Vacation, Sorta, Kinda, Maybe

The Spousal Unit is on vacation this week. He's also comtemplating a major, change your life, job change. So with gas prices being crazy high we haven't really played tourist in our area. Today after reading an article in Garden & Gun magazine about the 100 Southern Foods One Should Eat Before Dying, the spousal unit and I opted to try the grouper at the Seagrove Village Market Cafe. He's worked out in this area a lot but never stopped in because he wasn't sure what it was, and since it's Seagrove you can count on it being expensive. Lunch cost us $29. I got the fried grouper basket with cole slaw($12.99), he got the fried grouper sandwich($10.99). We each got a tea. First of all, if you are ever in the Seagrove area, stop in. The food was great. We are picky about our grouper and this rates up there with the best. The BBQ Express where I used to work and which no longer exists, was our favorite but the Seagrove Village Market Cafe is pretty darn tasty. Worth the drive and Hartley the cat enjoyed a bit of my grouper. We also heard how he took out a squirrel the week before, apparently one group of diners thought that rocked, another didn't realize they were dining ala safari. The lady working there didn't know about the mention in Garden & Gun magazine and was confused when I mentioned the title of the magazine.

The Cozy Corner in Memphis is mentioned for their Cornish Hens. When I lived in Memphis and worked at UT I didn't know about the Cornish Hens, I always ordered the BBQ. Now I need to go back and try these. Great BBQ though.

The picture below is of the Seaside Post Office. If you have seen the movie, The Truman Show with Jim Carey, then you have already visited Seaside, FL. It's a pretty little town but too perfect in my opinion. I prefer Blue Mountian, Grayton and Seagrove. They are a little more lived in.

This is a picture of the water today in South Walton County. Forever the spousal unit has said our Gulf is their Gulf, but today he commented that the water really is prettier over in Destin.

He's a lonely bird, looking at the water, wondering which beachgoer might offer him up a potato chip, or a bit of a sandwich.

This is the beach from another angle. Condo chairs set up waiting to be occupied. I could have stayed here all day. We even saw a sea turtle.

Another picture of the water because can you really get too much of this?

There are a few more places on the Garden & Gun list I hope we can try this week while the spousal unit is off pondering his future. A few are in Alabama, one or two the other side of Panama City. Then again we may need to just hang around the house and take care of grown up business like painting, cleaning. laundry, nah, why would we do something like that when the picture above is a just a few minutes away?

Thanks for the props on Coffin Buzz! I loved stitching it and dyeing it.

Naughty Blogger

I haven't blogged a lot recently as it's come to my attention that I do in fact have a life. That was a shock to me because I'm a pretty boring, stay at home, antisocial kind of girl. To discover that my days are full(or maybe since my laptop is the only computer in the house I'm forced to fight for it when I want to use it and sometimes it's really just not worth the battle), my computer time has been limited. I have done some knitting on my Alien Illusion scarf from Stitch N Bitch. I started this scarf probably four years ago. It was whenever the first Stitch N Bitch book was released. I've restarted it many times because I would mess up and not know how to unravel stitches so I just unraveled the whole thing and start over, this happened at least four times over the years, maybe more. But I don't mind, with each unravel I become a better knitter. I now know and completely understand how important it is to know what side you are knitting on, DUH, and to make sure that you know right side from wrong side. I'm kind of slow. Below is my progress from maybe a week ago, I've started a third Alien face and am at the halfway mark on him already. Click to enlarge the picture Yesterday was my birthday. My friend Pam, gifted me with the Pistoulet coffee server. It matches my dishes and my addiction to coffee, and my love for all things that take up kitchen counter space. The top is for storing coffee, underneath there is a spot to store your coffee filters, the left side has a place for your spoon and the right side has slots for sugar packets and coffee creamer packets. To say I love it is an understatement.

To keep this in the theme of coffee, that wonderful elixir of the gods, here is my finished Coffin Buzz. The complimentary chart can be found here:

PLUM STREET SAMPLERS: A Freebie for You

Paulette, thank you for such a great design!

I will preface this by saying my photography as usual sucks but I hope you get the idea of what I did to reach the framed finish.

