Last weekend I traveled to Benbrook, TX to visit a dear friend who retired and is moving out-of-state to a new community. One of Lynn’s primary requirements was that she be able to have her two beautiful Ragdoll cats with her. Arabella and Sophia, admittedly spoiled, are beautiful and affectionate. Arabella is curious and outgoing while Sophia is shy and sensitive to light and noise. We just could not get a picture of her incredible clear blue eyes.
Arabella - Queen of Everything
Duchess Sophia - So Very Regal
Casual Friday - Not Just a Catch Phrase
*A clever custom table design – easy to clean top and scratching post pedestal!
We alternated between eating well, sorting, packing, and playing with crafts in a marathon two days that left both women and the cats totally worn out. We had dinner at our long time favorite Chinese restaurant and I cooked fettucine Alfredo the next evening using Tinkyada pasta and sauce from scratch. Lynn and I both follow a gluten-free diet and I brought Butterscotch Blondies and Sunshine Breakfast Loaf baked from recipes in Ricki’s cookbook. I promised Lynn a copy of Sweet Freedom as a housewarming gift when she moves into her new apartment next month.
After sorting through items inside the house and outside in the barn I returned home with a trunk and back seat full of treasures to be re-sorted and donated to the local charity where I volunteer. It made it easier to part with these treasures knowing that they would find good homes and support a worthwhile cause all at the same time.
While central Texas has been in severe record-breaking drought this area has had all of the rain that we needed and more as evidenced by the unusually lush plant growth.
Toadstools - a Bumper Crop
We took time for tea and beads. She crafted earrings for me; we both prefer tiny pierced earrings which are difficult to find. Make-them-yourself is a perfect solution for someone with artistic abilities (hers, not mine). We also made decorative beaded collars for Christmas tree ornaments. We concluded that when she begins to teach this as a class that the students should have kits for their first project. Picking out of bead colors, counting beads, and planning the sequences takes a LOT of time. It is a more effective use of time to learn the stringing technique and then graduate to planning your own design.
Mom
The Gluten-Free Edge 
Ricki said
What a lovely weekend spent with a friend! Love the kitties and the custom table. 😉 And glad that the blondies and breakfast loaf transferred so well to GF! 🙂