Kiss the Ground

I'm home!!! back from Wally Mart and Jo Ann's where I scored big time. Partially due to my own bad & careless record keeping. While at Jo Ann's I perused the Christmas fabric dept. and found everything 50% off because normal people don't wait till less than a month to make Christmas window toppers(quiet back there) ANYWAY-I was hard pressed to find a fabric that I could live with-everything is a little too, too, screamingly bright or has a kind of kiddie theme to it. I just wanted something pretty, simple, and not too garish. I also wanted 7 1/2 yards of it-thus making it nearly mission impossible. However, I kept at it and dug around coming up with the two things you see above. Both are pretty, simple and not too too. One is a little short of the required length so I will have to decide and plan a little. My living room and kitchen are really one big room with a wall that separates only half the space. The curtains really need to be the same all around or it looks like a gypsy encampment. Well...it sort of looks like that anyway but I don't need to add to the confusion sight-wise. Overload on the patterns will just add confusion to an already easily confused group of people. In truth, I could drape the windows with anything and they probably won't notice until maybe April-May. The only way you can get noticed around here is if you're draped in something edible-cold cuts, eggplant Parm, mashed potatoes....Food always attracts the clan members(hello boys!)

But I digress...When I went to pay for said fabric it occurred to me that I should use up the 2 gift cards from BIL Bob from last Christmas, in case he would think I didn't like them and not get me anymore this year. I really thought I only had maybe $20 on each of the 2 cards I had. Here comes the fun part..Wheeeee I had over $80. The bill with Christmas dec items was $100 so I had a big $20 difference. Found Money, does it get any better?

Anyway I'll probably use the holly leaf fabric since there is more than enough of that for all windows and the second fabric is adaptable for other uses.

The only bad part of the day was that everywhere I went was well prepared for winter temps by really cranking the heat and-guess what? Today it's in the high 50s so by the time I got out of Wally Mart I was so beet red I decided to bag any other shopping. Now for the unbelievable part. I passed by the Giant Super Borders....passed by and went home. Didn't go into the book store...me. Only now I feel deprived and grumbly. It needs to be one kind of temperature here for a week or two. This hot cold thing is very strange and now it's interfering with my book lust. Hrumph!

The second picture above is a table runner without borders yet for one of 3 people. Haven't decided which one yet.. I'm off to the sewing machine after I cool off.

Formerly Banned Word Now Allowed

Santa's Christmas Workshop is open around here and going strong-well... sorta strong. This morning I sewed together some blocks for a table topper for a friend. It's just a simple Indian Hatchet -make four and sew them together to make an X-block- -picture tomorrow. Right now I have to get some house keeping type stuff(Laundry???I'll get to that Monday)

Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving II- On the actual day, we went to our friends house for dinner(really delicious) and yesterday I made another Thanksgiving meal since James complained bitterly that they didn't have mashed potatoes at Dani's house. They had a feast of things including potatoes, sweet and new red)but NO Mashed Potatoes. Needless to say-the Italian Thanksgiving table(which sounded beyond fabulous to me) is completely lost on James, who turns out to be the consummate Irishman & potato addict. I'm not sure where we got him but Pop was like that. If there were no potatoes on the table-it wasn't a real meal. On Thanksgiving, while I was making the smashies to take with us to our dinner-he was standing by, with a spoon in his hand looking a lot like the guy above...begging for some mashed potatoes. Anyway, last night Dani came to us for dinner and James was, at last, a happy camper with mashed potato lake filled with gravy, sweet stuffing mountain, and turkey for dipping *grin* They're all little boys at heart.

Today is a rainy, gloomy, day and for some reason I am in particular muscle and joint pain. I usually have some of that because of arthritis but this is really awful back, neck, and siatica(sp) in my leg. Wow, very painful. I am finding that the combination of cold and damp together are a really bad trigger for this type of pain lately. I'll have some cheese with my whine and keep going.

I'd like to thank each of you for taking the time to make such nice comments on the last post. I still have a number of letters and they will keep coming for the next 4 weeks so there's that to keep up with.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and I'll be back tomorrow with something to show in the way of quilt-related content. Hope your day is peaceful.

Thanks for giving

Just a few things and a special Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in blogging. I hope you all have delicious dinners and many things to be thankful for.

As some of you might know, I work for the local Food Pantry. I think the past few weeks of announcements by various media outlets have resulted in a windfall for us. We have more donations, turkey coupons, and fixin's for Thanksgiving than you can shake a stick at. Our Pantry is truly a cornucopia of goodies.

Here's the other half of that equation-letters of thanks...by me...to a multitude of donors, civic groups, and churches. We are actually coming up on enough of a mail load to justify getting a bulk rate. Problem with that is that one month it will be 20 letters and one month it will be 100. Some letters are just thanks for the food donation that require no dollar amount listed for tax purposes. Some are dollar amounts that do need tax deductible notice. Some are donations in memory of someone who had died. That requires two letters. One informing the family of the deceased of the donation and another to thank the donor. Some letters are to children who raise money selling things and collecting groceries, delivering them and stocking the shelves. They do this for various reasons including honor society credit, and part of a church group or scouts. I've tried to think of ways to make form letters-doesn't work. Nearly all of the donations require personal attention in some way. Up till this year the cost of stamps was high but still sane. This year stamps- 40 cents. Multiply that by a couple of hundred for November and December- It's a lot and it's a lot of moolah. I make a very special effort to make the letters meaningful and I have painted myself into a corner because now, people write the Pantry letters complimenting my letters and my letters have, indeed become a well-known part of the Pantry experience. I always imagined a life in letters- Be careful what you wish for.

