Uh-Oh! Mom's gonna be mad.

I just got back to Atlanta from spending time with my parents in Independence, Missouri. I love visiting them. My Dad is a fabulous cook (more in a later post), and my Mom has a sewing studio, a three story sewing studio. Yes, I have studio envy. One of these days I will get my sewing "area" organized. In the mean time I will satisfy myself with occaisionally wrecking havoc in hers when I get a chance.

Mom has been asking me for an Amy Butler Sunday Sling like the one we made at her house before (see here). My artsy son took that one when he moved out. The next one went to a friend (see here and scroll down). And my replacement bag (here). So I brought the cut out pieces with me, and, once she got busy doing something else, I started ironing the stabilizer onto the straps.

Uh-oh. Mom's gonna be mad.

I was able to peel the upside down strip off, and  there didn't seem to be any ill effect from the gluey stuff on the ironing board cover. She didn't even know I'd made a mistake (and I ain't tellin).

Here is the bag with handles attached; and the side pockets. 

I like the inside fabric best.

  The little pocket inside is called a cell phone pocket, but it is just right to keep lipstick handy. I'd purchased some lip plumper at Ulta (by Two Faced), and I tryed to trick Mom into trying it. You know that stuff feels just like you kissed a shot of lidocaine. Mom didn't go for it (I thought it would be funny and I could post the video on You Tube).

 Anywho, I didn't have much fun at Mom and Dad's house until I got this darn bag finished. I swear I'm not making another one.

  But I already have it cut out. 

Dang it.

Food at Mom and Dad's

I love going home for a visit.

It will be 50 years, next summer, they have been in this house. I started first grade that fall (1964).

Now I go back a couple of times a year. I timed it right this year. Dad's tomatoes were ripe and ready to eat.

I ate my weight in tomato sandwiches. Mom had never had one, and she was surprised she didn't miss the lettuce and bacon. We put a thick slice of peeled ripe tomato between two skinny slices of white bread each smoothed with a bit of mayonaise; don't try to slip any damn Miracle Whip in there. See? Easy and delicious. No bacon needed.

Dad made pizza one night, salmon the next.

Dad ended up making two cherry pies while I was there. I was on a diet. A cherry pie diet. 

  I am very sorry I don't have a photo of the grilled okra. Dad impaled individual okra on bamboo skewers, brushed them with clarified butter and grilled them until roasty. Man, oh, man, okra heaven.

 Bird houses are everywhere you look in the garden. When Mom and I walked out back to the studio, we were stalked by a very angry wren.

 She was scolding us and flitting from place to place. We never figured out where her nest was (although I did find a nest, she didn't ever go near it).

 She can certainly take her pick of bird houses.

Next week I will post photos of the quilts Mom sent back to Atlanta with me.

Karmen

Surprising Mom on her birthday.

Here is one of Mom's (Linda Brannock) quilts. 

When I got to Kansas City last weekend Mom and Dad were not expecting me. I went to surprise Mom for her birthday.  I found her some lovely roses.

We had one problem. The bed I usually sleep in was loaded, and I mean loaded, with quilts. You know how you like to have them out to lay flat and relieve the fold lines? There were so many we just couldn't fold them all up, so I just pushed a few over and slept on one side of the bed on top of all the quilts and under one of them.