a few more pictures from austin

Posted on October 18, 2018 by is there any more pie?
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Austin skyline from the Long Center.

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Saturday night date with my oldest son, Ben, who oh-so-graciously went to this wonderful concert with me.

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I walked to Torchy’s for lunch and people-watching several times.  Love those tacos!

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And the “Early Birthday Party” begins…

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I finished the baby quilt, but I forgot to take a picture of the finished quilt, darn it.  

And at the Austin airport’s new gift shop I saw these.  Hilarious!  I didn’t have room in my bag for any of them, unfortunately.

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Which one is your favorite?

 

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root beer and pancakes

Posted on October 17, 2018 by is there any more pie?

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It’s good to be a grandmother, especially when my daughter-in-law says, “He can eat anything he wants!” and believes that grandmothers should be allowed to spoil their grandsons.

I’m very good at that.  It’s one of my super powers.

So on my last day in town, the Funny Grandson (who didn’t have school) arrived at the condo to spend the day with me.  He requested blueberry pancakes for breakfast, so we walked up the street to the Magnolia Cafe for breakfast.

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It is the Funny Grandson’s favorite place in Austin.  He loved it when he was a baby and he loves it now.

Breakfast was consumed at a relaxing pace.  He explained he was happy he didn’t have a younger sister after all and listed the reasons.  We discussed Captain America.  And Thor.  And Halloween.

Then we strolled down South Congress for a while.  We stopped at the new hotel and discovered the fountain in a hidden patio.  We went to the bank (Grandma needed cash) and snagged a free lollipop.  We checked out the fire station and admired a few dogs strutting beside their owners.  Then we returned to the condo so he could build his birthday Lego sets.

Later that afternoon we headed back to the Magnolia for root beer floats.  Tradition!  And he ordered another blueberry pancake.  Just because he could.

After his father arrived and we all had dinner, it was time to say goodbye.  I reminded the little guy that I would see him next month when he comes to Rhode Island for Thanksgiving, but that didn’t seem to console him very much.

It didn’t help me much either, come to think of it.

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texas quilters and a september show

Posted on October 16, 2018 by is there any more pie?

This was how I spent my first Saturday in Austin while Will was at work across the street.  The Palmer Events Center is right across from  Terry Black’s BBQ and Will’s smoking “pits”.  After a morning of heavy rains and thunder, I took a cab to the quilt show.

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Texans have a long quilting history.  It must be part of their DNA.

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Love the colors.  I’d like to make one of these.  I made something similar for son Tony years ago and it was quite a challenging process.

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A closer look at the quilting.  So perfect.

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She took her grandmother’s unfinished quilt top and quilted it.

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Wouldn’t this be a beautiful rug?

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I’d like to make this, but in different colors.  Maybe in pastels or blues for a baby quilt?

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Wine bottles!

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Elk.  The precision of the flying geese borders was beyond belief.

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Rare and beautiful hand-quilting on a vintage quilt.

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Oh my goodness.

I’ve never entered a quilt in a show, and probably never will.  I make too many mistakes when I’m quilting and worrying about them would take away the enjoyment of sewing.  I stitch for relaxation, for fun, for the happy feeling I get when giving quilts away.  So I am in total awe of those talented quilters who create perfection.  And then let all of us study, enjoy and be inspired by their work.

What a treat to be in Austin for the show.

 

 

 

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when coffee is necessary, find a robot

Posted on October 15, 2018 by is there any more pie?

Hi, everyone.

I’m back in Rhode Island.  Will took me to the Austin airport at 3:30 AM last Wednesday.  My suitcase was much lighter (baby quilt finished and gifted, jam, summer clothes and sandals left behind) and my heavy electronics were stuffed inside my rolling bag, the one  that weighs 200 pounds and fits under the seat of the plane.

It has always been a challenge–okay, impossible– to find a cup of coffee in the Austin airport at 4 AM, even though recent remodeling has brought a lot more stores and places to eat.  But–good news!!!–I saw people carrying coffee cups so I kept walking, past my gate, in search of the source.