Seriously, I have formed a deep friendship with some folks in the community who I might never have known. Some of them are the donors and some the people in need. We are becoming a nation of people who hardly ever have fellowship with each other and so I guess this is my form of fellowship. Some of the stories that go with the lives I see played out at the Pantry are desperate and awful. Mothers with autistic children that have been abandoned by spouses. Men who have fought for this country and then been abandoned and left alone and frightened. Families that have fallen apart financially and cannot make ends meet. We can be the kind of people who turn away and say "It's someone else's problem" "they made a mess of their lives, why do I have to pay for it?" I guess, even when faced with the mountain of mail and cost of postage, it is the humanity of people that puts things into perspective. The humor of people makes thing bearable. The dignity of people who have little that makes me thankful. Maybe one of the blessing of my life is that I know what it means to be afraid and alone. Compassion is needed.

For the next few days I'll be trying to catch up with the mail. I'll leave you with a picture of the lime green beech leaves in my yard, which by now have probably frozen in place. Later....

Addendum-thanks to everyone who wrote a comment. It's a big job but the least I can do. I'm fortunate to have the ability to stay home and not have to go out to work. That's a gift and I feel I should do something worthwhile with some of that time. I did 57 letters today and since our conversation yesterday I put my tiny brain into gear to find a way to combine some of the letter styles so that all that was required was a change of address on some. See...chatting with you all makes me have better organizational skills(heh)- Oh! and thank God you don't have to lick stamps anymore!!Yay to the Post Office.

mixed bag...itchy and blurry and annoying and stupid

Hubby is due home this afternoon and I'm playing catch-up with the mess I've made around here. Truth be told, I needed to do the mundane crap that accumulates all too fast anyway. It's been a very quiet few days. Since Roger hasn't had to travel much in these past few years, I forgot how strange it is to be here alone. Well, James and Bob are around in the evening but it's a long day up here in a very secluded spot. I tend to really light up the place. Flood lights outside-multiple lights on inside that I normally never turn on. Bright...very bright. The paranoid in me wants to see what's coming to get me. Funny thing is that by the second day or so, I've made some kind of internal peace with it and by that time normal life resumes. James and I tried to have a bite to eat before he went off on his evenings with friends. It wound up being bagels and a salad for me. I had plenty of leftovers for Bob so cooking was minimal. All of this left me time to actually finish some things on the sewing burner. Feels good to get going again.

I have been experiencing some interesting and annoying side effects from a medicine I have to take. One of the things it itching. My dose was increased during the past year and over time I have this horrible itching in my hands mostly but some days it feels itchy on my arms and torso as well. I found some stuff by Eucerin called calming cream and it works for a while but since my hands are in water all the time it's a pain to constantly re-apply. Maybe gloves(ugh) are called for. The medicine also began to affect my eyesight in small ways over the past couple of years. I have some real trouble with focusing. It causes me to have to really struggle to put things into focus. It makes me very unsure and tentative in moving around. There is nothing I can do about this-I have to take the stuff. So, I've become slow and deliberate where I used to be a little dynamo walking and moving around. It affects my driving only in my ability to read signs-I get completely overwhelmed and so I just don't go anywhere except places around here I'm very familiar with. Getting old really sucks big time! Anyway, if you're out and about and you see a woman scratching, and crashing into stuff...slowly & deliberately...don't wave at me...it'll throw me into a panic(kidding). I would take Benadryl more often but then I'd be sleepy and itchy as well and that's one too many of the 7 dwarfs for me.

Today, for your viewing enjoyment, I show a couple things I've been finishing and two things that are stupid and annoying as well as a shot of what I look like while I'm itching. I leave you with 2 of my favorite cartoon characters( Pinky & the Brain) and two of my least favorite cartoon characters, Dumb & Dumber.

and now for something completely different

This morning Roger took off for Albany for 4 days. I have about a million things I would like to accomplish. Many of those things are to do with the holiday that swiftly approaches whose name I refuse to utter until Thanksgiving is over. I kinda feel like this guy. Every year the commercialism starts earlier and earlier. To me, it takes a lot of enjoyment out of the holiday which I will not mention yet. It sort of reminds me of when I worked in retail. By the time the holiday came all I wanted to do was hide in the closet and never see another decoration or hear another carol associated with the holiday which I will not mention yet.

That said, I have a thing I want to do that I must begin today or I will not finish in time. Can't say too much because members of the family(hi honey) read this from time to time. I recently heard some grumbling regarding my leaving the picture of the yummy Gordon Ramsay up too long. Let me just say one thing about that to the person in question...Telemundo!!!!

So I'm off to gather supplies and food and do various errands so that the next few days can be focused on important gift-giving type stuff. Someday I really will get back to the quiltmaking and show & tell. Can't remember if I showed these little baskets before.

The little houses are a gift for our friend who collects holiday houses and decorates her whole house with them. It really looks pretty and I think she will enjoy these as well.

That's it for now-hope your day is sweet and jingle-free.

