Scissors on the Windowsill

The windowsill by the woodstove becomes my temporary sewing table.

Molly's Roses

Molly flew home today, and left her roses behind. I took them to the studio to paint.

A Weekend Like I Never Had Before

My head is still spinning a little from this weekend. First, Thanksgiving dinner for thirty-one. Then houseguests started to roll into town, I don't even know how many people I was cooking for, and then we hosted a giant party on Saturday night in honor of Giles and Tia and Felix and Molly. That was dinner for a hundred (I picked the meat up from the barbecue joint).

A dozen or so of the young adults spent the night and had breakfast and sat in with their instruments for our church worship service, and then slow drains at the stone house meant I had to rearrange everyone's sleeping plans and wash countless sheets yesterday and today. Oh my.

Giles and Tia and her parents (they are so, so dear! the best!) headed home today. We get Molly for one more day, although we haven't seen her in hours, she and Felix are out shopping for a wedding band . . . .

And I didn't even take a picture.

Thanksgiving

Welcome to the Farm.

Tia's parents joined us for Thanksgiving this year.

Meeting Daisy's goats.

Waiting:

The schoolhouse was full – almost 30 people joined us for dinner.

"Rejoice always!

Pray constantly.

Give thanks in everything,

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." [emphasis added]

– 1 Thess. 5:16-18 HCSB

Happy Thanksgiving!

Coffee in the New Almost Kitchen

Clara and I spent much of the day on our hands and knees scrubbing the stone house floors--a sign that most of the major renovating work is done and it's just about time for some furniture.

That's some hard work. 

We took a coffee break in the kitchen which is poised for cabinetry first thing Monday morning. Wednesday it fills up with guests. 

Cashmere Capelet

Most of this super-soft sweater has gone for other projects--but the top of it makes the coziest, most beautifully shaped little capelet. All I did was cut it off right above the underarm seam, leaving the top of the sleeve intact, then finish the raw edge with a zigzag stitch.

And then sew on some bugle beads, of course. That was the best part.

November Sunshine

A Line in the Sand

Clara and I have managed to reupholster the couch to this point--it's only lacking the bottom fabric and the fronts of the arms. Meanwhile, I've been making the cover for the seat cushion, but today the sewing machine drew a line in the sand. Stopped me in my tracks. Said it simply wasn't capable of sewing through six layers of upholstery velvet where the piping has a seam and is being sewn to two panels.

I was almost immediately okay with that, and found a shop in town that will finish my cushion cover at a very reasonable price. I got it over there today with a huge feeling of relief. No more green velvet to sew for the forseeable future.

An Out-of-Season Sprig

Honeysuckle in November, who knew?

Hey, A Kitchen Floor!

Remember back in August when we had to take the kitchen floors in the stone house all the way back to the joists?

They stayed like that forever while the invisible but important work of plumbing, wiring, and ductwork went on.

Finally we got to close up the space, and the Composer and Nick, our darling carpenter, threw those subfloors down this weekend. Hurray!

Then the tile crew came in this morning and did all this: wow. 

Tomorrow the same thing happens in the two bathrooms!

Alabama Chanin: Beaded Magdalena Corset

This is made from two layers of medium-weight jersey, stenciled with the Alabama Chanin "Magdalena" stencil, and then each shape was stitched around with bugle beads.

It is such pleasant work.

Woodpile, Still Waiting

We have a large and lovely woodpile all ready to go . . . and we're still running the air-conditioner. 

Head Above Water, Barely

Whew. This is just a busy, busy season. Travel, wedding, giant party, whole-house renovation, work. My idea is that all of it will be finished by January, and then I will sit down with Sister in my arms. 

Eightieth Birthday

It was that time last weekend--my father in law's birthday. And this was a big one. Eighty.

We kept it on the quiet side, since my step-mother-in-law was still recovering from an ankle replacement. In fact, the most exciting moment of the evening was the stair climb.

I lifted the menu straight out of my 1936 cookbooks, which was fun. And I included some insights on the menus.

As is so often the case, the appetizer plates were the most interesting. I followed the cookbook to a tee, and served "radish roses, a mound of coleslaw, an olive stuffed with almond, an olive stuffed with celery, and three shrimps marinated in French dressing and served on a lettuce leaf."

Not That It Needed It

Today I borrowed the neighbor's power-washer and started in on the front deck. To my knowledge, it's never been washed in thirty-five years. It took a long time to do a little bit, so after a couple of hours I decided I'd do better working at my desk, billing for my time, and hiring a professional to do the rest. He'll be here Saturday morning.

New Walls in the Stone House

The living room is painted! Still waiting on the new slab of stone that will be the mantel above the gorgeous fireplace.

The small bedroom is painted! All that's left to do is hang some curtains and clean the floor.

The hallway is in the process of becoming Enchanted Forest Green. With lots of white closet doors.

The kitchen still looks like this, sadly, but will receive its subfloors this week. After that, it's full speed ahead with sheetrock repair and tile floors. The cabinets will arrive in mid-November.

And turning back around, here's the view out onto the front porch!

Last Apronful of Tomatoes

Clara and Daisy and I went to New York this weekend to meet up with our kids there--it used to be the boys, but now it's Giles and Tia and Felix and Molly--Felix was able to join us for the weekend. Actually, we were a secondary consideration. He was there to see Molly, and boy was he happy.  Bella couldn't get off work but plans to make the trip in December.

We met Molly's parents, shopped for bridesmaids' dress fabrics, and looked for special tea and chocolate croissants. 

We got back really late last night and Clara had to plunge right into teaching her classes at 8:00. Daisy and I eased into things a little slower, and I found time to check the garden for one last apronful of tomatoes.

Foliage in a Gray and White Room

Foliage looks good anywhere.

Sister, No Caption

The End of the Work Day

Afternoon light; time to cook dinner.