anniversary dinner

The first day of spring and our wedding anniversary. I wanted to set a colorful table. Wegmans had tulips today for $6 per bunch. B likes bright colors so I went with orange.



My aim was for a colorful low calorie meal. Simple but flavorful and a little bit different. We started with baguette and dipping oil made with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese and garlic herb mix that Bill's sister gave us for Christmas. A gift that she purchased in Europe.




The salad....Thin sliced English cucumber and red pepper marinated in 1/4 cup of rice vinegar with 2 teaspoons of sugar added.



Main course-Pork meatballs with raisins and pine nuts served on Swiss Chard mix cooked with yellow squash in a bit of chicken broth. I added the leftover bread dip to flavor.

Meatballs are made with 1 pound of lean ground pork, 1/4 c chopped golden raisins, 1/4 c toasted pine nuts, 1/3 t cinnamon, 1 egg, 1/4 c Panko bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Cook on stove top in a tiny bit of olive oil.



Dessert was fresh apple slices tossed in a few drops of lemon juice so as not to discolor. The dip for the apples was equal parts of caramel and mascarpone cheese.



All cleaned up. I left the candles burning while we watched one of our all time favorite movies....Amadeus.

eatin' o the green

We had our corned beef and cabbage dinner on the 15th this year. I always make it every year. But on Friday we have burgers and fries and on Saturday we were going to be having dinner and spending the night at the Roycroft Inn to celebrate our anniversary. So on the 15th I made it in the crockpot and it was one of the most delicious briskets we've ever had.

oil or plastic

So here is my table after I've applied a coat of dark mahogany stain. It literally glows and I could not be happier with the outcome. But now I have to decide on the finishing coat. I am leaning toward tung oil. B thinks that would be a mistake. He is an advocate of polyurethane. I am terrified that I won't be able to get it right...leaving brush strokes, bubbles or drips.

woody woodworker

B is on spring break and so I am so to speak. And what do people do when they are on spring break? Oh that's right, they go to Florida. But what do people like B and I do on spring break? We work! We are painting the dining room this week and shopping for drapery rods which is just a downright scary endeavor. All that hardware talk boggles my mind and just when you think you found a solution, they price it out. I would prefer to let my windows go bare than spend $3000 to $4000 on drapery rods and that doesn't even include the draperies. I think we are going to get single traverse decorative rods and rehang our sheers. No fancy side panels for us.


getting started

So while the dining room is emptied of furniture, I decided to take on the project of refinishing the dining room table top. A mahogany Duncan Phyfe style table in bad need of refinishing. I'm just doing the top. The rest of the table is in okay shape.


one drop leaf down

B got me set up in the garage with the sander and 100 grit paper. I swore I would finish it even if it killed me.


half-way there

So here I am halfway there. I finished yesterday with the 100 grit.



And today I sanded it with 220 grit to a satiny finish

I was a little reluctant to post this because I'm considering some kind of design on the table and I might screw it up. Or even if I just stain it with no design, I might still screw it up and you would be left wondering.....I wonder whatever happened with that table she was refinishing?

getting crafty

I kind of like paper crafts. They are fast and fun. In a short period of time you can make something cute that serves no purpose at all. I sat down with my papers and a craft book and decided on a birdhouse for spring. The first thing you need to is enlarge a pattern by 200%. Since I don't have a copier large enough to do this I decided to test my math skills and create a template by hand. After a fair amount of time and much measuring and fractions, I successfully did this. Excuse me a moment while I pat myself on the back.



Next is choosing papers that compliment or contrast one another. This is the funnest part. I chose pinks and greens.



Almost there



And the finished home complete with bird. Slightly off-kilter but I plan to make a couple more to hone my skills. The next time you see this house I'm hoping it will be as part of a spring decorating theme on my fireplace mantel.

this is my prayer

Dear God,

I'm not sure I believe in you. I believe in something and it might be you. I find too many little coincidences in life not to believe that you or someone like you is out there. I have been given a gift. A gift to examine my life and find myself anew. Please don't let me squander it. These are the things I like to do. Cook, bake, exercise, organize my closets and drawers, paint and wallpaper, sew, paper craft, watch movies, blog and write. I like physical labor, working with my hands, being on my feet and moving, talking to people,connecting with people and pleasing people. I like to be with people and I like to be alone. I like animals especially cats, birds and rodents. I like to take long hikes. I love nature. I love sunsets. I love to think about how I would decorate a room. I love color and how colors work together. I like to plan meals and set pretty tables. I love clothing and shoes and putting together outfits. I love music but I'm not musical. I love theater and the arts but I'm not particularly artistic.

I'm not so hot on numbers, managing people or politics. I'm ashamed that I don't care for these things because I feel that they are the things that smart people care about. The things that could get you a good career.

So please help me fashion a life from the things I love. I am searching for a purpose. Searching for work that consumes and soothes my body and soul. Asking for patience and determination. But I am floundering here. Guide me.

Angel of God
My guardian dear
In whom God's love
Entrusts me here
Ever this day be at my side
to light and guard and rule and guide.

frivolous vs frugal me

frivolous....carefree and not serious

frugal.......sparing, thrifty, prudent or economical in the use of consumable resources such as food, time or money

Who am I trying to kid? There is no frugal me.

There is a constant battle in my mind. I want to be frugal but fear that I'm frivolous. Not even fear, I know I am frivolous. I made a vow to myself to stop spending money. I have so much more than I need. I have enough shoes for fifty people to have a nice selection of shoes. And still, after my baby sister posted pics of cute shoes she found at Marshalls....my car seemed somehow to make a trip there. With me in it. I had no control. Against my better judgement, I walked into Marshalls and walked out with three pairs. Three pairs and three tops. After my solemn vow. Okay, I've renewed my vow.

I have been spending less at the grocery store. And today I stopped myself from making a trip to Goodwill and Amvets. But I did have to buy groceries and there were two bins full of very interesting books reduced to $3 each. A wiser person would have walked away. A wiser more frugal person would read some of the many books that she already owns. But frivolous me added eight of these $3 books to her grocery cart. Seven novels and a craft book about knitting and crocheting shawls with beads. A wise and frugal person would know that she would never knit a lovely shawl. A frivolous person can dream.