What I did at the lake . . .

It was just one week ago at this time that we arrived at the lake cottage.  The extra key is kept on a not visible but not invisible nail camouflaged with cobwebs.  Although we knew the general location of it, it was still difficult to find and we were not certain that we would find it.  The prospect of immediately driving back home or spending the night in the car made our search all the more feverish.  In the past we have brought an extra key with us but this time decided to rely on the hidden one.  I do hope that we can remember its hiding place for the future because all in all, it is much easier to not have to pick up the key from Roger's sister and return it. 

A couple weeks ago, I discovered that I made a miscount in the lower heart,  Fortunately, I had stitched in only the bottom three rows and the miscount was on the right side of the heart.  Just the same, it was so discouraging that I set the sampler aside without removing the stitching.  I knew it would be a messy and difficult job to pick out the stitching. 

Two of the three rows were stitched in silk which does not respond very well to being removed and restitched and this type of silk thread is even less cooperative.  Actually I did not loose too very much thread and the new lengths stitched in very well.  The rest of the heart almost stitched itself it went so well.  Can you see the peacock feather in the colors? 

Although there was no hope that I could finish it and have it framed prior to the wedding, I did cut the threads and did the hardanger needleweaving on the upper heart.  It pains me, but I think I will remove the needleweaving and replace it with a solid color.  I have stitched this heart many times with variegated thread but it has not looked this busy or disorganized before.  I think it is because this color selection is very strong while past threads have had a more subtle color variation. 

Before I set to work on the wedding sampler, I finished a section of a sampler that I am stitching for Just Cross Stitch.  I wish that I could show it to you but I cannot share that with anyone until it has been published.  I think that I can tell you that it is an anniversary sampler celebrating the 30th anniversary of the magazine.  It meant that I had to set aside the charity auction stocking and the wedding sampler for a little while.  While we were gone, I did stitch part one of the anniversary sampler and was able to send it back so that they will receive it tomorrow.  I do not know how long they will keep it while they photograph it for the first issue of 2013.  When it comes back to me, I can stitch on it a little more leisurely. 

Until then, I should be stitching on the wedding sampler and the stocking.  Do you want to see my progress on the stocking? 

Back Once Again

We spent most of this week at the extended family cottage on Mille Lacs.  It was a wonderful few days away from everything.  The weather conditions were not ideal but still it was good.  The lake was a little wild with as heavy waves as it generally can have.  The sound of the waves rolling in at night was extremely relaxing.  One of the mornings the sky was absolutely as clear as it could be.  The stars were brilliant and so much more visible than at home.  The phrase, "as countless as the stars in the sky" took on an immediate sense of the infinite - breathtaking, simply breathtaking.  As exciting as that was the morning I could stand in the pink light of dawn and know it was a deep pink.  It felt magical.

I am so sorry that I can no longer tell you we are leaving before we leave.  I fear that I have given enough personal information that I can be located.  When we leave, our sons stay in the house but they both work and are gone during the day leaving the house unoccupied except by the cats who have yet to learn how to call 9-1-1.  It is a sad commentary on our current society that I fear our home could be targeted during our absence. 

Do you remember back in  March when I posted this picture?

I told you that I could show you the front of the ornaments when the chart was published.

It was published in the Christmas Ornaments Issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine.  It has been out for a couple weeks now but I have been tardy about posting the picture for you.

Tricia Bage of Patricia Ann Designs made the design for Just Cross Stitch and I finished the ornaments for Tricia.  I think that I have finished all of Tricia's designs for the Christmas Ornaments Issue.

Last year her design appeared in the cover picture.  This year shortly after the issue came out, Tricia e-mailed me to say that once again we were cover girls.


I have not been very subtle about marking the scan so you can easily find the ornament in the picture. 
A little pride goes way too far. 

The Garden

The garden has suffered this summer.  It has been unduly hot and dry making the garden suffer. 
We are getting tomatoes but they are small. 
The vines of the vine crops have been extremely vigorous. 
We have five squash, twelve pumpkins, and six cantaloupe plus a variety of cucumbers. 
The onions and carrots did not do well.  That may be more because our soil is heavy clay.  We have added a lot of organic material and sand; the texture has improved a lot but it is still like adobe when the weather is dry. 
The flowers have been a little pathetic. 

And a single sorghum plant
We have no idea how it came to grow in the garden.  It probably was in bird droppings.  We also have four or five black walnut trees.  I know that squirrels buried the nuts and forgot them.  We will have to dig the little trees out. 

Hummingbirds and Bread

What do hummingbirds and bread have in common?  Generally speaking, not much but today they had a lot in common at my home.

Yesterday my new flour mill arrived.  Not being one to say much about organic foods or highly processed foods, it no doubt surprises people who know me that I like to make bread.  We, as a family, have always had a preference for the bread that I make.  I do it all by hand, no bread machine, no dough hook on the mixer.  Bread dough is a very organic and living substance.  I enjoy watching it with my eyes and feeling it with my hands as I knead it.  It changes from a sticky glob of flour and liquid to a smooth, elastic, silky living substance.  The process of kneading also is soothing to my psyche. 

