and the paper and the dog out to the deck to enjoy the morning.  I spent the rest of the day and night in the studio and it was awesome….started a new project of fabric, snowflake, 3-D Christmas ornaments….I LOVE them!

So basically I spent the ENTIRE day reading…..and knitting….and eating nachos….and snuggling the dog….and sewing a new project….and watching TV.  Sounds like a perfect day to me!

Saturday morning (6/16) Beth and I took our walk and after I came home it was back to the studio to finish off the pillow cases (pictures when Michael gets home on Monday with the camera!)  Donna and Barry came over at 1 for a bit of knitting.  Donna finally got the yarn she will be using for an entrelac cardigan that she, Nancy and I will all be knitting.  The great news is…while we were sitting there knitting….MY yarn got delivered too  J.  I got to wind up 2 skeins after they left, then got ready and left for another singing gig.  We performed at a church fair from 8 – 10 PM  and I didn’t get home until after 11 (thank goodness grammy Jan and Walt were available to take care of Cookie).

garden flowers and blueberries

Ok….I only thought I broke the microwave…when we got up Friday (6/15) and Michael plugged it back in…it was fine.  While I was walking with Beth I told her what had happened and she explained that when the microwave overheats, the fan comes on automatically.  This would have been fine, except our fan needs to be repaired, so it made an awful sound when it came on!  Anyway, after Beth and I took our morning walk, I hopped on my bike and headed up to the library to return some books and take out others.  I am currently reading books by Katherine Hall Page.  They are murder mysteries and she started writing in the early 90’s, so I have lots of catching up to do J.  So far, the library has had all of them, and I generally take out 2 at a time because they are quick reads.  Once I got home, Michael made me a great breakfast (corn tortilla, pepper jack cheese, one slice of bacon and a scrambled egg….YUM!) and then filled the house with fresh flowers….the kitchen table: 

                                                                        

the shelf I see when I wash dishes:

                                                 the coffee table:

and the bedroom:

He also picked a few more blueberries from our garden plot (so far we’ve harvested over a quart). 

All in all, he got a lot done Friday morning before leaving for his golfing trip to Pinehurst at NOON.  There are 4 guys going, and they will be home sometime on Monday.  I worked a bit more on my studio and managed to start a set of pillow cases (we bought new feather pillows because ours had gotten so small, and they are TOO BIG for our pillow cases), and had a quick dinner before Evelyn picked me up at 6:30.  We headed to Matthews to see NUNSENCE and it was a really cute play.

striped sweater, blueberry muffins, sweet potato chips

Well – I’ve really fallen apart over the last couple of days as far as blogging goes!  I’ve finished 2 projects recently…the beaded wall hanging, my striped sweater (finally dry after being blocked on Sunday!) 

 and those 2 purses, so I’ve been taking a break and reading and also de-cluttering the studio.  I SO WISH I had taken a “before picture”, because the after is turning out just terrific.  I have a bit more to go, and hope to finish it while Michael is on his golf trip from Friday to Monday.  It’s Thursday now (6/14) and I made blueberry muffins for breakfast

before leaving for quilting.  I had a wonderful time at quilting….everyone was shocked to see me with my sewing machine once again….but since the beaded wall hanging is done, I’m back to sewing Thursday mornings.  Jan arrived with HOT, FRESH Krispy Kreme donuts (yum!!!) and we just had a great time all around.  I stopped at my friend Judy’s on the way home and saw all of her pottery from Penland.  She was there for 2 weeks learning many new things about pottery.  It sounds like a FABULOUS place…I wish my friend Mary Jo would consider going there…I’m sure she would love it.  I worked a bit more on the studio in the afternoon and we picked zucchini and yellow squash  

 from our garden for part of our dinner.  I surprised Michael by making sweet potato chips

to go with our fish for dinner.  He loved them, but the bad news is, I think I broke the microwave in the process  L.  We watched TV in the evening, stopping around 9:30 to welcome Jan and Walt and their granddaughter and daughter-in-law who are down visiting the University of South Carolina, where Rachel (granddaughter) will be going this fall.  They left around 10:30 with a bunch of blueberry muffins and we fell into bed!

little purses

Sunday morning (6/10) Michael and I took a long bike ride and hit the library and then the grocery store on the way home.  We had a lovely breakfast out on the deck before he left to run a few errands and I headed to the studio.  I’ve been struggling with getting 2 small purses done.  Someone bought the fabric and asked me to make them….I didn’t really like the fabric, and wasn't acutually crazy about the colors either, so of course I’ve been procrastinating.  They are finally done: 

I also sewed in the last 5 ends on my striped sweater and it is now on top of the washer being blocked….pictures forthcoming just as soon as it is dry.

