Great Day - Great Dinner

We got up early this morning with every intention of going to the Baltimore Aquarium.  When we got close to the freeway, we realized the ride home would take us about 5 hours!  Friday traffic!

Since we were clean and dressed, we decided to find something to do.  I had read in the local newspaper that there was going to be a Renaissance Festival about 30 minutes outside of town.  The paper said it started today.  We drove there with anticipation.  The festival starts tomorrow.

On out way to the festival we passed a winery.  Hey, I thought, I am up for a tour of a winery!  It opened at 11:00 a.m.  It was only 9:30.

We ended up going to Lake Anna State Park. It was a lovely park with a small beach and some nice campgrounds. We walked a couple paths and then ate our chicken salad sandwiches while gazing at the lake. Turned out to be a good day after all.

Since joining the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), I have been more interested in cooking and baking.  I have been pulling out my cookbooks and scouring cooking sites.

Big has agreed to be my guinea pig and try everything I make!  Tonight we had Peppered Bacon, Cheddar Cheese and Pear Pannini!  Oh My Goodness, were they ever good!  If you think you would like to try them, let me know and I will send or post the recipe!

Big insisted on Tater Tots!  I tried to get a photo prior to her grabbing the sandwich!

Have you ever baked bacon?  This was my first try and it was great!

Tomorrow, I will sew!

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Just call me Cynthia O'Hara

Big is on vacation this week.  It is one of the reasons I have not been blogging.  The other is that sinus problems got the best of me and at times I felt I could not see straight!

We decided to visit a couple of Civil War areas today.  The first was Fredericksburg National Cemetery.  It was really interesting.   We first walked the Sunken Road Trail.  We learned about some of the innocent families who lived there when all hell broke out.

Innis House - you can see bullet holes in the side of the house.  Big is peering in and looking at more bullet holes

This is a part of the original Sunken Road wall.  Can you see the bullet hole?

Fredericksburg National Cemetery - the flat head stones are unknown soldiers.  The rounded head stones are known soldiers.

We learned that the top number on an unidentified marker is the plot number and the bottom number represents how many bodies are in the grave.

Then we went to Chatham Manor.  This was my favorite.  The house was built in 1771 and began on a 1228 acre lot.  During the war, President Abraham Lincoln visited.  Clara Barton and Walt Whitman were also there.  A long list of Union Generals were there also.



A wonderful bench in the corner of the gardens.

I could just imagine myself with large hoop skirts.  Having Rhett Butler profess his love (well, perhaps not that, but you get my drift)  The property was lovely, the gardens, (although in need of a good weeding) were lovely and the day was wonderful.

On another note, I have decided to join Baking with Julia.  I will be baking two times a month using recipes from the book, Baking with Julia.  I am really looking forward to it! 

I have had so much fun cooking with the vegetables that we are given from the CSA.  I am pushing myself to try new things with produce.  Now I will push to try new things with baking.  I hope you will follow me and perhaps sign up and join me!

Cynthia L.Pin It Now!

Creature of Habit

I am most definitely a creature of habit!  Monday is my vacuuming and mopping day.  These projects are morning projects.

This Monday, Big took the day off to have a quick visit with her ortho.  doctor and get her arm brace off.  After the visit, we did a bit of shopping , had a late lunch and came home.  By the time we got home, it was afternoon and it was, in my opinion, too late to vacuum and mop.  I thought I would take care of it on Tuesday. 

I have not vacuumed yet!  My whole week has been thrown off!  I kept thinking Tuesday was Monday (should have vacuumed then).  I thought today was Thursday!  My world is falling apart!

Big and I decided to take a trip out to the farm our veggies would come from if we decided to join the Community Supported Agriculture.  I was so pleased.

The farm is clean and the folks are friendly.  There seems to always be a lot of activity there!  I am so excited to be a part of this.

