Sewing

Okay, I'll admit it....I haven't sewn in 31 years! It's time to start again. I've taken the handmade challenge for Christmas and this morning, I am heading to Joanne's for fabric. I have the patterns and the thread, I have borrowed my sister's sewing machine, I know for whom and what I have to make. I just need time and fabric. And a lot of luck!

Guess what I'll be doing on the weekends???

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Friday Night Lights

The team that my husband coaches, is playing their OLD rival for the first time in many, many years.

Good luck tonight, Thomas......

Cards

Friday night was our card night with some friends who love to get together, shoot the breeze, eat lots of snacks, have a few glasses of wine and just enjoy each other's company. We started out with eight women including myself and by 11:00 pm, there were 11 of us. We had a ball. We play Tripoley, LCR and Pass the Trash. No, we don't play for the profit, that's for sure...we only play for nickels or quarters, but we play for the camaraderie (I had to look up the spelling of that word!) :)

We have been doing it for years (five, actually) since I moved back to this wonderful town. I love my card friends and I wish I took some pictures! (of course, I remembered the camera when everyone had left!) Anyway, the next time we play, I'll post pictures.

Thanks girls (Andrea, Carla, Carol, Inez, Barbara, Melanie, Cindy, Diane, Kathy, & Danielle) and for a wonderful Friday evening.......

Old Friends

Last week, an old friend visited from Florida. We had a great night! Natalie was my sister's best friend back in the day and I was actually good friends with her sister, Ruth. The picture is of my sister, Andrea, Natalie and myself.

Natalie, it was great to see you. I can't wait to be neighbors down in Florida!! Don't forget to tell Ruthie that I said hi....

Third CSA

Okay, guess what I got this time.....

I large bunch of carrots; 2 eggplant; 2 large zucchini; 6 long yellow peppers; 6 Jonagold Apples; 6 Other apples (I forgot!); 1 Butternut Squash; 1 Pumpkin; 3 onions; 6 ears of corn; 1 bunch of arugala; 5 large tomatoes......

Another Busy Day

Met the appliance repair man at 8:30 this morning - the oven needs a new burner. Worked all day. On lunch, I picked up my CSA, went to the tailor to have a suit and a dress altered (thank you, Sue), went grocery shopping for work. Came home after work, ate, went to my Library Board meeting at 6:30 and then worked at the church from 8:00 to 9:30. Came home and of course, there is laundry, dishes, mail, more laundry, etc....I had to blog, though and now I'm heading for bed. Oh and I just finished Jenna's book, Made from Scratch. Thank you, Jenna....

Zumba & Boot camp

If some one told me one year ago that I would be loving Zumba and Boot camp and doing them three times a week, I would have laughed.....First of all, I don't think I would have known what either was!!

My boot camp instructor works our butts off and my Zumba instructor(s) are just fun (and I work up a darn good sweat, too!). I don't think I've lost any weight, but my strength and endurance have increased four fold! Plus, I am still running. It's all good! And I love Zumba so much, I'm going to get certified to be an instructor. I'm not sure how far I will go with it (no time), but I think it will be great!

Busy Day

Started off the morning at our town's cheerleading competition. I coached for six years and I loved it (still do!) and I went and watched my sister-in-law's team place first - yippee!!! Came home and started cleaning and cooking. Got a great recipe for Beet Cake - yep - Beets! It is awesome, but I won't tell anyone what is in it. Let them think!!!

Then I started the Eggplant. Got that all fried up and made two trays of eggplant parm. One for Sunday dinner tomorrow and one for the freezer. Cleaned the house (as much as I could - not my forte) and then went to a church dinner with Thomas and Elizabeth. My dad did all the cooking and it was a fund raiser for the school. Elizabeth's friend came over so I'm just sitting down to watch the Yankee game with my guy and then I'll take her friend home later.

Tomorrow, I have to teach CCD in the morning, then pick up Nonni for church and then Sunday dinner and then pick up Elizabeth at school. She has Open House for incoming freshman. Then later in the day, I have my nephew's birthday party and it will be another full day.

Oh and it finally warmed up a little today.

Thank God for a wonderful day today and praying for another tomorrow!!!

