Visitors, Dogs and Quilting...............

Bob and Julie

I had company this week from Cedar Rapids, IA.  They are snowbirds and were on their way to their home in Texas.  It is always so nice to see old friends.  I have known Bob for nearly all my life (not quite).  He was a roommate of my husband, Jim.  He married Julie many years ago.  Julie and I have things in common, like quilting.  They were in a hurry to get to their home, it was damaged in a storm and they needed to get it taken care of.  Our visit was short, but enjoyable and I may see them again come spring, when they head back north. 

Mariner's Compass

I am working on a Mariner's Compass.  There is four of us meeting roughly every 7-10  days.  We found a quilt designed by Brenda Henning.  It is a lovely quilt and will keep us busy for awhile.  Here is a picture of one of the compasses.  It is not put together, it is still in pieces but it gives you the idea. This pattern is really neat because it has several large pattens for the big compasses.  You pick the ones you wish to use.   The quilt has 5 large compasses and 4 smaller ones.  This is suppose to be my project for when we meet.  I am behind and I will probably always be behind.  I would like to make the parts when we meet and put them together with my Pfaff at home.  I don't drag my Pfaff around unless it is absolutely necessary. 

The fabric to the side, is fabric that I have auditioned for the next compass.  The fabric around the compass is the fabric that I am going to use as background around the compasses.

Jack and Yethi

Winter is coming, I decided that my big dog needed a doggy bed.  She likes sleeping on the tiles, but in the winter they get cold.  She also has a very thick rug (like a wool) she sleeps on.  Yethi is now over 8 years old.  I have noticed lately that sometimes she walks like she is stiff.  I bought her a Simmons Orthopedic bed.  I found a place in my bedroom for it and Jack (the other dog) took it over.  He growled at her if she came close.   I have twin beds in my bedroom (pushed together), Jack has occupied one until now.  I guess I will have to make a trip to Petco and buy another bed. 

Hope all is well with you..................

Visitors - Quilting - Food - New Orleans

Chris and Sharie

Chris and Don just left.  They came from Idaho to visit.  It was so nice to see them.  We have been friends for many a year.  Their visit wasn't long enough, but they still had another stop to make in Nebraska and then on home to Idaho.  Don is retired and Chris is almost retired but not quite, so thus she must be back to work this coming Monday.  Chris and I made a run to Quilts Bayou in Lake Charles.  She is also a quilter.  I bought some fabric, didn't need it but I bought it.  There is this thing called "want."  That is a quilter's biggest problem, "want."  Chris has an excuse, she is on a road trip.  Road trips always call for buying fabric and lots of it.

Quilt Mania Special Spring 2012

From Quilts Bayou we stopped at the boutique stores on Hodges.  I bought a pair of earrings.  They have green beads.  The green beads are something that I don't have and thought would look loverly with my green clothes.  Chris picked up a few things and then we were on our way to Muggs.  Muggs is a coffee shop attached to Books-a-Million.  We got our drinks and sat and chatted for awhile and then wandered through the book store.  It is hard to go to a book store and not buy a book.  Books-a-million has a million magazines.  I have been looking for a cute chicken either to embroidery or applique on the back and front of a denim shirt.  I bought a magazine.  I spent $19.99 for a magazine.  Would you believe that?  I would never do that, I can love it a lot, but I am not spending $19.99 for a magazine, except this time, it had a chicken I liked.  My quilting group is the Stitch and Cackle Quilt Circle.  We are going on a Shop Hop in August and we are also going to Houston Market come Oct/Nov.  We wanted to have shirts with a chicken or chickens and our stitching group name.  Isn't she cute?????

Don and Sharie

 Last evening Chris, Don and myself went to a restaurant, 121.  They have very good food.  The special last night was Red Snapper on a bed of potatoes, caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes and this wonderful sauce.  We started with wedges of fried cheese with a marinara sauce.  So very good.  The bread was super, the Caesar Salad was wonderful and I was stuffed when I left.  They have outstanding desserts but we decided that we would give ourselves a rest and eat Turtle Pie (from my freezer) when we got home. 

In my last post, I said that I would tell you about the quilting group and my visit to the restaurant in New Orleans.  To be up to speed on this post you might want to read the last post.  At Melissa's suggestion, she is our food person, we decided to do dinner at Tony Angello's in New Orleans.  There is nothing like eating in New Orleans or Louisiana as far as that is concerned.  When we got there, she said, we will not look at the menu, we will tell them to "feed me."  Feed me!!!!!   It was a feed.  This was a 13 course meal.  It took 3 hours to eat it.  No dessert.   This is the list of what we ate..........
Cajun boiled shrimp with a horseradish cream sauce
Fresh sliced mushrooms marinated in vinaigrette with sliced salami
Steamed artichoke drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Panned (pan-fried) filet of flounder
Crab stuffed shrimp
Grilled marinated Portabello mushrooms
Lobster cup
Brisket salad.....................absolutely outstanding
Angel hair with a red crab gravy
(Served with a rustic noodle with butter and scallion the below)
Pork stewed in a red sauce
Rosemary chicken
Eggplant Tina

If you are ever in New Orleans and you want a treat (take money, it's not McDonalds) go to Tony Angello's and tell them "Feed Me."

Hope all is well................