Countdown to Vacation!!!!

Now Big Sis and I are very excited to once again be on our vacation day countdown - YAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!! What with one thing and another since the start of this year we both think we've earned an extra special vacation - our list is on two pages already!!!!! That's OK cos what we don't get to cross off just rolls over to the next vacation!!! Yesterday the UK had a picture-perfect bluesky Spring day and today is almost as good but with a little hazy cloud. Everything is out now - that first shy fresh green that fades all too quickly then when you look about yourself in the dog days of August, the color seems kind of used up and dusty. But right now everything is eager to get on with the business of flowering and bursting out!!!! Birds are singing away and I've shook out lots of crumbs for them cos snacks are appreciated any time of year!!!! My friend Mand visited this morning and I made us fresh lemonade - an old Cranks Restaurant recipe. For my US readers, Cranks was a vegetarian restaurant in London's West End which started in the sixties, managed to make it through to the nineties but I think has now fallen by the wayside. The emphasis was on healthy organic fresh veggie food and I have one of the original recipe books. I visited several times when I worked in London and can attest to the high quality of the food. The lemonade recipe is simple - just lemons, raw dark brown sugar and water. You are meant to steep the mix overnight but I cheated and squeezed the lemon halves hard before straining into my new decorative jug over lots of ice and lemon slices. It sure was good and very refreshing on a hot day!!!! You can of course cut it with sparkling mineral water and it does make a good base for a Pimms or Long Island Ice Tea - for the latter you'd need to add in tea bags with the lemons and boiling water. I also made us blueberry muffins which disappeared in a wink!!!!!! Dinner tonight will be homely - good quality pork sausages baked with a little hard cider and red onions along with mashed potatoes and baked beans - comfort food any time of year!!!!! My grocery store predictably had burgers on sale along with burger buns and salads and all the fixings and I have some of that for weeknight meals. The store also had specials on icecream and chilled drinks and I think they are a little optimistic given we're still in April!!!! I'm whizzing ahead on White Star now and only have one and a half rows left - each row is three whole pages worth of stitching though!!!! The next question of course is framing and where to hang it!!! I'll be taking it across the pond in my carryon for vacation and once pressed it folds nicely into a plastic baggie and sits behind my travel papers folder. I'll also be bringing crumpets for my Big Sis as these freeze very well and even in High Summer a toasted crumpet with some cottage or cream cheese and a scattering of raspberries makes a YUMMMM breakfast!!!! This is a Stitchalong Weekend and happy stitching!!!!!

Good Easter!!!

Now I sure hope everyone had a great Easter with lots of chocolate eggs and plenty of stitching!!!! Over here it's the first big holiday since Christmas and it marks the start of the UK tourist season - kinda strange when you think the weather is never all that great around this time!!!! Right now it's chilly and overcast - you need a jacket if you're outside!!! But that's the UK for you and it'll start to warm up now *crosses fingers*. We have Good Friday and Easter Monday as public holidays and I happen to get the Tuesday off from work also which is a welcome break!!! I've been stitching up a storm and White Star is progressing very well *looks around and whispers* I might even finish it by Summer!!! Today I plan as a Stitching Day then tomorrow morning early my friend Mandy and I will visit a small market town near us for a little shopping, starting with a good old fashioned English breakfast in the tea rooms there. This little town has lots of good quality old fashioned stores - butcher's, greengrocer's and a very upscale grocery store. If you know where to look you can get some very good stuff at reasonable prices and I'd rather save my pennies and buy just a few good quality treats sometimes cos everyone deserves treats!!!! I'll be stitching in the afternoon too. We'll be getting some Marks & Spencer longlife pouches of Jersey cream custard as I plan on bringing over a couple when I visit my Big Sis in May - M&S food is the most upscale you can get in the grocery store line (we'll leave aside Harrods and Fortnum & Mason in London!!!!) and she's tried a couple of their cakes and cookies before now. Longlife custard may not sound all that gourmet but trust me this stuff is the REAL deal and as it's sealed and longlife, there won't be any tedious questions asked by US Customs!!!! One time a Customs guy did ask just what WERE crumpets and I showed him a pack (I usually bring over about 8 packs and there are 8 crumpets to a pack). He grinned and waved me through!!!! I hope everyone has a peaceful relaxing day and if you have to work then give your boss an extra large smile cos bosses are people too (well most of them, I've known a few where that statement could be highly suspect!!!!!). Happy stitching!!!!!

It's Spring NOW!!!!!!

