Tuesday, November 30, 2010

No more leftovers


This year, our Thanksgiving leftovers were consumed in record time. For the past four years the holiday turkey leftovers would languish, undesired, in the fridge until I tossed them out.

I couldn't figure out why my family suddenly had no taste for turkey - that had never happened before. This year I found a free-range, hormone-free, antibiotic-free 20-lb. turkey, and once again, the family loves turkey. Then I remembered that for over a decade all I bought for our family was organic or free-range poultry. But when we moved here four years ago, we had no source for that anymore, and had to get what the grocery stores offered. Ugh.

There's a huge taste difference in a free-range turkey and a conventional grocery store turkey. Everything made with it - the dressing, the gravy, turkey sandwiches, turkey noodle soup - tastes different according to the bird used.

So the tasty bird and its carcass have been eaten up - every delicious morsel.

Labels: , ,

Friday, November 26, 2010

I am thankful




I am so thankful for friends and family, places, pets, food and shelter, good times and trials, and remember that it all comes from God. It's His to give, and His to take away.

"Naked came I from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." ~ Job 1:21

Labels: , ,

Monday, November 22, 2010

Sewing desk


Our local antique store often has items at thrift store prices, so I regularly check there to see what's new - or newly priced. Last week I found this sewing desk with its own bench. The price was right, and I knew just where I'd use it, so I bought it and brought it home. The drawers and the bench are set up to hold patterns and sewing notions - the boys were enthralled!

In the next few weeks we'll be shuffling rooms around again, and I'll have Steve's former office for my knitting/spinning/sewing room. The new sewing desk will go in my new space, and my old sewing desk will remain where it is in the children's playroom - but Marley's sewing machine will be on it instead of mine.

Going to Apron Thrift Girl to see what others found over the weekend.

Labels: ,

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Irish Diamond Lace Shawl - finished


Mom's purple shawl is finished and ready to deliver to her. It was fun to knit, didn't use up nearly the amount of yarn I bought to make it, and feels warm but light when worn. (Project details here.)

Now on to the next project!

Labels: ,

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Bright November days


The weather has been cooperative for hanging out the clothes to dry. I do have a small drying rack for using indoors when it's raining or too moist outside to effectively dry anything, but clothes, towels and linens smell so much better when they've dried in the fresh air.

While grateful for these warmer-than-usual days, I know colder days will be upon us soon, so I'm knitting Jacy a pullover. She asked for a sweater that would "essentially be a blanket to be worn." Peace Fleece had a pattern that fit her specifications, and I'm using a Peace Fleece yarn that's a blend of merino and mohair.

Labels: , ,

Thursday, November 04, 2010

October at the beach


Thanks to the fabulous generosity of one of Steve's co-workers, we spent the final days of October in Rosemary Beach, Florida. Kathy loaned us her lovely house and we stayed from Tuesday through Saturday. It was peaceful and beautiful.



I knit beside her pool...



...and at the beach.



We put together a jigsaw puzzle.



We rode bikes for miles (no hills!).



Every morning I read the newspapers and had coffee outside in the sunshine.



And David, Marley, and Sam made an intricate maze of tunnels in the sand.

It was a memorable and restful end to October.

Labels: , ,