For those who asked about Gordon Ramsay-here, he has his program, Kitchen Nightmares, on Wed. night at 8 on Fox network. I don't know if that translates to the same in different parts of the country. I understand that this weeks episode is the one they filmed in the too too posh Hamptons in a family-run Irish Pub that is famous here on the Island. I've never been there but I've seen it mentioned in the news several times. Can't wait to see what he does with the place.

Alone too long

Since I am all alone...snif, left to my own devices(that'll teach 'im) I decided to let the imagination wander and thought a lot about who I would like to invite to dinner. The answer came to me in a moment of hungry clarity. Gordon Ramsay. I found out that Sting was busy with some chanting and praying stuff and while flipping the channel during commercials(thanks Roger)I came upon Gordon in Kitchen Nightmares. I absolutely love Gordon Ramsey. I love his concept of what a restaurant should be, his work ethic, his "body as temple" think, and...well, he's just Darn adorable. I plotz when he takes a fork-full of someones awful cooking and says "f--- me, did this come from the waste bin?" Now I know that it's not necessary to use such language, but in this case it really makes me laugh. Soooooo...here's the reason I would like Gordon to come to dinner. He would find my food and my kitchen in a dreadful state and immediately fire me. Some people might be offended but I would love to be fired and I'd tell him what a brilliant move it was. Next he would replace all of my ancient appliances and doodads with shiny new up-to-date serious equipment. Then I could alternately admire my new kitchen(surely Roger would re-hire me later) and Gordon. Maybe he would teach me a bunch of cool things to make in order to redeem myself. Maybe he wouldn't spit my food into the bin. Maybe he would just let me stare at him while he cooked. Any way you figure it-I win.

As the dinner guests for my first Gordon Ramsay educated meal, I would invite John Cleese and Michael Palin-two of my favorite Monty Python members. Doing this ensures laughter and silly walks and dead parrots but opens up the possibility for other frightening occurrences... because........

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION

Change of plans& the neighborhood

I think I've shown this quilt before. It's really the only fall-like piece that I have and was made with 5 inch squares I got from some on-line quilt shop. Not all that big but it seems cosy for the season.

My plans for a get-away have changed. Roger will be going with a co-worker to his meeting near Canada. The other traveler had intended to bring his wife but she had a medical problem and will not be going so the alternative is for me to sit in the hotel and read or sew for one long day. I took a pass. It's a tough trip for Roger and I didn't want him to travel alone for an 8-hour car ride. Now that he is going with the fellow-engineer that's not a factor so I'll hang in here and do my reading and sewing locally.

My crack photography team took some pictures on Saturday while we were getting the effects of an off-shore storm. The wind whipped up the sea froth and that picture above is of the canal that feeds into the salt marsh not far from me.

The shot below is one taken from the apple orchard driveway after the guys purchased another delicious bag of Macouns. Yummy! They don't allow me near the orchard as I have trouble controlling myself when faced with a maze of trees with apples just waiting to be snatched up and scarfed up....sorry but some of you may not be aware of my larcenous tendencies when faced with fruit trees.

Well I must go and do some errands and laundry and all the mundane Monday stuff. Hope your autumn day is as spectacular as mine is starting out to be. Just look at that shot of all those apples laying around uneaten...on the ground....wasting away.............sigh

Dia de los Muertes

Today is the Dia de Los Muertes or Day of the Dead. I've always found this type of celebration to be more interesting than Halloween. It's a celebration of the connection between the spirits and the living. Interestingly enough, these types of celebrations are popular in nearly all cultures but I have to say that the Mexicans and Chinese get a medal for fascinating ways to party it up. In both cultures, people go to the graves of family members and friends and bring gifts, or ofrendas, of favorite treats and they spend the day cleaning and arranging altars with significant items that were a part of that persons life. I really enjoy the colorful and communal aspect to this day. Actually, Day of the Dead is two days of celebrating. Today is about las angelitos, or the little angels, and tomorrow is about the adult remembrances. Day of the Dead provides a spiritual pathway from the living to the Saints and to God. The sugar skulls are a tradition as are a type of marigold called zenpasuchitl that are used to decorate the graves and altars. Most of the traditions surrounding this celebration date from Pre-Columbian times.

I reminds me of the manner in which Asian families have very similar celebrations by going to the graves, cleaning and scrubbing them and decorating them with flowers and favorite foods of the person who has passed on. They also have a lantern festival that is an ancient custom. Putting lighted lanterns into the rivers and streams allows the passage of the spirits to another world. I have only seen pictures of both of these celebrations and done some extensive reading about the cultures and it just seems such a beautiful thing to do. I'm not a deeply religious person but I find, surprisingly, that I am deeply spiritual and the thought of moving on to another world is a pleasant thought that, as I become older, really comforts me.

So, no matter if you're a Celt and they put you in your canoe and fill it with evergreens and light that sucker up and float you out to sea, or you're Egyptian and somebody builds a tomb full of the things that represent who you were in life, the concept is the same. It is a celebration of a life and it pleases me to think of remembrance in whatever form it takes. Just in case something happens to me anytime soon-don't forget to put my rotary cutter and Olfa Ruler in with me! Oh! fabric...don't forget the fabric....and maybe some chocolate. I think I'll go get some just to be safe!

