An eventful day. Chelsea and I started off with a lovely walk around the tract. My red winged blackbird did not appear. I even called him and waited a bit. Dick has the practical explanation that perhaps his nest is now empty and the need to sound alarm is gone. I perfer to think that he was just busy. We will see if he shows up tomorrow.
I cleaned the kitchen before I took my shower. Then I headed to Plymouth a bit early for my lunch with the bank girls. I had to go to the Sewing Basket for some help on the Celtic Banner. The thread keeps breaking. They had several suggestions: Ironing the appliques to make the needle flow easier, a different needle and a hint to pull the thread through before sewing so the tension is correct.
Then I zipped accross the street to REMAX to talk to Tom. I had been trying to call with some questions but the phones between Chilton and Plymouth were all goofed up because of a severed fiber optic cable.
Anyway, I wanted to ask the question about the number of pets allowed in the TallGrass condos. The declarations say 1 cat or 1 dog less than 35 lbs. Tom said that her knows the at least one or two owners have more than one pet and that there had even been one exception for a bigger dog that was old. He said he would be sure to confirm it but that if we decide to purchase there we could ask that the three be permitted as Oscar and Roxie never leave the house and Chelsea is never off the leash.
So that was reassuring. The unit we are interested in is all but sold but Tom said that he knows of another that is coming up soon. Tomorrow, Jim and Michelle are going with us to drive by the Ponds in Sheboygan Falls and some condos in Howards Grove. If they look interesting, we will ask Tom or Bill to get a showing set up.
Jim and Michelle have set the date for their WEDDING. Oct 21st. It is right between their birthdays. Mark your calendars. They want to be married in Veterans Park in Port Washington. Jim ordered his TUX. Things are coming together.
They ran into Kurt Thuemmler, my nephew, Dolores and Ken's son, at Summerfest. Now Michelle will know SOMEONE at Donna's when we are there on the 4th.
Tomorrow will be a fun day.
Love
|
Mary
Friday, June 30, 2006
Thursday, June 29, 2006
We grocery shopped today. We did pretty good. Didn't need too much which is always welcome.
Blueberry Scones
Scone Dough:
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85 grams) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (150 grams) fresh blueberries
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon (5 grams) pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk or cream
Brushing tops of scones:
Milk or Cream
Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup (55 grams) brown sugar
1/4 cup (35 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons (30 grams) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. To prevent the bottom of the scones from over browning, place the prepared cookie sheet inside another cookie sheet.
For the Scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (4 cm) thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.
For the Streusel Topping: In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture. Cover and refrigerate any leftover streusel mixture.
Bake the scones until nicely browned, about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made.
Makes 8 scones
They are REALLY good scones.
Love
Mary
Blueberry Scones
Scone Dough:
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85 grams) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (150 grams) fresh blueberries
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon (5 grams) pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk or cream
Brushing tops of scones:
Milk or Cream
Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup (55 grams) brown sugar
1/4 cup (35 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons (30 grams) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. To prevent the bottom of the scones from over browning, place the prepared cookie sheet inside another cookie sheet.
For the Scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (4 cm) thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.
For the Streusel Topping: In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture. Cover and refrigerate any leftover streusel mixture.
Bake the scones until nicely browned, about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made.
Makes 8 scones
They are REALLY good scones.
Love
Mary
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Did we ever have a storm this morning. Just after Chelsea and I took our walk, I took my shower. By the time I got out of the shower, the skies were black and the thunder was rolling accross the land. As the song says "All dark and movin'". Then the water started to fall. Chelsea was terrified and headed for the bed to hid her little head under it.
By 10:00AM it was all over and I was able to go out shooting. Probably not the best idea, I only got a 13. I have an excuse this time. On station 5, my voice was not triggering the bird and it threw my timing all off. It took me two stations to get back in the groove. This was my score. Station 1 - 3, Station 2 - 5, Station 1 - 1, Station 2 - 1 and Station 3 - 3. Well, next week I will shoot my last 25 shots and hopefully will improve on that. My average (until this week) was 15.
Then, I picked up Mother and we went to lunch at the Villager. We had soup and a half sandwich. We both had mushroom sandwiches (which were messy, but wonderful). I had corn/chicken chowder and Mother had baked French onion soup. If you want to see one of my brother Matt's paintings, Bob Eigenberger has one hung in the entry of the Villager. It is the one in oranges and blacks, closest to the street on your right. Matt, who died in 1972 was an artist as well as a poet.
We went next to her eye doctor appointment. Good news. She doesn't have to go back for a whole year unless she notices a change. Up this now she has had to go every 6 months. We are excited because we figure that he thinks that her eyes are stablized for the time being.
