Turgua

 

Turgua.  A new-to-me brewery in Fairview, North Carolina.  It was just warm enough Sunday afternoon to sit outside.  Lots of beers on tap, with cans of some to bring home.  What's left above is a Bluebird-Blueberry Saison.

(OK, I had to look that up.  Saison beer is a pale ale that is highly carbonated, fruity, spicy.  No wonder I liked it.)  It used to be brewed with low alcohol levels but modern versions have moderate to higher levels.

Out front was a food truck with tamales, rice and beans, and a few other related foods.  Really, really good.  In back are seating areas near a pretty creek.  The building started out as a tractor sales and repair shop, but you'd never guess.

It was a good drive back home yesterday.  The bridge construction area on I-40 near the Tennessee line barely slowed traffic down this time.  The sun shone, the road was dry, perfect.  

Today I'll start back with my little life, but yesterday evening I just enjoyed being home, which isn't to say that I didn't also love the holiday away.  My nice neighbor brought over a couple of packages from Black Friday shopping along with the mail. which wasn't impressive.

This Little One

 

Returning home, I will miss Thanksgiving time with this little one.  Who doesn't much want to sit with me, or with anyone other than Sarah, as long as Sarah is in the house.  Who isn't allowed to jump down from a chair or bed because of her bad back.  Who misses her two friends.  

Who is reluctant to start eating but then enjoys her food when the first bite is presented on a spoon.  Who may or may not settle down for a good night's sleep.  (Last night was a "not.")  Who is, I think, thirteen until her birthday next month.  A very small rescue, who started out life with Sarah and Winnie as a foster.  Who is very suspicious of men but who grew to love Winnie's dad.

Who used to be apt to snap when she felt someone was in her space, but who no longer has the energy to do much snapping.  And the snapping is kind of missed.  If she snaps, it's a sign that she's having a good day.

Who has the most excellent ears.  Ever.  Yep, that’s P-Nut.

Finding Art

 

Take a moment to enjoy the wrappers on this bamboo toilet paper.  Because art is where you find it.

Last night we drove through a little town that does Christmas up big.  (You'll notice similar colors to the toilet paper photo.)  Lots of people and decorated stores.

In minor news, I ordered a new printer, not on Black Friday sale.  I've dithered around for months trying to decide which one.  My old one is so old that the software won't work to connect to my laptop, purchased a year ago.  And then when connected to an old laptop it grinds and grinds and takes several times before it finally decides to print, while I hold my breath.  Deciding which one has been the hold up, so confusing.

And so, print only, no copy or scan.  Wireless but also with a usb connection just in case.  Black and white because I never replaced the color cartridge on my old printer.  Fingers crossed.

What I don't like, who knows why - there is a chip on the toner cartridge and when toner gets low a new one is automatically ordered from Amazon.

Another easy and good read, you'll like it:  All the People We Keep

A Jar of Something

 

At the Artisan Center in Berea, I like to stop for a jar of . . . something . . . from Spring Valley farms.  That something, this time, turned out to be pecan pumpkin butter.  Because it's the season.

Spring Valley Farms are located in southern Kentucky and in Tennessee.  They are owned by a Habegger family.

Habegger is my maiden name and isn't much heard of outside of Swiss Mennonite communities.  I don't know the folks who own these farms, of course, but I always like to buy a jar or their sauces, jams, or relishes because I feel sort of connected.  And their things are delicious.

I've never seen a picture of the farms or the people.  They sell in stores, not from a website.  I know no family history.  Still . . .there can't be that many of us.

Vegan Thanksgiving

 

Thanks to Winnie and Sarah for a lovely vegan Thanksgiving feast.  All the good veggies and salad plus a gluten free corn pudding and stuffing.  Perfect.

There was just one little brown dog for the festivities and we missed the two who are missing this year.

And a picture from five years ago when P-Nut snagged her own seat at the table.

It's strange to think of the years gone by, when we thought we were old but we were, in fact, young.  In retrospect.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  May your day be warm and your gratitude overflowing.

Pretty Vegetarian Meal

Vegetarian meal per Winnie.  I can't even tell you all the foods that were in this dish, but it was delicious.  I do know there was squash, cauliflower, and onions.  And Winnie's presentation is always something to look forward to.

Yesterday was a lovely day for travel, white clouds with streaks of blue.  There were some construction delays, which gave me a chance to enjoy the day.

