Learning New Tricks

posted by Angie

I am always game to learn new skills, so on my last trip to California my sister was kind enough to teach me how to shuttle tat. I am hoping to make some pretty little edges to funky up some clothes, and for embellishing some of my up and coming handwoven projects. Though it was a bit tricky to get the hang of at first, I have found tatting to be a relaxing thing to do with my hands when I am a little fidgety, as they often are. While trying to figure it out, I was grateful to have a person showing me how to do it instead of reading directions out of a book, as my sister had to. It must have been extremely challenging for her. To her credit, she stuck it out through the frustrations and did learn how, Kudos to her!

My fuschias and begonias are at their peak right now. I admit that I am a bit of a fuschia fanatic, I have at least 25 different types, and my eye is on several more for next year. It's wonderful to live in a climate so perfectly suitable for fuschias. There has been a little hummingbird visiting the backyard that is definately particularly fond of the fuschias. It's obviously a bird of exquisite taste and sophistication.

The kids went back to school today(yay!). Scott went to his first day of high school, which is terrifying to me, but he had a blast and did great. He already knew a ton of kids and felt very much at home. Chris is at the same K-8, and actually has the same teacher he had in 5th grade as she moved up to the middle school level this year. He adores her, and she is truly an exceptional teacher. Both teachers at the middle school are, we are so fortunate to have them. I spent the first few hours of my newly free day getting the house into recovery from the tornado that was this morning. A friend and I then went to her house and stripped her pear tree of fruit. We'll be canning them on Sunday. I made arrangements to go to another friend's house and pick apples on Saturday. The apples will be canned as apple pie filling for our winter time crisps. MMmmmmm.... All of my favorite fruits to can seem to ripen at exactly the same time. It makes for a very busy late summer.

Today I made chocolate zuchinni muffins & bread to freeze for the upcoming rainy day tea times. Lots, and lots of zuchinni bread. I'll be serving it at my Friday tea this week, actually. I'm excited to see how it goes over. Andy of course whined that he doesn't really like his chocolate muddied down with all that healthy stuff like zuchinni, but he's managed to eat 2 big muffins in the 2 hours he's been home for work. So, his whining holds no merit as far as I'm concerned.

The divine recipe came from here
It's actually chock full of whole grains and fruits and veggies. They are moist and delicious. I'll be buying the book the recipe came out of ASAP, thank you Bethany for posting this recipe!



And now, the moment you have all been waiting for, my featured chicken of the day!

Meet, Henny Penny. I know, not a very original name, but trust me, it suits her. This lovely Easter Egg chickie poo has been voted "Most Likely to be Eaten by a Predator" because of her habit of staying out oblivious to danger when the other girls hear a scary sound and run for the coop. Chicken Hawk made 2 mad dashes out to fetch her one time, to no avail. And yes, the divine Miss Penny is my favorite chicken, bless her dense little heart. I just have to make sure our set up stays as predator proof as possible for her.