A SAL Snap and Some More Weekend Snaps

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends thank you so very much for the kind comments about yesterdays post.  Lil Smokie may think he is the cutest little trick around but those teeth of his are sharp as needles.  

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I finished up the next part in Carol's lovely Mystery Sampler SAL - and here is a snap of my piece....

As you can see I am making my own little changes as I stitch along.  I also changed out the elongated stitches I used in the top square for the flowers.  They just never hit me right and so I just yanked them out last night and stitched these in their place - I'll live with it like it is for a while.  I also added some stitches to the heart in the most current square.

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I wanted to share some of the Snaps from the weekend farmers Market.  We decided to stop back by the Grove/Divisadrero Streets Farmers Market.  From the few tents/booths they started with they are now up to about 30 - I love it when a market grows and more people support local production....  now the snappers...

all these great tomatoes where just gorgeous!!  That's Rico's hand getting us some of the cherry tomatoes...

and there where piles of eggplants

with the Fall here there was also lots and lots of grapes

this booth had the tomatoes and tomtillos mixed for a great picture

I just liked the way they set this booth up

our flower lady had tons of beautiful sunflowers - we picked up a couple of bunches and they are beautiful!!

 I love marigolds and these where some beauties.

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I also baked up a cake on Sunday -the recipe I picked up over at "The English Kitchen" 

for Sticky Marmalade Cake -I'll get the recipe up tomorrow.

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There you go sports fans - another day and other post.  Thanks again for stopping by, do come again!

Take care,

edgar

Another Weekend Whoooshes Bye-Bye!!

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends  - there was no storm, nary a drop of rain or a flicker of flash from anywhere in or over the City on Friday evening.  There was plenty in the South and East Bay, but SF was just a bit windy and cool.  Oh, well - that was a bust - I love storms and weather you can see and feel.  I miss those big storms I knew from the south - heavily large electrical flashes of light crackling across the sky with sheets and sheets of rain.  I have given that up for the cool damp fog and the cold days that we have here are just fine with me!!.

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This weekend we spent running our usual errands - but let me start off with a bit of stitching - I worked a little on SoHRH and here it is as of last night - 

I finished up the sails, but will hold off on the rigging until the entire piece is complete as they are just long stitches and will probably not hold up to being snapped in and out of a Q-Snap.  I also moved on the last row and square 9 - which is probably one of my favorite on this piece.  I still need to work out what words I want in square 8 and what I want the pennant and flag to look like, but there is plenty of time for that.

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One of the errands we worked on was finding the who-hound chow they like.  We went to just about every Pet Place in the city looking for a particular kind of food and finally found it at the South City Pet Smart.

The Blue Buffalo is pretty easy to find (when you find it) but the Simply Nourish was a brand no one had even heard of or seen.  We had gotten some from a co-worker of Rico's,  her hound did not like it but our babies just about tore my arm off loving the stuff.  Come to find out that it is a Pet Smart exclusive - not that the label tells you that (which I think is dumb!!) but I am happy, the who hounds are happy  - and all is right in our world once again.  We buy different kinds so that they can have variety and I usually mix them together or with other bits of steak or chicken  - I know, I know they are terribly spoiled - what can I do??  They even like the cheapo Mighty Dog - I look on that as sort of who-hound fast food.

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We did have some drama in Noe Valley on Saturday afternoon - a pretty big fire - 

  These are snaps I took form our house  - the fires was down on 24th Street - the shop at street level was a Radio Shack and above where Flats.  We have not heard what was the cause or anything else.  From what we could see it looked pretty bad.

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We got to some estate sales all I picked up was this pile.....

I found these two boxes of recipes and the few older cookbooks on a shelf and for a $1 how could I pass them up.  I love old recipes and have been going through these finding some real treasures!!

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I think I will leave off today with this snap....

  Lil Smokie has graduated from his little box to a Big Boy Bed - on his own he chased the girls out and has taken over their bed - I think he thinks he is a tough dog now, but this little devil it totally cute here!!

