Whipping Hot Chocolate

I nabbed this nifty whipper at an estate sale recently

I must say this is my favorite tool in my kitchen

Love that red/white handle

And check out that brilliant design

Still able to whip up my favorite beverage

If the electricity goes out

Hear the bird singing in the background?

So cheers to you!

My Pathetic Tomato Harvest

Check out this year's pathetic tomato harvest

We have been eating tomatoes sporadically

But to be honest, we have had a very meager crop

Tomatoes need heat

Something we have lacked this summer

This has been one of the coolest summers in my memory

And I have loved every minute of it

A very good friend of mine gave me some of her home grown tomatoes

Now these are some real tomatoes!

I can't wait to add them to my salad tonight

Painting Project

Spent all day Saturday putting the finish coat of enamel paint

On the Shoe's kitchen cabinets

There is nothing finer in my mind than a nice fresh coat of paint

And this job did not disappoint

Considering the fact that the color went from a "pukey greenish-yellow"

Which did not attenuate the fine original features of the kitchen

To a "Swiss Coffee" white delight

After all these years of painting

I have finally discovered the best way to apply oil based enamel paint

Well, actually, a sprayer is probably the best

But since I don't have a sprayer, this is really the next best way

Apply the paint to the entire cupboard with a tight sponge roller

Then you take the finest china bristle brush you can buy (for oil paints only)

And lightly brush the surface to smooth out the paint

No drips, no streaks, just a smooth even coverage

Now the Shoes just need to wait for the paint to dry

Before attaching the original cherry red Lucite type handles

All twenty eight of them

And placing the drawers back in their homes

Fall is Here!

packetofseeds

Can you feel it?

Can you see it?

Can you smell it?

Yes, fall has arrived

The sun sits lower in the sky

Rises later and sets earlier (don't like this so much)

It is cooler (sometimes cold) at night

Everyone is back to school

Football is in full swing

Saturday Night Live's new season started

(Did you see the parody of the Republican Debate?.... funny)

And bulbs are in the garden stores

So, if you want tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, or iris

To bloom in your garden next spring

Now is the time to prepare , purchase and plant your bulbs

packetofseeds

I purchased some new types of bulbs like "allium"

The blossom of Globemasster will be 10 inches in diameter

Wow, I can't wait to show that one off

So start digging and preparing your soil

And chilling those bulbs

Then get planting before the ground freezes

If it doesn't (like in my climate)

You still have a couple of months

A Porcelain Box

Check out this cool hand painted porcelain box from France

I found it tucked away in the dresser in the city

I think it might have belonged to DZ's grandmother

For it is quite old

I've placed it on top of my dresser

And now place the extra special brooches, earrings and necklaces inside

The orange flowered brooch with the pearls is my favorite

The ones that have belonged in the family

I especially like wearing them

With my vintage dresses

An Addition to My Potting Bench

An addition

Found the vintage plant holder in an old musty garage at an estate sale and I purchased the teacups at a "Goodwill" store in Chowchilla CA for 25 cents each. I LOVE it when I can repurpose things.

To my potting bench:

Sure do love having a spot to pot plants

And to store potting soil, clay pots and often used tools.

Picked up some bulbs...

Will talk about bulbs on my next garden post.

Lil' Shoe in the Tubby

, originally uploaded by packetofseeds.

I watched little Shoe last night
While his parents went to a concert
And a wedding reception

I always give him a tubby
Before getting him ready for bed
Nothing finer than smelling
That fresh and clean baby scent
As I hold the wee one close
While rocking him to sleep

Life is sweet

Little Cardinal Shoe

I just love this little guy

His smile

His laugh

His hugs

How he flaps his arms

When he's happy

Just melts me like butter

So much fun being a GranZ

Uncle Jim

My Uncle Jim passed away this weekend

Uncle Jim and Aunt Colleen

-- a dashing young man indeed!

...and gorgeous gal

Today I am flying to Utah to attend his funeral

He was a good hardworking man

He loved his family

He had a strong religious conviction

He was constantly helping and serving others

He loved the cabin at in Wyoming

I will miss being greeted by his sly smile

And warm hug.