recycling treasures

Posted on November 23, 2020 by is there any more pie?

This might not look like a treasure, but it really is.  All handsewn, it has wonderful 1930’s fabrics to admire.

I like to buy old quilt tops with patterns I would never make myself.  This quilt top, found in a vintage store in Austin, is certainly one of those.

And I love looking at all of the fabrics.

Unfortunately, this was–at one time–loosely handstitched to a batting and backing.  Someone dismantled it and left a gazillion thick green threads behind.  I pluck them out with tweezers and will be doing that this week while watching a lot of television.

(Speaking of television, we’re in the middle of a new mystery series from New Zealand called “The Sounds”.)

Btw, it’s very strange not having anything to do to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner.  Hence the extra hours for sewing projects.

It’s a great way to keep busy, but I’d rather be making a spinach casserole, cooking up a vat of cream cheese potatoes, and selecting china for the tables.

I retrieved this quilt top and two others from a basement bin marked “Old Quilts”.  I’d always intended to finish each one.  And I don’t even know how long they have been sitting on a basement shelf.

And now?  Covid.  Quilting keeps me relatively sane.  And the fact that I am emptying plastic containers makes Banjo Man delirious with joy, despite my having insisted he stay home and no longer grocery shop.  He doesn’t mind that he can’t use the kitchen island (there is always a quilt top spread over it) or that most nights he is on his own for dinner (although I did make a shrimp corn chowder yesterday) because I find it hard to tear myself away from my sewing machine once I get going.

This is Day 5 on this project.  I’m praying I don’t run out of blue thread.

 

I think I made it in 2018, so it’s a relatively new finish for me.  It was a “mystery quilt” from Bonnie Hunter, so there are hundreds of pieces to outline with thread.

Happy Monday, everyone.  If you’re not cooking for Thanksgiving, what are you doing this week?

 

 

Posted in quilting, rhode island, secondhand stuff | 2 Comments

you have to laugh

Posted on November 22, 2020 by is there any more pie?

Posted in family, food, rhode island | 1 Comment

happy birthday Son#1

Posted on November 21, 2020 by is there any more pie?

Ben is 48 today.  I can’t believe how fast the years have gone, but so they have.  As they do.

The night before he was born I was in the city at a hockey game with my father.   We’d gone out to dinner on Federal Hill.  I proudly wore a new winter coat.  I was seven and a half months pregnant when I went into labor between the second and third periods of the game.

My father cut this photo out of the newspaper the next day, when Ben was born.  The following day our tiny baby was rushed to a “preemie” intensive care unit in a Providence hospital and would stay there for six weeks.

I’ve never been so frightened in my life.

But here he is, such a wonderful man!  The phrase I hear so often about Ben is he is “such a good guy”.

That pretty much sums it up.  We are so lucky.

Last year at the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. Ben loves football!!!

This afternoon Nebraska plays Illinois.  I hope that Ben gets to celebrate his birthday with a Nebraska win.  They are few and far between these days and it would be fun to hear Ben’s reaction and joy when we talk to him after the game.

So, Happy Birthday, Big Guy!  See you in a few weeks!

GO BIG RED!!!

 

Posted in family | 2 Comments

another holiday bites the dust

Posted on November 20, 2020 by is there any more pie?

Covid strikes again.

I type this with a weary sigh. 

For thirty-two years we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving with our family, family friends and extended family members.  For the past two years we’ve had four generations gathered around the four tables.

I cannot even describe how much fun it was.

We’ll see you in 2021!

Last weekend we all sadly decided to skip the festivities.  There would have been only seven of us (the “senior” guests, along with daughter Nancy), but we all knew it was safer to stay home as the virus surges in Rhode Island and hospital beds are once again filling up.

Yesterday the governor laid out more restrictions, including advising (begging) people to stay home for Thanksgiving and to limit the celebration to the people who live in the house with you.

So…okay.

I’ve been prepared for the worst for some time now.  Weeks ago I went to Aldi’s and bought a frozen turkey breast, a little frozen squash casserole, a pumpkin cheesecake, a pumpkin pie, and a couple of those Bob Evans mashed potato containers.

There will be gravy.  

Banjo Man and I will not go hungry, but it’s going to be hard.  Thanksgiving is the best “food” holiday by far and this year I had so looked forward to being with the people who hadn’t been allowed to attend my mother’s funeral due to the painful five-person limit last April.

I had intended to drink wine and hug everyone.  But that will have to wait until Easter, when we–filled with Covid vaccines–plan to gather at last.

