To the Mall....

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a mall shopper. I don't like the cookie cutter sameness of malls and anyway I prefer to spend my hard earned money frugally but.....I needed to work on my business wardrobe so I headed out to the local mall in search of black pants. I've been scouting out the local thrift shops but I really can't get by on two pairs of pants working five days a week. I purchased three pairs of black pants in a polyester blend fabric that is machine washable and on sale - great! I have other clothing made by this same company and I find it washs well and is quite durable. So - a good day doing something I do only when necessary.


I popped into the A.C. Moore's to check out fabric only to find they don't carry any. The yarn selection is dismal and the store appeared to be more like a flea market - no reason for me to ever go back. I did find some beautiful, vintage inspired fabric at JoAnn's for an apron swap .....didn't ride my bike on the greenway but did ride my exercise bike for 30 minutes after I got home from this shopping excursion.

Tasty Frugal Cooking

Inspired by this blog entry, I prepared my dinner using the ingredients I have stashed in my refrigerator and cupboards. A tasty glass of California red - don't be fooled by the catchy name and cheesy silhouette - I dug around and came up with this:

Fresh collard greens, garlic, onion, cubed eggplant sauteed in a tasty olive oil and sprinkled with sun dried tomatoes, a quick dash of dried cayenne pepper from my garden, coarsely ground black pepper and a pinch of kosher salt ....

Over a fluffy bed of organic millet grain - and enough leftover for a hearty lunch tomorrow at work!

I've seriously fallen off the exercise wagon - my bike is in the back of my vehicle and I'm riding the newly opened greenway after work tomorrow!

Autumn's Arrival

While the autumn colors may not be as vibrate as usual, I still marvel at the flaming orange red of these maples.

Ghostly eggplants waiting on the market....

A leaf fluttering on a downtown sidewalk...

Another resting on a downtown street....

A balck walnut slumbering against the curb.... I attended the stage adaptation of Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed" at Hollins University. I had read the book and found the adaptation near carbon copy. Running at almost 2 and half hours, the play was a tad long but enjoyable throughout. Seven dollars for a general admission ticket in a tranquil setting - and you still say there is nothing to do in Roanoke?

Oh, I did ride my bicycle around the neighborhood for ~1 hour this morning.

Compost

After some much needed rain and cooler, more seasonable temperatures I am ready to tackle autumn garden work. First task - this poor, clay heavy soil could use nutritional supply and I have just what it needs! Almost two years in the making, the first batch of compost is ready to be liberated from the compost bin and laid to rest on my garden....

In my favorite bowl... just a small sample...

Close Up...

Frugal (and not so Frugal) Vegan Clothes Shopping

This week I started a temporary management position that may or may not be permanent. None the less I needed to replenish my business wardrobe. I tend to buy clothes on an as needed basis. I also appreciate well made, quality clothing but am reluctant to spend much money on them and am trying to buy only nonanimal fibers. So......off to my favorite thrift shop I go! I found a like new pair of pants made of a woven polyester that has the body and feel of a lightweight wool and a short sleeved top to wear under vintage jackets or sweaters. The total for both was only $9.75 and the money goes to the American Cancer Society.

I picked up a stylish pair of nonleather shoes on sale and my less frugal purchase was

Vera Bradley bag - nonleather of course!

Finally, A Home Cooked Meal...

A baked sweet potato sprinkled with earthy ground cumin, collards greens sauteed in olive oil with carmelized onions and garlic and beets with a horseradish vinaigrette dressing adapted from this recipe from urban vegan - yummm.....I haven't had a meal this tasty in over a week!

Last Night and Back Home...

We looked for a sports bar to watch the many college football games Saturday night - now how hard could that be? Well, the first place we stopped had one TV on sports and the rest on movies; the second was no better. Oh well, back to the room to the TV...none here...



Or here....


Or even here!


We woke up to a beautiful sunrise...


Just one of the lovely bits of produce I bought at a roadside stand on the way back home.

One Day Until Departure

Stairs are your friends when you have eaten too much and need exercise...

Adjacent to the 14 floor condo complex where we're staying is this tiny house reminicient of my beloved Key West - beach front included.

Plenty of small locally owned businesses seem to flourish in this section of North Myrtle beach...

Note the marquee - "adult day care"

Love the sign....
And the gas guzzling car from my youth...

The stores selling alcohol here are prominently marked with three red dots...

A barber shop out of Mayberry ....

Cute little gift shop one block from beachfront...

Just across the street from beachfront...

Reclaimed yarn I found at the local thrift shop... life is indeed wonderful.

Just Another Day in (Almost) Paradise

After breakfast, headed out to the local yarn shop - now are you surprised? I easily found Knitting Up a Storm just off highway 17. The shop is roomy and light with a beautiful selection of cashmere, angoras, and wools. The right side of the shop is filled with all sorts of yarns appropriate for baby items and the back bins are filled with many sale yarns. I also appreciated the good selection of machine washable wool/acrylic blends and picked up some for the next baby blanket. I purchased Stitch and Bitch Nation and was delighted to review the instructions on modifying patterns. This will be a permanent addition to my library!

After leaving the yarn store I stopped at a natural food store I noted beside the Walmart and picked up some steel cut oatmeal. I have to eat something healthy for breakfast the next two days. Eggs, toast and potatoes is just too much!

Spent the afternoon lounging by the pool talking to a fellow knitter I meet two days ago. Sounds like a road trip to a January knitting retreat in Ohio is in my future....

Golf Course Knitting

Golf is a popular sport at Myrtle Beach - my DH tells me the sand rich soil is essential in cultivating the required lush greens. Hummm.....I can't help but think about the huge amounts of chemicals used to produce this carpet like covering.

Many stately old trees were scattered around this course..

Southern fox squirrels look like raccoon cousins...

Plenty of pine cones...

A lonely red leaf resting on the greens...

Pond dweller...

Magnolia leaf with seed pods...

I promised knitting - a top down T shirt sweater!

An unhappy golfer?

Little creature crawling between the window panes of the bathroom...

Squirrel treats...
Ride to and from golf course over a thin body of water...

On the way out.....

Oh, I walked much of this course!

Don't forget exercise...

I worked out for 1 hour yesterday in the resort exercise room. Looking at the ocean surf while I exercised was luxurious!

To the Beach!

To Myrtle Beach for six days of rest, fun and knitting! I packed more knitting stuff than anything - clothing included. I plan to finish a tshirt sweater and work on a Santa hat...

We stopped at a produce stand along the way to stock up - we're staying at a beachfront condo with a fully stocked kitchen I'll have time to leisurely cook.

Beautiful fall apples to eat out of hand and to cook for breakfast...

I'll pick up sweet potatoes on the way back home. I bake several sweet potatoes at a time to have for breakfast or anytime - one of my favorites and full of beta carotene.
Fall mums...

Warty gourds....
Regal turnips...
Ghostly pumpkins...
One little gray pumpkin trying to hide among his larger orange friends...
And the beach as seen from our balcony....