I was thinking of what Nora told me this week, that one of her best traveling memories was when we were on Jellico Mountain in Tennessee and everything came to a standstill.  People got out of their cars and wandered around looking at the scenery, found snacks in their coolers.  One boy got out his skateboard and skated around the parked cars.

Traffic was moving yesterday, just very slowly, and there was time to admire the bare branches against that pretty sky.

And thinking of bare branches, yesterday was the day when my neighbor's tree rained all its leaves.  It's like someone flips a switch and all the leaves come down in one day.  

 

Lots of Dots

 

On Sundays my quilt shop posts pictures of fabrics that have between 1 and 3 yards left on the bolts, exactly how much isn't posted.  These are priced at 20% off whatever is left.  (If you haven't looked at how much nice fabric costs these days, be prepared for a surprise.)

This Sunday I got these dotted fabrics.  It may look like random shopping, but those of us who quilt - a lot - know what colors and patterns we use.  Even if they don't find a home in a quilt top the sizes are super nice for baby quilt backings.

Or, in this case, for Christmas quilts.  The name of the collection is called Merry and Bright.  Once again, those of us who quilt a lot know these things.  And I have a coordinating fabric with a pretty green background.

A small stack of quilts and pillow cases will be picked up today for children's Christmas boxes in Tennessee.  One of our baby quilt members, now sadly deceased, has a daughter who is a social worker there and coordinates a huge Christmas project.  It's nice to remember Ginny this way, this year.

Advent Is Approaching

 

On my list yesterday - to hang this Advent banner after church.  Because next Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent.  This isn't a new piece, but it's been awhile.  Some partial stars.  Snow building.  Awakening.  I also found a different kind of Advent wreath, sort of a small spiral.  I'll take a picture of that another day.

And while I was looking for this in the stash under my bed, I got out a few Christmas wall hangings for my home.  And hung them.  The goose is getting a bit plump.

I meant to look at the quilt stash earlier in the week, but of course I did it right before church.  Hmmm.  Perhaps my goal list for next year should have something about procrastination.

Library books out, library books in.  It seems as if all my holds are coming in at once.  If you're a reader, look up In the Wild Light.  The best fiction I've read in a while.

Christmas Cookie Ale

 

I love seasonal flavors, and that includes holiday beers.  This one, brewed in Cincinnati, is called Santa's Bribe.  The label says it's a Christmas cookie ale, but I don't know about all that.  It's supposed to have cinnamon, ginger and vanilla.  I don't really detect those flavors, but it's a nice smooth beer and that's good enough for me.

The brewery is named for President Taft, from Cincinnati, our 27th president.  On the label he is in a bathtub because local legend tells that he was a hefty guy and he once got stuck in his bathtub and required assistance to get unstuck.

Yesterday I made Thanksgiving applesauce, lots of applesauce.  For my family here, and I'll take some to North Carolina.  Drop some off for a friend who will be eating alone.  Lucky for me, the Granny Smith apples were on sale, and they were huge.  

Tears - happy ones.  I just learned that Nora was selected for Hamilton and Clermont County Honor Band, playing bassoon.  That kiddo, like others, has had a rough junior year and it's nice to have good news.

And Just Like That

 

I've spent way too much time in the past few weeks trying to figure out why I couldn't message or email photos from my phone to my computer.  I like to think I'm pretty good at figuring these things out, but nothing worked.  Yesterday I needed to update Adobe for something unrelated and today, just like that, protos arrive with no problem.  Really, I just tried it on a whim, didn't think it would work.

And so, I hope you're still with me.  

Nora's appendicitis has not returned, although she is anxious that it might.  Aaron broke his arm when he tripped running down the street.  Aaron also had Covid, so he's had a time of it.  He's missing playing basketball and his percussion options in the band are limited.

Sarah and Winnie's little brown dog, Milo, is no longer with us.  He was doing fairly well, until suddenly, he wasn't.  They miss him tremendously, he was such a little handsome lover.  Now they have just one little brown dog, P-Nut, and she is a senior dog with health issues of her own.  Older than Milo was.

I've been cooking, at least more.  I'm not a fan of small appliances, but I got a new bread machine.  I remembered how often I used the one I had years ago, until I loved it to death.  The old one was big and clunky and this one is much more sleek.  The bread is just as good.  It's oatmeal bread in the picture.

Is anyone watching the storm expected next week?