Activity: My favorite activity lately is sleeping. I have been working every day between my two jobs and the next day off in sight is Monday. I didn't think working retail was all that physically demanding, but standing on your feet for six hours straight, bored out of your mind really wears a person out. If things are busy, the time flies, but management has been sticking me up in the Petite department on the second level, where there is little traffic. I fold tiny tee shirts, I adjust miniature pants and skirts on hangers, I make sure the price tags are neatly clipped in place. Every now and then a prototype size person peeks over the counter and needs my help. Numbingly dull. My naughty husband took this picture one morning this week when I should have been up and about already. That big lump Sophie is cuddled up against is me.
Read: I have begun reading My Abandonment by Peter Rock, a story about a homeless man and his daughter. Let me say right off the bat that this is a fairly strange book, but has me oddly hooked. I have just begun to get into it, where the man and the girl are scavenging for things to take back to their shelter in the woods. From the review I read on Amazon, the girl some how attracts the attention of the police and the pair of them are taken into custody, where it is revealed that the daughter may not actually be his child. So, it is a mystery of sorts.
Listen: No music this week. I have been totally engrossed in an audio book called The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. I had read the book a few years ago, but when I saw the audio version at the library, I picked it up. This story is hair-on-your-head-standing-on-end thrilling. I would classify the story as a Southern Gothic, with the main character a twelve year old girl named Harriet Dufresnes. When she was a baby, her older brother was inexplicably murdered in their own yard, and Harriet's mission is to wreak revenge on the low life person she thinks committed the crime which destroyed her family. You do have to suspend belief and accept the plot developements, but this is a heck of a story. Get the book, get the audio version, you will not regret it!
Cooking: The best meals I have had this week have all been prepared by my husband. Nothing like staggering home from a long day and having a handsome man tell you dinner is ready.
I did make a casserole this week that was mighty tasty though. It involved mixing corn bread stuffing with celery and onions and a can of creamed corn and baking pork chops on top. That was good, and we ate it for two nights.
Golden Pork Chops
1 can (14 oz) cream style corn
1/2 cup each finely chopped onion and celery
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 cups crushed corn bread stuffing
4 boneless pork chops
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. spicy brown mustard
Combine the corn, onion, celery and paprika. Stir in stuffing. Transfer to a 11 x 7" baking dish. Arrange pork chops over stuffing. Combine brown sugar and mustard and spread over chops. Bake, uncovered at 400 for 35-40 minutes. Serves 4.
Favorite New Find: http://yellowbirdart.blogspot.com/
Maria told me about this nice blog, Yellow Bird Art, that has a giveaway going on right now. They went to Quilt Market and are giving away some goodies they picked up there. Go take a look and see if you might win!
Added later: LOL. Ok, never mind, they just named me the winner of the give away. But do check out their site, it is very very nice.
Quilting Project: Huh? My plans to sew didn't pan out so well this week. I have plenty of ideas swirling around in my head for new projects, but can't start until I get the borders on Dandelion Girl and Around the Block.
Gratitude: Happy Birthday Ahren! I am so proud of you!
20 responses to “Friday Favorites”
Nicole, I love the picture, soooo cute. Now if it had been a picture of my bed, there would have been two lumps up against me. Funny how much room too small dogs can take up on a kingsize bed. LOL. Have a great weekend.
Nicole, I love the picture, soooo cute. Now if it had been a picture of my bed, there would have been two lumps up against me. Funny how much room too small dogs can take up on a kingsize bed. LOL. Have a great weekend.
Everybody, please keep checking back to Yellow Bird Art’s blog. Nicole won yesterday’s drawing, but today’s is still open, and there will be more tomorrow!
Everybody, please keep checking back to Yellow Bird Art’s blog. Nicole won yesterday’s drawing, but today’s is still open, and there will be more tomorrow!
Funny, that doesn’t look like you. :-}
Congrats on your win.
Funny, that doesn’t look like you. :-}
Congrats on your win.
The Little Friend is one of my favorite “creepy crawlies”. I read it years ago on the recommendation of Stephen King (no, not a personal recommendation, but from a list he compiled in one of his books). It now has a permanent place on my bookshelf.
