This Week's News

I got roses for Valentine's Day (unusual, to say the least!)


Trekking away on a Very Basic Sock


Stella enjoyed lots of pretty days this week!

And I didn't get pictures, but I went to Blacksburg to meet with the Spunsters. A lovely group of very talented fiber folk!

Monday Night Dinner

Turkey basted in apple butter and bar-b-que sauce, broccoli and tortollini, lovely crusty bread, figs for a Valentine's treat, avocado and almond chilled soup, guacamole and for desert chocolate cake! Next week it's at Mom's for Wendell's famous homemade spagetti sauce!

Luxury!

Lazy Day of Luxury

Waht to do on a rainy afternoon, after a delightful trip with friends into town? My choice was curling up in my cozy sitting room with good books, a purring cat, a contented spaniel at my feet and a cool yogurt shake. The rain pounded the windows and roof and the wind blew, but we were happy in our little corner. It's the little things that make me happy; an old tin tray, a book loaned by a friend and the closeness of the animals.

Today the sun is bright and I'm listening to old Paul Simon while I work. Already customers are wandering in out of the sunshine and it should be a nice day. I spent the last week doing a complete overhaul of Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market's web site. Check it out when you get the chance; I think it turned out beautifully!


After Dinner Gardening

Sister-in-law Sue gave me ripe avocados from California on Sunday, and I had to hurry and do something with them on Monday. Since I was going to Danville, Monday night dinner took place without me but I went ahead and made soup and guacamole for next week and froze them.

When I was a teenager I loved having plants and did a lot of experimenting with growing things from seed. A neighbor of a friend (we called her "Grandma Yeatts" even though she was no relation) gave us cuttings from her vast collection and seeds from a very, very hot ornamental pepper that we kept going for years. I found a book, After Dinner Gardening in a used book store not long after I got my first driver's licence and Judy and I spent half our time rescuing vegetable seeds from our mothers. Avocados, however, were rarely on the dinner table so we bought the fruit ourselves to obtain the pits just fo planting. Neither of us at the time knew anything about avocados, and I had barely heard of guacamole. We threw away the fruit and kept the pit!

I abandoned my horticultural efforts over the years, ,but when I saw the pits resting in the avocado peels I couldn't resist potting them up. They're nestled by the window in the corner of my sitting room, and we'll see if I get an avocado tree before long.

Bad Blogger!

Helpful Danville Knitters

I don't know what has gotten into me lately, except that maybe the cold has made me lazy! I just haven't been in the mood to blog!

And a lot of lovely things have been going on. Several meetings, which were important to me here in Patrick County but that I won't bore you with; wonderful morning walks under crisp starry skies with a good friend and dogs, chilly days tending rabbits with cat parading around my feet and romping through the barn, and wonderful golden evenings watching the shadows slide across the fields. I just haven't been writing!


Stitching and talking away, with wonderful Starbucks treats!

I ventured out of Patrick County yesterday, though, to trek to Danville for a knitter's gathering I heard about through Ravelry. It was pouring rain but a quick trip down, and I was greeted by lovely Robin, who helped organize the gathering, when I arrived at the Starbucks. Soon her mother joined us, and it wasn't long before a nice group of cheerful knitters came out of the wet weather to gather in a quiet corner of the shop. Sadly, our other hostess had a family illness and was unable to join us; many good thoughts were sent her way.

Robin got right to work helping other knitters with their projects while the rest of us talked and compared notes. I got to pass out business cards and it was fun to see how interested everyone was in the shop. Almost everyone had been to Meadows of Dan at some point! Robin explained about Ravelry and I think the group was intrigued. I learned about several Southside Virginia LYSs that I didn't know about that it would be fun to visit soon.


Lovely group of friendly knitters!

There were other bloggers there, another spinner (who was knitting last night) and some very talented knitters! I saw beautiful cable work and elegant colors and some inspiring and challenging projects. I tried working on my poor simple sock but with so much going on I finally pulled out my trusty crochet hook; I can crochet and talk but knitting and doing anything else is still sometimes a challenge!


Stella enjoying a beautiful morning

The rain is gone, the sun is out and I have big plans to do some major cleaning of the rabbit house today! It's a perfect time to let some rabbits out to play in their pen while I'm working in the sunshine.