Home again after getting gas and picking up some Sudafed for Dick. The rest of the afternoon was quiet. We had leftover spaghetti and brushetta for supper.
An artist friend of mine, Cincy Matyi, has a painting in an art festival. They are having an online vote for favorite piece. If you want to help her, go to www.adcfineart.com and vote for #185 Cynthia Matyi. I bought a copy of the piece if you want to see a bigger piece, I have not had time to get it framed yet. Cindy would really appreciate your vote. The following is a description of the painting.
“Pilgrimage” by Cynthia R. Matyi
The ancient practice of pilgrimage, or sacred journey, is as
relevant today as it was in medieval times. It is symbolic of the
journey of the soul, transforming, awakening and healing the pilgrim
who travels through unfamiliar lands. This image depicts many who have
made journeys in search of enlightenment or meaning -- from the Irish
St. Brendan the Navigator whose quote is seen in the upper left, to the
5th century Spanish nun, Egeria, to the Holy Roman Emperor,
Charlemagne. English noblewoman Margery Kempe with her children, St.
Francis of Assisi, Chinese pilgrims Fa-hsien and Hsuan-tsang, Gerald of
Wales, Helena, the mother of Constantine, Muhammad, founder of Islam
and Columbanus, the great Irish missionary are also seen in this
panorama of pilgrims.
Tomorrow we shop in the morning and I go to a Senior picnic with Mom in the afternoon.
Hope your day is fun.
Mary
By 10:00AM it was all over and I was able to go out shooting. Probably not the best idea, I only got a 13. I have an excuse this time. On station 5, my voice was not triggering the bird and it threw my timing all off. It took me two stations to get back in the groove. This was my score. Station 1 - 3, Station 2 - 5, Station 1 - 1, Station 2 - 1 and Station 3 - 3. Well, next week I will shoot my last 25 shots and hopefully will improve on that. My average (until this week) was 15.
Then, I picked up Mother and we went to lunch at the Villager. We had soup and a half sandwich. We both had mushroom sandwiches (which were messy, but wonderful). I had corn/chicken chowder and Mother had baked French onion soup. If you want to see one of my brother Matt's paintings, Bob Eigenberger has one hung in the entry of the Villager. It is the one in oranges and blacks, closest to the street on your right. Matt, who died in 1972 was an artist as well as a poet.
We went next to her eye doctor appointment. Good news. She doesn't have to go back for a whole year unless she notices a change. Up this now she has had to go every 6 months. We are excited because we figure that he thinks that her eyes are stablized for the time being.
Home again after getting gas and picking up some Sudafed for Dick. The rest of the afternoon was quiet. We had leftover spaghetti and brushetta for supper.
An artist friend of mine, Cincy Matyi, has a painting in an art festival. They are having an online vote for favorite piece. If you want to help her, go to www.adcfineart.com and vote for #185 Cynthia Matyi. I bought a copy of the piece if you want to see a bigger piece, I have not had time to get it framed yet. Cindy would really appreciate your vote. The following is a description of the painting.
“Pilgrimage” by Cynthia R. Matyi
The ancient practice of pilgrimage, or sacred journey, is as
relevant today as it was in medieval times. It is symbolic of the
journey of the soul, transforming, awakening and healing the pilgrim
who travels through unfamiliar lands. This image depicts many who have
made journeys in search of enlightenment or meaning -- from the Irish
St. Brendan the Navigator whose quote is seen in the upper left, to the
5th century Spanish nun, Egeria, to the Holy Roman Emperor,
Charlemagne. English noblewoman Margery Kempe with her children, St.
Francis of Assisi, Chinese pilgrims Fa-hsien and Hsuan-tsang, Gerald of
Wales, Helena, the mother of Constantine, Muhammad, founder of Islam
and Columbanus, the great Irish missionary are also seen in this
panorama of pilgrims.
Tomorrow we shop in the morning and I go to a Senior picnic with Mom in the afternoon.
Hope your day is fun.
Mary
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
As I write, a thunderstorm is rolling accross the land. It shook the house pretty good a little bit ago. Enough for poor Chelsea to retreat to the bedroom and hide her little head. The cats show very little interest. I think they were even mildly annoyed when we shut the deck door. At least we had good weather most of they day and we even were able to sit out on the deck for a while before dinner. It was really very lovely.
Leslie called tonight. What a pleasant surprise. She is home ALL alone tonight. Nora is at a friend's home, Bill is in California (his mother is very ill) and last week (sit down for this), Sara flew to Florida to join a friend. His name is Vincent Spader and they met online. He did spend 10 days with the Smiths and Leslie and Bill do like him. But, wow, that is still quite a leap of faith on their and Sara's part. Prayers are needed again.
