sweet baby truck !!!

my sweet baby is in the shop tonight --- it's been having some problems starting lately, and tonight bit the dust on starting.

i was able to get to work, but couldn't get started to leave work.

i called AAA. they came out and the guy said, "i can get it started". he banged under the hood, and then banged on the underside.

he did get it started.

once started, i couldn't turn off the engine, as i probably wouldn't be able to start again (so i kept it running until i got it to the service station). i had called earlier that day to my local service station. they said if i dropped off my truck after hours, then to just put my key with a note through the slot of one of their bay doors.

so i did.

my friend followed me back into town, we dropped off my key, and drove me home.

tomorrow i will ride into work with a neighbor and coworker --- and hopefully my truck will get fixed tomorrow.

it feels weird not having my truck key on my key chain.

i suppose things are going to fail on a '97 eventually.

one of my favorite recipes!

i made a rule (for myself) for summer ... do not use the oven. the oven makes things way too hot.

now, i've broken that rule twice.

once to bake cookies for my beach trip, and now for this recipe.


this is a crockpot recipe, that has a fair amount of prep work. i'm okay with the prep work, i had just forgotten that the prep involved turning on the oven (the broiler).

regardless, i'm glad i did. this stuff is yummy!








this is a pork & tomatillo stew ... and OH so good!

i've made it a few times, and usually cook up a pot a rice to serve it with as well. this is lunch this week =)

potluck

my team at work decided, "let's have a potluck!"

this always leaves me feeling challenged thinking, "what can i make that ... 1) i'd want to eat, 2) is healthy, 3) won't suffer from sitting at room temperature for who knows how many hours, 4) will THEY like it ?!"

i started to surf the net. i bookmarked a few recipes via pinterest.


thus, i decided on this: Wild rice salad with edamame and cranberries ....

i found some of the ingredients at whole foods, and the rest at harris teeter. the wild rice, edamame, and walnuts were best purchased at whole foods. but their dried cranberries? ... i just didn't want to pay a king's ransom for them. and their dried cranberries were very "dried", as in practically dehydrated.

so, i finished my shopping elsewhere.

see the really cool pyrex ?!

anyways ... so, i actually followed the recipe. i usually do that the first time around. i don't really want to change things until i know the original won't suit me.

and, i think it's good! the rice is a bit chewy, and i think that's how it's suppose to be. this was my first time cooking wild rice.

there's another kind of rice on special at the whole foods now --- it's black. not sure what it's called, but i might have to pick some up this weekend, because it just looks really cool.

so, tomorrow, i will sport this dish, for our potluck, and hope it's good enough for a meat-eating sugar-crazed crowed. i think it will. it seems that lots of the women on my team are more interested in healthy eating as well.

! ! ! V A C A T I O N ! ! !

... counting the days ... S U N D A Y ......

how to ...

... change the headlamp.

i noticed this morning when i pulled up infront of the laundromat, that i didn't see 2 headlights in my reflection.

ugh.

i got out and checked. yep. one was out. grrrr.

after i got the laundry into the machines, i surfed the net for instructions on how to change the bulb. i found this video:



later this afternoon, i stopped at the auto store and purchased a replacement bulb.

but, it's not something i want to mess with today. i will have to tackle this when my truck isn't hot, and i have gloves as to avoid touching the bulb, and in a place where the mosquitos won't eat me when i'm futzing around under the hood!

hedgehog afternoon

i spent some time with a friend from work this morning ... she wants to learn how to knit (and crochet!) ... so we started with the basics of knitting. after just a couple of hours, she's already on her way with her first project, and highly motivated =)

i wish i'd taken pictures of all her pets, but the only pictures taken were of the hedgehogs.


this little girl was so cute! she was a bit nervous, and was tucking up. i've never held a hedgehog before. they're sweet, quite prickly, but their bellies are so soft.

and then corrine brought out the "big one".

the 4th is ... over ... sorta

i had a FABULOUS 4th of july!

this will be a quick post, because i want to work on a new project before bedtime ...

but, i cleaned house, i made lanterns, and i had a couple of old friends over.


i had made these tin can lanterns during the week. each evening, i was able to accomplish at least one step ... whether freezing cans, or punching them out.

i made a total of 5 lanterns. they are actually pretty in their "natural" state, but i did spray paint them to be festive for the holiday ....


i had splurged and purchased a can of glossy red spray paint.

and the funny thing was ... when it got dark enough to light the lanterns, it was time for fireworks . meaning, they were not even used that night!


here's me (taking photo) hanging out on the porch with schmutzie & corbett.

i was knitting on my sweater (which, i am wearing now), and we were laughing, listening to music, and drinking white wine.

