How'm I doing? Project update . . .

A few weeks ago I wrote about all the sewing projects I had planned for Christmas gifts. Now it's Truth Time - how'm I doing on all those projects? It's less than a week before Christmas, and tomorrow I must start wrapping and getting things ready to carry off for the Big Day!!

First, you know I already finished the pillowcases, which I showed you in my previous post.


Then, there was the 1906 costume for my friend who docents at a vintage farm/state park and must dress authentically. It turned out great! Here it is on the right. I gave my friend Mary the dress already, because she had a Christmas party to go to at the farm and she needed it! She just loved it and got many compliments. Yay!!









Next, I worked on the tablecloth for un-named recipients' 10-foot picnic table. I finished that plus 12 napkins, and have already wrapped it. It's sitting under the tree waiting to be delivered! Here's the tablecloth and about 6 of the napkins before I finished it. The tablecloth is a vinyl covered fabric that you can wipe clean (ketchup, red wine, you know, picnic stuff). I think they're going to love it!



After that there were cushions for sweet turquoise patio chairs. Just finished those two days ago and here they are! They're going to go really well with the one cushion she already has, which is turquoise and green striped. Doesn't it make you want to sip a MaiTai?? Or at least jump into a hammock?







And finally, the little purse for a birthday that falls right after Christmas. Such bad luck, it seems. However, it's good luck to be born into a good family, and so close to the same birthday as an Important Person, so there's that. Anyway, I always try to do a special birthday thing for this beloved family member so her birthday doesn't get lost in Christmas. Here's the little purse - isn't it cute?




I worked really hard on all these projects, and it was so much fun! Part of what made it fun was I started early - in October - so I had plenty of time to finish. Hope I remember this next year!

Have a very happy holiday and a fabulous, happy, prosperous, peaceful New Year! 2015 Woo Hoo!!

Tree time!

We got a tree, and it makes the house smell so good, but we haven't done much as far as decorating it goes yet. Here it is, gorgeous thing! It's called a Royal Fir.

Last night I finally got some lights up and a wreath hung on the front door, but that's all. Now I'm working for three days slingin' drinks at parties, so hopefully I'll be able to finish decorating soon. A busy time, and fun!

Runup to Christmas: Holiday sewing projects!

I'm so excited that I got an early start on Christmas projects this year! Don't you love hand-made gifts? After years of buying and gifting things I'm never sure my loved ones want, I've finally determined the things they want most are gifts I make myself. So fun, but best if you plan ahead. Let me tell you, staying up till after midnight sewing and crafting for the entire week before the Big Day takes some of the sparkle out of the accomplishment. I know; I've done it. Whew!

So this year I got started in October. I can hardly believe it. Here's what I'm making, with enough mystery that the recipients might not immediately recognize their gift in advance, should they read this post :-)

• One set of all cotton king-size pillowcases (COMPLETED and boxed for gifting)
• A winter dress in the style and fabric of the period for a loved one who volunteers at an early-20th century home (cut out, marked, and ready to sew)
• A tablecloth for a 10-foot picnic table (just try finding a narrow 10+-foot tablecloth in the store!)
• Cushions for some very sweet patio chairs
• If there is time, two, maybe three, adorable small purses from this Martha article

King pillowcases

I've got my work cut out for me, no?! I'll keep you posted on my progress. Here's a photo of the already-finished (yay!!!) pillowcases:

And another of the 5 yards of cotton corduroy (these 1900-ish ladies used A LOT of fabric in their skirts!) for the winter dress, which I now have all cut out and marked - ready to start sewing today. Speaking of history, did you know corduroy has been around in one form or another as a clothing fabric since the time of the ancient Egyptians? It was called "fustian" for most of its history until the 18th century when it was re-named "cord du roi" or "cloth of the king", probably a marketing ploy. And corduroy hasn't changed much since then, except today we sometimes add a little stretch to it.

Sage green cotton corduroy

Making progress! Let the Holiday season begin!

Leash runner

I've never had a dog. I mean a pet dog. We had farm dogs when I was growing up on the farm. They stayed outside and frequently got hit by cars because they ran on the road. They weren't pets; I don't remember a single one's name.

On the other hand, I've almost always had cats. Nero is my current sweetie, a big beautiful black feral kitty with hair like a bear's. Imagine my surprise to find myself out in a field with about 2000 dogs, in Morgan Hill, CA, last week Thursday. Nero would have been horrified, but of course he wasn't there.

 I was in Morgan Hill, which is about 70 miles south of Oakland, to see my high school friend Lynne. Lynne loves dogs and is very much involved in dog agility training. She was there to be a judge at national dog agility trials, and I was there to spend a few hours with her. She lives in Vermont, so obviously we don't get to see each other very often.

Lynne had to work soon after I arrived, so she said "Want a job?"

"Sure," I said. After all, anything is more fun than just standing around watching, particularly if the only person you know has to work.

