Derby Fever

Since we didn't need anything in particular from the farmers market this week, we grabbed coffee at Day's and watched the marathon for a while and pulled weeds. I saw the first runner go by and it was more than a minute before the second one. I took the first guy's photo and figured Mr. Number 2 was too far to catch up. Wrong. He won.  I also took the first woman's photo, but I don't know if she won.

Our next stop was the Cherokee Triangle Art Fair, a favorite of ours, where I can always count on seeing my quilt artist friend, Jude. And this year, a new addition-Sylvia! She is so precious and held her arms out right away for me to hold her. Sweet. I decided to add another of Jude's skirts to my closet, this one, a wrap-around in hand dyed aqua silk with silk screened flowers in aqua and french blue with a dusty grape patterned tie. Photo to come.
We got there in time for a parade that reminded me of the tall, exaggerated characters that were in the parade in Poland when I was there. I love Derby week.

Goose Egg

My friend Donnie brought me a treat today! We had a conversation last week about his chickens and the fact that he has geese. He gathers eggs from both.
I like eggs, to eat and for crafts. What could I do with it? Maybe a vase or decoupage it perhaps? I've never eaten a goose egg. I'm hoping someone will entice me with some fabulous recipe. I admit to not being too adventurous a gastronomer.

But, no matter, I am the lucky owner of not one, but TWO eggs!  Aren't they beauties? And BIG! The little egg is my chicken egg from the farmers market this week.
They came carefully packed with care surrounded by sawdust in this coffee can.
Thanks, Donnie! I'll update you soon on what I do with them. I'm open to all suggestions and reviews on the goodness of goose eggs.

Thunder Over Louisville

 

I'm crazy about fireworks and I've never seen better than those we have in Louisville to start our Kentucky Derby Festival. And I've been to the South Lawn of the White House on the 4th of July! This was the first year that I remember any glitch that delayed the start. Scheduled to begin at 9:30, it was almost 9:50 before it began. But, definitely worth the wait. I thought this picture was kinda cool.

We went at about 2:30 to meet up with 700,000 of our best friends to catch the air show, too. It is supposed to be the top air show this year. I do love loud, fast planes.
Having fireworks off of the bridge adds to the effect, and the fireworks you see are are duplicated on the other side of the bridge, so double the show plus the bridge!
It's hard to get good pictures of anything today, the planes are fast, the people too numerous to represent well and fireworks, well, my basic point and shoot did an okay job but not like being there. I hope you enjoy them, though. It was a terrific day from start to finish!
You can see all of the pictures here.

Farmer's Market 4/17/10

Today is just a super day-clear, breezy, and in the 60's. A nice change from our 80+ degrees in recent days.
I'm looking forward to Thunder Over Louisville even though it is horrible for the environment! I figure they are going to have the air show and fireworks anyways so I may as well go enjoy them. I confess to having a love of fast jets and fireworks.

But the day started as most of our Saturdays do, with the market and breakfast. This is the new soap vender who sells very nice goat's milk soap. I tried some samples and will definitely be buying some. Even though I am a soap maker, I love other's soap!

Sweet and Savory has changed its name! They had a contest and this was the winning suggestions and I think it is perfect! Fleur de Lis Cafe- wish I'd thought of it! I also like that their logo fleur de lis is designed as a flower. Nice. It has totally changed. The menu was new, the hours are extended (to midnight on the weekends-not the direction I would have taken it had I bought it-I'm so not a night person), and it is a bit more pricey. It will be interesting to see how it does. The menu is very interesting. I'm sure we will try it for dinner. I'm not sure it will continue to be an every Saturday, (at least when the summer market is closed), breakfast for us, which is too bad. Breakfast without coffee was 20.00 compared to our usual 13-15.00 I think she may lose a few regulars because of pricing, but will draw a different crowd, too. It has been frequented recently by more 20-30 somethings.
One thing I found incongruous was that the drinking glasses had been changed to mason jars. Not exactly what I would have gone with considering the up-scaled menu(in price and offerings). Seemed a bit odd to me. No web site yet, and I couldn't get a good snapshot of the menu because of window glare.