.... and then, it was darkish ... and the fireworks started!


i know ... that's not a "this" ...


but, it's all i have time for right now ... i must say, it's really nice to just walk out into your front yard and take a look over to the east and see fireworks!

things to do ...

... there's always something "to do". i never get bored ... i only run out of time.

i have been perusing pinterest, and other line stuff, and found some really easy ideas to make some lanterns for my porch(es).

the simplest one is going to be this idea:



i am now freezing a few cans from my recycle bin.

i first put in about 1/2" of water and let that freeze. then, i came back and filled up shy of 1/2" from the top and put back in the freezer. (the idea of the 1st small freeze is to keep the bottom of the can from bulging out --- i'll let you know!)

the idea is to have a nice solid core before i start punching holes into the cans with a nail & hammer.

once that is done --- the ice will melt. i will dry off my cans, and then spray paint with some red glossy paint i picked up today.

i already have some 16 gauge wire if i want to make handles.

and for candles? ... i have some tea lights (and picked up 4 battery operated tea lights as well).

easy, right?!

outside ...


... i brought a friend home. i saw this fellow when i was out & about yesterday. i have another one in green.






yep, a froggy planter.

i know. i can't help it. it's cute. and functional. and now i have 2! lol!

the plant in the back of mr. froggy is a wandering jew. the piece in mr. froggy now was "rescued" from a few feet away where i park my truck. my neighbors had 4 hanging baskets over their gate --- and just let them die. and some of the pieces had fallen to the ground and taken root.

one day, i pinched one of these pieces and brought inside to grow roots in a shot glass.

as, i'm doing now, again ....


maybe in a week, there will be roots enough to go into mr. froggy the second =)

also, now looking at how much my plant has grown, i might pinch it back and put that piece in water too!

plan B , next event ....

the weekend plans of the symposium didn't pan out. which is okay, as there are always other things to do.

my friend schmutzie is coming over here on the 4th. she's german. so, i hope to (not) overwhelm her with an all-american 4th of july day.

first of all, we are almost complete opposites, but we've been friends for years. our most obvious connection is our love of knitting, ... and underneath all that ... there's the human factor.

SO, i want her to have fun here --- and i've "decorated" bit.

of course, the red white & blue lights are hanging outside on the porch ...



i got these last year ... a bit late in the season. they're really pretty --- they're ... what do they call it? ... LED.

and today, when i was out at the local joann's ... i saw they had holiday appropriate fabric on sale at 50% off, so i got this fabric of stars.



it's rather stiff --- i think it's loaded with sizing. i didn't prewash it. i just turned a hem on each cut end and dropped it on the table!



this is my "instant gratification" solution to changing things up around here --- i just buy a couple yards of 45" wide fabric, finish the cut ends, and decorate the table.

i think the most i've spent on doing a tablecloth this way is about $10 total.

i don't do anything with the selvedge edges --- they're finished already --- i doubt anyone would look, and if they do, then they will know where the fabric came from, the dye dots, and .....

U F O ' s !!!

this weekend, i'm going to visit a friend and we're going to a UFO symposium !!!

regardless of the subject or venue --- i'm quite excited.  the only other convention type i've ever been to is for knitting & yarn.

so, this is a first. and a good first.

to prepare, i contemplated sewing a dress out of my ufo fabric ... but i haven't had the time.

instead, i pulled out my flying saucer necklace ...



which was made by my friend leanne.

and these guys ... which will not attend, but my best friends from toy story ...



the fabric background in both pics is the fabric i wanted to sew for my dress ... but i just didn't have time.

do you think anyone might be offended if i showed up with a tin foil hat ?