peach jam

Michael and I took bike rides Friday morning (8/30) and when I got home I made a filling breakfast and then began….

I started with this:

and ended (around 2 PM) with this (20-1/2 pints and 3 pints):

I still have a bunch of  peaches left to make several peach cobblers for distribution to us and to friends…hopefully that will happen on Saturday.  I cleaned up the kitchen a bit, then got out of the way for the next chef….Michael making ribs for our dinner.  I got to read my newest book in the afternoon, and after a terrific dinner of pork ribs and sweet potatoes, I knit in the evening while watching TV and almost finished another hat.

charity hat

Well…it’s Thursday (8/28) night and I have no idea what I did yesterday!  I know Janice called and again we had a longer-than-normal talk because she took a day off…and I know I started another ‘trendy tote’ (stay tuned for pics, hopefully over the weekend), but that’s about all I remember.  Thursday morning (8/29) Michael left super early for golf and I hopped up as well to get a lot done.  I had to pull together fabric and extra directions and pack the car for quilting.  I also got a pear/ginger coffee cake made to take along, that was very well received by all of the quilters.  I did buy a 25 pound box of peaches at the farmer’s market on Wednesday, and I got those washed in my vinegar/water solution so that I didn’t have a billion fruit flies flying around….but when I came home from quilting I was just too tired to process them.  Michael came home from golf EXHAUSTED (it was 92 today!!!!) and we both took a nap before dinner.  I continued working on my tote and got close to finished…but I need a trip to Mary Jo’s.  I don’t have enough fabric for a pocket and I definitely want to add one, so will have to fit that in.  I finished knitting a hat: 

 while watching TV Thursday night.

Halloween coasters

Michael had an early morning (routine) appointment with the dermatologist on Tuesday (8/27) so I went with him and went went out to breakfast afterwards (yum!)  We ran a few errands on the way home, and finally got home around NOON.  I worked all afternoon on the Halloween coasters and finally finished the 3 sets close to dinnertime. 

 

I called Sally and she took a ride with me to Moe’s Southwest Grill to pick up a quesadilla (Michael ate a very late lunch, then left at 4:15 with Larry to see THE WORLD”S END movie).  We enjoyed the trip since it gave us a chance to talk, and I LOVED my Mexican dinner once I got home J.  I spent the evening working on another charity hat (I think I need about 10 more for my donation box to be full) until Michael got home around 7:30.  We watched TV together until bedtime, and my hat was almost finished by then.

charity hats

Jan and I headed up to Joann’s first thing Monday (8/26) morning.  They had an UNPRECEDENTED 60% off coupon on the latest flyer….PLUS I got one in email PLUS Nancy A gave me one.  I was hot to find some cream polar fleece for the rest of my charity quilt tops….and I SCORED  J.  We were home by 11 and I worked on the Halloween coasters for a bit.  Michael came home and said everyone struggled with golf….the greens were too fast and too hard J.  We had a pasta casserole for dinner and I knit for the rest of the evening.  I got another charity hat done:

and also finished one on Sunday night (with a little flower on the side) that I forgot to put in the blog:

 

 

dining al fresco, Elsie

Sunday morning (8/25) we both took a bike ride, then it was pecan studded pancakes out on the deck:

 

 Elsie enjoyed sunning herself while we were out there:

 

I headed downstairs after breakfast and worked until around 3 on Halloween coasters J.  I came upstairs then and put 2 pizzas together with the last of our summer tomatoes and Jan and Walt arrived at 5:30.  We all enjoyed dinner…but even though Jan brought warm chocolate chip cookies for dessert….we all headed to the newly opened Baskin/Robbins for some ice cream.  After that it was knitting and TV until bedtime.

sage butter/parsley butter, sunflowers

Saturday (8/24) Michael had a late tee time (1:30 PM) and it was herb day for me J.  I got sage butter and parsley butter made:

harvested some basil and planted more (hoping to get a bit harvested before the real cold comes…we shall see), and cut down my thyme plant.  I finished THE GOODBYE QUILT by Susan Wiggs….much less a quilt book than a woman saying good-bye to her daughter as she goes off to college for the first time.  Michael’s sunflowers have finally started blooming, so we got a picture of those:

