This ‘n that – Thanksgiving and beyond
I am cobbling this together at the last minute. My world has not stopped spinning since before Thanksgiving and I keep on thinking it will slow down!
My Thanksgiving was wonderful! Both sons and my Daughter-in-Law were here and it was a cozy family holiday. Our Grandson has reached a new development stage and it was so fun! He is almost 2 and a very chatty little guy.
At one point he threw some food on the floor and of course, he was warned not to do it again. I casually said “Zero Tolerance Policy” and he parroted back something pretty close to Zero Tolerance Policy. I cracked up.
He is coloring now too and I just love this little vignette created by Logan and his Mom.
We start our Thanksgiving meal with a selection of cheeses. Whole Foods has by far the best collection and it is expensive! Several if not most were $35/lb, but I just got bits of each. This year’s selection was the best and worth the cost! Every variety was excellent. Creamy Swiss was the first to go (see the flag down?). It actually wasn’t a Swiss but some other fancy name that took too much room on the tag😊
We carried on the Lyon family tradition of Beef Raclette (a table top grill) and roasted veggies with a bevy of sauces.
Our table looks different than most Thanksgiving tables. We decided years ago that neither boy liked anything about the traditional Thanksgiving except the stuffing and pies, so we have moved on.
Our yard has been pretty spectacular this year and it was still pretty nice for Thanksgiving. Here are a few scenes:
We took a morning to visit the to Yolo Bypass Bypass Wildlife Area:
“Located in the heart of the Pacific Flyway, Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area’s approximately 16,600 acres is a haven for fish, waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds, neotropical migratory birds, raptors, invertebrates, snakes, turtles, toads, and bats.”
If you drive Route 80 from Sacramento to San Francisco, you’ll pass over it. I have lived in California for 23 years, have probably passed over it 100 times have not visited. It has a quiet beauty and we saw a huge variety of birds and some intriguing wetland grasses.
My Grandson has become a birder, who knew?
Handsome Hubby and son got out the binoculars. There were some almost poetic moments when huge flocks of birds would lift at once and circle about. There was such beauty in their elegant movement and their sounds.
My Daughter-In-Law is a skilled knitter and I had a project in mind. I want to learn to knit and I needed a simple cowl to keep my neck warm on my early morning walks. The commercial ones are too warm or too tight.
So here we go, Jenny is learning to knit! I am moving ahead at a snail’s pace, but enjoying the ride. I chose a yarn with no itchy and a lovely soft feel. I know nothing about yarn, but I do know a great yarn shop!
I try to donate 2 charity quilts a year. I know, that is a pretty low bar, but I do travel and teach frequently and it can be hard to find the time. I think I did one earlier in the year but I’m not sure.
The top was constructed by another guild member and I layered, quilted and bound it. A finish!
I got these flower-type thingys out that I made from silk years ago. My silk stash is much more impressive than my cotton stash. I love them, but I still don’t know what to do with them. I just threw them up on the wall, hoping they would talk to me. The green is a gorgeous hand dyed raw silk that looks infinitely better than it appears in the photo. I am pondering…..
We are redoing our kitchen and although construction will not begin until April, there are many decisions to be made now. I have spent a great deal of time looking at slabs and pulls and finishes…. This is my slab choice, Silestone. I am anxious to jettison the current granite. I know, #firstworldproblem.
I am hoping to take a quilt coat class next week at Meissner in Folsom (California). The class may not make due to low enrollment. I suppose most are too busy this time of year, but this is my best time – I have no gigs until January! I SO want to take this class and Sue Rasberry is excellent. Locals, don’t you want one too?
And finally, I love the way the sun fills my house in the winter. I caught this vignette yesterday – the pulls in my bathroom were shining like jewels. Sometimes, it’s the little things.
I’ll share at:
Nina-Marie’s Off the Wall Friday
and
Finished or Not Friday
That quilt jacket class sounds like so much fun and I have a sort of worn-out first quilt king size green and blue log cabin…but two whole days and on Wednesdays! If only I was retired. I am hoping this quilted jacket thing takes off hugely, like the vests of the 1990s. I love the little bit of funk in the picture you posted. Hope to see you sometime soon! Hugs.
Oh Donna you just need to retire😊 You can’t let stuff like that get in your way. I am excited, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I hope to see you at SIS soon!
oh, my, Jenny, what a surprise to see the little card trick quilt I made finished by you! you made it look about 500x better!
Oh how cool Ila!!! We’re a pair! You won’t mention how long ago you turned it in and I just finished it……
Lovely home….and a fun post to read…and a fun class yesterday….and do visit Monarch Knitting in Pacific Grove…she writes a fun newsletter…and I wish I could take that jacket class but alas, I already have commitments for those 2 Wednesdays…and yes, I know I’m rambling…just seemed appropriate for the season…real sentence structure and punctuation? Not today!
I am so glad you enjoyed the class yesterday Nadine! THe jacket class is a go so I’m excited. I signed up for Monarch’s newsletter. I don’t know that I will become a knitter, but I’m going to play for a while!
Hooray! You’re learning to knit! If Michelle Obama can take it up later in life, so can you! ;-)
I’ve been knitting for over 60 years, so if perchance you bring your knitting to Conference in April, I’ll be happy to help out if you run into a snag. I’m also glad to see that you’ve embraced real fibres. Acrylic blends are not bad, but 100% acrylic is…plastic. Best used for folks with *real* allergies to natural fibres! Given where you live, you might think about cottons and linens too, for warmer-weather knits…but I’m getting ahead of myself — and probably you!
Hugs and happy knitting!
Oh girl I would NEVER use acrylic! That’s why I chose the Alpaca, Merino and Silk blend. I am excited about this teeny project!
Hey Jenny!
We went up to see the white cranes migrate near Chico this year. It’s relaxing to just watch the sky , isn’t it?
Fifteen years ago I went to a private home to see a Japanese World Peace Garden that looked eerily like your garden. Did you by any chance buy that house? It was in Granite Bay/Folsom kind of near Otto Orchard. Your property is exquisite!
Spent today making Benne Wafers, a specialty we tried in Charleston a few months back. I sent away for the benne seeds to a grower who replicates historic grains. Otherwise you use sesame seeds. Sort of like playing Bach on a harpsichord. A little rustic for my taste 😊
Keep up your great newsletter. Your “well this was interesting” posts keep me giggling. Happy holidays to the Lyon’s.
Hi Edna; Yes, it is surprisingly delightful to watch the birds rise and fly. I am not familiar with that house. Our backyard looked like a Third World country when we bought it. I was not at the end of the shovel to create it but I did create the vision for it. Thank you! I enjoy it on a daily basis. It’s funny, typically you don’t want to be downhill for obvious reasons. The one advantage is that your backyard is “lifted” and you see every bit of it from my kitchen window. I had Benne Wafers while living in Charlotte! Yes, they do have a bit too much roughage for me. THank you for your kind comments. I hope you and yours have a wonderful Holiday season also!
Yay for you for learning how to knit! I’ve knit on and off for 60 years, and find it calming. You did choose a gorgeous yarn. I always prefer knitting with natural fibers, just as I prefer quilting with them.
So glad you had a good Thanksgiving with your family!
Wellllll, it’s a start, a teeny weeny start! I will never use icky yarn, just like I never use icky thread. Good to hear from you!
He can’t be 2, he just can’t be 2, how is he 2 already?
You been listening in on my conversations?😊