gems within the day

Last night's dinner and rain drops on roses;

a tea that Tracy sent me last Easter...

Making more vanilla...

Cleo always thinks my chair is her chair

and is ready to eat whatever it is I am making... ;) 

I did three more rows of sewing!

The picture of the part of the finished top I did months (and months)

ago, but took a picture of it to show you where my sewing

will lead to...

Dinner tonight was simple:

baked potato ~ Indian junk food ~ green salad ~ some cashew nuts ~ tea & water.

PT is still going well... 

I am eager to get out again and start being more active.

Lots of good things and I already have tea set out for tomorrow

and DV a plan to have this for lunch:

a toasted English muffin ~ fried egg ~ heirloom tomato ~ cheddar slice

and I have so much to be thankful for.

Yet, my heart feels burdened with many things and I find myself

fighting a sense of sadness.

Well, I will continue to pray, to hope, to read books that have light in them,

to make my home as good as I can and am planning on 

more cooking and baking in my near future, DV.

Groceries have already been ordered and are coming on Friday...

So, so much to be thankful for 

and I know it is thanksgiving that will get me though

the times that are, well, just harder to go through in time.

Half-way through my goddaughter's quilt top!

Finally.

I was able to sew!

(I broke the bottom of the fibula bone in my right ankle,

so I have not been able to use the pressure foot until now).

***

It's been over 2 years since I designed the 

actual quilt top and got the squares all ready to be sewn!

***

I finished the 8th row today!

It felt so very good to be working on this again.

I really hope I can continue on this.

***

I love both quilting and baking for the same reason:

one can actually see results and make something

that others will enjoy.

***

I am hoping that I can sew at least a row a day

if possible and then move on to cutting out the bottom

fabric and then I will have to have it all basted,

which will take more effort.

Of course I will have to press open all the seams

with an iron before moving on, 

but one thing at a time, right?

***

Little by little,

I hope to create a quilt that my dear just 3 year old

goddaughter will love for years to come! 

The Feast of Holy Dormition + Festive Housekeeping

Mr Husband and I made it to our first overnight stay

for the Feast of Holy Dormition;

Sunday liturgy, Sunday night vigil, Monday liturgy for

the Feast of Holy Dormition.

God's mercy helped me find my at-home icon after an

initial fruitless search for it. 

We had a delicious vegan meal before vigil.

I got just a taste of being out during Summer time... 

it's hard to believe I missed most of summer this year, but

there's nothing that can be done about it.

We had a simple festive meal of crackers, cheese and greens last night.

We have beautiful blessed Dormition flowers that were for

+Patrick's birthday.  

I am really enjoying, deeply appreciating and savouring these flowers. 

***

I cleaned up our table, polished our silver tea pots and things, 

and yesterday, on the Feast, the Tolkien books that my Mom

mailed me on August 24th came! Only 4 days! 

These were my copies of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings

that I read for Fantasy Lit in about year 2000/early 2001,

just before the movies began.

We hope to have a staycation in September and these books

are one of the biggest things we hope to be doing:

just resting, sitting and reading these wonderful books.

My Husband loves Tolkien and I love him too

and I am looking forward to days of rest and quiet,

reading, enjoying some nice food and the delight in the other's company

as we read and talk about Tolkien's brilliance, beauty and heraldry.

***

Meanwhile, it is the days after the Mother of God's Feast 

and I am glad for these days...

A dear family is need of our help, our prayers

Joy and James have been valiantly struggling 

for some years with 2 beloved sick children.

Their vehicles + oven both went out at the same time.

Please read more here, pray for them please

and if you can help, please do!

New Fasting (vegan) dishes, beauty of a well set table, books and Cleo

Simple Vegan Soft Taco

1. 1 red onion chopped, 2 small garlic cloves chopped. Caramelized in coconut oil. 

2. One can pinto beans rinsed and put in with above. Ground cumin, dried cilantro leaves and taco spice added. Salt, pepper. 

3. Chop up avocado. Vegan cheese. Hot sauce and salsa. Lettuce. 

4. Heat up soft taco in microwave. 

5. Added cooked basmati rice (heated) the second time I made this,

a perfect addition - makes it more filling and warm and balances the bean proportion well!

(Did about half rice / half bean for 1 soft taco).

Make taco, roll up and enjoy! 

Best thing is that Mr Husband liked it too!

***

Next I made two mildly spiced vegan Indian dishes.

I chopped up half an onion for the 2, the curry had minced garlic; both had slices of 

peeled and raw ginger.  I did curry spices to taste. Curry had bamboo shoots (canned), frozen 

broccoli and white great northern beans. I did put a little bit of green curry paste + 

a small amount of sriracha sauce in it for a hint of heat.

I used these two recipes as bases for the veg curry and the dal.

I was so VERY pleased to cook these! First time I did a bigger cooking job,

with 3 pots on the stove at once. I was really pleased about that!

And now we have food through till the weekend!

***

Cleo has decided that she likes vegan cheese.  She is an old lady cat now 

and a goof at that! 

***

PT is going well.  I am making good progress.

***

Husband is working from home today and I love that.

***

I accidentally ordered 3 (instead of 1) bottles of bath bubbles via amazon...

I was wondering why the second box was so big! They sent me.

instead of the second box having 2 bottles, SIX bottles!

Suddenly I have 7 bottles of bath bubbles. 

I was honest and called amazon about the mistake,

as we had not paid for the extra 4 and I was officially told that I 

can keep them. So that was lovely! God first gives us extra lettuce

to give away and now a generous supply of bath bubbles! 

***

I am re-reading two Sayers mystery novels and am enjoying them.

***

Mr Husband got me two jars of my favourite local jam

instead of flowers this week. 

Very sweet of him and thoughtful. 

He's also been picking wild flowers on his way home, 

I am so thankful for my Husband.

***

I got a lovely hand-dyed handkerchief from Katharine  

and some lovely snail mail earlier this week! 

And that's been my week!

How's your week going? 

Almost Friday now... and we have

the Feast of Holy Dormition this Monday!