Before I knew it, I had become a leash runner. Did you ever read the book Kite Runner? Well, it's something like the kids who would run after kites, rescuing them from trees and bushes, and bring them back to be flown again. In this case, when the dog was ready to perform his agility work, the trainer threw his leash on the ground and directed him to start. I would wait until the dog was no longer looking in my direction, on this course between the 2nd and 3rd jump, and then I'd walk over and pick up the leash - no actual running, as the dog might decide to run after me and his leash rather than finish his jumps - and then carry it over to where the course ended. That way, when he and his trainer arrived at the last jump, the leash would be there and ready.

I got pretty good at it, Lynne said. And even better, we had a fun few hours afterward wandering around cute little downtown Morgan Hill, drinking wine, eating wonderful Italian food, and catching up on our lives. A really fun day, and I learned a new skill!

Sightseeing in San Francisco

Can it be called sightseeing, when it's practically in your backyard? We live only a few miles from San Francisco, just across the Bay Bridge. Do we ever go there? Not enough, that's for sure. A few weeks ago we celebrated Wayne's daughter's birthday at The Fairmont Hotel San Francisco. We had a great time! Do you know The Fairmont SF was where the movie Hotel was made? And where the first United Nations Charter was signed? Do you know it was the first hotel to open after the Big San Francisco Earthquake of 1906? What a beautiful, opulent, historic property it is.

After our adventure, we resolved to spend more time in San Francisco, just for fun. Here are some of the things we did and places we saw during our 48-hour stay on top of SF's Nob Hill.

Coit Tower

On the hill next to Nob Hill, Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower reaches into the blue sky. It was named after a wealthy woman called Lillie Coit who donated the money to build it, according to local rumor, in honor of her special relationship with San Francisco firemen. During the depression of the late 1930s, the interior of the tower was painted top to bottom with murals depicting life in San Francisco, both in the past and in the 1930s. The murals were painted by local artists, many of whom had been influenced by or studied with the famous Mexican painter Diego Rivera, as part of the Public Works of Art project. The murals have recently been cleaned and restored and they are stunning! Here are some examples (check out the guy being robbed in the third photo - city living!):

Aren't they great? And here's the view from the top of Coit Tower. It's incredible!



The view from the top of Coit Tower

 

 

Grace Cathedral

More photos, this time on top of Nob Hill, right across the street from the Fairmont Hotel. I can't believe I've never been in Grace Cathedral before, and I've lived here most of my life!

 



2014 garden favorites

Almost Fall. Well, in fact, it is Fall, but here in northern California, Fall is our real Summer. So it's hot, not colorful like Fall is in other places. The summer vegetables know it's Fall, nevertheless, and they are on their way out. We still have fabulous tomatoes, and chard, and peppers, but soon...very soon...we'll be uprooting these and planting winter crops.



What were our favorite summer vegetables of 2014? Without a doubt they were the Brandywine heirloom tomatoes (OMG) and the padron peppers. The heirlooms were just plain delicious - green and dark red and not always the most beautiful classic tomatoes - but their taste told the true story. Sweet, they were really sweet. And tomato-y. Wow.




The padrons, well they are some good tasting peppers. Green, they're mild and wonderful fried up whole with a little salt. Red, they have a kick, and are best cut up in beans, or rice, or with chicken or pork, or in salsa. They have such a good taste! I still have a whole bunch that I'm drying, day by day, in the sun on the front porch. We'll enjoy them all winter long.

Absence, and permission

I've been absent for a couple of weeks. I gave myself permission to take a small vacation from writing. This is not to say I don't love writing my blog, because I do.

Absence is good for the soul, and, on occasion, makes the heart grow fonder. So they say.

I've been working like a fiend, which is so not like me. I'm working at my retirement job, bartending for a fancy resort near where I live. I absolutely love doing it. There's that. And I don't really want to work full time, which they try to accommodate because they appreciate me. How wonderful is that?! All said, the opportunity came up a couple of months ago to work at the bar next to the hotel swimming pool, which is part of the membership Club and is a very cool place. I have to wo-man the bar Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Not a problem, right?

Well, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is really 10:00a.m. until 7:30 or so p.m., given bar setup and take-down and paperwork, etc. Whew, that's a long day. It's 9+ hours on your feet and by the time I'm done, I'm not good for much else. Then I go home and Wayne, who has been on his own all day (and all weekend) would like some attention and maybe dinner. That's where I've been, and then recuperating Monday through Thursday.

These sound like excuses and, truly, they are. I took a break and now I'm back. My gig at the pool bar has been so much fun that I feel it needs to be celebrated. I get to be creative - special drinks, increasing sales, making the whole experience fun - and get rewarded (great tips, great sales figures, pats on the back) on top of it.

Here are a couple of the cool special drinks my co-bartender Rolando and I came up with. Perhaps they'll help you make the transition from summer to fall!

Cucumber-Mint Martini

Cut a fat slice of cucumber into quarters and muddle it with several mint leaves and a squirt of sweet and sour mix in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and 2 oz. of vodka (we use Tito's). Shake, shake, shake, until the shaker feels really cold. Then strain into an ice-filled glass (or plastic, as we use around the pool) and garnish with a slice of . . . you guessed it, cucumber!!!

The Norma

Fill a glass (or plastic cup) with ice. Pour in 2 oz. of Patron Silver tequila. Fill the glass with Fevertree ginger beer. Stir well, garnish with a slice of lime, and serve with a long straw.