In the meantime?  I am grateful for those scientists who have worked so hard to develop vaccines.  We should all say a collective “thank you” to everyone in the laboratories.

And to everyone in the healthcare industry who have kept all of us and our loved ones safe?  My heart is full of gratitude.

And now?  A new recipe.  I can’t wait to try it next Thursday morning because you know that crock pots make me happy.

Slow Cooker Turkey with No-Fuss Gravy

 

Posted in family, friends, rhode island | 2 Comments

cars and covid

Posted on November 17, 2020 by is there any more pie?

Last month Banjo Man decided he needed a reliable off-road vehicle with which to haul a trailer full of building supplies up the mountain to his beloved cabin.  The summer of 2021 is going to be the Year of the Cabin and my husband has big plans.

This car/truck would have to be in good shape, as we would be driving it across country in the spring.  Oh, the joy of another road trip!  Especially after Covid.  Just the thought of packing our “new” car and heading west fills us with joyous anticipation.

So we had to decide what kind of car we needed, which required lots of research on my part.  And I love research, so this was not a chore.

We narrowed it down to one car:  a heavy-duty, towing powerhouse, the Toyota Sequoia.

Last week we thought we had found the perfect used Sequoia.   The condition, the price, the fancy extras?  All so enticing.  But–and this is a big “but”–the car was at a dealer in Vermont.  And the day before Vermont had closed its borders to nonessential visitors.  It was a four-hour drive, another issue.  We would have to spend the night in New Hampshire, which was easy enough unless they decided to close the state also.  But was I ready to drive three and a half hours home?  I’m a lot stronger than I was a few months ago, but that was a stretch.

Friends offered to make the trip, but we refused.  Why should anyone take risks just so we could buy a car?  No way.

I also pointed out that we had never sat in or driven a Sequoia.  What if it was too big?  Or uncomfortable?

The new Toyota Sequoia is unveiled during the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, 14 November 2007. AFP PHOTO/GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)

We expanded the car search to include the Toyota 4Runner and the Honda Ridgeline.

Once again, we had never sat in or driven a Honda Ridgeline.

Clearly we needed to look at these cars closer to home and decide which was best for us before I continued to comb Cargurus and Cars.com and Autotrader for used vehicles (90% of them were in Connecticut and Massachusetts, not RI), but here’s where Covid comes in.  How do you go to a local dealer and safely look at cars?  Some dealers require appointments, which naturally discourages casual shopping.

And “casual shopping” and Covid do not go together, especially now as Rhode Island is surging with the virus and the governor is on the verge of ordering another shutdown.

So our car shopping has been temporarily discontinued.  We will stay home and dream of 2021…and life on the road.

 

 

 

Posted in rhode island, shopping | Leave a comment

what was that?

Posted on November 9, 2020 by is there any more pie?

Yesterday morning I was looking out my bathroom window and admiring Banjo Man’s latest leaf-blowing efforts when a roaring noise began and the house trembled.

It lasted long enough for me to wonder if something huge was sliding off our roof.  I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

When it stopped I ran out to the living room as Banjo Man ran up the stairs, who shouted, “I think that was an earthquake!”

An earthquake?  In Rhode Island?  Before I’d had my first cup of coffee?

According to the news, we experienced a 3.6 earthquake at 9:10 am, originating in Buzzard’s Bay in Massachusetts.

And if that wasn’t enough, at noon an alert screamed from our cell phones to announce…more earthquakes, safety info, ??  Nope.  It was the governor’s latest Covid edicts.  Curfews (we all need to be home by 10 pm), wearing masks inside our homes if we have company (??!!!), smaller numbers of people in stores, and more restrictions on those youth sporting events that are still allowed to happen.

Sigh.

I can’t wait for 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in rhode island | 4 Comments

wake me when it’s over

Posted on November 3, 2020 by is there any more pie?

Yesterday I had one of those procedures where you have to “prep” the day before (i.e. live in the bathroom).  Because of issues the last time I had this lovely thing done, it was decided that a stronger anesthesia would be administered.

Thank you, doctor.

The anesthesiologist was a lovely woman and, after a minute or two of chit chat, I dropped into unconsciousness.

It was heavenly.

The next thing I heard was a nurse demanding, “WAKE UP!”

No, I don’t think so.  I was in the middle of the best nap I’d ever had in my life.  I was cozy under two warmed blankets.  Life was good.

“WAKE UP!  IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP!”

She sounded irritated but I didn’t care.  No one could make me open my eyes.