Lately I have not made very much bread.  I have been wondering what bread would be like made with home milled flour.  Last week Amazon had home flour mills on sale.  It did not take much nudging for me to order one.  Amazon informed me that it would be delivered yesterday.  We had a bulk mailing to take to the Post Office for church so it was very easy to pick up some wheat berries.  I wanted white wheat because I want the light color for pastry.  It turns out that there is not as much demand for white wheat.  I have to special order it in a 25-pound sack.  It should be ready for me to pick up next Thursday or Friday.  In the meantime, we brought home about 2¾ pounds of red wheat.  We were home by noon but the deliveries are not until mid to late afternoon.  It was extremely difficult to wait.

This morning, I ran the wheat through the mill.  Two and three-quarters pounds of wheat berries translates into five to six cups of flour.  I tried all the levels from fine to coarse so my flour has an unique consistency.

I think that even the coarsest setting is finer than commercially milled whole wheat. 

Whole wheat produces a dough that is stickier and less elastic than white flour.  That is true for home milled whole wheat flour; it was a little messy to work with.  Resting time is mandatory for the dough to be able to fully absorb the liquid.  While the dough rested, I watched what was going on in the backyard.

The hummingbirds were up to their usual antics and were extremely entertaining.  The cardinal vine with its little trumpet flowers began to bloom this week.  Earlier in the week, the hummingbirds hovered in front of it and one actually flew in and out of it but they did not go in for the flower nectar.  Today they fed upon the nectar.

I was not able to get any pictures of the hummingbirds feeding.  There are so many buds that perhaps another day I will be able to catch a picture of them.  

Here are the loaves ready to go into the oven.  They have a little egg white glaze on their tops. 

It is impossible to wait long enough for the bread to cool before we cut it.  That was the case today.

The loaves have a very tender texture and are not at all dense.  That may be more because I raise the dough twice in the bowl before I shape it and raise it in the pan.  The flavor is wonderful.  I used half molasses and half honey because I only had dark molasses and I did not want the taste to be overwhelmed by molasses.

It is more flavorful than bread made with commercially milled flour.  The texture is more delicate than that made with commercially milled flour.  The scent of the warm bread had a slight graham cracker note. 

Stitching Time

My hope is that if I could get this far with the charity auction stocking, I could finish the lower portion by the end of September and then assemble it during October.  In reality, I reached this point Sunday evening.  It was a little difficult for me to organize myself to take the picture until yesterday. 

Monday was a no stitching day.  I probably should have stitched and still had to force myself to stitch on Tuesday.  Tuesday afternoon I picked up my needle and began on the wedding sampler. 

Today I will continue stitching the wedding sampler.  Tomorrow I will resume stitching the stocking.  My current plan is to stitch the wedding sampler one day per week.  It depends upon how quickly the stocking stitches; potentially it could go much more quickly than the upper portion because what remains is not nearly as detailed.  If the stocking works up more quickly, I will have more time to give to the wedding sampler.  Because of the length of time it will take to have the mats cut and frame made, I think it will not be feasible to expect to have it ready by the wedding.  There is, though, a very high probability that the stitching will be done.  When I get to that point, we will see how the mom and bride want to handle it.  If they would like to display it, I can stretch it for them. 

As you look at the sampler, please keep in mind that the bridesmaids' dresses are a very deep teal.  The bride will be using peacock feathers in the floral arrangements.  

Thoughts on Baking

They look good don't they?  That is, if you like marshmallows.  Unfortunately they look a lot better than they really are.  They are Triple Layer Mint Brownie S'mores. 

The mint comes from mint patty candies placed on a layer of brownie batter and then covered with more batter.  You really have to be careful that the mint patties are not physically too close to the sides and bottom of the pan.  If they are too close, when they melt during the baking process, they reach a higher than intended temperature.  As the hotter than planned candies cool, they become very hard lumps. 

All in all, it seems a little too fussy to me, especially when I can have a wonderful, marvelous chocolate mint combination with Grasshopper Brownies.  Grasshoppers begin with a rather ordinary brownie.  After it cools, it gets a buttercream frosting flavored with mint and colored with a little pink or a little green food coloring.  After the buttercream sets a little, it is finished off with a dark chocolate glaze.  I can skip the melted marshmallows on the grasshoppers. 

But. . . if I need some marshmallow with my chocolate, I can always make a Mississippi Mud cake which has a layer of marshmallows on top of the chocolate cake and is then covered with a thin chocolate icing. 
Or. . .I can opt for a Texas sheet cake which omits the marshmallows and includes chopped nuts in the cake batter. 
One could always add chopped nuts to the Mississippi Mud cake or marshmallows to the Texas sheet cake and have the best of both in one cake. 

Lots to Tell You But Where to Begin

Last Friday we did go to the Minnesota State Fair.  It was sunny and hot but not as hot as it will be tomorrow, Friday, and maybe today.  It was crowded.

We are at the corner of Nelson and Judson Avenues.  I can only wish that the street is named for us but all the streets on the fair grounds are named for the people who helped make the fair a reality many, many years ago.

I can see the backs of our sons but I cannot see myself. 

Here are the turkeys. 

This is the Minnesota Mosaic. 







We did see the rabbits and I did find some ideas for things to make to enter in the fair.  Perhaps it will happen next year.  Just don't count on it because anything can happen.

I have lots to tell you and show you.  It is not going to be in any particular order, not even chronological.