Blog Update: This is going to be a long one . . . get your favorite beverage . . .

I have come to the realization and I have known this for some time but I really enjoy Twitter and my blog far more than FACEBOOK!  Instead of posting stuff directly to the FB I figured out that if I write a post on my blog first this way I will stay off the dread FB!  I also will not let myself just click on "LIKE" I have to write a reply if I am going to add some communication.  Like is not an option for me any more.  I am off my soap box!

 I need to post lots of photos that I wanted to posted and then forgot about.  Once work starts back up I get behind and I am going to try to change that!

This photos should have been posted before the last post but oooops!

Knitting

This summer I knitted five yes five Crowned Jewel Hats.  A friend of mine designed this hat about 10 or so years ago.  I finally got around to knitting this great hat up this summer.  I fell in love with the pattern and of course who doesn't enjoy knitting with Noro Silk Garden.  The two hats at the bottom were knitted with GINA.  The two bottom hats were knit with the same colorway I just reversed skein.  Yarn and pattern can be bought at my very favorite yarn shoppe Knit 'N Needle in Whitefish, Motana.

These hats were knitted for one of my most cherished knitting fans!  My niece and her girls, and husband. 

They are currently working on their land to build a home that will be off the grid.  I am so proud of them and just love their desire to have a different life.  Since they are off the grid wool is rather key we all think and thus the hats.

Once again wonderful yarn that is hand dyed in Whitefish at the Knit' N Needle by a fantastic independent dyer.  This is a super wash yarn.  I use this mostly for gifts and smaller knit items.  I have knitted a sweater as well and everything turns out great!  I highly recommend PDS Yarn.

Tomten #2 that really needs to get off my needles to be sent to one of the little girls above.  This was home in Montana in my hammock.  That is one of my favorite places to knit, read, or rest.

Very Random 

One of my favorite chocolates!  My favorite is the 88% dark chocolate.  Just a little posting on dark chocolate in case anyone is interested in a good dark chocolate of not sure what to get me for a gift!

Sunflowers!  yahoo who doesn't love sunflowers?  the only bummer is I had to leave Montana before they were blooming but a photo is worth a few words!

I stopped eating wheat which means no more beer.  I have become a hard cider lover and this one if you are interested is really very good. 

I miss BBQ-ing once we are back up in Alaska.  Yum! 

Burgers and veggies on the grill . . . ahhh summer time!

Construction

 No summer is complete with some construction around our place.  This is a never ending job!  Remodeling a 100 year old house is a ton of work!

Front porch this project is out with the old and in with the new all of which will be done this fall in theory.  It will be perfect and wonderful in the end.

Our 79 year old carpenter!  This is my FIL and he is an amazing person.  He has pretty much done it all you name it he has done it.

New front walk way was poured and no long straight we have a nice twist to our front door.

All this work is so we can sit on a nice deep front porch and enjoy the days, sunset, sunrise, visit with neighbors, relax, have a coffee or a cold beverage.

A Little Bit of Whitefish

Nice mud graffiti on my morning bike ride this bridge is a must for my early ride no matter what!

A neighbors nice way of taking a care of the dogs and reminding owners to me respectful.

Whitefish Lake with early morning sun.

Ah Huckleberries!

Big Mountain NOT Whitefish Resort!

Knit 'N Needle yarn shoppe and I had a blast helping a wonderful knitter from Ravelry pick out some yarn.

I am so glad I was able to explore this great little tea shop this summer.  Steeps Tea is a treasure!  I will be ordering tea from them online I know. 

I treated myself to this great tea mug as I find having these little treats in rural Alaska is a must.  When you live most of the year in a place you can only get to by plane treats are a must.

Honey, I discovered whipped honey oh so dang yummy!

If you have made it this far you are a real trooper!  Thanks for taking the time to look into my world and I hope you find it relaxing.

COFFEE as in Expresso!

I am on a bit of a roll here this a.m. with the blog.  One thing I love about blogging is it is jut fun to write and to share a bit of my world which is not always in order! (Bear with me.)  I know I have a lot of people checking in to read this blog which is great.  So let me just say that many of the post I am posting today is cleaning up the "To Do List" I have for the blog.

I love coffee and tea!  I am a picky coffee drinker!  I want good coffee and prefer organic med-dark roast and some dark roast coffees.  The Unalakleet Nordic Ski Program sells coffee from Grounds For Change as a fund raiser. From each large box of coffee we sell we are able to purchase either a pair of skis and bindings or race boots and poles.  This company is wonderful to work with and has a great product!

After visiting my friend WoolnWords this summer I decided once back in Alaska I needed a small expresso maker.  I did in fact order a small one!  I mean small not thinking European Expresso it is a truly a 1 cup expresso maker. Being the American I am, I realized I needed to order a larger expresso maker, so I could have my America size cup or coffee.  WoolnWords went to Italy last year and this is why she is the expert on Italian Expresso in my books.  So off to Amazon I went!  I ordered this VEV expresso maker which is stainless steal as our house hold is funny about using stainless steal and frother.  The Aerolatte Milk Frother works like a charm! Below you can see my first cappuccino--oh so yummy!  I also use decaf coffee in the afternoon and evening or I will be up all night!  I am sure some of you think decaf is sacrilegious, but for me I enjoy the flavor and process of a nice cappuccino late in the day or after dinner.

That hot pad was knitted from Malabrigo left overs and then felted in the washer.

I also ordered a 4 cup expresso maker last night.  I hope the 4 cup works as great as my 1 cup VEV expresso make!