Marges Italian Adventure

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I will be adding more info to the current posts and adding new posts.  Enjoy and thanks for checking in!!!

Removing Wine Labels

Does anyone have a great method of removing wine labels?  We have soaked the bottle in hot water and ice water.   So far steaming the label on the stove seems to work the best.  The labels are so beautiful I am sure I can find a good use for them.  From wallpaper, to a wine diary, to decoupage, the possibilities are endless.  All I have to do is get them off the bottle in one piece!

Too Busy to Blog

I have been so busy playing ball with my girl Grace that I just haven't had time to tend to my blog.   Grace is a hoot.  Everything is a game.  She makes me tired.  She makes me laugh.  

June 11th Edition of The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...

Outside my window... Is an very old oak tree that has adorned our back yard for all the years we have 

been in our home.  Disease has ravaged it and we will have to cut it soon.  It will be a sad day.

I am thinking... I would like to be 10 pounds thinner

From the learning rooms... learning to sew on my new machine and 

how to chip and drive at the golf course

I am thankful for... a few hours of quiet to get some work done

From the kitchen... looks like a cold soup day... gazpacho or cucumber

I am wearing... a hat.  Love hats. 
I am reading... an Italian cookbook

I am hoping...  for more rain so I can play hookie this afternoon
I am creating... a pillow for my new office chair
I am praying...  for my sister that she will find the courage to move on.

Around the house... things are a little quiet right now
One of my favorite things... watching a great movie

A few plans for the rest of the week...  Cocktails for SIDS, Sewing, golf, 

a friends garage sale to attend, blog, shop, phone calls to my mom,

some social networking, and a sprinkle of bejeweled blitz!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...girlfriends!

The Simple Womans Daybook  is hosted by Peggy Hosetler.  

Living Large

Something my friend John said the other day has remained in my subconciousness.  It is a term I have heard before but it never stuck with me like it did this time.  John was reminiscing about a dear friend he had lost and how he will always remember their times together, "livin' large".  I have decided to partially rename my blog to that end.   

Dog on Donkey Smoking Pipe

Cleaning out my photo archives.... I think I took this in Ireland?

The Story of Baby Ricky

I would like to introduce you to "Baby Ricky".  He has been a part of my life for 22 years.  I found him in Barbados.  Or shall I say he found me?   While playing euchre with friends, he was seated on on easel just behind me.  I am quite sure he was passing along quantitive and qualitative information about my cards.  He became an intricate part of the daily euchre tournaments we held at our seaside villa.  Prior to leaving I photographed him.  On returning home, I had him blown up poster size and put him in a cheap plastic frame.  Over the years he has been given from friend to friend as a gift for  birthdays or anniversaries and house warmings.  Along the way he was placed on board, given some texture and a gilded frame to bring his likeness closer to that of the oil painting of his origin. 

The dates and signatures on the back  detail his travels.  He has been to Canada, Jamaica, and Russia.  He has traveled the US to Chicago, Gaylord Michigan, Florida, Georgia and made multiple stops throughout Ohio. He has many notable physical characteristics, such as non opposing thumbs, a receding hair line, and multiple chins.  He was aptly named after a friend back in the states who opted out of the Barbados trip. 

We are going to Italy in July....... Maybe "Baby Ricky" would like to see the Pope?

 

Life is Just a Bowl of these....

My Friend Marsie Hall Newbold posted these on Facebook today.  I loved it.  Thanks Marsie!

Do You Want to Live to be 100?

Yes I  want to live to be 100,

If I can still rock and roll, shimmy and shake. I don't care if it jiggles I just want to be able to do it. 

If I can l enjoy the sunshine and wear designer  sunglasses and big hats.

If I can go to the beach in some semblance of a bathing suit and still appreciate what a good tan feels like. 

If I can still enjoy the beauty and fragrance of  flowers.

If I can love and laugh.

If I can still get in and out of my bath tub.  

If  my mind is sharp and I am challenged with new ideas and adventures.

If I don't run out of friends along the way.

If I can enjoy the hummingbirds and the Red Tailed Hawk that visits me and the owl that calls to me at night.

If I can drink wine and eat chocolate.

If I can watch my son, my grandchildren and their children navigate this crazy world.

If I can have a driver.  I won't care if they take my driver's license away.  I don't mind being Miss Daisy!

Star Trek Review

 Al and I went to see Star Trek Sunday night.   Rotten Tomatoes gave the new edition of the classic a 95% approval on their tomatometer and we agreed.  It falls under the category of a "Date Night Flick"  not a "Chick Flick". It tells the story starting at the beginning.  How Kirk and Spock became assigned to The Starship Enterprise and became friends.  The characters grow on you quickly.  It had a lot of action and I had to close my eyes a couple of times to keep from getting dizzy.  We both enjoyed the movie and every bite of  the calorie laden popcorn.  To keep it real we split a diet coke.  Surprisingly, I didn't see any real life "Trekkies" at our screening. 

Update on Make Your Own Jeans

Earlier this year, I wrote a post on  Custom Made Jeans,  well I got the second pair of jeans from makeyourownjeans.com and they are not perfect either.  I guess there are problems when the person measuring is in Cincinnati Ohio and the person making is in India.   I have decided not to try again.  I really wanted them to look like this photo. Instead, the length is still too short and the crotch hangs a bit low which drives me wild.   If anyone has had any luck with custom made jeans please let me know.

For Today...

