How To Use Your Daytimer

Charlie was over this morning for his Monday With Grandma.  He brought his bag which Ed got him in San Diego.  This bag holds all Charlie's "office stuff", which Ed has collected over the years and isn't using anymore.

Off to work, bag packed, hat on.

 One of the things Ed gave Charlie is a date book from 2009.   Here is an entry Charlie made.  It is just so cute that no one cares whether it is on the right day or not.

Happy Dirthday, Erin!  :)

The Harvest Is Plentiful

On Saturday Ed and I picked the grapes which grow above our hot tub.  Since our summer was so bad, I didn't expect to get many grapes at all.  We were surprised to see that we'd filled a decent sized basket.  Sophie had her fair share, too, since a lot fell on the ground while we were picking.

Master Grape Harvester

I had enough juice from the grapes to can about 16 jars of jelly.
Charlie was here to help.  He was in charge of listening for the "plink" of the lids when they cooled enough to seal.  Very important person!  He went home with two tiny jars, one of grape jelly and one of a plum/apple butter I made, too.

Ready to help with the canning operations.
(And practicing for trick or treating at the same time.)

Our house smells like a vineyard winery, all grapey and musty smelling.  I love that October harvest smell.

And making grape jelly from my own grapevine always makes me feel very Laura Ingalls Wilder-ish, and cozy and self-sufficient.  When winter storms come, we'll at least have grape jelly!

My Verse for this Post...
"She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard."  Proverbs 31:16

I'm not sure I could make enough selling this jelly to buy a field, but having my own tiny vineyard is a constant source of satisfaction.  So is making the jelly.  And eating it!

If the Boot (Still) Fits

Today I put on my favorite boots in the world.  I have had these cushy warm foot coverings for years, and love them so much.  One even has a teeny bit of fabric glue on the stitching because they are beginning to be a little bit worn out.  They are the one shoe I usually don't take off as soon as I get home (shades of Korea - I don't like wearing shoes in the house).

Sophie thinks these boots are made for WALKIN'!!

To top off the day, not only did I get my old boots out for the first time, but the weather cooperated, too.  It is a real NW fall day, blustery and chilly and fun to go out and watch all the leaves swirl around.  My favorite time of year and my favorite boots to enjoy it in.

Ed got back last night from San Diego.  He was down there five days, all five days of which it rained.  In San Diego!!  Strangely enough, the weather here was just gorgeous those five days.  The clouds and rain followed Ed up the coast yesterday.  Ed said he's like Pigpen, only his isn't a cloud of dust - it's just a cloud.  :)

Thirty One Years Ago Today

Today is Erin's birthday.  I remember that right before she was born, the Pirates won the World Series.  She was delivered by a doctor who had one eye on the television.  Fortunately, everything worked out well.

Welcome to the world, baby girl.  Erin, October 18, 1979.
I even remember that washcloth!!  

I made a ginger pear upside down cake for Erin, and took it, with her presents, over to their house late this afternoon.   This recipe is from the famous Macrina Bakery in Seattle.  The pears were from my box of fruits and veggies that came last week.  Yum.

Ginger Pear Upside Down Cake

Charlie really liked that cake.  I think he thanked me about 12 times while eating it.  Also, so cute, he cleaned up the plates and stacked them when we were done.  Without being asked.  He takes after his dad that way.  And his grandpa.  Thanks for the good examples, guys!

Charlie enjoys his mom's birthday cake.

I knitted Erin a cloche, which I think looks adorable on her.
Happy Birthday, Erin!  You are so special.
Love you!

Erin in her cloche.
(Hey, I notice that in the top picture Ed has a cloche on, too.)

Kids and Ribs

This past week we have had such a good time having Alison and Eric here to visit.  Once Al's friend's wedding was over, they could just relax and visit.

Last night was their last night here for awhile, so we had the whole family over.  We visited, made donuts (something Erin has asked me to do every year around her birthday, for about 6 years, so we finally did it), the guys went golfing, and then we all ate yummy ribs.  Another edition of Family, Faith, Friends, and Food.

The ribs were so good, and so easy, we got to wondering why we don't have them for Thanksgiving.  I think our whole family likes them better than turkey.  And the side dishes would go just as well...hmmm, maybe a new tradition is beginning this coming November.

Mama Raye's Platter o' Ribs

Thanks for coming out, Alison and Eric.  And thanks for being such great kids, kids and grandkids!

Grace didn't get enough ribs, so she's working on hands.

Sophie, Erin, Eric, Alison with Grace alseep, Aaron, Charlie.
xoxoxox

Charlie's Gansey

This summer I really got into knitting.  Since most of our summer weather was more like normal winter around here, and since the garden wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, knitting seemed like a good thing to pick up again.  So I knitted.

I made myself a fair-isle sweater, a major project which lasted about 3 months.   More like a coat, it is warm and colorful, and like Jenny said,  "the happiest looking sweater I've ever seen."

Here it is.

My fair isle sweater coat.

After that project was done, I really got into knitting for Grace and Charlie.  Making clothing for little kids is so gratifying.  The patterns are cute, they are small enough that I can use nice yarn and not break the bank, and they knit up so fast!  Fun, fun, fun.

Here's a coat I knitted for Gracie.

Grace's Bella coat.

Then I knitted Charlie a sweater.  He calls it his "third sweater."  I did make him a simple sweater earlier than this one, and knitted the coat for Grace, so I think he thinks that is three for him... I also knitted a tiny pair of mittens, the first I have ever made.  I remember Mom knitting mittens for us in Korea.  Thank you, Mom!

