Just in Time for the Weekend

More dust!  Another storm rolled in around noontime.  The house down the street is hidden in the haze.  My balcony is covered in a layer of fine red powder.  And my poor geraniums are suffocating from it all.  

You will find me here in my favorite spot surrounded by supplies, yarn and my laptop, catching up on blog reading, making stuff and forgetting about what's going on out there.

And if that's what I have to do the whole weekend, so be it.

Hope your day is a good one.

So Much for Dusting

 A day in May found on my Atlantic Canada calendar.  Apple blossoms in Canning, Nova Scotia.  I wish our day looked like this.  

Instead we got this.  A major dust storm rolled in just after 2:00 pm.

 You can't see it in the pictures, but there was actually an orange glow out there.  So much for all the cleaning I did over the past several days.

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better,
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need? 

Today I made banana and coconut bread.  I used three small tins rather than one large one.  It turned out great, very moist but I think next time I would definitely put half the sugar.

Hope the weather is better where you are!

Every Other Day

Lately it seems that I am only able to post about every other day.  Yesterday I spent about 8 hours dusting and cleaning and that was mainly in the living room.  As much as I try, I just really, really, really don't like cleaning.  It is definitely not a labor of love.  More like a necessary evil.

I had to make room for the long framed textile piece that I bought at the bazaar held at the KTAA Exhibition over the weekend.  It was made by an Indian lady named Ranju who used camel wool from the Sadu House to knit and crochet a piece that resembled the traditional Sadu weaving.  I also bought a pedestal dish that is woven from plastic bags.  It is made by ladies who are being sheltered by the Salvation Army.

And three crocheted carnations came home with me, too.  Don't they look real?

It was back to school today and despite the haze and clouds, it sure was hot!  A whopping 113 degrees.  Summer has definitely arrived.

I hope you are having a peaceful, restful Sunday in your corner of the world.  

Out and About

Today we met a friend for lunch at PF Chang's.  Dynamite Shrimp, steamed vegetable dumplings and vegetable spring rolls to start.  Oolong marinated sea bass served over spinach, coconut curry vegetables and steamed brown and white rice for our main dishes.  The food is always delicious!

Then this afternoon hubby and I headed over to the annual Kuwait Textiles Art Association Exhibition.  Lots of quilts, cross-stitch, embroidery, crochet and knitting.  Always fun and inspiring to see what others are making.

 Hope you are having a fabulous Friday!

Hot and Hazy; Cool and Cozy

The weather guy says we should get used to the haze (a/k/a dust).  He also said that by the weekend, the winds will shift and we will have high humidity.

Outdoor activities are not so appealing (unless you're a cat ... or a bird).  Our night time lows are in the 80's.

So while it's hot and hazy outside, what's a girl to do but play with yarn inside.

And make a mug cocoa cake using the microwave instead of the oven.

Mix in microwave safe mug 2-1/2 TBS flour, 2-1/2 TBS sugar, 2 TBS cocoa powder, 1 egg, 1-1/2 TBS vege oil, 2 TBS milk, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt.  Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped pecans on top and bake for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes.  (Don't overcook or the bottom will become hard and tough.)

Hope you're staying cool and cozy.  Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday it really looked like we were in for a major dust storm.  The sky took on an orangey hue and the sun was just a dot in the sky.

 But today turned out to be hazy, cloudy, muggy ... and somehow just sped by with lighting speed.

Which is why weekends are so necessary.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Happy Mother's Day

Last year, I bought this Martha Stewart Living magazine and must have tucked it away but never read it.  It's actually the May 2011 edition and even has a special pull-out Mother's Day section.   

 So, although it was a work and school day around here, I shall sit back this evening and enjoy the magazine along with the making of more daisy wheel dishcloths and flower coasters found here.

I hope your day is beautiful!

Puttering

Other than going out for lunch yesterday at our favorite Italian restaurant ...

 I've been puttering about at home.  My favorite thing to do on the weekend.  And since I haven't been very creative in the past couple of weeks, I was finally able to finish the Tea for Two stitching; crocheted a doily;  a "mary go round" using an old bracelet; a cotton cover for a jar; and another daisy wheel dishcloth.

