Ewe Wish

Stash

2012-01-16T20:38:00.002-05:00

No matter how small the size of one's stash, it cannot be contained in one room.

Perhaps it is because yarn mates and produces more yarn.

Perhaps it is because yarn is clingy and follows one around to every room.

Perhaps it is just that it is easier to grab a quick fix of knitting when there are bits of knitting close to hand.

In any case, yarn will not stay in one place. I have been trying to cage it up for years and still find uncaged, wild yarn roaming the great vastness of my tiny house.

Do Borrowers steal yarn and move it about for the fun of befuddling me?

Excuse me but What?

2012-01-05T17:30:00.000-05:00

What is wrong with this recipe?

8 oz. ground beef chuck
8 oz. ground pork
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup heavy cream
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 slices bacon
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups beef stock
¼ cup red currant jelly
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf

Meal Suggestions

2012-01-04T07:39:00.001-05:00

Game Plan:
When you walk in the door
Get out Pantry Items
Get out Tools
Fill a large saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup rinsed quinoa and 1 tsp salt and set over high heat
Assemble the ingredients
Prep
Wipe the mushrooms clean and slice in 1/2 inch pieces.
Pull leaves from rosemary and chop to yield 2 Tbsp.
Salt and pepper the pork cutlets.
Pour 1 cup white wine for the recipe
Start Cooking

Reality:Pour 1 cup white wine for drinking. Gulp quickly.
Pour another cup. Sip slowly.
Pour another cup. Debate cooking while staring into wine glass.
Pour another cup. Contemplate the meaning of dinner.
Empty bottle. Realize that dinner cannot be accomplished without more wine.
Sit in chair and drain last of wine from glass.
At some point decide it is too late for dinner and go to bed.

12 Days

2011-12-25T04:09:00.001-05:00

Christmas Alone Again

2011-12-23T22:47:00.001-05:00

Christmas Wish

2011-12-18T17:23:00.002-05:00

Cello Wars

2011-12-04T20:16:00.000-05:00

Gratitude

2011-11-27T15:44:00.001-05:00

There and Back Again

2011-11-21T00:19:00.001-05:00

This is the third time to rip out the first sleeve. Now to reknit it.Boring does not begin to describe this sweater. I can only hope to finally get this sleeve right and begin the second sleeve. Christmas is getting too close for the long list of things yet to make.Can we have an extra two weeks between now and December 25?

Knit-Rip-Knit

2011-11-11T23:18:00.001-05:00

I started Dan from Berroco and got to the underarm decreases. Then discovered I had used the wrong size needles. So this:

Became this:

After a bit of whining and time that became this:

The color is off a bit. That blue is really a nice teal. These are Special Olympics colors. The yarn is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Cloud, Marina, and (surprise) Red.

Of course now all Christmas knitting is so far behind that everything is now aimed for Christmas 2012. But I don’t think anyone will mind. As slow as I am at mailing things it would be 2012 before they get them anyway.

Especially for my sister who only lives about one hour away. And yet I see her about twice a year. Part of that however is her ability to hide.

She is really good at it.

Back to Dan. Or Gnome. Or Fish. Or maybe Mawata.

This Took Forever

2011-11-08T19:29:00.001-05:00

For those folks who make and gift items to unappreciative folks.

Originally From Sublime Stitching. Go there. You won’t regret it.

Lead Like Ike–Book Review

2011-11-04T18:06:00.002-04:00

I put off posting a review of this book because I just did not like it. Giving bad reviews isn’t fun.

Lead Like Ike is about following D.D. Eisenhower’s style during WWII when he was preparing for the assaults that turned the tide for the Allies. It was an interesting read with some facts that were unknown to me. But I found it to be too much of a stretch to use his tactics in today’s global economy.

If you are interested in some lesser known facts about the struggles of a lower-grade officer trying to pull together a multi-national force, then you might find this book intriguing. But if you are looking for strategies to use in today’s market this book may not be helpful.

I cannot recommend this book for its readability either. There is much repetition. In my opinion (and this is only my opinion) this book has little to offer.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Knitting Video

2011-06-08T05:53:00.002-04:00

Critters

2011-05-27T01:46:00.001-04:00

Oh what a tangled web we weave

when first we practice stranded knitting.

Can you guess what this is?

2011-05-19T08:50:00.001-04:00

Left Brain

2011-04-27T16:07:00.000-04:00

Nornir or How I learned that I have Absolutely No Patience

2011-03-27T21:06:00.001-04:00

This lovely sock was the second round of Sock Madness. Isn’t it pretty?

This pattern whipped me into smithereens. Every row has slipped stitches which means that every row is shortened. Which means that in order to knit the full length a person has to knit twice as many stitches. It took such a long time to make any progress that I lost heart before sock one was finished. And then there was the second sock to finish. I wanted to quit so badly!!!! But then I would have to admit defeat.

So then. Want to see the finished results?

And here is what I really thought of these socks….

St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T05:47:00.002-04:00

Stupid–or how pain meds attract intellectual curve balls

2011-03-14T23:20:00.001-04:00

Its been one of those days. You know the kind. When everything waits until the opportune moment to try to scramble your mind.

Do you want the long or short version?

Short version: I took a Percocet around 3am. Then I waited for it to kick in.

And waited. And waited.

Finally I decided to lay down until morning.

Okay, until later this morning.

The alarm clock blared and I got up and got busy with the usual morning routine minus coffee because I really wanted to get some sleep this week. I managed all the things that mornings require and settled down in front of the computer to relax and wait some more. In case the meds ever did kick in. Which they did around 10:30am. With drooping eyes I crawled into bed and fell asleep.

Then the phone rang……..Spam. So much for the Federal Do-Not-Call list.

Made a WC run and went back to bed. And back to sleep.

Then the phone rang……Spam again. Grrrrrr.

Tossed and turned and finally went back to sleep. And then it was time to get up and busy with afternoon chores. I had just slipped a robe over my nightgown and was doddering toward the kitchen when a neighbor popped in. I ran to get dressed. She left before I returned. And left her laptop to be worked-on.

As if I would touch someone else’s laptop in my befuddled state.

Hours later when the meds finally wore off and I was making coherent speech again I realized she had not left any information about what she wanted me to do with her laptop.

I think I will wait until tomorrow. Surely my brain will have been detoxed by then.

But one never knows for sure.

If you see me being chased down the road by a crazed woman with a useless laptop you will know why,

Sock Crazed

2011-03-06T00:36:00.003-05:00

Hey. Hi. Been a while.

Thought you might like to see the latest sock.

Got a sore finger.

And a desperate need for coffee.

Do you think I am crazy to be in a sock knitting contest?

