The Path of JuneyFu

They aren't Resolutions.

2012-01-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

They are Deadlines.
There's cleaning house top to bottom, getting everyone ready for the trip and clearing out the rest of the clutter. All have to be done in the next two weeks before the movers get here.
Then there is a get together with friends at the beginning of May that I refuse to rock the frumpy housewife look for. There's the minimum of three outfits that need to be made for the shindig, as well as putting in some effort so my behind does said outfits justice. Luckily, I already have the patterns and fabric, so the sewing can commence as soon as everything is actually unpacked. Making the clothing the easy part of the equation for once.
It really didn't seem like much at first, now the sensation is more akin to trying to jump hurdles while tied to a chair. (While I've never tried it, I imagine it would be a wee bit complicated).
There's a lone bottle of champagne left over from New Year that I think will be used to toast the (hopefully) semi-organized chaos that will be the next 4 months!

So how are things for you?

2011-12-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

A joyous holiday season to you, whatever you may be celebrating! I am behind, as usual, on just about everything. At least I have good reason this go around!

Halloween arrived....

2011-11-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

...then everything went wahooni shaped. Now I am trying to clear out four people's five years worth of accumulated stuff in about a month and a half. While all the insanity is for very good reasons, it's still a bit difficult to deal with as short notice makes everyone run around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

Finally getting things rearranged

2011-10-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been getting out more. While this is a good thing, it brought up an issue I have not had for quite some time, worrying about what to wear.
My typical attire is decidedly frump-tastic, old, and really downright boring. Fantastic for a day of dishes and futzing in the garden, not so great for when Darling Husband announces, "Oh, by the way we are going out." (It's festival season around here, frequently involving food and drink.)
The latest pronouncement of this statement sent me into a bit of a tizzy. I went digging through the back of my closet looking for something appropriate, as this was a more adult evening outing. I found things I could wear, just barely. I may have panicked just a touch. In my head, it doesn't matter if the item in question has not been worn in almost 17 years, it should fit. Right? (Yes, I have clothing that old in my closet. Yes, I probably need new clothes.)
Faced with what I deemed, "the attack of the squidgy", and a deadline eleven days hence, I set to work. I have not yet been brave enough to try some of the offending clothing back on, even though things have started to rearrange themselves more to my liking.
While what I look like in my clothes is decidedly a dip in the shallow end of the thought pool, it is at least a minor, temporary distraction from the current events that cause me, (and tons of other people), no end of worry.

The boots that ate September

2011-10-11T13:04:00.001-07:00

Darling daughter turned sixteen last month. The festivities started three weeks before her actual birthday with the purchase of these boots. It became a blur after that. The rest of the month was devoted to finding the other things on her birthday list and the things she wanted to do.

The first week of October was eaten by a knit top I insisted on having done for a festival the second weekend of the month.

And now, now is time for damage control on the semi-neglected housework, putting up the Halloween decorations that usually go up the day after Daughter's birthday, and getting back to the gift knitting (there's still 6 items left on the short list, no they are not all small items). The goal is to have all the house related stuff fully accomplished in the next 3 days so I can devote more time to the gift knitting. I may be being overly optimistic.

What is that smell?

2011-08-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

That is the question the poor little lizard would be asking if I had found him anywhere near my house this afternoon.
Unwilling to be daunted by the lack of a washing machine, this is week three without as we are waiting on a part, I decided to felt the hat I knit by hand. Can't be that difficult right?
It really is a simple procedure, the problem really is the smell. My whole house smells like wet wool. Decidedly unpleasant.
I decided to block a lace shawlette I finished ages ago since the worst it could do was smell exactly like the rest of the house.
I find myself inordinately pleased that the next quick projects I am working on are shopping bags, made out of cotton.
The lizard stopped to pose for me while we were in the mountains a couple of weeks ago, unable to go hiking as planned with the trails closed due to extreme fire hazard, so we had a picnic just outside the barriers instead. :-)

Not Exactly Better Homes and Gardens

2011-07-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

So the work on the house continues. Things continue to fall to the purge of extra stuff. There is space to vacuum properly in both teenagers' rooms. The house is painted back to a totally neutral palette, eggshell and cream only.
Despite the more conventional look, it's still not quite Better Homes and Gardens around here. Various octopi, dragons and cartoon figurines are a bit too much of the decor for that. Maybe Better Hearths and Homes? At least something a bit more, eclectic?
I'm also still trying to work my way through my to do piles of knitting, embroidery and sewing. The going on them is a bit slow courtesy of everything else, which will hopefully improve now that some of the more pressing things are out of the way.

Still growing!

2011-07-19T07:04:00.001-07:00

We've actually also had a few tomatoes and some fresh herbs from the garden too. It's difficult to not be unbelievably pleased. There should also be watermelons in the not too distant future.

Plant Happiness

2011-07-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

When I woke up this morning and looked out my bedroom window, I couldn't help but smile at the pretty star shape the summer squash had grown to. Then there was the bright red against green of my first tomatoes of the season. There are also three types of cucumber, basil, strawberries, and watermelon in the backyard beds. Plus a handful of chile plants in pots that are just starting to produce.
I admit, the real reason I am pleased is that nothing has managed to kill off this set of plants before they started to produce. With this being the second go, now I just have to hope they will get through their growing season before the cold weather arrives again.

Stuff

2011-06-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

Too many things have accumulated in my house over the last four years or so. Yesterday, lists were made. Instead of delaying, I started clearing out my extraneous kitchen items immediately. I really do not need dishes for sixteen(partially un-matched) with only four people in the house. It just ends up meaning more dishes to wash.
One friend volunteered to take any yarn I might be willing to part with, mentioning that you could probably cram quite a bit of yarn into a flat rate postal box. After this morning, two decent sized boxes full and not being done yet, I'm thinking it might end up cheaper to ship it in bulk.
There's the sewing machine I replaced over a year ago, that never recovered from whatever my children had managed to do to it many years before.
Clothes that haven't seen the light of day in years.
Boxes that got re-packed and thrown in a truck before I had a chance to go through them during the last move, currently taking up space in my horribly disorganized garage.
Frequently used, but now disintegrating bedding and towels taking up space in my linen closet.
Time for it all to go.
While not the first household purge I've done, it is the first time Husband has been fully with me on it instead of asking " Umm, why?" It's also the first time it has not felt like a chore, which is quite novel and rather enjoyable. I am loving the idea of just making space. Not making space for anything in particular, just space for it's own sake. I might just bliss out on breathing room.

Pondering a different approach

2011-06-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

After spending the shortest night with a bottle of wine and a book, ( good wine , good book and everyone else was sick or occupied), I started thinking that maybe I should start taking a bit better care of myself after looking at myself in the mirror this morning.
I do wish this meant a trip to the store to rummage through the beauty section and purchase anything and everything with "age defying" and " radiance" on the label, that I might coat myself from head to toe. That would be too simple. Spending money on products that just make my skin cranky, no matter what the labels say and with no regard to the fantastic packaging, would be at best disappointing. A different course of action must be contemplated.
Words like "exercise routine", "fruits and vegetables", and "made using stuff in the kitchen" have been bouncing around in my brain. I have had these minor epiphanies before, with obvious inconsistent dedication. I need to figure out how to lend some self-discipline from other parts of my life to the taking care of myself part.
Maybe I should just add it to my daily housework list?

Getting ready to sew!

2011-06-13T17:50:00.001-07:00

These are at the top of my "To Make" list. There are two others that I plan on making as well, but I intend on making multiples of those particular patterns. I splurged a bit on the fabrics. I decided to go with stuff I really love like linen, silk and high grade cotton in lovely jewel tones. Now I just need to actually start working through my list!

There was cake...

2011-06-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Mint chocolate chip ice cream with whipped cream frosting, picnic style, because it was decided ice cream cake tastes better flopped on the floor. There were giant water guns, squawkings over new video games and a new soccer ball, as well as a couple of science experiment books and 3,4, and 5 of the Fablehaven novels.
There has been a handful of blackberries harvested and we are waiting for tomatoes to finish ripening.
Mostly we look at the horizon, look at the gray brown that blankets much of the sky and wonder if the fire is out yet.

There were eggs

2011-04-26T08:09:00.001-07:00

We even had an Easter egg hunt. Everyone took turns hiding eggs, everyone took turns finding eggs. It was the first time in many, many years I had had to actually go looking for them. Still fun! There were also bacon cinnamon rolls and strawberry banana orange juice. And truffles!

Now we are 35

2011-04-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

Officially, but I would like a re-do for the week. Both my kids came down with a cold the day before my birthday. Husband was already sick, turns out to be bronchitis. The high point of my actual birthday were these Brown Sugar Cookies made up with dark brown sugar, were a chewy delectable happiness even without frosting.
A box from Mara-Darling arrived later in the week filled with things that kept me from hiding myself away in the back of a closet with my knitting stash till May. Delicious chocolates from Snake & Butterfly , smoked cocoa nibs, gorgeous yarn, and a delightful book of Victorian needlework.
I also managed to finally find the cable to my camera, I suppose I should take some pictures.
I had finished a top this week, my "birthday present" to myself. Only to try it on and realize it's a style I should avoid at all costs as it was less than flattering with my broad shoulders. It will be frogged this weekend and the yarn re-purposed.
The fast approaching government shut down is also a point of stress.
Wahoo. Maybe we can just skip to next year?

