Thursday, February 6, 2020

Stitching, Baking, Daily Life


Let's do some life posting.

The Tucker piece seems like it is coming along slow. It is. I have lots of outside of the home activities which have kind of tuckered me out in the evenings and then the fact that I am kind of designing this as I go it has made it a wee bit slow. If I did something like this again, it would probably be worth the extra effort to draw it out completely on some graph paper. I didn't - so it is just stitch and think and repeat.

Here is my progress.




I am doing my best not to look around at what others are stitching and stay focused. So far so good!

Last week was Tyler's birthday. Lindsay asked him what kind of cake he wanted and he asked for a red velvet. She was going to go buy one, but I said I would absolutely love to do it. Baking is therapy for me. I don't really love to cook, but bake ---oh yes.




I have never made a red velvet so I went to my cookbook closet. Surprising with all those cookbooks there weren't a ton of them, but I knew as soon as I saw the one I used that it was the winner. I love a cake that uses buttermilk, sifts flour, and adds those two ingredients in small bits beginning and ending with flour. It is almost always a winner. The only snag for me was the vegetable oil. I don't use so much of that anymore. I use coconut oil in brownie mixes and can't tell the difference so I took a leap of faith and used mostly coconut oil in the recipe. It was fabulous. I didn't tell anyone except Lindsay because I could hear them all saying they could taste it. Not one person said anything other than it was delicious. Win!!!!

Here is a picture of the recipe and I used a standard cream cheese icing. I did not add nuts per Tyler's directions. I would have added nuts!

Coconut oil for the win and the bottle I assumed was a small plastic one, but I just added until I thought it looked right. Less is best was my thinking.


The weekend was very nice so Jeff and I took a hike on the Florida Trail in Crestview just north of us. It was typical north Florida pines, scrub oaks, and palmettos.




I was really tired for some reason on Sunday evening and slept through most of the Super Bowl on the recliner. You know when you sleep like that you need it.
I missed all the hoopla about the halftime show. I do not feel I missed a thing.

I noticed many saying out there in Internet World how long January was. I think I was so productive and then dealing with Mom being sick that I didn't feel that way at all. It was cold and I stayed inside and busily took care of some long needed tasks. My pile has been donated.

The weather started off for February spring like, so Tucker and I spent some time outside. Today is rainy and it is supposed to be cloudy and wet for the next few days, so more inside tasks to be done.
We enjoyed it while it lasted though.

Some glimpses of life with him...
No stroller, Grammie. I can walk. AND great winter pots. The secret to pansies and dianthus is weekly fertilizing.

I can use PaPa's car wash brush.


A little TV.

The new dog bed was supposed to be for Lemony, but Tucker likes it more.

Mother starts vertigo therapy on Monday. She did this about two years ago and it was very helpful in more ways than just vertigo. Just moving her body. The doctor says the ear infections probably started those crystals to moving around again. We are still trying to finish up a few more appointments. She is not driving so I am shuffling her around. She is not liking that and ready to get herself back to independence, but I feel we may be just moving into a phase when I am a lot more active in that, so I am preparing myself for that and trying to take care of myself as well.

I don't know how I got so lucky, but I am married to a good man who is so helpful. I never ever want to take that for granted.

That is about it for the last week around here.

Watching rain,
Sandy

17 comments:

  1. Thank you for the recipe! And the thinking about substitutions, a baker after my own heart. The cake looks great, and so wise not to mention the ingredient that would set people off not liking it so much.

    That's a wonderful series of Tucker being busy,and the dog keeping an eye on him. I really enjoyed it.

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  2. My mom always made red velvet for my birthday so it is always a favorite! Yum! The weather has been beautiful here until today! We had to put the AC on. Hot and humid. A cold front is coming again, however.

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  3. I knew I meant to say something else before I hit publish: the concept of not looking at other people's stitching/progress, just attending to your own, is a great general policy for life! I need to remember that.

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  4. I read what you wrote about your good man and told my hubby I feel that way too! How sweet! And it feels good to be appreciated. Tucker is so cute....he's getting SO big too! Enjoy your week! Hope we don't get the bad storms that might blow through later! Hugs!

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  5. Sandy: What a sweet post, Happy Birthday to Tyler, the cake looks yummy, I am like you I do not like to cook but baking is a dream for me.
    I use applesauce in place of oil, it seems to not make a difference except when making a cake from a box, then I use unsweetened applesauce.
    The Tucker design is getting close to the finish line it is adorable as is he, I just love him in that big bet for lemony, oh so cute.
    I love taking walks with Mike it is so refreshing when we do, its not what all couples do I feel very lucky that he like to walk.
    Have a lovely day.

    Catherine

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  6. Your sitching will be beautiful and so many lovely little details. Tucker will love it.
    Cute photos from Tucker.
    Have a nice weekend, Manuela

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  7. Tyler's cake looks fabulous. And happy belated wishes to him! Tucker's piece is coming along nicely. I love the picture of Tucker sitting in Lemony's new bed. Glad you and Jeff were able to get out on a hike. Your pots of flowers look awesome. Enjoy your weekend, Sandy!