  Instead of the ones from last year that were about 7 feet tall, these are only 4 – 5 feet tall, but they have multiple flowers on each stem.  They are really pretty.  It was a very relaxing day; we had leftovers for dinner and watched TV and knitted in the evening.

coasters & coasters & coasters, Elsie

Thursday  (8/22) was quilting….I taught about 9 or 10 people how to make the coasters….it took about 15 minutes for everyone to know what they were doing and off they went!!  Everyone seemed to really enjoy it and I’m glad I thought of it as a fill in class.  Lisa was kind enough to take a picture for me…these are just some of the coasters that were completed:

 

I took lots of stuff to do on my own, because I knew it wouldn’t take long for people to do the coasters…and a large group of us sat around doing our handwork and talking.  One of the newer members (Debra)had some extra coaster fabric that I kidded her about, saying it would look FAULOUS in my living room…and she gave it to me!!!  I can’t wait to make new coasters for my own living room.  I had a very enjoyable time and got home around 1 pm.  I buckled down and got my Volunteer minutes done and sent out, as well as the quilting minutes.  Then it was time to play in the studio:

Yep, finished the last 2 sets of coasters for the craft sale in October or December.  While I was working, I noticed that I’m not the only one in our house that loves those empty Xerox boxes:

 

Michael and I had BLT’s for dinner (yum!) and I knit for the rest of the evening.

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Michael left for a hearing aid appointment Friday morning (8/23) and I headed to the studio to find more fabrics for the coasters.  Finding the fabric took WAY longer than actually sewing them up: 

I can’t believe how beautiful they are, and how beautiful they look in the living room (you know I had a set in the living room that someone made me, and I just never cared for the fabric.  These new ones make me smile every time I walk in there....I can't believe I waited so long to make new ones...and to tell the truth, if Debra hasn't given me the fabric, I probably NEVER would have made any others for myself):

 

When I was finished, I headed upstairs to put together roll dough and get all of the tomatoes quartered for yet another one pot pasta dinner.  Susan and Anne & Bryce came over and we had a nice time eating and talking.  Everyone left by 8 PM and Michael and I watched TV until bedtime.

Elsie & Cookie a duex, coasters

As I mentioned, Wednesday morning (8/21) there was a bike clinic at the Lake House.  Michael left for golf about 15 minutes before I left for the clinic.  They check the air in my tires and greased a few of the gears and I was ready to go.  I stopped at the farmer’s market to pick up a few things, then took off on my normal bike ride.  I was finally home around 10:30 and cleaned up a few things in the kitchen before heading into the living room to finish my book.  I think this is becoming a trend:

 

 

I couldn’t believe it when I saw both of them on the stool in the living room!  Michael came home from golf and joined me in reading and we had a very pleasant afternoon.  I finished HISSY FIT by Mary Kay Andrews.  This book was recommended by my friend Ginny and I was trying to figure out how to describe it, but I’ll make it easy on myself and quote from the blurb…’a social, satire of southern life’.  It was a quick, easy, fun read…but not nearly as predictable as you think in the beginning of the book.  Jan and I made a quick trip to the grocery store near dinner time, then Michael and I had ‘mater sammiches and corn for dinner.  I finished a different pattern of coasters in the evening:

 

new yarn!

