Wonderful Wednesday!

The sciatica is still with me but I think I'm getting used to it. I'm down to about 1 or 2 Tylenol at night before I go to sleep and my right thigh is still numb but....it could be worse!  I have been managing to stay busy.  I went to Walmart Monday and decided to buy myself a frozen dinner since I knew I wouldn't  feel like cooking when I got home and there were no leftovers. 

 This was scrumptious!  No artificial ingredients and real butter and cream......YUMMO!

I was trying to take another selfie in front of my "cinderella" mirror......don't I look different than the picture from a few weeks ago?  I swear this mirror is magic!  Of course, I'm farther away too....that really helps! LOL!

Tomatoes for Friday night pizza.  This is the last year I am planting anything down here....too many bugs!  I sprayed a detergent water mixture but so many were destroyed by whatever.  I got 1 green pepper and that was from 7 plants!  No more!

Too bad I can't eat the flowers as they're doing really well! LOL!  This is my clemaitis that took over my one remaining clothes pole.  It was just a little sprig when I planted it several years back.

Hibiscus..........

and miscellaneous...........

 I got this in the mail today and realized it is Labor Day weekend coming up!  Big sales everywhere! 

Today was laundry, changing the sheets and I baked a chocolate cake that is cooling for tomorrow's frosting.  I made a pork dinner in the crock pot yesterday....some pork chops, a can of cream of chicken soup and a package of Ranch dressing and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.  Makes a nice gravy over potatoes and I had it with some organic green beans out of the can from Walmart.  Good dinner with little fuss.
I've manged to almost finish my little ghost washcloth......at this point he looks more like a little Frankenstein but hopefully that will change before he's finished.

I started joining my Maybelle squares until I realized I hadn't printed off all the instructions.....I need to do that.

a few more rounds on my Giant Granny...round 44 of 68 I think....I love these last few colors together.....

and on top of that I started a new project....a doily!  This is the pattern I have been searching for....I think.....we shall see..........I'm experimenting with the pattern and some Knit Picks Dishie worsted weight cotton.  It called for worsted weight.

I hope you're having a good week and everyone stay safe with the storms coming in!
Happy Trails!

It's Monday...what are you reading?

I forgot to show you my audio book last week....so here it is...and I finished it............quite the comedy and enjoyable.  The reader was great too!

Here is my next audio although I haven't started it yet.  The Capture of Cerberus, I think.  I've never heard of this Agatha Christie title.

I finished another great Maisie Dobb's mystery!  This is book #4 in the series.  I need to order some more and also the 3rd Harry Potter book which wasn't at the library.

My fiction and my library book is A Pool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler.  So far it is good writing but nothing too interesting yet but then you need to get familiar with the characters and the setting so we'll see.  I'm not very far into it.

Still reading this magazine........it is good and I'm not even from the East Coast but I'm getting a good taste of it through the articles, ads and fiction.  

I'm on Chapter 2 of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (non-fiction) and it is interesting so far.  I would really like to just sit and read it until the end but I have to "tidy up" so much I don't have time! LOL!  I'm going to take Kay's suggestion (from the Bakery Bear's podcast who is also reading it) and read the entire book before I start "tidying".

 

I haven't cooked anything from Mama Dip's Family Cookbook yet but I'm going to this week starting with a breakfast dish.  I will be making a Grits Casserole which serves 8 so I will cut it in half when I make it.  It says it is good served with fruit and muffins so I will ensure I have those on hand too.  I love serving suggestions because it seems that is the most difficult...to know what to serve along with a dish especially the first time.  I can't wait to make it!

I went to Walmart today and I usually don't buy magazines anymore and most of the time I don't even look but today I thought I'd wander over to the book/magazine section and look what I found!

A special England edition of Victoria magazine!  I love England and all my British friends that I've made via my blog and their wonderful podcasts.  So, of course, I had to pick it up!  I am looking forward to perusing it's pages tonight with a cup of tea.....ahhhh.....pure heaven! 

But that's not all!  There was this one staring me in the face too...............SIFT put out by my favorite flour company, food blog, recipe site and accessory shop...King Arthur Flour Company!  Ahhh!!!!  I can't stand it!  Oh, the only thing that could make tonight more perfect would be a nice thunderstorm with some winds blowing the rain against my window (which hardly EVER happens because this house has giant eaves) but even without a cozy storm......I am very, very happy tonight!  Gosh!  I hope I haven't missed any issues?  So excited! 

That's what I've been reading and will be reading this week.  Oh, I almost forgot...for my Friday night "Pizza and a movie"....I made my homemade pizza, of course, and I watched Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (1991). I wanted to watch it because Bakery Bear's podcast #34 is where they visit the places where they filmed the movie in England.  It was a good movie and I really like Kevin Costner.  The scenery is beautiful and I am looking forward to visiting it with Kay and Dan on their podcast via You Tube.  

What are you watching, listening to and reading this week?  Please share!  Happy Trails!

YOP Week #9

I have been battling sciatica all week and it makes it hard to sit for any length of time and do anything.  It seems better when I'm on my feet and active but I have managed to get my shawl going...finally.  It's almost like I have to "warm up" first and after having cast on numerous times I finally get going.  I'm really enjoying it now.

My yarn shipment came in this week so I was able to pick up my Giant Granny Square and get back working on it again.  It's such a great t.v. project.  I'm about halfway done on it but of course...each round takes longer and longer now that it is bigger.

My socks are to the heel now but didn't get much attention this week as I was working on the shawl.
 I really enjoyed the pattern on the leg.

 I wove in all the ends on the 30 Maybelle Flower squares and I'm ready to start joining them together this week.

The yarns arrived for my new basket to go with the fabric I bought for the lining.  There are more colors but this is what I was auditioning so far.

I also got this little Erika Knight pamphlet with several quick to knit patterns in it.

I started a washcloth of a ghost as Halloween is approaching!  There will be one for each of the grands but they will all be different.  I can't remember what the others are...a witch and maybe a bat?
They're on Ravelry as a pay for group of patterns and I have a group for Thanksgiving washcloths too.  You can just begin to see his little arms and a belly button in the middle! LOL!

I found a great knitting shop this week that's online and carries all my favorites!  You probably know about it already but it was new to me.  www.loveknitting.com   
This week there is a special if you spend $60.00 you get a free ball winder...that wouldn't be hard...to spend $60.00! LOL!
I apologize as I did not get around to trying that loop crochet this week with the needle looking tool.  Maybe this week.
I got up early as the sciatica woke me.....I may go back to bed now that I've taken a couple Tylenol!  Woe is me!  But...like I always say.......it could be worse!  My home isn't flooded or burned to the ground and there were no earthquakes here.....my thoughts and prayers are with all those who are suffering this week from so much loss. 
Happy Trails!