Hi, friends! July is flying by, isn't it? Monday morning dawned bright and sunny and my friend Elle (L) and I were busy texting, planning a fun day out. The weekend was wonderful, more on that later, but we just wanted a girly kind of day. Our plan proved to be a more successful version of a similar day back in March. here
Bubble tea!
L was out with her DH and saw a sign for what she thought was a sewing shop, plus she'd had tea at a lovely tiny Japanese restaurant nearby. She and her husband like to get out for dinner but away from the bustle of the beach area where we live. The sewing shop was a flop--needlepoint only. But the restaurant was adorable, a tiny storefront but with a hibachi grill in the back, and a sushi bar. Also a big menu of bubble tea.
I ordered peach, of course. We sat outside on the worn but clean sidewalk bench to enjoy our teas. The first time a bubble pops in your mouth is quite a surprise, so fun. I never consume sweet drinks or juice so it was a bit of a sugar overload, a very rare treat. The shop also makes hot flower tea [the petals made of tea leaves unfurl in the glass teapot, forming tiny flowers]; we plan to come back not only for dinner but for tea on a cold winter day.
Afterwards we briefly hit Home Goods. Funny big folk art trucks made of tin cans!
You can see the size compared to this woman on the left who wouldn't move,lol.
Pretty pillows....
I also got a gift for a friend but I can't show that yet. Good find though.
And in the same strip mall is a very nice independent grocery store. This probably sounds oh so house-wifey but sometimes we like to go to new/ different markets just for a change of scenery. This market proved fun, with good prices and lovely unusual products. I found black rice I had just been reading about. [????]
And they stock things like fancy organic tempeh. I chose one with flax seeds, for tomorrow's stir fry.
And look at the cheese selection! You could try a new cheese every week for years without sampling all.
That was our big exciting Monday! We were tired and headed home. Next time we'll do the tea part last.
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Good weekend! Fireworks! Mo was uninterested but he liked going out late at night to my friends' dark garden, where we sat to watch the town fireworks.
Mo liked his new doggy ice cream very much! Only one box left in the store, very popular, who knew?
I only give him half of the small Italian Ice sized cup. But now when we go out on the deck on hot days he expects ice cream! No, no, no, it's a special treat.
Saturday was ''iffy'' weatherwise so Mo and I were back on our deck, just the perfect place to be on a perfect summer day.
I went to the beach on Sunday, and despite the strong but delightful wind, managed to sew 3 Moons, and 2 Stars for Midnight Clear.
I can see I won't get so much done as last summer because of being able to go out and do more, so I am pushing myself to do a little machine sewing after Mo's evening walk. I'm making this small quilt in honor of myself being able to again visit my beach. I call it Starfish and Sandpails. The stars are antique blocks. The lower left star was a shock, when after seeing it for the past three months on my little clipboard, I realised it is not duck egg blue but deep teal green! I had been seeing the reverse--and in the end I decided to go with the reverse, seams exposed, a deconstructed block that symbolizes all the pain and sadness I am hopefully now overcoming. Also a small nod to the anonymous original maker, whose precise stitches, tiny seams made the block as pretty on the back as on the front.
And then...July full moon, rising very far south, at 134* SE on the horizon.
The July moon is called the Buck Moon, in honor of those deer who are eating your gardens [no deer here on my little island]; or the Thunder Moon.
I hope your week is wonderful!
love
lizzy
gone to the beach....
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