Yes is sure is over here and not before time!!!!! All the Spring flowers are out now - daffies, crocus, grape hyacinths - although the snowdrops are over which is a pity but they are the first herald of Spring and only last a short time. My Mom always called them "white ladies" which is a very appropriate name for a delicate yet hardy flower. True to form the UK is having lots of showers - like the April showers have arrived early!!!! The various water companies better NOT try to say there are drought conditions later in the year!!! I know across the pond folks are little behind the UK Spring-wise but it IS here and you can feel the welcome change in the seasons - everything eager to grow and be done with Old Man Winter who has trailed back to the North Pole!!! The apple tree outside my landing window almost overnight has fat pink buds waiting to pop!!! Our tastes change too . . . there is a need for somewhat lighter food and only a century ago country folk in the UK would turn to herbs as a tonic after Winter, using purslane and tansy and dandelion leaves in cooking and salads. What goes around comes around and I hear in some fancypants restaurants in London these are now making a comeback at eyewatering prices!!!! Stitching is coming along a little better now that lighter evenings beckon and of course today in the UK the clocks go forward and we join you guys in the US for Summer or Daylight Savings time - there will be some unhappy folk around tomorrow morning at losing an hour in bed!!!! Today's menu is roast chicken (some fresh thyme, half a lemon and onion up its bottom) along with mashed potatoes, new season carrots and the last of the Brussels Sprouts along with flavorful gravy - some chilled flame grapes and a little Brie drizzled with honey will be dessert. My Big Sis and I are now in single week figure countdown for vacation and we've really earned this one!!!! This coming Easter weekend will give more opportunity for stitching although I do have one or two household projects to take care of but nothing that will get in the way of the serious stitcher!!!!! Happy stitching and I hope the sun shines a little everywhere today!!!!

And Spring Is Here . . . Well, Just!!!!!!!

Now I think Spring has finally woken up both sides of the pond although he's kind of elusive right now, just teasing us with little sightings here and there of patches of warm sunshine and in the UK, crocus and snowdrops and daffodils all ready to burst out. Even the buds on the trees are fattening up, ready to pop in another three weeks or so when the warmer weather really arrives!!! I know where Big Sis is it's grey and cold today, despite the mild weather and sunshine they had last week - with snow on the ground!!!! Now I love Spring . . . they said when I was a child that I'd change and love the Autumn cos you can wait for Spring many a weary day but Spring holds such promise and is SOOOO welcome after Winter's dark cold days. It is a renewal in every sense . . . folks are badly in need of warm sunshine and seeing some color around, not to mention a change in diet from heavy Winter comfort food to something lighter . . . something to cleanse the system and act like a tonic which is where fresh herbs added to salad greens are very effective - fresh marjoram and chervil if you're lucky enough to get hold of some, along with fresh chives and good old parsely!!!! Big Sis and I have been beavering away on our stitching projects and these are coming along nicely!!! She tells me that a lot of crafters are concerned that no younger folks are stitching now - that's a real shame cos WE NEED MORE STITCHERS!!!!!! Actually if folks disengaged from Facebook once in a while and looked about themselves they might discover a whole new world (did I say that out loud????!!!!) But then each to their own!!!!! Big Sis and I are now in single week figures for our vacation countdown and of course the US Daylight Savings Time has now kicked in - I can hear the groans people!!!!! Not to worry, it's the UK's turn in a couple of weeks time then we'll be grumbling over here!!!! I've never seen the sense in messing with the time change although doubtless lots of folks far cleverer than me will shake their heads but all it does is make folks crabby cos they're tired from losing an hour's sleep and that leads to more accidents and . . . I could go on but you get the point!!!! Right now it's back to stitching for me - have a good week everyone and happy stitching!!!!!!

Another Month Whizzed By!!!!

Now February whizzed by in a wink - just as well with a some RL family stuff but happily all is well chez Little Sis and Big Sis!!!! Here in darkest Wiltshire we've seen a little sun today and I'm happy to say that the wild daffodils outside my window have pushed through the grass and you can see the flower buds forming - a sure sign that Spring is here!!!! Elsewhere there are drifts of snowdrops (which my Mom used to call White Ladies) and crocus. The grocery store finally had daffies on sale today and I have a jug of these in my living room to cheer the still somewhat dark grey days. I know where my Big Sis is Spring isn't quite as advanced but even there it's getting progressively lighter at the start and end of the days now, even though they've had yet more of the pesky white stuff!!!!! But we are both grateful to live where we do considering what has happened weatherwise in other parts of the world!!!! Today it's still comfort food even though we're keen for a change . . . sausage casserole made with proper plump pork sausages with no nasty cereal filler!!!! Sausages how they should be, browned with shallots then braised slowly with hard cider, Bramley cooking apples and mushrooms then served with baked potatoes and slow-braised red cabbage!!!!! This together with a bowl of mixed salad, some roast chicken chunks, dressing and croutons will be meals in the week with minimum effort!!! Let's be honest, after a hard day's work the last thing most folks want to do is nance about in the kitchen - I want to relax, eat and shower!!!! And stitch of course . . . White Star pix will shortly be updated on my Big Sis's website and if I do say as much she is looking rather good!!!! I collect the small cat piece that Big Sis finished for me from the framers in a couple of week's time and will post pix. And I think we're all ready for sight of Spring now . . . although Big Sis and I enjoy cozy crumpet-weather Winter days, stitching and with the occasional mug of hot chocolate, it's time now for Old Man Winter to pack his bags!!!! Have a good stitchy weekend and stay warm!!!!!