We found out that the covenants at Tall Grass Condos only allow for one pet in a unit. That pretty well rules them out unless an exception can be filed as we will not give up the critters. We take our responsibilities to them pretty seriously and we love them. We will just have to keep looking. No hurry, fortunately.
We stayed home all day. I got some more sewing done and worked more on my desk.
We ate Michelle's Mexican Lasagna again (still EXCELLENT) accompanied by a fresh leaf lettuce salad prepared with lettuce from Mom's garden. Num Num. Soon we will have fresh produce all over. Some of my plants already have a few buds on them. I will have to drive past Wingert's to see how the sweet corn is doing. It is usually late July when we start getting the local stuff.
I figured out how to post a picture from a picture source on my computer. I just don't know how to merge it with the text yet. SO you have two postings tonight. These rambling paragraphs and a picture of the storm that we had on Father's day.
Enjoy.
Mary
Leslie called tonight. What a pleasant surprise. She is home ALL alone tonight. Nora is at a friend's home, Bill is in California (his mother is very ill) and last week (sit down for this), Sara flew to Florida to join a friend. His name is Vincent Spader and they met online. He did spend 10 days with the Smiths and Leslie and Bill do like him. But, wow, that is still quite a leap of faith on their and Sara's part. Prayers are needed again.
We found out that the covenants at Tall Grass Condos only allow for one pet in a unit. That pretty well rules them out unless an exception can be filed as we will not give up the critters. We take our responsibilities to them pretty seriously and we love them. We will just have to keep looking. No hurry, fortunately.
We stayed home all day. I got some more sewing done and worked more on my desk.
We ate Michelle's Mexican Lasagna again (still EXCELLENT) accompanied by a fresh leaf lettuce salad prepared with lettuce from Mom's garden. Num Num. Soon we will have fresh produce all over. Some of my plants already have a few buds on them. I will have to drive past Wingert's to see how the sweet corn is doing. It is usually late July when we start getting the local stuff.
I figured out how to post a picture from a picture source on my computer. I just don't know how to merge it with the text yet. SO you have two postings tonight. These rambling paragraphs and a picture of the storm that we had on Father's day.
Enjoy.
Mary
Monday, June 26, 2006
Bible study this fine Monday morning. I left the quilt for the quilting bee in St. Francis Chapel then spent this afternoon making sure that SOMEONE had a key so they could get in to DO the sewing. I finally heard from Joan Schueffner who has a key and we had a backup. We are half way done now. We won't get together next Monday, but someone will take home the quilt to work on it. It is truly lovely and whoever wins it is getting a work of art.
The rest of the afternoon, I kind of puttered. I worked on the sewing machine. I figured out that there is nothing wrong with my free form sewing. The thread keeps breaking but I believe that I need to change my thread and/or just be patient because going through the iron appliques is causing some trouble too. I also decided to simply quilt the patchwork forest quilt onto a big flannel backing that I have and make it a simple cuddler. It will be quite pretty, pleasantly, but not too, warm and washable.
Tonight we met Jim and Michelle and my friend Tom Cain from RE Universal. (Tom is Bill's brother and a part of Bill's "empire".) We looked at three condos in the Tallgrass Condo complex. One is a two bedroom 1 bath with an unfinished basement overlooking a lovely forest area that will never be developed further because it borders on a city park. It has an unfinished basement that could easily be developed if wanted or otherwise provide tons of storage room.
The second, right next to it is really great but way too big for us and much more that the kids want also (at least I think it is, I can't decide anything for them for sure. It is hard enough to make plans for us.) This third, Dick and I liked a lot. The deck fronts on Hwy E but that is not to badly a traveled road (Dick and I know this because we took ALL the side roads when I was working in Plymouth) and the berm has new trees and bushes that will in time provide a really good buffer. It faces west and will be very pleasant in the evenings. I might want a partial cover for shade but we would see how it is if this turns out to be "the one". It has three bedrooms, (one AND an office/sewing room downstairs). The upstairs bath has a whirlpool and is oversized. There is a 3/4 bath downstairs too. It has a pantry and several tucked away storage areas. Tom said that there is an offer on the property but he doesn't know how serious it is because he recalls a contingency which he will call us with. Anyway, we need to now think about it for a bit.
As we were leaving I ran into a friend who used to be on the environment committee at Blessed Trinity (when it was still St. Mary's) Scott Dedlow. He borrowed some stands from us for the Easter Decorating at St. John's in Plymouth. He sheepishly admitted he still has the stands so I had to confess that I hadn't noticed that they weren't back. He lives in Tallgrass and was walking around to see how the current home in progress was coming along.
So. It was a busy day.
Tomorrow I get to stay home ALL day.
