Home from work, I have been counting many blessings.

Blogging and the Internet among them!

I have resisited BLACK FRIDAY bargain chasing.

Instead, I feel like making a difference somewhere other than the retail scene! The answer came as I read tips about blogging and was led to this.... a link to a very special blogger, Maggie Doyne who has built a home for orphans in Nepal.

I read that she could use donations for the sewing room, where clothing is sewn using fabric from local shops and local women as seamstresses. They will be teaching the children to sew as well. I will be sending her a donation. Please go to her help page , if this speaks to you!

The late afternoon sun shine in on a still life.....it has been a good Thanksgiving!

We stayed here and had a quiet day, Mr. Pear is still recuperating from the knee replacement and I have only today off from work. I was able to paint and enjoy the day. We watched the Macy's parade and Mr. P is into the football as well as a brief walk around the block.

A crockpot cooked for me! Turkey breast is so tender that way! I added sage and thyme from the garden so it was very fragrant and delicious! Pumpkin pie is still beckoning.

I will be putting two paintings in ETSY and post about them on my art blog ! I hope you'll take a look!

I found this idea in a newsletter from "Keepsake Quilting"...a page called, The Hungry Quilter !

"Cranberry Relish"
1 (16-ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 cup red grapes
1 orange, peeled, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Pour the cranberry sauce into a large bowl, and mash lightly with a fork. Drain the pineapple, and add to the bowl. Seed the grapes, cut into quarters, and add to the cranberry mixture. Add the orange pieces and walnuts, and mix lightly. Chill, covered, overnight. Yield: 6 to 8 servings"

Sounds good and easy...I think I would add some chopped whole cranberries just to make it a bit more cranberry and a bit more tart!

Easier to make, and using no corn syrup, this is a great little pie!

Caramel Pecan Pie

Original Recipe Yield 1 - 9 inch pie

Ingredients
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
36 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecan halves
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) In a saucepan over low heat, combine caramels, butter and milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually mix in the melted caramel mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool until filling is firm. This is good served warm or room temperature!

Colorful, handmade luggage tags should make bag identification much easier!

These are tags I made today using the free pattern from Quilting Arts. They are generously giving free patterns for 5 cool projects! I can hardly wait to try the little mini wallets and journal covers too! [move your cursor and click on "free pattern" to find the link for the patterns!]

Sewing on the vinyl was not easy until I tried the "ultra glide foot" or "teflon" foot. Then the stitches just worked great! These are now ready to have the name and address cards filled out and inserted, then easily attach onto the handle of today's suitcases!

Yesterday afternoon was cold, dreary and gray. I happened to have the afternoon off so decided to go with Mr. Pear (still recuperating) on a short road trip.

We stopped at the gallery which has my bird watercolors for sale.

It was energizing to see these bright happy paintings on the cloudy day! Other works in the gallery were inspiring too. I hope to be painting more again soon!

Besides the art gallery and a coffee shop for a pumpkin scone to share, we visited a store with fabrics and a couple of flea markets and charity thrift stores.

These are the fat quarters (10) I picked up and below that, a pair of soft rayon pull on pants from April Cornell (a surprise find at the thrift store!). The pants are perfect for lounging or pj bottoms next summer!

top of pants in scanner....

More thrift store finds! A Japanese tea cup, a wooden serving dish (origin?) and a "holly" plate from England.
It was fun! Now back to work. [Maybe these new "things" can pose in a still life painting for me!]

We're still having a sunny warm week! Today, my day off, I remembered to plant these daffodil bulbs which I bought a month ago. The variety is "Tahiti" which is a double daffodil with and orange ruffle. I planted a dozen. They should come along to brighten our world next March!

It has been an altogether good day, laundry, housework (a little), a walk in the park with Mr. Pear. Slowly, carefully. Still to be seen.... a maple tree or two with pretty leaves!

Then reading "The Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver. I have only just begun reading it and it is GOOD!

I have finished quilting on the Dresden plate quilt which I have been handquilting for the last few months. Today, I am sewing down the pastel scrappy binding. It is a classic!

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More creative fun here....a page from a collaborative altered book/scrapbook/art journal. This page was done by my friend Paula who found the wonderful book at a thrift store, an older decorating book by Tricia Guild. Wonderful photos for us to play with. Great color throughout the entire book....this will be fun! [click on the photo to see the page larger].

