Friday and the End of July

Boy this month has gone fast. From the first of the month to now seems like a flash of hot weather, busy days and mostly fun activities. The past week was the same, and here are my five favorites that I am grateful for this past week. See more Fave Fives at Susanne's blog here.

1. Last weekend we spent in Indianapolis with friends. We enjoyed their company, went to car races, quilt and cross stitch shops, saw the downtown, sought the cool interiors (and drinks) of a couple of neat pubs downtown, shopped in the downtown mall (very nice), visited the Indiana State Museum, and in general explored the city while trying to stay cool. That was fun especially since we'd never been there before. The weather was cooperative in one way - none of the races got rained out!

2. Went to the new local baseball team's game. The ball field is really nice, and shiny-new, and the weather was perfect for an evening outside.

3. During the ride to Indy and back, I finished the binding on a baby quilt my sister made and I quilted for the Relay for Life. It's really cute. The second photo above shows how we were trying to decide on binding - we picked the red. I just haven't taken a photo since it's been finished. The first picture is the big quilt I made with my two daughters and my mother-in-law for the Relay auction, finished and displayed on the guest bed.

4. Got to the gym twice and ran twice - felt good since I'd been skipping exercise occasionally lately due to busy schedules. And we ate pretty healthy several days this week. That always makes me happy.

5. Started making some wonky I-spy blocks for a baby gift - really a spontaneous project with no plan and no time frame except the baby's due the first of September. This will be fun.

Plans for the weekend include sewing, shopping, cleaning, running, cooking, visiting friends, and sleeping late (huh??). Have a great week!

BLT Egg Casserole

I wish I had a picture to include, but since a few have asked for the recipe, I'll post it without any pictures. This is more like a frittata than one of those fluffy souffle type dishes.

BLT Egg Casserole

Layer in 9x13 pan or glass baking dish:
1-2 c. frozen shredded hash browns - make them 1/2 inch deep or so
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped green onions
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, more or less
Baby spinach leaves, a couple of handfuls
4 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
Pour on:
1 doz. eggs beaten with 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. sour cream, salt and pepper
Bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until eggs are completely set and edges are starting to turn golden.

Friday of Last Week Fave Five

Well, a LOT late this time, but reading some of the other blog posts linked to Susanne's this time has inspired me to share my week.

1. Waaayyy back on Sat. June 26, I ran in a small-town 5K which was in memory of a young lady who died two years ago from a brain tumor. The run benefited the American Brain Tumor Association. I knew this family when our girls were in 4-H with the young lady who died and a younger sibling. Her sister who now lives a few states away organized the run. I think the whole town turned out for it, and it was a great event for the community and the beneficiary charity. It was a good thing, too, for the sister who hadn't been able to attend the funeral due to having had a baby just a few days before her sister's death.

2. Spent 2.5 days in Chicago attending a conference for work, but also enjoying PERFECT weather, running on the lake front twice, the adventure of riding the train there and city buses around the downtown, wonderful food, shopping, interesting company, and a fun concert and fireworks at Navy Pier. The whole trip was a lot better than I'd anticipated, and the conference wasn't even that bad. (smile) Above are a couple of bad pictures taken on my cellphone, one of my hotel window view onto the lake, and the other is me stopped for a pause while running on the lakefront around 7:30 a.m.

3. Made a yummy BLT egg casserole (with spinach instead of lettuce) for a church brunch. I'm thankful for a wonderful group of church friends who have become a real family in the last few years we've been attending there.

4. Sortof said this already, but the weather this week was summer at its finest - mid 70's, golden cloudless sky.

5. NOTHING smells better than corn pollen blowing on a humid breeze on a warm summer night. MMMMMMM.