Tuesday 8 October 2019

Autumn Stitching, Scrappy Flags, Geraniums

 I worked in the garden Friday and Saturday and replanted the geraniums to inside pots.  They were so pretty in their driveway pot.
The pot itself sitting on a stump was here when we arrived and is lowly disintegrating into the ground.  In fact, this summer, something dug a hole in the bottom and was using it as a home.  It must have been cosy and imagine having flowers on your rooftop! This reminded me of those fairy houses people are making in their gardens.
I made this Chatelaine recipe for cauliflower and split pea soup.  I cooked it in the slow cooker which was so convenient. My aging cauliflower got mostly used up. How thick do you like your pea soup?
We've been enjoying lots of tomato sandwiches with locally grown tomatoes. You just can't get the same flavour from the imports we'll have to rely on later in the season.
 Local Newcastle, Ontario apples were available at Costco and we've been munching on them with a little gouda and water crackers. These Golden Delicious are huge.
I had no problem making 10 more of the scrappy flag blocks.  They are super easy to stitch. I decided to use some oranges this time with the greys and tans.  Perhaps some green ones next.
And the good news is that I've begin the autumn stitching.  Since I've been knee deep in dresdens, I thought I would make a large full circle one.  Initial Plan is to stitch 4 of these and I'll make that a goal for this week.  I'm mostly using some Fig Tree & Co fabrics that are an older line.  More about this later.
Rex's issue with the stairs is worsening and we are thinking of moving into the upstairs tv room for our nightly viewing instead of trotting down to the basement. It would be ok if he went down and stayed for the evening but he insists on following me up and down as I fetch supper on a tray and then tea and dessert for Hubby.  By the end of the night, one of us must stay close behind him to make sure he doesn't falter on a step.  Or is the exercise good for him. The vet says he hasn't any arthritis or any health issues really. Yet, on our walks, he is very very slow moving.  What do you think?
Meeting little grandson's bus this afternoon and paperwork before then.
Hope your week is going well.
Linking with Home Sewn By UsEm's Scrapbagand Pretty Piney.


24 comments :

Statewide Auto Group said...

WOW!...you are posting amazing things. Love to visit your blog, its awesome...

Nana said...

How great your soud and the Dresden Plate looks like.

Nana

Mary in Peoria Handmade said...

Love love love the big Dresdens! I have never liked peas but love pea soup. LOL The cauliflower sounds like a good addition.

Libby in TN said...

Love your autumn dresden! I need to try that soup; my cauliflower always turns dark before we can use the whole head. I've actually been resorting to pre-cut veggies. I know they are more expensive but I don't have aging leftovers to throw out.

Powell River Books said...

I used to love to stop at the Anderson Pea Soup restaurant in Buelton, California, when we were traveling up the coast. You could have as much of their famous split pea soup as you wanted back in the day. Not sure if it the same these days. - Margy

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Your geraniums are so pretty, Jocelyn! Can you keep them growing indoors through the winter? I haven't tried that yet. I'll enjoy seeing what you do with your new Dresden project - the first one you made is the perfect stitching for this time of year!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Jocelyn! Hmm. That's a dilemma with Rex. On one hand, the exercise might be good for him but you would sure hate for him to get hurt and falter on the stairs. Poor sweet boy - I lean toward the baby him side . . . but really, follow your heart and head. You two know him best. I can just picture him following you around. ~smile~ The geraniums look so pretty inside! I love that you saved them for next summer. I'm going to do that, too. Two impatient plants and hopefully the mums from last October. The mums are just starting to open again, and they are just as gorgeous as they were last year. I'll share a photo on a Thursday soon. ~smile~ Roseanne

Brian's Home Blog said...

Geraniums are so pretty and boy, that soup looks plenty yummy!

Jenny said...

Ooh, lovely thick soup, it looks delicious. Pretty flowers, and your big Dresden looks great. Poor old Rex, we hate to see out pets getting older and slower, don't we. Please give him a cuddle from us.

Out To Pasture said...