(me too)

Positive Action

2011-01-15T19:31:00.003-05:00

Politics

2010-12-03T19:30:00.001-05:00

It’s December

2010-12-02T11:53:00.001-05:00

For those wishing for a white Christmas.

Could you please stop wishing now?

Thanks.

Why Dogs Bite People

2010-11-28T21:11:00.002-05:00

Mistakes

2010-09-26T16:29:00.001-04:00

Just thought you might enjoy seeing some of my most recent mistakes.

I had to reknit a pair of socks for the son. I made them too narrow. And of course they are striped and knee socks. Which means there are a lot of ends to weave in.

I was curling my hair and dropped the curling iron. It took only seconds to do this to my neck. Ouch.

I can’t show you my toe. It is too ugly for anyone to see. I will be dragging my sorry behind back to the doctor for another round of toe nail removal.

So far I am batting 100. In the wrong catagory.

Animal Park

2010-09-06T18:37:00.001-04:00

HIM and son had an amusing visit to the animal park this afternoon. Between a slow-reacting camera and plenty of warm sunshine and feed, the animals were in slow-motion.

They were also bored.

No visit to the Animal Park is complete without this

Distractions

2010-08-13T16:47:00.002-04:00

I find myself distracted in the midst of being distracted. And no idea how to quit.

What was I saying?

Oh, right. I was thinking about HIM who has been amusing recently. Or at least providing opportunities for amusement.

Today was a fasting day. A 14 hour fasting day. A day in which I was Hungry! HIM works at night, sleeps during the day. And for some reason has decided that I cannot go anywhere without HIM. Being joined at the hip is not an easy proposition. Or a comfortable one.

Take your time and picture it. Now laugh. Out loud.

So I had to wait until 2pm to get blood work. Which was thankfully painless. And easy until the part where she informed me that I also had to supply another type of specimin. One that was going to be a problem considering I had emptied all contents before leaving the house. It is always amusing when this happens.

Finally managing a wee sample we were free to leave. And go straight to the nearest food supply.

Only HIM never makes easy choices. So we had to leave that town to go to another town to get a bite to eat at a fast food restaurant. There are fast food places in the original town but apparently they were not good enough. I was ready to eat the steering wheel.

HIM who yesterday announced he was joining my diet; ordered a chocolate shake. Not just a shake but a Chocolate shake. HIM needed a kick in the shin. I was willing to volunteer for the task.

This chocolate shake came with a whipped topping and a cherry. But the cherry slipped off the top and began its journey down the side of the shake.

I looked up and noticed the wandering fruit and commented on it.

Yeah. I admit it. Out of my mouth I said, You lost your cherry.

Then I blushed hard and tried to hide.

A bit of beauty

2010-08-05T20:31:00.001-04:00

I managed to find this

Which will soon become this

A work of art to be worn on the feet.

If you like the pattern it can be found here.

Now….hmmmm…just who will be the recipient of these socks?

Christmas in July

2010-07-20T16:16:00.001-04:00

I am having a really good week.

I placed an order with Needlearts Book Shop. What a fantastic place to deal with. They take extra care to make sure the orders are exactly what the customer wants. I received an email before the order shipped about the needle size. I had not realized that I ordered the wrong size needle but Marsha emailed to confirm. She had caught my mistake and wanted to verify that I would get what I really wanted. She corrected the needle size and shipped from Canada very fast. Now I have this lovely package in my hands.

Aren’t these yarns beautiful?

Now I can begin working on Christmas presents!!!

Fiddlesticks Knitting Patterns and Needle Arts Book Shop are really great places to shop. Check them out. You won’t regret it

I think a few cousins are going to be happy too.

Another Great Mail Day

2010-07-18T18:00:00.001-04:00

A tube from Signature Needle Arts.

Size 2.75mm double pointed needles.

Everyone should have a cousin as fantastic as mine!

Good Mail / Bad Mail

2010-07-10T22:38:00.001-04:00

I ordered a few goodies from KnitPicks. Two 16” circulars in size 3.00mm. Of course I had finished with the socks yesterday. A few other items. All of them took up less than half this box. It is great fun getting new things.

The Cousin (mother of the Intellectual) sent a steel crochet hook in size One. I don’t have that size and can’t seem to find anyplace to buy just one steel crochet hook. She is such a doll to send me her spare hook. The envelope came ripped on both sides. Good thing she taped it securely to a card. The Post Office took great effort to get into the envelope. Apparently someone in the Post Office wanted that crochet hook too. They did not succeed.

Wanna see the hook?

Good thing HIM is handy with pliers.

Beauty in Water

2010-07-09T09:23:00.002-04:00

A Distant Cousin

2010-07-07T23:34:00.001-04:00

The intellectual side of the family.

Memories of Vacations

2010-05-14T19:17:00.002-04:00

Strange how memories can turn disasters into laughter. One year most of my family went to a small nearby lake for a week. No one told us not to drink the water.

Now that you have that image fully in your mind.......we did eventually get the message and began to boil all our drinking water. And as a young teenager I learned to like coffee.

The cabin came with a rowboat. Being that my much younger sister had never experienced the water-related problems and was cheerfully annoying the heck out of me, I spent quite a bit of time alone on the lake in that rowboat. The sky was pale blue. The lake was just slightly dusted with wind-made waves. The sounds were faint laughter and birds. No photograph could ever capture the peace and magic of being on that lake.

All things come to and end and I had to row for shore every day in time to get dinner prepared. But the early afternoons were worth any price I could imagine.

Amusingly, on the way to the lake my sister and I were discovered to have a bag of crab apples hidden in the car. Our mother made us toss each one out the window because crab apples would make us ill.

Then she gave us bad well-water.

(hearty laughing now)

I Love a Good Quote

2010-04-26T09:32:00.001-04:00

“A government big enough to give you everything you want, Is strong enough to take everything you have.” - Thomas Jefferson

Parker Dam

2010-04-24T16:03:00.001-04:00

It is going to rain today.

My sister is camping at Parker Dam.

It always rains on my sister’s camping trips.

Is that because she is a rain magnet? Or because she camps in Pennsylvania?

……………………………………..

Unrelated

I was sitting at my crowded computer desk tearing perforated strips from printer paper. I had a wonderful dot matrix printer that used tractor-feed paper. It died after 20 years and I miss it. I do still have a lot of tractor-feed paper to use up. So there I sat tearing the feed edges off the sheets a few at a time while HIM watched me and chatted. As he began to walk away he said, You do have a paper cutter, you know.

(silence)

Sheepish grin at HIM. He does have a point.

Please Go Here

2010-04-23T01:19:00.000-04:00

I just had to share this. Please go and enjoy.

