Knowing When To Give in

Day lilies are in bloom.

Hollyhocks.

Crazy picture but we dove in before I could get a picture.

I whipped up some ricotta, roasted some tomatoes, onions, garlic, with some fresh basil topped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It goes on the top of the ricotta with crackers or bread yummmmy. My one hint is always purchase the name brand ricotta. It is always smoother. 

I was given some homemade vanilla I used it all. It still has the vanilla beans in the jar to make another batch I used the bourbon I got as a little gift. 6 to 8 weeks later voila I will have another batch of vanilla! 

My lavender is so full and wonderful this year. I cut some today and made a small wreath for my downstairs bathroom. 

Sat we went to visit King Arthur Flour. Big mistake! It was crazy!!

We usually go during the week when it is not so crazy. But I got what I needed and a few things I didn't need more on that later. 

***

I spent several days punching on that piece. It was still a mess!!!

So, I made the decision to pitch it. I did not enjoy one minute of it, and it kept looking sparse and horrid. It was time to move on. There are a whole lot more crafts in the world to try to love or hate. 

***

I hope your 4th was safe and wonderful.

Have a lovely week. 

Forgetting Everything I Know

Not the greatest picture of my roses but they are so beautiful right now and will bloom until the next hard frost. 

I mixed up my own version of dry ranch dressing. I found it better and no preservatives. 

1/2 cup of dried buttermilk

1 Tab of garlic powder

1 Tab of onion powder

2 tsp of dried parsley

1 1/2 tsp of dried dill

1/2 tsp of dried tarragon

1 tsp of salt 

1/2 tsp of cracked pepper

1/2 tsp dried mustard

2 Tab = 1 packet

I put it all in this jar and shake, shake, shake. Put the cover on tight and keep in cupboard.  

The local grocery store had a sale on lobsters. I treated myself to two

they cook them I just cracked them. They are hard shell, so it was hard cracking, but I got 3 lobster rolls out of it and it cost 20.00 seeing as most lobster rolls are 30.00 and up each, so the cracking was worth it. 

I have struggled with punch needle the whole I time I have tried it. 

I was going to paint this one and stitch over it, but the paint bled.

So, it is large enough to fit my rug hooking frame to keep it nice and tight. And that was the trick I think I am punching away so much better. 

****

This morning, I was walking on our road and out pops a black bear from the hill on a trot. We were just feet apart! I was so shocked and so was the bear. And then I forgot everything I know about bear encounters! I turned (and hurt my knee) put my back to that bear and ran!!! (You cannot outrun a bear ever!) Luckily The bear did the same in the opposite direction. It was a young bear but if it had been a mother bear, she may have chased me. I am mad at myself for being foolish. What I should have done

 is raise my arms over my head to make myself look as large as possible and slowly back away. Never turn your back on a wild animal that large, that bear even though young, I think last year's cub was probably around 200 lbs.

*****

Have a safe 4th! 

The Perks Of Being Old

Friday morning my sweet friend and I headed for our White Mountains. Because we are over 65, we got in free to a couple of attractions. First up the Flume. I believe it is a 2-mile loop in and out. and what a beautiful day we had on top of it! When you get to this point in the flume the temps drop about 15 degrees. 

There is so much beauty everywhere. and well worth the trip

A little bit about the flume. We are going to try to hike in in the winter and see the falls all frozen. Time will tell if we do. 

Next up 6 miles north Cannon Mt. Where we took the gondola to the top and to hike around up there for a while. 

They have a very cool observation deck they said in the morning you could see for 70 miles. And if you know skiing Bode Miller learned to ski on this mountain and donated his metals to their museum.

A pretty awesome day. 

Sat rain again. It rained all day off and on, so I did major housework because the heat is coming back this week and I have plans to lay around and complain about it.

But my gardens are looking wonderful. These are the germaniums I started this spring you can hardly see the container anymore.  

And hiding behind my lilac is a foxglove it must be wild I haven't seen it before but it's a beauty. 

Husband is now making owls they are pretty cute. 

I went to the dump with him today and got all these cookbooks in the swap shop, a new package of tomato food and a new pk of cupcake papers for Halloween. I will thumb through the cookbooks write down any recipes I want from them and donate them to the local thrift store. 

And last but not least I finished my stitching piece. I will fill it with lavender. 

***

I will be around to visit everyone this week I have an eye appointment tomorrow, but the rest of the week looks good.

