A Weekend Post - With a Bunch of Snaps

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends thanks for stopping by for the weekend post.  We were not very busy doing anything in particular, but there where some high points.

We started off the weekend on Friday evening with a trip down to China Town.  We hadn't been in a long while so it was time to revisit.  One of the nicest things about this city is how quickly you can get anywhere.  Being a peninsula and only about 7 x 7 miles everything is tight and easily accessible.  We stopped off  to pick up Martin and then a 10 minute drive found us parked in the Sutter street parking garage.  Once out of the garage we walked up Grant street.....

 - notice the tour buses - they seem to run all the time everywhere.  The buses can't go down Grant Street - which is the heart of China Town.  The entrance to CT is this really ornate gate...

In many of the most heavily trafficked tourist areas are shops that deal in some of the most "ornate" pieces of furniture.  So, if you are going for that Versailles look - there are lots of choices....

We weren't just wandering around looking for a place to eat - we had a destination in mind.  We were not going to our usual CT place - "The Empress of China" - a restaurant that we like to take visitors to.  It is a lovely place on the pricey side, but the views are beautiful.  Since we live here all we wanted was a good dinner we didn't need a view.  

Walking along Grant I took some other snaps...

and then we made it to our destination.... Snow Garden.

This very unassuming place has some really terrific food.  Since there was three of us we had the "dinner for two" with an additional plate...lemon chicken.  Here's a snap of dinner...

After enjoying a tasty meal we walked around for a while -  in and out of the shops.  We also passed Old St. Mary's.  A lovely older church from the early days of SF.

and here is a side view showing the downstairs church shop....

It was a nice dinner and visit.

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On Saturday  - no shopping - none at all.  Just ran some errands and stayed in for the rest of the afternoon watching films.

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Sunday found us at early Mass and then on to breakfast at Eddie's.  After breakfast we trotted on over to the Farmers market and found that some of the summer fruits are starting to come in.....

 and the flowers where very pretty......

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We finished up and came home.  I whipped up this little treat....

 I found this 1st Prize Winning - Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe on line.  very simple and really tasty!!
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There you go sports fans.  I also did quite a bit of stitching, but on things I can not show yet.  Thanks for stopping by and for your super comments.  I do appreciate them!!

Take care,
edgar

And We Have a Winner

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends I wanted to thank everyone that took part in my little Blogoversary Drawing!! It was amazing to see all the entries and interest from all of you in Blogland.  After getting all the entry slips together I got out a BOD and mixed them all up - there was 45 seconds of stirring the pot  - it doesn't sound like a lot of time but just watch a clock tick off those seconds....

Then I put a blindfold on Rico....  and even the who-hounds stepped in to help.  

I think they where looking for snacks - but they put in their two cents!!

The hag claw reached out and into the BOD and drew forth a slip of paper.  

On the slip was our winner.... and the winner is.... 

Carolyn!!  She Blogs over at ...Just one more stitch.  I have sent off an email of congratulations.  

Again I thank everyone for entering.

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There you go for today sports fans.  I'll get a weekend posting up tomorrow.  Thank you all for you wonderful comments!!!  I do appreciate them all!!

Take care,

edgar

Shopping Sucks - and a Reminder

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends another week passes and we are at a two day break - woo hoo!!!!

Yesterday after work and after dog stuff we ran down to the Tanforan Mall - yep the Mall. Stopping off a Michael's first. I needed a couple of bits for the 4th Blogoversary Prize. There was actually a reason we made the trip to the mall - to buy some new clothes. Now I can wear the same old things for years - as long as its clean, pressed and at hand I really could care less. I have 6 pairs of jeans I rotate through and about 25 or so shirts and about two dozen low rise Converses Chucks (black) and there you go.