Happy Distractions

2011-03-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

This year continues to be more wonky and distressing than idyllic. As it becomes more and more evident that it isn't just us, I figured I would share a few idle and entertaining distractions that I have found to help.
Web comics abound, but Girl Genius is a fantastic story, lovely art and very popular with everyone in our house as is Finders Keepers.
I love embroidery, almost as much as I love knitting. It adds color and personality to rather dull but practical items. Urban Threads and Sublime Stitching have lots of less conventional embroidery designs, making them more entertaining to stitch up than standard fruit and flowers type designs.
Food is another creative outlet that the whole household can get involved in and appreciate. Cheeky Kitchen is lots of fun with good recipes. 101 Cookbooks has pictures that make you want to lick the screen, but that could be just me and how I feel about the chocolate cake.
Finally, my favorite thing (still), is to play dress up. I regularly peruse standard pattern sites that I may add to my already not insubstantial collection, with the majority of them being from the late '40's to mid '50's. Which is why I really covet so many of the things from Pinup Girl
and Stop Staring . Though steampunk also brings great joy, so Clockwork Couture has many adored items as well. I also love being able to close the window if the temptation becomes too much, or being able to go back and visit a favored piece whenever I like.
Those are just a few of my favored diversions, please note the lack of mention of yarn, I really do think about lots of other things, sometimes all at once. ;-)

There will be pictures...

2011-03-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

...as soon as I find the cable to my camera. Though there isn't a whole lot to photograph quite yet. The plants are really trying, but aren't very impressive this early on. Knitting has been slow and not overly productive. I did make deodorant in a lovely amber scent. It's been working quite well, even during heavy yard work. Made some baked doughnuts with great success, the maple glaze I topped them with probably didn't hurt. Also started making my own laundry soap which has been working quite well in my front loader with cold water. I do thin it out with a bit more white vinegar than the original recipe calls for. It certainly smells better than standard laundry soap since I use peppermint castille soap.
The free weights have been thrust back into service courtesy of the combined panicked realization that the warm weather i.e. sleeveless shirt weather was going to coincide with my 35th birthday and it will not do to look flabby and pasty white, even at the start of the season. ;-)

Half- way through March? Really?

2011-03-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

When did that happen? The last few weeks have been, not so much busy as full. Spring has finally hit, mostly, so the backyard has been weeded, prepped and partially planted. The seedlings of lettuce, kale, beets, black radishes, and melons just recently started making an appearance. The front yard is to be tackled and forced into shape this weekend
Darling Husband has been recovering well from shoulder surgery.
I found these lovely ladies. Even if you aren't big into perfumes, the descriptions are quite an entertaining read!
I would be remiss if I did not pipe up and mention the disaster(s) in Japan and encourage you to help in some way. Light a candle, say a prayer, donate a couple dollars, or even just send along a happy thought, right now, I'm pretty sure any of those things would be more than welcome.

The year thus far

2011-02-23T10:57:00.001-08:00

We are not even through February and the words "wonky" and "emotional tumultuous" are already good summations. Silliness, mundane housekeeping and quite possibly, a few too many goodies have been helping to keep an even keel.
Plants have been ordered to actually landscape the front and back yards. Bright red, purple, gold and green for the front and a kitchen garden type theme for the back. I am really looking forward to being able to work in my yards again. Like so many others, by mid-February I am quite done with Winter, impatiently waiting for when I can play in the dirt again and make green things grow.

Time to Decompress

2011-01-27T18:27:00.001-08:00

The last few months of 2010 were a little more overwhelming than normally anticipated, so I've spent the last few weeks focused on yarn and my standard routine.
I'm on my third sweater of the year (to the armholes already). The picture is of a shawlette also finished in January, really it was an excuse to try out a new yarn in a lovely bright colorway.
There will be more knitting. Most will be of the overly intricate lace variety as I have at least two shawls I have every intent to finish before the year is out. Along with seven more shirts, all of the short or no sleeve variety as well as embroidery, cross stitch and some minimal artsy type painting (as well as attempting to learn to spin properly in any left over spare moments) I figure I am pretty well set for things to do between loads of laundry and correcting papers.
While this is not everything I plan on doing during 2011, it certainly seems like some of the most fun thus far!

This about sums it up

2011-01-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

The holidays were filled with all sorts of randomness for us. Cartoon hats, fluffy animal slippers(white tigers and sea turtles) , lots of yummy things to eat and one set of bunny salt and pepper shakers in an indelicate pose.

We have survived the holidays

2010-12-30T10:03:00.001-08:00

And finally got snow today! There will be Christmas pictures in the near future.

I will catch up after New Year's

2010-12-23T08:25:00.001-08:00

With pictures and everything! Right now, I am just more than a little pre-occupied. There's gifts to finish knitting, cookies still in need of baking, and presents still to be wrapped as well as all the standard housework paired with Husband working a lot of overtime. It's taking more than a little conscious effort to not stay in my pj's all day, curl up with my tea and a book and just let everything go hang. Ah well, back to being responsible. Maybe I will have a truffle or two to keep me going. ;-)

I'm over 30. Where's the fashion for me?

2010-12-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

Be forewarned, this is a bit of a rant. I discovered a major point of irritation to me personally this morning and I am really wondering if anyone else has noticed.
I am a woman over 30. I have a dressy, all adult holiday party to attend in the near future. I have a dress picked out, Liz Claiborne wine and black floor length velvet. I am a bit nervous as I have been out of the social arena for quite some time, so I start looking up current styles. This is where the problems start. I start noticing almost everything targets females under 30, and while I could still wear much of what is offered, all too often the looks were inappropriate for meeting your husband's boss for the first time.
I found a page with a list of what I shouldn't wear, which was decidedly unhelpful. I did not need to be told a micro mini or regular mini skirt would be inappropriate for my age or that I should avoid glitter because it accentuates wrinkles.
Where is the style? Where is the elegance? Am I forsaken by the fashion industry courtesy of my over 25 status? I don't want a matronly version of some twenty-something's club wear or even a slightly less sparkly version of her showy holiday dress, vintage inspired or not.
I want glamour that isn't the neon and flash kind. I want clothes that are tailored, feminine, and have a bit of slink to them even if you are wearing a three piece suit.
I have no desire to look like some plastic fashion doll. I have wrinkles and I earned them. I would like clothes that respect that and the fact that women over 30 are sexy, without having to dress like they are barely twenty.

Really and Truly Thankful for the Internet

2010-11-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

I lost a friend I've known since high school in a car accident on Saturday. This morning, almost one hundred friends, many from those same high school days, have been able to come together to mourn the loss off such a wonderful woman. It isn't the same as crying together in person, but it does let us cry together.

Ummm Happy Halloween?

2010-11-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

Suffice to say silly costumes were worn, treats were consumed, and pumpkins were carved. There is even photographic evidence around here somewhere to prove it.
I have been primarily consumed with gift knitting. Eight hats have been completed, four in the last week alone. One out of yarn that stuck to itself constantly. Another was my first proper colorwork project. The rest are acrylic, not my favorite but washable, in dare I say, eye-searing colors. Button eyes have been painted and one holiday menu planned.
I've also been tending my winter garden. It takes a bit more research and work to have green growing things when it's below freezing at night now, but possible. I have radish seedlings to prove it.

I've been busy!

2010-10-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

I am really really pleased with how things turned out! Yes I used purple and gold. It's kind of freeing not using a neutral color! I used cream stencil paint and a paint sponge with great success and minimal mess, (unless you count having gold fingers).
I decided this morning that what I really needed with my costume for Halloween was a green silk blouse. Not long after, I realized I had more than enough faux silk in a dark forest green laying about to make the design I had been pondering. Guess who is going to finish designing, cutting out and stitching together a whole new shirt out of scraps to go with her costume in time for Sunday night? Did I also mention I am having company over that night? I am not deluded! I like to think of myself as a bit overly ambitious and vaguely super hero-esque. ;-)

I love paint!

2010-10-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Paint is so amazingly fantastic! It really is a inexpensive way to work a major transformation in your house, while feeding my need to play interior designer.
Today I was experimenting on my laundry doors with a lovely shade of mahogany brown to see if I could get the Victorian-type look of elegant wood doors with matching frames. To my great delight, it seems to have been a success! It should be noted that I had chickened out of trying this before, just painting the edges, worried that it would be too dark. Now I am wondering what took me so long to make the jump and do it!
I will be adding some elegant (and maybe some odd) stencils done in an antique gold/brass colored paint and eventually some curtains for the archways in the living room.
Even better is the fact that it can all get done in two weeks or less primarily with supplies already on hand.
I will take pictures once I have a door in decent light properly painted.

It's October!

2010-10-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Which means first and foremost, joyous birthday wishes must go out to my lovely sister, Mara-girl and my grandfather!
It means the painted skulls can be put on the front porch, that the kids have their costumes all figured out and are eager to put them together and that I have not a single clue as to a costume at all. My darling husband even has one figured out for this year. I'm feeling a bit behind. Hopefully inspiration will strike this weekend. If the costume muse doesn't visit me, I may have to start picking other people's brains.

A Hurried Update

2010-09-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

As my computer time is limited, there will be minor coverage of major events.

Happy Birthday Girls! (Yes, this is late. I'm sorry but I haven't had a computer for days!) Three girls, two generations, one week of birthdays. I still find it amazing.
One of the places we went for Daughter's birthday was The Chocolate Cartel . I highly recommend them!

Holiday gift knitting has commenced, along with the "Ack! It's cold in the morning!" knitting of wool socks and warm sweaters for me so I can continue to knit the gifts. I am finding it difficult to focus though as The Sanguine Gryphon has posted it's fall 2010 patterns

I admit having given in to Spatterdash, Zylphia Pilots Her Airship, and Innsmouth Bodice already. Two of my greatest weaknesses combined, knitting and steampunk. I also have a deep love for this yarn as well as it's other haunted location compatriots, but there is a very personal adoration of the Winchester Mystery House.

Halloween decorations are already in progress and my confused tomato plants are just starting to fruit. Enough herb tea has been mixed to last me through the winter months. Sewing will soon commence as the upstairs is no longer roasting at midday. New Dutch Hex signs are being designed and painted.

