A Walk With A Friend

I met up with my sweet friend on Sat. We went to our favorite thrift and then for a nice long walk. Not much color across the lake.

Well we walked so much we became hungry and thirsty. Voila! one of our favorite places was open, we got great seats overlooking the lake. It was so nice to chat and spend time with her. We have some fun plans in October. 

I did a bit of decorating today. It is a busy month and I am hosting my woman's group in a couple of weeks so I wanted some of my spooky things out before it got to busy.

The little fall trees I got at the thrift on sat. 3 of them for 1.50. They look so cute in my cupboard. I also scored a great black dress for an upcoming rug hooking event where we all dress as witches!

This is a very distorted picture of a piece of a rug I am working on. 

It is a German fairy tale rug, and way out of my comfort zone!

I am working in very small cuts. I am also working with a teacher every couple of weeks. I needed to stretch my skills. I had quite a bit done on my own and she felt only a couple of things needed a bit of tweaking so I call that a win!

So the apple bread. I baked it in a pan shaped like this. You have to make sure it is well greased. But it is so pretty when it comes out.

oatmeal apple bread recipe Remember it is dense but sooo good. I keep it in the frig between eating. I heat it on med heat in a dry cast iron frying pan. 

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And before I go a shout out to my Son in Law Ron!

Happy Birthday! May this year be filled with great health and lots of fun!

The Last of The Harvest

I pulled what I think is the last of my veggies for this year. I do still have green beans and a variety of herbs in the ground. I will dry some of the herbs for winter use but not sure how many more green beans I will get. 

 

Remember we went apple picking last weekend? I used some of those apples to make an apple bread. A new recipe for me and holy breakfast is it good!!! It has a very different texture more like baked oatmeal. I cut husband and I two slices and toasted them in my dry cast iron frying pan, and it kept me full until well into the afternoon. 

Now I just need to find the recipe again on line to write it down. 

Today I went to a rug hooking class I have signed up for, for every other week until December. (I am working on a rug that is way above my skills. More on that later).  When I got home I made a beef stew and some cheesy drop biscuits. One of the hits was to drop them in a muffin tin. What a good hint. The outsides were crispy and lovely, and inside warm and soft.

I started the task of cleaning up and cutting back gardens and got side tracked when I saw this stick all I could think of was a broom. 

I just added sticks and things from around the yard. 

The days are getting shorter and shorter it is time to tuck in at night.

I somehow have 3 different projects going a the same time. A little stitching, A little knitting, and a little hooking. I guess I am trying to keep myself busy until it is time for the days to start to get longer.

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Lots of rain coming in tonight and into the day tomorrow.

There is a final church sale of the season tomorrow. I will probably chance the bad weather for a look.

To my friends in the south I am thinking of you and sending prayers. Please stay safe. 

The Scent Of Fall

We had a bit of rain yesterday and just before sunset voila!

It was a double rainbow but the top one was so faint I could not get it with my phone. 

I am walking everyday. when the leaves fall and start to dry up there is an earthy smell that I love. If only candles smelled like that. 

Today we took a ride to an apple orchard we had never been to before.

And after seeing this I have no  idea what took us to long to visit!

The views were amazing!!

Several varieties of plump juicy apples.

A family cemetery, such a lovely area. 2 young brothers run the orchard now.

He said his parents bought the property in the 70s. What a legacy! 

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Just a little cooking how to. I had baked a butternut squash.

I cut the squash in half scooped out the seeds added bit of butter over it about a tablespoon over the whole thing. baked until soft at 400.

No need to peel. Just scoop out after baked. 

 I had some leftover from having it as a side dish with another meal. 

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I took the leftover squash added some chicken stock until I was happy with the consistency and then added a little bit of cream to make it rich. Add what spices you like, I had an immersion blender to make it smooth. It was so perfect and a great way to use up leftovers. 

My daughter and I both love dilly beans. I am still getting string beans but not a lot. I had enough to fill this jar. I had just eaten the last of store bought dill pickles I had. I boiled the leftover pickle juice poured it over the beans in the jar. put it in the frig. And oh man perfect! I am hoping to make another jar before my beans quit for the season. 

The little old cemetary on my walk so peaceful.

Have a wonderful week.

How Much Wood ?

The weather here is still very summer like and very unusual.

We will be cooler next week, more to normal temps but because we have been so warm I think it will be a shock.

My burning bush is starting to turn. But the poor plants and trees are becoming very dry from the heat.

Those crazy geraniums are still going.

And my hydrangea is very happy.

Happy zinnias, next year I am planting packages and packages of them.

Today we started the big job of bringing wood in for the winter. We do not burn as much as we use to. And who knows how many more years we will continue to do this. But when there is a storm howling outside that fireplace feels pretty darn good.

So how much wood can an old couple chuck? About a cord. 

A couple of friends and I traveled to the talk on herbs as medicine. The woman presenting had a lot of knowledge and I do think I will visit her shop soon. She was talking about medicinal weeds. She said she finds they show up in her garden just when she needs them most. Nature is a wonderful thing.

She gave us garden tea, enough for a couple of cups. 

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Someone asked if the lake we were on last weekend (squam) was were On Golden Pond was filmed? And yes it is!!! If you have never seen it you are missing out on a real treat. 

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I had to drop my car early this morning for new brakes. Husband took me to breakfast. We both have had heartburn since. Ugg!

Have a great week!

Summer's End?

