How I Spent My Summer Vacation, part I

I'm on vacation this week. Sweet, sweet vacation. Thanks to a gimpy leg, its not the vacation I had planned, driving all over central Florida to see people and places I never seem to have time to go, but it is the vacation I needed. (Funny how that works, isn't it?)

Monday I lingered over my second cup of coffee, while changing the hem on my second pair of Lounge Pants. (Whipped up in just over two hours late last week - and that includes finishing the seams. I love this pattern.)

And when my leg insisted I lay down, I took this bit of yummy knitting to bed with me and watched hours of History channel. And now I have quite a bit of this silk knit in to a beautiful pattern. Its a very special gift, and I'm pleased to have such a good start on it.

Alex even came home for lunch, and I had a lovely tuna salad with pecans and apples ready. We were able to eat leisurely, at home, and still get him back to work on time. He commented that evening on how much more relaxed he was in the afternoon. (And after I made a pork chop dinner and washed up the dishes, he decided there was some merit to having a wife that stayed home.)

The next morning I decided to forgo lingering over my coffee in favor of a chance to garden before it was too hot. Two tomato plants and a jalapeno plant in the ground, a new little herb garden to replace the basil I killed this summer and try my hand at mint, and just a little clean up - and back inside by 9:30. Florida in August demands an early start for anything you need to do outdoors.
But inside, thanks to the joy of air conditioning, I could bake a loaf of bread while making another Barcelona Skirt. The bread is delicious and I've eaten a piece with every meal since. (The skirt is lovely, from Joel Dewberry's Aviary fabric. I'll take a photo to show you soon.)

And then there was the field trip with my dear friend out to the ginormous Whole Foods on the south side of town where I filled our fridge and counter top with yummy food. And found the makings for a Sashimi Tuna salad (for Alex) and Key West Shrimp salad (for me)that felt fancy enough I was inspired to light the candles on the dinner table.
We even found overstocked flowers at such a great price I brought home enough for a large bouquet on the table and another for the kitchen. I love flowers in the kitchen.

Today I have a few more plans, an outing with my mom and sister and helping a friend at a political event tonight. But, tomorrow we'll be back to lazing about. I'm really loving this stay-at-home vacation.