It's September!

It's September!

Did you say "Rabbit, Rabbit" the first thing in the morning on September 1?

It's supposed to bring you good luck! 

I'm just hoping it will bring cooler weather.
How about highs in the 80s instead of 90s???!!!!
I'd go for that.

Down came the summer welcome sign from the front door 
and up went the burlap wreath.

It looks nice surrounded by the blue door frame.


I also changed out the flag that flies from the balcony.
The Scarecrow is flying high.




Then I went hunting for the fabric pumpkins.
I'm still looking for some of them,
but it's a good start.





Pumpkin Moonshine is one of my favorite little books by Tasha Tudor
and is always a Fall favorite.






When I'm not looking for fall decorations,
I have my knitting needles going.

I've made four (yes, four) Oblique Kerchief.
It's an easy pattern and the yarn is soft to the touch and easy to work with.

Now I'm working on the Ribbed Collar Bolero.
I have a stash of Lion Brand Homespun and this is an opportunity to use it up.
If I like the finished project, I'll make some more.
I've only "frogged" 4 or 5 times.
It is a simple ribbing, but trying to watch a baseball game
and having three kitties determined to sit on my lap and the knitting
makes dropping stitches very easy!
Knock on wood, but I seem to be moving right along now.

I finally got to my Stitch and Bitch group.
They are a crochet group that meets at a local restaurant twice a month.
Not much bitching, but a whole lot of stitching, laughing and eating going on.
They welcome knitters, too.







Now I'm looking for my little Dump Cake cookbook.
Autumn Dump Cake 
made with pears, apple pie filling, dried cranberries sounds good to me!










Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Willy Nilly Friday

Five on Friday

Mosaic Monday

Home Sweet Home

How To Meet Your Neighbors!

There's a lot going on in the neighborhood.

There was a birthday party.

It was a good way for us "oldsters"  to meet the young families 
living in the neighborhood.
And, it was FUN!








This is the "new" library for our neighborhood.
I walked by to see where it was located.
Found it without any problem.
And, I met some neighbors I did not know --
all of us out for an early walk (before it got too hot) 
and looking for the library.
Too cute and it's full of books.

The neighbor who made the little library 
made it from scraps being tossed out by another neighbor.
Teamwork! 
Recycling at its best.

When you meet your new neighbors,
invite them to walk into the village for a bit to eat.
Stop, and look at the new mural.





Still deciding if I like it.
Better than the brick wall, I guess!

Go to a child's birthday party,
walk around your neighborhood,
make a little library,
look at a new painting.

You might meet your neighbors and make a new friend!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Mosaic Monday

Make It Pretty Monday

It's Julia's Birthday

Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California, August 15, 1912.
 She would have been 104 years old today.

Sur La Table

I looked back at some of my posts about Julia.

I remembered I started my Julia craze after I read
Julie Powell's book (Julie and Julia, 365 Days, 524 Recipes, one Tiny Apartment)
about making each and every one of Julia's recipes
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Then the movie came out (which I loved). 

I read more books about Julia and her life including Julia's Cats.

I think there are a few more Julia books in my stacks that I should read.

Amazingly enough, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
didn't become a best seller until after the movie came out...
48 years after the book was first published.
This article from the NYTimes is one of my favorites:

After 48 Years, Julia Child Has a Big Best Seller, Butter and All

I remember watching Julia on television. 

I wasn't much interested in the cooking.

I just thought she was a hoot!

Associated Press Photo

I couldn't let the day go by without wishing Julia

a very happy birthday.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Make It Pretty Monday

Mosaic Monday

In Time For Tea

I love to give books for special occasions or no occasion ...
To kids and adults.

I heard about Chimpanzees for Tea by Jo Empson in the 
Afternoon Tea Across America group I belong to on FaceBook.

Vincent's mother sends him to the store with a shopping list.
She wants him to be home in time for tea.
Along the way Vincent loses his shopping list.
He tries to remember everything on the list 
and comes home with some unexpected items.
But he is in time for tea! 
Great illustrations and lots of fun.
I think it will be a wonderful birthday gift for the little girl next door.







I decided I wanted to be in time for tea, too.
I was especially tea thirsty and got out one of my favorite oversized tea cups.

The perfect Tea Time Teacup.
It is part of the Leonardo Collection.
Designed in England. 
More fun!

Wishing YOU well, much joy, a good book, and a wonderful cup of tea!

Home Sweet Home

Make It Pretty Monday

No Place Like Home

Mosaic Monday

Tuesday Cup of Tea

This and That

I hope all my friends in the U.S. and Canada enjoyed their holiday weekend.
This is what happened around Twisty Lane. 

1. One last lunch to celebrate my birthday
and my friend's birthday.
We were about six weeks late, but it's never too late to celebrate.
We went to Little Liberty.
(Perfect for the 4th of July weekend.)

We both ordered the Hawaiian Poke
(raw fish salad appetizer)
with tuna, tamari, cucumber base, mango and avocado.
Delicious and it all was on my diet!

2. I finished reading Clammed Up (A Maine Clambake Mystery) by Barbara Ross.

A good read for the 4th of July weekend.
Clammed Up is the first in the series.
I thought it was amazingly good for the first book in a cozy series.
Clambakes, Murder and Recipes -- what more could one want??!!

3. I was ready for the 4th of July.

Uncle Sam was flying high over the bunting clad balcony.


4. I made a quick trip to Ross.
It's right next door to Michaels (more yarn).
I figured, why not!
Sometimes I find something, sometimes I don't.
I found these kitchen towels.

