Gift from Switzerland

Remember this? I HAD to have the pattern. Made ONE blasted fish cat bed. Thought I had destroyed the pattern 'cause I was never EVER going to make another.

One day, I received a message from JessicaQuilts over on the HGTV quilting forum. Rita in Switzerland was looking for the pattern. Jessica looked high and low. Alas, the discontinued pattern could not be found. THEN she remembered me.

I proudly sent the pattern across the pond to Rita in Switzerland. I received this earlier this week in return.Don't know about y'all, but I'm starting at the back of the book and working forward. Life is too short not to have dessert first!

Mowing?!

We have no green grass except right against the beds where I've kept pouring water on a weekly basis. The rest of the yard...it's like walking across a field of Rice Krispies.

Yet, this morning, the neighbors were mowing their brown dead grass and dirt was flying everywhere! I noticed that down by the road something had really stirred the dirt. I walked out on the front porch...the neighbor to the east was mowing and the cloud of dirt was drifting across the front of our property and toward the neighbors to the west. We live up the hill, so didn't get any of it...thank God!

Lack of rain mixed with temperatures not only over 100 degrees F, but also 110 degrees has sucked the life out of my LOL brain has gone on a vacation can't remember what these are called...it'll come to me later. But as you can tell, the weed trimmer should've been run a week or so ago. I'm going to mix up some Round-up next weekend...not a threat...that's a promise! (Have I ever mentioned that Sam does not like Round-up? It's my secret weapon.)

This post will self-destruct in 10 seconds....

Just Stuff

I've been sewing a bit, but not much. I've made a couple of tail-less doo-rags for Jonathan and have a new scrub top cut out. But, as I told Jonathan, every time I hit a glitch, I put it aside for a week. So sad. I'm going to make it this weekend so that I can get it in the mail.

Last April, I picked up a couple of friends to go to Longview to my cousin's annual Wa-hoo tournament. While Earlene and I waited on Nancy to get ready, we walked next door to a garage sale. Surprise! I know them! The daughter who is Jonathan's age remembered me...bless her heart! I went in and gave her mom a hug. There was a textile motorcycle jacket out on a rack...I kept forgetting to ask Jonathan ...besides at $10 I figured it was gone. A couple/three weeks back, Louann brought it by the office to give it to Jonathan. I brought it home. Sam looked at it and said, This isn't a summer textile jacket, it's a rain jacket. I got online...it's a $175 jacket! It's been in a box to mail for two weeks now. I keep tossing stuff in the box. The scrub MUST be finished this weekend and put in the mail.

It is so hot and dry. We've been 100+ degrees for so long I don't remember anything else. The only grass that needs cut is right against my planting beds and around the two live oaks we planted last year. It is so dry that a coyote is coming up and eating pears it finds on the ground. Poor quality photo, but this is through a double-paned UV window.

Speaking of pears...this is last year's pear...this is this year's...so sad.

The hummers are really going through the juice. This one is waiting his turn. They don't seem to be fighting like they have in the past. Friday morning temp was 78 degrees! THAT's really good compared to waking to mid-80s. I spent about 15 minutes outside before finishing my morning routine before work.I haven't made much if any mention on my 40th high school reunion. We were the first couple on the dance floor...a friend, Ricky, asked me to dance. I love to dance, but can't. Ron and I did pretty good together. He could dance and adjusted to make me look good. Not an easy feat! Sam and I have danced ONE time. He will not dance with me. I've tried to get him to dance with me here in the privacy of our home, telling him that we can learn to dance together...he won't try. So when Ricky asked, I said I'd love to but don't dance good at all. He grabbed me by the hand, counted in my ear, and away we went!

I have to fill the birdbath every day...
That looks like the last of the photos.

Don't forget to smile!

Guess Who?

...I got to see AND hold Sunday?! Oops!

Lemme turn her around for you.

