I'm really into birds lately. Watching them fly, or eat at a feeder. I've started noticing they are all over the place in decorations, in print, and in the handmade craft world. This photo is of a holiday display at Nordstrom - a tree filled with birds! Tonight I had to go back to the MOA to pick up a bag my sister left in a store on Friday. I really wasn't looking forward to going back to the mall. Big change for me over the past two years. I used to love shopping there - now, it's just OK. I had two coupons for DSW, good through today. I scoured the regular and sale priced areas for a pair of gray flats. No luck. Then I looked for new running shoes. No luck. So I left. And am happy I didn't just buy something I wasn't looking for because I had coupons. That's another big change for me. Two stories from this Thanksgiving, aka, the great gravy debacle. I'm the mashed potato maker and my sister makes great gravy. This year the turkey was in the oven a bit too long, was dry, and there was an abundance of pan drippings. Jodi was in gravy making heaven. We had so much that she left over half in the saucepan, which for some reason she put in the sink. You know where this is going. After eating my dad cleared his plate and put it on top of the pan in the sink, covering it. I proceeded to wash my hands in that half of the sink. We soon figured out the gravy was full of soap. Oh boy, there were some sad gravy faces as we dumped the gravy in the garbage. The next day Jodi had to make gravy with "the bag of stuff that was with the turkey" (as my mom called it). I didn't want to know what that bag of stuff was, so I chose not the watch the second gravy making. The next is about my nephew, Andrew. He has definite ideas about what he likes to eat. On Thanksgiving it's just turkey legs and pumpkin pie. No sides. Except rolls. Well, I told my mom the week before that we probably don't need rolls, since there's stuffing and all the other sides. We sit down, Andrew gets his legs and asks where the rolls are. My mom sighs and says, "Jill said we didn't need bread. . . " and repeated that at least three times during the meal. I offered to make toast. He said it wasn't a big deal. More sighs from mom.Next year I'm taking a cue from Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and setting out a plate of toast, stick pretzels, popcorn and jelly beans. And I bet more than one person will eat some of it. It's my plan for a new tradition. . . since the scalloped corn I made this year wasn't well received. That's another story.
Look at that yummy sandwich and beer cheese soup from Hogan's in Northfield. I forgot to include that photo yesterday.
Currently reading When Summer is in the Meadow by Niall and Christine Williams. I mentioned them in another post. This is their second book about living in Ireland. They are about to adopt an Irish child. It's a good read.
I went to the library today after yoga. It's my typical Sunday routine - yoga, library, Target. I've heard good things about this Handmade Home idea book, so I thought I'd check it out. Most of the projects are sewing based, using recycled/repurposed fabric and clothing. I'm really just liking the pictures at this point.
I spent the morning with my new friend, Quik Fix Singer. It took us a while to get to know each other - especially threading the bobbin. I made the whole process more complicated than it had to be. But we became fast friends after that. I pulled out some paper I wanted to stitch and away we went. Lots of fun.
I visited one of my favorite Minnesota towns in the afternoon - Northfield. I love Northfield. In my book it has all the makings for a wonderful small town. . . not one, but two liberal arts colleges, a river, angle parking, a charming main street, a rich arts community, college student hangouts coupled with ethnic restaurants, a real bakery, a consignment/vintage clothing shop, a few boutique-y clothing shops, this craft extravaganza shop called diggs, and (what first brought me there) a bead shop. Yes folks, in my book Northfield has it all. Something about it reminds me of that quirky town on the Gilmore Girls. Rory and Loralei drove me nuts on that show, but I so enjoyed the character of that town they lived in. And it's only 45 minutes away! A "backup dream" place to live someday if my goal of becoming a sidewalk sweeper/writer/beader/full-time crafty person in Co. Kerry, Ireland is just a bit out of my reach for this lifetime.
