A Car Story

I got a recall on the battery bracket? on my Toyota. I took it to my nearest dealer. They are the largest in our area. I needed an inspection sticker also,they agreed to do that too.

All of a sudden a man comes to me with a piece of paper and dire news 1200.00 in repairs needed. I decline, take my car a week later to our regular garage. I fess up and tell them what they found. He says leave it I will give it a once over. ( he does all our maintenance on both of our vehicles) after he hands me my keys and says no repairs needed. You got your sticker. Because he is a class act he didn't say much. But that Toyota garage has been texting me daily about the repair. I blocked them! I am beyond mad how many others have they ripped off!?

Now on to something else mad. I was walking up our brick steps and a wasp stung me out of nowhere! Oh did that feel like a hot needle!  Husband finds they were building a nest in the stone wall next to our steps. While I hate to kill things they had to go! 

And on my walk this morning out comes the bear again in front of me! Now this time he is further away. He never saw me and continued down a neighbors driveway,they have a nice big patch of raspberries.

                ***********

Husband bought me flowers. I think going away for a few days made him miss me awww.

We are going to the concert on the common tonight if it doesn't rain. 

             Have a great day!

All Great Things....

I headed to Moody Beach in Maine Wednesday afternoon. 

Perfect weather.  

My longtime friend invited my daughter, grand and myself for some beach time at her lovely beach house. 

We made the most of the time together. Perkins Cove to walk around and buy some candy, then we headed for some ice cream. How I love my time with my Favorite people in the world.

On Saturday morning up and out early to church sale. 

I got this rain chain...

I got this cement witches shoe planter, which I love!

And these clothes and some odds and ends. 

And for those who follow "Mavis Butterfield" she has an online blog 

and Etsy store. She talks about how she decorates her house on the outside. Her home is right in town Cape Porpoise. 

But as usual all great fun must come to an end.

What wonderful and joyful memories I have to keep. 

****

I am home I have cleaned out part of my closet and a cupboard I have a lot going to the thrift store this week. 

It is a rainy day I have my feet up now catching up on everyone's blog and I will hook a bit. We are in for the crazy heat again this week along with some haze from Candian wildfires. I hate to wish summer away, but I am over is heat.  

Have a wonderful week. 

Rich

The weather has been so beautiful. This morning it was 50 F perfect day to bake some donuts. (Hot weather is coming back though)

The recipe is from King Arthur Flour. And they are delicious!

Yesterday I attacked an overgrown iris garden.

To say I was completely exausted after is an understatement. But I am so satisfied with myself for getting it done. Today I attacked another garden more on that later.

My bee balm was very busy today. While I was standing there a bee. A butterfly, and a humming bird were all on the same patch.

Last thur my daughter,my grand and I had a lovely day together. Pedicures,shopping,dinner,and a play. I love time with them more than anything in the world. 

 

I have been busy cleaning up gardens and I may have caught a glimpse of a gnome.!♡

*****

Tomorrow I am off to the ocean in Maine for a few days. My sweet friend has invited me,my daughter,and grand for some beach time at her lovely home.

My life is rich♡ 

July In The Garden

This made me laugh I have this cucumber growing up a trellis. It looks like it is hanging on for dear life.

I am still getting a handful of ripe blueberries a day. Every few days I make muffins, recipe to follow.

Garden flox but the humid weather has taken a toll on the stems and leaves.

This is a moss growing on rocks,so interesting!

Zinnia from seed (cut and come again)

This is a half recipe from King Arthur Flour.

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

****

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1 1/4 cup of blueberries.

Crush the 1/4 cup of BB into dough. Add 1 cup of BB

Makes 6 muffins

Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 min.

I sprinkled a bit of sugar on the top before baking to give it a crunchy top

                                   ENJOY!

Progress on my rug. We have had some really lovely days. I have used the evenings to hook a bit. 

                     ******

Have a wonderful week♡

Still Hot, Still Complaining About it

I try to get out early before the sun gets too hot. 

Watering to be done and plants need to be cut back and weeded daily. 

We had someone come today to take a look at our chimney (it needs repointed and a cap.) He made me feel like all the hard work was worth it. He kept commenting on the gardens and landscaping. 

I found this rock from the wall on the right now who or what do you think did that? 

My neighbor loaned me a book about watercolor painting.

One quote I read was "You have got to ruin a lot of paper"

So, I am back to painting I hope daily. 

It is still so horribly hot, and I am not happy about it either.

Trying not just have ice cream for dinner and calling it good.

So, I have diet root beer with a about a tablespoon of heavy cream in it. It tastes a lot like a root beer float. Is it the same? Nope but it is a good refresher. I very rarely drink soda, so it is a treat.

One of the ideas with the rubber stamps is I made my own ribbon.

I just ripped a long piece of fabric any size you want and stamped it.

I am using colored pencils to color them in. 

***

Like I said before we are so freaking hot!!! I am so over it!! 

It is supposed to break tomorrow night hopefully.

Speaking of tomorrow I am meeting my daughter and sweet B for a pedicure, dinner and a play. I am so looking forward to that. Any time with my girls is perfect. 

Have a great rest of your week and stay cool. 

Heat and More Heat

Look how happy my blueberry muffins are lol.

I try to get in the garden early before the bird and chipmunks get the blueberries. I am getting a handful a day. Yesterday while waiting for my coffee, I see the blueberry bush swaying back and forth. I run out like some kind of mad woman chasing the chipmunk out. Good thing the new neighbors cannot see into our yard, it wasn't pretty.

Church sale last week I scored some goodies. 

I learned some new ways to use rubber stamps while I was with Donna, and these were cheap and never used before. 

 

And I scored this handmade shade it is a perfect fit for a lamp I have. It is so beautiful when it is lit up.

It has been hot and more is heat coming. So, husband and I have been playing cards on the porch after dinner waiting for the fireflies to come out. So lovely and peaceful. I am so over this heat!!!

But the gardens are flourishing. I should have a bumper crop of tomatoes this year. 

***

I am getting my car inspected tomorrow NH just passed a law to no longer have car inspections starting 2026. Not sure how I feel about it. We have winter that rusts cars and breaks.  

Have a wonderful week!

I Blame It On The Heat

I have had this book in mid-read for a couple of months.

I have had some eye issues, and it made it difficult to read.

I am on a new eye med, and I need new glasses. But I get to the last 5 chapters yesterday and realized I have read this book before!!!

UGG!

I picked this embroidery pattern up a while ago, so I decided to transfer it to some fabric I had. As you can see there is a lot to transfer. I was given a transfer pen as I have never done this before.

One end is water soluble the other end (that I did not know) was air soluble. You can guess which one I used. So right before my eyes it was all disappearing!! 

I give up!

This plant was given to me when I retired this is the 3rd summer I have had it. I winter it over and by the time it goes outside for the summer I think this is it. It looks dead but voila back it comes!

****

The ricotta appetizer I posted I wanted to reply to some people who have no reply emails.

I whip the whole milk (name brand) ricotta with an electric mixer until it is smooth and light.  No need to add anything at this point. 

If you want to flavor it add whatever herbs or flavors you would like. While whipping the ricotta I roasted some tomatoes I added onions and garlic put olive oil on them and balsamic vinegar. (you can put whatever you want on the ricotta olives, artichokes, etc etc)

I spread the ricotta on a plate drizzled the juice from the roasted tomatoes then put the tomatoes all-round the outside edge.

Dig in with some nice bread or crackers. 

I hope that answers everyone's questions. 

****

Family BBQ this weekend I am looking forward to seeing everyone.

Stay Cool!

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!