I believe that covers most things, hopefully I will be able to add more detail and pictures in the next week or two.

Out and About

2010-08-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

For the last three days I actually had a social calendar! Friday was a ceremony for my husband at his office. I played dress up in a black and white polka dot '50's style dress with ruby red kitten heels and black pearls, looking very much the part of housewife. I was reconsidering my choice of outfit after a very well meaning colonel began extolling my wonderful child rearing skills, informing a rather large group of people (more than 50), that I was adding to our great Nation by raising such fantastic young people. Those of you who know me would have been impressed by my amazing self control. I did not roll my eyes. I did not even twitch. I kept a smile on my face and said, "Thank you sir" after the ceremony was over.
After that was the gathering at a local pub, where more than twenty people joined us for lunch. There was the discussion of everything from genetics to tattoos that went on for hours.
Saturday was a barbecue for the end of summer at a neighbor's house. An enjoyable evening of talking to other adults (for the second day running!) about everything from baseball and yarn to the current state of the school systems.
Sunday was Darling Husband's birthday and the harvest festival put on by the local Unitarian church. We enjoyed it last year and they run a food drive for the local food bank. Husband was more than willing to spend his birthday in the park, with beautiful weather, in a Ren Faire style atmosphere with friends and family. Afterward, friends took us all out to dinner for his birthday!
It was a very busy three days!
The downside to all this social time is the interruption in my housekeeping routine, which means my Monday has been even less pleasant than usual. Did I mention I found out last night we may be having company for the coming weekend at least? At this rate, I may get time to stop and breathe for a few days during the first couple of weeks of October....maybe, if we don't spend much time at Balloon Fiesta or the festival in Taos. There is also the chance of me getting over excited and planning for Halloween early!

Wahoo! It's Friday the 13th!

2010-08-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, this does make me very happy as Friday the thirteenth tends to be a good day for me. And after yesterday, which resulted in a lump on my head, a bandage on my thumb and me afraid to eat ice cream lest I drop it on the floor, today has got to be an improvement!
There will be a battle with caterpillars over who gets to eat my watermelons. There will be knitting, which I would love to tell you about but three of the four projects within arms reach are presents for other people. The fourth is a cotton sleeveless top I have been working on since mid-April that I realized I should probably finish before it was wool sweater weather again.
There has been weight lifting and some minor bellydancing, which had to be done before the hot and humid afternoon confines me to the couch and minor housekeeping.
On a rare political note(gets out soapbox); thank goodness a judge with some sense got a hold of the prop 8 case! I would love to argue with folks about it, but I've read the Constitution. There is really nothing to argue. Sexual orientation does not make you a second class citizen any more than race, sex or creed do. I rather figured we would have learned that lesson by now. It's freedom and justice for all folks, not just the people you think should have it (puts soapbox away).
Now off to knit and tend my plants to stave off the irritation, depression and worry that stems from reading the news, contemplating current society and the political landscape.

For the sake of homemade beauty

2010-07-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

This morning my face is green with honey and clay. My hair is also green, coated with henna and piled in a great mound on top of my head. Time was spent yesterday over a double boiler, melting and blending cocoa butter and coconut oil, creating a golden liquid that will keep my skin healthy and (hopefully)wrinkles to a minimum. There is a bottle of witch hazel on my bathroom counter that is now a deep, mossy shade of green, courtesy of the green tea and bee pollen that was added to it almost two weeks ago.
Each ingredient researched. Small batches made to test. Pretty jars bought to hold the larger batches when a recipe works.
It takes a bit more thought and effort to make these items. It takes truck loads more will power to not pay attention to all the commercials. Fancy containers with contents promising to make me look like the luminous woman on the screen. Then, a little voice in my head starts in with things like: well, yes, she's lovely,but I would love to see her without her makeup artist, hairstylist, and the photographer who insists on perfect lighting.
I like to think she would be prettier without them.

One of my favorite distractions ever!

2010-07-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

I love playing dress up. Always have. Always will. The problem for me has been finding eras, genres, or styles that I like enough to have more than one outfit or piece of art from. I have made Renaissance Faire costumes, belly dance ensembles and 1950's house dresses.
In the last year or so, I have found steampunk. I love it. It allows me to incorporate almost everything I adore and then some. The decor in my home is slowly steampunking itself through choices made not only by me, but my Darling Husband as well. Leather and antique brass paired with darker wood and lush silks and velvets. It is a wonderful way for us to combine elegant and eclectic without being hodge podge. Someday, the whole house might actually be done.
My kids have also latched onto it in their own ways, so it's becoming kind of a family thing.
Now I just have to figure out how to get them all to dress up with me! :-D

Juney-Fu Accomplished

2010-07-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Let me confess now: I didn't exercise as much as I had intended this week, mainly because of lower back pain that reared it's ugly head. I also failed in the "eating the way I'm supposed to" department yesterday. My body is reminding me that I did something wrong yesterday by blessing me with a horrible creeping headache today so I remember I am not to do that again.
This week ended up being a weird blend of Victorian/1950's/ modern house management. I've been very conscientious about using up leftovers, making things from scratch, sticking to my planned menu choices, not giving in and have Hubby pick up Chinese take-out or pizza on the way home and using online resources to find menu plans and ideas for new recipes. I even sat down this morning, clipped coupons and put them in a clearly labeled envelope with date of expiration on the outside. I feel very accomplished JuneyFu-wise. The plants I have left are thriving, so hopefully I will be able to harvest fresh fruits and veggies from the yard before the summer is done.
I also started work on the Strider Cowl in some lovely Malabrigo in Black Forest. It's very simple, very lovely, and a lovely break from mass amounts of lace knit with yarn the gauge of dental floss.

Keeping it going

2010-07-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Our fourth of July weekend went fairly well. The kids made chocolate coated ice cream sandwiches because they heard me lamenting not being able to obtain an It's-It. Their version was quite tasty! We watched almost every firework show in the nearby area from our backyard, all at once. The entire horizon was swathed in multi-colored sparkles.
The hard part was my husband having a four day weekend. I did not. I still managed to get my workouts in Friday and Monday mornings. The housekeeping was accomplished. After a year of ripping, re-knitting and long bouts of hibernation, I finally finished Darling Husbands socks. Even in heavier sock yarn , much effort was put into The Socks.
I also finished a very over-dramatic, fuzzy, black hooded wrap that's been hanging around half done for ages. I admit to giggling when I tried it on after fulling. Now I just have to wait for the cooler weather so I have an excuse to wear it! Quite a productive weekend!
Now to just keep going....and not think about chocolate coated ice cream sandwiches, that are in the freezer.

Is the week over yet?

2010-07-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Not the greatest week this week. While I managed to stick with the exercise plan and not live off of cheese crackers and popcorn, there was a cloud of termites that tried to take up residence in our backyard, neighbors' landscapers who don't seem to understand what a fence line means and my poor old computer started sputtering again after we thought we fixed her up. The wind also ripped out one of my tomato plants, two of my cucumber plants and all three of my honeydew plants.
Nothing horrendous. I know others have had far worse weeks than I. This one just came with a lot more emotional irritation than we've had in awhile, some related to the goings on, some sprouting from other sources, none particularly enjoyable. At least I'm getting better at hula!

A Goal Has Been Set

2010-06-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Nu(de) Motivation I decided it was time to get off my rear. I have a semi-milestone type birthday coming up in the far enough away future to be a good finish line, but close enough to make a good prod. I have a friend willing to make the attempt with me. All that was needed was a little get up and go. Easier said than done. It's taken me a month of half-hearted attempts, never really putting it all together. More water, small changes in diet. As of today I have finally managed to get in workouts two days running. Even if it did require forcing myself out of bed a bit earlier than I wanted.
A large bit of the problem has been complacency. A disturbing willingness on my part to accept myself as a standard, slightly out of shape housewife. Aiming for the high end of average, frequently only hitting mediocre.
This has got to change. The time has come to light a fire under my behind. Hula three times a week for cardio. Yoga(flexibility) and a bit of weight lifting(strength) twice a week. Actually combining the better eating, (not constantly snacking on little cheese crackers or a doughnut stashed for just such an occasion) and proper active exercise(not just the housekeeping).
Here's hoping the fire stays lit!

What is with the spiders?

2010-06-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

I do not have a problem with spiders so long as they keep to themselves and out of my house. The last week, they have compromised by lurking by my front and back doors. Not the small ones either! On the front porch is a big ol' wolf spider. The back porch had a black widow lurking (I got rid of her), then there was a small tarantula hiding in my pot of spinach the other day(he left on his own), this morning when I went out there I ended up with a big black spider (not nasty I don't think, just rather large) on my left big toe! What the heck? It's more than a little disconcerting at this point.

On the not-being-stalked-by-spiders front, my computer is temporarily dead. My husband has been kind enough to share his till we can replace the case fan in mine.
With summer here, paired with lack of access to all my normal goodies on my computer, I have been reading a lot more. Two new series that are tons of fun to read. One is The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger. I love the combination of steampunk and fantasy! Her characters are fantastic with an entertaining story. I am eagerly awaiting the third installment!
The second series has been around a bit longer and even had a short run as a t.v. show that didn't do the stories as much justice as it could have, but the novels by Jim Butcher called The Dresden Files have been a huge hit around our house with everyone so far. They do tend to have very vivid descriptions that may not sit well with the faint of heart. The books remind me of the old detective stories meshed with magic, a very film noir feel that's quite enjoyable.
When I have managed to pull my nose out of a book, I've been tending the lovely plants in our raised beds out back and, of course, knitting. Eventually, I will have pictures of both.

I can't believe I am even contemplating this but....