Outside my window... hoots and hollers of teenagers across the neighborhood

I am thinking... how much I love that sound

From the learning rooms... I have been taking Italian lessons in preparation for a trip to Italy

I am thankful for... my husband...he is a good man

From the kitchen... I think I will make brownies tomorrow
fresh
I am wearing... pajamas

I am reading...  the John Lennon biography.  It has been a slow go...

I am hoping... that I have a bumper crop of tomatoes.  I planted multiple heirloom varieties this year; pink, black, red, and yellow.  Hoping the deer don't beat me to them. 

I am creating... a throw pillow for my office chair, an herb garden in pots outside my kitchen door

I am praying... for my family, that we are healthy and active

Around the house...  there are  fresh cut flowers from my garden

One of my favorite things...  conversation with my son

A few plans for the rest of the week... work in garden, study italian, go to driving range

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you

My Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Stella, loves to smile!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Where In The World Has Marge Been!

I want to apologize for not being here if you were looking.  I have been longing to write a post but have been too overwhelmed with Life Events.  May is a crazy month.  The college students have returned, the laundry is overflowing, the driveway is full of cars, the lights are on way past the bewitching hour, the garden needs tending, the pool needs service, the vacation needs planning, the New York project is in full swing, the gym is calling my name, the diet needs more attention,  dreams of Italy,  Italian lessons,  golf lessons, benefits and birthday parties, home decorating decisions are waiting, and time with my family is at a premium.   I have missed writing on my blog.  So as the Terminator once said, " I'm back".   Check with me later today and tomorrow for lots of new content.   

More From Maggies Garden

The buds on the  Wysteria I planted last summer are full 

of promise!  Click on them to enlarge.

My Lilac Standard Smells As Good As It Looks!  

20 OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

1. Color- It depends on what its for... I can't pick just one.  I love Red, purple, yellow, green, blue, black
2. Dessert  -  creme brulee
3. Smell- lilacs, lavender
4. Flower- Calla Lilly in a vase, Orchids in a pot, Lilacs, Peony, Hydrangea, Rose, Wysteria, tulip, daffodil,  in the garden
5. Animal- dogs 
6. Month- April
7. Beverage- depends on the application - Coffee, Ice Tea, Water,  Sangria, wine, Margarita, Mint Julep
8. Pair of shoes- jimmy choo  flats
9. Snack- buttered popcorn
10. Song -  Some Where Over The Rainbow  
11. Book - Maybe -  Gone with the Wind
12. Fruit- berries of all kinds , mango, 
13. Hairstyle- one that is easy 
14. Piece of clothing - black Jeans 
15. Store to clothes shop- tough question
16. Season-Spring
17. Hobby-  blogging, photography, gardening
18. Thing to collect -  friends
19. Movie -  Love stories always leave me with a good feeling
20. Restaurant- Boca for dinner, Lavomatic for brunch

Visit The Simple Woman 

My Daily Phrase Italian

My Daily Phrase Italian

Buongiorno Good morning  

Arrivederci -  farewell till we meet again

Ciao -  can mean hello or goodbye

grazie - thank you

Prego -  your welcome

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... The flowers are blooming, the sun is emerging and Will is fixing the fence.
I am thinking...conditions are ripe for me to stay on target and get tons done.
I am thankful for... everything, especially my health and my husband.  Life is good!
From the learning rooms... I am learning to sew again
From the kitchen... dinner on my own tonight .. lean Cuisine and Homemade red pepper soup topped with greek yogurt and cilantro
I am wearing...sweats, straight from the gym and trying on Derby Day Hat
I am creating... a life I love.  
I am going... to work on plans for trip to Italy
I am reading... John Lennon 
I am hoping... my Blue Atlas Spruce I transplanted this morning lives.
I am hearing... birds singing.
Around the house... Dogs are hanging, chores are looming.
One of my favorite things... quiet time.
A few plans for the rest of the week:  Bootsies,  Derby Party, Sewing, Reading, Blogging
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

The Simple Womans Daybook

Maggies Garden

I love the Tree Peony in my garden. It will grow to 5 feet tall.

A new addition to my garden this year are 2 pots by my back door that Sister Mary 

has filled with Hosta Montana 'Aureo-marginata' and Hosta Halcyon.  

They are going to be fabulous!

Weekly Green: Composting Update

I wanted to take a minute to give you an update on my composting efforts.  At a party Saturday night I met a new friend.  Like me, she was also getting into worm composting.  Unlike me, she took a class and seemed to know a few things about worm composting that I did not, such as, the worms will drown if there is too much water in composter or that they will fry if composter gets too hot.  Sunday morning I went running out to composter which I had sitting in the sunshine.  Who knew they could not tolerate temperatures above 80 degrees?   I made my husband put rubber gloves on and search for the worms to comfirm that they were still alive.   He found 3 worms.  I knew the problem.  He wasn't looking hard enough!  I immediately put on the gloves and began looking for the red wiggle worms.   I found one!   Had my worms drowned in the rain water we heard sloshing around in the composter last week?  Or did I cook them in the sunshine.   Or are those worms just too small to see?   It appears that compost is being made so I am going to assume the worms are hiding.   I had my husband,  Al push the composter around the back of the house, to the lower deck, where it is now in the shade.  My new friend also seemed to know more about the eating habits of the Red Wiggle worm.  We will no longer be serving up whole egg shells.  Who knew they liked them smashed up?  I guess I still have a lot to learn about worms, composting and going green.