My work out fit (in fact it's how I dress everyday) - jeans a solid colour shirt, and Chucks. Fashion statement I am not. Now don't get me wrong - I enjoy Haute Couture and fashiony things, but on me - that ain't gonna ever happen. So after a handful of years everything starts to fade and get a bit worn - so it was off to the Mall to replenish.  There is a very specific style shirt I like and both Sears and Jacques Pennay carry them - and there are usually sales going on....  After about 20 minutes total shopping at both stores I had purchased 7 shirts in various colours, two more pairs of jeans and another pair of Chucks and I was set.  What sucked was at Sears is I found "my" shirts on sale at 40% off - so woohoo!!  When I got to the register there was a revelation - they were not actually on sale - I questioned the shop girl and so off we both went to check this supposed sale rack o'shirts.  Upon reaching the rack with the gigantic red 40% off sign it would seem that every shirt on said rack was not on sale but at full price -  so I had my "whatchu talkin about Willis" moment.  Then the really sweet shop gal said not to worry as the sign should not be there -  she was going to give me the shirts at the 40% off as listed - and then she removed the sign.   So I would guess that shopping doesn't really suck, but that little hiccups during the shopping suck. 

After the traumatic shopping - we headed off to Red Robin - I had delicious patty melt and some peach tea - and found that all was right in the world!!!

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Just a quick reminder that the 4th Blogoversary drawing closes tomorrow at 3 PM - if you've not thrown in and wanted to you still have time.  Just click HERE and it will take you to the post to enter.  I will announce the winner on my 4th Blogoversary, Monday!!

Thanks for stopping by and for your continued kindnesses towards me and my little Blog.  

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Take care,

edgar

Warm Weather and an Itallian Love Story

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends yesterday we had a really warm day here in the City by the Bay.  It got into the low 80's - which is way off for this area and time of year.  But, it was only one day and now the temps has been cool all night and it is not supposed to get much more than the mid to low 70's.  The one or two day warm spot is what keeps me loving the city.  Yes, we have great places to visit, lovely eateries and enough coffee shops to caffinate a small country.... but the weather is so very lovely!!  Growing up in the deep south I remember the months and months of hot sweltering humid days..... but give me the SF fog and cool breezes every time - I just love them!!!

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For the last couple of evenings I have been stitching hard at the 4th Blogoversary Gift.  It is coming along nicely and I do hope whomever receives my little package enjoys everything as much as I am enjoying the stitching.  I am dumbfounded by the response to my little Gift-a-way - I just checked and there are over 230 comments on that particular post - which doesn't count the entries as that number will be much greater with multiple chances.  Thank you all for entering and for the wonderful comments!!!  If you haven't entered the drawing and would still like to - there is time - just click HERE to get to the post.

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I finished up a great little book yesterday - "A Thousand Days in Venice - an Unexpected Romance" - by Marlena de Blasi.  It was a really tremendous book.  Along with "A Thousand Days in Tuscany" and "The Lady in the Palazzo" these books make up a really wonderful triptych.  I would highly recommend them for a good read, but, read them in order and not like I did backwards.  The story begins in Venice  - then moves to Tuscany - then wraps up with Palazzo.  It so reminded me of my visit to Italy and the time I spent in Venice.  I would go back in a NY minute!!  There is a reason the city is called the "Queen of the Adriatic"... she's a gorgeous city full of wonderful things!!!

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by, do come again.

Take care,

edgar

A Shorty Posting

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends  - I would like to welcome all the new folks stopping by for a visit!!  - and - welcome to all my new followers!!  That clunk was my jaw hitting the ground at the sweet comments being posted along with your BOD Entries.  I am reading them and warmness fills me to over flowing!!! 

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The stitching last night was more angel wing or I should say more "Straw Bonnet" - a rather dull colour, but necessary.  I almost got there, but the call of the chip was too great and so I put down the stitching and picked up the Lays Bag - crunchy deliciousness!!!

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The flicker for the evening - after watching a NEW, really good "Glee" (don't you just love Fleetwood Mac!!)  - was a documentary called "Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037" - 2007 - A fascinating look inside the Steinway factory in Queens, New York.  The film follows the construction of a concert grand piano - from forest to showroom.  It takes about twelve months to make one of the magnificent things. What this film does is go from department to department watching all the thousands of things it takes to make a single piano come together .  They spend time talking and interviewing all the dedicated craftsmen involved - from actual construction to the fine tuning.  The film also includes interviews with the end users of such a wonderful instrument - Harry Connick Jr, Lang Lang and other pianists.   I really enjoyed this film and at about 81 minutes you sort of zip along without a dull moment - it almost seems too short.

