Work and Play

Sometimes it just takes finishing one big project to get inspired! I've been working on this snowman pillow almost a year. Maybe it doesn't seem all that big(12" X 12") but when something goes that slowly it drags you down. Now that it's behind me, and ready to go on the couch after Thanksgiving, I'm inspired! 

My street

Or maybe it's the arrival of the rainy season and cleaning out the garden that makes sitting on the sofa and crocheting so inviting. Either way, I'm full of ideas and energy to accomplish them.

Here's a couple I've just listed in my shop.

Snowman Toilet Paper Cover by CageFreeFibers

Santa Hat Toilet Paper Cover by CageFreeFibers

My mom had a crocheted doll toilet paper cover made by by aunt on the toilet for as long as I can remember. In fact, when my brother and I moved her and Dad I threw it away because it was so faded and dust-filled. The ones pictured are meant to bring a smile and not be left out indefinitely.

I do have to get past this one recent obsession though. My sweet daughter introduced me to a computer game and now I'm a bit addicted. It's called geoguessr. Have you played? You are given a street view somewhere in the world and your task is to figure out the location. Points are given based on how close your get. It makes this great big world of ours seem kinda small and at the same time incredibly diverse! Check it out, but only if you've got time to play around.

Hope you have a productive week and don't forget to take time to play!

Linda <><

Pumpkin Pie Spice and Everything Nice Autumn

Pumpkin field in the Puyallup River valley with Mount Rainier in the distance

It's pumpkin pie spice everything season. I'm not a big fan of pumpkin pie, but that special combination of spices--yum! And I do love a pumpkin pie spice latte, but after reading an article about what goes into the typical Starbucks variety I decided to figure out a way to make my own, healthier version. For my occasional 'cup of joe' I normally go decaf or half caff and make it in my French press. I didn't have to look far, I found this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Latte(vegan, gluten free) and used my favorite, coconut milk. It even has real pumpkin in it! My pumpkin cozy, coaster makes a fun container for it.

Jack of Lantern Mason Jar cozy coaster by CageFreeFibers

I'm not sure if autumn is my favorite season, or if I even have a favorite season, but I know when it is autumn I love it. Especially now as the colors get more and more brilliant and the sky stays blue and the temps are in the 70's. 

Fall Art Printable by TheHoneyBeePaperie

Today my daughter and I went to the local pumpkin patch and corn maze. Two hours and 5 miles after we started we found every checkpoint in the maze.  What line did we hear most from folks we passed in the maze? "Are you lost?" And, yes, I was just following the daughter whose inner GPS is more fine tuned than my own. 

Corn maze fun at Spooner Farms

Then we picked out some pumpkins and gourds for decorating. I'm so grateful for times like these when I'm left completely exhausted and just glad I have feet to carry me on.

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins

This has been a busy, spectacular autumn here. My garden had a bumper crop of tomatoes. My brother taught me how to dehydrate the tomatoes and that is now my favorite way to put them up. Last night we ate our first ever Brussels sprouts from the garden pan seared with apples (I used honey crisp because it's what I had and it was great). 

I know our rainy season is just around the corner and I'm okay with that. God has blessed us with beauty in every season and every place here on this planet.

One last set of pumpkin beauties.

Halloween Pumpkin Earrings by InspiredTheory

What is your favorite thing about autumn?

Autumn Typography Quote Art by IslaysTerrace

Happy autumn to you!

Linda <><

A Burger Stack

I come from a family that loves to cook. We debate whether it's an art or a science. Most of the time I like to use a recipe, at least for the first run through. Then I'll experiment and tweak. In general I like to see the tried and true proportions for any given recipe. How about you? 

This week I looked around the kitchen and came up with a burger meal with ingredients I had in my garden and kitchen. I eat very little bread, so I wanted a bun-less burger interesting enough that I won't miss the grain. This combination did it!

First, on a cool July morning I roasted eggplant to make Baba Ghanoush. I also roasted an orange bell pepper I had on hand.

Then, I roasted slices of cabbage from my garden. I grill roasted them by wrapping them in foil.

I grilled the burgers. I love the ground bison from Costco. That's when I caramelized some Walla Walla onions also. 