I stitched the design on 28ct antique white monaco which I purchased on clearance at A.C. Moore for $1. The floss is DMC 3371. Which I got for maybe 35 cents at A.C. Moore or 29 cents at JoAnn. I wanted to dye my fabric after stitching because I am not an experienced fabric dyer. I am not, disciplined and would probably ended up with antiqued hands before I finished stitching my project. So once the stitching was done I wanted a blotchy, leaky attic look to the fabric. I wanted to try something other than just coffee dyeing so I started out blotching up the fabric in places with some RIT Golden Yellow dye. I want to stress that I have no idea what the effect of RIT dye will do to fabric over the next 50 or 100 years. I don't care. I'm not a conservationist. I'm someone who can't always afford to purchase hand-dyed linen but loves the affect so I, in some cases, decide to do it myself. If I'm able to enjoy the finished project for any length of time then it's served it's purpose for me anyway, any time after that that my needlework survives and others can enjoy it well that's gravy. When the youngest son saw the fabric as it appears in the picture below he commented that it looked like the cats peed on it. Obviously my cats need more water in their diet:

The top part of the fabric is a bit darker than the bottom because it sat draped over the bowl for 20 minutes or so while the bottom bit got a dunking in the dye. I let it dry in the sun. Then it took a bath in some two day old coffee with a few tablespoons of vinegar. Does anyone remember the Wife Swap episode where the Manhatten wife went to the home of the family in Mississippi(I think) and was grossed out that the morning coffee was still sitting around in the pot that afternoon? Uh it is not unusual for coffee to sit in my pot for a day or two. Especially if I'm wanting to use it for something and keep thinking I'll get to it that afternoon. So yes, this coffee sat in my pot for two days because I hated to pour it out and also I'm trying to cut back a bit on my coffee drinking and wasn't sure if I'd make a pot the next day and no way am I going to make coffee just for the purpose of dyeing some fabric. So call me gross. I can deal.

Then I once again let it dry in the sun. After that I put on some gloves, the vinyl food service kind that you can pick up at the Dollar Tree for $1. I poured some RIT Tan dye on my finger tips and started blotching up the fabric. I wasn't thrilled with the progress so I poured some in my palm and flung it at the fabric. Flinging dye onto fabric is a very technical and precise process, NOT! When I was finished this is what I had:

I let it dry for a bit in the sun. Then decided to "set" the dye job by tossing it in my dryer with an old kitchen towel. Over all I was pretty happy with the result.

Below you can see it framed. I found the frame at the Store Who Shall Not Be Named for $5.

Here's a detail of the frame:

Yes, I mounted it on sticky board, yes I used RIT Dye, No I did not follow any kind of conservationist tips for preserving needlework for future generations. I did this because it was fun, because when it comes right down to it I am a ghetto cross stitcher. I still use the evil aida at times and don't mind it one little bit.

As needleworkers we all try to use the best quality supplies we can but also as cross stitchers it's so easy to get stuck in the idea that we have to use this linen or that thread and we don't venture outside our comfort zones. Sometimes I wonder if this is why cross stitchers get absolutely no respect in the crafting world except from other cross stitchers. Knitters, crocheters, quilters, they all use patterns just like we do, but for some reason our little Xs don't seem to get the respect that a knit and a purl stitch have acquired and that breaks my heart.

The needlework that is created from the little X is profound and we cross stitchers need show the world that we rock the needle as well as any other crafters that take their needle of choice in hand. We are their equal. Let's step up, put the funk in those Piecemaker 26 needles and show the crafty world what we are made of!

October Update

In September I finished Plum Street Sampler's Coffin Buzz freebie and I'll take a picture when I find my camera. I also still have to dye my fabric. I stitched it on 28 ct antique white monaco with DMC 3371 with the intention of dyeing it when the stitching was completed. Backwards I know, but I like playing around with the fabric after the stitching.

I also finished the second alien face on my Alien Illusion scarf from Stitch n Bitch. Only four more faces to go.

I really don't know what my October stitching plan is. Lots of things are calling out to me and the way things are going in the world, hunkering down with some crafty goodness is the best way to shut out all the negativity.

Pictures to come as soon as I find my camera. If you don't want to read the political rant, skip to the bottom and read the question at the end of the post.

Political Update:

The Senate, in their infinite wisdom(insert sarcarstic tone here)passed the bail-out, oh excuse me, the "rescue" bill last night. Oh did anyone notice that they added $150 billion of crap to this bill to encourage Senators to vote for this bill? I would try to read through the bill and give you all a heads up but while the House bill was 110 pages, the Senate version is something like 400 pages. Talk about a "crap sandwich". They don't even know that this bill will work. They won't listen to economists, they are following the advice of a treasury secretary who wants absolute power, a president who won't be in power in four months, and to quote Lou Dobbs, "What are they? A bunch of drunks?" in reference to the Senators who voted in this joke of a bill.