Love
Mary
The rest of the afternoon, I kind of puttered. I worked on the sewing machine. I figured out that there is nothing wrong with my free form sewing. The thread keeps breaking but I believe that I need to change my thread and/or just be patient because going through the iron appliques is causing some trouble too. I also decided to simply quilt the patchwork forest quilt onto a big flannel backing that I have and make it a simple cuddler. It will be quite pretty, pleasantly, but not too, warm and washable.
Tonight we met Jim and Michelle and my friend Tom Cain from RE Universal. (Tom is Bill's brother and a part of Bill's "empire".) We looked at three condos in the Tallgrass Condo complex. One is a two bedroom 1 bath with an unfinished basement overlooking a lovely forest area that will never be developed further because it borders on a city park. It has an unfinished basement that could easily be developed if wanted or otherwise provide tons of storage room.
The second, right next to it is really great but way too big for us and much more that the kids want also (at least I think it is, I can't decide anything for them for sure. It is hard enough to make plans for us.) This third, Dick and I liked a lot. The deck fronts on Hwy E but that is not to badly a traveled road (Dick and I know this because we took ALL the side roads when I was working in Plymouth) and the berm has new trees and bushes that will in time provide a really good buffer. It faces west and will be very pleasant in the evenings. I might want a partial cover for shade but we would see how it is if this turns out to be "the one". It has three bedrooms, (one AND an office/sewing room downstairs). The upstairs bath has a whirlpool and is oversized. There is a 3/4 bath downstairs too. It has a pantry and several tucked away storage areas. Tom said that there is an offer on the property but he doesn't know how serious it is because he recalls a contingency which he will call us with. Anyway, we need to now think about it for a bit.
As we were leaving I ran into a friend who used to be on the environment committee at Blessed Trinity (when it was still St. Mary's) Scott Dedlow. He borrowed some stands from us for the Easter Decorating at St. John's in Plymouth. He sheepishly admitted he still has the stands so I had to confess that I hadn't noticed that they weren't back. He lives in Tallgrass and was walking around to see how the current home in progress was coming along.
So. It was a busy day.
Tomorrow I get to stay home ALL day.
Love
Mary
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Church this morning. I really like our bible study now. As I said, we study the readings from the upcoming Sunday. It is so much more meaningful when we hear them and Fr. Gene usually gives even more insight. The Old Testament reading was from Job. He sure had a rough time but his trust in God is the whole story.
I fixed blueberry scones for breakfast this morning. Also Irish sausages and bacon and eggs. I am afraid that I am the most enthused about the Irish sausages but they were almost all gone anyway. They are an acquired taste for the American pallate, especially for those of us in the Midwest who grew up on spicy sausages like bratwurst and who are used to the grind that we have which is totally different than the European sausages.
I finished another square on the church quilt today. We are now half done. Should be able to finish by the end of July easily. I have to remember to leave it at St. Francis Chapel tomorrow for the group quilt. I don't imagine we will be meeting next week as it will be July 3. I want to spend this week working on the banner for Celtic Faire.
We finished the last of the meatloaf for supper. We had Michelle's dessert too. Jim and Michell left us WAY too much of that. However, we see them tomorrow, as we are going to look at a couple of condos that are on the market and I will share what is left with them. It is SO good, but we will have to finish it in the next couple days or it will be too old.
As I said, tomorrow we are going to look at some condos so we will be able to determine what is out there. A couple that are currently listed, look quite good.
A picture of the evening sky on my way home from Sheboygan Falls last week. We get Such colors with all the moisture in the air when the sun reflects off the clouds.
Breathtaking.
Mary
I fixed blueberry scones for breakfast this morning. Also Irish sausages and bacon and eggs. I am afraid that I am the most enthused about the Irish sausages but they were almost all gone anyway. They are an acquired taste for the American pallate, especially for those of us in the Midwest who grew up on spicy sausages like bratwurst and who are used to the grind that we have which is totally different than the European sausages.
I finished another square on the church quilt today. We are now half done. Should be able to finish by the end of July easily. I have to remember to leave it at St. Francis Chapel tomorrow for the group quilt. I don't imagine we will be meeting next week as it will be July 3. I want to spend this week working on the banner for Celtic Faire.
We finished the last of the meatloaf for supper. We had Michelle's dessert too. Jim and Michell left us WAY too much of that. However, we see them tomorrow, as we are going to look at a couple of condos that are on the market and I will share what is left with them. It is SO good, but we will have to finish it in the next couple days or it will be too old.
As I said, tomorrow we are going to look at some condos so we will be able to determine what is out there. A couple that are currently listed, look quite good.
A picture of the evening sky on my way home from Sheboygan Falls last week. We get Such colors with all the moisture in the air when the sun reflects off the clouds.
Breathtaking.
Mary
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