#10

Little Ty Nathaniel came home on Wednesday! He weighs 6 pounds 6 ounces now. Born June 22, he made it home before his scheduled birthdate of August 2. Oh...his initials are TNT. :D I made several burp pads from prefold diapers. On one, I machine embroidered TNT is Dyn-o-mite! His mommy laughed over that one.

His great granny (my mother) holds her tenth great grandchild. His mommy kept telling her to hold him tight, but she wanted to look...he started crying and she gave him up. After mommy got him settled down again, I held him most of the visit but sat closer to Mama so that she could see his facial expressions in his sleep. When meal time came, I tried to get Mama to feed him but she wouldn't so I did. He burped like a grown man. ;-)

I bought this Friday at a baby store in town. At the price, $45 dollars, I thought if I don't need it for my grands but once, it was well worth the money.

The baby store in town started out mainly as a baby/child resale (LOL sounds like they're selling babies), but are branching out into new items too so that people can set up for baby showers. I've got the covers "drip-drying" now. After a good wipedown I'm thinking about storing it in the camper until either of them is used next.

More Grands

We get to see Isabel for certain Sunday and maybe Colt.

I'm Normal!

Neener. Neener. Neener!!!

I went to the doctor and the report came back that I'm normal!

Well...at least my bloodwork is.

Prayers

One of my nieces, her husband, and their little girl welcomed a little boy into their family. He was born June 17 but was not due until August 1. He has done very well. They thought they would be bringing him home pretty soon. Unfortunately, I just found out that recent tests revealed some health issues. I know no more than that.

Will you please be praying for this baby and his family...

Sewing

I'm not doing much sewing, but I did get these made for Isabel and Colt.

I also cut out three tail-less do-rags for Jonathan. (He received permission to wear them at work...as long as they didn't have a tail.) Then I got to thinking about them being tail-less and when they were tied what happens to the part where the tail was. So I only made one. I've got to get it in the mail if not tomorrow, on Monday.


I made a Peach-Cherry Slab Pie to take to work tomorrow for our July birthdays. Da Judge asked one of the birthday folks what her favorite cake is. She answered that she preferred pies, but that ------ . I remembered this pie and told Da Judge that I would make it. It's really easy and really good for a crowd. LOL You can also snitch a piece of this in the middle of the night and leave no clues because you don't need a fork and saucer. ;-)
















Apricot Cherry Slab Pie

3 1/4 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Shortening
1 Egg Yolk
Milk
1/2 cup Sugar
3 tablespoons Cornstarch
3 (15 1/4 oz) cans apricot halves, drained and cut into quarters
1 (16-oz) can pitted tart red cherries, drained

1. For pastry, in a large mixing bowl stir together the flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly beat egg yolk in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to egg yolk to make 3/4 cup total liquid; mix well. Stir egg yolk mixture into flour mixture; mix well. Set aside one-third of the dough.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll remaining two-thirds of dough into an 18x12-inch rectangle. To transfer pastry, carefully wrap it around the rolling pin; unroll into a 14x10x1-inch baking pan (pastry will hang over edges of pan). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large bowl combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in apricots and cherries. Spoon into the prepared crust.
4. Roll the remaining dough into a 16x11-inch rectangle; place over fruit. Bring bottom pastry up and over top pastry. Seal edges with the tines of a fork. Prick top pastry over entire surface with the tines of a fork.
5. Bake about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool. Drizzle with Vanilla Glaze. Cut into 2x3-inch bars.

Vanilla Glaze: In a small bowl combine 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and enough water (5-6 teaspoons) to make drizzling consistency.

Note: I used two large cans of sliced peaches instead of apricots...couldn't find any apricots in the store.

Grand Things in My Life

Well, this is actually one of Sam's grand things! LOL

Apricot Fried Pies

Here are two really GRAND elements in my life...

Colt and Isabel... I don't know what the deal is about posing the babies in or on cooking surfaces.

Pensive...

Tuckered out...