Pinterest

I ran into an old friend a few weeks ago who told me about a website that she loves, Pinterest. It is the strangest sight but in a really good way. It is a place for you to create virtual pinboards and place upon it any image you might find on the web or on their site. You can create your own categories and have as many boards as you want. You can comment and "like" other people's pins as well as repin them to your own boards. In addition, when you pin something you get the original website or blog link the images was from. That makes it a great place to save recipes and diy tutorials. The image above was my first "pin" and I am in love with that space. Can't you just imagine curling up with a good book and warm cup of tea in that porch?

The only catch to joining pinterest is you must have either a facebook or twitter account and if you have an aversion to those sites you are out of luck. However, the inspiration is worth it! The only other drawback I heard from my friend was that it takes awhile to get a reply if you want to join, so getting an invite is faster.

Early Harvest

Last night there were predictions of frost and it seems my garden is at the height of its productivity. We had a very late spring and I didn't get to it for several weeks after it was possible so the plants are acting as if it is mid-July, although the days are getting shorter and the temps cooler. This frost prediction is about a month earlier than normal, whatever that is anymore. I went out and harvested all of the tender plants - lettuce, basil, flowers, beans and lemon verbena that I thought wouldn't make it. I covered as much as I could with blankets and happily we stayed just above freezing. However, I now have all of these vegetables and herbs that I have picked. I'm planning on making big batches of pesto with the basil. After I make it I put it in ice cube trays and freeze. Once the basil cubes are frozen I pop them out and store them in a freezer bag. They are great for adding to pasta sauce all winter long! I think we will be having a pizza tonight with pesto, sundried tomatoes, calamata olives and marinated artichokes on my half! Delish! One more thing...today is my birthday, so this is birthday basil!

Patterns!!!

At long last I have gotten myself together and finished the patterns I was making for the Matryoshka dolls. Actually the patterns have been done for a long time but I just converted them into PDF files so they could be listed on etsy. A PDF is a much speedier way to get them on their way. So, if you happened to like them head on over to my etsy site and shop away! The patterns could be waiting in your inbox in just a few hours!

School Days!

This morning I drove by the elementary school that is just a few blocks from my house. I noticed little bicycles in the rack and the sign in front of the building noted that today is the first day of school. It made me think back to all of the excitement as well as trepidation that day usually brought. Deciding what to wear on that first day was one of the biggest decisions of my life back then. I found an old picture of myself standing in our front yard waiting to head out for third or maybe fourth grade. I'm wearing a dress that my grandma had made me. I think she spent quite a bit of time making me dresses for that year. Note, I said dresses, because it would be three more years before we were allowed to wear pants.

I have always looked forward to the new school year, even as an adult. Maybe because of the many years I spent as a student and then as a teacher, I have always found fall, rather than January, the time of new beginning. So here's to a grand new school year!