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Fourth of July
Banjo Man
Glen the Banjo Man
star wars, the competition
I bought this game for Sarge for Christmas. It was the Season of Star Wars, after all, and my three sons (My Three Sons–does anyone remember that tv show???) considered themselves experts on the first six movies. My grandson was also a fanatic, having been raised with All Things Star Wars.
So on Christmas afternoon nothing would but to open the Star Wars trivia game and start the competition. Sarge read the rules: there would be two ways to “win” a piece of a light saber and the person who completed his light saber first won the game. There were multiple choice trivia questions and “scene cards”, where each player took a “scene card” and placed it in the proper chronological order over the span of six movies.
(Six movies??? Really???)
This was taken during a later game, but it shows the scene cards and the light sabers.
I came to Texas prepared with a bag of prizes for the winners. Some of these prizes were really cool, such as new SW action figures. Others were weird and/or practical, just to keep the guys guessing.
The three brothers proceeded to play.
They were very, very serious.
Meanwhile, the five-year old was busy with his guitar and his new Christmas toys and had no idea what exciting event was taking place at the dining room table.
The Force was with them as were all of the cookies.
And then…during the trivia question round, the littlest member of the family wandered over and overheard one of his uncles ask a trivia question. The five-year old answered the question, giving away the answer. The players didn’t like that. He was told to be quiet.
Another trivia question was presented instead. The little guy then whispered the answer.
Oh, was he in trouble! Banned from hanging around the table! Banned from giving away the correct answers! Ordered to go to a galaxy far, far away!
And then Grandpa Banjo Man stepped in.
The five-year old would be allowed to play. After all, hadn’t his father and uncles indoctrinated him into the Star Wars universe before he was old enough to speak?
Properly chastised, with Banjo Man hovering and glaring, the supposedly grown up guys gave the little one a seat at the table.
Game on!
(He didn’t win, but he gave the old guys a run for their money!)
Posted in austin, family, grandmother stuff, movies
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belly up to the bar
The Chili Bar, that is!
Harley Chick and Hot Rod Russ came over for dinner Friday night, which is always something to look forward to. Harley Chick is a vegetarian who doesn’t eat cheese (is she technically a vegan?), so cooking for her is a challenge (in a very good way). I like to peruse cookbooks and Pinterest in search of new recipes to try.
Because it was going to be a cold winter night, I settled on black bean chili in the Crock Pot, because you all know how much I love my slow cooker.
I tried a new recipe, with the usual Cast of Characters:
I added a couple of bay leaves, cumin, chili powder and cayenne, but as the afternoon went on I just couldn’t get enough flavor into the chili.
There would also be roast bbq pork for sandwiches, my grandmother’s coleslaw, tortillas and a spinach mushroom casserole.
But the chili needed help.
So, remembering a successful “taco bar” party from a few years ago, I assembled a “chili bar” on the kitchen island: chunks of avocado (be still my heart), chopped red onions, sour cream, chopped jalapenos (from a jar, how easy is that!), cilantro, shredded cheese and a bowl of crumbled Doritos.
I might never eat chili without avocados again.
What else do you think should go on the Chili Bar????
Posted in family, food, friends, rhode island
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baking with a friend
Sam brought the black Play Doh. And orange and green, too. I contributed the plastic bowls, of which I have many. Sam discovered all of them over the course of the morning, and we baked pies, cakes and burgers in the oven, microwave and dishwasher.
Sam is nothing if not creative.
The oven timer was a big hit. As was the oven light. And the plastic knife.
I see a big future for my little friend:
Posted in friends, grandmother stuff, rhode island
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the martian
We rented this “on demand” last night, before we watched American Idol and Hell’s Kitchen. We were tired of the news and the endless political discussions on the news channels, so we went to…Mars.
I didn’t realize Matt Damon was the hero of the movie (I thought I was watching Leonardo diCaprio the whole time) until I uploaded this photo to the blog. And I really didn’t understand much of the movie. It was charming and exciting and interesting, but all of that scientific chatter just went in one ear and out the other.