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  8. That cake looks amazing. Marvin likes red velvet cake as well. It is a pretty cake for February for sure. You are going to have Tucker'sname done in no time Sandy...it is so cute. I need to get started on the Christmas ornaments I am doing for the grands. With nine of them, it takes a while!! Would love to walk with you on a nice day in Florida. I may be on your door step if it does not stop raining here. At least this morning it is snow! Off and on and it won't stitck but it is pretty. Working on Riley's Harbor today. I hope to get it done by the end of the year.

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  9. You are the second person to mention to me this week about the crystals that have something to do with vertigo. I had never heard that before. I hope your mom gets to feeling better. Her problems take a lot out of you. I know that is certainly true for my sister and me.

    You made good use of January -- which may be why you needed that long nap during the Super Bowl. You were better off to not be awake for half time. We just turned off the TV for that and came back for the 3rd quarter.

    Tucker's cross stitch is looking so good.

    I want some of that cake ....

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  10. Sandy, your stitch for Tucker looks so amazing. I love it. Tyler's cake looks totally yummy. I have never had red velvet cake before but have read a lot about it and everyone loves it. I would like to try it for sure. Love all of your photos of Tucker...he is such a sweetie! Have a wonderful week. RJ

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  11. I love that cross stitch of Tucker's name. All the letters are clever, but is it okay to say I'm sort of swooning over the K. That anchor at the bottom of the leg of the K is terrific. Did you come up with that? The cake looks and sounds delicious. Tucker is growing and changing! And lastly, the pictures of your hike have me yearning for spring now. What beauty you have there in February.

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  12. Love the cross stitch-Tucker's name. So cute. The cake looks yummy also. Am enjoying your blog so much. Hope your mother is doing better.

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  13. I agreed about halftime also. Someone I respect so much explained to me that this is cultural dancing and it is dancing. OFten when one is doing that, it is not what some of us like. I still maintain that it is a football game, but as I look back and think, some of the halftime episodes of S. B. have been not so great...oh well...we can always turn it off. I do not watch Dancing with the Stars for this very reason-the costumes...maybe this is a part of certain parts of dancing...who knows? So many other things going on that are worse...

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  14. I'v had several bouts with Vertigo and it's really nasty. The last bout lasted the longest, close to 3 months, but thankfully it was only the first few weeks where I felt like I couldn't do things. Now being very aware of it, I try to move a bit differently...so I relate. How old is your Mom? I found some very helpful video's from Ask Dr. Joe on Facebook. There are others out there, but her explanations are much nicer, easier to understand. I also went to the Chiropractor more often which helped. Ear infections yep, that can stir things up. I've had several broken ear drums which I think add to my having issues. Best of luck to your Mom and you as you navigate through this transition. I'm just the opposite of you, I like to cook, but not bake, lol. I didn't watch the super bowl, just not into it; but did see some video's and think people really over reacting. Frankly, I think a lot of women were jealous she's able to do that at age 50. She's gorgeous. But, really with some of the trashy tv shows and movies, I don't know why people got so anxious. All they had to do was busy themselves for 15 minutes and come back to watch the game. The Tucker cross stitch is cute and seems very appropriate. I'm often a sit of the pants person with things I make and probably wouldn't have charted it out...I tend to knit often with just a general idea and sometimes change the idea as I go, lol. Perhaps it's our name Sandy, lol. Swing by for a visit.

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  15. Your Tucker piece is growing nicely, Sandy--I think that is great that you are super focused on it. I am a monogamous stitcher, too--really hate having more than a large piece and an ornament going at the same time.

    I had to laugh about your baking comment being therapy because I feel the same way. I remember a time when I was working at the library and two of my co-workers were enjoying some of the cookies I brought in. They were discussing how to get me to bring in goodies more often and I told them that baking is my stress-relief. They were immediately on me trying to get me stressed out so I would bake more :) Anyway, your cake looks luscious!

    I felt the same way about January--it usually drags for me, but it flew by, thankfully. February seems just as gray as January, but we did have some snow over the weekend which brightened things up. Of course, it's warmed up and melted now. Oh well...

    Look at big boy Tucker walking around on his own. They get so independent when they discover they can walk, don't they? Sure hope things improve for your mom soon! ♥

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  16. Making my blog rounds, so thought I'd pop in and say hi. Hope you're doing well.

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  17. Tucker is getting so big!! He looks to be such an active toddler and must keep you on your toes!! I just love how his name is coming along, I'm so impressed that you have designed this yourself. The K with the anchor was a brilliant idea!!! What a special gift you have made for your grandson.
    I LOVE to bake too, in fact I'm making and sending 2 loaves of Irish Soda bread and Choc chip cookies to my brother in law today that needed a pick me up. When I worked I brought in baked goods all the time to the girls at work. It's one thing I miss about work, I had people to eat my baked goods. The red velvet cake looks so good, I think they were real popular in the 60's. I have never made one but will have to give one a try. I hope your Mom is feeling better soon.

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I am so glad you stopped by my little blog. Drop in again anytime.
Sincerely,
Sandy