Restless Natives

2010-04-11T13:25:00.002-04:00

There is only so long a time to delay posting to this blog before the natives get restless. I hear the drums pounding nearby.

Before I discover the joys of being eaten by cannibals…..here is a post. With photos.

This is a very good mail day. A package from the Unique Sheep containing……..

This photo does not do justice to the loveliness that is this yarn. It is Luxe. 25% Tussah Silk/ 75% Superwash Merino. I can barely control myself.

Oh forget everything else. I am diving into this yarn and this sock pattern. It is part of the LOTR sock club, version 2. I wonder if I can get more of this yarn in this colorway. For surely one pair of socks will not be enough!

There are many clubs at the Unique Sheep. Y’all might want to spend some time lapping up the beauty.

AAA

2010-04-03T11:20:00.001-04:00

I love AAA. It has hauled my van more times than I have counted. You remember the van. The dead van? The one still sitting in my driveway? Yeah. This thing has become lawn art. I just can’t figure out what to make of it. I thought about using it as a Santa Sleigh but could not find a life-size Santa to stuff behind the wheel.

I thought about using it as a water feature. I want a water feature. I could put a few pots on and around it. Hmm.

The darn thing has a great body. I wish mine was in as good a shape. Too bad it has manure for an engine.

Pondering…………CHICKENS! I could make it into a chicken coop!

Winter's Prisoner

2010-02-15T16:17:00.003-05:00

Cable Madness

2010-02-10T14:19:00.003-05:00

Why did I think that if I knit long enough the gauge would magically right itself?

Adorable Baby Cables from Creative Knitting, November 2008 issue.

Ripped.

Sobriety may not be all it's cracked up to be.

January 2010

2010-01-04T09:21:00.002-05:00

Lawn Art (alias...dead van)

So He bought used Power Steering Pump

2009-10-24T16:56:00.008-04:00

What does it take for a guy to admit that a vehicle is dead?
The van has taken over his mind. It must be some sort of demon-possessed vehicle. Right?
Do you know how much a new computer chip costs for a very used van?
He replaced the computer chip. The van ran for two weeks.
He bought a rebuilt power steering pump.
Before he could put it on......the replaced alternator died.
He bought a new alternator and arranged for the neighbor to put it on.
Then they had to decide how to take apart the engine to replace the power steering pump.
This requires a lot of thought and hard work because every plan puts stress on other parts. Do we replace the gasket? Do we chance damaging the exhaust system?
The decide. They pull the front end off and shift various parts. They replace the power steering pump.
It doesn't work.
Now they are on the way to the parts store for a new one.

IT IS DEAD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shove a wooden stake into the heart of the stupid van and LET IT GO !

I have no more ideas on how to make HIM see reason.
Perhaps an exorcists?

Do you know of any?

I'm not Catholic but I am thinking about finding some Holy Water.

(credit for photos are as follows: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/98-00_Chrysler_Town_and_Country.jpg/800px-98-00_Chrysler_Town_and_Country.jpg
http://www.topnews.in/files/computerchip.jpg
http://www.imagecows.com/uploads/0d29-Power_Steering_Pump.jpg
http://baxters.com.au/HTML/Images/Products_Alternator2.jpg
http://piratemonkeysinc.com/pirate/images/stake.jpg)

Swine Flu

2009-10-24T14:47:00.003-04:00

Adventures in Swine Flu. Or- H1N1 still looks like “hiney” every time i see it. But that could be the fever talkin…

It wasn't the swine flu. But something invaded and I was not a happy recipient. I am now much recovered but still dragging my tail.

Tomorrow it had better be sunny and warm.
Yes, that is a threat!

Final Time

2009-10-20T21:16:00.004-04:00

Fourteen hats (the Cousin donated a beauty). Three scarves. Two pair of mittens.
And now I plan on putting socks on the needles. What a relief.
At least for now. There is still more yarn to be used up as hats and scarves.

I am so very over hats.
Help.

More Time

2009-10-20T21:13:00.003-04:00

Occupying Time

2009-10-20T21:06:00.005-04:00

Knitting Crazy

2009-10-13T00:35:00.003-04:00

I am knitting hats as fast as I can for a friend. She is making things for the local children who have been deserted by our state. The state just finally passed its budget. However many agencies as well as police and other state workers have been without paychecks since early summer. Don't cha just love it when the lawmakers let people suffer????? Yeah. Me either.

So my friend and her husband have been trying to help in many ways and getting warm items to the children is one of them. Thus here I knit. And knit. And hurry up and knit some more. Pictures soon.

I was searching for hat patterns this afternoon because I got so bored with the few I have. And came across Lion Brand's website. Then I slapped my head because I know about their website and completely forgot how many great patterns they have FOR FREE. Folks, if you like to knit or crochet run quickly to their website and have a blast. I did.

Here is tonight's choice: You may have to sign up to get into the site. If so, here is a picture stolen from them.

I could not resist that child's face.
How about you?

If Star Trek ran on Microsoft Windows

2009-09-19T07:22:00.001-04:00

Does this look familiar?

Desperately Seeking

2009-09-10T19:37:00.004-04:00

Hi there. Long time. Yeah, I know. Wanna know where I've been?

Didn't think so.

So I bought this yarn. It looked nice on the website. It does not look nice in person. Big sigh here. Wanna see?

This is 100% wool. I know the second photo is blurry but it is slightly more color-accurate. The truth is that this stuff looks like bad camouflage.

I decided to overdye it rather than make the sister a sweater for ninjas. But what color? It is a very muddy series of brown, dark dark green, mauve and a sprinkling of brighter green.

If anyone has an expertise and an opinion, please please comment. This yarn needs help. And so do I.

Maybe I should upgrade it?

Upgrade My Arse !

2009-09-10T19:31:00.004-04:00

I admit I have a seriously flawed sense of humor.

However I have recently had my computer crash because of iTunes upgrade. I had to uninstall the stupid thing. Now I am certain I do not want the upgrade. So can I please have my un-upgraded iTunes player back? Please? And would you please stop making annoying upgrades that crash my machine? Please?

I stole the title from a blog post that had me laughing. The whole quote is thus: this whole thing has totally harshed on my mellow.

I'm going to knit something. Upgrade my arse.

In all fairness I should link the the originated of those lines. Clicky. There, now you can go read the whole thing.

But I am in complete agreement. I am going to go knit something.

Because I can't think

2009-08-27T01:03:00.003-04:00

The title started to be because I can't think of anything else. Then became Because I can't think of anything. Finally I realized the truth.

It is getting harder to yank myself up by the bootstraps these days. I know a lot of people feel the same way. I don't usually let the blues hang on this long. But as I said, it is getting harder. Perhaps because I don't wear boots in the summer and my boots don't have straps. My husband's boots have straps but I never wear them. Even in winter. Hmm.