During the movie (and American Idol and Hell’s Kitchen) I was busy pinning 252 little blocks of fabric together. And then I set up the ironing board in front of the couch and proceeded to iron 84 other sections of fabric patches. There was no way I could sit in front of the television for FOUR HOURS and not do anything. Sometimes I practice the dobro (without finger picks, so it’s fairly quiet) by mindlessly picking the patterns that Buddy taught me in December. Sometimes I read during the commercials. Sometimes I eat chocolate-and-salt-coated almonds, but thank God they are all gone and we can’t buy any more until we go back to Texas in March.
Anyway, back to “The Martian”: it was a good movie to rent on a cold winter night.
P.S. A “Bachelor” update will be coming this weekend, along with some notes on a few other shows. Stay tuned.
Posted in family
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hold your horses
Welcome to my horse collection. This was a very big deal when I was a kid. These were souvenirs from trips and Christmas and birthday gifts. I loved them. I could stand in front of the display in any tacky Tennessee roadside gift shop and be totally entranced. I played with them endlessly. They had names and histories and families.
I unpacked them last week. I unwrapped each precious horse and set it on the kitchen island to admire. Banjo Man didn’t know what to say. I suspect he was afraid I was going to display them on the fireplace mantel. They’d been packed for about fifty years, maybe more. I always thought I’d have granddaughters who would want to play with them.
So far that isn’t happening. 
So I ask you, what do I do with them? Do I wait a few more years for that granddaughter to appear? Do I donate them to charity? Sell them on ebay? Put them back in their box and tuck them away?
I am not ready to part with them.
Which I am embarrassed to admit.
Just forget you read this.
Posted in a more pie opinion, just for fun, rhode island, secondhand stuff
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the perfect christmas morning
Even Paul McCartney started somewhere.
This guy couldn’t believe his great good fortune, with a real electric guitar along with the use of his father’s microphone, stand and amplifier.
It certainly brought back memories of his father’s expression when he opened a Christmas gift to find a bass guitar.
We and his grandparents had combined our shopping funds in order to afford the best used bass guitar Banjo Man could find. Son #1 was very, very surprised.
Every once in a while a Christmas dream comes true.
And the beat goes on…
Posted in family, grandmother stuff, music
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sew and snow saturday
It looks like we’re getting the Big Storm after all. Sometime in the night the storm shifted a little bit north, which meant we are right in the path of a lot of snow and a lot of wind.
Banjo Man just filled his 55-gallon barrel and tested the special pump I ordered to go with it, so hopefully our bathroom habits can continue undisturbed should we lose power and water.
Life gets complicated when you don’t have electricity, doesn’t it?
How do you like this quilt?
Here’s the link, where there are lots of ideas: http://quiltinspiration.blogspot.com/2014/05/free-pattern-day-patriotic-and-flag.html
I’m sewing Quilts of Valor these next few weeks. February 6th is the “sew in” day across the country, but I’ll be sewing here at the house because I don’t belong to a quilt guild. I’ve been buying red, white and blue fabrics to supplement what I already have stacked up in the closet. The new fabric is washed and ironed (well, mostly ironed) and ready to go. I’ve done the math and worked out the design, so now it’s time to cut and sew!
Cutting is one of my favorite parts of quilting. I’m going to set up my cutting station on the kitchen island. And move my sewing machine to the dining room table.
We’re getting Mom shortly and bringing her back here for the duration of the storm. Do you remember a few years ago when she and Banjo Man had their adventure on a toboggan after a storm? (You can read about it here: https://isthereanymorepie.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/blizzard-tacos-and-ikea-part-2/)
Well, we’re never risking their lives again. Now we don’t take chances! Mom can curl up on the living room couch while I sew, and we’ll watch tv and drink tea and hope that the power stays on.
(There are three very confused deer in my front yard right now. They are huddled on the side of the driveway, under a tree. Is this their first big storm? Do they not have a place in which to hunker down?)
I’m looking forward to a cozy day! Stay safe, everyone.
Posted in family, quilting, rhode island
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what’s on the design wall
I’ve been playing with my stack of half-square triangles. It’s baby quilt time!
Here’s version #1:
And here are the same 4 1/2″ squares arranged in chevrons.
This last one looks a little more modern. I could quilt some little feather designs in the white spaces. Add a white border and a delicate print for the binding…with lots and lots of intricate quilting…
The thinking continues…
Posted in quilting, rhode island
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