Tuesday (8/20) just FLEW by.  Janice calls me every Wednesday at 9 AM and we talk for about 1/2 an hour before she goes to work.  I want to go to a bike clinic on Wednesday, so she called Tuesday morning….we talked for almost 1-1/2 hours!!!!!  Tuesday is her day off, so we just talked and talked and talked!!!  Michael came home from the dentist and said ‘what could you possibly talk about for 1-1/2 hours”?  Guys just don’t get it  J.  Anyway, Michael and I talked for a bit when he got home and then it seemed like it was time to go to Stitch & Chat.  There was a lively discussion about the club near the end of the session, so several of us kept on talking about that after the club was over.  Many new people over the years have come in the room where our club meets, and don’t feel very welcomed.  I can totally understand that when no one acknowledges or talks to them.  A friend of mine said ‘well, I think we are at an age where you ought to be able to walk up to a group and introduce yourself…not wait for someone to approach you’.  While (in principle) I agree with that remark, I think she is talking about how things SHOULD work…and not how they actually DO work.  Lots of things in life SHOULD be a certain way…but rarely actually ARE J.  I think it’s very hard for people to walk into a big group of chatting and laughing women, and walk up to a group where you don’t know anyone, and ‘bust’ into the conversation.  It can be very intimidating, even for someone like me, who everyone thinks is very outgoing.  I have tried over the years to keep an eye out for new people and go and talk to them, but I am only one person, and I miss seeing some people.  I get very irritated that pretty much no one else in the club seems to think that is important, or tries to do it, but Michael tells me I am a very INCLUSIVE person...and I have seen too many instances of how many (most?) people want to be EXCLUSIVE.  Anyway….that’s a discussion for another day.

When I got home, Susan (neighbor) and Melanie came over to thank me for picking them up at the airport on Saturday when they got back from their 2 week cruise.  They decided to be concrete in their thanks:

 

 

many skeins of beautiful, wool yarn from Ireland…I LOVE it!!!

Michael and I had BLT’s for dinner again (OMG…YUM!!!) and then we picked up Evelyn & Larry and went off to see THE BUTLER movie.  Larry had called to invite us and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go.  It was very hard to watch (as I knew it would be), but I wish everyone in America, young and old, would see it.

 

roses in the rain, crape myrtle, Elsi & Cookie, pizza

It rained overnight and when I went out Monday morning (8/19) I just had to try to get some pictures of a few of our roses with the raindrops:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have about 10 blooms on them again…even if they are 6 feet tall:

 

And we’ve decided that we could hold weddings on our front walk…under the crape myrtle canopy:

 Anyway, Michael left (with crossed fingers against the rain) for golf and I made a smoothie and headed downstairs to watch a bit of TV while eating my breakfast…I had company:

 

I love this shot showing the cat paw stroking Cookie's back!

 

again, another shift in position a little later

 

Just after 10 I left for the volunteer meeting.  We had a speaker…..someone I haven’t seen for FIVE years!!!  I was so excited to see her again….hope we can have lunch in the near future.  She is now executive director of the Pregnancy Crisis Center in a nearby town.  After to listening to all she said, and hearing how she is running the center, I am HIGHLY motivated to do some baby clothes.  Maybe once I finish my box of hats for the elementary school, the baby stuff will be my next project J.  I got home and had time for a really fast lunch before I picked up Pat and we headed off to the machine embroidery club.  There were only 6 members there (because a lot are traveling over the summer), but the discussion was wonderful!

Michael ended up getting rained out in the morning, but decided to try to get in a few holes when I came home from the meeting.  I sautéed mushrooms, onions and green peppers while he was gone and we built an incredible pizza for dinner:

before baking

 

 

 

 

after baking

 

 

 

 

After dinner I did a bit of work on the coasters, then headed upstairs to be with my honey.

 

coasters, M&D, bacon cheese puffs

We had a leisurely breakfast on Sunday (8/18)  while reading the paper.  Michael offered to clean up the kitchen, so I headed down to the studio. I finished off 3 sets of coasters before dinner:

 

 We had champagne (Michael figured out how to take a picture on a timer): 

and puffy things for dinner.  I found a new recipe about 2 days ago for something called Bacon Cheese puffs, so I made those.  Michael gave them an A+!  And they were really simple to put together (I would definitely like to make them for a future 'tea', I think they'd be perfect):

 

We also had scallop shells stuffed with chopped scallops and stuffing.  I thought we were both stuffed….but Michael made popcorn immediately after dinner J.  He wanted to watch some of his shows, so I headed downstairs to start the next set of coasters, and finally came up at 9 PM to watch TV together.

