Hi Sue,
Last weekend I was talking to a couple of friends and invited them both over for dinner tonite. I've had them over a few times and it's been a while. They are not married or anything. They are single, and we're all just good friends.

Then the heat came in this week, again. Yuck. Not to mention, the bushels of roma tomatoes were in the stores yesterday, "while quantities last". So we went right out and bought one. I hate it when people take tomatoes out of one or several boxes to fill up the one they want, to the hilt. That's cheating.

So my morning was spent roasting a bunch, and blanching and peeling more to make sauces.

I also assembled my meat loaf and got the veggies ready for dinner. Hubby wants to make his baked potato and sweet potato dish. So all this was planned on done on a hot day. But I couldn't think of what else to make, so that's what we're having.

Oh, I've also got my bread rising. Tomorrow is going to spent on the road, potentially. I was supposed to have a business meeting last Sunday, and the family postponed it to this Sunday. They want to get together face-to-face, instead of doing everything via phone, email, which ticks me off somewhat. It's going to be 7 hours round trip on the road just driving, not counting the hour that will be spent with them.

If it weren't for that, I'd have waited till tomorrow to make my bread.

DD called at 7 this morning, to let me know she was about 10 minutes away. Knew she was coming, didn't think it would be quite that early. So we had breakfast once she arrived.

She spent the morning painting my deck railing. Then chicken salad for lunch, and some oatmeal brickle bar cookies she likes.

We spent most of the past 3 hours working on an experimental recipe she's planning on entering in a contest. It's a lot of work, but a WONDERFUL product that we all enjoyed. Think it will have a very good chance of at least making it to the finals.

Guess I'll spend most of the evening cleaning and sorting out the kitchen.

Tomorrow I plan to do some wash, make a peach tart, maybe visit some of the neighbors (to share the tart) and clean the house.

We went to the grocery today. Needed to stock up on extra water, milk, tea and beer in case Isaac decides to pay us a visit. Not too worried about it yet. I feel for all the delegates to the Republican convention who will be in Tampa this next week and decided to bring their family with them so they could enjoy the beach.

did the ultimate for dgd, lol..got up and out of the house to stand/sit in line to sign her up for ballet/jazz class...we were there by 7 am and already the line was huge!

i can't believe what time some of the moms got there to get a hip hop class (maybe 4am?) it's rec dept and very reasonable compared to private dance studio...anyway got the exact class dd wanted...got the sweetest call from mia, age 5 thanking us...they were in chicago at american girl for her bday...

needless to say dh and i are home for the rest of the day...watched hunger games, and now golf..thank goodness have lean grd beef for burgers and corn on the cob...

back to the ac on for a while...really muggy in detroit...

Well, I had planned to go to a wedding, but something I ate did not agree with me so will stay home this evening. Earlier I had taken a few things to my new great grandbaby born last Tue. Also took a book and some clothes to her sister. This makes 4 greats!! Will see the other two tomarrow. DD and hubby went camping even with the bad storms that were in their area last night.
Not much in garden right now.

I did a 50 mile bike ride, visited with a friend, and am about to vacuum my house.

Then I shall sit and knit for a while.

Moni

I am sitting here under the giant oak trees on the river in my RV down in South Louisiana, Cajun country!
We had my Mom's 90th birthday party today it was great she really enjoyed it and was surprised to see me.
We are all going out to dinner in a while at a wonderful Cajun place.

There's a band playing out at the pavilion and lots of dancing and partying is going on!

Tomorrow the family is coming out here to hang out and go tubing and maybe motorboating. We will go back to see mom too.

So far we are loving Rving!
I will have some crawfish just for y'all!

I finished drafting the pattern to knit a lace sweater earlier today. This evening, I started to machine knit the back of the sweater.

Without the knitting machine, I wouldn't have been able to knit at all. With my disability, I was never able to hold the needles tight enough to hand knit. I was thrilled to have found the knitting machine. I have been using it for almost a year now and have knitted all sort of things. The projects get done quite quickly too.

Our SIL is on a business trip to China, so DD, who lives over an hour away, came home for the weekend with the 5 year old and 2 1/2 year old. We are having a busy and uneventful visit. She is getting a little help with the demands of two little boys, and we all enjoy visiting.

They just got back from visiting with her DHs family in a Florida condo a week ago. The little one was way off kilter the whole trip. He couldn't understand why they were in this strange place with these other people.

Two days after their return, I arrived to help with laundry, etc during his nap time. When it was time for him to get up, DD asked me to do the honors. He stood up in his crib and immediately asked me, "Grandma, did you find your house?" Then they came down here for the weekend, and he has asked me and DH if we found our house.