A Month Closer to Spring!!!!!

Can you believe we're already in February?? Yes I can hear the groans both sides of the pond that it's still Winter and when are we gonna see warm sunshine and Spring flowers!!!! Well Spring IS on the way and certainly in the UK it's still fairly light around 4.30 each day. I know parts of the US need to catch up a bit but it won't be long!!!!! We're lucky here that we can take advantage of the early "forced" rhubarb in the stores right now - a beautiful champagne pink and wonderful in muffins, crisps, pies or cakes - I've even made rhubarb juice which is just rhubarb cooked gently with a little brown sugar then pressed through a sieve, the juice collected and chilled. Serve over ice either as it is, spiked with spirit of your choice or cut with sparkling mineral water. And my rhubarb cake which is just diced rhubarb mixed into a basic sponge cake mix then baked is wonderful either as a cake or for a pud!!!! Today I've made a huge batch of chicken casserole to portion down and freeze - this is simply diced chicken thighs (skinned and boned) shallots, canned whole mushrooms, casserole mix and a bottle and a half of fruity red wine with some redcurrant jelly. This all bubbles slowly until flavorful and cooked ready to be served with rice, mash, noodles or whatever you like!!!! My kitchen smells wonderful which is eddying round the neighborhood as I have the kitchen window open a tad as it's a beautiful bluesky day here!!!! For meals in the week I'm making a good old-fashioned cottage pie today - nice lean minced (ground) steak cooked with chopped onion and seasoning then piled with mashed potato before the cooking finishes to brown the mash. I have some roast chicken gravy defrosting and peas to go with it. As pomegranates were on sale today I got one and will make a pomegranate-honey salad dressing to go over roast chicken chunks mixed in with salad greens to serve with a little garlic bread. Sunday is stitchalong and PJ day and I'm still stuck in confetti hell right now but it's worth it cos White Star looks wonderful and will look even more wonderful when I'm done!!!!! I took the last of the three little cat projects into the framers here today and will post pix when this is ready. My Big Sis finished this one off for me and it's lovely to have something she's worked on. All three are small but vibrantly colorful and brighten my living room. Luckily the framers I go to where I live are still hanging in there, even though business is down a little - but then these framers are the only good quality professional ones for miles around and if you've produced something good it deserves the very best framing rather than being framed half-assed or worse, stuffed in a drawer!!!!! Happy Stitching along with rhubard & custard muffins all round!!!!!

PJ Stitch a long Day

Now, what can be better than a Sunday spent in one's PJ's. A hot cup of fresh coffee sitting next to you. One huge cross stitch project in hand and some movies on the DVD player. That's my idea of a good day. OK, I admit I put on clothes long enough to get groceries this morning. I can't resist Sunday mornings for shopping. I usually have the whole store to myself and there are no lines at checkout.

It's been a crazy month so far for me. Once the new year starts, this accountant is so busy at work for the next month that I hardly can remember my name. Once all the January deadlines are met, it's not to bad for me. The others in my office are a different matter though. I'm not complaining. I have a good job and I'm more than grateful for it, even if poor Little Sis has a grumpy Big Sis to talk to every evening on the phone.

Stitching time has been slight so far, I admit. This weekend I'm trying to make up for it. Other stitchers I know understand, if I don't stitch for a few days I even crabbier and anxious. I'm not sure what it is about needlework that keeps me grounded, but it does.

To that end, there's a project I've been working on for over 2 years now. It's finally finished! Anyone that knows me knows I don't have a big list of WIP projects. If I have 2 going at once it's a lot for me. This one really has been bugging me because it's not the most enjoyable one to stitch, but it is just stunning. So, without further ado, here's Pompeji Garden by Chatelaine!

I've taken it to the framer's already, since there was a 20% off coupon. I found the most perfect frame, and when I get the whole thing back, I'll post pics etc.