That last paragraph is proof that the title is oh so true.

I have been using a few blogs as drugs these days. Beauty is always a mood elevator for me. So here are a few links that make the mornings better.

My Marrakesh

The Pioneer Woman

Coal Creek Farm especially check out Clay's contributions...and the videos

YouTube as if you did not know this one

If you like piano and cello then do go here. Jon Schmidt

That is it for right now. There are others but I cannot overwhelm you with my verboseness.

Is that a word?

Muppet Show. Harry Belafonte - Turn the World Around (ep314)

2009-08-19T08:11:00.001-04:00

Okay. Last One.

Well Last One for today.

(grin)

Harry Belafonte on the Muppet Show

2009-08-19T07:57:00.001-04:00

Brilliant.

Frustration

2009-08-05T12:07:00.002-04:00

I keep trying to add a photo to my post but run into the brick wall named Blogger. I really don't want to have to switch hosts just because Blogger is a pain in the toucas.

In the meantime....

I received the most beautiful ad for books from Interweave Press. Each cover is a work of art. I want the books just for the covers. For instance: the previous post URL. If you want something really lovely to look at, go to Interweave Press and browse their books. Shear loveliness.

Art + Quilt: Design Principles and Creativity Exercises (Pre-Order) - Interweave

2009-08-05T12:04:00.001-04:00

Art + Quilt: Design Principles and Creativity Exercises (Pre-Order) - Interweave

Shared via AddThis

It Is Still Raining

2009-08-01T01:02:00.002-04:00

Bet you cannot figure out my nickname.

Want a hint?

Look up.

HIM just declared that I am now on a Yarn Diet.

I wonder what he just ordered and doesn't want me to discover?

Purple

2009-07-23T20:40:00.004-04:00

Mornings are not my favorite time of day. Having insomnia means mornings are just the hours when the sun shines in my eyes. Or in case of Ireland West, when the sun wants to shine but the rainclouds disperse the rays. Assuming there are rays above the clouds.

This morning was particularly.........startling.

Example A:

These were taken at 9am this morning. While it is wonderful to see so much green this late in July, it would be even more wonderful to see some sunshine.

I am counting on August to make summer come alive.

One more week to go.

A Man-thing

2009-07-15T14:28:00.003-04:00

This is the hood latch.

He bought a new wrench just for this purpose.

Perpetuum Jazzile

2009-07-08T23:16:00.001-04:00

I love creativity.

Hiding Under a Rock

2009-06-27T18:09:00.002-04:00

I have been hiding from the world. This has helped.

Tomorrow I am off to hunt for this. HIM is in desperate need of a new recliner. His is listing badly to the right, the leg rest won't lift, it has a huge hollow in the seat. Yet he still insists it is just fine. It has to be a man-thing.

I am avoiding doing this:
As crazy as I am about knitting, especially socks, I can't make myself pick up the needles. Scary.

I forgot to buy these today. We ended up eating fish patties. According to my guys it is NOT okay to substitute fish patties for weiners. They are not happy.

I tried to appease them with fresh corn on the cob. They still are not happy but I get to live.

Just Because

2009-05-31T22:30:00.004-04:00

LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift) meets VIVA LA VIDA (Coldplay) - Piano Cello - by Jon Schmidt

2009-05-30T16:20:00.001-04:00

The Good Life

2009-05-26T04:54:00.002-04:00

I have been watching The Good Life; a BBC production from 1975 about suburbanites becoming self-sufficient. It is very cute and made me think....

First: I never want to become a suburban farmer. Much too much work. And mud.

Second: Someone in the US should make a modern version of this show. Not only is it funny, but now seems the perfect time to show how to live with less things and be prosperous.

Third: I think we all need more humor in our lives.

Fourth: I NEVER ever want to work that hard......Unless I am paid to be an actor pretending to be a suburban farmer. Then I could leave all the real work to someone else. And take a hot shower and drive away in a nice shiny new car. And have make up artists make me look good even while wearing dirty overalls. And have perfect hair.

I really need more sleep.

Books

2009-05-26T04:38:00.002-04:00

I have decided to destash my outrageous mountain of books. Any suggestions for where to unload them? I think once I begin this task, the house and my spirits will both be thankful. Too much stuff, even books, are weighing me down. It is time to lighten the load.

By the way, Night at the Museum 2 is as good as the first one. I laughed out loud a few times and the Son and Husband both enjoyed it. A rare and agreeable moment. All three of us enjoying the same thing?

I have two hours before the alarm clock clangs. I think I will stumble off to bed and pretend to sleep.

Right after the trash truck that is parked directly in front of the house finishing compacting.

Civilization.

Oh, random thoughts. I want to purchase soybeans and wheat in bulk. Any suggestions.

More random thoughts. Have you ever tried to make soymilk?

Can a person make wheat milk?

Would someone want to make wheat milk?

Who moved into my house and stole the lid to the tea pitcher and the scoop from the laundry soap? And why would they?

I did find one of the missing books. Right after I ordered another one. Well actually I ordered two by mistake and now have three.

Anyone want one or two new copies of The First Book of Modern Lace Knitting?

I think I now believe in Borrowers.

Can they be bribed?

In View of Current Events

2009-05-26T04:30:00.006-04:00

Just thought you might want to see what keeps me afloat right now.

Not all at once.

Thankfully knitting is still my primary mood altering drug of choice.

I am counting the days, hours and minutes until this month ends.

May June bring more sunshine and happier times.

For those asking

2009-05-19T15:13:00.004-04:00

The answer is......I am hiding under the covers until the world stops shooting flaming arrows of doom at me.

It seems everyone I know is getting slammed with everything possible at this time. Some are handling it all better than I ever could.

I just quit trying for a while.

If things stop breaking; if people stop dying; if my husband comes home safely;

then maybe I will crawl back out and tackle the world again. But for now, just for this little while, I am staying under the covers. Maybe the world will think this lump is just an unmade bed and pass me by.

I can hope, can't I?

Do You Know Where?

2009-05-04T03:39:00.005-04:00

I have been searching through all my books and booklets for the lace edges patterns and cannot find them. Now I do have a lot of books. And booklets. And single patterns. One and one half full sized book cases full of them. I keep my books and booklets fairly well organized. Usually. So why can't I find the books and booklets of edging patterns? Knitted edges. Crochet edges. Tatted edges. NOTHING. Not one single book or booklet? It is as if some quite mean pattern Brownie came sneaking around and stole them.

If I catch that imp I will make it pay. And pay. I have heard that revenge is sweet.

