May 13, 2026

Shopping Our Pantry...

 

After a (for me) long day of work, all I really want to do is make a cup of tea and put my feet up, but (thankfully), I don't live alone. 

I always make that cup of tea (right after I change clothes into something comfortable), but I know that making (or helping make) dinner is also on the agenda. So, if I don't bring dinner home with me, the next best thing is to shop my pantry. It's for times like these that my/our canning efforts seem so worthwhile.

Last night, all I had to do was thaw out a few frozen shrimp, boil fettuccini noodles, and heat a jar of the Alfredo sauce I canned last winter. Add a few heat n' serve rolls, and in less than a half hour, dinner was served.

It was delicious, too, thanks to the great recipes I've gleaned from the channels I follow on Facebook or Instagram. I'm so grateful for the women who unselfishly share their knowledge and recipes. That's why I'm always happy to share what I find.

Handsome did cleanup last night, so I thanked him and went to bed early. My plan today is to work more on my monarch. I'm looking forward to making some progress on the first wing. Plus, the restful act of putting needle and thread to fabric is just what I need. I'll share an update tomorrow  

May 12, 2026

Slow Start...

As you can see, there isn't much progress to share. I started stitching in the morning before we went to my appointment, but when we got back home and I looked at my work, I was less than happy with it. You know me. I took it all out and started over. This was all the progress I made on my second run at it. 

I'm working today, so I'll share something else tomorrow. I doubt I'll get any "after work" needle dancing in when I get back home. I'd better go now. See you later!

 

May 11, 2026

All the wings have been wired now. Next, I'll tape the ends down so they stay out of my way and don't catch threads as I work. Once I add a few directional lines to keep me on target, it will be time to bring out my threads.

I had a restful weekend, and hope you did, too. I'm relaxed,  refreshed, and ready for the week ahead. I'm hoping to get a lot accomplished. 

I have a PT appointment, and Handsome and I have to pick up some "supplies" for Carly. She surprised us with a heat cycle on Friday. This will be her last one. She's five, and after discussion with Mike (our trainer friend) who has retired, our source for breeding/puppy sales is no longer available. So, once she's finished this heat, we'll have her spayed. No more doggie diapers in her future. 

It's kind of bittersweet for me. I would have loved to have a litter of her puppies. We've bred, raised and trained hunting retrievers for about forty five years. Although I'm sure we'll always have dogs, Carly signals the end of our breeding programs. We're definitely ending on a high note with this girl.

Time to get moving. I'll see you again tomorrow. I hope you make it a great week!