Rainbow's End Quilt Shop

The above link is from Happy Cottage Quilter's blogspot. Here is a blog of a wonderful Florida shop, Rainbow's End,  with fabulous pictures, which is located near Clearwater/Tampa Florida.  I visit it every February and look forward to soaking up the delicious colors.  It is such a nice change from drab grey Toledo, Ohio weather.  Pinks, Rose, Limes, Oranges, Reds, Purples, Blues and Greens.  My favorite colors.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rainbows-End-Quilt-Shoppe/102134419823310  Here is the shops facebook page.  Stop in to see this eye candy of a shop!  

Soup, Don't like soup-NO soup for you.

I have started to make soup every Sunday.  What joy it has been.  The 1st soup was a black bean and ham soup.  It was gone after 4 days and I didn't even get to take some to my 87 year old mother.  The picture about is here when she was about late 30's, early 40's.  We were camping up North in Michigan with my Aunt Helen and Uncle Charles.  Such great memories were made.  Ok back to the soup-

My father always made the soup in our home.  He was notorious for putting everything and the kitchen sink in the soup.  But I always loved it.  He is pictured here with some of his sisters and brothers.  Grandma Smith (without birth control of course) had over 20 births. She out lived 2 husbands and is pictured on the right with the flower corsage. My father is right behind her.  Only two are left, Aunt Imogine, poised next to grandma and my Uncle Dave, the shortest guy in back.  I think my dad learned to cook and stretched food from living through the depression with so many brothers and sisters in a two bedroom, 1 bath house.  I have inherited this great gift for stretching my food budget.
Soup is the easiest item to make,  and usually you have all the ingredients for it in your stocked cupboard.  It warms the soul, fills you up, and is cheap to make. It also makes your home smell delicious.  Whip up a salad, and some Bisquick biscuits and you have a meal.  So Satisfying! Last week I put together Cream of Cauliflower soup with bacon on top.  Yum!  This week I made Split Pea with Barley and fresh vegetables and herbs in a chicken stock. So Good and belly warm.
Ingredients: split pea, barley, carrots, celery, leeks, onions, 1 box of Chicken Stock with out salt or MSG. 3 cups water, Chicken Bouillon to taste, fresh parsley, sage and tarragon from my kitchen herb garden.  
I cook like I quilt, just throw it all in and see the results,  Be surprised!  

Continuing with the new me.

I am so excited.  Weekly, on Sunday, I am making homemade soup.  Two weeks ago, Black Bean and Ham, This week, Creamy Cauliflower and Leeks with bacon on top and this sunday, Onion Soup with red, white, scallions, onions with rye bread and cheese on top.  MMMM.  I will post pictures this week and the receipt.        My favorite is the Creamy Cauliflower because it tasted like the Potato and sausage soup at Olive Garden.  I am looking at getting a gas stove, now I have a electric which I am still trying to get use to since we moved into the new house. I do like the new to me, convection oven.  and the size of it.  4 racks for cooking cookies.  yeah, don't need a stinking double oven.  I have a warming drawer too. Loved that at Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Helped alot.
I can't decided what to do with my kitchen.  It is not exactly how I want it.  I have been wanting a darker cherry wood and more contempory kitchen to my look but this kitchen has black granite counter tops, which I hate, but will live with.  So I am researching changing out my doors with other ones.  do you have any ideas.

New year and I think it is time for a new me!

I know, I know, yeah the old new year's eve changes, go for a few weeks and then they crumble.  I hope that doesn't happen.  But a small idea is growing inside of me.  Combining fiber arts, quilting, my love of vintage and creativity.  I am checking out the antique mall tomorrow and see what's happening or not happening.  I have been wanting vintage children's illustrations to put on my grandchildren's bedroom wall, some vintage fabric to work with &  maybe a fairy or two. I have so much stuff to get rid of, most of it is Helen's, my deceased special friend and neighbor, but it is time to get it into a loving home. Not that I don't still love it, but I just don't know what to do with it.  So will be sold on Etsy, some on Ebay.  It is time to go back to work.  

dreary winter settling in, just like i like it

doesn't look like much, but it is a meat market, absolutely fabulous: pork loin & roast, 3 inch steaks, handcut, sliced roast beef, ham, cornbeef, huge chicken wings, and cheese galore.  The prices were out of this world, DH and me will be back.  It is about an hour drive north across the border thru lake country.  A Great Road Trip.  This place was such a surprise, we went on a whim when I saw another customer's purchases in a bar one day with the lowest prices and best looking meats I've ever seen. 

love this four square house, note the porches,  I don't know what it is about a central hall, but I love them and feel so at home in them.  

Las Vegas, NV How cool it that!

 circus circus, where we stayed.

malbroire man

 pawn stars

hoover dam bridge.

 paris, no, las vegas. baby.

So, so cool.  I loved this place, mountains, deserts, lake mead,  lights, noise, money. shopping.  No I didn't quilt, but I did crochet while I took my 4 hour flight, getting that scarf done for my grandchild for Christmas.  You just can't imagine.  It is so cool.  

Peace N Quiet-Love the birds

Great blue huron, fishing. I love when they shrink down and their neck is "S" shape. 

Ospray with fish in his talons often mistaken for eagles.  They are both big birds.  So much fun to watch dive for their supper.

Coots love to dive for supper.  I love watching them.  We have about 400 on the lake right now. funny white beak.

The pictures above were taken from others, but this is a sunset from my lake.  I'm not good at taking pics of flying objects yet. 

So much new waterfowl came to the lake yesterday.  Migration time.  Love it. 
My 'DREAM COME TRUE" location in my new home is just a wonderful peaceful place.  I could watch the water all day without radio, tv, or other noise.  The Ospray has been such a great source of joy.  It flys and climbs high above the lake,, scanning for the small movement of a fish,  flaps his wings and dives straight down and grabs it catch in its talons.  The only bird that does this.  They often are mistaken for eagles, but they have a white underbelly but their nest are made of twigs in high trees like cottonwoods which is just what the eagles do also.