A Busy Saturday

Winter has returned to VA.
On Thursday we had 80˚ weather, today we had 30˚ weather, what a change! When I awoke this morning my plans for the day was to felt the kitchen mitt I knitted last night and to finish attaching the handles on a purse that's been hanging around for awhile. Not either was accomplished. I decided to drive into the city to find a pretty button for a purse I knitted on Sunday and to buy material to use for a lining. The button I found, the material I didn't. Next a stop for lunch at a wonderful Pakistani restaurant before stopping at the craft store to buy some Patons Wool yarn. How I love Indian and Pakistani foods.

My friend, Sibaha and I have had some great times teaching each other to cook our native foods. We have spent entire summer afternoons in my kitchen learning from one another. She, showing me how to cook a Pakistan recipe and I in return, teaching her to bake the American deserts her family loves so much. Sibaha cooks the very best middle-eastern food; better than any restaurant. She blends the spices and hotness together so well that you always want more. The most amazing thing she taught me was how to know when the spices and sauces were ready for the main ingredients to be added. When I ask her how could I tell when it was ready, her reply was "when it smells right". At the time she made the remark I thought it to be the most asinine reply anyone could give me but with her patients and good sense of humor, I soon found out that's exactly what you do. You nose learns to pick up the fragrance of the fully cooked spices and sauces to let you know its time to continue with the next step.

Today was our local Iris Society meeting and was the first meeting I've attended for some time. Mr Rō attended some meetings without me and was pleased to have me come along today. I was awfully tired when I returned home after a full morning of 'yarning around' and an afternoon of planning an iris exhibition. Still, it feels good to be getting out once more.

Tomorrow I plan to do the things I didn't get done today, plus see my daughter and granddaughter, Dariana. I have to make an I-cord and seam up the little purse that my daughter ask me to make for Dariana's Easter. It is so prissy, I'll have to post a photo once it is finished. I can't wait to hear Dariana say 'oh-ooh', then 'grandma ma, it's soft' What a joy she is!