I can certainly relate to your dilemma with Rex. I wonder if his eye sight is okay. My dear old dog pal, Henry, lived to be quite elderly. His legs got stiff and he lost his hearing and developed cataracts. When he could no longer follow me upstairs at bedtime, I moved downstairs to keep him company. Never did move back up, even after he passed away. They are such loyal friends!

Verna G said...

You will never regret making any little change to improve Rex's life! Pets are so dear and so hard to lose. Do what ever you can to make him more comfortable. I lost my very loved cat Nina this summer and I have no regrets for nursing her for many months through her lymphoma battle.

Jenn Jilks said...

Yum soup. Yum quilting.
Poor old pup. I think exercise is good. I know my knees are seizing up. And my hip. sigh. The more I move the better I feel.
I'd forgotten about the geranium. I have to think about whether I'll bring them in...

Michelle Ridgway said...

Beautiful geraniums. Your soup looks warming and delicious and those gorgeous golden delicious apples. Love your large Dresden and flag blocks. It is hard when our furry family members begin to age xx

Danice G said...

Pretty stitching, and flowers. The soup does look really good, and the green apples. Autumn has definitely arrived.

Linda P said...

Love your Autumn stitching projects. It's so good that you have lots of material to choose from. It's comforting soup time here too. I like your plants in the tub. We're beginning to bring pelargoniums into the enclosed yard because of frosty nights. Next is the harvesting of apples and pears.

Cathy said...

Time indeed to bring things indoors for Winter. The soup looks delicious and I love the Autmn quilting.

moosecraft said...

Love those geraniums...and your dresden! I like to decorate with quilts that have the colors of the season...though not necessarily the symbols of the season...of course I do have a very vintage Halloween kit in my stash....but, variety always works best! lol!
I would move your area upstairs so Rex doesn't strain himself on the steps...getting hurt would only worsen what's slowing him down.

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Your stitching projects are lovely. I would never be able to go up and down stairs so I vote for moving upstairs to make it easy on him. My mother make split pea soup when I was a kid. She always made sweat and sour cabbage to put in it. She didn't put the cabbage in the soup pot, but put the soup over it in the soup bowl when served. I miss that. I have never made it because Terry gives me "that look" when I mention it. I like a thick soup. This weekend we will have cooler temperatures and I plan to make potato soup.
xx, Carol

Angie said...

Jocelyn - how wonderful that you can still enjoy local produce. This Saturday will be the last weekend for our local Farmer's Market. It will be interesting to see what they have given that we had snow last night and the temps are remaining in the 30s. Love your stitching, and the soup is perfect for these cooler days. The thicker, the better!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Seeing your geraniums reminded me of my mother. She loved them and every available windowsill in the house was filled with them throughout the winter. She always decided to prune them while I was trying to eat my breakfast and I'll never forget the smell (which, I have to admit, I don't like!). And would you believe that I don't think I've ever eaten pea soup? I know - there's something wrong with me!

Anonymous said...

I love Geraniums. Yours are beautiful. And I love love love your Fall Dresden. I’m very partial to Dresdens, but I think yours is the first I’ve seen in Fall colors. Sorry to hear of Rex’s issue with the stairs. Has the vet considered a heart problem?

Jeanne said...

I am a soup lover, and will bookmark this recipe :)

QuiltGranma said...

Ah, poor Rex. I understand the pain in the hip kind of thing, both of us have that now. A number of years ago I found a plant nursery that had unusual herbal plants and got rose geranium, chocolate mint, and a few other "exotics". I had to bring the geranium inside in winter but eventually lost it. Loved the chocolate mint! Very tasty! The rose geranium, the leaves if brushed smelled of tea roses, a favorite scent for me.

Lynette said...

Love those scrappy flag squares - the orange looks so good with the tans. Poor Rex - did the vet's no-arthritis comment come from a blood test for it, or just from a lack of visual evidence? If you do think it's arthritis, our old cat has issues with that (particularly during the winter and weather changes). There's a food supplement that's supposed to help cats and dogs, but it gave our cat really bad intestinal blockage <>. We found out about a shot we can give her of this stuff: Canine Adequan®. It works very well for her. It's not cheap, but it's nowhere near as expensive as human arthritis medicine, and it helps Clara tremendously. Or do you think he might have gout in his feet? (Do animals get gout??)