Monday, July 12, 2010

A Very Full Weekend - and We Have a Winner

GR&DF here in SF we stayed pretty busy or at least it seems that we stayed busy and quite a few things where accomplished.

On the stitching front my Garden Path sampler is bee-bopping right along and here is a snap as it stood last night when I threw in the towel for sleep.....

It really doesn't feel that I am getting very far on this - but the border vine/leaves are completed - I heaved a real sign of relief when I came around the lower right corner to hit the spot where I had stopped near the top right corner. It was a bang on match. Now to the flowers, I will do those as I go along with the body of the sampler leaving the sawtooth interior border to the last.

On Saturday we ran around to few Estate and Garage sales and bought a pile of stuff....

This is the majority of the stuff - starting from left to right - two DVD's - a special addition of "Carrie" - 1976 - a favorite flick of Rico's, "Too Hot to Handle" - 1960 - a travel book about France, a c. 1900 Baedeker Guide and a Citipack of Paris. I also picked up this nice seasonal Cookbook - then we also collected from different sales some great books for Rico's g-niece - and a fun Phonics machine thing. Moving along to the right there are three Christmas books I got for myself to add to my collection - "The Eleves of Cologne" - I really enjoyed this city when I visited Germany and this was such a great little book, I also picked up "Robin Finds Christmas" - 1961 and a great old Golden Book called the "First Noel" - 1959. I really love Christmas books and the older the better. We also picked up a couple of ornaments and the old star topper - which is an exact duplicate to the one the sat on my family tree from my earliest recollection - I also have the old family one but the based is cracked and this one is totally perfect - it is only a shiny plastic star but it brings back such great memories!!

Here is some more stuff I picked up..

A great older - c 1940 - Griswold hinged chicken fry pan - yes, I do have another one, but that one does not have its lid - two cookie cutters, and old peeler and a super piece of blue transfer ware pitcher- c 1880. Over all a very productive Estate Sale running around.

We visited the little Farmers Market yesterday and I got a few snaps....

These are some beautiful heirloom tomatoes...





This is such a nice little FM - and now that everything is coming in the booths are overflowing with a variety of things.

Yesterday I got to my summer jam making.... getting together the jars and stuff I had on hand -

and starting the small batch I planned on making...

and then getting the stuff into jars and running them through the water bath - I ended up with some pretty tasty jam.....

I will run by and pick up another case of jars for another couple of batches of jam I plan on making next weekend. I gave away quiet a few jars last year and the word got out so I now have requests for my jam - which I think is crazy as this stuff is not very hard to make - lord knows if I can do it anyone can!! I really enjoy making it and next winter I will certainly enjoy cracking open a jar of summer.

The baking yesterday was a summer cake my Mom used to make - it is from a recipe from my Great Aunt Sue - but I found many versions and variations on the Internet so it is far from secret, but really delicious -

...called Apricot Nectar Cake - super light and totally moist this is a great summer cake!! IMHO

I think I will wrap it up today with the winner of the Squirrel Sampler chart - I cut all the names into strips last night - and got out the yellow BOD - and had the monkey who-hound - Lolly pick a winner.....

This is a total "deer in the headlights" look if I ever saw one....

she stuck her little paw in and moved around the entrants and then flicked out a name.... and the winner is..... Rhonda B in Auburn. Woo-Hoo!!!! Rhonda please send me your snail mail address and I will get the chart in the mail. Thank you all for participating in my little drawing - there are others coming up so stop back in!!

There you go sports fans - thank you all for stopping by and for you continued kind comments - they are always making my day!!

Take care,
edgar

19 comments:

  1. Love your WIP -- so pretty! What caught my eye in your estate sale stash is the 1900 Baedeker. We found a very old Baedeker in a used bookstore once. It's so cool! I just love it! Love your farmer's market pics as always. And your jam-making and baking - fantastic!

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  2. I really love your WIP and you have stitched tons on it. The tomatoes look amazing and I wish we had a real farmers market here. Congrats to the winner of your giveaway.
    Love
    Patti xxx

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  3. Your WIP is coming along. You got quite a bit accomplished.

    Great haul at the estate sales!

    Love the pictures of the farmers market. You certainly have a great selection to choose from.

    Have a great day.

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  4. That weekend Is packed!