2010-05-18T15:57:00.001-07:00

I think it's officially time to go on a yarn diet. If I didn't get distracted, I could probably knit till this time next year and finally put a noticeable dent in the yarn amount I currently have. I know this is not an attainable goal for me. I am quite easily distracted, particularly by pretties. For right now, a good short term goal is about three months, with the potential to stick with it for six if I somehow manage a massive feat of willpower.
Sadly, this will force me to do one of my least favorite chores, clean my closet. Why should there be mass produced socks with holes in them taking up space if there are hand knit ones waiting to be worn?

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

Any excuse to play dress up right? The dress is a recent purchase from ModCloth. I love this dress. It seemed appropriate attire for going out to lunch today. Quite honestly, it was an ego boost to wear and I wish I had five more in different colors.
I think all Moms(my definition is anyone who cares for children as their own, age and who gave birth to them does not figure in) should be allowed to play dress up. It makes for happier Mommies, thus happier children.
Love, blessings, respect and commiseration to all Moms out there. Not just today either, every day!

So glad April is over!

2010-05-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

It rarely fails. My birth month insists on having at least one nasty surprise for me every year. Usually it is a physical issue; illness, injury or similar that puts a damper on the month. Those tend to be the good years compared to some of the other things that have occurred.
This year was no exception with the physical double whammy of burnt feet for my birthday paired with the week of flu as zing on the way out.
Which is why it is with great joy, my brain finally realized it was May! Time to re-integrate raw food back into my daily life. Time to plot birthday presents for all the upcoming birthdays. Time to really get off the ground all those things that were a good idea in April, but never quite took off the way they were expected to.
Today, the black pansies I planted from seed earlier this year were actually in bloom. The dress I ordered online because I thought it was so absolutely perfect arrived and was as wonderful as I expected. Leading me to realize, I could happily dress that way all the time, despite any opinions otherwise from...well, anyone really.
Here's to hoping that May continues to be better than expected!

Oh Gods did that suck! Or...

2010-05-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Why I crawled into bed Tuesday night and didn't leave my room again till Sunday.
I had the flu. It sounds so anti-climatic, but was a rather big deal to me. I hadn't had a major bout of flu for the better part of ten years. I do not remember whimpering in my sleep every time I turned over in bed. I watched cheesy television shows as I fell in and out of sleep. I tried to wind a ball of pretty new yarn, and only got about five minutes into it and had to put it down. That's how sick I was. There was no yarn time.
The good news is that the fever finally broke, the aches and other nastiness went away. Too bad I am still so tired. I am thinking lots of time with a plain sock and afternoon naps may be in order for at least a few days.

Digging in the dirt

2010-04-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

The weather has been lovely the last couple of days, making it a perfect time for one of my favorite pastimes, playing in the dirt. A trip to the store yesterday yielded: alyssum, lobelia, petunias, dianthus, snapdragons, and stocks. I am personally pleased with the resultant bed. It adds color and warmth to an otherwise rather bland and rocky landscape.
It may be the season, but I seem to have an overwhelming urge to landscape my yards and re-decorate my entire house. This urge complicates things as I am already up to my eyeballs in things I am supposed to be doing.
I guess I will do what I am supposed to do, just with paint on my pants and dirt under my nails!

Pretend this was posted in time for Easter

2010-04-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

The octopus bottle stopper was one of those things that I fell in love with in the store, (don't ask I just like octopi), and made the "it's the day before my birthday do I really have to put it back?" face, so he came home with us.
The cinnamon roll sheep was really my birthday cake this year. I thought it blended Easter and things that make me happy rather well. A cute woolly themed, holiday honoring, yummy tasting, silly thing to take pictures of, that was enjoyed by all. The sheep was actually inspired by a memory of one my mother made, many years ago, from, I think, a Sunset magazine recipe.

The kids both came down with head colds Easter Sunday, which they kindly shared. So this last week has been our Spring Break, as we were all in need of some recovery time. Which means I will have another summer top finished up shortly, because in between coughing and blowing my nose, there has been much knitting.

I do love my henna!

2010-03-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

It isn't pretty to look at. It's horribly messy to play in. It takes longer than a standard bottle of chemical dye to prepare and use. There is no eye-watering smell. As for results, the proof in in the picture, taken in full sunlight the day I hennaed my hair and after it had dried. The color has darkened some, to something less carrot and more copper colored.
I have tried a lot of chemical dyes, henna still gives me the most authentic color. I use a mix of half henna, half cassia, bought from Mehandi , found courtesy of Wendy . I think using henna is worth the time spent, especially with complements about my beautiful hair and how wonderful the color is. No one need know I'm a blond in disguise, right?

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T08:58:00.001-07:00

My son was made a flying ninja monkey yesterday. It seemed only natural to fly said flying monkey next to one of the more entertaining signs in my house.
My daughter was the force behind making sure we had chocolate chip cookie dough, to be baked today, in a rather amazing shade of green.
I personally was insistent on there being Irish soda bread and that dinner must include potatoes and bacon. I also made sure all my finger and toe nails were bright metallic green
And in case you were wondering, yes we are all wearing green as well.
We have to celebrate our heritage somehow don't we?

Working on it

2010-03-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

Things are slowly getting themselves back into order. We are back to one cat. The plotting of a cinnamon roll sheep for Easter(yes Mom, I remember) is in the works. Preparations for a full Spring Cleaning and Clearing are also starting. I made awesome banana bread with my great-grandmother's streusel topping, making sure an extra loaf was made for a friend who just got the keys to her first house. I thought a loaf of homemade bread and a little baggie of gray sea salt made a nice little package for a new house blessing.
There's the fretting over presents for other people and knowing that the planned gifts will be late.
The pondering of current definitions of good and evil while sorting through what to get rid of and what to keep.
Enjoying a perfect Spring day with the windows open and seedlings peaking through dark earth.
Still feeling emotionally drained, but trying to move forward nonetheless.

Do not try and re-adjust your monitor

2010-02-22T13:55:00.001-08:00

Yes, this knitted item is really pink. Yes, I intend to wear it, as it fits beautifully. It also knit up super fast, so made a nice diversion from some of the more complex pieces I am currently working on. The pattern is Ophelia
This is my first true foray back into the realm of pink in many years. I was convinced to give it another go by one of my Darlings and now will likely be making a hat out of the leftovers.
It is the first of many summer tops that is not black, green or red. Those colors will not be left out, they just won't make up my entire wardrobe selection. I feel so daring. ;-)

Now that Valentine's Day is over

2010-02-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year? This is the lovely display that greeted us at the Natural History Museum out here that we visited while my in-laws were out. Back at the end of December.

January just kind of bowled me over. There was too much to process with no real transition to the new year. It just kept coming. Some was personal, some was like the earthquake in Haiti. For this reason, I decided to skip January all together. Acknowledge what happened, fixed what I could, helped what little I could, but refuse to accept the past month as the start of, what in my science fiction consuming little brain, should be some sort of fantastically, amazing year. Not a re-do, rather more like a delay of game.

I've gone through two and a half books in the last month. I have my father in law to thank for the introduction to Christopher Moore. Lamb entertained my husband and I so much, we went out and bought one of almost every title he has out.
I've finished two sweaters, cast on for two more and have been knitting on a lace project that makes me go cross-eyed. There's also a hat with matching mitts and half of a pair of anklets in there somewhere.

Can we celebrate New Year's at the beginning of March? I should be ready by then. ;-)

I think I missed something

2009-12-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

Like most of the month of December. There was Thanksgiving, quieter than expected, filled with parades, football, and too much food. Then all of a sudden, I'm making Yule dinner and worrying that I don't have the presents wrapped. The house is decorated. There is gingerbread cookie dough in the refrigerator waiting to become gargoyles and reindeer. The shopping is done. The cards will be going out late as I have to figure out where I put them last year.
Anyone else looking forward to January?

It snowed again!

2009-12-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

This time it even stuck around for a bit. There were still patches in the backyard this afternoon. I loved the way the snow clouds obscured our view, it was like the storm rolled in and ate the mountains.

It's also my dad's 60th birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!

I don't just knit

2009-11-05T08:49:00.001-08:00

No, this is not standard flowers and little girls embroidery. While the apron itself needs to be washed and ironed, I was rather pleased with how it turned out. The cupcake was going to be a plain one, albeit purple and green, until one of my friends sent me a picture of another friend's tattoo. We both fell in love with the skully cupcake. So of course I just had to re-work the design so at the very least, I could have a skully cupcake of my very own that didn't involve me running out and getting a tattoo right this instant.
The designs are from Sublime Stitches whose stuff I just adore! My love of their designs vies for my love of good yarn. Which is why the apron is done and a sweater is not. ;-)

Just a bit earlier than expected

2009-10-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

These were taken today, a month before we normally get our first dusting. I have been attempting to convince my children that trick or treating in this weather, especially if it continues, will be far less fun, with a decidedly shorter round trip. I would prefer to stay in, eat cheese fondue with homemade bread and a side dish of Halloween goodies.
Most of my plants have croaked, with only the spinach and kale enjoying the sudden drop in temperature, but since they thrive, I continue to garden.
Wool has become a necessity. Maybe I should actually finish a project that isn't lace?

Very Happy Yarn

2009-10-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

Finally broke down and bought some Malabrigo the other day. My downfall was actually getting to touch some of this amazing yarn in person. I could resist the gorgeous colors on the screen. I could forget all the lovely descriptions given by other people. And then, I got to pet a skein. It was yarn my darling husband wanted to sleep on, not a standard response to yarn from him. On the same day The Loopy Ewe sent me an e-mail announcing their latest shipment of Malabrigo. I had hubby pick a color he liked, which took awhile as the list of colors he didn't like was much shorter. After much deliberation, he picked Azul Bolita 80, a rather electric blue with purple tones to it. I personally decided on Stonechat 173(deep reds/olive greens/browns) for a little vintage look cardigan that I have wanted to make for ages, but kept putting off the yarn purchase.
The yarn itself really is just beautiful and soft as can be. It's been lovely to work with, because of course I cast on the first of Hubby's two hats almost immediately. My reasoning being two-fold: first, it means there will be no actual addition to the yarn stash as it is immediately being worked up into something, and secondly, with the way the temperatures have dropped recently he could use a couple of warm, wool hats.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Finally getting some Fall things done

2009-10-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

The picture is of the wreath I finally managed to finish and hang this morning. Very rustic and simple, a little expected and boring really, until you realize that I doused the whole thing in glow in the dark spray paint. I can't wait for this evening! In a few days it will also be draped with spider webs and fake spiders. I'm still trying to figure out how long I might be able to get away with leaving the webs and spiders on the wreath.