There you go sports fans.  Thanks again for stopping by, and for you wonderful comments!!

Take care,

edgar

I was a WINNER!! and a Bunch of Paramount Firsts

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends.... the comments for yesterdays post where wonderful, as always.  Brightening up my morning.  Thank you all so very much!!!!!

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Our Little Blog Community has many Drawings and Gift-a-ways - all for different reasons.  Usually it is boils down to basically sharing and giving.  I threw my name in on such a Drawing a few weeks back.  It was a Super-d duper 3rd Blogoversary Drawing that Amy over at "Cross Stitch and Cupcakes" was hosting.  She was actually having 5 Drawings to celebrate!!  I was the lucky winner of "Giveaway #2" - and what a super giveaway!!  It was a wonderful haul of various cuts and pieces of lovely linen.  Here's a snap...  I had some help....

I couldn't believe the selections - they are just beautiful!!  Thank you so much Amy!!

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Click HERE if you would like to get in on my 4th Blogoversary Drawing.  Only a few more days to enter.  I am busily stitching away on the prize - so it will be a surprise package. 

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Over the weekend I saw a really interesting and well constructed film.  It was an oldie (no surprise there) called "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" - 1936 - starring Sylvia Sidney, Henry Fonda, Fred MacMurray, Fred Stone, Beulah Bondi and George "Spanky" McFarland.  This was Paramount's First Technicolor Feature, First film to be shot in three strip Technicolor AND their First colour feature to be shot outside of the studio on location. 

 Sylvia Sidney - 1910-1999

It's a wonderful movie - a pretty good story about feuding families - well written & well acted by a better than ordinary cast. "Spanky" MacFarland (of the Our Gang shorts)  was a jewel in his role as Buddy.  Fred MacMurry and Henry Fonda performed well as Sylvia Sidney's love interests. Beulah Bondi was her usual wonderful self - She carried more than her share of the movie.  Although the story is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains the movie was actually shot near Cedar Lake, in California's San Bernardino Mountains. Well worth a look - It  was a Netflix selection and the DVD transfer is top notch.  If you've not seen it make the effort to give it a chance.

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There you go sports fans.  Thanks again for stopping by, and for the kind comments... do stop by again!!

Take care,

edgar

Weekend Stitching and Stuff

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends - woowzers - how can I get my BFH (big fat head) through the door anymore?  I was just blown away this morning with all the kind comments about my framed stitching.  As you probably remember I avoid "like the plague" the computer during the weekend.  So I didn't see any of your nice words until this morning.  I have reworked the "sampler wall" but I am still not 100% happy with the results, so I am holding off with a snap of it until I get it fixed.

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I did some stitching over the weekend - I finished up square 6 - June on the LHN Monthlies piece.  Here is a snap-a-roo...

For some reason I really enjoyed this square immensely.  

At the half way point now, this piece as it is making up quite fast.

and

I also started up ATS yesterday.  So I have a snap of the bit I have done so far.....

It looks kind of silly at the moment, but I love the colours and the stitching is easy enough.  I have at hand as I stitch copies of all the suggestions and errors that other stitchers have pointed out or noticed as they worked their way through ATS. 

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We made it out to a few Estate sales and all I picked up where a few books...

I picked up a couple of Christmas books, the second Volume of Mastering French Cooking and a great quilt book.  The Quilt book was printed in the mid 70's and I would presume long out of print.  I love the reading the interviews of these quilters and seeing the quilts they made.

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I also did some baking yesterday.  I made a couple of loaves of Poticia (Potcia) - a Slovenian Nut Roll - I followed the recipe, but made a couple of minor changes....

I added nutmeg (of course) to the filling, and made a lemony icing for the top.  Traditionally only icing sugar is sprinkled over the finished product - but -   I really didn't want to throw away the lemon since all I had used was the rind in the filling.  I had never made this before and learned lots so that next time I make it ( and there  will be a next time) there will be changes....  all that aside, I think it is quite tasty!!  - and I am enjoying some with a cup of coffee as I type this mornings Post.

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There you go sports fans.  Thank you all so very much again for your super comments - I appreciate them and the time you take to leave them.  Stop back again for more of my ongoing babbling!! 

Take care,

edgar