    Congrats on the border meet-up. :) That is always a relief. One can count and count and still be off sometimes. :P

    Those Heirlooms are GORGEOUS! As are the Cauliflower--they are positively pristine! Usually when we get cauliflower around here I have to cut off a bit of wilty leaves or moldy florets (just a touch). Guess that's Cali for ya!

    The Jam and Apricot Nectar cake both look so good! Depending upon how sweet the cake is I'd actually put the jam on the cake, lol!

    Lolly (moar like LOL-y, amirite?) is so cute here--she has NO idea what's happening. :D Thanks again for offering Squirrel as a giveaway.

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  5. Your new WIP looks fab Edgar! Love the colours and although the border might have been a PITA to stitch it looks beautiful.
    Lovely pics of your finds, the market and the one of Lolly made me giggle.
    Have a great week x

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  6. Your progress looks wonderful! Isn't it always a great feeling when the border matches up.

    Great pics of the market and your finds - you always seem to find some great things.

    Whoo-hoo, that jam looks great! There is a general rule around here, that if someone gives you a canned item and you ever wish to receive more, than you'd better be sure to return the empty jar!

    Congrats to the winner!

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  7. Love your WIP it is looking great!!

    WOW I LOVE the hinged chicken fry pan. I have been looking for one of those for ages. I have a Cast Iron Dutch oven I fry my chicken in but always on the lookout for more Cast Iron I lOVE them :)

    All that glorious food and your preserves look great!!

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  8. I am so jealous of the farmers market!! Those tomatoes look yummy. I love your WIP

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  9. Edgar...the border on your WIP is stunning! I LOVE IT!!
    Wish we had estate sales like yours around these parts. That chicken fryer is on my list! I've never seen one with a lid but then I don't get out much.
    Congrats to your winner!

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  10. Your sampler is coming along. The vine you have completed is lovely. I am sure you felt very accomplished when the corners matched up!

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  11. Sweet Lolly looks like she is feeling the responsiblity for choosing a winner from the BOD! Congratulations to the winner. Looks like a great weekend all the way around!

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  12. Your WIP is looking great! And you sure got a lot of fabulous finds at the sales over the weekend!!

    Your pictures of the market are great again!

    Congrats to Rhonda!!!!

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  13. I love your WIP - it's so good to see someone working on that piece. It was one of the first samplers I did years ago. I should send you a pic. I did mine on plain off white Belfast - I think that yours is going to be gorgeous on the fabric you chose.

    Great estate hauls too!

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  14. Woo Hoo!! I'm a winner. The best part isn't winning the pattern (which I'm very grateful for) but being able to sit and read your blog which I've told you is thoroughly enjoyed here. Great pictures of the veggies. Cauliflower that size would be very welcomed in small-head-Indiana. The jam looks lovely to. Am I reading it right, they were peeled last week and then canned over the weekend? Lucky you for making ends meet on the sampler border. You are braver than I for stitching that way. Nothing more frustrating than having to figure out the mistake and rip it out. Lovely work!

    Happy Stitching
    Rhonda

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  15. The food loves yummy.

    I am dreading your progress on Garden Path. I really like it already! Someone here 'borrowed' it and I will never see my copy again! So sad, but yours is looking great!

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  16. Hi Edgar, have been away for a month and I am trying to get caught up with my blog reading.

    Love when you go to the farmers market and also seeing what you get at estate sales.

    Your cooking is always so appealing and I am loving the idea of homemade peach jam. Living in Georgia, I should be doing this.

    Your stitching is great as always, I am amazed at how fast you get things done.

    Well, have a great week ---- Roberta

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  17. your farmer's market looks fabulous! The tomatoes!!!

    Yout WIP is looking great. I am never disciplined enough to do the whole border first, I am just SOL if it doesn't line up :(

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  18. Garden Path is coming along beautifully!

    Great pics of the farmer's market and your jam looks absolutely delicious.

    Lolly looks so sweet dipping her paw into the Bowl of Destiny - congratulations to Rhonda B.

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  19. As always...your stitching is lovely. Garden Path is coming along beautifully. By the looks of your Farmer's Market Snaps the tomatoes are coming in from the local fields - so a trip to the Pleasanton market is in store for this coming Saturday. I love those yellow pear tomatoes (typically eat those as we walk through the market and around downtown...thus, they never seem to make it home).
    Take care!

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“In every end, there is also a beginning.”

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