Have a great week!

PS Thanks for all the birthday wishes for husband I read him everyone!

Birthday Guy

We have been as "Hot as the hinges to hell" my dear mother used to say. It makes me physically ill. The only air conditioning is in our bedroom and neither of us can sleep with the noise of it running. 

It is going to break tonight thankfully. 

Anyway I got out some stitching today hooking is to hot. 

Today is my sweet husbands birthday!  Another trip around the sun. I do think we got a bit to close to the sun lately.

Have a wonderful week!

Heat Is On The Way

Today was a day of rest. I have had a VERY busy week.

Saturday, we had a nice cookout in honor of Sweet B and her cousin.

When we had the gutters installed it caused a big problem with washouts in this garden. What to do?? Finally, I thought of a rain barrel. So, the only thing we had to buy was the piece that connected to the down spout. We have to unhook it when winter comes as it would freeze solid. 

When I was in Maine, I bought a small sheet of moss to make a round hanging planter. Today I made it and put a few hens and chicks in it. I have it hanging fingers crossed to see how it does. 

Because we are going into the heat I made a large picture of lemonade. I used a mix and then added the juice of one lemon and then cut a lemon up and put it in it made it delicious. 

Husband's newest wood project a bud vase. I think it is very sweet. 

I pulled some fans out of the attic and found this lamp I had a long time ago. Dusted it off and put it on the porch. 

While I was in Maine, we had a discussion on bathrobes.

Dayle and I have them, one for winter and one for summer. The other two do not own one. I find that very interesting. So, Are Dayle and I the different ones or do you wear a bathrobe too?

I have taken a shower and now I am headed to beat my husband at cards lol. 

*****

Record breaking heat is on the way for the next 3 days. With very high humidity. We have been rainy and cold so to have this heat now it will be horrid! Plus, I do not like the heat. 

Have a great week.

My Joyful Life

I am starting this post backwards in order. My daughter gave me a bag of used coffee grounds from starbucks.

I sprinkled some around my gardens as I was weeding. I did work it into the soil. The rest went in the compost pile.

Monday I traveled to Maine to meet up with my sweet friends.

Where we crafted...

And crafted some more and went to Donna's rug hooking group. I snagged the felting kit off the free table......

We laughted until we couldn't breath, ate very well, just enjoyed each other's company. We meet up a few times a year(we are all from different states) but talk every day. This 

Friendship is so special and important to me. I do wonder how did I get so blessed to be part of it?

And then this amazing brilliant girl is headed to high school next year. We got to celebrate her yesterday my darling Sweet B♡.

*******

I am blessed beyond measure.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Groundhog, Coffee, And Other Nonsense

This morning, I left the house early for a haircut, but I had errands along the way. I tried to pay our property taxes at the town hall it is closed on Thur. Just when did that start?? I dropped some mail at the post office and headed to get my hair cut. I was early so I walked over to a coffee shop. I got a small basic ice coffee it was almost 4.00!!! can you tell I never buy coffee out? I was shocked, I see people walking around with those giant coffees just how much do they pay out for those in a week???

Since my hairdresser is in the same town as a favorite thrift store, I took a spin through. I got the talbots top and the book for 3.50.

And on the way home I stopped at a church sale and got the tablecloth for 1.00. It will look great on the porch this summer. 

One of my friends who sends me stuff all the time sent me this idea.

A doily over a container.

Put an elastic round it and use it like a flower frog genius! 

Today was one of those days that was just perfect. Warm with a good breeze and sunny lots of sun! We have had so much rain it is so good to see the sun. 

So, we figured out what is eating my garden. The groundhog was caught on our game camera. We have new neighbors, and they have a dog, so he has decided our house is a better place to be ugg. It has been feeling a bit like the movie Caddy Shack around here lately. I hear husband talking to himself and plotting ways to get the varmint. 

(this is not my picture) 

A new have a heart trap has shown up today. 

My geraniums are starting to shine. Remember I started with

just bare sticks you can see them here. I did lose a couple of the plants this year but what kept going is doing great. ( I have a few pots of them now)

***

Every night I have been checking for fireflies well last night was the night. There were hundreds of them in our back yard. It was so magical and amazing. Then we saw the moon coming up through the trees bright bright orange. With the fireflies and the moon, it truly was like nothing I have ever seen before.

Have a great week 

I hope you find your own magic.