Halloween memories

Is everybody ready for Halloween? I really enjoyed this holiday the most when James was little. We would get dressed up(yes we) and hit the bricks for loot. One year James was Dick Tracy and I was Groucho Marx. Another year, everyone managed to get their stuff together and we created a haunted house at the grade school. It was up on the stage and we divided it into a maze that the kids could walk through with various scary scenes and things. In one dark part someone hung pieces of fine thread that felt like spidery stuff when you walked through. I got to be the Witch(shut up back there)and had the traditional black hat as well as some appropriate spider earrings and stuff. In one section there was a cabinet that had the drawers removed and when the door opened with a creak-one of my neighbors heads appeared with gross make-up. It was really fun. There was a guy with a chainsaw and what looked like a bucket of blood with a hand hanging out-accompanying screaming on tape and all. That was the best Halloween. Without little ones it's just not the same. I may take a walk up to the school on Wed. to record the Halloween Parade. If the weather's nice they parade outside for all to see.

The weather has certainly turned everything into fall in a big way. Last night it was 48 and a frost warning. Living so close to the water, the temps don't drop too much for a while. The water off the Sound and Bay keeps everything warm for a while.

I spent the later part of last week catching up with Food Pantry paperwork. Lately I have been letting a bunch of letters build up and then doing a marathon of letter writing all at once. It's now the really busy season, so I better keep on top of things or I will wind up with tons of thank you letters that need writing.

Next week I am taking a short trip with Roger. He has a business meeting in remote, far, northwestern NY State. We are going to stay in a pretty place- the rooms are on a waterfront that faces Canada. Just a 3 day trip but I'm looking forward to it. I need to get a coat though since my coat from the past couple of years is rather groady and not fit for meeting humans in. I suspect it may be a little chilly near the Canadian border in November. Most of the trip will be traveling since it will be a very long day up there and a very long trip back.

Well, that's the scoop from here for now. I've got a big chicken in the oven and some potatoes and sliced tomatoes will round out the menu. Easy peasy. Smells yummy in here.

Just Beachy

I decided to take some pictures for your viewing pleasure and my avoiding doing stuff.

I wanted to get a shot of the neighbors metal dinosaur sculpture which he dressed up for Halloween and made a maze for the local kids. He's a really nice man and he bought a truckload of small pumpkins and each kid that dropped off a non-perishable item for our Food Pantry got a free pumpkin. He delivered a truckload of food to us on Monday morning-A truckload!! It filled up the shelves and lined the hallway. Can't say enough nice things about him. Anyway-he is probably getting the dinosaur ready for his Christmas outfit so they cleaned up all Halloween stuff and he was gone by the time I arrived with my camera. Since it was a really warm day I decided to take a stroll on the beach right down the road. Happily, I found some beachy glass which I collect jars full of and, wonder of wonders, I found some sights that made me really smile. There were many, many, Horseshoe crabs washed up on the beach. For a long time no one saw horseshoe crabs around and I thought they pretty much took the same bus out of town that the lobsters took a while back. It was so great to see. Maybe some things don't change that much. A pleasant thought. So I wandered around and took a couple of pics and then drove home by way of the top of the harbor view. All in all it was better than hanging out doing laundry and writing letters, all of which I am far behind in doing. That said, I better get dinner on and do a couple of quick catch-up things before the boys get home. It was lovely at the beach. I should have brought a book. The fishermen were surfcasting and I think it might be bluefish season so it looked like they were pretty busy. Hope your day was as nice as mine.

Big Boys & Their Big Toys

A month or so ago Roger took some pictures of the trees around the property. They are just loaded with acorns. LOADED! I think the Old Farmer's Almanac says something about that- a very cold winter to come. I hope they're wrong. Today it is a typical rainy fall day here except for the fact that it's too warm again. Mother Nature must be very pissed.....and confused.

I am puttering about trying to finish several things and not getting too far. A week ago we had all the windows open and the fall came blowing through with crisp air and a hint of something cold to come. Today it's back to 75 and a wet soggy mess and the air is on again. I don't want it to be frozen, but what happens around here is that it goes directly from this kind of day to winter in a week and we keep missing the best of the seasons. Makes me cranky.

Anyway, here are 2 pictures of James with his latest toy. I use the term toy with tongue in cheek- since the toy was a couple of hundred and the stuff to make it go and fix it is approaching the same general amount. It's a nitro-methane powered car. Problems arise when it hits curbs and such since it all but takes off like a rocket. It's pretty neat and so is James.

I have nothing major planned for the weekend except to try and finish something for a change. After all the day after Halloween will be Christmas. Doesn't it seem that way??? The music is already turning up here and there on commercials-I quickly change the channel and refuse to take part in the hype. It does creep into the psyche though!

Hope you all have a great weekend. Maybe I'll have something positive to show by Monday.

Continuing Soup Education

Since I received such warm comments about yesterday's soup let's try another all time favorite around here.

Again...please remember that I am from the some-of-this-some-of-that school. Soup is pretty basic stuff and if you have all the ingredients on hand it's a pretty fast fix-although-it does taste even better the day after as many of these soupy-stew-like things do.

4-6 hungry guy servings

6 cans Snow's minced clams (about 6 oz each can-we like a lot of clams in our chowder) or at least 36 oz clams from fishmonger-they sell clams for Chowder in large soup containers here. More is better here

6 bottles Snow's all natural Clam juice or about 48 oz of clam or fish stock.

