by Kat | Jul 14, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Planning: A vacation to Northern Michigan – hello AirBnB! There are so many choices, but I think we have narrowed it down. I am so thrilled that there are places that will allow pets…and Sherman is most happy about that as well!
Also planning: An overnight get away to somewhere nearby in the next week or two, this will make up for Steve having to work this weekend.
Enjoying: All the summer bounty! I am picking beans every other day and I am so surprised how many beans four plants are producing! The pepper plants are likewise producing an amazing bounty! I have picked a few yellow grape tomatoes, and I think that the tomato harvest this year is going to be crazy! Potatoes in containers seem to be doing phenomenally – I have mounded them with dirt to the top of the container and they are still growing! If this works, this will be the best thing we did in the garden this year!
Reading: LOTS! I cannot believe how much I have read since the start of the year – and this summer’s Book Bingo has really expanded my reading dramatically!
Watching: Big Brother… wait, what? Yes, I admit – I am a Big Brother fan. Summer and Julie Chen just seem to go together.
Anticipating: a weekend alone – this does not happen often and I am looking forward to it!
What does your currently look like?
by Kat | Jun 27, 2016 | General, In This Moment
It was a warm summer weekend here in the ‘Burgh. Our usual Friday snacks were done Al Fresco, including a Bee’s Knees Cocktail, and it was so nice to have a spot on the cool porch to sit. There were beautiful breezes though, which made sitting under the pergola after we had eaten a real treat.
The Fireflies even put on a light show. It was really a lovely evening.
Saturday was Mt. Lebanon Farmer Market and a visit to our favorite farmer. He still has strawberries and we got some raspberries as well. I turned both fruits into jams – another batch of Judy’s Oven Roasted Strawberry Jam and Nigella Lawson’s “Hand’s Free Raspberry Jam.” I have not tried the raspberry jam as yet, but I will give it points in simplicity. I am not sure how it will set up but, worst case scenario – it will be perfect in plain Greek yogurt. I will let you know when I have tried it.**
Saturday also saw us spending another good chunk of the day in the gardens. There were some things that still needed planting (3 Weigela bushes and 4 Salvia plants, to be exact) all of which required the expansion of a garden bed.
I also began working on the clue number four for the mystery shawl – however, I think my brain was done in by the heat from earlier in the day – I kept making the same mistake over and over. If you like me are having some issues with the Knit 5 Together’s – I think Lorilee Beltman has something that might help you – it certainly helped me!
Some easier knitting was in order in the form of Carole’s Picot Edge Socks! A pair completed and I immediately cast on another pair. This is really my favorite knit.
Sunday we decided to make the early trek to Mount Washington to cross an item off my Summer Bucket List – a sunrise was beautiful and the skies were clear. It made getting up at the crack of dawn so worthwhile!
I love standing above the Monongahela River with a view of how it winds into Pittsburgh. The confluence is visible also from our vantage point, the merging of the Mon with the Allegheny to create the Ohio River. Magnificent views that I never get tired of!
The remainder of the day was filled with a flurry of activity and poof! It was over before I was ready for it to be over. The only saving grace is knowing that next weekend will be a nice long one.
Hope your Monday is over before you realize it and it is filled with a little of this and that.
**The worst case scenario is really excellent on yogurt. Oh man, so excellent!
by Kat | Jun 23, 2016 | General, In This Moment
The yuccas are blooming rather beautifully this year. And while I don’t really care for them, I cannot deny their beauty right now. And the ants are sure having a love affair with them!
But the garden is really amazing.
I harvested my first beans.
And the last of the rhubarb, which will shortly become Rhubarb Lavender Shrub. Thanks, Vicki for the great suggestion!
How’s your view today?
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by Kat | Jun 20, 2016 | General, Making
Recipe for the Practically Perfect Summer Weekend:
- The best Friday Happy Hour, complete with barbecued shrimp and martini’s.
- Gardening time.
- Strawberry top infused Blushing Mules, oh my was this good! Oh, and both GIN and vodka are spectacular, just sayin’.
- Knitting and spinning. (Another item crossed off my Summer Knit Along list!)
- Moving my blog to a new server. (A million thanks, Steve!!)
This combination makes for a much more palatable Monday.
How was your weekend?
P.S. If you previously subscribed to my blog, you will need to do so again, thank you!
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by Kat | Jun 16, 2016 | General, Words
Reveling in the lush greenness that is everywhere I look,
Weeding the garden and marveling at how it is growing,
Sipping iced coffee in the early morning while listening to the birds sing their summer operas,
Savoring the delicate flavors of freshly pickled vegetables,
And, knitting under the pergola,
These are the tastes of my summer.
