In a few minutes I will be leaving for the airport to pick up Alexia and Julian and their mom. Allison will only be here for a few days, so we have a lot of catching up (and sewing!) to do in those few days. But I get to have Alexia and Julian for a […]
Category Archives: Home life
A little sewing… a little knitting
My sweet Jamie turned 21 last week. This is the child I very consciously tried to slowdown for and enjoy every minute (the boys just went by too quickly and they were grown up before I knew). And still here we are: she’s all grown up and it went by way to fast.
Also posted in Bags/Purses, Family
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Fanesca
Fanesca is a traditional soup here in Ecuador and could very well be considered the national dish, as it is prepared throughout the entire country. It is only prepared once a year, during Easter, and served throughout Holy Week.
Also posted in In the kitchen, Life in Ecuador
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Life happens
Like anybody else, my life is full of good intentions. Such as posting frequently on this blog. I schedule time for this and that and try to keep organized. And then life takes over and challenges me to adapt and be flexible with all those well laid out plans.
Also posted in Family
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On Timeless Friendship
BJ, Beej, BeJota, Bobby John… all different ways of calling a well-loved, longtime friend. We met in 1980 (at the same time I met my best friend Jim). For the next couple of years, he was one of my closest friends. No, more than that… he was my little broie.
A matter of priorities
Fridays my daughter Jamie doesn’t have class at the university. She often still goes down to work/study in the library. But when she doesn’t… it’s “girls’ day” and she’s all mine!
Also posted in Books!, Family, Organizing
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Quiet Christmas
Over the years our family seems to have “shrunk” quite a bit. Well, not really. What has happened is that we’ve spread out and are no longer located in one country, let alone one city!
All those cookies!
Well, Christmas Eve is here and I didn’t meet my goal of 20 different varieties of cookies. I’m blaming my daughter-in-law Allison for that. (-: Normally we do all this baking together, but she’s back in the U.S. with the kids this year, and I find it isn’t half as much fun to bake without […]
Also posted in Christmas, In the kitchen
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Christmas Tea Party
Earlier in the year my mother saw fit to bestow on me part of my “inheritance,” consisting of three different tea sets she brought down with her to Ecuador over 50 years ago! They are now being put to very good use: every Thursday they are polished and set out for the “girls” in my […]
Also posted in In the kitchen, Sewing circle
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Snickerdoodles
This is a very modest cookie – very easy to make. Cinnamon gives it interest, so beware because you could easily eat and eat at one sitting!
Also posted in In the kitchen
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Chocolate Orange Cookies
Ok, so I am going to say something here that you will probably find blasphemous: I am not really fond of chocolate. I mean, I like a candy bar every now and then and a piece of hard chocolate is fine. But no chocolate cake for me. Nor chocolate brownies or cookies. Even less so […]
Also posted in In the kitchen
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Russian Teacakes
Absolutely sinful. Sinfully delicious, that is. Also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes (no one has ever been able to explain to me why the two different names) these delightfully nutty cookies simply melt in the mouth. They have been a part of our Christmases for as long as I can remember, and I’m not one […]
Also posted in In the kitchen
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Gingersnaps
This classic, sugar coated cookie gets its chewy texture and spicy flavor from brown sugar, molasses, and ginger. What makes this particular recipe unusual is the additional use of maple syrup and cardamom. Yummy! Shorten or lengthen the baking time for a softer or crisper cookie.
Also posted in In the kitchen
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I am a self-learner. I taught myself to sew and to quilt. And I taught myself how to draw. I am learning how to dye my own fabrics and am dabbling with mixed media. I am a quilt designer and teacher, and design and publish my own line of quilt patterns. With this blog I would like to share the bits and pieces of my life.