One bit of sweetner added to this bill is that insurance companies must cover mental illness like any other illness. I realize this is important but what the H-E-double hockey sticks with lipstick does this have to do with the current economic crisis? Before all is said and done we all are probably going to appreciate that extra coverage, where is my prozac?

*OK I should have waited to catch the early morning news, here are some things added to this bill and I hope I have these correct:

Tax breaks for people who make kids wooden arrows, hmmm, very important to our economy doncha think--this must have been an absolute necessity.

Tax breaks for the makers of rum in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Let's hope prices go down because before this is all over we'll need a few gallons to ease the pain.

Tax breaks for wool research. The spousal unit pointed out that's one that maybe I could get behind. Ok maybe I won't complain too loudly. This could be important for everyone's fiber future.

and one for the NASCAR vote:

Tax breaks for auto racing tracks or something like that.

Ok what does any of this have to do with what Warren Buffet refers to as an economic Pearl Harbor? Why in the world can't the collapse of our world as we know it be enough for these sell their souls to the highest bidder politicians?

Energy tax breaks are included which like the mental health issue is very important but not for this bill. This is an emergency bill, a bill to help ease a country wide financial crisis. Let's get real, keep it within the confines of the crisis at hand and really truly be bipartisan and make a decision for love of country not who donates the most money to your compaign.

If these people in power want to know why people are angry, why they are against this bill, they need only to read through the 400 pages of this bunch of bull and see why we have no faith, not one ounce of trust in the powers that be. Oh please I understand you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, that's how things are done to the tune of $850 billion dollars. But hey they'll just borrow it from China and it's all good. I mean we're just talking about Monopoly money aren't we, it's not like it's real money. I mean the American taxpayer is bottomless well of money.

Please people, get angry, not that phone calls and emails work, these people believe they know more than we do, that we, the rank and file citizen can't wrap our brains around the importance of the free flow of cash to businesses, YES WE DO. We support that, we don't support is a bunch a nonsense that should be saved for other legislation. Once again, nothing is about the crisis at hand, it's all about taking a crisis and twisting it to someone else's wants.

I can only hope the Congress is so PO'd that the Senate went on and voted that they will vote down this new version of the bill and spend time rewriting it, focus on the real issues of this economic crisis. Why can't they see that this is something that takes some time, that deserves some serious comtemplation? Oh wait, I'm sorry they all want to get home and campaign. Because we all know that campaigning is the most important thing, let's forget all about our day jobs and just rush through some substandard legislation that absolutely no one wants, (and aren't our Senators and Congressmen supposed to be our voice in Washington), sorry--legislation no one wants but a lame duck president and a treasury secretary that wants nothing less than absolute power. Oh yeah, I'm comforted.

BTW, if the government were to give you the money instead of Wall Street or the banks that are foreclosing on all these homes and threatening to cut off people's credit lines, what would you do with it? We'll go with the $90,000 figure that has been tossed around as a number that this bail-out will cost each American or I've also read that it will eventually cost each American household $450,000 so where would you start? What would you buy to stimulate the economy? Post your list in comments or better yet your blog, let us know in comments and let's have some fun.

**and for a little Armageddon fun, if the world as you know it would end tomorrow what five luxury items would you stock pile? Yes I know it's not really funny, probably too close to true, but I'm interested to see what things people find important in their lives that if it wasn't readily available, would bring a little joy in dark times. I'm not talking necessities, we can all agree that food is important, we're talking luxury items, like in my house coffee would be a luxury item because I'm the only one that drinks it. You know those things you just whip out the credit card to purchase or of course the super secret stash cash, without thinking twice about it. So think about what you would miss if you didn't have that credit card handy or couldn't just run out to the store to pick up _________________.

How long could you survive on your stash without purchasing anything new? I could stitch forever because I have some kitted up Teresa Wentzlers and Heaven and Earth Designs. The TWs alone would keep me busy for a few years

I'll post both my lists tomorrow. Oh I can do me some stimulating......and some stockpiling.

One American

I don't usually get political here because I'm not about controversy but the last few days of news has made me write this. Maybe Speaker Pelosi will read it, yeah, right, probably hasn't read my emails either. Maybe some of the Republican leadership(Boehner, Hoyer, etc.) will see this and say to themselves, "Oh I get it". Maybe President Bush will come across it when he's Googling something else. I believe my blog has come up when the word "cowboy" is googled, can't remember why but maybe by some freak accident they'll read this.