Table runner class this week!

This is the holiday table runner pieced from 3 fat quarters which is our project of the month at the store where I work. The pattern is free at www.quiltbug.com! I added the embroidered motif in the center, from our embroidery machines at the shop.

No Frost Yet!!

This 9 day run of gorgeous weather, warmer than the cool rainy October which we experienced, has led to more time spent outdoors. Here is a garden update.

On October 20th, I felt that the time had come to bring in most of the tomatoes (photo is of them that day, on the vine) before the frost came....so I brought in lots and wrapped them in newspaper in a box. I left some small ones out on the vine to see what would happen.

Today, you can see that some of those which were wrapped in newspaper are now ripe. Less tasty than vine ripened, but ripe! Meanwhile, those left on the vine (below, a photo from this afternoon) are still growing and MAY eventually ripen unless the frost comes first.

One big task this time of year is raking the leaves. I raked some onto layers of watered down newspaper and topped them with brown paper bags held down with fallen tree branches. [Photo below] This organic material will start to decompose... In early spring, I will come back here and make another "lasagna" garden, hoping to have found a more sunny spot for future tomatoes and cucumbers!

Even though he is less than 3 weeks out from his total knee replacement, Mr. Pear is not one to rest (sadly! it is a bit worrisome, and he is not feeling well this evening!). Here he finishes up some bags of leaves to be put on the curb for the pick-up tomorrow.

I often bake something on Sunday. Today, I found a can of pumpkin (supposedly there is a shortage of canned pumpkin?). Should I make pumpkin bread or this delicious soup ( or just relax and knit for awhile? There are some wonderful shows on PBS tonight!).

The recipe is from my friend, Cheryl.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter

1 cup onion, chopped

3 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup peeled and cubed sweet potato

1/4 teaspoon salt

2,14 oz. cans of low sodium chicken broth

1 15 oz. can of pumpkin

1 cup 1% milk

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large suacepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion for 3-4 minutes then add flour, curry, garlic, cumin and nutmeg and saute for 1 minute.

2. Add sweet potato, salt, chicken broth and pumpkin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered for about 20-25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are cooked through and softened. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes to cool.

3. Place half of the pumpkin mixture in a blender and process until smooth. Using a strainer, pour soup back into pan. Repeat with rest of soup.

4. Raise heat to medium then stir in milk and cook for 5 minutes or until soup is heated through. 5. Remove from heat and add lime juice. Serves 6.

A wonderful annual event!

Thursday evening we attended a silent auction of donated paintings and other art. The format had to be 5 inches X 5 inches. This was a wonderful evening, and Mr. Pear's birthday too! The room was filled with artists and art lovers, all enjoying catered goodies and wine from a local (Wiederkehr's) winery! We could bid on these small works of art while watching to see if our painting drew any bids. There were over 300 paintings! I did not get one of the pieces I bid on.....it featured Greek doorways (I may have to paint one myself!). Most are done in oil or acrylics. I did find this abstract watercolor and love it! The artist is Richard Nicholson, whom I know as "Nick"! [Living in a fairly small art community, many of us know each other so that makes the party even more fun!]

My donated painting, below in an almost finished state....and the photo from which I painted it. I didn't get a photo of it in the final version....now it is gracing someone's wall.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

I am adding this book to my reading list....and will see if the local library can reserve it for me.[I'm no doubt drawn to the beautiful pink dress on the cover...]

I love armchair travel and this one has some time travel too, I think.

Have any of you read this????

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Mr. Pear update...He is walking around the block AND driving all over town. (no longer on strong pain medicine or he wouldn't be driving!)

In spite of weather in the 70's and a week of sunshine in the forecast, I am in a knitting phase again. The hoodie sweater for my grandson is coming along nicely! I get the newsletter from "Knitting Daily" today they featured this book. Very basic and very good to own I am sure!

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I also tried a new recipe. This one is for butternut squash lasagna. Different and yummy! Mr. Pear wasn't sure about this recipe when he heard the descriptive name, but one look and the fabulous smell after it was baked,and he was willing to like it!

We are thankful for all the wonderful foods we have in the fall....even popcorn balls and a wee bit of leftover Halloween candy!