Our share today consisted of 2 lbs. asparagus, 4 lbs strawberries, 2 bunches of onion, 2 bunches of swiss chard and 1 dozen brown eggs.

I have never cooked, or for that matter eaten, swiss chard.  I looked up a few recipes and hope for the best.

Well, I am off to make a strawberry pie for desert!  Tomorrow, strawberry scones!

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A little of this and a little of that

Well, here it is Friday already.  As the saying goes, "Time flies when you are having fun!"  The older I get, I find it flies even if you are not having fun!

I woke up this morning with no particular goal in mind.  I love those days and hate those days.  I did some picking up and got some things ready for the mail.

I turned my attention to the sun porch.  It has been somewhat neglected.  I love it out there, especially in the morning.  I enjoy a good cup of coffee and the morning paper there.

I have been purchasing some plants for the sun room.  I love geraniums and was lucky enough to find  a couple hanging geraniums at the farmers market.

I found the Boston Fern at Walmart for less than $5.00!  It was half dead, so it was on sale.

I decided it was time I got these Christmas items off the porch and in the basement where they belong!

 I purchased this old baby crib from an local antique store (the store has since burned down). My plan is to find a mattress or some foam to go on top of the springs. I then want to cover it with an old quilt and fill it full of pillows. Not sure if anyone would want to sit there or not, but I think it looks good.

I will be purchasing more plants with the hopes of making this room have a greenhouse feel.  I also want to recover the chair cushions.  All in due time.

Well, I am off for now.  Big and I are hoping to go to the Asparagus Festival this weekend!  Love me some asparagus!  If the weather is nice, you will find us at the farmers market again!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cynthia L.Pin It Now!

1600 Quilt

I have not been doing much quilting lately.  I have been busy with a lot of other things as you all know. 

Quilting has been on my mind a lot and I have been itching to create something new, so when I saw Ms. P's 1600 quilt, I knew it was the one for me.

I started sewing around 1:00 this afternoon and finished at about 5:00 p.m. There were a couple pee breaks (the dog, not me), but other than that it was petal to the metal.

 


I read that someone whipped one up in 35 minutes!  I was happy with the 4 hours it took me!

I am not sure about borders.  What do you think?  I could use all the help I can get.

I would like to apologize for the way the post looks - I have not figured out the way this new blogger stuff works yet!!  Grrr....

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A little gardening

I have been working in the yard the past couple of days. 

I am hoping for an English Cottage Garden. I love the spontaneity of an English Garden.

This is what I hope for. 

This is what I am working toward.

This is reality!

Sometimes, reality bites!

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Death and Friendship

I found out this morning that a childhood friend passed a week ago. His father passed a mere four weeks before.

I can not imagine the pain and sadness his mother must be dealing with right now. She is all alone.

My friend's name was Richard. We met each other when my mother, brother and I lived in England for a year. My father was stationed in Korea with the Army and we were not allowed to go with him. My Mother decided it would be better for us to live with my Aunt, my Uncle and my Cousin for the year.

Richard was the only son of my Aunt's best friend. He was special. In the 60's no one was politically correct and he was labeled "retarded." No one wanted to be his friend but me.

We hung out at school and often after school. We would go to the beach and to the arcades. I remember sitting at the movie theatre and getting spit balls in our hair. This was courtesy of the mean kids.

Richard had a hard time all of his life. He was abused and used. No one was ever his friend.

I am so sad. I am sorry he is gone, but I am more sorry that he had such a hard life. I didn't keep in touch with him when we left. I was young, not even 10.

Death has a way of making you think about life. It makes you think about what is important. Of course, family tops the list of important things in life, but friendship is second. I realise I have not been the best friend ever. So I am reaching out to friends I have lost contact with. This blog is my way of reaching out to all of you. Sorry for putting you second, sorry for not checking your blogs to see if all was well .  I will work on being a better blogger, a better friend.  Thank you for being my friend!

Cynthia L.Pin It Now!