Boy, Are We Spoiled!

Last summer when we went back to Alaska to visit, we stayed with our friends Jacque and Peter in Juneau. Staying at their home is like staying at the best B & B you can imagine. Jacque spoiled us rotten, her daughter gave up her bedroom for us, made sure they had our favorite food items and drinks on hand, they really are the best hosts ever.  We got to experience first hand their espresso machine they had bought a few years earlier. Talk about a good (no great) cup of coffee, I was bouncing off the walls most days because I couldn't stop drinking it.  The machine is a Saeco brand,(order through Costco online)  it has a hopper on top that you fill with coffee beans, and a water reservoir on the side. You put your cup under the spout, dial how much coffee you want, a full cup or shot of espresso and push the button. Wonderful!  We fell in love....................when we got home we looked up those machines online, then decided our little Mr. Coffee pot would have to do us for a while, since we could not justify the cost of the Saeco......probably for many years.

Sometime in December I got home from work and there is a huge box on our kitchen table. I asked my husband "what did you buy now?"  He thought I had ordered something.  Then I noticed the brand on the side of the box, and the packing slip had Jacques name on it.  I was in shock, didn't even want to open the box........oh my....................


The first thing I said when I called Jaques was "have you lost your mind" Her response "OH! You got your present!" 

I would not normally recommend or do reviews, but this makes the best cup of coffee, and it's so easy. She said she has had hers for over 2 years and has never had any problems with it.  We are looking forward to many happy years together!  Thank You, Jacque and Peter.............

Blog or not to Blog.....The New Year Question

I haven't posted in months. I start out good and then peter out. Now the question I am asking myself: keep blogging or stop?  It's not like I've quit crafting, I've been so busy crocheting and knitting for the holidays I just haven't had time to blog.  So here I am again trying to decide what to do.  This year I want to knit more, I want to make more clothes and get away from the hats and scarves.  I'm thinking those round cardigans, light summer sweaters, and big thick cowls for winter. First I will finish up the socks I started for myself last year and work on a baby project for my great grad niece/nephew that is due in February. I will start the New Year off healthy, going off sugar, alcohol, and wheat.(notice I did not say coffee)........................and I will post the goings on of the Byrd Farm. 

So here's to a good start of a Happy 2013!

First Frost = Lots of Work!

 This is the time of year I need to take a couple of weeks off of work to deal with the fall harvest, we are overwhelmed with fruit and veggies.  Until the frost hits we can pick when we want, but after the first frost all of the veggies have to be picked and dealt with.

 One of about 8 apple trees, and the same amount of plum trees. Everyone we know who wants fruit has fruit and we still have a ton to deal with.  The leftovers keep the deer fed for a while though.

 The frost just melts all the plants in the garden, they look so sad now.

 Last week-end I made 11 pints of salsa, dried apples, made apple sauce, and a plum apple sauce. Plums and apples go really well together.

Didn't forget my favorite guy, he ended up with an apple pie, one of many I'm sure!

Not Bad for an Amateur

My daughter wanted a "smash" cake for her sons first birthday party, so of course I was elected.  Then she said she wanted it to be the Cookie Monster...............that took some thought, but I think I did ok.....

Glad I just used a cake mix and didn't go all out with something from scratch, it did become a "smash" cake too, then all the kids liked getting cookies off of it.

Matching Blanket

The hat a bootie set I made a while ago was ordered with a matching blanket, finally got this done and delivered.

 Sometimes you don't have to have a difficult pattern, simple can look very nice too.  This is a simple little shell stitch, just like the hat.  2 double crochet, chain 2, 2 double crochet in the same stitch, skip 2 and repeat.

Town Lions

In downtown Pomeroy, lurking in the alley are a couple of wild cats, just driving through town you'd never know they are there, lurking in the shadows......................

 This is Jonesy and Harry (not too harry now). They live behind the shops and help keep the mice population down. One of the shop owners kind of adopted them, poor pathetic kitties.  It takes them a while to trust anyone, but have finally started coming up to me for a petting now and then.  Harry (the yellow one) had to have an eye removed years ago and is missing a few teeth, but seems to be getting along pretty good. Their hair is so long and was so matted, that the shop owner decided to take them in for a hair cut, figured they'd be more comfortable in the 90-100 degree weather this summer.

My Kind of Place

 I've been wanting to get pictures of this place for a long time now, wish I could say it was ours!  But this is the Artisan Art Gallery just outside of Uniontown, near Pullman, basically out in the middle of no where.

 The Barn is great, but this is what I absolutely love, the fence, how cool is that?!

 I wonder how long it took to find all of these wheels.........................and then put them together..........

It goes all around the whole place. Maybe next time we'll stop and check out the art!