A finished project and baking bread

No one is more surprised than my husband.  Well, perhaps I am.  But anyway...I finished the Penny Rug!  And...it was really fun and relaxing to make! I don't think all of the stitches show up very well in the photo, but trust me, there are lots and lots of stitches around every little part of the apples.

 

I also tested out the new bread making method I mentioned before...and it worked! 

 

 

 Except you're supposed to be able to make four (smaller) loaves from the dough and I was only able to get three loaves.  But the bread is actually delicious and was super easy to make.  No kneading!  The only downside I can see is I probably won't want to do this during the summer as the bread bakes at 450 degrees...that may not be feasible during the warmer months since we don't have air conditioning.  But it's perfect to warm up the house right now on a chilly morning and plus it makes the house smell great!  Now...I'll have to try out some of the more adventuresome recipes in the book...like Vermont Cheddar Bread or ...heaven help me...Cinnamon Sticky Buns *swoon*.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday in pictures

Discovered two more places - both less than 29 miles from our home.  Perfect for a Sunday afternoon picnic after church!  Moose Point State Park is amazing.  Ocean vistas and an easy hiking trail that loops around with mostly ocean views and then the last part through some lovely woods with crunchy leaves underfoot. 

On the way home we stopped at Fort Point State Park.

Tom looking for rocks to skip.

Tom demonstrating some rock skipping skills...

On the way home, a lady was selling freshly made bittersweet wreaths by the side of the road, so Tom bought me one...I love it!  We'll probably never try to grow bittersweet ourselves, since it's a highly invasive plant, but gosh it does make the prettiest fall wreath!

 

Friday Catch-Up

The days go by so quickly!  It's been wonderful watching the season change.  Every day there are more vivid colors in the landscape and God's handiwork is all around us. 

The Golden Maple in front of our house.

 

Then yesterday we were exploring our garden again.  We knew there were grapes, but hadn't really checked on them in a while.  Well, we discovered that not only do we have concord grapes, around in the back of the grape arbor, we also have sweet red table grapes!  It's amazing they survived as they were being choked by numerous tree saplings that had popped up and also thorny rose bushes had been planted all around them.  Well, roses are one of the favorite food stuffs of the evil incarnate Japanese Beetle.  Which of course had happily been eating away at the grapes.  So...Tom did some serious gardening today and cleaned up the entire grape arbor.  Can't wait to see how well it does next year!

We still are waiting for lots of the red grapes to ripen on the vine.

In other news...

remember how I said I couldn't wait for my Penny Rug class this week?  Because I would finally have a finished craft in hand?  Ha. Ha. Ha. 

Only one lady finished and that was because she already knew how to do it and had worked on hers all week since the last class. (Hers did turn out beautifully, I must say.) As for the rest of us, well, we have all been taught the correct techniques and stitches and now it's up to us to finish.  The instructor is so nice and did say we are all welcome to pop back in her shop if we run into any problems.  I promise to post a pic WHEN I finish.  Really.  And it will be before 2014. 

The class actually was a lot of fun and I hope to take more classes from her in the future. 

I've also been working on some painting projects using old fashioned milk paint that I bought at the Common Ground Fair.  I'm painting some picture frames as well as a little side table. It's really nice because there are no fumes with this paint, so I can actually work on it inside the house. 

I am hoping to start baking our bread soon.  There is a method where you mix up the dough once a week (& it doesn't require kneading), and store it in your fridge. Every day you just cut off the amount you need that day, let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes and bake for 30.  Voila.  Home baked bread that does NOT cost 5 bucks a loaf.  So...will let you know if that really works or if it's all hype.  We're committed to living more frugally.  It's been hard moving cross country and getting our household up and running.  But we're almost there and I think it will be a fun challenge to explore ways to live a frugal but rich life.  (Okay, I know cable is NOT frugal...but c'mon.  This is Maine.  6 months of winter, remember?  I'm just not that strong...)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

Sunday afternoon walk

Last Sunday afternoon we took a drive to visit the Ecotat Gardens and Arboretum in Hermon, Maine.  These gardens are free and open to the public. 

Sunday morning in Maine

 

 

Yesterday evening we went to the vigil mass.  I continue to be impressed by the priests in this parish.  The homilies get right to the heart of the gospel - these are shepherds who are lovingly and wisely guiding their flock.  What a blessing to be a part of this parish!  We attended the vigil mass because today it was time to get some insulation up in our attic.  It was the only major item that came out of the home inspection report this summer, and with the cost of heating oil, we knew it was something we needed to do as soon as possible.  So...insulation in attic, check.

On to a few other things that have been going on.  Last weekend we drove to the flagship LL Bean store in Freeport.  The fall colors along I-95 alone were worth the trip!

 

We had fun at the LL Bean store, but it was crowded and that really wore us out.  What can I say, we're getting old(er)! Ha! 

 

 

He looks pretty happy to have his picture taken there, doncha think? Well, he was.  Honest. 

Everywhere we go, it's just beautiful.  Even the drive to the dump  the Transfer Station is lovely! 

This past week I went to my Penny Rug making class.  Being a dedicated introvert, I was really nervous about going and meeting new people.  But of course, all of the ladies in the class (there were 8 of us, plus the instructor) were really nice and I had so much fun learning something new!  I'll post some pics when we finish up our project this next week. 

I'm also working on a knitted hat for this winter, with some beautiful hand-dyed yarn I purchased at the common ground fair.  

 Winter is around the corner my friends!  Hopefully I'll finish the hat in time...I am not known for speed around these here crafting parts.  What are those little dark purple x's in hat you ask? I like to think of them as creative design elements.  See how I'm learning to move on from my mistakes?  Or I will never.finish. a thing. So...design elements they are!

 

In other news...it was time to put the forgotten vegetable garden to bed!  On Friday, while Tom worked on all of the flower beds, tree trimming, etc. etc., I set to work on the vegetable garden.  The weather was crisp, sunny, and no wind.  I used muscles I didn't know I had!  You're talking to a woman who spent the last (lots of) years working at a desk job in a windowless office.  It felt so good to be outside and working in that garden.  But boy was I sore yesterday!  Okay, yes, I'm still sore today.  But a good sore!  An "I feel ALIVE" kind of sore.  ha ha.  And luckily clearing the garden is not a weekly job or I'd have to invest in some Advil stock.  Cause Advil and I have been good friends of late!

 Oh, one last thing today. 

This week I also tried lox for the first time.  Along with the usual suspects... bagel with cream cheese and onions. Oh my goodness.  I'm a fan.  It's just the best.  And I can't wait to eat it again!  In fact, I think that's what I will go do right now...you talked me into it!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

 

 

For anyone who has lost someone they love dearly

This one's for my mom.  See you on the other side...