Yesterday we celebrated my daughter's birthday. A few days late.

A brunch at a lovely scenic place.

When I say my daughter's age I think how can that be true? How fast the years tick by. And our lovely grand growing up by the minute!

 

It was mimosas and yummy meals all around.  

Then long time friends invited us to a boat ride and dinner.

I tried to catch all the loons together. There were 8 loons together which is rare. But I wonder if they are getting ready to fly south for the winter.

This is squam lake. There was a haze from the Canadian wildfires in the air. But the colors are starting to turn and it was a warm lovely evening, and perfect company who could ask for more? 

This popped up on my facebook account. When our grand was born not long after my husband got very sick and needed a bone marrow transplant so for our Sweet B's first year she thought we lived in a computer because we were quarantined. She is two here I think or not quite and we are apple picking. 

 

And this was yesterday with these two. She is our one and only and the love of our life. 

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I have fun plans for later this afternoon. Hiking with my sweet friend. It is a gorgeous day. And tomorrow I am going to a talk on herbal practices and a tea. So the summer weather goes on for us here. No complaints from me. I could take this weather all year round but we know it will not last so love it while it is here. 

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I am still moderating comments so you will not see your comment come up immediately but it will show up later. 

Have a wonderful week! 

Hummmmm

On my walk today I spied this in the road.

We have had some very windy days. 

Since this was a large piece of a very large hive. I looked around but I could not spy the top part. 

So I took some pictures and moved on. Husband comes home from working out with it in his hands and yep there were wasps coming out of it!! Yikes and he had had it in the back seat of his truck! So anyway both of us danced around a bit and looked in his truck. Luckily no wasps in there. Life is never dull. 

I am in a pumpkin spice kind of mood. 

I know this creamer is not good for you but just once a year I get my fix and I am good. 

I even have it in our downstairs bath. 

My walks have been so quiet lately.I rarely meet anyone walking or a car. It gives me a lovely quiet time.

The colors are showing more and more each day.

And what lovely days we are having. Cool nights and warm lovely days. 

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The moderation on the comments is going well. Well at least I think it is, please email me with any issues you are having with it. 

Myacornhollow@yahoo.com

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Have a wonderful rest of your week.

BRRR

It is a clear, very crisp day here in NH.

50's with a very busy wind. 

The colors are starting to show. It is hard to believe that this week will bring 80's all week. I am in no hurry to turn the heat on. 

On Thursday I was invited to lunch. To a beautiful home in Maine. This home is on a lake and it is a custom built home with amazing custom details. I did take photos but I did not ask permission to put them here so I will not. It was a gathering of rug hookers. And the food, so much food!!! 

I was so happy to be included in this group. We had such a good time.

 

I picked some of my hydrangeas ( I need a ladder to get the good ones) and I put a few of my fall/ halloween decorations out.

I finished the pumpkin I was working on. I like how it came out

I have been harvesting some of the veggies from my little garden.

I got about 3.5 lbs of potatoes. Not bad for two seed potatoes.

We had the string beans oh my they were so good. With the warm weather coming I expect to get more tomatoes.

My newest book from the library I got a bit of a start on it I like it so far. There is a waiting list for this book so I need to get on it.

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Comments, I found the only way to get all the comments to go to your email is to moderate comments, so when you comment you will not see it pop up. I have to approve it from my email. I am doing this so I can make sure I am answering everyone. I was always feeling so badly that I forgot someone. 

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Not much on the calendar this week. I have a couple of closets to clean out. I want to do the spare room over and that closet is a dumping ground. 

Have a great week!!!

Fall Is That You???

On my walk today I noticed the shadows are so different from just a week ago.

Back to school today for my two loves. My daughter teaches and Sweet B is in her last year of middle school ugg. 

Here she is with her proud dad. He has a lot to be proud of with this young lady. 

 

Remember I told you last post we had no plans for the long weekend. Well that changed quickly. First we went to my husband's old high school buddy's house for a gathering and a boat ride Sunday. Monday 2 young men who helped us build our house 36 years ago wanted to stop by. What a joy it was to see them both! They are grandparents now! What!!!!Just where did the time go????

Then I got a message from my cousin in Maine they would be in my area could they stop by this morning? Yes and what a wonderful visit we had. They are at least 3 hours from us so we don't see each other often. So it turned out completely wonderful! With great fall weather to boot.

A blurry picture of a porcupine. He showed up about 6 pm and did not care one bit if we were walking around, talking and making noise. Do you think he lives nearby? I am guessing yes.

I am trying to stay off my phone, such a horrid habit. I worked on making a primitive pumpkin. It needs more stuffing and a face. The stem is not glued on yet. But it has been fun to create again. 

My dishwasher was not going through the whole cycle and jumping to clean when it hadn't released the soap yet. I went on youtube to figure out the issue. It was the door latch. It wasn't working properly voila works great now. (I hope) I was in no mood to purchase a new dishwasher I need front brakes, It is always something. 

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Since it has been fallish type weather I baked individual 

chicken pot pies. I used puff pastry for the tops of them. They were quick and tasty using rotisserie baked chicken from the store, frozen mixed veggies and a can of cream of chicken soup. add milk, butter, spices and voila warm stick to your ribs dinner for very little money.

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I am going to change some settings on my blog trying to get the comments to go to my email. If you get some strange message, yup that would be because it didn't work. Wish me luck.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful visits and comments I get to this blog. I read each one.

Have a great week!