The Friday 56 - 31 July 2009

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Tailspin by Catherine Coulter

“…He needs traffic to get lost in, and he’s not going to find it on this road.”

This is the latest of Catherine Coulter’s FBI thrillers out in paperback. I saw it last week and snatched it up – I’ve liked all of them so far.

Other news – I’ve stitched two of three identical ornaments. This was a little freebie some time ago – I believe by Midnight Stitching. I love the lime green on the dark blue aida – how about you?
It's amazing to me that I can tell that I stitched one in horizontal rows and the other in vertical rows - hopefully pressing and finishing will fix that.
These will be Christmas presents for my co-workers – I haven’t quite decided how I’ll finish them yet.

We bought 50 pounds of new potatoes at the Farmer’s Market, so I’ve been busy canning them. No pic – I didn’t think of it while they were sitting out on the counter cooling, and I’m too stinkin’ lazy to go dig them out of the cupboard right now. I don’t peel the potatoes – just wash and scrub well, cut out any bad looking areas, and cube them (about 1-inch cubes). Besides the fact that I’ve trained my family to like potato with the peel, most of the nutrients are in or just under the skin. Because the canning process cooks them, I devised a variation on twice-baked potatoes that my family loves:

Twice Baked Canned Potatoes

1 quart canned potatoes (or four cups cubed potatoes, cooked)
¼ cup butter (margarine isn’t as good, tho you may use it to save calories)
½ cup sour cream (I do use reduced fat sour cream – hey, save a calorie where you can, right?)
Ground pepper to taste
1 – ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (again, reduced fat – I use 2% cheese)
9 x 13-inch baking dish

Melt the butter in the baking dish. Add the sour cream and stir well. Drain potatoes and toss in dish with the butter/sour cream mixture. Pepper to taste (generously for my family). Salt is used in the canning process, so no need to add more. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (should be bubbly). Top with shredded cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes.

This serves 3 adults and 2 growing boys, with a few pieces left over to treat the puppies.

Not something we eat every day – too calorie dense – but boy, are they good! And a side tossed salad rounds out the meal nicely.

Thanks for visiting today.

Late TUSAL - With an Excellent Excuse

OK, I know I'm a week late with my TUSAL update - but I have a really excellent excuse: July 22, when it was due - I was at the birth of my fifth grandchild! He is my fourth grandson and weighed in at 7 lbs 14 oz and was 21 inches long. Can anyone say gorgeous grandbaby? Don't you just love how babies sleep in the "I surrender" position? I could just eat him up!

Mom, babe and big sister (my only granddaughter!) are all doing well.

OK, without further ado, here is my TUSAL update:I had to do a fair amount of frogging on my little Snowman Love, which was very frustrating because it's my own creation!

Sharon asked "Are you a skimpy stitcher, using every scrap and bit. Or are you a floozy and spread wasted inches far and wide?" I'm a floozy, beyond doubt. As if you couldn't tell from the state of my orts!

I've officially started my Christmas stitching - maybe I can actually get at least a third of what I want to stitch done this year. I'm planning lots of homemade gifts this year - how about you?

Friday 56 24 July 2009

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Making it in just under the deadline, but I have a great excuse: New books arrived today – yum!

By Heresies Distressed by David Weber

Just as I fully realize that you would lie Shan-wei out of Hell if that was what it took to protect Sharleyan or me.

I think I will just leave it at that.

The Friday 56 17 July 2009

Since I can't sleep, I decided to go ahead and get this out of the way (oh my, that makes it sound like a *chore*, when what I mean is so that I won't forget later - lol!)

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

As it happens, the book closest to me is Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson.

Still others include census reports, research reports, industry studies and more.

Pretty dry stuff, eh?



Oh, that reminds me of a story:
On a pond near our house this last fall, I saw a gaggle of visiting geese as well as the swans that live there all the time. When I came home, I told my family about the flock of Canadian Geese I had seen on the pond.
"How did you know they were Canadian Geese?"
"Because they were saying, 'Eh, eh, eh....' "

Thanks for visiting today.

