Crab and Pumpkins

Hello again! We had a lovely time in Washington even though it was very hot and sweaty.  I am completely spoiled by our air conditioning.  The muggy weather up there made me wilt.  My mama is doing great and Kelli installed a camera that views her walking up and down the hall of her home and a new doorbell so she can hear when guests arrive.  She is very pleased! The time flew by and soon it was time to go back to the airport and head home.  I was kind of tired for a few days upon returning.  Do you like to fly?  I don't LOVE it, but I try not to think too much about it.  Yikes.

Today Bill and I pulled up all the cornflowers because they were looking dead and we also went to the nursery (the fun pop up one!) and bought some pretty things to replace the dead.  That was exciting!  We'll dig the big holes tomorrow and then there will be lots more color in the front garden.

The pumpkin plants look so promising! I think I planted too many seeds, but it's so fun to see them getting ready to produce!  Actually, the back patch has pumpkins beginning.  I don't know why I love pumpkin growing so much, but I do.

I ate crab when I was at my brother's cabin.  It was so delicious.  It's messy to eat, but very tasty when it's so fresh.  We also had salmon twice!  Yum! 
 

This morning I went out to breakfast with Birdie the newlywed.  She is so delighted with married life.  Do you remember when you were first married?  I remember wondering if I was missing something when it came to "cleaning house" because our house was so small that it didn't take me very long.  I remember lying in the bathtub with the window open, listening to the freeway nearby and trying to pretend it was the ocean I heard.  I remember not having a dishwasher and carefully washing my 1970's dishes. I remember driving to meetings an hour away and getting very lost in the big city.  We were both hopeless at directions and of course we didn't have easy navigation on our phones because we didn't have phones.  God protected us and kept us.  I was very aware of that provision.

I wonder if August will be unbearably hot.  Kids do go back to school in a few weeks.  I'm thankful that I am not going!  I shall just be quietly growing pumpkins and maybe riding my bike.  I took it out yesterday and felt grateful that I haven't forgotten how to ride it!  Ha ha ha!

I read a poem today about animal crackers and cocoa for tea so I had some for a snack.  Literature can be very conducive to eating. LOL.

Off to make spaghetti for our dinner.  Have you been cooking up any special meals?  My cookbook collection does not match my meal planning.  Does yours?  

Thank you for stopping in again.  It's so nice of you.  I'll make sure you see all the pumpkin growth as it appears and I am sure I will take many photos of the pumpkins as they are harvested.  I love pumpkin photo shoots.

God bless you, friend. 

Midsummer Life

Hello!  Long time no blog!  I hope you are all doing well.  I hope you are not melting in the summer heat (if you are up here on this side of the equator!) I am melting a little.  But as you can see in the photo above, I'm still knitting cozy things.

Miss Bug went to Spain to be a part of a mission trip.  We were so happy when she got home.  Do you like the hat I made her?

I made a quiche (a crustless one) because my mom was talking about a Costco quiche.  It was very pretty!  I didn't follow a recipe but I think the key ingredient is cottage cheese.  It was tasty!

I'm trying to keep the flowers I planted well hydrated!  Bill has been helping me water.  I DO have five pumpkin patches (well, I planted two pumpkin seeds in the front garden so that isn't really a whole patch).  They are growing!  The leaves are huge!  I shall be a happy pumpkin farmer when there are pumpkins in August!

Now we have two married granddaughters!  CB's wedding last November was beautiful and Birdie's wedding was beautiful as well!  Do you like my fascinator?  Isn't Kelli's dress gorgeous!  She was golden!  

I woke up this morning thinking about how I can best happily navigate the heat of summer.  I could go to the pool, but I feel shy about that for some reason.  I went for a short walk today to the Little Library on the path by the park and that wasn't unbearable, so I need to go early.  I've been eating watermelon and hot dogs.  I aim to sit outside on the patio a bit more, soaking in the sight of the green grass and the growing pumpkin patches.  

Soon Kelli and I are heading up to see my sweet mama.  I am so thankful when one of the kids goes with me.  Jenny has been several times, too.  Brad went and I hope to take Jeff (or Christie!) soon.  

It will be fun to see my homeland!