3-4 hot Italian sausage-remove from casing and crumble and brown.

1- very large sweet onion chopped and about a tablespoon of chopped garlic

half a large carrot diced and a large rib of celery chopped

3-4 med. Yukon gold potatoes diced

1- 26 oz package of Pomi chopped tomatoes- any chopped tomatoes will do, I just happen to like these they are organic and have no salt.

Old Bay seasoning

This recipe is the opposite of yesterdays in terms of the salt factor-Do not add any salt until this has had a chance to meld the flavors at the end. The sausage is salty and the clams and juice tend to be also. Even with the potatoes you can sometimes easily overdo the salt thing.

Brown sausage and drain most of fat-leave enough to cook chopped onions and diced carrots & celery garlic in -add potatoes, veggies, old bay and enough juice to cover everything and simmer til potatoes are fork tender. Add tomatoes and rest of juice and all clams and simmer low for about a half hour. Truthfully-I make this early in the day and let it sit and meld flavors. I often add more liquid at that point because the potatoes soak up a lot. If you're out of fish or clam stock add some vegetable stock or just a bit of water.

Taste for seasoning and add whatever you think you need-or not-the sausage has a lot of Italian flavor but I sometimes add basil or oregano-just a teeeny bit.

Sprinkle the bacon in at the last moment give it a stir and serve.

We sometimes add a couple of tablespoons of a good fresh salsa just to punch up the flavor.

This soup is spicy so it needs some bready accompaniment. Our local grocery has started carrying wonderful Indian flat bread called Naan and it's wonderful soft buttery flavor would be a great thing to serve with this. Bagels are always great too. My family loves those Bisquick cheddar biscuits only instead of cheddar I use some kind of a fontina and Reggio parm since I just can't leave anything alone

Enjoy!

Wow, I really have to do some quilty type thing soon.

Let's Make Soup!

Yesterday I made Chicken Corn Chowdahhh. Deb asked for a recipe and Dorothy said she made hers more of a potato version. Let me just say that I could eat soup everyday from now until April and be perfectly happy. I should also include that I like to make soup from scratch and as with so many of my recipes-they reside in my head and that's a shadowy place with cubbyholes. I almost never make the exact same thing twice-except for Pasta Bolognese and things like this....sort of. I should also say that if you're a fan of clear-consomme-type thin-little-dainty-soup-look away now. When it comes to soup I definitely follow the teachings of my Oma and cooks like Lydia Bastianich. More is better. Thicker trumps thin. and it's really a meal in a bowl and last but almost most important-I cook by the "little of this and some of that" school of culinary adventures. Are you still with me??? If so Let's Make Soup

Chicken Corn Chowdahh

You will need the following and please be adventurous because I'm estimating. This is soup you really can't go wrong with. Maybe you'll like it thinner-add half and half or stock-thicker..add less-you get my drift.

At least 2 large containers about 32 oz. each good chicken stock. I make my own so that's about what I figure will get you to your goal for a nice big pot with maybe leftovers(Heh)

Half package of good thick-cut bacon cut into dice and crisped, drained and set aside for the big finish

I very large sweet onion-chopped

2 large ribs celery diced

1 large carrot diced

3 large Yukon gold potatoes-about 2 cups or more-we like potatoes)

4 cups corn kernels-frozen is fine

3 scallions

picked meat from one 3lb chicken or 4 large cooked chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces (I like dark meat so I often use thighs. Breast meat is so dry) It's your call

2 cups half&half(fat free if you must..bah)

salt & pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

2 teaspoons Lawry's or some seasoned salt of that type.

2 tbsp fresh chopped thyme-optional but very tasty

1/4- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes-optional but we like the heat.

Saute bacon until crispy bits and set aside reserving 2 or 3 tablespoons bacon fat. Don't try to conserve with this-the bacon fat makes the great flavor.

Saute the sweet onions, celery, and carrots in bacon fat.

Dice potatoes- add salt pepper thyme and red pepper flakes to pan-saute a few minutes till translucent-

Then, add enough broth to cover potatoes and simmer about 7-10 min.

Add corn and at least one full container broth(sorry this is where you will have to guestimate)- simmer another 5 min until veg are all tender. Remove about a cup or more of potatoes and vegetables-set aside.

Start by adjusting seasonings-the potatoes will soak up salt so add more of whatever you need in seasoning-then add 1 cup half & half and stir-take an immersion blender and pulse in pot two or three times. DO NOT PUREE. JUST LUMP IT UP A LITTLE BIT -if it's not thick enough add a tablespoon or more of Wondra flour mixed with some of the broth.

Do not add chicken before this or it will just become a shreddy mess-still tastes good but looks....not so much good.

Add cooked chicken and vegetables you set aside-stir. and let the flavors settle. Keep very low heat after the half&half and finish with more of any of the ingredients you may desire. I find it thickens up about now and maybe needs a touch of stock, cream, or milk before serving. I also find that this soup needs a lot of salt and seasoning or it tastes wishy-washy. Put aside your salt caution for this one and I've also added fresh thyme and it tastes great

Ladle into bowls and top with bacon bits and scallions.

Serve with good crusty bread or biscuits

CHOWDAHH!!

I hope you enjoy it. Just be adventurous and make it yours.

