FOR TODAY … 12 June 2013

Outside My Window… Blue sky, no clouds (yet) with a breeze picking up speed.

I am thinking… How long it will take me to snap with my neighbor’s loud, annoying alarm clock going off at 3 am, with her letting it go off and on until she drags her lazy ass out of bed at 4? I’m awake at the first two rings…is she taking drugs at night to sleep?! WAKE UP! It really takes an hour to get up out of bed?! Holy Cow!

I am thankful for… the downpour we got a few days ago, luckily my area didn’t flood and my veggies on the deck are growing like crazy.

From the kitchen… last night I made Turmeric Chicken with Sumac & Lime , if you make it, cut down the salt to 1 tsp or less! Tonight will be just a pasta with whatever veggies I have on hand.

I am wearing… Capris, margarita lime green shirt, and sandals.

I am creating… Two baby quilts (getting ready for our November craft fair). I pulled out a stack of 3.5″ 1930′s charms I cut out last year and made HST out of them. Added a bunch of different HST quilt patterns to my quilt board on Pinterest, not exactly sure which two I’ll use yet.

I am going… to either Office Depot or Staples to buy a memory card for my camera…have reward money to both of them.

I am reading… Just finished a time travel series of books and I pulled up one called Angel’s Ink The Asylum Tales (I download LOTS of free ebooks on FB Nook Book Free Fridays).

I am hoping… we can stay in the mid-80′s for at least the rest of June, that 100 degree stretch was unbearable.

I am hearing… Phones ringing in other offices and me typing.

Around the house… Laundry…bedding needs to be washed.

One of my favorite things… Being lazy, in the water, at Pyramid Lake, with a margarita and inner tube.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week… Press open HST so I can start sewing them together.

Here is a picture thought I’d share with you… last night’s sunset.

Just want to show you some of the beautiful girls we met today ~ They were going to have a flying demonstration, but it was too windy and WAY TOO HOT for them. These girls are employed as “pest control”!

Eurasian Eagle Owl.

Peregrine Falcon.

Steppe Eagle.

Saker Falcon.

I decided to limit myself to herbs, tomatoes, leafy greens, and probably a chile pepper of some sort. We have pretty good farmers markets around the Reno/Sparks area so I’ll supplement my kitchen herbs with the local farmer’s goodies.

I got these nifty containers, from Lowes, that sit on top of the balcony rails…the rest of the containers are made up of old flower pots I’ve found and some of my enameled cooking pots.

So far I have planted chives, sweet basil, Greek oregano, Italian flat-leafed parsley (hate the curly stuff), lemon thyme, rosemary, orange mint, two different lavenders, summer savory, cilantro, red Russian Kale, German chamomile, and arugula.

Still need dill, either a jalapeño, serrano or New Mexican green chile, I’m thinking two heirloom tomatoes, garlic…and some radish seeds.

Sparks Marina

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Iris

Lucy and Leo

FOR TODAY … 06 May 2013

Outside My Window… Grey windy morning…the sun is trying to peek out between some clouds to the east, black snow clouds up in the mountains to the west.

I am thinking… I wonder about the story of an elderly gentleman that I see at the bus stop near campus every morning around 6:30 am. Not sure why, but he makes me smile when I spot him there…and worried when I don’t see him. He has a Billy Connolly look to him, only thinner…same wild white hair and facial hair too.

I am thankful for… That the infection on the left side of my face has finally calmed down (I looked like I went a round with a boxer). After 10 days of antibiotics, many lancing of the gums, and a few refills of Percocet…I may be able to open my mouth all the way by next weeks root canal appointment.

From the kitchen… I took some chicken out of the freezer that’s been marinading in McCormick’s Grill Mates tomato garlic and basil. I buy boneless chicken breasts in bulk…get different grill mates marinades and put two pieces of chicken in a gallon ziplock, put the marinade package, then pop them in the freezer. In the morning, before work, I place one on the counter where my husband will stick into the frig after he has his coffee and goes about his day.

I am wearing… Jeans, blue waffle thermal shirt, and sandals.