And I found it, a totally computerized metal box (about the size of a small camping trailer, only a silver rectangle) serving coffee.  A young man stood before the very large-print directions.  He was stymied and nervous, which made me feel better, because if the young guy was intimidated then I wasn’t alone.

We discussed it together.  There was lots of screen-touching and then the swiping of a credit card.  His three-digit order number popped up in numbers 6″ high on the screen and, giving me a relieved grin, he moved off to the right to wait for his iced coffee.

My turn.  I ordered a small black coffee and swiped my card (not so easy, it turned out).  There were two men waiting behind me and both of them had advice.  None of us wanted to download the app onto our phones in order to get a cup of coffee.  We shared a few laughs over needing coffee in order to understand the non-app directions and operate the damn thing, but I finished my order and waited my turn.  Then it turned out I needed my three-digit order number to open the window and get my coffee.  I’d totally blanked out on that, so a swipe of the credit card solved it (thanks to the advice of the silver-haired guy next to me).

All four of us were pretty proud of ourselves.

I’m guessing that this machine is a very recent addition to the airport.

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We could watch the robotic arms doing all the coffee prep.  I can’t believe I was awake enough to enjoy this, but Will and I had gone to our respective beds at 9 PM the night before, thank God, so I was almost perky.

Almost.

It would be an easy trip back to Rhode Island and Banjo Man.  We left the airport on a hot, humid afternoon and headed home.  I crashed on the couch and Banjo Man defrosted a container of squash soup for our dinner.

There was very little food in the house, which I admit I am still a bit grumpy about.  With a husband who loves to go to grocery stores, I usually don’t have to worry about running out of anything.  But the refrigerator was 3/4 empty, as was the freezer.  Banjo Man warned me on the way home from the airport and offered to stop for groceries before we got to the house.  But a woman who has been up since 3 AM does not want to stagger around a supermarket while wondering what to cook for dinner.

Call me crazy, but I just wasn’t up to it.

We ate out Thursday and Friday nights.  I saved my leftovers for lunch.  On Saturday I braved the rain and wind and went out for food.  Now the fridge is full and I have chicken for future enchiladas, beef for meatballs and a crock pot full of squash soup (a fall favorite).

By the way, while on the plane and in the airports I read Dan Brown’s ORIGIN novel, about robotics and the future of the world.

Not.  Very.  Interesting.

I skimmed quite a bit of it, while sipping my robot-made coffee.  And while reading on the Kindle, of course, which I have repeatedly refused the “Alexa” app for.  And the Kindle downloaded it anyway.  Huh?

Now I can’t get rid of it.

The robots are here.  And they’re not going anywhere.  But at least they make a good cup of coffee.

 

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sunrise to denver

Posted on October 5, 2018 by is there any more pie?

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This was the view out of the plane’s window on Friday morning, shortly after leaving Spokane.

My heart lifted a little at the sight.

We’d had a stressful time leaving the lake.  There was a lot going on and some family worries, too, and then the lake house water pump broke, leaving us without water at a time when we needed to be cleaning and packing.

Banjo Man carried large buckets of water from the lake in order to flush the toilets.  I boiled water to wash dishes.  We managed just fine, except it put us behind on our “closing down the house” duties.  Luckily for us, the pump was repaired the afternoon before we left.

In fact, we even went out to dinner in town with Dancing Mandolin Player and her Boyfriend Bob Wednesday night.  Here was the view of the sunset from town.

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Montana Kathy and her husband made sure we arrived in Spokane Thursday afternoon.  We even had dinner with her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters before heading to the Ramada.  We were asleep before 9 and up at 3:30 to catch a very early flight.

Which brings me back to Denver…

Check out the signs in Terminal C.

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Good to know.

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A different kind of shop.

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Okay, I giggled at the name.

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This stuff must be GREAT!

Banjo Man and I had breakfast together and then went our separate ways.  He cheerfully caught a noon flight to Baltimore and then home.  I got on a noon flight to Austin and counted the hours until I would see the Funny Grandson.

Summer was over.

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I loved the texture of these clouds.

 

 

 

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last day and 48 years

Posted on September 26, 2018 by is there any more pie?

Banjo Man and I have been married 48 years as of today.