Quaker Hedgehog Pyn Pillow

I know you've seen the free chart for a Hedgehog Quaker on The Workbasket. When I first saw it, I immediately conceived the idea for this Pyn Pyllow:

I stitched it with some beautiful floss I received from Iza with the floss tag she stitched for me for the Tiny Treasures Floss Tag Exchange. I've emailed both Candy and Mary at The Workbasket to ask their permission to post the directions for finishing this little treasure on my other blog, but I haven't heard from either one yet. Keep your fingers crossed!

Fun Giveaways

Clare is having a fun giveaway in honor of her 100th post - hop on over and take a look.

But hurry - she plans to draw 3 names Sunday, 11 July!

She has a First, Second and Third prize - what fun!









Patti is also having a great BIG giveaway celebrating 2000 visitors to her blog! What a fantastic statistic. Congrats Patti! Hurry on this one too - it ends 14 July 2009
Bye for now!

The Friday 56 10 July 2009

I saw where Tonya posted a day early, and here I am a day late. Is that some kind of harmonic synchronicity?

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

It seems I’m always waiting for a new book to arrive from Amazon, and while I wait, I re-read books in my library.

Almost Adam by Petru Popescu

They took reality apart, with a precision that was developed in an earlier habitat, far darker and more confusing.

Whatcher reading?

Canning

While it's lots of work, we do enjoy our home-canned vegetables, Here are the fruits of our weekend of work:



Speckled butterbeans ready to go in the pressure canner.









Nineteen pints of butterbeans and 25 pints of purple hull peas:












All of these we purchased at the Farmers Market Friday morning and shelled on Friday and Saturday. I only had one pint of peas that failed to seal, so guess what we are having for dinner tonight?

The Friday 56 3 July 2009

Yes, I know it’s actually the wee hours of Sunday morning – I’ve been busy – more about that later.

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Something a little different this week – the book closest to me is the one I was reading a few minutes ago – and it happens to be on the hard drive of my computer.

WITH THE LIGHTNINGS by David Drake

Adele nodded curt assent. She was angry and frustrated, but it would be wrong to take it out on the aide. To prod the woman verbally would be pointless cruelty—safe enough because the aide was a flunky and unable to respond, just as a big carnivore behind bars can be teased. The aide was as much a victim of Markos, and of life, as Adele herself was.

It’s one of several I downloaded this past week from the Baen Free Library. This is a fantastic resource, and one I highly recommend. Take a moment to read Eric Flint’s introduction to the library. It explains the concept far more entertainingly than I ever could.

And since a Kindle is one of the things on my wish list, I’m pleased to note that all the free books are available in that format, as well.

BTW, I finished all four books by John Scalzi that I ordered from Amazon last week - good reads all, and I'll be looking for more by this author. (Old Man's War, The Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony and Zoe's Tale)

And how, you may ask, have I been so busy that I’m two days late with this posting? One trip to the Farmers Market of Alabama, three huge bags of vegetables and two days of shelling beans and getting ready to can same, that’s how. I will snap some pics of the finished product later this afternoon and share them later. Right now, it’s time to get some sleep so, Good Night!

Happy Fourth of July

Wishing you a Safe and Happy Independence Day!




This image is from Peachy Profiles

I Won!

I never win contests. That is an axiom.
Which is now proven untrue.
I WON!
Belinda drew my name, and I won!
Wow!
What will I do with a heart shaped yo-yo maker? Make heart shaped yo-yos, of course. But what to do with a heart shaped yo-yo? I'm open to suggestions. Anyone?

Tiny Treasures Received and Sent

For the Floss Tag Exchange on Tiny Treasures, I received a lovely package from Iza in Poland. A beautiful floss tag as well as some gorgeous overdyed floss and a postcard from Lublin. I've already used the floss on the left (New Vision by Carrie's Creation) in a special project that I hope to publish soon on my other blog. Here's a close-up of the butterfly so you can see Iza's meticulous stitching and the color variations in the floss.
I sent to Amanda in Italy, and she's posted that she received my package, so I can post a pic. Sorry for the blurry picture - I didn't preview it before I mailed my package out.
I totally love these floss bags, so I designed my floss tag to be used with them (and included a pack of bags with the floss tag). I also included a fat quarter of the fabric I used to back the tag:Aren't the cats fun?