Michael and I took a long bike ride Friday morning (6/8) and after breakfast, took off for the eye doctor.  It has felt like the number of floaters in my eyes have gone up dramatically in the last 2-3 weeks and having had 2 friends with retina problems…they were both urging me to get it checked out.  Although it took a long time at the doctor, I am happy to report that there were no problems, other than the beginning of dry eyes….whew!  We came home and I spent the afternoon mostly reading, although I did get rolls put together for our dinner.  At 5:30 we headed over to Phil and Gale’s for meatloaf and scalloped potatoes and green beans (and the aforementioned rolls) and then headed into Charlotte for The Marvelous Wonderettes.   What a great show…4 gals singing the music of the 50’s and early 60’s.  We all loved it and got home around 11 to collapse into bed.

beaded wall hanging

Thursday morning (6/7) I walked early with Beth, then got rolls dough put together and gathered up all of my supplies for quilting and took off.  I got the label sewn onto the back of the quilt:

 

 and also put in 2 additional rows of beads that Michael and I decided it needed.

As usual, we had a fabulous lunch (everyone always brings food for the first Thursday of the month).  Something funny happened while we were eating.  Loree was commenting on how good the food always is, and that we never have any duplicates.  Marsha said ‘right, and it’s always balanced between real food and dessert, even though we never tell anyone what to bring’….I said ‘excuse me’????  Then she laughed and said ‘ok, we do tell ONE person what to bring’, because they always tell me I’m only allowed to bring rolls!

In the afternoon, Michael moved the nail on the wall above the sliders, and we hung the beaded wall hanging up….we both love it! 

Here are a few more pics, I tried to get a few close-ups so that you could really see the beads(if you are in the blog itself, you should be able to click on any of the pictures to make them bigger):

We had a quiet dinner and watched TV while I continued to work on the finishing for my striped sweater.

Wednesday morning (6/6) Michael left early for golf (and eventually came home with an 83!!!) and I walked with Beth, then rode my bike to the library to pick up books, to the bank to deposit a few checks, and to the farmer’s market for strawberries, peaches and sweet potatoes.  I read a bit in the morning, and headed over to Jan and Walt’s around 2 PM.  I was taking them to the airport and they were just finishing up packing.  They’re going to Rhode Island for the high school graduation of one of their granddaughter’s.  I hit Michael’s, Lowe’s and Food Lion on the way home, and then Michael took me out to a new, local restaurant for dinner.  We got home around 7:30 and I worked on a label for my wall hanging in the evening.

Tuesday morning (6/5) was drizzly and dark, so Beth and I decided to forgo our normal walk.  Nancy came over for our morning get together and we sat and talked and knit for several hours in the living room, while Michael was downstairs painting.  After Nancy left, I got my stuff together and headed up to Stitch ‘n’ Chat.  They wanted to see the beaded wall hanging and everyone ooh’ed and aah’ed over it.  I spent the late afternoon and evening working in my studio, mostly on a gauge for a new sweater.

Reflections at ice cream social

Sunday morning (6/3) we had a second harvest of blueberries:

and promptly used them up in blueberry pancakes for breakfast, along with bacon and fried potatoes….yum!  I spent the rest of the morning being nervous…and pulling together my band music.  Michael and I headed up to the Lake House at 1 PM for the ice cream social (which started at 2) and the entertainment (Reflections Big Band!!!)  I was very nervous, until I sang the first 2 notes, and then I was fine.  Michael took a lot of pictures of the event:

getting ready

Miss Anne getting ice cream toppings ready

me and Mary Bolton

almost time to start

Sally and Jimmy (frequent visitors to our home)

YUM YUM!!!  we have ice cream socials once a month
all summer!

Anne (across the street neighbor) and Beth (who I walk with every morning)

Floy (friend from Thursday quilting) and her friend Glenda

WHOO HOO - band groupies!!!!!

Jand and Walt (more frequent visitors)

me singing something or other

Walt and Jan cuttin' a rug

It was terrific seeing everyone.  We were home by 5, and just vegged the rest of the evening.

Monday morning (6/4)Michael left for golf, and I putzed downstairs until Donna picked me up at 11 AM.  We went to get our yearly mammograms, then headed out to lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant.  On the way home we hit Hancock’s and Joann’s and I finally got home around 3.  I had a bit of time to read my book before heading up to the pavilion at 6 PM for our square dance.  I had planned to only stay to collect the $$$, but got roped into a couple of dances and didn’t make it back home until 8.  I continued to work on the gauge for a new sweater until bed.