The Little Friend is one of my favorite “creepy crawlies”. I read it years ago on the recommendation of Stephen King (no, not a personal recommendation, but from a list he compiled in one of his books). It now has a permanent place on my bookshelf.
The dog looks cute sleeping you cant see you I can picture you on the floor somewhere where the dog has kicked you out LOL.
Hugs Mary.
The dog looks cute sleeping you cant see you I can picture you on the floor somewhere where the dog has kicked you out LOL.
Hugs Mary.
Hi Nicole,
Does Sophie like to sleep in the small of your back? Does she try and crawl up when your husband tries to kiss you? Dusty the dog seems to think that is her job in life- warm the small of my back ( nice enough hot water bottle but a bit of a space hog) and make sure that Bruce doesn’t try and kiss meLOL
What a lovely quilt you have on your bed- the greens are gorgeous..
Your pork chop recipe reminds me of one that my mom has made for a long time.
It is pork chops with stuffing ( like turkey dressing- sage, poultry seasoning, onion, margarine, a bit hot water to moisten the bread, salt and pepper)
I have forgotten which goes on the bottom but I think it is the meat with the stuffing on top.. I think of this recipe as comfort food from my mother’s house.
Keep well,
Regards,
Anna
Hi Nicole,
Does Sophie like to sleep in the small of your back? Does she try and crawl up when your husband tries to kiss you? Dusty the dog seems to think that is her job in life- warm the small of my back ( nice enough hot water bottle but a bit of a space hog) and make sure that Bruce doesn’t try and kiss meLOL
What a lovely quilt you have on your bed- the greens are gorgeous..
Your pork chop recipe reminds me of one that my mom has made for a long time.
It is pork chops with stuffing ( like turkey dressing- sage, poultry seasoning, onion, margarine, a bit hot water to moisten the bread, salt and pepper)
I have forgotten which goes on the bottom but I think it is the meat with the stuffing on top.. I think of this recipe as comfort food from my mother’s house.
Keep well,
Regards,
Anna
There is a Dufresne family in the neighborhood where I grew up, funny to see it being used in a story. Very French name, all those extra vowels, you know! About your job, I agree that boring jobs are the hardest in the world–I would rather shovel dirt than stand and WAIT for something to do. Poor thing! Hope a herd of little people stampede you next time 🙂
There is a Dufresne family in the neighborhood where I grew up, funny to see it being used in a story. Very French name, all those extra vowels, you know! About your job, I agree that boring jobs are the hardest in the world–I would rather shovel dirt than stand and WAIT for something to do. Poor thing! Hope a herd of little people stampede you next time 🙂
I’m so glad things are going better with Sophie. Thanks for the book recommendations. I do have a question about The Little Friend – I started reading it a few years ago, but then stopped because I heard that they never solve the mystery? Is that true? Because I read another book like that and I hated it.
I’m so glad things are going better with Sophie. Thanks for the book recommendations. I do have a question about The Little Friend – I started reading it a few years ago, but then stopped because I heard that they never solve the mystery? Is that true? Because I read another book like that and I hated it.
Just wanted to let everyone know that http://yellowbirdart.blogspot.com/ is having another really great giveaway. Hurry the drawing is tomorrow. Thanks so much Nicole for sharing the link to their blog, it is wonderful.
Just wanted to let everyone know that http://yellowbirdart.blogspot.com/ is having another really great giveaway. Hurry the drawing is tomorrow. Thanks so much Nicole for sharing the link to their blog, it is wonderful.
I’ve been away from your blog for a while and came back to see how busy you’ve been, Nicole – you deserve that snuggle-up with Sophie! And from my monitor, it looks like her little foot pads have been painted a lovely shade of blue!!
I was so happy to see you finished quilt top for Joanna – it’s gorgeous as is your piecing – woo-hooo!!! What an honor!
Cheers~
I’ve been away from your blog for a while and came back to see how busy you’ve been, Nicole – you deserve that snuggle-up with Sophie! And from my monitor, it looks like her little foot pads have been painted a lovely shade of blue!!
I was so happy to see you finished quilt top for Joanna – it’s gorgeous as is your piecing – woo-hooo!!! What an honor!
Cheers~