Amazing.  Where did the years go?  I don’t feel old enough to be married 48 years!!

We celebrated by sitting on the screened porch this afternoon, eating apple pie and enjoying the sunshine and the view of the lake.  Tonight we’re going out to dinner, which will be a much needed break from cleaning and packing and putting away all the summer things.

It’s always painful to leave the lake, but I have the Funny Grandson waiting for me in Texas.  He sent me a letter telling me he was “very excided” about my visit.

I’m pretty excided myself.  I could use a hug and some conversations about Legos and birds of prey.  And then there is his “erley birthday party”, which he is also very excided about.

It was a good letter.  And makes leaving the lake just a little bit easier.

Happy Anniversary, Banjo Man.  You’ve kept me laughing for almost fifty years.  

 

 

 

Posted in family, grandmother stuff, lake | 2 Comments

the sky’s the limit

Posted on September 22, 2018 by is there any more pie?

Old friends from Missoula came to visit last Monday.  It was the first time we’d had company fly in to see us.

Check out this gorgeous blue sky!

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Gary, Judy and Banjo Man in front of the Cessna.

We were so impressed and in awe of the whole thing.  It was the first time we’d been to the Sandpoint airport, the first time we’d ever been inside the terminal.

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Banjo Man took Gary and Judy up the mountain to the cabin for a long walk in the woods.  At this time of year it’s beautiful up there–with no bugs!

Later that evening we drank wine, ate lasagna and caught up with each other’s lives, children and grandchildren.

It was lovely.

We’d hoped to kayak, but it was just too cold.  So the kayaks were stored for the winter and hopefully Gary and Judy will fly in to see us in August next year, when they can enjoy the lake.

See?  I’m already planning next year’s social events!

 

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leaving with the geese

Posted on September 21, 2018 by is there any more pie?

This morning the geese flew by and honked–quite loudly–at six.

We’re not honking, but we are getting ready to leave the lake for the winter.  Banjo Man has brought all the chairs up from the dock and the beach.  I have dismantled my office and packed away the summer clothes.  We’re starting the process early this year in order to avoid all the last minute stress of closing up the house.  I get grumpy and cranky and tend to be low on patience during this process, but so far so good.

It’s fall here.  I have the heat on this morning, just to take the chill off.  We’re wearing sweaters and socks.

We’ve been very social.

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Dinner at Ivano’s with friends.

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A beet appetizer that was almost too gorgeous to eat.

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Sticky toffee pudding, at Trinity, for Retired Mountain Lady’s birthday, which she was nice enough to share with me, a December birthday person.

We went to a fundraiser at Pour Authority (the beer place) in town last week and helped raise money for the American Heritage Wildlife Foundation (that’s who I called when we had our wobbly osprey stranded on the beach).  We bought wine and beer and raffle tickets and came home with t-shirts, glasses and a hat.

The same foundation held another fundraiser on Saturday night.  A comedian from Oregon performed and was so darn funny.  I wish there’d been more people there to enjoy the show.

Wednesday night one of the neighbors held a potluck karaoke night.  Hilarious.  Banjo Man impressed everyone with his rendition of an Elvis Presley song, by the way.  I brought pork chops (tenderloins) that had been cooking covered in a beer sauce in the crock pot for 6 hours and they were **dry**.  How did that happen?????  They looked beautiful but tasted like cardboard.

Saturday night is Oktoberfest at the community center.  Banjo Man will once again be serving sauerkraut and talking to every single person who hands him a plate to fill.  It just might be the highlight of the season for him.  I’ll be manning the cash box and hoping someone saves me a bratwurst.

Sunday we head to Montana for dinner with one of the first people I met here in 1975, when she came to babysit our son Ben, who was two and a half at the time.  I will bring pictures of the Funny Grandson and she will tell me stories about Ben when he was little and we will laugh about the old days.

Last night we met some old friends at the Floater for dinner.  They’d given Banjo Man and Will a trail ride up to a mountain lake last summer.  We also reminisced about our horseback trip to the top of Scotchman back in 1975.

There are so many memories here in this tiny town.  I wrap them around me and smile.