I am creating… Absolutely nothing for the last three weeks. My head was hurting WAY too much. I did pull out my batik Grandma’s Flower Garden and made about 10 hexies, but that was it.

I am going… put the kettle on for a pot of hot tea.

I am reading… hiking trail maps. Looking at areas around town to go hiking/walks since we don’t have much money to leave town right now.

I am hoping… that my friend April had a wonderful visit with her Mom and Dad last week…and a very safe flight home today.

I am hearing… the traffic outside. People using their card keys to get into the building.

Around the house… Deck needs cleaning after the wind storm yesterday…lots of tree droppings. Inside is cleaned.

One of my favorite things… Listening to Van Morrison on Pandora while it rains.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week… Not really sure.

Here is a picture thought I’d share with you… A few pictures that I took up at Galena Creek…before the rain hit.

Mt. Rose from the Jones-Whites Creek loop…used Pixlr-o-matic’s Aladin and Scrap filters to make it feel early 70′s.

Mt. Rose from the Jones-Whites Creek Loop, I used the Metal and Hassel filters.

Pyramid Lake. Warrior’s Point. Looking at Needles during morning.

Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Evening. Setting sun hitting the Needles.

Pyramid Lake, Nevada. The Needles…sun going down.

Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Looking NW from Warrior’s Point.

Pyramid Lake, Nevada. From Warrior’s Point. Twilight.

I decided to finish my Denyse Schmidt quilt I started a month ago. Started out with a pile of charms I received from a Denyse Schmidt Charm Swap and with a few cuts from my own stash I went from this:

To a 60″x72″ quilt top ready to be sandwiched, quilted and bound.

But first I must wait to spring my new machine out of layaway prison (should anyone have any money burning a hole in their pocket…she’s sitting at Windy Moon Quilts! ).

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Last week on Facebook I saw this MEYER LEMON LOAF recipe on Mennonite Girls Can Cook.

Oh My Word! It’s very tasty! My husband and I have almost polished off one loaf…I stuck the other on in the freezer.

My loaf isn’t as pretty as theirs…the pan I used was a bit bigger than what they suggested. Use the smaller loaf pan, it’ll look bigger. LOL!

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Over the weekend we went to SWAN LAKE, in Lemmon Valley, to see if we could spy any birds. I walked along the Marsh boardwalk, but it was sorta of disappointing. Besides the sparrows and finches…we saw Mallards, Northern Harriers and Canada Geese. That’s it. I’ve been there before when there were quite a few swans and other water fowl.

Canada Geese

Such a pretty birdie.

Northern Harrier

Northern Harrier

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Headed up to Frenchman’s Lake too…we like the little day area below the dam.

Creek below Frenchman’s Lake.

Slushy ice behind the dam.

Older guy fishing. Looked like everyone was pulling out some fish that day.

FOR TODAY … 14 March 2013

Outside My Window… High grey clouds, birds on an empty bird feeder, huge (10′ high 30′ wide) pile of mulch.

I am thinking… a certain vindictive family member really needs to reflect on who it is that actually has the anger problem.

I am thankful for… once again and always…my friend April.

From the kitchen… I steamed artichokes last night…not really sure what I’ll make tonight.

I am wearing… Jeans, tennies, olive green cotton shirt.

I am creating… I have all 30 blocks of my Denyse Schmidt quilt finished and 20 of them are sewn together (top four rows). I have two more rows to add before the quilt top is complete.

Top four rows all sewn together…have 10 more blocks to sew together into rows.

I am going… dig through a few more of my craft books and put them up onto ebay.

I am reading… All Roads Lead to Austen: A Year-long Journey with Jane by Amy Smith…still reading this. Up to chapter nine now…am enjoying this read.

I am hoping… that the neighbor who left on Monday morning comes home soon. He left his alarm on so it comes on EVERY MORNING at 3am and doesn’t go off until 4:15am.

I am hearing… the traffic outside. Train going by.

Around the house… the trees are starting to bud out. We set a record high yesterday (77F).

One of my favorite things… Pretty fabric. New music. Old books. Good friends.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… Keep on quilting. St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Here is a picture thought I’d share with you…

Truckee River in the McCarran Ranch Preserve.