First Speaker Pelosi- you can't make an announcement to the American people that you will pass a bill but you need Republican cover. Have some courage, stand up for what you believe is right for Americans, not for your politics. Republicans don't believe in this kind of government. You do not instill confidence that this is the best thing for the American people or economical interests around the world if you are so concerned about "not taking the hit". You have to man up. You have to say, this is what's right and we Democrats will take whatever hits necessary because this is the only way. If you aren't willing to say that, then you need to work out a better plan, regardless of how long it takes.

Dear Republicans, I believe it was Congressman Boehner who said "this bill is a crap sandwich" how do you think this instills any confidence in your party or constituents? This bill is either the right thing or the wrong thing. If you don't believe in it, hold your ground, don't suck it up and vote for it or if you do believe it's a necessary evil then do what you have to do but please, don't call it a "crap sandwich" and expect everyone to just roll over and take it.

You see, I knew the sub-prime loan to purchase a home was a crap sandwich. I am the most financially irresponsible person on the earth and I walked away. But now because of this bill I'm wondering why I didn't go on and take a bite of the crap sandwich because I'd be able to more than likely keep the house I couldn't afford in the first place but decisions were made that we were not going to bite because we(the spousal unit and myself) know exactly who we are and had we taken that loan to have the American dream or better yet my dream of my own little piece of Florida we would be up to our ears in crap sandwiches right now.

So Congressman Boehner if a bill is a crap sandwich then you guys should be working 24 hours a day to make it into a bologna sandwich(which most people would still say is a crap sandwich but it's better than real crap) or better yet make it a ham sandwich. Give us, the American people, a reason to trust your judgement.

Speaker Pelosi, make a stand, do what you believe is right, screw the politics, make me a believer, show me why I--the swing voter(I'm a registered libertarian, which broke my grandmother's deeply rooted Southern Democratic heart), show me that you stand behind what you believe in, even if you don't think it's the best way but it's the way we need to go right now. Give me confidence in the process, that it's not all about who has a bigger one but what is right.

I want someone to make a decision because it's right for once, not because it's politically expedient.

The American people aren't so much upset about $700 billion dollars because really those are just numbers on paper, who really knows what's passed back and forth between departments and countries. It's that this bill has gotten so out of hand, bankruptcy protection, student loans, credit cards and car loans. WTF? I understand mortgages and home equity loans and believe me I was wondering about what might happen down the road when Ditech and Lending Tree were running commercials every 15 mins. I was raised that when you own a home you don't touch the equity for a cruise or bill consolidation it's your home, it's the most important thing you own, or are trying to own, why risk it to have the cash now? I don't understand. People are responsible for making those bad decisions and people like me, who made a responsible financial decision, one of the only ones in a life time of huge mistakes where money is concerned, but I have to pay for it? Doesn't anyone see anything wrong with that? I think that's where the anger comes from.

My kids will pay for their college a class at a time if necessary. Our cars are older, a 93 and 2001, why do I get stuck paying for someone else's new car? Why am I stuck securing someone else's bad credit card debt? I don't understand. No financial institution has ever had a problem turning me down for a loan. How did we, as a country, come to this place? What did all those people in expensive houses, driving Escalades know that I didn't? And why at this moment am I not one of them because I could be lucky enough to be living in a $250,000 government housing project, I could be driving a $50,000 state owned vehicle, because that's what it's going to be when the government buys up all this bad debt. At least that's the way I see it, someone who doesn't understand the stockmarket or economics.

I do understand businesses and their credit lines and making payroll and keeping jobs, I get it, but the leadership of this country has got to be better about selling it because Americans are royally PO'd on both sides of the aisle.

And honestly I do want to know why John McCain and Barack Obama aren't in Washington doing their day jobs. This is what it's all about, it's about long hours at the table, it's not fun, it's ugly business, it's not something to phone in. It's not as much fun as sleeping in hotels, riding around on a bus and making cute speeches. This is the job they are hired to do right now, this moment, but they have kind of left everything in the hands of their "teams" while they are vying for the promotion when the promotion should go to someone doing the real work of the country right now.