I also have to point out that Sense Sensibility and Sea Monsters was authored by Ben H. Winters. I got that wrong last post in my hurried enthusiasm to talk about my new books.

There has been a mass amount of feverish knitting, along with some yarn acquisition brought on by the rather sudden drop in local temperature. Pretty lace shawls have been temporarily put aside, (yes, all of them), in favor of wool hats, sweaters that cover as much as possible, and thick knit socks. Thusly attired I can return to knitting beautiful wisps of elegance that will be perfect once the forecast is a little less frosty.

I do love my books!

2009-10-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

I found two books I had been hoping to get my hands on and one that, while an impulse purchase, is a very handy tome to have around. I was squealing in the store as I picked up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as well as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters both by Seth Grahame-Smith. The impulse purchase was Alton Brown's Good Eats The Early Years which contains lovely recipes and fantastic tips from the first six seasons of the show Good Eats, much beloved viewing around my house.
Those were just the literary finds on our outing today. We also got our hands on a couple of boxes of maple leaf cookies, an almost perfect pumpkin and a deep red mini hybrid rose with Halloween inspired decorations in it. I also managed to acquire the bits to make my fall wreath whose inspiration came from The Haunted Mansion.
Why yes, this is my favorite time of year! How did you possibly guess?

Fall is in the air

2009-10-10T11:57:00.001-07:00

So why is my garden of summer things finally growing? The picture is of a squash. I have no idea exactly what kind it is, as it's from a mixed packet of heirloom seeds. I also have cucumbers, a melon (again no clue as to kind for the same reason as the squash) and tomato plants that are suddenly and unexpectedly downright prolific.
It also is a time of major housekeeping for me. The summer always is rather free form, with warm weather making you think of the beach and picnics, not about what is in your pantry or making mass amounts of stew. Let's also not forget the holidays right around the corner. Menus must be planned, windows washed, painting finished, plus all the standard fall house things of cleaning up the yards and stocking of the pantry and freezer before it gets too cold. All the while trying to finish my woolen winter wear before the temperature drops much more. Did I also mention the much anticipated company that will be arriving in another month or so? I'm really hoping they don't mind the rather informal accommodations!

I really love hiking

2009-09-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

I really do! The mountains north of us are just amazing! Full of aspen, blue spruce, wild flowers and the obligatory poison oak. There are chipmunks, squirrels, woodpeckers, ravens, mule deer and black bears (we only saw the bear's tracks) to name just some of the local fauna we came across in our hike. The hike that my Darling Daughter had at the top of her birthday list for things to do. The lovely hike in very cool temperatures at eleven thousand feet. In boots that took the skin off both heels thanks to blisters, (I obviously don't wear shoes enough), while recovering from a seasonal cold, whose cough still lingers. The almost four mile hike, (which isn't really that much) that I may not have enjoyed as much as I normally would so I am thinking we need to do it again. With me in boot socks and band aids from the beginning for starters.

It's that time of year again...

2009-09-18T16:05:00.003-07:00

When I am dubbed "cool" for letting my daughter pick a color, putting on a pair of gloves and making it so. She's even more tickled as it matches her favorite nail polish right now. My little fairy gothlette, who would be mortified to find I called her that.

Wine Made with Me in Mind

2009-09-06T10:10:00.001-07:00

Yes, it was bought expressly for the label, but how could I pass it up? It's what happens when I wander Cost Plus with no particular purpose in mind. The wine itself was easily drinkable and not pricey, giving it some practical points to go along with the great label and name. You can find Mad Housewife Cellars here
I hope to get much knitting done over the next few days, as I sprained my ankle when I fell off the step stool I was on trying to put a hook on Darling Daughter's ceiling. It does give me an excuse to not run up and down the stairs all day.

The Evil Intergalactic Consortium of Angry Housewives Wants You!

2009-08-13T14:25:00.001-07:00

Our goal is to accomplish any of the following (really just getting people to come bearing chocolate would make me happy):

Force husbands to clean through mind control
Make everyone behave in a civilized fashion at the dinner table
To garner respect for aprons in the kitchen
To insure that anyone stepping across the threshold of the kitchen bears chocolate (good chocolate) and understands that things may still get thrown at them
To make known that "What's for dinner?" is not an appropriate greeting
That "Don't put it down, put it away" is etched onto the brains of children (and people in general)
A place for everything and everything in it's place...as long as I don't have to put it away.

We offer exceptionally good homemade cookies as incentive for crossing over to the dark side.

I have been rather busy, with Halloween and Thanksgiving none to far off, but not so busy as to not come up with some very interesting distractions with friends! Join today! All genders welcome, angry girlfriends/boyfriends accepted as interns/sidekicks. ;-)

So very easily distracted

2009-07-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

It's sad really. It's not like there aren't enough projects in progress around here, I had to start a dozen more. The handful of projects I had in progress are still slowly being accomplished. Six of the seven towels I've been embroidering are done, but I decided to embroider two half aprons as well due to the "oooh shiny!" factor at Sublime Stitches . The knitting would be under control if the need to design and re-design things hadn't suddenly and rather unexpectedly bit. Technicolor mesh thigh high stockings mysteriously appeared on the needles. A table runner pattern was really lovely, but not quite what I was looking for so I had to design a whole new one. The vintage stocking pattern was nice, but why not make them toe up with a different lace pattern up the front? Mild contemplation of yarn stash led to the mental designing of and immediate need to write down a pattern for slippers.
Top it off with an internal debate about whether to keep my hair decidedly red, go back to natural blonde, or split the difference and go for a strawberry blonde?
Did I mention we started painting as well?

Playing Dress-Up

2009-07-11T20:48:00.001-07:00

It's still such a fun thing to do! Especially when it's not something you do very often, you can do it in something you made yourself, and you have a darling husband who likes to play dress up as much as you do. That is my goth Juney dress. I showed up at a friend's house just like that, only with a Tupperware container holding a homemade devil's food cake with real buttercream frosting, dusted with cocoa powder, decorated with fresh mint sprigs held in front of me. Yes. Really. Just like those '50's television shows. Of course it was done on purpose! Even better was the fact that my lovely friend Mara,(whose house we were actually going to for dinner) made me the adorably perfect flowered headband I have on in the picture. I was so tickled I may have squealed just a little. It's one of those things I think I may have to do more often, even if only to go to the grocery store.

Wow. Just wow.

2009-07-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

So, we actually did the traditional family summer vacation this year; a road trip that covered a lot of miles in two and a half weeks. It certainly ran the gamut experience wise; an evening get together at a friend's house and family barbecues to braving Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo. Is it any wonder I am rather happy to be home, doing boring, simple tasks like laundry and dishes again?
There will be pictures, though they need sorting through. I did get to wear my goth Juney dress, to rather good effect I think.
I'm already lamenting being so far away from everyone again. I started plans for my visitors at Thanksgiving on the way home. I may be looking forward to having people come see us just a little bit. I'll just have to keep myself occupied till then.

Littlest is no longer so little

2009-06-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

My youngest is now twelve. There was exploding soda, comic books and green butter cream frosting on brownies. There were also thunderstorms, but those weren't by his request. All in all, he seemed to enjoy himself quite a bit, so that is what counts.

2009-05-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Isn't he adorable? I think he was worth the effort. He's really a lot of fun to carry around. I admit I haven't finished his drawstring yet, but it's a lot of i-cord when I'd much rather be knitting lace, cables and socks.
I am lamenting the wind today. It uprooted all three of my heirloom melon seedlings that were doing so beautifully. Re-planting is a part of gardening, doesn't mean I have to like it.

I shouldn't have made it

2009-05-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

But I so wanted caramel! The little martini shot glass made a perfect serving vessel, elegant, no more than a few spoonfuls. Yes, I was eating it straight with a spoon. No apples or even crackers. Just a lovely little glass, filled with decadent golden goo, to be licked from whatever utensil was handy. It did make me feel better, especially when eaten curled up in bed watching movies I love. Definitely worth it.

Let the sewing begin!

2009-05-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this scream Goth housewife? Such a happy print in such dark colors, I love the combination very much. It's the first on the rather long Must Sew list. I've been busy trying to knit up a laundry list of items before mid-June. I keep paring down the list hoping to make it more achievable, but it was really an extensive list to begin with. Sewing is a bit more instant gratification than knitting, so maybe this list of things to make will go just a bit faster. Fingers crossed!

Bad Knitter, No Cookie

2009-04-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

I am trying to finish one of these, AlliGator Bag , even came up with a few modifications for it because I can't seem to leave well enough alone. And really, could I possibly leave something like this alone? Of course not, he must be a dragon, not a gator. A little felt for eyes and flame et voila, instant dragon conversion. This would have gone much better if I hadn't been in such a hurry to finish the bag itself. I knew I had the wrong number of stitches. Figured a stitch or two wouldn't be a big deal, the bag is felted a bit anyway, there was some leeway. And then, then I finished the bag. I looked at it laying there, ends not woven in and realized there was no avoiding it. I was going to have to rip out the bottom third of the thing and re-knit it. Blast and Damn. This bag has given me blisters (I knit rather tight sometimes). I've been knitting with band-aids on my fingers. Re-knitting parts of this are very last on my list of things I want to do, but I want this bag so very badly. It's perfect cartoon-like elegance calls to me.
I think this evening will require a few things; deep breathing, a glass of wine, some chocolate and someone else to fold the laundry.

