Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Some days away ...


Margo and I took a three day, two night sabbatical away from our normal routines. Everyone needs something like that from time to time, don't you think? We spent our time almost entirely at the retreat center of St. Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana. Although it was rainy, windy and miserable looking outside, it was nice inside. But sometimes you have to go out ... Let's just say that when your umbrella turns inside-out for the third time it's time to get inside.

The picture is a bouquet containing the last rose of summer from our Knock Out rose bush, and the left-over carnations from Jeff's birthday bouquet, in this sweet soft-pink vase I found at Ferdinand Antique Emporium on our way down. I LOVE it ... We did go out to Boonville one a.m. and shopped at the Village Mercantile. Ran into a fellow hooker from Tell City ... yes, it's a small world Mary! I would recommend that shop if you're ever in the Boonville, Ind. area. LOADED with fabric but also lots of seasonal decor. Betty (shop owner) has the most samples of any quilt shop I have been in; this gives you a very good visual and inspiration for your own sewing projects. What Margo and I both loved was the display pieces she uses to show off her merchandise. Way cool ...

First morning there after breakfast we took a self-guided tour. (yes, it was drizzling ...) Saw the archabbey (church), the Chapter Room, the memorial entry, and the (modern) library. My favorite place on the tour was the Chapter Room. It is where the monks conduct business. If you want to read about it visit this website. (I hope the link works; I cut & pasted it here.)

http://www.fathersimeon.com/stories.asp?sid=6

Even on this website the pictures don't begin to touch the special beauty and significance of this space. You just have to see it in person. I suppose this is weird, but as a hooker I only had eyes for the possibilities for rug borders from the paintings on the ceilings. Each of the 12 ceiling panels had a different border on each side! Awesome! I want to take Wendell there and tour the archabbey and visit this room with him (and take my camera!). It may not sound interesting but you'd just have to be there ......... The monks wear the dark brown robes and the first evening at dinner one of them came around with a cart, offering wine. What a warm welcome ... St. Meinrad was all about hospitality.

So it's off to a new week here. Yesterday I organized my quilting/sewing projects and refamiliarized myself with some sewing I hadn't visited for several months. Planned a new project -- making an old-fashioned clothes pin bag. Put 'another' coat of finish on my work room windowsill. And got several more bags of mulch to finish putting my flower beds to sleep for the winter. Going to sew with my sweet sewing buddies today (hope everyone will be there). Then Thursday I'll get to spend some time with my friend Teresa. She is waiting to hear about a possible job so I'm saying a little prayer for her.

Now, if I can just get myself back in the mood to finish that runner rug! Would like to have it done by Thanksgiving but you know, that is only a month away!!! ARGH!!! Have a blessed week.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Busy, blustery Monday ...

Had a busy day ... Put two coats of poly/stain on the window sill that will complete my work room window replacement. LAUNDRY of course. And since it was nice and windy hung out two of the loads. The sheets always smell so good that way. But was most happy to complete some more fall yard work. Spread mulch in three flower beds and finally finished cleaning out the last flower bed -- YEAH! But there is still a lot to do out there ... Hope to get it done before the snow flies. For dinner tonight I made wild rice soup. It was absolutely delicious if I must say so myself. Yum! After dinner I just sat and crocheted ... soooooooo tired!

The picture above was taken Saturday, more than a week after receiving this beautiful bouquet from Jeff for my birthday! These flowers have lasted longer than usual for sure and are still lovely. (Thanks Jeff!) I had such a great birthday this year. Maybe I love autumn because my birthday comes then(?). Whatever ... I love this time of year.

Wendell & I went geocaching again last Saturday and found 16. That is the most caches we have ever found in one day! We're getting close to 100 total! There is an SC2000 series of caches near Washington, around the I-69 construction area, that has 33 caches within about a 10 miles route. We got about half of them! Maybe we can get down there and get the other half before Christmas and before it gets too cold to want to be outside poking around around stop signs, fence posts and bridge rails!


It was so breezy today that I got out my kite and flew it a couple times. That was fun!

Off tomorrow for a little retreat with Margo to St. Meinrad. Just a girlfriend thing. We need some quiet time. Have a blessed week.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

My life recently -- in pictures ...