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There you go sports fans, thanks for stopping by!!  Do come again!

Take care,

edgar

Fall Pyn Keepe Exchange

Gentle readers and Dear Friends thank you again - I seem to say that a lot, but I do appreciate your stopping by and taking time to leave comments and send emails.  It makes writing Blacksheep Bits much more fun and interactive - more friendly instead of the feeling that I am writing to the ether gray world of the Internet.  The week has wound down from a couple of really lovely days - Tuesday and Wednesday - to last night when the fogged rolled in light a freight train covering the city in a damp cold fog.  We are supposed to be getting thunderstorms here this weekend - which doesn't sound too unusual except we do not get thunder and lighting here in the Bay area except on very rare occasions.  So, if we do get some "thunderstorms" I will be mighty surprised!!

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The Blog this week will wrap up on a super high note - I did a private exchange with Charity - from  "Lover of Cross Stitch" - we kept to the HOE theme of Fall Pyn Keepe.  Yesterday I got her wonderful package.  I have some snaperoos.....

Here is the lovely Pyn Keepe she made me - notice the detail buttons and little crystal beads.

The Pyn keep came in a super box she made also - with my initials stitched on top - and inside the box.....

....where some lovely stitching things - a length of ribbon, some great Fall fabric, skeins of great Fall coloured DMC, quite a few decorative bobbins - and the inside lid has a beautiful ribbon rosette attached to it!!  What a super special exchange I received!!!  Thank you so very much Charity!!!!!!  It is beautiful and so perfect for this time of year!!!

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At the moment I am reading a Biography of Judy Holliday - and am up to her life as it changed with her getting the part of Billie Dawn in the Play "Born Yesterday."  When Columbia, run by the nasty Harry Cohn bought the property for $1 Million bucks he didn't event think of her playing the part.  He saw Rita Hayworth in the role and she would have gotten it had she not run off an married Prince Aly Khan.  Even then he didn't want Judy to play the part - so her "audition" and to see how she looked in film was to play another part, Doris Attinger,  in another film - "Adams Rib" - 1949 -  with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

So, I watched this film last night - I hadn't seen it in a long time and was pleasantly surprised - very polished and wonderfully acted - I do love the Tracy/Hepburn films.  Judy was of course charming and just great.  The fear was she wouldn't translate very well to film from the stage - how wrong he was!!  Both "Adam's Rib" and "Born Yesterday" are on DVD so if you've not seen them or not seen them in long time check the out, both funny as a crutch  - AND - Judy went on to win the 1950 Best Actress Oscar for her protral of Billie Dawn!!

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There you go sports fans - another week another Post - Do stop buy again!!  Have great weekend - 

Take care,

edgar

4 Good Flicks

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends only a day more and then the weekend!!  Can you tell I'm ready for it - even on a short week - looking towards the weekend has my full attention.  But, until then lets talk about a few flicks....

First up - and by year of release - is "The Young in Heart" - 1938 - with an ensemble cast of superior actors this film is a film I think anyone would enjoy.  The cast includes... Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Paulette Goddard, Roland Young, Billie Burke and Minnie Dupree.  

The story revolves around the family Carlton - four folks that are looking for the easy way and for someone else to pay when they are asked to leave the South of France.  On their way north they meet and latch onto a a wealthy lonely older woman who takes them in and helps them become the people she knows they can be.  A charming story that is well worth a look - and at 90 minutes moves along briskly.

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The second film "Larceny Inc." - 1942 - another ensemble film led by that wonderful actor Edward G. Robinson - other co-stars include Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson and Anthony Quinn.  

This 95 Minute film tells the story of gangsters trying to go straight - or are they?  After getting out of prison and buying a less than successful luggage store to rob the Bank next door these would be robbers find it easier to make money legitimately than to steal.  When a "friend" from prison walks in and has other plans.  A fun and funny film with some laugh out loud moments!!

