Citrus Is In!

 

They ain't all that pretty, but they sure are delicious. 



 

We don't have any citrus trees ourselves (yet), but we do have many generous friends and neighbors eager to share their backyard bounty.  The lemons are huge and seem to be begging to be made into bars or tarts or maybe cookies. 



 

This cut orange in the front is some sort of blood orange -- pink inside and so so sweet and juicy.  Vitaminalicious!  --cds

 

Christmas Lights -- Disney Style

We braved the chilly nighttime temperatures (58 degrees!!) -- yes, I realize I'm a big baby about the cold these days; I lived in Vermont for 40 years and earned the right to complain about a little Florida chill -- anyway, I tried to take some pictures of the light display at the Hollywood Studios backlots.

 

 

 

 

Disney snow in the air!  

 

 

 

I'm not such a great photographer, but I thought I'd try.  I also took a couple of videos of the dancing lights put to music, but can't figure out just yet how to post them -- first, I need to learn about compressing and trimming and other tech stuff that I don't have time for right now.

 

We may brave the cold AND the crowds and visit the Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day (we may be nuts), but it's best to keep busy, busy, busy.   --cds

It's Tropical, Of Course.

The plant, that is.  Here is last year's poinsettia that we put in the ground sometime in February and just let it do it's thing. I don't know why I'm getting such a thrill that it's coming into blossom.

 

I guess because in my Northern Life, poinsettias post-Christmas became spindley and leafless and ended up in the compost by May.  I had forgotten that poinsettias are a wild-growing shrub in Mexico.  I know they will not tolerate a frost, so I'm not sure this one will survive a Central Florida winter.  So far we've been spared -- it's 68 degrees here this morning. 

 



 

A couple of new plants I've put out on the patio - we had a few showers last night - diamonds on poinsettias - pretty.



 

 

 

--cds

More Apron Making

I had these finished before Thanksgiving, but neglected to take pictures.

 

The pattern is pretty girly, with the gathered skirt and big sash, but this feels very comfortable and the pockets are just right.

 

 

 

I'm very addicted at the moment to that nice reproduction vintage-y fabric.

 

 

Here is a blue version.

 

 

 

 

I have to get busy soon on a teeny-size apron for wee Miss Ruthanne who may be asking Santa for a tea set.  --cds

Back To Business

I truly detest when blogpeople are absent from their blogs for weeks on end and then pop back in with massive apologies, listing all sorts of lame excuses.  Blah.  Who cares.  Just post the pictures.

 

So, we've had visitors!  Our Vermont buds (Patti and Norm above) finally made the trek south.  Aunti Claud and Uncle John (below) have been in Florida with us as well.

 

 

 Fort DeSoto State Park, barbeque-ing and beach-walking.

 

 

And people-watching.  Lois is checking out the tourists.

 

 

 James is resting from all that barbeque-ing and beach-walking.

 

 

Our cousin Patrick and Kate and cutie-pie girls were at Disney a couple weeks ago, so we visited with them at Animal Kingdom. 

 

 

 

 

Emily and Abigail.  They are so funny and smart.  

 

 

A shot of the elusive cheetah at Animal Kingdom (this is for you, Isabella). 

 

And, Evie, the zebras are back at the Kingdom!

 

 

So I am back to the sewing room with new quilts in mind and one task in particular that was delivered to me from our Vermont visitors.  Remember this banner project from last year?

 

 

Well, it just got bigger.  --cds

Read Me A Story

There is a TV commercial out there pitching some audio book company - I rarely tune in long enough on commercials to know the specific product - but I am aware enough to know what amuses me or, as in this case, what makes me want to jump up and down on the face of the smarmy, self-satisfied, know-it-all little bitch who condescends that her "grandmother listens to audio books."  Hate her.

First off, I am not old enough to be her grandmother; second, I do listen to audio books; and third, audio books are fabulous.  Also, I really should stay away from TV - it makes me crazy.

