Goodbye For Now!

We are heading off on vacation to visit our family and friends out west. Originally, we were going to leave early Friday morning, but it would be a very long day of driving, so tonight we decided to leave tomorrow afternoon instead and get half of the drive out of the way.
Tomorrow morning promises to be very busy.... 

I'll be back in about two weeks!

Moon Flower and Morning Glories

Peaches and Specs

I don't think I mentioned that earlier this summer we found that we had a little old peach tree growing in our east yard. We had seen it there, but had had a hard time identifying it, since it was absolutely covered in poison ivy. *Shudder* My Knight in S. A.  donned protective clothing and attacked it (the ivy of course;) with Roundup and we hoped and hoped that our little peach tree would survive.........and it did!
And we've gotten over a dozen tasty little peaches from it as well! The kids are in heaven.

On to the spectacles........My dad discovered them in a wall by the attic stairs, complete with their leather case, and also a little old mirror, framed in wood and in really nice shape ~once I get a chance to clean it up a bit. Makes me wonder what else is back behind those walls.........

As to an update on the house, well, the fellows are almost finished with the plumbing, are putting in tubs and showers, and just need to run some feed wires to hook up the new electrical circuits they installed. We are getting bids for the new drywall that we hope to have installed sometime next month. Our new kitchen is ordered ~Hurray!! (Yes, I am very excited about this!)  and I have been thinking about paint colors and flooring options. My Knight thinks we'll be in by Thanksgiving, but I just keep thinking that if we are in by Christmas, I'll be thrilled. I haven't posted pictures lately because nothing has really changed aesthetically. Once the drywall is hung and we start painting, I will post picture updates, I promise!

The Assumption

"Assumpta est Maria in coelum; gaudent Angeli,

laudantes benedicunt Dominum."

("Mary was taken up into heaven; the angels rejoice,

and with praises bless the Lord.")

~from Prime, in The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Done!

The pink tatted edging on the other pair of baby stockings...

And Miss Posy's apron, made from the scraps of this project,

....and one of my grandma's vintage aprons, which I had embellished (five or so years ago!) with some stitchery known as snowflaking. ~It makes me think of a modified cross stitch.......and looks like lace overlay from a distance. Here is a closer view of it on her pocket below:

She loves it. My girl through and through!

Pink

Whew!!!

Ripped jeans are all patched, missing buttons sewn back in place, and torn clothing mended.
It was a long day's work, but it's done !!!!

So.......now I need to tackle the house ....
... it's a disaster!

Yesterday

...was so perfect. Blue skies and breezy, with a slight nip in the air as the day wore on.

It was the feast of St. Lawrence, Boot's patron saint, so we grilled hamburgers.

And afterwards built a small fire, roasted marshmallows, and shot off the rest of the fireworks that were left over from the 4th of July. ( There is a meteor shower, called St. Lawrence's Tears by some, that happens every year on or around his feast. I thought that the fireworks worked well as a mini simulation of it since we have never been able to stay up to watch the real thing! ~We'll have to remember this for next year.)

It was a perfect evening.

Red Geranium in the Afternoon Sun

Found her on clearance today, and of course, I couldn't resist.

Brings back happy memories of my grandma, who had red geraniums blooming on her back porch.

Tatting

I edged a wee pair of stockings in my spare time over the weekend with tatted lace. They are destined for a precious little niece, whom we will get to meet for the very first time later this month.
I hope to edge another pair in pink by the end of this week....

A Fairy Bed?

Did You Know...

....that pumpkin~peach muffins are really quite delicious? I had my doubts. You see, I had half(ish) a can of pumpkin and (not quite) half a jar of my red wine peach preserves languishing in the refrigerator. And this morning, as I was trying to figure out what I should make for breakfast, I thought ~why not?! Worse case scenario I eat them myself over the course of the next week in penance for subjecting my family (yet again) to more of my "scientific experiments". So, the pumpkin got mixed in with the batter, and the peach preserves I used as filling.

The finished product was very tasty. Next time I might add a streusel topping though....

~And, as a side note, the pumpkin added to the batter gave the muffins a beautiful almost-peachy tint. Wish I could say I planned that......;)

What I Did Yesterday.....

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I love aprons. I have been meaning to make myself a new one all summer, and yesterday, when I was suppposed to be mending my Knight's work shorts, inspiration struck. Earlier in the day I had seen this and later, rummaging through some old piles of discarded denim, I happened across a jumper (it really looked more like a tent than a jumper;) someone had given me in a bag of maternity clothes several years ago. I had been saving it......to make into something. Perfect! I ripped it apart and began cutting, pinning and sewing it into the halter-top style apron you see below.

And here you can see the pretty cotton fabric (from my stash) that I used to line it. Also the hidden inside pockets. ~A good apron always needs pockets!

I couldn't believe how well it all  went together, though I just "winged it" without a pattern.(~ It's crazy, but it seems like I do my very best sewing this way........intuitively. More often than not, patterns give me all kinds of grief.....though I will admit that they are necessary for more detailed projects than this one!)

But the best thing is that it didn't cost me a dime to make....

......and I have enough left-over fabric to make Miss Posy a new apron too!

How It's Done

Goat milk pancakes. Layered with butter and strawberry jam.

 And topped off with more butter and jam....

...as well as whipped cream and a generous drizzle of syrup.

That's how it's done.

Strawberry Pie

The second one of the summer .............