Elsie & Cookie, coasters, one pan pasta

I took my bike ride Saturday (8/17) in 62 degree, lightly rainy weather, but actually it was quite pleasant.  I wore my sunglasses, so no water in the eyes and I was nice and cool.  I added in a library visit on the ride to return some books, and was home by 8:30.  Michael was already gone…convinced that he could play golf in the rain…and actually, they got in 9 holes before it became a deluge!  I got a bit of sewing done while this was going on:

I didn't sign up for a cat blanket!

oh well, I'm tired and I don't feel like moving

hmmm - keeping me nice and warm on this rainy, cold day

so-o-o-o relaxed.....

ok...time to shift positions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m teaching a class at Thursday quilting on coasters, so I needed to make sure I still knew how to do them (got 2 made so far):

 

before heading out to the airport to pick up Susan and Melanie after their 2 week cruise around England and France.  By the time I got home, I put together rolls and the one pan pasta for dinner (with all of those plum tomatoes from our garden): 

 

Sue & Dennis and Ann Mary & Jim showed up at 5:30 with a salad and dessert.  After dinner we all headed up to the Lake House for an Old Time-y Radio show.  It was 3 mysteries which were really fun, along with commercials after every segment which were REALLY funny!  We were home relatively early and watched some of our shows before bed.

banana bread, charity quilt #3

I had a wonderful day on Friday (8/16).  There was a quilting/knitting expo down in Columbia and Lisa (a new friend from Thursday quilting) and I decided to go.  She came to my house at 8 AM and we didn’t get home until 4:30.  And we talked and talked and talked and talked!!!  Religion, politics, how we met our hubbies, sewing rooms, food, social issues, family, I don’t even remember everything but it was great J!  She is a fabulous quilter and experienced knitter…so it was wonderful to talk about our various projects.  The expo was good too…lots of vendors with lots of interesting stuff.  We finally stopped for lunch around 1:30 and I had a great fish sandwich.  The only downside was that it was torrential rain on the way down….and rain about 1/2 way home…so by the time I got home, I think I was just tired from the driving in the rain and I took a little nap.  The drive should have taken about 2 hours each way...but was more like 2-1/2 due to the weather).Michael came home shortly afterwards (he had been up at the course playing a few holes) and we had dinner.  He decided to go and look at a new driver with Phil, and while they were gone, I got some banana bread made (I gave away part of the loaf to Anne & Bryce before I even got the picture taken):

 He had a movie he wanted to watch in the evening, so I worked on the binding of my quilt, and by 11 PM it was all done:

 

 

This is the third of mumble-mumble-too-many-to-count quilt tops that is finally quilted.  I haven’t yet decided where I’m donating these quilts…I hope to get at least one more done before the end of the year.

Thursday morning (8/15) was quilting with Jan…..but we both took our knitting  J.  We had a large crowd and had a good time, but for some reason by the time I got home I had an upset stomach and a headache, so I took a short nap and felt much better once I got up.  I spent the rest of the afternoon out on the deck with Michael.   I finally finished THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET by Karen White, which was recommended by my friend Ginny.  I really enjoyed this book, but even though I have the second one in the series, I am not opening it until I get a few things done around the house J.  I repeat….I am NOT starting to read it…I am NOT starting to read it….

We had leftover Chinese for dinner, and I got back to my quilt afterwards.  I got a label done and the binding is all sewn on the back of the quilt.

garden flowers, tomatoes, Cookie, cookies

Tuesday (8/13) seemed to go by in a flash…mostly because I’ve started reading the novels of Anne Tyler.  I read THE PATCHWORK PLANET a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it, and I’m now reading THE HOMESICK RESTAURANT.  Here is a quote from Amazon on one of Anne’s books that I totally understand and agree with: ‘Yet she manages to make each page riveting, a can't-put-down read that involves the reader so deeply in the lives of Pauline, Michael and their family that one is reluctant to say goodbye’.  That’s exactly how I feel, totally drawn in to the lives of the people I am reading about.  Even for a normal book, once I get into reading it, it is very hard to put down, so I read my book most of the morning, barely getting in my shower before Joanne picked me up for Stitch & Chat.  We had a good time there…narrowly avoiding getting totally soaked as we left.  I read a bit more in the afternoon, but was finally able to tear myself away in the evening when Michael and Larry went to the movies.  I spent the evening quilting and by bedtime, the quilting on the charity quilt was finished. 

