Thoughts from Alice W.

Alice at Thoughts from Alice W. is celebrating two years as a blogger. Her celebration includes a fabulous giveaway. Just look at what she is offering.

Hands off ~ I want to win this one ☺

Catching up

This is what I thought my summer would be like ~ lounging in the porch with a good book and a good dog.

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Not so much...

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This course I'm taking is keeping me very busy. I worked and worked and worked all weekend, writing, reading, reading, and writing. I did take a little break Saturday afternoon to take Derby for a long walk in the river valley (just blocks from our house). Then we stopped to read for an hour (course work) on a bench with a wonderful view. And wouldn't you know it, I forgot to take the camera.

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More reading and writing on Sunday, but I also spent a bit of time in the back yard with a glass of wine. I figured I deserved it.

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Today, I'm catching up. I read an article and have a response to write. Then I have another paper to do ~ this one is due next Tuesday but I'd like to have it finished by the weekend. And, in case you were wondering, I got an A+ on my last paper. I guess all those Nibs I ate fueled my brain. You can just call me Miss Smarty Pants. hehe.

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I haven't done any sewing at all in the past few days and I'm missing Bernice fiercely. She sits on the table next to where my laptop is set up and silently pleads with me to come and create. Soon, Bernice, soon.

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I have been going to the gym regularly ~ Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings ~ and I have been cooking... a little. Tonight I made tilapia in a citrus marinade with fettuccine and zucchini and carrot ribbons, plus a spinach salad. Yum. We had some friends drop in; luckily there was plenty of fish and all it took was an extra handful of pasta in the pot.

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So... what have you been doing?

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Warning!

The contents of this bag may be hazardous to your health!

The good news is that I finished my paper and submitted it this afternoon. I usually like to let things 'sit' before I press the send button, but I just wanted this one out of my head before I have to move onto the 4 chapters and 3 articles to be read, plus the three online discussion posts I have to do this week. Plus, I have another essay due on July 21. It's madness!

The bad news...? I demolished, consumed, inhaled half a bag of Nibs in the process.

Step away from the bag. Step away from the bag now and nobody gets hurt.

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If you love to scrapbook...

go and visit Rebecca at Rainy Day Kisses. She is having a great giveaway ~ lovely scrapbooking supplies.

It's so much fun to discover new blogs!

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p.s. It rained all day again today. And there's a tornado warning in effect. Ooohhh.

Rainy Day

What do you do when the weather is like this all day?


Well... you do housework and laundry. Ya gotta do whatcha gotta do.

Do some reading and writing for your course... and then realize with a panic that you have a paper due next Monday that you haven't even started.

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Bake banana bread. Yum.

The OnlyChild likes the end pieces best. So do I, but sometimes we have to sacrifice for our children.

Hang out with the fuzzies. Poor ancient Rex Cat. He's looking particularly mangy lately. (He's 18 years old.)

And, of course, you write a Dog Haiku.


I guess I could have been sewing, but for some reason the rain brought out the practical side of me and I felt the need to get things done.

We needed this rain. It will make everything nice and green around here... and I won't have to water my garden tonight.

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I just hope it's sunny tomorrow ☺

Small Miracles

It is not a very nice day today - windy and cloudy, and the sky is heavy with rain. One must find joy in the small things on such a day.

While other bloggers are bragging about the salads they have made with their fresh produce, we 'gardeners' to your north are just now seeing promise in our crops.

Take a look at today's small miracles:

These will someday be luscious, red tomatoes. Yes, they will.

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And zucchini will grow from these vines. Trust me.
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Remember, our growing season didn't start until the very end of May this year. I'm a rookie gardener, so I'm really not sure how far along everything should be. The fact that I haven't killed it off yet is a sign of hope for me.

And I spent a couple of hours with my friend Patt this afternoon. She has the most beautiful back yard, with little garden spots and reading/chatting areas scattered throughout. She lent me these books, so I can dream. I have plans for my back yard, which right now belongs to two very active Jack Russell Terriers. It's time to claim back the land!
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Oh, and Loser Monday...? I'm boycotting today. Sharon says she will be back next Monday to round up the troops and get everyone moving. I'm not saying I'm going to be an absolute lazy pig for a week until she puts her General boots back on. I'm just not saying anything...

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Have a wonderful week. Boy, the summer already seems to be zooming by... scary!

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Rachel's Rhubarb Bumble Crumble and other delights

A delightful giveaway is being offered by sewmeow in honour of her birthday this month. Go and visit her (well, read the rest of my post first) and you can enter.

The other night, Mr. P and the OnlyChild went to a football game. While they were gone, I got creative in the sewing room and in the kitchen.

I finished my Bunny Hill Tisket a Tasket block for June... just in time for the release of July's block.

And I made the Seasons of the Heart June block from A Legacy of Stitches. I changed this one a little bit, creating a shooting star rather than the patriotic theme that Sandi had chosen.


In the kitchen, I decided it was time to use up some of the fruit before it passed its prime. The result of my messing around is this:


Rachel’s Rhubarb Bumble Crumble

(Warning: Despite the abundance of fruit in this recipe, this is not diet food, although I suppose you could substitute Splenda for the sugar. All measurements are approximate since I didn't bother to measure and had to guess. That's my cooking style...)

5 stalks rhubarb, cleaned and sliced
2 c assorted berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries)
1 apple, cored and diced
½ c granulated sugar (or more to taste – you know how tart rhubarb can be)
1 ½ c oats
1/3 c margarine
1/2 c brown sugar
Dash of cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 425º F. In large casserole dish layer rhubarb, apple and berries, alternating with granulated sugar.

In small bowl, combine margarine, oats and brown sugar. Sprinkle over top of fruit. Cover and bake for 35-40 minutes until fruit is tender and bubbling.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.


Yum!
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Happy Fourth of July to my American friends! I hope you had a wonderful holiday... with lots of fireworks!
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