Falling

I just don't have anything worth showing in the area of quilting or sewing. Everything in in the works or you've already seen it. Yesterday I had to go and have some blood work done that I discussed the day before here. I am very fair and apparently I don't actually have any veins-so this makes a disaster for the person who has to take the blood and for me as the pin cushion. I took a chance yesterday and tried a new place not far from me. What an amazing visit it was. The woman who took my sample was the sweetest person with a kind of lilting, possibly Jamaican accent, who rubbed my arm and sang to me while waiting for the tube to fill. I apologized for the delay(slow filling)and she said to me. "I'm not in a hurry, Darling-not to worry" Sort of "Don't worry-be happy" feel to it. Well that's done for a long while anyway.

Today I am making Chicken corn chowdah! I love making Chowdah(or is it chow-derrrr-anyone else watch the Simpson's?) I digress....It's great weather for it and I had chicken, corn, bacon, onion, potatoes, and chicken broth-I'll be darned.

I made a trip to Target, Linens & Things, Pier 1 and the grocery store yesterday. A trip to Michaels was also in the plan but I just got pooped out by the time I could have done that. What I wanted was some fall dec stuff. I have a wreath that is nice and sturdy which I have covered over with Hydrangea in varying shades from plum to pale green. I saw something like it on Martha's site and it cost a bunch so I thought I'd just make my own. Right now it needs to be stripped and re-done with fall stuff. I really love the Hydrangea and if they have it in more fall like colors I may use a bunch of that again. It looks so rich and the colors stay true even though it's in the sun-filled door for months. The other thing I saw that I love is this. It's a wreath from Williams & Sonoma and expensive-maybe I can make my own??

Pomegranates are a favorite thing of mine for a long time. I know they are very popular in decoration but I have always loved the Greek Myth of Persephone and her return to the earth from the underground signals the return of spring and, essentially, beauty and the fruits of the earth. There are many versions of that story but I first fell in love with it when I read a book by Mary Taylor Simeti many years ago. She married a man whos family owns home in Sicily that had been in his family for hundreds of years. They have olives and vineyards and she went to live there and fell in love with the country and people and the way in which certain foods signal the advancement through the year. Her other books are wonderful as well. Pomp & Sustenance and Bitter Almonds are a beautiful read as well. My copies are so well loved that I may have to find new ones sometime as I only ever found these in soft cover. These are books that I cherish.

Anyway, I hope you are doing something fun and seasonal. It's really beautiful here. Everything that fall should be

Ups & Downs of the day.

I had a busy day today. Starting with fasting because I needed to have blood work done for the bi-annual tune-up and badgering session at the MD. As it turned out the nurse couldn't find one of my itty bitty veins so they had to write me a Rx for blood work at the local lab. Cowards! (kidding) I actually felt sorry for her-she was apologizing up and down for not getting the vein. Anyway-I'll take care of that next week. All in all not a horrible start to the day. I went to so some other errands and to the grocery store and came home to have my Futomaki lunch in peace. While I was lunching at the counter in the kitchen I was watching the delightful goings on in my garden. It looks like the chipmunks have had babies. They poked their tiny heads out from the stone wall and run like crazy back and forth. The goldfinches are on the last fill-up of the feeders. They must have had babies recently as well since there are some that are so tiny and even more adorable than the rest. They'll be gone soon and I'll miss watching them.

I was going to take a trip to Target for some necessities. It seems that our local grocery stores have some sort of deal with the company that makes Tide. I like Era. Era is the only thing that gets out the remains of my sons working around gasoline and oil and the various smelly stuff that comes from his job. I can't get it anywhere except Target, KMart or Walmart. I really don't go to those places often but in this case I need to. Unfortunately it has turned into a major rain and thunder storm out there. I'll include this in my Monday trip to the bloodletting. It's coming down in buckets. Sounds kind of nice since we haven't had rain in months. It smells really good too. I love the smell of the rain.

If I don't loose my Internet connection I will finish this and go work on some sewing while I make dinner.

I hope your day is as peaceful as mine. I think I better get off this computer now it's loud and scary out there now. Talk to you tomorrow...I hope!

Go Google yourself!

I was reading a blog that I enjoy, With Heart in Hands, and she talked about Googling your name. I did this a while back and was kind of horrified to find that the main entries for my name were for a woman sex therapist in Scotland. I tend to put an inner voice to things like this and so, of course, amused myself with the Scottish-accented conversation that one could have with this woman regarding such matters. I know, such a child! My first reaction was that I was horrified and then I just laughed. Google is an amazing tool-amazing and a little scary. There were some other entries that appeared often and one was a football player-also an amusing thought-although if I don't return to Curves and a diet soon I may fit the Linebacker profile really well.

Yesterday, my whole darn day was blown with Dr. stuff. I have this very unusual thing that appears on my face from time to time in the form of watery blisters and swelling. It seems like a really bad sunburn and the blisters open and yuck I don't want to spoil your day with the rest. Anyway. I had a bout of it before the vacation and...ta dah....it's back! The only answer it to take a biopsy and so far, it keeps appearing in a part of my face that the Dermatologist doesn't want to cut for fear of scarring. She said she is sure its a benign thing with a long name and since there is medicine that gets rid of it really quickly-I just have to go with it for now. I can take Benadryl to stop the awful itching but then I'd be sleeping all day so I'm trying to be very patient(I can hear Roger laughing about that one right now). I've been a lucky woman in the illness department and so it has resulted in my complete lack of patience for anything that gets in my way of doing what I want. This stuff on my face looks like I have severe acne on top of a sunburn and I'm ashamed to say that I'm vain about my face. There is only one positive thing about this stuff-it results in a peel-just like a sunburn and the new skin is really nice. Sort of like having a chemical peel at the Dr. If there is an upside-that's it. In a week or two, instead of looking like this guy-






I'll go back to looking like this
gal...er...guy...whatever!