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Third up is "Song of the Thin Man" - 1947 - starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, Keenan Wynn, Gloria Graham and Jane Meadows -this was the sixth and last instalment of the "Thin Man" Series."

Of course there is a murder, a mystery some jewels and music - all on the luxury gambling yacht of an off beat criminal.  I really enjoy Powell and Loy as Nick and Nora - even with a thinnish story line - they are charming and get off some terrific lines!!  The film is 86 minutes and moves along well - a light murder mystery with two great actors is well worth a look!!

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Last but certainly not least we come to 1951's - "14 Hours" - starring Paul Douglas, Richard Basehart, Barbara Bel Geddes, Agnes Moorehead and Grace Kelly.  

This "forgotten" film is remembered if ever because it was Grace Kelly's first appearance in film.  The story of a young man standing on the 16th floor ledge of the Hotel Rodney in NYC - and ready to jump.  Douglas plays a sympathetic cop that is the only person the jumper will talk to and tell his story.  A wonderfully shot film with great deep perspective and mask shots makes you believe that you are up on the ledge with the two stars.  A film full of suspense with little side stories all told in a short 92 minutes.

I enjoyed all four of the films and think you might also.  

They are all available on DVD.

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Last night instead of any stitching at all I spent it playing with Smokie and being his chew toy, boy those little puppy teeth are sharp little suckers!!!

There you go sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by - do come again!!

Take care,

edgar

A 3-Day Weekend Post, Part II - Lots and Lots of Snaps.......

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends thanks for all the great comments on yesterdays post.  Another little update on Smokie's growing up is that he has now learned to get up the stairs, not down the stairs just up.  Up until a day or so ago the girls would run up stairs and hide from his puppy shenanigans, but no longer.  Smokie has learned to go up the stairs to terrorize them.  Now, the last refuge is on the bed, couch or chair to get out of his reach.  i don't think that will last too much longer - just watching him bouncing up and down trying to get up where they are is pretty funny.

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I did a one on one exchange with Charity and she let me know it had arrived -

We also did a Fall Pyn keepe Exchange - I picked out this LK Flip It to make - It turned out pretty cute and was well received.  I really enjoyed the two Fall Exchanges I was in!!!  Thanks to everyone that helped and made them great experiences!!!

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On Monday, Labor Day we decided to get out and visit The Conservatory of Flowers over in Golden Gate park.  You can click HERE to read the official CF Site - or - click HERE to read the Wikipedia about the place.  Built in 1878 it is the oldest building in the park and is juts jammed full of some of the most beautiful plants!!

We started off the morning with a little treat.....

Cinnamon rolls and coffee - then it was off to the Conservatory....

the gardens in front of the Conservatory

some of the potted plants in the Victorian Pot Garden

This is the temporary exhibit we wanted to see - "Wicked Plants" - based on the book of the same name by Amy Stewart.  it was a small exhibit but so worth it - with some great info!!

regular plants you would never think of can be dangerous!!

in the middle of the space was this lovely little gazebo covered in morning glories....

and over tot he side was this fountain and turtle....

looking up at the ceiling in the center section of the Conservatory

at the opposite end of the building was is the water and pond plants...

with some lovely lilies

as you walk around you come to this Plexiglas section that allows you to see under the water and what going on down there - which ain't too much!!

outside once again there are the really beautiful Dahlia gardens

and there where lots of bees...

where we parked was close to the National AIDS Memorial Grove - so while we where there we visited..

as you walk you walk up the path towards the center....

where the circle of Friends names and engraved ...

after our GG Park excursion we stopped at the yellow Submarine Shop - a well know sub shop here int eh city.  We picked up...

an American Combo and some of the great fries they do and took it home.

That was our excursion for the Holiday.  I would highly recommend the Conservatory if you visit San Francisco!!

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That wraps up the weekend - thanks again for stopping by!!  Do come again!

Take care,

edgar