 I hope your weekend is filled with puttering and creating, too.

Crazy Day

We've had strange weather for May. It started off with dust-filled days that have now turned to clouds and rumbling in the morning skies.  More craziness ensued when the electricity went out at school around 9 a.m.  Rumor is that a transformer was hit by lightning.  Hard to know what really happened but since the temperature outside was around 100 degrees, you can imagine what it was starting to feel like inside.  Students were dismissed by 11:30 am.  Electricity came back on around 1:45 pm, but it certainly threw the whole day off.  My entire job is reliant on a computer and internet access.

Needless to say, I didn't accomplish a lot today -- at school or at home.  Some days are just like that.

Hope yours is a good one!

Tea After Walking

I'm joining Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons today for tea.  These cashew biscuits were given to us by one of hubby's employees who just returned from India.  They are like sugar cookies but flavored with rosewater and topped with roasted cashews. 

 Along with the cashew biscuits, I'm having ginger tea we bought while on one of our trips to Sri Lanka where we took a tour of the Glenloch Tea Factory.

This morning there was a clap of loud thunder and rumbling just after 6 am but only about 10 raindrops on the windshield while on the way to school.  Rain in May would be rather strange indeed.  Hubby and I were able to walk this afternoon.  It was warm and just a tiny bit humid.  There aren't many flowers to see anymore, except those that grow wild.

That's about it around here.  It's already time to call it a night.  My how time just ticks away.

Hope you have a terrific Tuesday!

Time For Me

When we got home from school Jingles was in the same spot she was in when we left this morning.  What a life!

I shall not clean today (except for the stuff that needs to be done).  My plan is to finish up a cross-stitching I started over the weekend to match the dishcloth I crocheted.

Maybe I'll even have time to start something new.

Have a great week!

Off-Balance

It was my intention to create balance in my life this week, but it's after 10 o'clock, time for bed and all I've done is cook and clean, cook again, clean some more and prepare for another day.  Why does everything take so long?

I've also learned that my balance is way off when I try to take pictures of birds in the afternoon.  I actually have to lean against a wall or put my arms on something just to steady myself.  It's very hard to zoom in on a faraway subject and snap a photo at the same time.

 Tomorrow I'm going to balance the scale in the opposite direction.  Less doing and more time just for me.

 Goodnight from my side of the world!

Right on Time

I'm so glad I went out on the balcony this evening to see what Jingles was up to.  It's lizard season now so not a good idea to leave doors open.

I looked to my left and there it was.  The Full Flower Moon. I had forgotten that it would arrive this evening.  According to the Farmer's Almanac, it gets its name because of the abundance of flowers that can be found everywhere during May.

Unfortunately, I do not have an abundance of flowers right now.  Our weather for the past week has been dusty and dreary with white, hazy skies.  But this one little moss rose plant outside my kitchen window continues to give me one tiny little bloom a day.

 And believe it or not, tomatoes are ripening like crazy right now.  Hubby brought a bagful home from the mosque he attends.  And our neighbor gave us lettuce and cucumbers, potatoes and parsley.  Needless to say, we've been having lots of salads.  And today I made a very rustic tomato tart using puff pastry squares.

I can't believe the weekend is already over.  Last week was so busy.  Weather woes, internet issues, and just general busyness had me feeling rather blue.  But I am determined to find balance in the coming week.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Is It May Already?

My goodness how time is flying.  This past week has been extra busy with no fun stuff going on at all.  No crafting.  No crocheting.   I just seem to be playing catch up all the time.

Our entire week has been filled with dust, dust and more dust.  The sun is just a glowing ball in the sky, if it is  visible at all.

I did notice yesterday evening that the moon is well on its way to being full in just a few days.

Since I hadn't done any baking in a while, I decided a batch of oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and dried cranberries were in order.  

A quick snack and then I'm off to bed.  Another day is done.

Hope your week is a good one.