I can't wait for the next exchange - I love making new friends all over the world!

The Friday 56 26 June 2009

Once again I'm on time - will wonders never cease?!

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

In general, the book closest to me will be what I am currently reading, and that is true this week. The book closest to me is Yankee Pasha The Adventures of Jason Starbuck by Edison Marshall.

"And that blood will tell!"
"Then it's a wonder you came."
"It was the last straw to make me come. No, I'd decided to already, if you were foolish enough to ask me."

One of my passions is collecting antique books. For my collection, I consider anything over 50 years old as an antique. This edition of Yankee Pasha was published in 1948. In 1954, Jeff Chandler and Rhonda Fleming starred in the movie adaptation, also titled Yankee Pasha. Altho current reviews of the book classify it as a romance/action-adventure, it is told in 1st person by the hero, Jason Starbuck. That's certainly not a modern conception of a romance, is it?

TUSAL and WIP

Hey, I actually remembered to take a photo of my ort jar for the TUSAL! I began collecting on 1 January of this year, but with one thing and another, did not take monthly pictures (until now!).
I've made no attempt to push the contents down, altho I expect I will have to before the year is out.
All the white orts on top are from my current WIP, Papillons enchanteurs, which was offered as a freebie on 16 February on Club Point de Croix. Gosh, I have collected so many wonderful freebies from them. You do have to join the site, but membership is free, and a new graph is posted each day and remains free for five days! Do check them out. BTW, here is a pic of my WIP on Papillons enchanteurs: Two of my favorite motifs: butterflies and roses. How could I resist? Sorry the picture is so dark - I snapped the photo just a few minutes ago.
I'm stitching it in DMC B5200 on 28 count natural linen. Just a few more stitches and I'll have to figure out how to frame it. I haven't measured it yet, but I suspect it will need an oddball size frame, which might just require going out to the shop and firing up my compound miter saw to make a custom frame (I haven't done any woodworking in months, because of my eye problems and surgeries, so this should be fun!).
Let's see, what else is going on?
I finished reading Death Angel by Linda Howard, and also finished Dead Heat by Dick Francis and Felix Francis. Both were very quick reads. I don't have anything else new in the house to read until my order arrives from Amazon, which I think is due on the 24th.
Oh yes, I bought a bread machine. I've never used one before, so this should be interesting. I decided to get one and try it, 'cause I love homemade bread, but the last two loaves I made a couple of weeks ago crippled me for several days with the arthritis/bursitis (whatever) in my shoulder. Anyone have any experience with a bread machine? I could certainly use the advice.
It's getting late, so I must say
Good Night.

The Friday 56 19 June 2009

Hey - It's actually Friday and here I am. Things are looking up!


The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

The book closest to me is Corruption of Blood by Robert K Tanenbaum.

Let me just grab my reading glasses.......

What really happened in the first half hour or so after the first shots. George is connected to the people who run Dallas, and to the extent that the investigation might affect them, especially in a negative way, George has got to be on top of it. Does that make sense?

This was in a lot of books that someone gave me. I'd never read Tanenbaum before, and finished this in the wee hours this morning. Turns out there are several books he's written, all with the same main characters. I haven't quite decided if I liked this one enough to seek out more of his books.

I picked up a Linda Howard yesterday (Death Angel), and will begin reading it tonight. I also placed an order with Amazon for 4 books by John Scalzi - another author new to me. Has anyone read anything by him, and what did you think?

