Friday Doings

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Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska

You might think I did some cleaning today, when you look at tonight's photo…but my broom is hanging in my laundry room just like these are hanging on the wall! No cleaning today…no cooking…did enough the last few days!  Today was a resting day…enjoying my book and plan to stitch this evening. I did finish the Christmas ornament that I mentioned last night.  So one more joined my stack of finished ornaments for Christmas gifts. 

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

International Cuisine and Grand Central Station!

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The Butchart Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I didn't realize how international I have been lately with my cooking.  A few days ago I made Tamale Pie (Mexican). I have plans to make Marinara sauce (Italian) for what is called Inside-Out Ravioli (Italian). Today I roasted a pork loin roast (American) and made gravy that I have frozen for in-the-future enchiladas (Mexican).  When I roast a pork roast, I often cut off about a pound of the boneless roast to cut into cubes to use for Sweet and Sour Pork (Chinese).  I decided to go on and make the Sweet and Sour Pork since I had all the ingredients.  I had that for supper and plan to freeze some of the leftovers for future meals.  I had done enough cooking for one day…reason that the marinara sauce is in the plans for another day.  I "just about" have the kitchen cleaned up.  

I got pulled away from the kitchen when Joy stopped by to have me serge the seams on a skirt that she is making.  She is trying to get the projects, that she started at the beginning of summer break, finished before her next college term begins in three weeks.  Then not long after she left I had two more visitors…two folk needing to borrow some things I had offered to loan them for an upcoming Alaskan cruise. Earlier in the day Jo stopped by with some peaches and tomatoes…yum!  She caught me in my PJs as I had been so busy in the kitchen today that I hadn't gone upstairs to change.  I did start to go up one time and decided that since I had made it so long into the day that I would just stay comfy.  I did get changed before the others came!  

For breaks from my cooking today, I did some reading and boy did I get a surprise in one turn of events in the book that I mentioned last night…and this twist in the plot really tied a couple of the characters in with one of the other groups in the book.  I also did some stitching early in the morning.  I started a new Christmas ornament last night after I blogged.  I think that I will be able to finish it this evening before I go to sleep…well, I won't promise that my eyes don't close for a bit before I actually finish it…but before I actually go to sleep for the night, I should have it finished.

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Wednesday

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Mt. Rainer as we were leaving Seattle heading for Alaska.  One of those ideal days when it wasn’t shrouded in clouds!

Today was a planned stay-at-home day.  I needed to be here as it was my quarterly visit from the pest control company.  I didn't know when he would be here.  He did text me about a half hour before he got here.  He came around 12:30pm.  So that job done for another four months. I managed to get a few household chores done as well as some more reading done.  I finished another book and got back to another one I had started already.  Having these books already started get me underway easily…but today's I did go back and start again…I had only red one chapter and when I started reading he second chapter I couldn't get back into it.  Well, the reason was that the second chapter was dealing with a totally different group of characters.  I did remember reading the first chapter when I went back.  The first three chapters dealt with three different families…establishing the story line…which I know will all blend together by the time I get very much farther in it.  I am already starting to see the interweaving of the different sets of characters.

I think that I am read out today and will stitch this evening.  I need to get back to Christmas ornaments.  Christmas will be here before we know it!

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Tuesday

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A Whale of a Tail and a Spout! (I think this fella was getting together with two of his friends to do some bubble-net fishing.  I have posted my photo of bubble-net fishing before but I will add it in here for those who might have missed it.  I guess the bubble-net fishing is my favorite photo from my Alaska cruise…something I really wanted to capture, but never dreamed that the whales would cooperate!

Today has been a stay-at-home day.  I have done some things around the house…cleaning the kitchen, bathrooms, a little vacuuming, a little picking up, washed, dried and put away a load of towels…things like that.  

I did finish the book that I was almost finished with last night.  But I didn’t finish it last night.  I fell asleep with it in my hand.  So I finished it this morning after I woke up rather early.  In between cleaning jobs I rested and got going on reading another book that I was already underway with.  I have made headway on it…but it is not as intriguing as the one I finished this morning.  The book I’m reading now is just one of those that I am far enough along in it, that I don't want to give up on it!  It will at least add another book to my list of books read this year.  I have not read this year like I usually do…my goal is to average a book a week, in other words, have read 52 by the end of the year.  I’m about ten behind…not sure if I can make up that much of a deficit!  And, it is fine if I don't!  There are some years that I have read more than 100 and others way less.  It just depends on where my interests are in any given year…needlework, sewing, cooking, photography, and, this year traveling, cut into my reading time.

Donna and I didn't work in the library today as Donna was out of pocket.  We said last week that we would work then and take this week off.  And, even though we didn't work in the library, I remembered it was Tuesday and took the garbage out to the road.  And, while I was out, I made a trip out to the compost pile with my compost bucket.  Mundane chores!

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy Birthday, Esther!

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Yesterday Esther celebrated her 19th birthday with family, but today is her actual birthday. I don't have any photos from yesterday, as I wasn't feeling well and didn't end up going to her party.  The photo above shows her celebrating her 2nd birthday.  She developed her love of animals at an early age that has stayed with her over the years.  

Above is one Esther's photos on her wedding day this past December. The photographer went to Nathan's and Kathy's farm to take photos of Esther and Patrick there.  She had planned to ride on the horse in her wedding dress…but the long white dress rather spooked her horse! Still loves her animals!  She told me today that she is getting a new horse.  She is just finishing up her summer classes getting her closer to a Vet Tech degree…loving school like she never loved it before…that's what happens when you find something you love to study towards a career!  Happy 19th Esther! 

I just got home from prayer meeting.  Today has been a pretty normal day for a Monday.  I did a little around the house and did some cooking that I never got around to doing over the weekend. I stitched a little, but have mainly read today…nearing the end of a book that has me still guessing as to the outcome.  Back to my book!

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Definitely a Sunday Favorite: Joseph was Baptized Today

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Good Day to Read & Stitch

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Today has been overcast and rained off and on…good day to stay in and read and stitch.  I have done a lot of reclining and taking it easy.  The one time that I ventured outside to get the mail, I was met by a steam bath…I do think that the "dog days" of summer have arrived.  My front door and porch rail painter just texted me and said that the weather isn't very promising for a dry day for a while.  So we are going on God's timing and eventually the job will get done when we have several dry days in a row predicted.  I’m fine with waiting…the door is doing its job without paint for the time being.  I have made pretty good headway in two books.  I was trying to finish one before it got swept back into cyberspace in a couple of days…so was reading away on it.  But I got the opportunity to renew it, which I did so now that book has the longest time remaining on it so I moved to another one and made good headway on it, too.  I got to a point that the reading was putting me to sleep.  So I set my books aside and picked up my stitching…after I got up and walked around the house for a bit!  I fairly quickly finished the Christmas ornament that I have been working on for a while.  Then I decided which ornament I would stitch next and pulled the colors of floss needed and got started stitching on a new ornament…onward and upward…still a lot to stitch before it is time to make them into ornaments and gift them.  I haven't actually counted the number I need this year…but I don't think I’m even half-way yet.  But I do think that the hardest ones are behind me.  Most of those still to stitch aren't too complicated…unless I change my mind!! And, would I do that?!? 

Tomorrow is a big day for our family.  Joseph is being baptized and Esther is celebrating her birthday.  We will be gathering at Nathan and Kathy's after church to celebrate as a family.

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!