Beautiful week

It has been a beautiful week here in Kentucky! I have loads of pictures because I've been slow blogging lately.  I love blooming things, they make me feel happy. Because of our incredibly warm, record-breaking weather, everything has bloomed at once. I'll miss it when it all goes away at once, too. The view from my back door is spectacular, don't you think? The phlox on the neighbor's yard one street behind, Judy's beautiful redbud, my azalea-Yum! This lovely yellow-blooming ground cover has crept its way over from Judy's yard. Yellow is my favorite color though I don't choose yellow flowers a lot.

Can I bore you again with my new wave petunia? It is a great performer already and very low maintenance.

Last week I didn't get much at the market but here is the picture. I love basil. We have a lot of bruschetta here during the warm months. This is a disease resistant variety I grew last year along with the one I got today. I liked both equally well and they both did equally well, too.

It's that time of year! Farmer's Market is back!

This is my haul from the market kale, cilantro, two chickens-one whole and one cut up, buffalo patties and some soap samples from a new vender. I've been using them in the shower and they're yummy!

There was a basket filled with Easter treats for kids of all ages!

This is the bag Richey gave me for my birthday. Die cut recycled billboard!  It expands and folds flat. It holds up to 35 pounds. Perfect for a trip to the farmer's market, don't you think?  It is a kiwi green which doesn't show up here too well.

While we got to go to the market all winter, the selection was eggs, meat and poultry for the most part. Last Saturday was a taste of things to come as some of the "regulars" were back.
This is Ivor and crew. They had greens and I'm watching for their watermelon radishes. Yum.

It started raining while we were there, but it didn't damped our excitement for the FM. Claire was back with beautiful plants. I've gotten lettuce and these great new wave petunias. I absolutely love the color of them!

Ah, Spring.....

Sue, my inspiration, and a fun Easter Egg

I met Sue through a mutual friend and I'm so glad I did.

Sue, (Urban Little House), is maybe the all-around coolest person I know. She finds the greatest creative, food, decorating, inspiring websites. (Richey is my best online shopping guru)  I look forward to Wednesday Link Love every week and have been inspired to create or do many of the things she posts.  I hardly ever have an original idea but I can adapt others very well. She lives out her faith in ways too numerous to count and has become mom to three wonderful kids, who came her way most unexpectedly. She didn't seek them, they found her in a way that was so beautiful for the whole family. She is the co-ordinator for the farmer's market in her neighborhood- a new local one, and I envy the community she experiences with her neighbors who share dinners, a garden, care for each other in celebration and sorrow, and actively advocate for their community. Oh, to live in Phoenix Hill and be their neighbors.
We don't meet face to face nearly often enough. I cherish when we do and Friday was one of those days. I looked forward to it all week. 
Our plans to chat over Thai food were dashed when we arrived at the restaurant and it was closed for a month so the family could go to a funeral (we don't know who's) in Thailand. So, rather than spend time looking for another option with good food, we opted for the convenience of the Subway next door.

I share my extra atcs and rolodex cards from swaps with her. She is so creative and I want her to do some swapping so I'm always trying to entice her in some way and I know she appreciates them the way an artist does.  I love to visit her community church.  They do lots of creative activities like advent journals and wall hangings, they bring personal items to adorn the alter table for that Sunday's sermon topic. Just how much they love each other like family is so apparent when you are among them.

Sue brought me these cool paper buttons and little cards she found on Etsy and these adorable tiny chicks! Aren't they the sweetest?  (I took these photos with my new camera I am learning to use. I love the macro shot of the chick. Canon Powershot SX120is-my birthday present)

I made this egg to bring her. I thought it was just so cool and I want to make a whole rainbow of them for next Easter. You can find the directions here.  I made mine so they still open and you can put things in them. I also found that if I put two little flat pieces of the sticky-back canvas across the bottom, they will still stand up. Aren't they just the cutest? I'm so glad people are clever and I can figure out how to do what they do. I highly recommend that canvas, you can do a bunch of things with it. Happy Easter!