Mourning Doves

On our front porch, we have three hanging planters. The first year, I planted peonies in them, and when the plants died back at the end of summer, I put in some silk flowers, so the baskets wouldn't be bare. The next spring, when I started to remove the silk flowers, I was surprised to find a pair of mourning doves nesting in the basket. We have had at least one pair nesting every spring and early summer since then. The chosen basket varies from year to year, and I don't know that it's the same pair, but I like to think so. The parents pull out flowers from the middle of the basket, allowing the unwanted stems to fall to the ground. So I leave the poor bedraggled silk flowers, not wanting to ruin what the doves obviously think is a fine home.
We so enjoy their quiet cooing drifting through our open windows, and the whirring sound they make as they take flight. This year, I was able to take a few pictures of one of the parents and a nestling, shortly before the fledglings left the nest. These were taken through the glass storm door, using the telephoto option on my camera.
We had the pleasure of watching the parents caring for the nestlings, and witnessed their first flight. The nest is deserted at the moment, but the pair may be back to hatch another family, so I'll be leaving the baskets alone for the moment.

The Friday 56 12 June 2009

Yes, I know it’s actually Saturday – that’s the story of my life. But here it goes, anyway.

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

The book closest to me is Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs.

Primrose clicked to the age column and asked the program to sort by that criterion.
Air TransSouth 228 had carried only six passengers over the age of fifty.

I began reading Kathy Reichs a few months ago. If you are wondering, yes, I picked up one of her books because of the connection to Bones, one of the few TV shows I watch nowadays. So far, I’ve read only two: Death du Jour and Break no Bones. I’ve barely started reading Fatal Voyage, and I may have to make the effort to find all the books in the series so that I can read them in order. I am not finding her writing as compelling as other authors, such as Jodi Picoult or Diana Gabaldon, and I’m wondering if I’ve missed too much of the back story by not reading them in order. I certainly found that true with the JD Robb In Death series and the David Weber Honor Harrington series– I enjoyed them so much more when I went back and read the entire series from the beginning.

Thoughts, anyone?

Addicted to Cross Stitch

At Last! It feels like I've been waiting forever for this freebie - although it's actually only a few weeks. Hop on over to Better Cross Stitch Patterns and check it out!
So much stitching - so little time. (heavy sigh)

And how did you spend your weekend?

I spent mine reupholstering six dining chairs.

I inherited my grandmother's 1940's Duncan Phyfe dining table. While it was used (and abused), it's still a very pretty piece of furniture - and it's on my list for a badly needed renovation. We use it in our sunny yellow sun room as a breakfast table.

The chairs did not survive her ten children - so I only have the table. Luckily, I found a set of Duncan Phyfe style chairs at a price I could afford - and since they were upholstered in a white on white fabric, I knew when I bought them I would be recovering them. I found fabric I liked about six months ago - and grabbed it and put it away in my craft room until I would have time to re-upholster the chairs.

This past weekend - the time had arrived. I couldn't stand it anymore. Doesn't look too bad at first glance, does it? Look a little closer: Grandkids and puppy dogs and goodness knows what have all taken their toll.
The seats were held on to the frames with four L brackets and screws - easy enough to remove. But then the staples! My Berry Staple Remover and pliers got quite a workout. I lost count of the hours I spent removing staples. DH pitched in a couple of times - but I did the majority of it my little ole self.

In contrast, recovering the chairs only took a couple of hours. CDB helped by ironing the fabric pieces (a bit wrinkled from being stored). I admit that it would have taken longer if I didn't have an air powered stapler. I have (in my foolish youth - lol!) re-upholstered a lo-o-ong sofa and two chairs with a manual stapler - and my hands were sore for months. Now, I wouldn't even attempt it without at least an electric staple gun - but I am lucky - and have a compressor and multiple tools to go along with it, including the stapler!
The end results are, I think, well worth the effort: You can see a bit of the table to the left of the chair. I promise to take before and after pics of the table renovation - it's surface is really very sad at the moment.

My dear DH spent the weekend refurbishing our sun deck - and on a brief foray in for ice water, brought me these lovely roses from our garden. They are from one of our few surviving rose bushes - the naughty furbabies (aka Annie and Nellie, the Gruesome Twosome) chewed the rest of the rose bushes to the ground - thorns and all!
So, what did you do over the weekend?

Grab Bag Giveaway

Simone is having a Grab Bag Giveaway to celebrate her second Blogoversary - isn't that a mahvelous idea?
Of course I entered (and sincerely hope to win!), but you can enter , too. Click on Simone and follow her instructions. But hurry - her Blogoversary is 9 May!
Good Luck!