I watched all the fireworks at home on tv -- switching between channels.
No way was I going out in the heat, humidity and crowds.

5. Several of you wanted to see the crochet lovie blanket.
I finished one of the owls and have a panda started.
Too cute!
All finished in time for the baby shower.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Willy Nilly Friday

Five On Friday

Home Sweet Home

No Place Like Home

Make It Pretty Monday

The Tropical Version of Christmas!

This is what Christmas looks like on my street.

The neighbors are ready for Christmas

and 80 degree weather!

"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore.
"Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't
get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."
-J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Love the simplicity!

"I have always thought of Christmas time,
when it has come round, as a good time;
a kind, forgiving, charitable time;
the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year,
when men and women seem by one consent to open their
shut-up hearts freely,
and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow
passengers to the grave,
and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."
~ Charles Dickens





"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, 
and we are better throughout the year for having,
in spirit,
become a child again at Christmas-time."
-Laura Ingalls Wilder





"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow




Wishing YOU well and much joy this Christmas season.

A Happy Yule and Solstice to you,too!

I'm joining Sandi at
No Place Like Home

and

This and That

It is pumpkin time at Trader Joe's. 

You name it they have it.

Pumpkin Bread Mix

Pumpkin Tortilla Chips

Organic Pumpkin Toaster Pastries

Pumpkin Bagels

*Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli

Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Spice Granola

*Pumpkin Yogurt

Pecan Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal

Pumpkin Cranberry Scone Mix

Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Tea

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix

*Pumpkin Bar Baking Mix 

*Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin Cheesecake

*Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Pumpkin Panettone

Iced Pumpkin Scone Cookies

and on and on.

* These are the "pumpkins" I've tried and I think are very good.

I went in to get the pumpkin yogurt and cream cheese.

I'll enjoy them while I can!

**

I have a new flag for the balcony.
I change them up with each holiday or when I get the urge!

He makes me smile.

***

This is latest look at the afghan.
I've added the tulip, waves and puff rows.




I am trying to follow their suggested colors by using my stash yarn.
I'm delighted to see my stash dwindling.
The more it dwindles ... the more yarn may be in my future!

Mina has to give her seal of approval.
I think each kitty would like an afghan of their own.

****

While I wait for the next section of the afghan to be posted,
I'm working on more cowls for gifts for the coming holidays.
There are a number of birthdays to think about, too.
This is the Papillon Cowl and it does resemble a butterfly.
Fun!





Wishing YOU well and much joy!

I'm joining Mosaic Monday 



and Hookin' On Hump Day.
 

Itchy Fingers!

Since making my 4th of July place mats I've had itchy fingers!

I got the GHook, some Lily Sugar N Cream cotton and made a teacup coaster!

While I was crocheting and dreaming of tea cups

this beauty arrived in the mail from my good buddy Deb at Just Cats.

It is the beautiful Glencarry Thistle pattern by Foley.

I love the aqua color and it fits just right on the teacup coaster!

I LOVE Mail Call!

Thank you so much Deb.

I promise to enjoy the cup and take good care of it.

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a delightful cup of tea!

My World: Tea At The Museum

The Museum of Fine Arts is having Tea on Tuesday

in conjunction with two exhibitions:

Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of the Kenwood House, London

and Unrivalled Splendor: The Kimiko and John Powers Collection of Japanese Art.

This is the tea for the Treasures of Kenwood House, London.

Lovely place settings and delicious teas and goodies

and a real treat to be served in the midst of one of the European galleries.

I had a choice of three teas -- all organic.

Organic Earl Grey, Organic Citrus Oolong or Organic Jubilee Rooibos.

I picked the Citrus Oolong and was not disappointed.

The goodies were all yummy:

Chicken Salad on Whole Wheat

Cucumber and Herbed Cheese on White

Blueberry Scone with Clotted Cream

Tuxedo Dipped Chocolate Covered Strawberry

Before leaving for the tour associated with Kenwood House Exhibition

a glass of sparkling wine.

A lovely afternoon.

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

A big thank you to the wonderful hosts of

Our World.

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a wonderful cup of tea!

It's Almost July!!!

It's almost July.

Time to think about the 4th of July.

I was wondering what I had in the house that was red, white and blue.

First, a short story.

Do you wonder why you keep junk things?

I was going through a box I'd brought in from the garage.

(Yes, I'm still shredding and throwing and it's probably why my back is complaining.)

I found a bunch of old calendars.

Some of them were cat calendars and since I love kitties, I knew why I'd kept them.

I'll do something with them one day ... I hope.

Then I found a 1994 (really!!!) Annie's Victorian Village Calendar.

Looking through the calendar of lovely photos, 

I found at the very back Place Mat Patterns and Tea Room Restaurant Recipes.

Now it starts making sense!

I stopped when I saw this photo.

From the Annie's Victorian Village 1994 Calendar

I'd found red, white and blue place mats -- perfect for the 4th of July.

Photo from Annie's Victorian Village 1994 Calendar

Here's my crochet place mat made from the newly found pattern

 and the red, white and blue kitchen towels I already had. 

The kitchen is going to look good for the month of July!

The  crochet pattern for the place mat was very easy.

The original called for worsted yarn and I used Lily Sugar 'N Cream cotton yarn

It's beginning to look a lot like July!

And feels like it ... high today projected to be 101 with feels like temp around 110.

Iced tea anyone?

 Time for me to hibernate!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

I'm linking for the first time with: