Walk Today

 

Daylight Savings Time, love it or hate it.  I love it.  I welcome that hour of light placed at the end of the day.

I can't say that it was easy taking that first spring walk up the hill today.  Not the big steep hill on the street below.  Not the shorter but steeper hill going up to the park.  Not the long but less steep hill on the street behind me - I did that one last week.

The one to the left as I go out my door.  A very short block, all up hill.  And then, once I was up there I walked as far as the library.

One of the houses on the way to the library has the prettiest daffodils every spring.  A few have popped out already, with many mor to come.

In my bed the onions and chives have suddenly shot up.  I don't eat any of them, I just like their early green-ness.  Those onions and the iris are some of the first signs up spring.

Off The Floor

 

The Moda Blockheads 6 wallhanging is off the floor and ready for quilting.  (The quilting will take a while because there is a baby quilt in process.)

Because I didn't want a big quilt, there is this wallhanging plus a couple of table toppers.

One of the attractions of this project was hoping that it would help my piecing be more precise.  I'm now more apt to starch my fabric every time prior to cutting. To move the needle over three clicks to get the scant 1/4" seam that works for me.  

Note:  the three clicks may not work for you and your machine.  And, not every machine has the capability to move the needle to the right, but I hope yours does.

I always was a seam presser, and I always use a regular ironing board and iron just so I will get in and out of my chair a lot.  It's like extra exercise, even though the project takes just longer.   There was a lot of getting up and down here.

Starting out, I didn't know what each block would look like and then how they would fit together. I used a white fabric and a blue/gray solid in each block.  Even though there is a lot of movement in the quilt, that kept it from being too chaotic.  

This Recipe Worked Out

This time, the new recipe worked out, for eggplant parmesan.

And I'm wondering why it took me so long to try it.  

What helped - the Private Selection marinara sauce.  That's one of Kroger's labels, and I don't think I've ever been disappointed with anything under that label.  And the combination of frsh mozerella and parmesan.  And oven roasting the eggplant - that alone I'll do again.  

This afternoon I want to get out and walk, while the high temperatue will be 61, and tomorrow it will be 45.

I'm so dismayed about our country's attacking Iran.  I am dismayed about so much news these days, but for me this is a whole new level of dismay.

Best Kind of Snow

 

It's a surprise snow this morning, at least to me.  Huge flakes, 33 degrees.

And it's the best kind of snow because streets and sidewalks are clear and the high today will be 51 degrees.  Bushes and branches are collecting the snow and look so very pretty.

I'm thinking about trying eggplant parm today, it doesn't look too hard, and even if the eggplant doesn't work out like I want it to I can pivot to baked spaghetti.

My last experiment was pad Thai and that was a big failure.

The Joy of King Cake

 

King cake from my favorite bakery - might just be one of my favorite foods.  The dough with cinnamon flakes.  The crunchy sugar.  The pretty colors.  The baby, the beads, and the chocolate coin, sealed together in a little plastic bag.

The joy of something indulgent before the solemn season of Lent.  The joy of sharing something really good.  The joy of going into the bakery early in the morning and seeing stacks of king cakes, ready to go out into the neighborhood.

Once I forgot to order my king cake and went to the big grocery store.  Only once.  It just wasn't the same.  The sugar wasn't crunchy, the dough was plain, the colors not as bright.  Only the box looked the same.

Happy Valentine's Day

 

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.  I hope your day was peaeful and warm.

Sarah's Morning, More Interesting Than Mine

This morning on her way out the door, daughter Sarah heard a barred owl.  And that was pretty nice.

Then when she pulled up at the trailhead where she and a coworker were going running, a barred owl flew past her windshield.  Still very nice, a barred owl can represent wisdom, mystery, or a need for reflection.

But then, on the trail, a barred owl flew at her and hit her in the head and ear.  She has little talon scratches.  It was bad luck for Sarah that she had just pushed back the hood on her hoodie.  

The owl wouldn't let her and her running partner pass on the trail.  There was probably a nest with eggs nearby.

I know, who goes trail running in the early morning darkness - they start work at 7 am -  but I'm sure they had head lamps.

Isn't that just crazy?  I'm wondering, since there were thousands of trees in that forest downed by Helene, whether wildlife is very out of sorts that their habitat has changed.