In the meantime I am a bit desperate. I am on a hankie-edging craze and NEED MY PATTERNS !

Does anyone know where I can locate lace patterns for hankies? I would especially like to locate knitted patterns. I really don't need another hobby but bobbin lace-making is looking pretty darn interesting right about now.

I get like this when I am avoiding painful issues. And this Spring has brought with it too many of those. In March my mother passed away. It wasn't sudden although it was quick. She was ready. We (the rest of the family) were not ready. It was peaceful though so we were and are grateful.

Now we are reeling from another blow. Her sister, our Aunt Shirley passed away last week. It feels as if we all were in a football game and we were the ball.

So we pick ourselves up and put one foot in front of the other. Each finding something to keep us going while the healing process takes it time. I find myself seeking for pretty things to keep my hands and mind occupied. In this case it is making lace edges for hankies. Except I cannot find my patterns.

This morning I will clip all the lilac blooms and hang them to dry. Then I will tear apart the bookshelves again. And again.

I need to find those patterns!!!!!

Anyone? Please? It would save my family from expressions of angst.

They need saving.

Thanks. From them and me.

Restaurants and Fine Dining

2009-04-25T20:15:00.002-04:00

Herniated Disks

2009-04-17T03:37:00.005-04:00

When is a herniated disk a good thing? When it doesn't require surgery! Yeah!

The MRI showed two herniated disks. Only one of them is pressing on nerves and causing pain. Neither needs surgical intervention. Both should get better within two to three months with physical therapy. What a huge relief. I am so ecstatic that I feel my life is punctuated with !!!!!!!!!

Ahhhh.

Wanna see an image?

This image and more information was 'borrowed' from Your Orthopaedic Connection. Which is a pretty good 'information for the rest of us' site. See that red spot and the bulge? That is my spine in two spots.

I am expecting much improvement soon. And in the meantime I am getting a lot of knitting done.

Of course my house is a disaster.

I gave my wonderful doctor the Tulip Cardigan and a matching cap. Anyone who gives such good news deserves a pretty thank you.

And it was fun knitting it.

Whew. Sunshine, good news, and dinner out. A very good day!!!!!!!!

MRI'd

2009-04-13T21:28:00.003-04:00

Ahhh, the relief of having the MRI over! I so completely panicked this morning that I was ashamed of myself. Stomach pains. Heart palpitations. And all over a silly test that could not possibly hurt.The men who run the machine were very patient with me and spent quite a bit of time making certain I was comfortable. Well as comfortable as a person can be who has intense pain when laying on her back. They made certain I had earphones with classical music flowing. I counted thumps and bumps and squeeks and seconds and musical beats and heart beats. 20 minutes later I was back on my feet and returning to the reception area. I was out of there so fast that the pain medicine barely had time to register. Which did not help me during the test but has made this evening a very drowsy time.

Now I can relax and get some sleep. This afternoon in front of the computer. This evening in the chair. Tonight in bed. Probably most of tomorrow if the pain medicines don't wear off sooner. And thankfully the third round of Sock Madness has not been announced yet. I may yet be clearheaded for one of these rounds.

And if the next round is harder than the last I will need every sober braincell I have left.

In the meantime Mittnz 2009 has been announced. For the facts go to see Sheep Shots. I greatly encourage everyone to knit, sew, buy, whatever mittens and send them to Cheyenne River Reservation (CRYP P.O. Box 410, Eagle Butte, SD 57625) during the final week of September. It gets very cold in South Dakota. Children and Seniors need warmed. And you get a chance to win some prizes. So please dig out some spare yarn, grab some fleece fabric or go shopping. There is nothing like sharing to make us all feel better about ourselves.

You won't find things like this on the News. Which proves those 'News' programs aren't worth much of your time......Unless you are knitting while they are talking.

If you join in, Sheep Shots made this for your blogs.

If you want to help publicize the effort please save a copy to your server and add it to your page.

Come join us. The water is just fine.

Is it 2010 yet?

2009-04-10T23:21:00.005-04:00

Here I sit with yet another stomach virus. Two in four weeks. Add that to the back pain which has only slightly diminished and I am not a happy person. I am a grump. And I want all this to STOP. Right now, please.

Thank goodness for knitting. I just finished Round Two of Sock Madness. And this one is maddening. As fascinating as stranded knitting is, this sock almost completed the short drive to insanity. I have sore fingers and a semi-permanent negative image burned into my retina. Wanna see what drove me crazy?

I dragooned the son into possing with the socks. Don't you love the wrinkled pajama bottoms and sheets. He wasn't out of bed yet. I grabbed him while still sleepy and shoved these socks onto his feet and then took the photo before he could protest. Poor thing. One of these days he is going to repay me.

On a higher note I got back to Cousin Daughter's Whispering Lace socks.

This was my fourth attempt to photograph it. The first three looked like this.

My photographic skills are not improving. Thank goodness I did not eat anything today. This is enough to put me off food for a long time.

I have a plan to recover. More sunshine and less rain. I wonder if our not so swift governor has decided we are out of the drought yet?

Carnivals, Shawls, Socks

2009-04-05T01:29:00.006-04:00

Yawn.

I am very sleepy. Perhaps it is the drugs. Or lack of sleep. Or an overtaxed mind. I should just go to bed but I don't want to. Can you hear the whine in that? Sooo childish.

Part of the problem is I have to many projects. Pretty pretty little things. Lovely little objects on many different needles with soft colorful yarn. Acrylic white, merino teal, multicolored Dream in Color Classy. And some new ideas. Darn those cousins. They keep coming up with great temptations.

Carnival Comforter from Crochet Home and Holiday June-July 2000 edition. This is a baby blanket in acrylic currently being crocheted on size I crochet hook. The yarn is heavy and scratchy but will become so soft and wonderful after a machine washing. It is tough and capable of holding up to whatever a baby can do with it. I love the shock of brilliant color on the edges. So far the babies have loved it too.

This is one of the Yarn Harlot's creations. Leyburn Sock pattern. I don't know what yarn she chose but it caught Cousin Daughter's eye and will be added to her queue. The yarn makes me want to stop everything else and cast-on. The photo belongs to the Yarn Harlot but I don't steal bandwidth. So do go check out her blog.

And this is Round Two of Sock Madness. Tokena. My yarn choice is Teal and Gold. I hope I can finish these in time. I am always amazed by how creative Sock Designers are. How can people keep inventing new architectures? I just love knitting. It satisfies my cravings for texture, visual, tactile, aural. And it challenges me to learn new ways of doing old things.

Knitting has been a huge comfort this past month. I am very grateful to the woman who taught me to knit (Thanks Merf) and to all the designers, teachers, yarn dyers, spinners, encouragers. This gift feeds my soul. I am well satisfied.

