I went to the nearby hike and bike trail this morning. I’m really glad I did… saw spring popping everywhere.
I love the redbuds in bloom.
And the bluebonnets.
As I was jogging and walking I was streaming music over pandora and heard this song (Awake My Soul) for the first time. This part especially grabbed me:
“In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die
Where you invest your love, you invest your life.”
I managed to seriously strain my lower back overnight. And all day today I have been terribly uncomfortable; not able to find a sitting or standing position where I wasn’t in pain. Sheesh.
Coincidentally, I had made an appointment for this evening at the hotel spa for a massage – which was fantastic. Perfect timing. I still am sore but I am as relaxed as I’m going to be. It’s a very nice place. I might need to squeeze in another treatment before I leave.
Here’s a few more shots from inside…
Oh man, I love roasted red peppers. I made up a batch for dinner tonight.
I blacken them whole right on top of the gas burner.
Sweat them in a ziploc bag to allow the skin to separate while they cool to the touch.
Cut them open to remove the stem and seeds. Then scrape off the burnt skin leaving the sweet roasted meat.
I warmed them again in a 200 degree oven before filling them
For the filling I stirred up about an ounce of soft goat cheese per pepper, one minced clove of garlic and about a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt and spread it on the insides of the peppers. Then folded them back up.
The presentation here isn’t great, but they were delicious!!
Another thing to celebrate this week… Happy Valentine’s Day!
I found this on the beach many years ago. It is a rock that must have formed out of sediment inside a shell…you can still see some of the lines from the shell on the surface. Over time, it’s been worn into the shape of a heart. And after all those many years, it ended up in the surf in front of me, catching my eye. I picked it up. And now it’s mine. 🙂
Chinaberry. Chinese New Year. Chinese zodiac…..
Yesterday was Chinese New Year. Happy New Year! I’m a Dragon. And, according to my fortune for the new year, 2013 is going to be chock full of good luck for me. I’m so excited!
But….it’s not off to a great start… my phone went for a swim today.
I’ll have to give it another day or two…
*sigh* Now, where’s my lucky money bat?!!
I went for a walk this morning and found a new way to and from a nearby running trail. I’m very excited about that. Hopefully I can visit again soon.
I saw this on one of the drainage ditches along the way. Made me pause… and think about what I may have penned myself many decades ago if i found myself with a can of spray paint and a space waiting to be filled….
I really don’t intend to re-purpose this blog to be a beading blog, but since it is a photoblog showing various moments from my day…. and since I’ve been thinking about and doing a lot of beading lately..this is what you get. 🙂
This is a pair that I made today, inspired by this pin on pinterest. The noteworthy thing about this pair is that they are my first attempt at making a wrapped loop at the top of the headpin. A little rough, but I’ve got plenty of time to practice.
These are a few shots of the Full Wolf Moon from last night, shot from Nirvana. It’s challenging to get a photo of a full moon, with a point and shoot camera, from a boat. 🙂 But it was beautiful!
I bought some turquoise stones and some brown round beads a while back. This morning I pulled out my bead box and strung together this bracelet and earrings.
I have lots to learn about making jewelry. My loops are basic and unornate. My strung beads are looser than I would like. But I’m having fun learning!
Now, if i could just learn how to photograph them properly…. 🙂
As for my post yesterday, my friend had the best possible case during her surgery last night, according to her doctors. Thanks for your prayers. Now fingers crossed for good news from the lab next week.
We’re off to the lake this afternoon. Have a good one!
A dear friend gave me this lovely tatted thumb rosary the last time we saw each other. It reminds me of her each time I see it. This morning she let me know that her doctors found a potentially cancerous mass yesterday and have scheduled her for surgery today.
I know that is a lot for a person to learn about and process in a terribly short time. But she’s in good hands. Prayers are on the way, girlfriend!
I am up most mornings very early. I like to sit down and drink my coffee while tending to my email, blogging, pinning, etc, before the day’s grind begins. Monte gave me this antique candle holder for Christmas. It sits next to my morning chair now. I love the glow of candlelight…
Monte, Julie and I hit the lake today. It was a nice day, no wind to speak of, but sunny – temps in the low 70s. We motored to Arky South, anchored and played rummy for a bit.
Dinner at Chuy’s.
A new Downton Abbey episode tonight.
Good day, indeed.
I finished yet another pinterest-inspired project today: a board for hanging my jewelry. The inspiration pin can be found here.
Wanna make one, too? Read on.
I bought an inexpensive corkboard, about 18″ x 24″ or so, from IKEA. For future reference, you should note the thickness of the board material (not the frame part, but the field part of the bulletin board). You may need to trim the screws that come with the drawer pull hardware, like I did. The thickness of my board material was 1/4″. When the screws were screwed all the way into the hardware, there was 3/4″ of an inch showing. Which meant I would have to cut off 1/2″ from each screw (with a hacksaw) so that they would fit my board. You’ll either have to do that, or look for screws that are the right length.
Then I bought some miscellaneous drawer pulls. I also picked out some hooks and small chain and some push pins. Yes. This would have been less expensive if I had this stuff laying around already…
Then picked out some fabric and ribbon from Joanne’s.
Cut and hem the non-selvage edges of the material big enough to wrap around the bulletin board leaving several inches.
Sew on ribbon to add some accents.
Put the fabric you’ve just sewn aside. Now using an awl, poke holes in the corkboard where the screws for where you want each piece of hardware to go.
Using a drill, with a drill bit no bigger in diameter than the fasteners for the drawer pulls, drill all the way through the corkboard and its backing board. My corkboard had a thin, fiber board backing. So, when I drilled through it, it sort of made a hole with rough, fuzzy edges. After I drilled each hole I scraped away the debris from the front and back of the board around each hole.
It’s a good idea to do a dry run and screw the hardware to the board, to make sure the holes are all in the right places. If not, make adjustments, then take the hardware off again.
Now it’s time to wrap the board in fabric. I did this using a stapler, into the back of the board. Wrap the fabric tight, working your way around the board.
Again, using an awl through each pre-drilled hole in the back of the board, poke a hole through the fabric on the front. Be careful not to snag your material. This will allow the screws to go through the fabric without twisting it or tearing it. Then, place the screws into each hole, through the back of the corkboard, using a screwdriver to turn the screws through the holes you’ve just pierced into the fabric.
Now you just need to place the hardware over the screws and tighten them down.
I added some chain fastened with push pins on either end – more space to hang earrings.
Voila!
We attended the graduation of my cousin’s son, Zach, who graduated from Air Force basic training today – an honor grad. He is starting in the footsteps of his father, but I’m sure he will craft his own way. He is now a U.S. Air Force Airman, and is on his way to great things. It was really nice to be a part of the huge contingent that came to support him.
Congrats, Zach!
Sheila365 