And finally one of the financial guys on CNN, Ali something, said yesterday that if you are against this bill you are not a student of economics and you need to just let the Congress do what they have to do and figure it out later. Well Mr. Ali, that's the problem, Congress, the leadership, they aren't telling us anything. All our futures are on the line and the best we can get out of anyone is "this bill needs to be passed", "we aren't doing this without Republican cover, we won't take the hit", and the ever popular, "this bill is a crap sandwich". Why should care, why shouldn't everything just crash and burn because the fact is, we, the average citizen is paying higher grocery bills, every day the prices go up a little more. Gas prices while stablizing are still high for people living payday to payday. Our kids still need clothes. Tell me Mr Ali, will anyone on Wall Street be selling their yacht because of this deal, will they be forced to pull their child out of private school, and enrolling them into the government run school system, will they be worrying about downsizing their mansion? Because right now the average citizen is worried about their paycheck on Friday, the grocery bill on Saturday and paying the phone bill, the water bill, the power bill come Monday.

So no we are not students of economics, we are students of life, and life right now, no matter how you flip it is ugly and this bill well it doesn't comfort us and if people would take a minute and do a little explaining, maybe we cross over to the way everyone else is thinking but right now a "crap sandwich" just doesn't do it for us.

So in conclusion I probably haven't made a lick of sense but if this inspires someone somewhere to actually explain this "crap sandwich" and the absolute need for it(European markets were up today as is the American stock market so...why the urgency to settle for something less than the best possible solution?) sell it to me, don't just tell me "because". I'm not five.

I tried to keep this as bipartisan as possible. I have no clue who I'm going to vote for come election day. I am frustrated and just want to understand. Yes this is probably rambling but I just couldn't bring myself to gather my thoughts in any other way. This is how they came out of my brain, Maureen Dowd, Thomas Friedman I'm not.

My Radio's Pickin' Up FM-100...

.....I hear Memphis calling me home. This summer I went home for my dad's memorial service and realized I haven't blogged about it. Still have some unresolved issues I guess, but today I was going through some pictures on the computer and thought I'd share:


I love this bridge. There are probably more beautiful bridges in this world but the Memphis/Arkansas bridge is home.

This is a view of the Mud Island Amphitheater. I spent a lot of time here going to concerts and basically hanging out. There was the Riverboat Museum, Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain, not in person, but still great, the monorail was in The Firm with Tom Cruise as was the Museum. The Amphitheater is the best place to see a concert. I've seen Jackson Browne there two times. It was like he was singing in my living room. Just a great place to see a show.

Here's the riverboat basin, they do sunset dinners and cruises.

Here's my nephew with a statue of Elvis.

Gift shop at the Peabody. We also saw the man from the show Little People, Big World but I didn't know if I could legally post the picture I took since I was kind of the paparazzi, meaning I didn't ask permission, just snapped the pic.

The view from the roof of the Peabody. Lots of Happy Hours spent here back in the day.

The infamous Peabody ducks. I had camera issues.

My niece and nephew playing piano in the ballroom. I suspect we probably shouldn't have been there. But hey whatever we do what we want.

As further proof, my nephew on one the dog statues in the lobby.

My brother's dog Sophie. I love her and want her to come live with us.

When I went home I stayed in my niece's bedroom which used to be my bedroom(my brother bought my mother's house). Here's some early morning knitting. It's supposed to eventually be a laptop bag from Alterknits.

This is a view from the bedroom similar to what it was when it was my bedroom only there should be horses in the pasture and a barbed wire fence covered in honeysuckle.

This is my niece's exact view. I hate progress and development except for things like iPods, laptops, and Kindles.

This is the road I walked down every morning to catch the bus for school. It hasn't changed much.

I spent most of my life plotting my escape from this place. I wanted to move to LA or Florida or even Nashville, if I couldn't be a screenwriter, or live on the beach and write Harlequin romances, I could write country songs. 20+ years later I'm in Florida. I love it here, but I often wonder if it will ever be home, or will I always be that Tennessee girl? Seeing my family everyday, walking across the road to see my Aunt and Uncle in the mornings, eat cookies for breakfast, read the paper outside, see faces of neighbors I've known all my life, catch up on the lives of girls who are now women, who also moved away, who manage to wander back home a little more often than myself.

I hate going home because I'm reminded of what I miss the most. The family connection, the history. Being with people who know your history, people that when you see them the conversation just picks up where you left off five years ago, there's no awkwardness, it's just HOME.