It's Earth Day again

2009-04-22T08:27:00.001-07:00

Do you grow anything you can use as food? Have you reduced your meat consumption at all? Can you honestly say you eat at home more often than not? If so, yay! Good for you! If not, why not? Yes, these are things are tend to take an investment of time, a little thought, but they also tend to be much cheaper financially than standard options.
Maybe it's me being a food junkie, but fresh raspberries, picked that morning, rinsed and eaten for breakfast, fantastic! Fresh herbs on just about anything works well, and tastes so lovely! Is there anything better than a homegrown, heirloom tomato still slightly warm from the afternoon sun? Absolutely delicious!
Growing anything is a labor of love. Patience and tending are required for plants to produce wonderful, tasty things for you to eat. For most of us, an entire bush of berries is worth the investment, instead of shelling out far too much money for a plastic container with a scant pint of berries in it that have been shipped in from another state.
If you really are unable to have even a tiny pot of mint or basil on a windowsill, please, find your local farmers' market. Encourage those who do grow these amazing things for you to eat. Try real food a few times. You don't have to go raw or even vegetarian, herb steak is yummy too. Just pick good meat, from a local butcher if you've got one.
Become a food snob! It's better for you and the planet!

Did I mention the yarn?

2009-04-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

My biggest birthday present was yarn. Seven entire sweaters worth. One sweater for a cabled pattern that will fit my Darling Husband who is 6 foot 5 inches. That ends up being quite a bit of yarn! One of those sweaters just needs a touch of finishing. It only took me two days to knit up. I'm feeling much love for bulky yarn and huge needles. Only seventeen more knit projects to finish in the next two months. I might be over-estimating the time available to me.

Lately I've been trying to push myself physically. Actually exercising. Eating the way I know I'm supposed to as opposed to the way I would really like to. Custard eclairs and maple bars are not allowed to be standard fare! I want the clothes I am making to fit exactly right. I am so very much my own worst critic. ;-)

My New Froggy

2009-04-08T08:59:00.001-07:00

This adorable lamp was discovered by Darling Hubby and Boy while wandering Hobby Lobby on my birthday. One look and they knew I would love him. The very nice lady behind the checkout counter asked if it was for me, (I had been wondering aloud where to put him), when I said yes my grin was threatening to eat my face and there were giggles starting. She laughed a bit herself and got a big grin. Happy is contagious!
He's really lovely when lit. The lamp also suits the decorating theme that seems to be overtaking my house, something akin to a modern eclectic Victorian. Funky, slightly odd with attempts at elegance (which could also be taken as a personal description). :-D

So much to do, so little time

2009-04-06T10:47:00.001-07:00

My birthday went well. There was a little shopping, of which I need to take pictures. There was a lovely dinner out that included a large slab of chocolate cake with fresh berries. Every where we went, people were exceptionally nice. Yay! Made for a very entertaining day.

Then we got home. There has been discussion on possibly, definitely maybe, going home for a bit of a vacation this summer. Like nine weeks or so from now this summer. I am still in the midst of my wardrobe re-vamp and getting off my rear after winter hibernation (this is excusable, we had snow last week). I've got nine projects on the knitting needles right now as well as fabric for three sewing projects prepped and ready to go. Which is only half of the projects I think must be completed in those nine weeks or so. Yes, that is twenty two projects of various sizes and mediums in just over two months. It's also going to be time to re-henna my hair, as well as get back to regular work outs and weight lifting sessions. Did I mention the landscaping and victory garden that we are attempting to put in? I've got seedlings of eight types of tomatoes, four types of melons, cucumbers, sweet peppers, beans, sugar peas, and greens. The raspberry we bought last year is coming back beautifully. Then there are the herbs: mint, lemon thyme, catnip and lavender so far. I only have my red geraniums for flowers right now, with black pansies and hollyhocks soon, as well as bright red nasturtiums and cosmos. Did I mention the poppies (California orange and coral Oriental/Flanders)and the marigolds?
At least the kids' lessons are a steady routine. I've started looking into accredited distance high schools for Darling Girl. I'd rather not have her bouncing high schools, which would otherwise be likely thanks to Dear Husband's job. At least I have few months to figure that one out.

By Sock and Sweater or How I Survived the Car Saga part 2

2009-03-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

The sweater came into major focus over the 4 days after the car died. Darling Hubby did not take the lack of vehicle well. He worried. He made phone calls, pacing the house waiting for people to call him back. His massive agitation and lack of focus was contagious. Doing more than two tasks in a row was almost impossible. My standard barrel through the house cleaning during the afternoons came to a standstill. Hubby trying to distract himself with games and movies only succeeded in distracting me as well. Knitting anything on small needles wasn't going to happen. I needed instant gratification. Something uncomplicated on large needles with bulky yarn. It's not that I wasn't worried myself, it's that I couldn't be if Hubby was. Someone had to stay calm, remember to make real food, and order the groceries. Luckily, Hubby works with an amazingly sweet man who let us borrow one of his cars so Darling Husband calmed down a bit.
That Friday was a field trip I wish I could have skipped. We all ventured forth to go car shopping. It was a requirement we all go as we had to make sure we would all fit in the chosen vehicle, growing teenagers require leg room. There was the standard obnoxious car salesmen and there were some that were actually decent. More work was done on the sock. I was pleased to note that at least one car salesman was rather disturbed by the sock, even left in a hurry when I smiled at him while knitting. Over that weekend, a car was decided upon. Roomy, comfortable, new and a lovely silver in our price range. Hubby drove it home Monday and things were much calmer. There was still another week of worrying over the old car. What to do with it? This caused a bout of finishing on the sweater as Husband himmed and hawed, finally deciding to sell it off to one of the local scrap metal places. The sweater was completed the day the old car was sold off. So the Car Saga ends favorably; a new car obtained, the old one no longer a worry, and I have a new rockin' sweater that looks even more fantastic on than I thought it would.

By Sock and Sweater or How I Survived the Car Saga Part 1

2009-03-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

So, a couple Saturdays ago, Husband took the car into the shop to get a once over in the morning so we could head into town by lunch. Easy. He gets back from the shop and we drive into town. Before we even make it into the first store, someone has pointed out that our car is bleeding coolant. Up goes the hood. It looks like the mechanics just over-filled the reservoir, hood goes down, we head into the store, car to be checked once we come back out. Everyone and our purchases climb into the car an hour later. Husband turns on the car, only to have it immediately begin to overheat. Car goes off, hood goes up, cellphone comes out as the mechanic is called. This takes some time, so I pull out my purse sock and start knitting away. This sock has been my purse project for months and I was still not through the foot of the first in the pair.
We limp to the nearest garage to have their mechanics check out the car. We wait in the their waiting area, inhaling the smell of new tires. It takes them awhile, there are other customers and cars, it's a busy place. I have gotten three inches done on the sock foot. This only seems like a lot when you realize I am knitting with 2.75mm needles and yarn that is decidedly closer to fuzzy dental floss than say, soft rope. The guy in charge comes out and tells us we just had fans stuck. With everything topped off, we pile back into the car to head home(which is about an hour away). Ten miles down the road, the car is overheating again, rapidly. We pull over into a hospital parking lot, contemplating what to do next. Insurance company is called, the tow truck is on it's way, but....the cab of the tow truck holds at most 3 people including the driver. There were four of us in the car. Now what? Husband starts calling people who could give at least two of us a lift. No one is answering their phones. It's approaching dinner time on a Saturday. The one guy we do get a hold of, is on a trip in Montana till Monday. The bullet is bitten, the cab company is called even though we know it's going to cost us more than the tow. Father and son get in the cab. Mother and daughter get in the tow truck. We all get to the house about the same time. Everyone is home safe and dinner is even served on time. Sunday is quiet, the kids spend most of the day outside playing, while Husband broods inside, trying to figure out what to do. We only have the one car, with it out of commission, he's unable to get to work or even get to the train station eight miles away unless he walks. I turn the heel on the sock. As I knit away, I contemplate the food in the fridge and pantry, planning the use of supplies for the week. No car means no random store runs or even calling for take out. Luckily, I take being a housewife rather seriously and my pantry is rarely bare or full of things that are unusable. We make it to Monday with minimal drama. The rest of the week awaits.

Distraction

2009-02-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

That is the word for February. I've had the attention span of a gnat. I fouled up the seaming on a sleeve on a top I had mostly completed, so instead of being angry and ripping out the seam, I put it down and started a brand new sweater. The new sweater is over a third done, it's been 3 days. I've bought sock yarn so bright as to make Boyo wince, in colors that make Darling Husband cringe. I rather like them and proceeded off on a tangent to find perfect sock patterns for such demanding yarn, to prove to them both that I picked fantastic yarn. Then, there was the bout of yarn exhibitionism in which I felt the need to photograph and post pictures of yarn stash at hand (not all of it, that would take far too long), with details of how much I have and what colors on Ravelry. I had to convince myself that I didn't need a Coraline sweater with glow in the dark stars right this instant, in colors from the book, not the movie. I've found and hoarded more patterns than I could possibly knit, figured out what yarns to use and calculated costs. Seeds have been started and a tiered raised bed planned and plotted for the front yard. I've finished reading three books, one while making dinner one evening, and have started a fourth.

Has anyone else had this problem? The feeling that you must do everything right now? Or do I just have a really bad case of Spring Fever?