 

 

 

 

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banjo man makes new friends

Posted on September 9, 2018 by is there any more pie?

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Last Friday morning we went to a neighbor’s house to take advantage of her offer of tomatoes.  She had grown more tomatoes than she could possibly eat, so we were happy to take a basket of them home.

Banjo Man is a fan of little dogs, in case you didn’t already know.  And these little dogs loved him.  It was pretty darn funny how much they loved him.  But you can see from the photo that everyone was happy.

It has grown cooler here, but warm enough for some kayaking Friday evening.  Everywhere we go friends offer plums, apples and pears from their ample orchards.  I baked some upside down plum cakes, with mixed results, but this year I’m not canning anything.  I made three batches of apricot jam and decided to call it quits.

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Before the batter goes on top.

It’s the social season around here.  Few of us still have company.  There is time for dinners at the Floater, card parties, a bluegrass concert in town, lazy kayaking in the bay, lunch at the Pantry and some leisurely wine-on-the-dock evenings before those early 7:15 sunsets.

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A yummy blue margarita.

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Special dessert.

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Pre-bluegrass dinner at MickDuff’s.

I dearly love July, with my family around and the lake as a center of activity, but September has a different feel to it.  Sunny and quiet and calm, it’s a special time of year.

 

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miss lillie, andrea and peaches

Posted on August 28, 2018 by is there any more pie?

Yesterday I peeled 40+ peaches.  Today I will most likely do another 30, but I’m not sure.  I just put up three batches of apricot jam this morning and I’m pretty happy to be out of the kitchen, so peach-peeling decisions will be postponed for a while.

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Stirring for 30 minutes, but worth it.

When you are settling in to peel fruit at the kitchen table for a couple of hours, you want to watch a movie (we don’t have television here, but we stream Netflix, etc.).  I picked “Silence of Music”, the story of Andrea Bocelli’s childhood and rise to fame.

I own a lot of Bocelli cd’s.

The movie, while not very exciting, was the perfect movie for peeling peaches.  Andrea was a sullen, miserable, mouthy kid.  He completely lost his sight at age 12, and then his voice changed during puberty and killed his dream of being an opera singer.  I loved his big Italian family, especially the uncle who could coax some smiles and life out of his moping nephew.

Bocelli really wasn’t happy about much of anything, except maybe his cute girlfriend (and eventual wife).  His big break came when he was supposed to replace Pavorotti on a rock tour and waited two years for the agency to call him.

Every time he sang, though, the movie came alive for me.  The ending showed a montage of his years as a success and I loved it, especially while his music played in the background.  It looked as though he’d cheered up substantially.  For his family’s sake, I certainly hope so.

So what does this have to do with someone called Miss Lillie, you ask?

You’ve heard this story before:  I rescued a very elderly Pekingese who had been tossed out of a car on the side of a road in West Virginia.  Rescued by passersby, she eventually found her way to Rhode Island (via PUR, the Pekingese Underground Railroad) to be my foster dog while she underwent surgery for mammary tumors and healed enough to be adopted.

But who would adopt an old lady like Miss Lil?  I decided she would stay with us, though Banjo Man took some convincing.

This one-eyed old lady had a lot of things wrong with her:  eye infection, ear infections, stomach issues and a lot of missing teeth.  She was the sweetest dog you’d ever meet, though.  She shouldn’t have trusted humans at all, but she decided she loved me on day two and became my constant companion until she died six years later (at the age of eighteen, the vet thought).

In those early weeks I had to treat her eye and her ears with medicated drops, something she barely tolerated.  I would hold her in my lap like a baby and put on an Andrea Bocelli cd and play two of my favorite songs while applying the medicine.  Miss Lillie learned to relax and associated all that snuggling with the sound of Bocelli.  There was nothing wrong with her hearing and any time I played “Sogno” she would come racing down the hall to look for me and wait to be picked up and held.

So while the “Silence of Music” isn’t a movie I could wholeheartedly recommend you watch (unless you’re a huge Bocelli fan), it certainly brought back a lot of good memories of when we were owned by an elderly Peke.

An excellent way to spend a morning.

 

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