See you round the bell tower

Life with Oma & some fabric to dazzle the senses

For anyone who thinks I might have been kidnapped by Gypsies-no such luck I'm still here. It's just been a busy week catching up with stuff that happens when you go away. I also seem to be in a kind of slump mentally and physically. I didn't go back to Curves like I should have and I'm sorry to say that it's very easy to find an excuse. I will go back but just not this week.

I'm working on a couple of things I can't show right now but here's a picture of something fun that I've sort of re-discovered. Many years ago my Oma taught me to embroider. She was very good at it-very good. I think back on how wonderful some of the things she did were, and I wish I had them now. I have no idea what happened to the work she did-it's been lost in the sad history of my family. Oma was tough. Her husband disappeared during the war and according to my Mother-he meant to be missing, having lived long enough with Oma. Her life could not have been easy in post-war Munich, Germany. A single woman with a teenager and limited money-making options-not an easy life. It left her bitter and angry a large part of the time. Oma eventually became a housekeeper for a professor at the University there. She worked for him for many years until he passed away and she eventually came to America to live with us. Coming here was, for her, a blessing, a curse, and culture shock. She arrived in the late 50s about the time I was becoming a teenager and found me used to being pretty much in charge of my own life. Up till then,my Mother was at work from early morning till 6-ish and I was left to fend for myself. I walked to school by myself after making my own breakfast and a lunch and came home to watch T.V. and do my homework until she got home. I was 7 or 8. This seemed perfectly natural to me and in retrospect was probably the most carefree time in my childhood. I loved to draw and watch movies(Million Dollar Movie) and American Bandstand and such so the time was never frightening for me. Having spent some time in an orphanage when we first arrived here and I was about 4, taught me what frightening really was-being alone was no sweat after that. I had learned to speak English but I never talked much anyway. Very quiet child is a term that would appear in all reports of me for all my school years until high school. Anyway-Oma came into my life. She was appalled at what she found and thought it was horrifying that I should be allowed to run free and do as I pleased. She was right, of course, but it didn't sit well with miss independent me and so we locked horns often and loudly. I was repelled by the thought of doing what she wanted and she would find the smallest short-coming a reason for shrieking at me-in German( not a pretty language but somehow well-suited to screaming)at the top of her lungs-and in a veritable frothing at the mouth manner. I suspect now that she was angry at the unfolding of her life and I know she didn't want to be here. She said so often. That said-she did manage to teach me the few things I learned about being a woman and housekeeping. Oma was the Queen of the white-glove syndrome. She also taught me to cook things and sew things and clean house. All of these things are good for a woman to know but it would have been received so much better if not done as if she was a Nun with a ruler in Catholic School. Still, all these years later, it is Oma to whom I refer when I think of these creative things and for all the bad moments we gave each other-it is her lessons that I remember most. In fact, lately, I think it would be so great to have her back to remind me of how important pride in one's home is. Lately, I have become a total slob about things that would have made her shriek with anger.

All of this is by way of explanation for what I'm doing now-embroidery. In the past few months I've noticed on some blogs, particularly the ones in Australia and New Zealand like Cinderberry Stitches(in my links on right) and Leanne's House, such delightful stitchery. It's so pretty, bright and cheerful and I just felt like doing some myself. On one particular site called Turkey Feathers, there are some free patterns she offers. I have been hesitant to order anything like this and kept looking daily and being so dazzled by the wonderful work. The other day I had a brain fart and realized(DUH) that I am an artist and can draw pictures myself(again...DUH)so why not make myself a piece to embroider. Lately there have been a bunch of blogs, both quilting, embroidery and even cooking, that show wonderful pictures of cupcakes-I love how sweet and colorful they are. Treats for the eyes. So I drew some cherry-topped cupcakes and am embroidering them in Christmas colors. Oma would be proud-cranky but proud.

The other picture is of some fabric I bought at Mainely Quilting while we were away. I haven't a clue what I will do with it but it just jumped out at me when I walked in the shop and said take me home. Nothing subtle about this stuff. Not really my usual thing but I'm, frankly tired of my usual thing. We'll see what comes of this. Something bright for sure-where are my sunglasses anyway??

