Decking the Halls

This morning I met friends for Italian conversation practice at a cafe in Hingham Square and while  parlando italiano I glanced up to see a man outside atop a tall ladder hanging holiday decorations. I quickly grabbed my iPhone to capture this image.

Happy Thanksgiving 2015

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving Day!

It's Almost Human!!!

In kitchens all across the country, preparations are being made for tomorrow's big Thanksgiving dinner, so I thought I would write a cooking related post today. A few weeks ago, I did some cleaning out of my attic and brought down a box containing my aunt's original Sunbeam Mixmaster mixer. Why I had brought it home and stored it in the attic I don't know. Her "newer" mixer from the 70s had been sold when the house was sold. Anyway, I opened the box and found the instruction manual, the two white glass bowls, and the beaters. I tried it, it worked, it was far quieter than my mixer, and it takes up less space. The base and revolving plate were in rough shape no doubt due to the heat sometimes up in the attic, so I painted them with flat black enamel paint. The body had yellowed in areas, but it isn't bad. There are many tutorials available online explaining how you can paint the mixer itself, but for now, I'll just put a cover over it.

The date on the inside cover is 1948. Here's the fun part. The back of the manual is filled with all kinds of wondrous attachments you could acquire for this machine. I have enlarged a few so you can enjoy how the descriptions were written.

Check out the first paragraph . . . 

My personal favorite . . . the Potato Peeler . . . It's almost human!!!

One more thing . . . the body is not too heavy and may be easily uncoupled for use as a hand mixer. If you have a vintage mixer or want to learn more about them, visit Sunbeam ID.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

The Pink Chairs Are Put Away

Well, it's sad to say, but today, I finally admitted that winter might really be on its way and put away the pink lawn chairs. After church this morning, I emptied flower pots, put away the solar water fountain, curled up the hose, and gathered up garden ornaments. I wish I could tell you that Emma was a big help, but all she did was bark at the squirrels and look pretty darn cute in her new $3.00 sweater. (No warmth, but tons of style!)

Yesterday, I went to an excellent craft fair at the Dedham Middle School where I purchased this sweet little Irish cottage painted slate.

This adorable reindeer also came home with me.

Who could resist these handmade angel ornaments?  I purchased one for each of my four little girl cousins. Ssshhhh, don't tell.

Finally, I wanted to show this little embroidered tablecloth that was made by one of my aunts probably in the forties or fifties. It was in their attic when I cleared out their home in the eighties. I came across it the other day while looking for something else and thought that it might look cute on my kitchen table.

Here' s a close up of the stitching. 

By the way, those  Gurley Thanksgiving candles which are probably the same vintage as the tablecloth still have their original .10 price stickers underneath. :-)

Adorable Snowlady

 On Sunday, I went to a craft show at Hanover High where I purchased this adorable snowlady.  It was the hat that drew me in.  Two clever ladies make a number of different types of snowmen. One creates the bodies and the other does the costuming. I'll pack this lady away until January when my snowmen decorations replace the Christmas decorations.

Speaking of adorable, here's Emma after returning from the groomer on Tuesday afternoon.  If only her beard and furnishings would remain clean and white, but she loves dashing around the yard and investigating the piles of leaves, etc. I don't mind; after all, she is a dog and a very inquisitive, happy one at that. :-0

Stunning Sunday Sunset

I had just settled in to watch the New England Patriots when I  glanced out the back window in time to see this incredible sunset. iPhone in hand, I flew out the door to catch these magnificent colors. This is a straight iPhone shot which was not enhanced in any way. Gorgeous!

It's the middle of November so how is it that one of my  hibiscus plants is still flowering??? The other hibiscus plants are done, but this one keeps on blooming. 

Patriots Game Day - 11/8/15

After church this morning,  I decided to take Emma for a walk before settling down to watch the Patriots.   Emma was sporting her new Patriots jersey. Pretty darn cute, right?  Later, she appeared to be watching the game for a little while, but once Tom Brady and the guys had the game under control, she decided to take a nap. After all, she had taken a good, long walk . . .

The Patriots, who won 27 to 10, are now 8 and 0.  

Yesterday after attending a meeting of the Herring Run Quilt Guild, I went to the celebration for one of my little cousin's seventh birthday.  It's always a treat to spend time with them, but they are growing up way too quickly :-)

Autumn Leaves

I have an idea for an autumn quilt piece so I have been studying the patterns and colors of leaves that catch my eye. We tend to think of leaves being red, orange, green, or yellow, but many are multicolored like this maple leave which I picked up while walking Emma this morning. 

I also glanced up to see this impressionistic grouping. Be sure to click on this photo to get the full effect.

Jeopardy Viewing Party

Did you catch Jeopardy this evening? The contestant in the middle was our friend Chris, a retired Weymouth school teacher. The viewing party, which was great fun, was held at her sister's house, and these two photos were taken off the TV with my iPhone.

The show was taped a few months ago, but Chris and those who traveled to California with her were unable to say even one word about what had transpired at the taping. Chris was fantastic! After Final Jeopardy she had $10,000 on the board which on some nights would have been enough to win, but unfortunately, it wasn't on this night. Still, we were all thrilled to watch the program and were incredibly proud of her. It was a dream come true for Chris to appear on Jeopardy, and she said it was a wonderful experience.

Our friend Kathy created this amazing cake for the party. . . very, very cool!