My Second CSA

Here is my list: 12 Apples; 1 Acorn Squash; 2 Green Bell Peppers; 4 Long Yellow Peppers; 2 Sweet Potatoes; 2 Eggplant (for Elizabeth Hope); 6 Ears of Corn; Big Bunch of Swiss Chard (for me); 1 Bunch of Carrots; 4 Zucchini; 1 Bunch of Radishes; 1 Red Onion; 1 White Onion and something else (I forget)....

Eggplant Parm for Hope this week (Sauce is already made); Stuffed Acorn squash for all of us; Sausage and peppers this week, Stew with deer meat, potatoes and carrots and obviously, a ton of side dishes.......

Vegetarian

I have been thinking about becoming a vegetarian again. I was one for about 4-5 years back in the early 90's. I stopped because I got pregnant and was having some difficulty gaining weight and my doctor suggested to eat meat, so I did and ended up having a perfect pregnancy.

Anyway, I've been getting back to organic and getting back to nature and the next progression is vegetarianism...Back in the late 80's, I read the book, The Gradual Vegetarian, from the library. I gradually became a vegetarian. I recently bought the same book from half.com and re-read it. It seems a little dated but the premise is the same. I am doing it gradually and hope to stop eating meat by the end of the month. I will eat fish (occasionally), cheese and (my) eggs so I'm not sure what that really makes me!

Looking forward to new recipes and new flavors......

Lunch

Spent a wonderful hour at lunch todaywith my daughter - a rare occasion for a 15 year old girl and her mom. It's a school holiday, so she was off today.

I wish I had a picture to honor the event.....

Thank you, Hope!!!!

Sunday

I love Sundays....Got up to go get my daughter who slept at a friend's house last night, went and picked up Nonni and headed to church. After church, we did our usual...cemetary, my house to fold clothes and have Sunday dinner. I just brought Nonni home and now I'm headed up to college to drop off one son who came home this weekend and to see the other one who I haven't seen in months (or it feels like months).

Son number 1 is making me dinner, too! Ribs!

Oh and go Steelers!!! I love Sundays!

Race

Saturday morning I did a race for the local hospital Cancer Center. It was not a timed event, but I did pretty good, anyway. I ran with my sister and my mom walked it. My dad took care of the triplets while we were running.

5K's are great exercise and great fun and you get to see a lot of people that are usual runners and meet new people who have never done it before....

Anyway, the next scheduled race is Thanksgiving morning! I need to start training again..

Naples

Four women on vacation in Naples, Florida for a girls weekend. It was the best vacation that I have had in years (sorry, my wonderful husband - :)) It was PERFECT....we kept saying the word Perfect...I know, I know, nothing is perfect but God, but let me tell you, HE made it perfect for us.

I could not have asked for better weather, better company, better friends, better anything.....It was wonderful, the stars aligned and so did the moon and the sun.....

I love you guys (Donna, Cindy and Theresa).....I could not have picked a better place or chain of events with you guys.

Thank you for making Girls Weekend absolutely FABULOUS...

My first CSA

This is what I got:

1 Bunch of Carrots

2 Yams

3 Ears of Corn

1 Acorn Squash

10 Apples

1 Bunch of Leeks

1 Bunch of Beets

1 Bunch of Radishes

4 Tomatoes

2 Green Peppers

4 Long Green Peppers

1 Red Pepper

2 Zucchini

2 Red Onions

2 Eggplant

I love it!

Vacation

As I post this, I am in Naples, Florida. Three of my best friends and myself headed down south for some much needed R & R. I will post pictures when I get back in a few days.... Don't you just love the Pier.

CSA

CSA - Community Supported Agriculture. I have always been a farm girl at heart, and now I have finally started my first CSA program. I get my first box next Wednesday (October 7th). I am doing the 10 week Fall/Winter program. If I really like it, I'll do it again next year in the spring.

This all came about as I was buying from the farmer's market a few weeks ago. I saw the flyer for CSA and became curious and started looking into it more. I love the idea....Farm fresh. Although, I have my own eggs everyday and my dad has a spectacular garden, I have been relying on the Farmers market and the Grocery store (I know, I know - Bad Maria). So this opporunity came up and I ran with it.

I can't wait to show off my first box...I have no idea what it will contain, but I'll post pictures....

Apple Picking

I went apple picking last weekend with my sister, my brother-in-law and the triplets (the trips). We thought it would take a long time, but we were done in no time flat. They had Honeycrisps, our favorite, so that is all we picked and we had a lot of fun...

And of course the trips had a ball eating them.