Charlie in his new gansey.

Charlie's most recent sweater is called a gansey.  I knitted it using NO PATTERN!  In hunting for knitting books at a used book store (definitely a worthwhile place to hunt), I found a copy of galley proofs for a book called Knitting in the Old Way, by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts and Deborah Robson.  This is the coolest book!  One of the sub-titles is "The key to freedom from line-by-line patterns."  And that is true.

All the information and patterning is based on percentages of size of body part to body whole.  It's the way the Norwegians, Fair Islanders (or whatever they are called), Swedish, British, Danish...knitters fashioned and sized their knitted garments.

Ganseys are the fishermen sweaters of Britain.  They don't have cables, necessarily, but do have textured stitches, and are usually a simple shape.  They are almost always natural wool, cream colored, although for Charlie's I used a washable wool blend.  No reason to give Erin more work than she already has keeping up with laundry!

I knitted Charlie's sweater "in the round", another thing I had never done before.  Ed's mom knits all her sweaters in the round, but it was a new skill for me.  Once I found fabulous circular needles (I have always hated the cheap ones that were available when I first got into knitting long ago), the whole circular thing just clicked for me.

I will try anything to get a project onto a circular needle now.  If you want a look at the best set I have found for the money, check out the Knit Picks link on the right of this post.  They sell the coolest interchangeable needles, as well as regular needles, and a lot of other stuff, and gorgeous yarn.  Check them out!

One thing I especially wanted to do with my knitting this summer, and now fall, was to learn new techniques and do things I had never done before.  The most freeing thing I learned is how to design my own knitting patterns.  I am still in infanthood with it, but am now to the point where I can look at a garment and pretty much figure out how the knitter made it turn out the way it did.  That doesn't necessarily translate into being able to do it myself - my special stitches need more practice - but it is a big step forward in what I am willing to try.

The other thing I learned was that ripping out stitches isn't the end of the world.  It's not a failure if I have to start over.  In fact, starting over is sometimes the best fix.  Yarn is forgiving.

Those sound like good life lessons, too, come to think of it.

10-10-10

Today is Al's best friend's wedding.  She is getting married today so she will always remember what her wedding anniversary is. :)

It's a good day to share some pictures from the past couple days.  Enjoy...

Nice to meet you, Gracie Girl! (Grace is happier than she looks:)

Auntie "Alis' an' D'Eric" are here.  Someone new to play trains with!

Welcome back, Auntie Al!

Second new sweater knitted by Grandma.

Charlie in his office.  Grandpa moved to a new office, and Charlie benefits.
Check out that up-to-date technology!

Just an adorable Gracie Girl.

Blog For Patti: My 1/8th Acre Life

Lately Patti’s blog, 8AcreLife, which I love, has made me a wee bit jealous and whiney - how come she gets to drive a tractor, and I don’t?  I like chickens…  Eye wanna forge, TOO-oooh.

Okay, time to grow up and celebrate my own 1/8^th Acre Life.

My Forge.  (Hey, double oven, no less!)

Ironwork.  (Get it?  Man, I crack myself up!)

My Chickens.

My eggs.  (Thank you, Costco and Wilcox Farms.)

Cultivator.

Tractor.

Disc Machinery.

My Barn.

Irrigation System.

 

Fallow Fields.

The Vineyard.

Vegetable Harvest.  (Aren't these the saddest tomatoes you've ever seen?)

Livestock.  (Or would that be Lively-stock?)

Pond...er...I mean, Lake.

And, oh, yeah...the view from my kitchen window this morning.   Mountain Ranges, anyone?  (That's Mount Pilchuck, in the morning mist.)

Seriously, Patti, I love your blog. Keep on giving us those sweet little glimpses into your 8AcreLife.  xoxo

Pumpkin Pine

This morning Charlie and I went for a Grandma-Charlie date to a pumpkin farm not too far from our house.  We were the only ones there!  That has to be a first.  I've never visited a pumpkin farm early on a Monday morning, and I now can highly recommend it for a quiet fun kid date.

On the way there, Charlie kept wondering when we would be at the "Pumpkin Pine", which must be Charliese for pumpkin farm + pumpkin pie.  Not sure.

We had the fields to ourselves, enjoyed an apple cider slushie (yum!), visited some animals, watched a kid pick up large crates of pumpkins with his John Deere tractor, and got pumpkins for ourselves and our loved ones, too.

Thanks for the fun time, Charlie!  I love you!

Good thing I wore my camo sweatshirt so I can hide in all these pumpkins.

Oh, man, this is hay-vee, Grandma.

Two sweet punkins.

Apple cider slushie with a side of chicken.

Oh, no!  I have a...a...a Charlie Horse!   Hahahahahaa!

Scrub that punkin clean.

Don't worry, Grandma, I can find my way.

Almost as big as me!  (And the same color, too. :)

Time out to play with the digger in the dirt.

Punkin Prices

He has a REAL big tractor, Grandma!

One for me, and one for Mama and Daddy, and one for Baby Grace, and one for Alison an' Deric (as Charlie says).

10 4 Good Buddies

This may date me, but who cares?  Today is October 4th, AKA 10-4.  Two good buddies spend some time together.  Sophie really wishes sharing was more of an option, especially since, hey, we are good buddies.  10-4?