I'd share if I could

2009-02-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

As I really shouldn't be eating all this by myself. Darling Husband surprised me with a box, rather early in the morning, on Valentine's Day. Yes, that is a box of Godiva. That day I also made cinnamon rolls from scratch and a bacon spinach quiche(which had a perfect crust if I do say so myself). I suppose I will just have to force myself to consume the sweet lovelies as it would be a pity to let them go to waste.

It was a quiet evening

2009-02-16T18:47:00.000-08:00

The kids got invited to an impromptu birthday party across the street just before dinner this evening. The father did face painting and I got brought home a large piece of rather garish looking Hannah Montana cake, but the kids had fun. With Darling Husband off working and the kids at the party, there was no one around to complain when I chose the History Channel as my evening's entertainment. There will be even more time to sit and knit while watching bad movies later after the kids are in bed. Honestly, I have no real excuse to not have at least two projects completed before the week is out. I do have pictures of what Husband got me for Valentine's Day, that I will get posted eventually, which will be keeping me company as I knit.

Temporary reprieve from at least one chore...

2009-02-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

My washing machine died yesterday. Three quarters of the way through a load of laundry. Thankfully it was the last one for the week. Admittedly, it means I now have a perfectly valid reason to get a new one and for not doing the laundry for a few days at least.
I spent time yesterday taking advantage of the wonderful spring-like weather we had, scrubbing the outside windows,plotting to re-decorate the loft, and deciding what seeds to start, only to come inside and see the weather forecast. The weather forecast with the ever lovely red mark next to it indicating severe conditions, in this case harsh winter weather due to blow in and stick for the next five days at least. The abrupt change in weather would be more disappointing if it hadn't been so dry here over the last couple of months, we need any rain or snow that's willing to show up. Besides, a few days of bad weather means I have a chance at finishing some warmer weather knitting, before the warmer weather actually gets here. Back to watching re-runs of Bewitched and knitting things without sleeves.

Maybe I should pay better attention

2009-01-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me this morning, that maybe I should start working on clothing for warm weather. I realized last night, when trying to find something to go out in, two of my three options for bottoms were at the point of disintegration and most of the top options were for decidedly cooler weather. Maybe the lovely, wool/angora cardigan I've been working on can wait while I finish a lace silk top and sew up some skirts that don't have holes in the fabric. My wardrobe tends to be something I think about all too often, but the last thing I actually do anything about. Besides, I can't get those entertaining looks from the locals around here if I dress the way I am expected to. No, I don't care if they think they are laughing at me, mainly due to the fact I think it's funny that they all dress alike. Kind of like a pair of women in the restaurant we went to last night (please imagine evil smirk here). At this point, I would like to note, it's always the women who are disparaging, the men tend to try not to look too hard (I think Hubby has something to do with that). Maybe it's the waist length red hair and muted red lipstick? Unless I missed something and it was the plain black Doc Marten's with an ankle length (loose fit) denim skirt?
Please understand, I am not trying to be mean and rude, this is really just my commentary on how I stick out like a sore thumb almost everywhere we go. It's just easier to be a touch arrogant about it than lament my inability to conform.

Look!

2009-01-29T15:34:00.001-08:00

Dancing plums! Are you distracted? Will you forgive me for days of neglect? I love embroidered dishtowels. They remind of the ones my parents had in the kitchen from their grandmothers. They are the kind of handmade kitsch you are starting to see again. Whether you think it's just ridiculous or you enjoy it, it will make you smile. It's also only about 2 days worth of work done off and on, so it's close instant gratification.
There have been lots of projects completed and sick children dealt with. Along with the endless task of trying to keep the kids' lessons interesting. Darling Girl started Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking today. She finished A Brief History of Time yesterday. Boyo has been reading Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku (good book by the way, lots of fun). Do other people have kids who give Latin lessons to the neighborhood kids just because they can?

It's all my sister's fault....

2009-01-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

this time. (insert sheepish grin here) She sent a lovely mug, which I claimed immediately, yummy chocolate, which I shared, and tea that makes me salivate at the very thought of it. The tea was my undoing. I am addicted to it, which is why I feel the need to buy a pound of ginger peach tea from The Tao of Tea. These people take their tea very seriously. I am hoping it will help me keep the knitting timetables I have set for myself this year. Hope being the key word. When it comes to projects, I am easily distracted. Everything gets done....eventually.

I do love my food!

2009-01-06T13:14:00.001-08:00

Yes, I took a picture of my lunch. It was just so pretty! It's also raw food of my own devising, I think. Soaked red lentils tossed with a beet, a handful of baby portabello mushrooms, a tomato and a leek sliced thin. The whole mess dressed with a bit of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, dried basil, grey sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. No cooking needed, just a few hours thinking ahead to soak the lentils.
The holidays with all their baking threw me off the raw thing a bit and I got low energy, headaches and insomnia in return. Not fun. My body has spoken, raw it is. Not completely mind, but mostly is definitely still do-able.

Getting things accomplished in the new year

2009-01-05T14:29:00.001-08:00

These are my first finished project of the year. I had promised myself I would make myself something as soon as I finished all the gifts for Christmas. I have a true weakness for mitts and gloves, so decided that would be my indulgence into immediate gratification knitting.
I made no resolutions this year. They just tend to get in the way. Yes, there are things I intend to do during the year that I didn't do last year. Things like: having gifts ready and sent before someone's birthday, getting off my rear to exercise more, putting the sewing patterns I have to use, and taking some of my better ideas and running with them instead of putting them off for "when I have time". It's time to push things just a little bit harder to see what results.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

Since it's New Year's Day, let me finally post at least one Christmas picture. The last two and a half months have been a blur of holiday colored yarn, cookies, and wrapping paper. It was a bit of a relief to open my new datebook and hang the new calender in the kitchen. Today, I look forward to a slow day of cartoons and knitting, with no real demands on me in any way (aside from housekeeping of course, that never ends). Since the kids were up till midnight, (and in bed by ten after), they aren't as full of energy as normal. Even with more than eight hours of sleep, they are content to watch Looney Tunes fairly quietly.

I have to admit, for personal and public reasons, I am really quite glad 2008 is finally over. Last year was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. I am looking forward to what can be made of the new year; wrongs righted, problems solved, lessons learned, the potential is awe inspiring. The question being; How will all that potential be put to use? By me? By you? Part of the fun is trying to figure it out!

Forced to do proper housework

2008-12-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

It's been snowing since about mid-morning today, with no signs of clearing. Just steady snowfall, slowly but surely beginning to cover everything. Between the weather and a Husband out doing his own thing for a bit, there is no reason I shouldn't be cleaning house. The holiday boxes that needed to get out were sent out Saturday. The only holiday knitting I have left is for the kids, so has to be done after 9pm. I finally began tracing pictures of dancing fruit onto day of the week dishtowels to eventually embroider, because everyone needs dancing fruit dishtowels in their kitchen. Ok, maybe it's just me.

The last couple weeks are rather a blur of red, green, white and baked goods, coupled last week with a rather nasty headache induced by stress, insomnia, junk food and a rather recently noticed spider bite. I have bad reactions to most insect-type bites, so how I missed one swelled to the size of quarter I have no clue. I should also know better about the junk food.

I recently found a new supplier of henna , along with a new method of mixing up said green goo, which I will be trying out tomorrow. I've seen lovely results on others, so am rather optimistic as to how it will turn out.

Back to tracing happy fruit and finishing the sweater for myself that was supposed to get done before it got too cold.

'Tis the Season

2008-12-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

There was the gathering of the neighbors to get together and chat(not too horrible as most of my neighbors are really lovely people). The local Christmas parade that we just had to go to (according to the kids), because they had friends on a couple of floats. It was below freezing, so once we'd seen their friends' floats we came home and had hot chocolate. There's enthusiastic lights and displays up and down the block. The kids have also handed us their wish lists. These lists tend to be a source of anxiety for most parents; prone to being arm length, coated in "I wannas" that all cost an arm and a leg apiece. Not my kids. Their lists are a handful of things each, if you count both requesting enough snow to go out and really play in. I guess that whole, "stuff isn't the purpose behind the holiday" has actually gotten through. Most of their lists don't require batteries either, which is apparently rather singular nowadays.
I've been knitting almost constantly, but I can't discuss any of it till after things are opened. It doesn't help that I am about a week behind getting things out. Bad me. I know. Think about how bad it would be if I hadn't planned ahead (at least a little bit). Back to work!

Raw Donut Holes!

2008-12-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

Are so very good! Thank you Ani Phyo! I added just a touch of fresh ground nutmeg to make them absolutely perfect. Yum!

Thanksgiving went well. The turkey turned out perfectly, dripping a compound butter of bacon, dijon mustard and herbs. I made cranberry sauce from scratch, with brown sugar and a touch of ginger. It turned out well enough that even Hubby, (who doesn't like cranberry) ate it willingly, with apparent enjoyment. We didn't have any guests, so of course everything was done right at the anticipated time.

The day before Thanksgiving, we traipsed into town to pick out Boyo's new eyeglasses. While we were out wandering one of the shops, a nice woman commented on how tall the kids were. I responded with a "Yes, they'll be passing me in less than six months." Sounds normal right? Until she mentioned she thought the children were my siblings. When I announced, "Nope, they're mine" she looked really surprised. I chose to take it as a compliment. (As my sister so kindly pointed out a couple of years ago, I'm no "spring chicken".)

Holiday stuff continues to progress at a pace that means people will actually get their gifts before next spring. Though I admit to avoiding sewing up the kids' holiday pj's still. The thought of having to iron all that cotton flannel is a rather major deterrent. At least the pj's can be finished last minute, along with a couple other of their presents. Yes, there is knitting involved, but really, with me, when isn't there?