I think he thought they were lost on this vacation, and just did not understand the whole idea, though he did very well on the same trip to the same beach last summer.

Our SIL is on a business trip to China, so DD, who lives over an hour away, came home for the weekend with the 5 year old and 2 1/2 year old. We are having a busy and uneventful visit. She is getting a little help with the demands of two little boys, and we all enjoy visiting.

They just got back from visiting with her DHs family in a Florida condo a week ago. The little one was way off kilter the whole trip. He couldn't understand why they were in this strange place with these other people.

Two days after their return, I arrived to help with laundry, etc during his nap time. When it was time for him to get up, DD asked me to do the honors. He stood up in his crib and immediately asked me, "Grandma, did you find your house?" Then they came down here for the weekend, and he has asked me and DH if we found our house.

I think he thought they were lost on this vacation, and just did not understand the whole idea, though he did very well on the same trip to the same beach last summer.

I spent my Saturday at my DIL's baby shower. I was able swing by and pick up my mother. We had lunch with my son and DIL. The shower was at DD's house. She did such a nice job. I spent most of the summer crocheting a blanket for the baby. DIL loved it. By the time I got my mother back home and got home myself, the day was pretty much over. The heat is back so I will have to get back to watering my garden. I sure did enjoy the break we got from all those days over 100.

It's been a "Hot Rod Mama" this weekend.
We've been in Macungie,Pa since Friday, for the Wheels of Time car show.
Big 3 day outdoor antique and classic collector car show, we bring the street rod every year.

Monica -- I think you need to show us a picture of you standing next the street rod! (And maybe change your screen name to MonicaRedHotMama???! hahaha)

ntt_hou
Your post was so interesting
Can you start a separate thread telling us more about your knitting machine??
They used to advertise them a lot and were in the stores but I haven't seen any in a while
Thanks in advance
I crochet but get tired of it sometimes

Like Minnie, I used to see them a few years back, but haven't in quite a while. You slide a gizmo back and forth and that does the knitting. Very cool!!!

Please post pics and tell us more Ntt.

Pammy....You asked for it - not standing, but behind the wheel.

BTW, this picture is about 5-6 years ago.

M...m...my mouth has dropped to the floor when I scrolled down to Monica's picture. Oh WOW! That is one beauty!

Ok Minnie & Jasdip, I'll start another thread. Hopefully, it'll stir up some interest.

On Sunday I was treated to a delightful day out. My DD, my DGD and her DH and my 11 year 0ld DGGS took me to the Riverside Center Dinner Theater, in Fredericksburg, VA. a pleasant two hour drive from here.

The Center was built for the purpose and it is just lovely, with beautifully set tables, cosy lighting and tiered seating, so everyone has a good view of the stage. Some of the waiters are also actors in the play.

The play? The Phantom! I have seen the movie (twice) but this production is based on Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera, which is considered by critics as eminently equal to its more famous Andrew Lloyd Webber's version. I have to admit my ignorance in that I did not know that, and I also learned that there was a movie in 1943, with Claude Rains, and Nelson Eddy.

This was the most gratifying day I've had for a long time. I had had a rough time from January to May, health wise, and I'm still dealing with some of it. My "kids" planned this and surprised me with it, and it was just perfect!
I'm adding the link, so you can get an idea of what it was like.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Riverside Center

I'm going to post a series of three photos... showing the rustic gazebo we've been working on the past couple of weekends. We used the framework from our old 'boughten' fabric gazebo. The fabric screen and roof had decayed over time and ripped up so we bought a new one to replace it. Then we thought about what we might do with the old metal frame rather then just throwing it out. We are good recyclers :-)

We came up with this idea and it's constantly evolved. We began several weeks ago, by putting the lattice work on the top half. The next step was to add slab wood to the lower half but we just didn't get around to it for a few weeks because other projects took precedence.

The gazebo has six sides, and we will have the 'window box' type garden bed on four of those sides. We've got it on two sides now and will do two more when we get more slab wood. After that, we will work on some sort of open top, planting more vining (and other) plants in the boxes, and also making the inside a really cool place that people (both kids and adults) will want to enjoy! We are loving the process and are totally thrilled with how it's coming along!

That first picture was where were were at the end of last weekend. Next, late Saturday, and then late Sunday photo from this past weekend.

And, the final one for the weekend.

ttt, this is such a great thread with lots of activities, etc. I enjoyed reading each and every thread and the pictures.