I nearly forgot. Thanks to those victims who let me drench them with the finished products. Without you I would be neck deep in yarn. Keep wearing out those socks!

Under the Influence

2009-04-01T18:01:00.004-04:00

Alright. So far I have discovered I can knit while taking percocet. At first it was a bit dangerous. All those pointy sticks slipping and sliding and flying this way and the other. Then I managed to remember to grip harder on the needles and a little less tightly on the yarn. And one can become somewhat accustomed to being dizzy and ditzy. It is even amusing at times.

The question now is can one knit while getting an MRI? I don't know if I can lay still for that long without my knitting. I do have wooden needles.

Two Lips

2009-03-30T20:43:00.005-04:00

Today was one of those days that hit bottom and reached heights. A dizzying day. I was expecting some good news and instead got slapped upside the head with the opposite. I thought I was recovering from the pinched nerve. Nope. Instead the nerve damage has increased and the lessoning of pain is because of the damage. That really rocked me back a couple of paces. I don't want to think about what comes next.

So. Onto the good news. I received not just one amazing package in the mail. But two. First is this. Cookie A's Sock Innovation ! Just an amazing book by an amazing designer. Sent by an amazing Cousin. I will be spending way too much time with this book. Oh well. Cousin Daughter may want her socks knit. She will have to blame the delay on her mother. LOVE this book.

The second great package was this pattern and the kit in the Spring Fling colorway. This came from Coldwater Collaborative in Excelsior, MN. When I called to order, the voice on the other end of the line was warm, friendly, humorous and very patient. And the order arrived very fast. I ordered on the 27th and it arrived on the 30th. That includes the weekend. Talk about speedy delivery!
So all told, today has not been the worst of days. Not when gifts arrive to pick up my spirits. We all go through bad spells. We don't have to like them. But isn't it great when good things also come along?

So now what do I do? Start the Tulip Cardigan? Immerse myself in Cookie A's design process? Get back to work on Cousin Daughter's sock? Or hide under the covers and mope?

Bulgarian Needles

2009-03-28T09:22:00.005-04:00

I recently spent some time making nupps (newps) and realized why Bulgarian knitting needles have hooks. This photo was stolen from Celtic Memory because I could not find another photo. If you have seen Nancy Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia, then you may have become enamored of Nupps too.

I don't have access to Bulgarian hooked knitting needles. Instead I found this useful tool.

This Mini Hooks on a ring is perfect for making nupps. I adore this and was so very tempted to get all the sizes of mini hooks. I don't need them. I don't tat. But they are so very cute. These were purchased from Handy Hands. A very nice company with a lot of tatting supplies. Very pretty. But I cannot start another hobby.

I am very very tempted. Pretty designs and string? Oh yeah.

Cousin Yarn

2009-03-26T19:22:00.014-04:00

I love getting pretty things in the mail. This took only two days to get here, which is unheard of around these parts. Cousin Mom mailed these for Cousin daughter who will be getting these made into socks. Which makes me adore Cousin Mom and Cousin daughter. I love making socks. I love the yarns, colors, textures, sizes, portability, and fascinating constructions. I don't think I have ever seen a sock pattern I did not want to try. Welllllllll....maybe one. But we won't discuss it. Some fairly famous knitters have made that pattern and loved it. So I won't say anything bad about it. But it did make me think of sanity or the lack of.

Wanna see the patterns Cousin Daughter picked out for these?

Hang on a moment........
Whispering Lace
Wheat Stockings

Dear Cousin Li

2009-03-25T10:09:00.002-04:00

I am here to tantalize you.

Did it work?

Black Eyed Peas

2009-03-23T14:44:00.006-04:00

With the economy being what it is (I don't use those words) we are all trying new things. For me, cooking is a new thing.

Well, it isn't exactly new. But I am so very bad at it. Trust me on this. You do not want to come over here for dinner.

Unless it is take out.

Because my cooking will......take you out.

Remind me sometime to tell you about the first time I cooked for HIM.

And he married me anyway.

sigh

back to cooking.

I have a neighbor who has a relative getting assistance from the state. Nowadays, that is a good thing. As usual, this relative gets a ton of unwanted food and very little that is wanted. So we do a trade. I actually like some of the tons of food this relative gets and look forward to the exchanges. A while back we got a lot of grains in the exchange. So I am trying to learn to cook these grains from scratch. It gives me hives just to type 'scratch'.

A few weeks ago I made split pea soup. And it turned out to be tasty and edible. Of course it almost became a huge disaster. Instead of soup I had a huge clump of thick goo. But HIM, being the intelligent sort, realized that what it needed was water. And more water. And more water. When we finished adding a LOT of water, it was suddenly soup. And suddenly I had achieved an actual successful home-made, from scratch meal. We now have a LOT of split pea soup in the freezer.

So today is going to be Black Eyed Peas day. Not exactly Hoppin' John because the guys are not wild about rice. But I am hopeful.

Probably too hopeful.

There are small difficulties so far. I did remember to soak the peas overnight. I did not realize we are out of onions. Aren't onions a necessity? I could not find the cayenne but I did find Cajun spice. That is an acceptable substitute? Isn't it?

Should someone who can't cook tea be allowed to make substitutes?

I tossed in some kielbasa. Was that a mistake?

Oh. Man. I think we are in trouble.

I should go back to knitting socks.

Sweet Sleep

2009-03-22T00:48:00.002-04:00

I was amazed at how much better my back feels after a few hours of sleep. I can see why people become addicted to drugs. The relief from pain is monumental. Ahhhhh. Bliss.

While still not drug-free, I have managed to toddle through the first Sock Madness sock. I feel rather confident that I will be the last one finished in my division, and probably the last one finished in any division. Having to concentrate on the pattern gives me something to do besides pity myself. And there is only so much self-pity I can handle. Whew. It really begins to smell after a few days.

The good part of being in a competition is that I will get socks off the needles. And will have a slightly smaller stash of sock yarn.

On the other hand (and there is always another hand) the cousin is sending more sock yarn. I just love that cousin. Her daughter has been the unfortunate recipient of some of my sock madness and apparently it became an infection. She wants more socks.

Gosh. Gee. I feel soooo bad about that (grin).

So onward toward more sock knitting. YEAH !

I love enablers.

Percocet

2009-03-20T20:36:00.003-04:00

I am trying to find a pathway through some neurons in my brain. An interesting adventure. That old saw 'You can't see the forest for the trees' is making for some visuals that are pretty darn freeky. If you could see what my imagination is doing right now......

Oooooooh. Pretty colors !

Yeah.

Okay.