I'm hoping you are feeling light hearted and buoyant today!  Are you doing anything exciting over the summer (or winter)?  Are you reading something interesting? 

God be with you, faithful friend.

 

Ordinary Days

So many days have gone by since my last post.  Right around Easter, my little cross sprouted leaves.  The twigs were from a tree in our son and daughter-in-law's yard.  From the cross springs life, indeed!

I haven't walked by the Little Library in a while because I've been trying to walk further.  I do love to check to see if anyone has taken the books I put on the shelves and many have been borrowed!  I'm glad!  

Today two grands are coming for a few days.  They are teenagers now so it looks quite different than it used to.  We'll do some painting and we MIGHT make beeswax candles or soap because I have all that stuff.  We'll see.  They'll be on their own in the evenings because Granny goes to bed at 8pm. 😂

I am going to plant four pumpkin patches because I LOVED being a pumpkin farmer last year.  Maybe the kids can help me plant.  We are still keeping flowers under control so I haven't been to the outdoor flower store yet.  When I was teaching school I didn't really plant until the peonies had bloomed.  That will be early June.

We have another granddaughter getting married so we have a wedding in June.

Trying to find a dress I like was time consuming, but I found a pink cotton frock that I love. It's probably not formal enough, but I think it's okay that Granny doesn't wear sparkles.

I've been reading the book of Acts, all about the early Church.  I'm going slow and learning a lot.

My book group is reading King Lear this month.  Like Christie (daughter in law) said, "It's a tragedy so everyone dies."  Hmmmm.  Not my favorite but next month we'll read Gaskell's Ruth and that'll be nice. 

What approach will you take to summer (or winter if you are down under)? Will you eat different foods?  Go to bed later? Do a bit of weeding? Ride your bike (I need some air in my bike tires)?

Thank you for stopping in to say hello!

 

 

Fabric, a Necklace, Pancakes, and a Braid

Hello friends!  Wow.  Yes, I am still alive.  I haven't posted for two months or more.  I don't know why.  Anyway, let's carry on!  Don't you love the napkins pictured above?  I do love fabric from India and even though I did not order these for use as napkins (I might use them as napkins after all) I just wanted to touch the fabric and look at all those nice squares.  Do you like squares of fabric like fat quarters?  Do you like to go to fabric stores?  Our big one is closing so I don't think I will be able to find a large selection of dressmaker fabric near me anymore. When I was a child, the fabric shops were abundant. 

My sister sent me this adorable necklace.  I love the pearl head and the shoes and purse.  

I finally remembered to serve Bill and I pancakes on Shrove Tuesday this year! That was a lot of fun!  I didn't want to drag my pancake grill up from the basement so I used my regular pan.  They weren't beautiful, but they tasted very good!

See how my hair is thinning?  It's been happening for decades and I am not bald yet.  I would like my braid to grow three inches longer.  Every time I get my hair cut, I like it one day.  After that, I feel remorse, so I shall save a lot of money by not continuing to try new hairdos.  I am too old to worry about my hair, even though I seem to keep thinking about it.  Do you spend much time planning YOUR hair? 

I've been reading a lot, knitting, writing, ironing, cooking, and trying to stay warm.  Today is lovely and I must go walking.  In the morning it is very cold, so I rely on hot water bottles, heating pads, and a space heater.  Our upstairs is warmer than my little hobbit hole downstairs.  

I've been watching social history videos from the UK.  I see that people were VERY cold most of the time because the houses were cold.  It's interesting seeing how working class people lived because we already know how the aristocracy lived from all the movies and television shows we've watched.  I like to imagine myself cooking over a fire, hanging my washing above the fire, and climbing twisty stairs to sleep.  

I must go upstairs and do my little bookkeeping job I do for Bill.  Then I will go out for a short walk and listen to Lark Rise to Candleford.  

I am so glad you stopped in today. 

Are you doing anything special for Lent?  I am doing a series of devotionals found in the back of God on Mute by Pete Greig.  I like it.

I love winter but now I am excited for spring because I bought two flower seed packets.  One of them is full of shade wildflowers and one will go in the sunny spots.

I hope you are thinking deep thoughts, offering your prayers to God, and experiencing many opportunities to extend kindness and offer love.  

(BIG HUG!)