Solitude Yarn Swatch Along, babysitting and a party

October 01, 2017














We had our 2 1/2 month old grandson spend the night for the first time last night and he smiled and cooed all the way though his breakfast this morning! Phew, the night went well, but yesterday we were all nervous, mom and dad, grandma and grandpa. Only baby was certain we could all pull it off. I have spent the night at their house and have done the night duties so I knew what to expect. Since we hope to have him often, we have a guest room decked out with all his necessities: a brand new pack and play, his father's baby night-light that I had saved, a borrowed changing pad, and a massive diaper bag filled with 24 hours of baby supplies. I almost forgot the best thing we purchased, a Stork Craft Glider. It's a life saver for my back. But hearing a coo, then peering into a crib and seeing a baby smile back at you, there's nothing much to match it. He is gone now, mommy has come to pick him up and I was so proud that I was able to hand him back no worse for the wear!

Tonight we are having a dinner party, another of our last minute parties planned to grill some friends who just got back from a vacation we've always wanted to take--a month long driving trip to some of our beautiful American National Parks. Have you done anything like that? It's high on our bucket list. 

Somehow the table came out looking fancier than my menu is. The table, which I would normally set in 10 minutes, took me hours. I set it almost entirely with one hand, including the tablecloth--the other hand was holding my little buddy. We talked the whole time about setting a table and he seemed fascinated, really he did, but only for a few minutes at a time. It went something like this: set out 6 amazing glasses one at a time while talking and cooing, then fuss, then take a walk around the amazing garden, come back and set out 6 amazing plates one at a time, again talking and cooing, then fuss again, take a walk to see what amazing grandpa was up to, etc. After an hour of that it was time for a nap and I mean for both of us.

Tonight's menu is tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and a salad. My recipes are a big upscaled because the tomato soup is homemade from our home grown tomatoes and will be topped with homemade pesto. The sandwiches will be a bit gourmet with some lovely bakery bread and a great cheese mixture. Rather than sliced cheese, I coarsely grate good English cheddar, then add grated parmesan and gruyere, add a bit of mayo and a few chopped chives and a dash of mustard powder, then spread this mixture evenly on bread, then proceed as usual for the best grilled (or toasted) cheese sandwich ever. We'll finish off the night with Cowboy cookies and apples for dessert.

The Swatch Along with Solitude Wool starts today. Participants will be swatching a breed specific yarn each week, taking notes, then sharing our findings in a Ravelry forum set up for this. This is something so up my alley as I have a real interest in learning more about the different sheep breeds and their characteristics. I expect this knowledge will help me with future yarn purchases and pairing them with the right pattern to best show it off. I'm super excited about it.

Hope you have a great week, and thank you for stopping by. To make a comment, please click here.



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8 Comments

  1. Darling darling baby! You are so lucky!
    I've read your blog for years but have never commented until now. That baby made me do it!

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  2. So cute to see your little muse helping you to create a beautiful table! Talk about young, fresh ideas!😃 I’m with you on a return to good old-fashioned comfort food as a staple. It does a heart and stomach good! I hope you’re able to catch up on rest soon. Have a good week ahead!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Alycia. Yes, a cup of soup and a sandwich, how can you beat it???

      Delete
  3. Thank you, Kristin, for the grandma lessons for the possible future. He is certainly a Gerber baby! Chloe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! The kids told me I could take him whenever I wanted. They love it of course, and so do we! It's a win win!

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  4. Hi Kristen!
    He’s so cute!
    Grilling your friends, eh?
    That word dinner and grilling came pretty close together..ha ha ha!
    A trip to the National Parks looks terrific and do it in the Spring as you may be getting snow by September!
    Enjoy your week, and your table is quite lovely!!!!!
    Maxine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! And yes, I noticed that grilling reference too late! Haha! Yes, my friends got 4 days of snow in September! I'm so used to California weather!

      Delete

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