I twisted the wrong way a few weeks ago and rediscovered what a pinched nerve feels like. This little wire just doesn't want to go back to normal and I may go crazy before it does. I followed doctor's orders and did a 10-day stint of steroids and pain medicine. Hasn't helped. Last night I was just desperate and began to think about giving in to surgery.

Back surgery is just scary stuff. I do not know anyone who has had a great recovery from that. This morning I did not care. Anything to get some relief. The doctor was really terrific though. She made sure I understood that this condition is treatable and can resolve without the surgery. it could probably take 6 to 8 weeks before that happens though.

6-8 weeks of pain.

Just how much of a wimp am I?

I think I am about to find that out.

Whew. Wish me luck.

(bleak outlook)

Stoned

2009-03-11T20:06:00.001-04:00

Due to a pinched nerve, I am taking percocet. I feel quite odd and other-worldly.

The cousin thought she should help me out and sent me this email message:

jididjheut kdkfhd938mdmks djkdls;98 dkdkfhg;0sldkf7u dkdudywopekf dkdjfoe-0dmn v i8e8eh, vodiye0qjkdnv ud9w0dj vkdou80e0w kdoy0e-0skdn vjdusi8e7r- odifh78ewodf osduer fd98w0=umd vo8ey=-fjl we0r89 d 0er sd7r8rtdjh v w0e9ru98t v jhdiq9 dnucywekd v e90qijdf v v 0e9uqe fao du0943l4 08 09df iud90 di98e0wlsudg8e0kjhd or--08 o80eojfh9s8ps doduu oduye9pa d u89e0wudha'[dpw-0uro dfijd7e9]aoifhd0wimd d0uwe d9er f0e 0df- er dy90-qe 0-0we o iu kdhfo[g907d edy9er d80e ady e-lkd d; Li

Is it me?

Mimi Flo

2009-03-10T12:17:00.003-04:00

My mother joined my father this weekend.
It is odd. Both parents are gone. We kids are the elders now. I don't feel elder. Or wise.
I know we are in a grace period and that the loss will hit me soon. But for now we are coping.

Mom hated bagpipes. Really really hated them. My father's friend played and I was always fascinated. I wanted to learn and he wanted to teach me. But Mom threatened to kick me out of the house if I did. I explained that I could get a full scholarship if I was proficient. That made no difference. There was to be NO, ABSOLUTELY NO bagpipes in her house.

My brother wants to get a piper for the Memorial.

I think she will come back and smack him.

Maybe that is the point?

All the women in her family were as beautiful.

(sigh)

I take after my Dad.

Stash and Gloves

2009-03-04T16:35:00.006-05:00

I finally gave in and decided to warm my own hands instead of the Son's. So I dove into the never-ending stash boxes and came up with something really lovely.

This is Knitpicks EssentialSolid in African Violet. Yum. So very soft. It is a 75% Superwash wool with 25% nylon fingering weight yarn. I can see some wonderful socks in this too. I will have to get more. Which defeats the purpose of stash-diving.

Oh well. Discipline is not my forte'.

Now for the pattern. This is Plum Gloves by Joanna Ryan. It is a Ravelry pattern. If you know me, you know I really dislike the whole 'you must sign up or we won't let you have the pattern' idea. If you ever searched for cooking recipes online then you know that there are thousands of sites that offer their recipes for free. But for some reason many knitters seemed to have lost that idea of giving their expertise for free. I am not against making a profit on their efforts and talents. But it does bug me that some folks make others jump through hoops. Therefore I am not linking to this pattern. If you want it, go join Ravelry. Jump through the hoops.

It is a lovely pattern.

I have been toying with an idea lately. I sometimes design patterns for myself. If I do one that I am satisfied with, then perhaps I may offer it for free with a request to donate to your local Hospice. If you think this is an acceptable idea, please let me know. If you think it is tacky, let me know that too.

Hmmm. Maybe there are other ways of supporting an organization that is so exceptional.

Random Thoughts

2009-03-02T20:47:00.003-05:00

The taxes are done and filed electronically for free. I love that !

My uncle put in a room-sized train set. I think I love him !

My aunt hates it.

Wendy's makes great spicy chicken sandwiches.

I love being out from under the taxes !

Lime and Violet make crazy podcasts.

My cousin lives in a much warmer climate than we do. And she lives in a big house. And her children are out of the house on their own.

Too bad she hates unexpected visitors.

But, we are blood-cousins (similar to blood-sisters but without the sisters part).

I did not have to cook tonight.

I do however have to wash dishes and fold laundry that stacked up while I stressed the taxes.

I found one skein of beautiful purple yarn. Now if only I can make a full set of gloves from it.

I found some really ugly sock yarn. I wonder if my sister needs more socks?

My mother had three children. One of which is convinced he is perfect.

I have one child. He IS perfect.

The husband is rather grand too.

The brother is not so grand. Don't let him fool you.

The cousin is a great cook. I am a good baker. Too bad there are 2000 miles between us.

I have an AOL IM, YAHOO IM, GMAIL IM, Twitter, Plurk account. And I never sign in.

There is a Yarn and Wine Tasting evening on March 5th at Knit One North.

I don't drink wine (or any other alcohol) but I would gladly drink some yarn.

I can't spin but give me enough wine and I would gladly try.

Topmost on my list of things to do is Learn to fly a helicopter.

Aren't you bored?

Still Avoiding

2009-02-28T23:21:00.005-05:00

I am avoiding many things, not just taxes. Sometimes things are just a bit too hard to talk about.

Henry Socks are done, being blocked. Hopefully they will be dry and ready to mail on Monday. Sunday is Henry's birthday. He is quite young. And according to the Cuz, quite a Hunk!

Getting all dressed up isn't his favorite thing to do, but he looks really fine, don't you think?

Poor Cuz has a cold. Sniffles and hoarse throat. She is in need of tea and cookies and lots of sympathy.

The snow is gone for the moment. It is very very cold but not sub-zero. We are grateful.

This man was carrying a huge beer bottle with a stein-like handle. I tried to catch him but HIM would not slow down. It had to be at least two feet tall. We joked that it would take a keg to fill it.

I want to make these shoe slippers. I blatantly stole this photo from Jo at Celtic Memory Yarn. Go read her blog and be as envious as I am. I want to travel as she does.

The cousin forced her poor, ill, exhausted self to make a pie. I am trying to bribe her to let me show you.

Oh well. She is 2000 miles away. She can't reach this far.

Avoiding the Taxes

2009-02-25T20:43:00.003-05:00

The Unique Sheep sent the first LOTR sock club kit. I really like their logo.

The yarn is a great spring-like color. It gives me hope that the snow will end.