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Even though Michael left super early for golf on Wednesday morning (8/14), he still managed to pick a beautiful bouquet for me:

 

along with a mess of plum tomatoes (that ‘bowl’ is at least 10 inches across!) before he left:

 

I ran downstairs first thing to get through my emails.  By the time I finished, Cookie still hadn’t come downstairs and I had a pretty good idea of where she was:

 

yep…I hadn’t made the bed right away and she just loves to snuggle into dad’s pillow.  I got the bed made, showered (even though when I jumped in the running shower I finally saw the millipede or silverfish or whatever those long, hairy things are scurrying around and had to scream and jump out and get toilet tissue to scoop it out….YUCK!!!!  Isn’t that why I got married???  So I didn’t have to deal with stuff like that??  and where was my hubby….yukking it up out on the golf course L), and cleaned up the kitchen and was peacefully sitting in the living room, drinking my tea by the time Janice called at 9.  We had a wonderful talk, and I got to knit for a bit before leaving for a hair appointment.  I hit the library on the way home, then fired up the oven.  I had mixed up some lemonade cookies and got them baked:

 

There is a teachers meet-and-greet this week and Osceola Methodist (where I quilt) was asked to supply cookies.  So, I ran them down while Michael was cooking up a mess of bacon.  We had BLT’s for dinner for the first time this year and they were absolutely HEAVENLY!!!  For some reason we were both whipped in the evening, and so just snuggled on the couch and watched the boob tube.

hydrangea, snowman embroidery

Michael left for golf on Monday morning (8/12) and I took off for another bike ride.  I had a bit of time at home, then headed up to the library to return some books and pick up others.  I LOVE our library system…it is super easy to put books on hold, then they send you an email when the books have arrived at the library.  They also send an email 3 days before the books are due….SCORE!!  One book I picked up is by Betty White  (If You Ask Me) which was a very quick and delightful read.  Then it was more goofing off as I did my normal Monday morning perusal of about 25 cooking blogs, as well as one knitting and one quilting blog!  I headed upstairs to grab a bite for lunch, and found one perfect late season blossom when I took Cookie out:

 

 

 

Finally I got productive and got a charity quilt basted on the back porch and started my second embroidery.  By dinner time I had this:

 

and my quilt was about 1/2 way quilted.  Michael and I had burgers on the grill for dinner, and I continued to quilt far into the night.

 

Elsie $ Cookie a duex, snowman embroidery

Michael let me sleep until 8 AM on Saturday (8/10) before he left for golf.  I took my bike ride anyway, and saw lots of friends who were out and about!  Once home, I made a nice breakfast, then cleaned up everything from the party and got laundry started.  I got to work a bit in my studio, and found an embroidery that I’m going to do for my Christmas quilt.  I had a bit of company while I was down there:

 

 

 

I also got a bit of knitting done before Michael came home with an 87 and we decided to take a nap.  By the time we got up, it was time to get cleaned up and go pick up Evelyn and Larry.  They asked if we wanted to go to dinner and a movie, so we headed to Red Bowl for dinner (orange chicken for me and tempura shrimp for Michael) and then to the movies to see RED 2 – a totally over-the-top, but enjoyable movie….especially for us oldsters!  Michael laughed and laughed through the whole thing.  We got home around 9:30 and read a bit before bed.

Sunday morning (8/11) we both took a bike ride, then settled in to eat breakfast and read the paper.  I didn’t make it down to my studio until NOON and spent a good hour on the computer, getting caught up on things.  I got sandwich bread baked in the afternoon (and Jan came by and got 1/2 a loaf, along with a bunch of plum tomatoes) and Michael finished all of the laundry.  I finally got to settle down and got started on the embroidery for my Christmas quilt.  After 3-1/2 hours, it was finally done:

 

Now I just have to make one more.  It was leftovers for dinner and relaxing on the couch and knitting for the rest of the night.