“I’M GOING TO CALL YOUR HUSBAND TO PICK YOU UP!!!  YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP NOW!”

Well, hell.  Nurse Ratchet was really pissed.  They probably needed my cubicle.  Needed my gurney.  Needed my blankets.

I slowly opened my eyes and prepared myself to give up on my nap and enter the world again.  I sat up and blinked and yawned and clutched my warm blankets to my chest.

She took out my IV.  I wish she would have left it in.  I wish I could have half a dozen vials of that anesthesia in a bag.  To go.

Because despite the perfection of my colon (doctor’s words), I don’t have the stomach for Election Day and almost certainly what will become Election Week.

Hook up the IV and wake me when it’s over.

 

 

Posted in personal female whining, rhode island | Leave a comment

an escape from the present

Posted on October 30, 2020 by is there any more pie?

Banjo Man and I are back in front of the television. That’s not exactly breaking news, but it’s how we are surviving 2020.

And surviving 2020 is the name of the game.

Here are some Amazon Prime shows you might like to watch, too:

From the Boston Herald: “…the so-named two-part EPIX documentary uses archival interviews and footage to tell how the rural enclave in the Hollywood Hills outside Los Angeles became home to a laundry list of some of the most influential and famous names of 1960s and ’70s music, among them the Eagles, the Doors, the Mamas & the Papas, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, the Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, The Monkees, Little Feat and Jackson Browne.”

This was great fun, with lots of background info and interviews from the musicians themselves.

Also on Amazon, this is a 4-part series about three historians who take on an 1850’s Victorian lifestyle for a year. Their experiences with livestock, plows, cooking and laundry are fascinating. Banjo Man has loved it, especially since he remembers his father using draft horses and the same equipment used in this documentary.

This is only two parts, but I hope they have more. It chronicles two British families trying hard to support the castles and estates they have inherited by renting rooms, serving tour groups, leasing land, etc. A glimpse into all the behind-the-scenes work.

And here is our favorite:

We loved this documentary. Lots of info about the Scotch whiskey business, plus the story of a man whose passion at 15 led to him being the most respected man in the business and a whiskey ambassador to the world.

Here’s the trailer:

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did.

Let me know.

Posted in rhode island, television | Leave a comment

hey, it’s his birthday!

Posted on October 29, 2020 by is there any more pie?

The Funny Grandson turned 10 today! Does he look happy?

I think he does!

We wish we were there to celebrate with the family, but I sent an Early Birthday box of goodies–including a blueberry cake–three weeks ago.

Next year, when this Covid stuff is over, we’ll celebrate “Early Birthday” at the condo again, complete with breakfast at the Magnolia Cafe and root beer floats and balloons and bacon and walks along South Congress.

Until then, it’s good to be ten!

Posted in family, grandmother stuff, texas | Leave a comment

democracy in the rain

Posted on October 29, 2020 by is there any more pie?

I just returned from voting at my town hall. “Early voting” was a first for me, because I love the excitement of election day. Four years ago I was up before dawn, itching to get to the polling place and cast my vote.

But this year I had to be practical and forego the excitement. Why? Well, I’m not ready to stand in long lines for hours. Physically I have come a long way since last year, but I don’t look forward to testing my stamina outside with the wind from the ocean blasting towards me.

And then there’s Covid. The governor is getting ready to wind us back to Phase 2, maybe at tomorrow’s press conference. How will that affect voting? I have no idea, but I wasn’t going to take any chances.

I have no idea what the not-at-all-peaceful protestors/anarchists/Antifa have planned for election day. They’re quite active up in the city and I cannot imagine them coming down here to the country, but if they were demonstrating at our polling place I would not be able to control my temper.

So I stood in the rain. And oh, was it raining! But it was kind of fun after all, standing in line outside of the town hall waiting my turn to go inside and cast my vote. They’d converted a garage into a polling place, complete with voting booths and registration desk.

I was in and out in twelve minutes.

Now I am warming up with coffee and homemade potato soup. I plan on spending the afternoon staring at my fabric cupboard for inspiration, as it’s time to start creating something new. I have no idea what that will be, though. But it is time to get busy and accomplish something.

This past week I’ve cleaned drawers and shelves in my office (and I have the huge stuffed black garbage bag to prove it!) and made another pass at my pantry shelves (and donated a load of glassware to the thrift store). I bought a new “stick” vacuum cleaner. And I cleaned out the freezer.

Now it’s time to hunker down with my sewing machine on a rainy day.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

There are a lot of future quilts in here.

Posted in rhode island | 4 Comments