Audio book readers or narrators really can make or break the book.  I liked The Hunger Games books, but I'm going to have to finish the last one in print when I get around to it.  The narrator lady was just too gushy and emotional - very annoying for the listener.  Among the best I've listened to lately is the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley - these may be grouped under Young Adult fiction since Flavia is a precocious 11-year old chemistry genius who solves mysteries from her manorial home in 1950's England.  But the narrator (Jane Entwhistle) has captured her personality so well. Another kid/grownup story, Because of Winn Dixie - about a girl and a dog, is very Southern and sweet - Isabella was reading it for school, so I downloaded the audio version (made me cry).  Joe Montagna reads Robert B. Parker's Spenser series of detective books - I love listening to him.  Authors who read their own books are usually good, too - Anna Quindlen reads her own Lots of Candles Plenty of Cake.  I like most but not all of Lisa Scottoline's books - Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog is really fun.  I'm in the queue at our library to pick up the audio version of The Night Circus.  Can you imagine having this book read to you while you sit knitting or stitching?  I'm so excited....  The circus arrives without warning.....

And because I really don't like to post without pictures, here are a few fairly recent granddaughter photos:

 

Ruthanne will be a big sister in January, have I said already?  All indications point to a baby brother!

 

 

Ruthie at the Champlain Valley Fair in August.

 

 

 

Riding the twirly rides with Dad.

 



 

A pony ride with Mom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeding the baby goats.

 

 

 

 

And the Utah girls start a new school year.  Isabella is a 4th grader!

 



 

Evie turned 5 in August.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The girls were part of the pretty garden wedding of Randi's best friend.

 

 

 

 

Autumn has arrived in Florida, as much of autumn as it gets around here anyway.  80 degrees, sunny, breezy, no humidity -- pretty pleasant.  Come visit!  --cds

Whoa!

Surely it can't have been September 26 since I last posted anything on my little Florida diary/blog.  If you are a homebody with hobbies, retirement is anything but boring.  There aren't enough hours in the day for me to accomplish everything I have rolling around in my head.  I've been sewing.  Snow White, living as she does in Vermont, needs a cape to keep her warm when she goes trick/or/treating on Halloween night.

 

I added some ribbon to tie it on and Miss White will be good to go.

 



 

 

I made a little baby quilt because I had a stash of some of those retro vintage pastel prints with little bunnies and kitties and duckies and I love this modified Irish Chain pattern so much.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 Still needs quilting and binding.

 



 

The animals were fused in place, then machine-appliqued and hand-embroidered a little.

 



 

Does this look like a sheep?  It's supposed to be.

 



 

I love the giraffe the best.

 



 

We buzzed up to Disney to check on the Fantasyland reconstruction.  For all my circus-horror, I'm beginning to like this setup as it is looking more and more like pages out of the old Dumbo storybook.  There are now two Dumbo rides and a little area of circus wagons that shoot out water-sprays - cute.  

 

Look, it's Ringmaster James!  Looking a bit cross, isn't he - doesn't know where I am at the moment.

 





 

And then we've had to rescue various creatures that wander into our yard - this turtle found its way to our garage door - probably wanted to have a cigar and thought he'd bum one from Jimbo.

 



 

 

 

Our spider friend still survives, in spite of my Mom's desire to "hose it down with ammonia" (she's brutal).

 

 

 

This is what I am heavily involved with, though, at the moment:

 

www.withinfiniteaffection.blogspot.com

 

Aunti Claud and I have started a family genealogy blog covering the Alcotts, Carrolls, Burgits, basically my Mom's side.  We've collected a ton of pictures that we're trying to load up - so easy to share them this way.  And we're working on getting the genealogy correct.

 

The gathering below took place exactly 100 years ago in Northumberland, Pennsylvania.  My grandmother Ada is standing in the back second from left end with the big bow on her head; my great-grandmother Laura Carroll is seated second from right (next to the man holding the baby); my great-great-grandfather, Henry Coleman Burgit, is seated next to her - he was born in 1833.  I'm finding this all so fascinating, but the history major in me keeps sending me off on tangents trying to date and identify and pull in all the relevant historical data I can. 

 



 

Like I said, there just aren't enough hours in the day.  --cds