Crazy January Start Five - Fort Worth Patchwork

I've seen this piece a lot and liked it, so I bought it at the French Knot when we were there last month.  It'll be made into a business card holder for my mother when I finish stitching it.  Just some velvet on the edge at the moment.

Gone To Gaido's

 There's a place in Galveston that's been there for so long I doubt anyone remembers its opening.  It's called Gaido's, and it's where the locals go for good food.  I hadn't been there in nearly three decades, but my boss wanted me to check it out for work reasons, so w went while we were in Galveston.  It's right on the seawall, and  the food is fresh and wonderful.  I started out with a margarita.  There was an order of fried oysters for the table.  They were hot and crispy and chewy and juicy all at the same time.

 I had some lobster bisque, which had chunks of lobster in it and a nice tomato base.  

The others had some stuffed fried bread, too, and Andreas' father had the daily special, which involved shrimp and some kind of fish I'd never heard of.

Andreas' mother had a seafood sampler, and it was huge.  Andreas' whole chicken breast smothered in cheesy sauce looked tiny next to it.  

Some people had grilled tomatoes covered in cheese as a side, including Andreas' uncle, who had shrimp and grits.

The steak was mine!  I had remembered that their steak was wonderful, and despite the bisque and oysters above, I am -not- a seafood person.  It truly was properly done, juicy, and perfect. I'm not sure who had the shrimp below as part of their meal, but the presentation is lovely.  Overall, especially if you're a fan of good seafood, Gaido's is a great place to go.  And if you don't like the seafood, I recommend the New York strip.

Crazy January Start Four - Sapphire and Diamond Heart

Another Sweetheart Tree design from my stash.  I've tried  to make sure I have several small projects this time.

Crazy January Start Three- Borleux

This is one of Kathy Rees' designs from Needle Delights Originals.  I've been in a club collecting them from Fireside Stitchery, and hadn't started several.  Perfect opportunity to this month.  I like the colors and these work up very quickly when you actually -do- them.

Thank You Sean!

 My son got us some awesome Christmas presents!  For Andreas, he got a travel mug in the shape of a lens because of his photography bent.  He also got the perfect gift for me - a Tardis tea strainer.  Yay!  I know I'm nerdy to collect Dr. Who stuff, but it's fun to do.  Thank you so much Sean!

More Mexican!

Our second visit to Esperanza's Cafe in Fort Worth was as good as our first.  We had nachos, and got a major plate full.  They were hot and fresh, too.  Andreas' taco had great shredded meat, and his burrito was so stuffed he couldn't finish it.  I had caldo de res.  I guess I look too Anglo, because the waiter looked at me funny when I ordered it.  Considering I've been eating it since I was a teenager and I make it myself, he shouldn't have!  Anyway, it was excellent.  Unlike a lot of TexMex food, caldo is not meant to be spicy.  It's the Mexican version of beef stew served to be wrapped in tortillas with a side of rice.  To me, it's comfort food, and it hit the spot.  Makes me want to make more, but I'm pretty much the only one who eats it here in Moldova.  It's not one of Andreas' favorites and guests are just baffled by it.

Crazy January Start Two - Blackwork Challenge Two

I had the idea, while I was mulling over my selections for this year's challenge, that I wanted to do more blackwork.  I also wanted to do some stash busting.  And I wanted to be somewhat frugal.  Enter this Tam's Creations freebie.  It hit all the buttons above, except for fabric.  I didn't have my fabric stash with me, so I had to buy the linen.  Buying stitching linen in Fort Worth is hard!  The needlepoint places don't carry any.  I had bought the filament silk on a whim a week previous, and this allowed me to use it, too.