Potato Bags and Dish Rags

Well, I guess I'm officially old and retired. Thanks to my wonderful hubby giving me a sewing center for my birthday I've renewed my interest in sewing. I love to make patterns for new ideas and with all the different ways the center folds and unfolds I can have the room I need to create.

If you haven't used a potato bag to make baked potatoes you haven't had great baked potatoes.

The dish clothes are knitted and I like to do them when I just want to put my feet up and relax. Keeps my hands busy and away from snacks. I make them in different colors and designs.

Just say the color and it just might appear in your mail box.

36 years

Happy Anniversary Ron. I can't believe we've been married 36 years. Time seems to have flown by but on the other hand, so much has happened in those 36 years. We have enough memories to last us the rest of our lives together yet we're making new ones all the time.

It was a Friday, the kids were in school, my dad was in town and we were baby sitting the dog, Dirky.

You were in your USMC work uniform and I was in bell bottoms and platform shoes (and a blouse). We took everyone but Dirky to a buffet for dinner, you insisted, I was willing to fry up pork chops. It rained during the night and our private honeymoon tent had holes in it.

I guess that was the sign that our married life would be filled with fun and not so fun, surprises and hardships and lots of love.

Shish Kabobs

Saturday night with good friends. If anyone hasn't heard the story, I'll repeat it because I think it's worth repeating.

I met a tall skinny girl at the roller rink. It was obvious she was much older than me. (3 years) But we became friends. Not every day in your face friends but cycle friends. Sometimes our lives didn't have the time or the need to stay in contact but whenever things fell apart we were there for each other. The last major one was the summer of 1983. Two of her husband's cousins were the first ones killed by a serial murder that summer. Needless to say, we spent the summer on the phone trying to figure out what was going on and who did it. That summer is another long story that maybe I'll document some other time.

She invited us over to their home for dinner one night. She was going to try out a new recipe she found. It involved marinating steak and putting it on a stick along with onions and tomatoes and potatoes and mushrooms and peppers and cooking it over an outdoor grill.

Their three kids and our two were quite young at the time and not very willing to try new tastes so we counted on them taking one bite and heading for the hot dogs and hamburgers. Well, as they say, the rest is history. The kids all loved the shish kabobs and the adults waited while another round was cooked.

I've had the recipe for them for years and she's had my recipe for Caesar Salad but we never fixed each other's on our own. It was always the treat to go to each other's home and enjoy them.

My friend, Caryl, died three years ago so we kind of all figured that was the end of that. But last year we decided we'd carry on the tradition. Now the kids put it all together at their dad's house and we all get together and tell Caryl stories and catch up with our lives since the last time and enjoy the shish kabobs.

Last night was one of those nights.

Sandwich Fair

Thursday, September 9, 2010. A day at the last county fair in the state of IL. Some things never change and Sandwich Fair is one. It was a perfect sunshiny day with gentle breezes to add to the beautifully shaded Fair Grounds. We were early enough to get a great parking place where we walked past the trotters doing their thing on the way to the ticket booth. Since we're seniors and Thursday was senior citizen day we put down our eight dollars and joined the other seniors enjoying the fair. The flag at right is suspended high above the race track for everyone to see when they pull into the parking spaces no matter which way they come in.

We met Betsy and Alan (our daughter and son in law) and split up to do our own things with a time to meet up for a late lunch.

Betsy and I enjoyed the 4H exhibits drooling over all the delicious foods that would not be eaten cause they were entered into the judging. Sure would like to be a judge.

We met Ron and Alan at Fey's Pork Chops and BBQ Chicken tent. The line was a little long, looked like everyone else had the same idea, but it moved fast. People were saying they pricing had gone up since last year so I took a little extra of everything on the buffet. I chose a pork chop which they placed on a plastic plate and I started by adding baked beans to the same section as the pork chop then cottage cheese in another and cold slaw in the last. I passed up on the apple sauce but I was the only one who did. I took a couple slices of bread and several packs of butter, grabbed a packet of plastic silver ware and stopped at the beverage counter for their famous watered down lemonade. I was given a surprise, the lemonade was pink but it was still watered down. No seconds for me. The pork chop was moist and tender as usual, cutting it with the plastic knife is the norm for Fey's. If you ever get a chance to go to this fair, don't pass it up. The week after Labor Day weekend is the date every year.

Birthday Lunch

Nice day today. Started out with a retirees meeting and candidates forum. We didn't get to hear them all but the judges that were running gave very interesting speeches. I believe I have decided which one I will vote for in November. We left there early for another appointment.

We met up with Betsy and Alan today for lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. We sure do love that buy one get one free. They even gave Betsy a bag of chocolate chip cookies even though her birthday isn't till tomorrow. We only talked for two hours since Alan had to go get his after bypass stress test.

I'm finishing up my Linus Project quilts so I'll have to work on my tee shirt quilt. Got the pattern laid out for an apron and was just waiting for my new scissors. Got them today from Betsy, she had two identical pair. Been trying to keep busy with my hands so I don't use them to insert food in mouth.

I did make a couple knitted dish cloths. That was fun. Haven't knitted since I was in high school but with the help of a great how to book I'm doing pretty good. I'm going to miss my sewing center when we go to AZ. I'll take the sewing machine but won't have access to all the counter space I have here.