We did geocaching both Friday and Saturday and had a 100% day on Saturday ... a first for us, finding eight geocaches in the Washington IN area. Luck was with us I guess. Since I felt lucky I bought a Hoosier Lotto ticket but only had one number. (Don't push your luck ... lol.) Then the Colts lost again Sunday ...
There's a cache near this covered bridge in Putnam County ...


Two goats in a cart. being pulled by a team of horses, meeting a modern John Deere tractor. Taken in the Cannelburg area on the way home Saturday from our search for geocaches in Daviess County.







Celebrated my birthday last Friday and this is the lovely bouquet Jeff got me. What beautiful flowers; thanks Jeff! It was a good day all around. We took off after an early lunch and did some geocaching and just enjoyed the beautiful fall colors in the country. It was a great day. We met Jeff for dinner at Almost Home in Greencastle and had a very nice evening, too.










Here's my new work room window! Yeah! Randy did a dandy job. Today I cleaned up my work room, ridding it of drywall dust and OLD spider webs. And I'm not done yet. I just ran down at about 1:00, stopped for lunch and never got back out there. I had all of these grand ideas that I was going to clean out that last flower bed this afternoon ... yeah, right.

While at the normal cleaning jobs over there I started collecting "stuff" for a garage sale. This needed to be done. Also decided to eliminate anything related to needlepoint so that is another small cache of books, yarn, etc. to add to the "to sell" pile. I still have the closet and a cupboard to go through ... I think I'll concentrate on rug hooking, quilting and crochet and let the other hobbies rest.

Tomorrow I'll start priming and painting around the new window so it will really be done. And order a new window shade.


Saw this field of corn shocks (sp?) recently while driving in the country. Since we live near an Amish community we get to see lots of interesting scenes such as these. This takes me back in time ... My grandpa Lee used to do this. And he had two big beautiful gray Percheron horses.







Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The last tomato of summer ...

Here it is. Thank goodness. But it is a beauty. (Actually I have a few Romas left in the frig. But this is the last biggie.)

I've enjoyed the garden this year more than usual, though it was not all together successful. I put aside lots of beets, okra and pickles. And we enjoyed the early things so much -- onions, spinach, radishes and lettuce. We have two small volunteer cantalope that Wendell is babying along out there but I fear that the frost will get to them before we do. The garden is gone. I cut down the dry asparagus and pulled the weeds from the asparagus patch couple weeks ago, too.

Yesterday I cleaned out another flower bed and only have one to go! (Yeah!) Dug my surprise lilies because I'm going to move them and OMG ... they multiplied. I think my 6 stems turned into about 20. No kidding.


Tonight is Holy Hookers at the Library. I'm expecting a newbie so I'm not taking any hooking for myself. I have lots of books packed in the car for ideas for the winter; hookers like to plan ahead! And they like to look at hooking books, too. Hopefully I'll have some time to circulate and visit, too ...

While looking through my pictures of the family reunion I see a really neat one of my sister eating Ready Whip from the can ... but I'd better not post it here without her permission ......... But it is so good! ;-)

Today has been a busy one. Laundry (of course). Packing the car for tonight. Fixed lunch for Wendell & Randy, who is here to put in my new workroom window. I guess the old one was in even worse shape than we knew, with water damage on and below the sill plate that they found when the old window was removed. So glad this is being done before winter! Made chilli soup and apple salad for the guys and I ate a late lunch because I usually don't get dinner on hooking nights until after 8:30. Wendell is going to the WRVAA meeting tonight and it's their after-the-show pitch in dinner (they pat each other on the back for such a good show I'm guessing, plus lots of reports from each department), so after lunch was cleaned away I made a corn salad for him to take to that. I love that salad and have never made it for just the two of us! It seems I always make it for group dinners. Got the recipe from a fellow extension homemaker. [I think I'll post some special recipes like that in "pages".]

Last weekend we really enjoyed the wine and art festival in Palestine IL. The weather was gorgeous. It gets bigger each year; always the first weekend of October (Sat. & Sun.) ... check it out! High point of the day for me was going into Steve Meadows' shop ... it is gorgeous. He turns found objects into art. You will never look at a rusted tea kettle in the same way after seeing his stuff. High point for Wendell was being the designated taster since I was the designated driver. (I did sip a couple.)

Life is good ...