These are the fingerless gloves DS is wearing. His hands are always cold. Of course I did not make them because his hands were cold, but because mine are. Typical mother response. If I am cold, he gets a sweater. I did let him pick out the color though. And the wall color? HIM chose that.

I am still waiting for him to stop laughing and repaint. It is blinding in the mornings with the sun shining in from the window and bouncing off that horrible lime-green glossy wall. There is not enough coffee in the world to make that better.

This is Henry Sock 1 in progress. I have finished him and moved onto Henry 2. See that dpn stuck in it? Missing. Gone. Who knows what evil elf stole it. But when I find out, there will be one less elf in Middle Earth. Even if he looks like Orlando Bloom in a wig. And some good looking tights too. So do you like to look at elves coming or going?

And here is Henry 1 again. The pattern is Gentlemen's Socks. The yarn is from Sarah Yarns. I am bored with GS but never with Sarah's yarns. Her Thordis kit was great fun.

Just Checking In

2009-02-25T19:51:00.002-05:00

I just received this from the Cuz.

This is the full message.

dishes done, check pee, check

We lead such exciting lives.

Oh My !

2009-02-22T17:43:00.003-05:00

There is one in every crowd.

Someone who has the skills to just blow the rest of us out of the water.
I can imagine Elizabeth 1 wearing this.

I grabbed this from here:

Inventive

2009-02-20T21:37:00.002-05:00

The Cousin and I are well rounded women. Well endowed, you might say.

The Cousin has this creative way of conversing on the phone while she works. She uses the endowments to hold the phone. Now that is really entertaining when on the opposite end of that phone call. Especially when the endowments push buttons. Have you seen the commercial with the man whose butt makes phone calls?

While chatting this afternoon we discussed the devices that the endowments can hold. There are many. I have taken the Cousin's idea and begun to use it myself. But what about those women less well endowed?

Bra Pockets !

You heard it hear first.

Ste Brigit

2009-02-02T16:07:00.000-05:00

John Keats

The poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the Grasshopper's--he takes the lead
In summer luxury,--he has never done
With his delights; for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills
The Cricket's song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,
The Grasshopper's among some grassy hills.

Steelers

2009-02-01T20:36:00.002-05:00

A Yarn and more Snow

2009-01-29T23:21:00.003-05:00

The Mohawk. I have no idea why the farmers next door leave this strip of corn. It does amuse me though.

Laden trees. I think even they are hoping for cessation.

The creek. Beautiful.

Our road. This was taken at 2pm on a partly-sunny day.

The Cousin's husband took a pair of her hand made socks and won't give them back. Not even for washing. This will be his bribe. 560 yards of JaggerSpun The Maine Line 2/8 Weight from Sarah's Yarns. I love her yarns.

Cow Manure and my MIL

2009-01-29T07:53:00.003-05:00

Did I tell you the one with the cow manure?

My mother-in-law was a great lady. I loved her. She was.......uhmmm.......unique. She was raised on a farm by her grandmother, aunt, and dearly loved uncle Davy. When her grandmother died she was taken to the big city and left with a family to be their servant. This was quite a long time ago and child labor was acceptable then. She managed to prosper, married, became a nurse's aide and mother to three children. One of them became my husband and introduced me to the funniest, most capable, adventurous lady I could ever have hoped for as a mother-in-law.

When I was very pregnant one early spring morning she decided she needed manure for her garden. This amazing lady could grow anything, anywhere, anytime. Her green thumb (and her sense of humor) were legendary. Remind me to tell you about the rabbits. And the shot gun. And the property. And .... well anything you can think of, there is a story.

She dragged me (city girl) with her back to her home in the hills. Oh, when I say hills think Very Steep Appalachian Hills with capital letters. Of course being very pregnant I was excited to meet these unknown relatives (yeah, right).

There were exciting moments. During the drive there we had several cbers make comments about getting together. At the farm there was a cow that kept licking my behind. May I tell you how frightening that was the first time it happened? I saw for myself how houses can be built on hillsides. Another frightening moment. And I still cannot figure out how anyone plows on land that is nearly vertical.

Eventually the visits to relatives and farms was completed. We had a large metal tub full of cow manure in the trunk. We were on our way back to the city.

It did not take long to figure out that fresh cow manure really really stinks.

We had to make the return trip with the windows open.

By the time we had reached the city we were frozen.

I was so very glad to get out of the car.

I loved that lady.

And I will never take a long ride with a trunk full of fresh cow manure ever again.

I wish I had Known

2009-01-29T07:17:00.002-05:00

I wish I had known this recipe when the son was little. He would have loved this.

Come to think of it (where did that phrase come from?) he would probably love it now.

One of Those Days

2009-01-27T20:44:00.003-05:00

I make yogurt.

It is easy.

Except when it isn't.

I put warm water and instant powder milk into the blender. I put my hand over the top. I flipped the switch and showered the kitchen counter and me with milk.

Come On! You know that was funny.

So I cleaned up all the spills and drips and put the lid on the blender. Yes, sometimes I learn from my mistakes. The milk was blended for a few seconds and I added the three tablespoons of yogurt from the last batch. A quick flip of the switch then pouring the yogurt mix into the yogurt maker, plug it in and one quart is now cooking. This is easy except for the blender mess so I decide to experiment. More water and powder milk. Lid back on. Another quick process and more yogurt into the batch. This one really foamed. Clear to the top of the blender. And some of the liquid spilled again. Once again I clean up the mess and put the bowl under the spigot. And another spill. Cleaned that mess up. Put a quart sized measuring cup under the spigot and carefully put that in the bowl. Pulled some plastic wrap out of the box and tried to tear that. It wouldn't slice and in my struggles I upset the bowl. One more time. I cleaned up the mixture. Made more. Put it into the bowl and very carefully struggled with the stupid plastic wrap again. This time I succeeded and the bowl is now in the oven baking.

I don't remember having this much trouble making yogurt.

(http://www.littlemotors.org/antifreeze/archives/images/spilledmilk.jpg)

I promised to make cole slaw for the guys. Now I am afraid to approach sharp objects.

Do you think the curse may be lifted by tomorrow?

Name That Blog !

2009-01-27T17:44:00.001-05:00

Mmmmm…hello, lover. I want to dip you in wasabi-clouded soy sauce and pet you and dress you up and play with you and call you George. And then I want to eat you.

Punned

2009-01-26T18:38:00.001-05:00

I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

As if you need to see more.

2009-01-22T19:07:00.003-05:00

Proofreading

2009-01-16T15:16:00.001-05:00

I saw this on a blog today.

"First take your leftover meat and asses. If it’s not mince then chop it up into small pieces, but not too small as to hassle yourself."

I really don't think I want to mince my ass. Even if it is not a hassle.