Chester made a couple of appearances over the past couple of weeks. He doesn’t always stay around to get his picture taken, but this day he must have been really hungry as he was on the veranda trying to beg a treat.
I’m delighted when he stops by, and wish he’d come more often.
In the meadow, a couple of dozen robins came by and stayed a couple of days. We saw them many times, and then they moved on.
The photos had to be taken with the long lens on the camera from inside the house. If I opened the door they would all take off. I couldn’t get a shot of the whole meadow, but it was alive with robins hopping around.
On the feeder, it is bird count time again. This titmouse was claiming his share of the suet cake.
Moments later, a Carolina wren came for a meal.
On the ground, a towhee stopped by. They are ground feeders so they peck around for seeds that fall from the feeder. This is a male, and his mate was with him. She is brown where he is black and has the same color on the chest.
Our Mardi Gras party on Tuesday was an absolute blast. When we arrived, we were given bead necklaces (to add to the ones we were already wearing) and a place card to put on the table. The place card served two purposes. First it saved our seats when we decided where we wanted to sit, and had the added benefit of showing us who else had chosen a seat nearby. Then, the staff used the names to serve our meals, as we had ordered in advance.
The tables were fabulous, with feathers and beads in vases for centerpieces. There were candles and beads in Mardi Gras colors. The napkins were green, purple and gold as well. I added some coins doubloons I’ve had for a long time to all the tables.
Our meals were fantastic. I was very impressed with the service, as every meal came out perfectly cooked and hot. There were 60 people registered for the event and that is a lot of meals to get right. We both had the steak which came with cheesy grits and crispy okra. I cut into mine, and it was beautifully cooked.
Didn’t take long for my plate to look like this. I had to suppress the urge to lick the plate.
Dessert was a bourbon pecan pie. My friends know that I do not like nuts of any kind, so there was no surprise when I picked the pecans off the top and ate the rest of the pie. The bourbon base was scrumptious with the flaky crust and whipped cream!
In the sewing room, I’ve been making more small items for the quilt shoppe and a couple for gifts. After making a pan handle pad for my friend who burned her hand, I decided to make more for the quilt shoppe. With the leftover farmer’s market fabric, I got four in under an hour. I need more heat resistant fabric, so I’ll pick up some of that this week and make some at the upcoming sleep-at-home retreat.
I forgot about the amaryllis until this past week. It was in the Carolina room with the plants I am protecting over the winter. I noticed it when I went out to water the plants, brought it inside and gave it some water. In just two days, I had leaves starting to grow. This bulb is over 10 years old, and I have hope that it will give me a flower this year as it didn’t last year.
I’ll start some seeds inside next month. The planting by moon phase calendar in my Farmer’s Almanac says March 10-21 are the best planting days for above ground crops like tomatoes with the waxing moon.
This week I have little on my schedule which means I can do a bit of clean up of the sewing room, and pull some things to take on retreat the last week of this month. I might get some sewing done on languishing projects that I have lost interest in doing. Perhaps I can find an embroidery to go with my bee fabrics and figure out a project for that, too.
What are your plans for the week?
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President’s Day Sale at Milk Street! Get 35% Off through Monday with Code: PRESIDENTSDAY. I just ordered some interesting new things to cook with including a set of confits looked like something new and fun to try.
From My Carolina Home 
I have another bloom on my amaryllis; that makes 5 this year. As for sewing this week, I will sew the binding on my challenge piece and then decide what I’m going to take with me to retreat. There are some small things I want to make for the quilt boutique. They are probably good projects to take to the retreat. Carole, your dinner looked awesome. I seldom eat red meat, but that steak looked quite tasty and cooked exactly to my liking. Glad you had a good time.
Your Mardi Gras party looked fun and fabulous!
I have a catch-up week planned after being unplugged and out of town for a week.
Seize the day!
Jo Anne
What a great luncheon! One of our local small businesses is hosting a fiber festival today, the yarn kind not whole grain. I’m heading out shortly to find some hand-dyed skeins. They make such a unique gift, like using hand dyed fabric in a special quilt.
Carole, I always enjoy your views of the birds that come by. The Mardi Gras party looks like fun and the food must have been fabulous! Enjoy your week!
your Mardi Gras meal looks great and must have been fun. No nuts! I have not heard of anyone that doesn’t like nuts – that pie looks delicious. But then I would have been pushing the grits and okra aside as I do not like them!
It’s always so much fun to see the wildlife you enjoy. The Mardi Gras party sounds like such fun. The tables look so festive and the food looks delicious.
Love seeing all your birds! It’s always fun to have the flocks of robins come through. I’m glad your Mardi Gras party was so fun! The meal looks yummy. Have a great Sunday!
I always enjoy seeing your visitors, squirrels and birds! Your Mardi Gras party sounds like it was so much fun, and I had to laugh about you ordering pecan pie and taking off the pecans! What a good idea to make skillet handle pot holders, I bet they will be popular in the quilt shoppe. Enjoy your week Carole!
Jenna
Thanks so much, I’m taking more pictures of birds this morning. Oh, I didn’t order the pie, it was served to everyone as part of the meal. We chose steak or salmon for the main course, and everyone got the same dessert.
Oh, well that makes more sense 😂
That banquet looks totally fabulous. Loved the table decor — relatively simple to do (if you have the beads!) but so colorful and festive. And the dinner looks great. Love all the wildlife, too! Happy Sunday!
I planted 100 tulips last year so please send some of your flower power up here! The food looked absolutely scrumptious!!!! I’ll sit next to you as I only like the nuts! So the new squirrel Chester is very handsome! And the Carolina Wren! I’ve never seen one before. Lovely. Thanks for all the wonderful pictures!
Another busy week ahead. Tues we attend a group meeting at funeral home to hear some options on funeral arrangements. ( Doesn’t that sound fun ? ). My Quilt Group meets every Wed morning, Mon & Thurs mornings are my Workout Group meetings (Senior style). That brings me to Fri – it’s saved for grocery shopping & house cleaning. Hopefully I get a little sewing done here & there. People think retirement is so relaxing. . . . .
As usual, I always enjoy reading your blog. Question–What is heat resistant fabric?
Thank you. Heat resistant fabric is the fabric that is on ironing boards. It is sold by the yard in some fabric stores like JoAnns.
I did not know about heat resistant fabric. So, you put it inside the pretty outer cotton fabric? Perhaps you will do a quick lesson on how you make your hot handles some day! I’m sure I could figure it our but you are very clever and will save me some time. Again, I really enjoy reading your blog and seeing all the things you do,
The tutorial for it is on the post from 3 days ago – Sew Day.
Love seeing all your birds…a harbinger of spring! Your Mardi Gras celebration sounds fabulous and I love the pot handle holders.