Ike

We aren't anywhere in the storm cone for Ike but he has decided to visit my area any way. When the 12 yr old got out of school we drove over to the beach to see what was up. The surf apparently. Highway 98 between Oakaloosa Island and Destin was closed today. It was partially underwater at 7 a.m. Not a good sign.
Funny in this day and age beaches have to put up these flags because stupid goobers think it's cool to wade out in the water. I mean look at the surf, is it really necessary to put up a no swimming flag? Of course it is because someone will sue the county because they assumed since there was no flag that the water is safe. It doesn't matter what it looks like, since there wasn't an official symbol of some kind, let's swim! Is this where I mention how one time at the McD's in Destin this tourist was complaining about all the jellyfish in the Gulf and couldn't they do something about it. I had to explain to her that if she doesn't want to be around jelly fish to swim in a pool. The Gulf is a living body of water, that means it's has fish, jellies, sharks, grouper, they live there.

The youngest son is not down with the paparazzi:

This picture was taken with my digital camera. A Nikon Coolpix. It looks to me like it could have been taken in the 1970s with a Kodak Instamatic. 11o film anyone?

I wish my camera had done better, or I had. My friend Pam got some great pics today. If she posts them on her blog I'll post a link for you all.

Anna-the bagel recipe can be found here:

Homemade Bagels Tammy's Recipes.

and the pita recipe here:

Farmgirl Fare: Pita, Pita, I Too Much Eata!
How To Make Pita Bread & My Sea

I had good luck with both.

I Seriously, Madly, Truly, want one of these:

Amazon.com: Kindle: Amazon's Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store

I want it BAD! I've been jonesing over one for the last six months and now it appears that people( Yarn-A-Go-Go: Kindling! ) are buying them and loving them. I dreamed about one last night. I know I'm sick.

In Other News

The summer was a sad one for me in a lot of ways. I lost my dad and my book that I spent a year writing and even got paid to write, well it's not going to be published this year. Thank you tanking economy. I have a wonderful agent and she believes in the project and I've moved on to attempt to write a second book, a little different, but maybe it will appeal to a wider audience and publishers and if there is success with that proposal maybe the first book will get a second look.

I cried really hard for six weeks, because it's that whole, hopes, dreams, everything you ever wanted, you tell someone your deepest, darkest secrets, and poof, it's a reality, like you never even considered hoping could possibly come true, and it does-- only to be so freakin' close, I mean so very close to that one and only dream, and it vanishes. Like it never ever happened.

From the Workbasket:

I've been working on Plum Street Samplers Coffin Buzz complimentary chart. I might get it finished this weekend, or maybe not. I have several projects going, some I'm trying to figure out what the heck to do, they are sewing related, and others I just don't know what to work on. I'm thinking when I finish Coffin Buzz I'll pull out Long Dog's Sonne Spotte. It's been on my mind lately and I ran across it when I was looking for something. I'm always looking for something it seems.

I'm kind of obsessing over making my own clothes, not sure why(probably the whole melt down in the dressing room thing). I can't sew worth a flip. I have a skirt here I made a few months ago and still haven't sewn the waistband--or the hem but it's cute and I put it on and wear it around the house sometimes. The back seems shorter than the front because baby I got me some back.

In Some Totally Crazy

Probably shouldn't say that outloud news: I can button and zip my shorts and pull them down over my fat butt. The way I know this is that my shorts have been feeling funny and I wasn't sure why. They seemed longer than normal. I was sagging like my 17 yr old and let me tell ya, the granny panties peaking out over the top of some shorts is soooooo hot....I mean people look, that does mean I'm hot right? Anyway, today while at the beach taking some horrible pictures, see above, my shorts almost blew right off my body. I freaked out, came home and I'll be darned if they just didn't slip right off. Talk about being a bit overwhelmed. Then my neighbors got home from work and right in the front yard I said, "Hey y'all, check it!" and proceeded to pull my shorts down just a bit. They were shocked and then awed when they saw what I was doing. At first they thought I had lost my ever lovin' mind stripping right there in the front yard but then it clicked, OMG she's lost some weight. Yeah, I have my idiosyncracies, one happens to be, I go with the flow and the excitement of the moment, and it's why I hide out in my house most of the time because I can really humiliate myself when I live in the moment.

Random Wednesday

Should really title this baking Wednesday but there ya go:

Homemade bagels above

Homemade bagel loving on the cream cheese.

Pita dough balls


Flattened pita patty

Baked pita pocket, only about half actually became pocketed but that's ok. They were might tasty.

Your action shot for the day a butterfly sharing the love with my pot of vincas. I should have had the camera on the sports setting and I would have gotten a better picture, maybe, but since I'm behind the lense that is very debatable.

I have unfinished summer blog stuff and hope to catch up tomorrow.