Then I stacked from bottom to top as follows: roasted cabbage, burger, Baba-Ghanoush, onions, grainy mustard and roasted pepper. I had a Capprese salad on the side. Didn't miss the bread, it was yummy! 

Do you like to follow recipes or create or a little of both? I admit, sometimes when I decide to 'create' it bombs. This time it was mouth watering!

Have a great week and remember

Linda <><

In The Garden

When I was growing up in the little town of Scottsbluff in western Nebraska we didn't have Christian radio stations as we've come to know them, or even contemporary Christian music. However, ever Sunday morning the local radio station played hymns and that's what we listened to, without fail, as we got ready for church. This song reminds me of those days gone by. It was Jim Reeves, not Alan Jackson, but I hear my mom's voice singing along regardless.

 She loved to garden.

As a teacher she had summers to garden, can, pickle and freeze. Her garden was a big sunny spot in the backyard filled with tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, carrots, peas, cucumbers and much more. 

Here in the Pacific Northwest it's harder to find a sunny spot and my backyard isn't a big as hers, but I do love to garden and I love to eat from the garden.

Please, take a walk through my garden with me!

This bed is mostly kale (a few beets in the back).

L to R: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and sweet peas (this is where we
battled some sort of vermin wanting to eat the broccoli leaves).

Hopefully we'll be eating Brussels sprouts sometime in the near future.and
next to it was radishes. Now it's carrots. I put sticks in between the rows
and sprinkle it with hot pepper flakes to keep bad cat from using it 
as a litter box.

One of several peppermint plants meant to
deter mice. Seems to be working so far!

Growing tomatoes is an art in the Puget Sound region where the climate
is temperate and summer is short. I plant the basil with it because it is
supposed to help keep the insects away. Caprese salad is also my all
time favorite, especially straight from the garden. 
The owl, by the way, does not deter anything.

Radishes are easy to grow and tasty fresh from the garden.

Juliet grape tomatoes and snapdragons

Can you spy my first two little grape tomatoes?

The three planter boxes on the deck are usually filled with some
sort of greens. This red lettuce has already provided several
salads. The nasturtium is said to draw aphids away from
other plants and the blossoms (when it blooms) are edible.

The herb garden (L to R):  sage, marjoram, parsley, oregano,
rosemary mint, chives and assorted weeds. 

I just added the teacup bird feeders, they were a fun, quick craft.
My daughter made the house bird feeder in high school shop class. 

And look, they really like it!
I think this is a chickadee. 

I pot my peppers so they can get the greatest sun
exposure possible. The half barrel is thyme and
the trellis is rose vines and clematis.
Jack, the cat who loves birds, photo bombing:-)

Clematis

Jack posing with some Shasta daisies.

The hanging baskets make it feel like summer even though they
are hard  to keep alive. My sweet hubby built the window
planter and I fill it with red geraniums every year as my
 grandmother planted red geraniums in the kitchen window of the sod house
where she raised six children.

We don't have (and rarely need) air conditioning, so these help
keep the kitchen cooler in the summer.

One of my favorite fresh from the garden meals is sauteing veggies with
kale and topping with an egg. I like to add a little Chipotle Tabasco!

This beautiful hydrangea is in my front yard. One summer afternoon
 a few years ago a young couple stopped by and asked if they could buy 
some of the blooms to use for their wedding. I told them to take
 whatever they wanted and I felt like the lucky one to be a part
of their special day.

My friend gave me this hosta when my mom passed away
 two years ago. It's a lovely reminder.

I transplanted the calla lilies from our family cabin on the sound. 

Columbine

Some sort of lily:-)

Just for fun we sprayed this pot
 with glow in the dark paint.

When we moved to this home sixteen years ago there was no backyard, no lawn, no trees, no patio or deck. We had to haul in top soil. It has all been a labor of love that we enjoy sharing. My thumb is not green, even so I try my best and it continues to be a learning experience. 

Thanks for taking this walk through my garden with me. I'd love to have shown you a garden with no weeds and fresh beauty bark, but 

My advice for you today: play in your garden, or find one to walk through and listen!

Linda <><