More Maine for your viewing pleasure

This is a picture from the internet and a slightly different view. I really just liked the Lupines. Aren't thay stunning?They must thrive on bullsh-t!(sorry, I couldn't help myself)

Thanks Ladies for the fun comments-it's great to have like-minded friends. I felt it was my duty to make the yearly, drive-by salute in Kennebunkport. I feel I owe it to you ladies to express our general attitude and nothing does the trick quite like a loud raspberry and the fickle finger of fate. The driveway is often filled with very large Suburbans with blacked out windows and there is a guard house that doesn't seem to have anyone in it but with all the Secret Service guys crawling all over the place I would imagine that you would take your life in your hands to try and walk up the road to borrow a cup of sugar from Barbara. George the Elder is often running around in his speedboat and often trailed by a large contingent of Secret Service Guys in a black Zodiac with Secret Service emblazoned on the side. I think this must be the detail that they give you when you have been a very, very, very, good boy in the Secret Service..no????Of course my annual trip to Arundle's Wharf had absolutely nothing to do with this visit....nothing at all(hehe) Roger had suggested that we might want to go to Ogunquit and Belfast instead, which by the way I'm sorry we didn't stop in but did drive through. I found out on someone's blog(???) that there is a great new quilt, fabric, and fiber art supply/gallery place on Main in Belfast. I must search for the name and put it on my list of things to do someday. Anyway there are some pics of the view from Bar Harbor- the Bush place and the restaurant here. Also Brown's Wharf in Boothbay. It's the Hotel that Charles Kuralt stayed in every year and wrote about in his book of great places to stay. It's a pretty little place but basically a motel with a connecting deck all across the front. The bathroom was a closet-seriously...a closet. I have a touch of claustrophobia and I was kinda glad we only stayed the night. I also have a thing about bathroom facilities(color me obsessive compulsive as well) but I need a, how shall I say, throne with major whoosh. None of this wishy washy swirly water saver crap for me. Sorry-I'll find another way to conserve and be ecology minded. Some things need to be gone forever.

Well, if you're still with me, despite my quirks and weird sense of humor-on the quilting front...I got nothing. Oh, I've got something-I just can't show it yet since it's a birthday present for a friend who might be reading. I did sew my Mistletoe Manor nine patch blocks together but that's not really interesting. What is interesting is that I have nothing to make a border out of and may have to make a pilgrimage to Joanne's(yes you heard me right) It's all about the color green or red. That fabric has a particular red and green that just looks awful with any other kinds of green or red that I happen to have. It's sort of subdued and very different. I tried laying a few pieces of green or red that I have and they look awful-too bright and the wrong effect. I guess whoever designed this stuff was very smart. Nothing but that fabric goes with that fabric...ack! Not even the cream colors I have are really "country" enough. Why I begin a Christmas quilt in October is, once again, beyond me.

I'll leave you with another book review or 2-Blogger isn't playing well so I'll See what I can do here. If any of you followed my advice and read his last book "King of Lies" you will want to get yourself down to the bookstore or Library and get you a copy of this one. The review says it's better than the last. That would be wonderful. On the DVD front I got copies of "Volver" with Penelope Cruz, and "The Queen" because I adore Helen Mirren in anything. I also notice that the second installment of "Elizabeth" is coming out and can't wait for that to be available. I am crazy about those period pieces and history so what's not to love, although I would love to cook something for Cate Blanchett to eat since she looks hungry to me.

Hope you all have a great day-our weather has finally turned fall-like and so pretty. Talk to you gorgeous girls Monday after I resume torture at Curves.

what I did on my vacation, by Dee

We had a wonderful and relaxing time in Maine. Since it was just the two of us, we sort of did a little this-n-that. Our first stop was Kennebunkport, where I make my annual pilgrimage to the Bush estate at Walker's Point and drive by while giving my particular type of salute followed by a gesture that I can only describe as a very NY expression-feh. You sort of spit it out the side of your mouth like a curse, as in "a curse on all your camels." You're welcome, my pleasure.

After that we had lobster-bisque, roll, etc....everywhere. I varied the menu only once with a nice fried clam dinner at Brown's Wharf in Booth Bay Harbor. We stayed at the Bluenose Inn in Bar Harbor and my honey sprung for the Daddy Bigbucks Suite. Fabulous view of Frenchman's Bay with a balcony to observe it and lovely people waiting on your every need. Very nice. I could get used to that.

We are pretty sure that we will not return to Maine for a while now. Originally we thought the kid was coming with us and so since he had not been there it would be fun showing him all the stuff. When he decided to hang out with the girlfriend(imagine the nerve)we probably should have gone elsewhere but it was too late to organize any major changes in itinerary and we do enjoy it. I did the Quilt shop stops and got a few things which I will show when I get a chance. I'm still trying to catch up with all the laundry and shopping and general crap.

The picture above is of the Penobscot Bridge in Ellsworth that takes you to Mt. Desert Island and Bar Harbor. For years we crossed the old Waldo-Hancock bridge that looked like it was built around the Civil War. Not a comforting thing to cross. This shiny new bridge is now open and I have to say it's pretty impressive but it also freaked me out crossing it-being a bridge and all. It's very tall and a strange thing to cross with all the cables next to you as you cross. Just sort of disconcerting and narrow lanes.

Anyway, I wanted to share this, for those of you looking for a good read and those who enjoyed "A Thousand Splendid Suns" -this book is a great read. It's a very fascinating study in the cultural class system in India and the effect it has on two women from very different classes. It's also a wonderful story about how money and position are perceived to make a person a better human being and the all too often reality of that concept.

It's late now and I have to get dinner, even though I should probably be fasting for several months after all the good food so recently consumed. I'll get around to some more pictures and another couple of book reviews soon. Missed you all and I'm enjoying seeing what you've been up to.

Dee 10-Lobsters 0

I'm back but I'm trying to catch up with everything so I'll blog tomorrow(Scarlett O'Hara)

Hope everyone is well and I'll get time son to read up on what's been going on.