CHOP! CHOP!

Recently, I latched onto this little nine-inch chopping block.  

Actually, it has been stored in our garage for a few years, but originally it was in my mother-in-law's kitchen.  I remember her chopping anything and everything on it preparing for many meals.  (She never heard of bacteria-contaminated cutting boards!  She is now 100 years old and her children are 75, 78, and 81 -- guess it didn't hurt.)  Her father, Grandpa Bloyd, had made the board from salvaged walnut and apple wood.

Now, it has a future in our kitchen.

It elevates anything ordinary ---

Serves as a frame for a garden bouquet ---

Or, simply,  is a reminder of family history.

For now, I must go roast those tomatoes to put in the freezer for use in winter soups.  I always think the tomatoes will never ripen on the vine; then I wonder what I'm going to do with all of them!!

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YUMMY CINNAMON ROLLS

For you semi-homemade devotees -- have you tried this recipe?

What you need --

Rhodes frozen Cinnamon Rolls (12 to a package)

 4-serving box of Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding

Stick of butter (1/2 cup), melted

Chopped walnuts (optional)

 The night before, spray a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray.  Lay the frozen cinnamon rolls in a single layer in the pan.  (Reserve the icing packages that come with the rolls.)  Sprinkle the unprepared pudding mix over the frozen rolls.  Pour the butter over the rolls.  Sprinkle on nuts, if desired.

Cover pan with lightly sprayed plastic wrap.  Refrigerate over night.

Remove thawed rolls from refrigerator and place on counter for an hour or so until doubled in volume.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Spread with reserved icing.

I made these for our fellowship hour at church; and then for my Wednesday morning coffee group.  These coffee-break connoisseurs wanted seconds and the recipe!

In my current stage of old-age laziness, I may never make cinnamon rolls from scratch again.

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THE GARDEN, THE CUTIE, THE BEAUTY!

THE GARDEN ----

Usually by the middle of August in our dry, arid climate, our garden is looking a little weary.  We've had more rain and cool weather; so things are still looking good!

In the vegetable garden, the lettuce, beans, and peas are finished, but Bob is harvesting zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, blackberries -- and the Halloween pumpkins are growing.

That's not all that's growing ---

THE CUTIE ----

That would be our grandson, Wyatt.  He has grown 3 inches this summer, and is now taller than I am.  He spent 8 weeks involved in recreation-district track and field.  I love watching him run the hurdles.  How does he do that?  I was so uncoordinated as a child!  He has also spent three mornings a week at the high school lifting weights with the big boys.  In our small community, that's a 'Rite of Passage' for boys -- all in preparation for 7th grade football.

Every Friday this summer, he has spent the day with Bob and I.  He mows the yard, helps Bob with the garden, and they do their favorite activity of putzing in the garage.

This kid also loves to cook, so this past week he and I had some kitchen time together. 

We made empanadas for lunch with a hamburger, green chile, and cheese filling.

Football practice has already started, school begins next week.

THE BEAUTY ----

a.k.a. Caitlin, our favorite (only) granddaughter.  This is her second summer working for a local rafting company.  Conditions and business for rafting have been good this summer, so she has gotten lots of hours.  I've hardly seen her.  On her one day off a week, boyfriend-time cuts into Grammy-time!

She has decided, though, that she wants me to take her senior pictures.  So, on her day off last week, we spent the whole day together.  In the morning, we went out for Photo Shoot #1; then in the afternoon, we shopped.  We have more photo shoots planned - more outfits, more locations.

This girl and the camera do play well together.

Even the out-takes were fun.  Focus, Cait, Focus!!!!

"I'm off to see the wizard!"                                         "What's that wire thingy up there?"

And, now she is a Senior in high school.

After taking care of both kids as preschoolers all day, every day way back when, and now this -- I'm having a hard time and experiencing pre-empty-nest syndrome.  It's almost worse than when my own children flew the nest.

I have to tell myself, "It's all good."

(Just don't fly away too soon.)

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SEW MUCH FUN - PART THREE

Previous posts of "Sew Much Fun" about Clark's O.N.T. collectibles may be viewed here and here.  This post includes some of the other old sewing paraphernalia I've accumulated over the years.

My grandmother taught me to embroider when I was about five years old -- I enjoyed it, but was always anxious to try making something on the sewing machine.  A friend of my mother's evidently saw the sewing gleam in my eye, because she gave me this little toy Singer sewing machine and iron.  They had belonged to the friend when she was a little girl.  The patent date on what is left of the instruction pamphlet is 1922.  I loved playing with this little machine and iron at the time -- I was told that to have good sewing skills, you also need good pressing skills.  I really cherish this gift now -- some 70 years later!!

By age eleven, I was a whiz on an adult sewing machine, and made my first quilt for my doll from my grandmother's and great-grandmother's apron and dress scraps.  At age 15, I bought my own sewing machine on lay-away -- $5.00 a month for 9 months -- that seemed like a very long 9 months waiting for my machine!

I haven't stopped sewing since (or accumulating vintage sewing stuff from both sides of my family).  This was my other grandmother's sewing encyclopedia from the 1940s and is stuffed with clippings and notes.

As a child, I was fascinated with this type of sewing basket - the ones with the beads, foreign coins and tassels - exotic stuff for a kid on the prairies of Colorado!  And, they were always full of sewing accouterments.

One of the best things about being a sewer and quilt maker has been all of the people I've met through guilds and groups.  They have given me their friendship, plus so many handmade gifts -- needle books, pin cushions, lots of quilted hearts, and adorable little creatures!

These little dolls are about 1 1/2" tall - impeccable workmanship.

I guess it was only natural being the oldest grandchild (and girl) on both sides of my family that I should inherit my grandmother's and great-grandmother's sterling silver thimbles.  What a treasure with the wonderful engravings!

Advertising thimbles have been fun to collect, also.

That's it for today's post -- some day I'll dig out the button boxes with all of the vintage buttons, plus some other little bits and bobs.

I'll leave you for now with this page I have from a Dick and Jane book - 1940s.  I was always so proud as a kid that one of the characters' name was Sally.  Here is Sally watching as "Mother Makes Something".  What is ironic is that my mother never sewed a thing -- the sewing gene skipped her generation!

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SEW MUCH FUN - PART TWO

I hadn't forgotten about continuing my posts on my sewing collectibles -- I just got sidetracked a bit.  To view the first post about the promotional items from Clark's O.N.T. from the 1800s, click here.

Now for more Clark's O.N.T. stuff --

I love finding these little cardboard boxes that the thread was delivered in to the stores.  Spanning the years, the graphics are fun and different.

It's especially fun to discover them when they are full of unused thread.

The Clark Company also distributed instructional booklets such as "Sewing Secrets - The Modern Methods of Stitching-Decorating-and Finishing" (Copyright 1930).

Over the years, they have sold all kinds of thread from darning thread, crochet, to different weights and colors of sewing thread.  Love all of the wooden spools!

The large decal of the logo was probably to be used on a storefront's door.

I've really enjoyed searching for Clark's collectibles over the years just because of the variety available.  Plus, they can be found for pennies to a couple of dollars.

The next installment of "Sew Much Fun" will be a variety of other sewing trinkets that I have accumulated.  Please come back.

I'm joining the following:
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
Boogie Board Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
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Knick of Time Interiors for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday
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Imparting Grace for Grace at Home Thursday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
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