It must be the need to hibernate

2008-11-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

I've spent three days stocking my pantry. Even more time will be put into re-organizing all of it and taking full inventory. Yes, there is enough to warrant an inventory list. I do love that my garage doubles beautifully as a cold storage room during the winter months, it makes where to keep the potatoes easier to figure out.
It's felt a bit odd stocking up. I've really been trying to balance the pioneer/country winter food with the raw food thing. I suppose it's become more of a seasonal eating thing, fresh/raw stuff most of the year, heavier, more traditional foods during the coldest months augmented by whatever fresh things I can get to grow or get my hands on. Once again, that rather old fashioned way of doing things seems to make the most sense to me.

There was also the almost over-powering need to go looking at yarns today. Wool, silk and alpaca, blended or separate, was calling to me today. Lovely bulky yarns that created visions of warm hats, mitts, and (even more ambitious) sweaters for everyone I know. Not a practical vision on that kind of scale, but there was a distinct desire to make sure everyone was going to stay warm this season.
One of the reasons this is decidedly impractical is the Holiday Stuff. The Holiday Stuff has put the brakes on my winter knitting for myself until probably early to mid-December, depending on how fast I can get things accomplished. The really good news being that about half of the most time consuming Holiday Stuff is complete. If I cut down some of my sleep time, I'll probably have it all done by Thanksgiving. Wish me luck?

Attempt at less consumption through spinning

2008-11-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

I pulled out my basic roving and my drop spindle today to attempt to make yarn to knit with. The singles looked, rustic yet elegant. Almost like I had made them thick/thin on purpose. They stayed rolled in their ball and made me feel accomplished. Then I tried to ply singles together. The result was not nearly as pretty. It is very obvious more practice is needed.

I suppose it's my way of trying to combat consumer culture. The idea that store bought is better. The problem being, if enough people do this, what do we replace our consumer culture with? Do we return to the barter system? Lucky for us, humans are a creative and adaptive animal (there are how many of us on the planet?) If we think about it, some idea should come to light as to how to survive without mass produced disposable everything and pre-packaged heavily processed preservatives masquerading as food. Thus the real question becomes, can we get people to act on that idea?

New craft table!

2008-11-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited. If I hadn't been overcome with enthusiasm for prepping my backyard for a proper garden before the first snow out here, I probably would be able to enjoy it much more. But then the table wouldn't look all lovely, it would be covered in fabric and pins, the same fabric stacked next to it, just waiting to become all sorts of lovelies. Someday the craft table and sewing machine will be accompanied by a loom,a spinning wheel,and maybe a potter's wheel (did I mention I like to paint and draw too?) but until I have a studio to house them, they will probably have to wait. I rather assume that my family has no desire to live amongst all my projects all the time, and might want some room for their own things as well. At least I still have my drop spindle to play with.

Last weekend was spent cooking. A lot. Hubby made 2 gallons of clam chowder, from scratch and Philly cheese steaks. The leftover meat from the cheese steaks got turned into nachos. I also did up a few pork roasts and 2 gallons of corn chowder. Soup is popular around here during the cold months, it freezes well, and usually requires only some fresh bread and salad to make an entire meal. Gotta love the simplicity. Too bad it means re-organizing my pantry to house all the dried peas, beans, rice, flour, and cornmeal. At least it looks nice with everything in glass mason jars. It also leaves me more knitting time. Woohoo!

Fieldtrip!

2008-11-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

Friday, we headed down towards UNM to visit their Museum of Anthropology. The campus is rather lovely, and reminds me more of Santa Cruz than standard New Mexico. Chalk graffiti all over the place telling people to vote, bicycles everywhere, and people of every description, a few with the obligatory guitar slung on their back or in their lap.
We wandered for a good while and finally found the Anthropology building, enjoying ourselves immensely. The museum itself had some very interesting pieces, focusing mainly on local digs and the history of the Southwest. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves, particularly the designs on the pottery and the interactive maps.
There was a downside though. Two men, neither of whom seemed to know the proper protocol for having a conversation in a museum. They were far too loud for the surroundings. Hubby and I were irritated at their lack of manners. Due to their volume level, their conversation was easy to follow, (apparently the entire population of the museum needed to hear what they were discussing), I began to find myself even more annoyed as to the content of their conversation. One was in lecture mode. This would have been fine, at proper volume and if he had had a solid base in what he was spouting. Instead, I found myself clenching my jaw, forcing myself to look at the displays and not turning around to correct his faulty information. The Teacher in me had a very difficult time, especially as the topics they were discussing were things I have studied at rather great depth for the last decade, but it is bad manners to comment on a conversation not yours, let alone turn around and lecture them. I kept my mouth shut, and tried to distract myself with examples of gut skin parkas from Alaska.
Once we were done with the museum, we wandered a bit more. We found the campus duck pond, which tickled the kids but made them lament our lack of bread to feed them. As there was at least one rather large duck with what looked to be a double chin, us not feeding the ducks would be no loss to the ducks. All in all a very worthwhile trip.

As a bonus for me, we stopped into a used/vintage clothing shop across from the University. Loved it! I do have to say, if you're in town and like that sort of thing, Pink Rhino 50/50 is a place to visit. The owner and staff are nice, the selection is good and the prices are reasonable, which is why I felt no guilt feeding my velvet and wool obsession.

Knitting has ceased being a black hole, consuming my time and not producing anything. The Bat Shawl is done and waiting to be blocked. A pair of slippers have been finished, but need a touch of felting to make them perfect. Progress is being made on the first of at least six sweaters I have to complete. My new cat's eye, rhinestone tipped glasses enabling me to read the patterns without giving me a headache. Must. Knit. More. Now.

Ummm Happy Halloween?

2008-11-06T10:39:00.001-08:00

I've been blogging in my head for three weeks now, does that count?

The kids went to a costumed birthday party the week before Halloween. Darling Daughter won the costume contest. Boyo went for a bit more elegant look. He wore the velvet cape we got him for about a week straight. We had a decent amount of trick or treaters, though still far too much candy left. The amount diminishes rather rapidly daily.

I held my breath with everyone else on Tuesday, unable to sleep until the last speech was done, toasting the television with my wine glass as tears rolled down my face, rather overwhelmed by the emotional outpouring from the crowd at the acceptance speech. (The crowd's reaction reminded me of the early video of Beatles' fans.) I am very thankful that things turned out the way they did. I admit to being rather disappointed in my home state for passing a ban on gay marriage. I suppose in a way it's a trade-off. One can only hope it's worth it.

Re-focus

2008-10-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

I had a migraine yesterday that kicked my behind. It was a direct result from the copious amounts of junk food I ate last weekend. I knew it would get me, the oh so tasty electric colored, food dye flavored sprinkles in box mix cupcakes and more candy than I had eaten in 3 months. Hubby found a place in town that sells Coffee Crisps, by the case. Ouch.

I started trying to fix it yesterday. I slept like a rock last night. This morning as I was cracking my eye to peek at the clock (to find out it was later than it should be), a raven streaked past my window with a raucous cackle. I hopped out of bed to a quote from Jeebs in Men in Black 2 running through my head, "Let's make it happ'n Cap'n!" I finished getting ready to Where is the Love? by the Black Eyed Peas playing in my head. My breakfast of raw almond milk and museli is waiting, with fresh guacamole and flax seed crackers (homemade of course) for lunch.

Things are back in focus. Time to change the world.

A quiet lunch

2008-10-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

The local public schools have today off. So, my kids organized a picnic with some of the neighborhood kids today. It's been very cute to peek at them down the street, the little herd sitting on a big fuzzy blanket eating sandwiches and apples with peanut butter and cheese. It also means that the only break in a rather unusually peaceful lunch hour for me is the neighbor a few houses down playing his radio way too loudly. I could get used to this.

The really good news is that Boyo could walk halfway down the block to where they are having this picnic. Which means his ankle is healing up nicely.

I'm still trying to understand who sets up and goes to a picnic when it's below 60*F outside.

I can still run!

2008-10-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

My daughter popped her head in the front door this afternoon to worriedly announce that her brother had fallen off of a scooter and twisted his ankle. Off I ran, literally sprinting down the street (as he had managed to fall at the far end from our house). Neighbors came out of their houses as the crazy lady in the orange shirt ran past their driveways. One nice man asked if we needed help, but as we were only two houses away from our front door by the time he asked, I politely thanked him and proceeded to haul my hobbled boy into our front door. The adrenalin has worn off. I can tell because my body is letting me know, in no uncertain terms, that I rarely run flat out anymore. It would have to be the evening Hubby is getting home late this week!

Looking back to move forward?

2008-10-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

Does it seem to anyone else like we are consistently shoving our way forward towards the latest, greatest thing that is supposed to save the world? What would happen, if while continuing that quest for new technology, we used some very low-tech, historically inspired things to give us more time for that quest? Things like hanging up some of your laundry instead of using the dryer. ( You do have hangers and door frames right?) Cook at home. Make double what you need. Bag up the rest, throw it in the freezer to help you out when you are short for time or the fridge is empty. Take up a hobby that doesn't require an outlet or batteries. (Underwater basket weaving anyone?) Plant some herbs or lettuce where ever you have room. Packets of seed are cheap, and if you are lucky, you have free dirt. If you are like me and have sand, clay and/or concrete, big bags of organic soil run about $6 each (at least out here).

These are in no way original ideas. Research household management from WW1 and WW2. You come up with Victory Gardens and phrases like "Make Do and Mend". It wasn't about just conserving energy, it was about conserving everything. Why shouldn't we be using these techniques? Yes, they take more time and effort. Aren't the rewards worth it? I detest making up a price book, but have found it very much worth the work. Shouldn't we be learning from our history? Especially as they were so kind as to leave us very detailed notes and instructions on what they did.

Not the best weekend

2008-10-15T12:49:00.001-07:00

This is why I should not be allowed to make homemade fries with a mandolin slicer anymore. Even with the handguard, I managed to put two gouges in the heel of my hand. They weren't deep enough for stitches, just. It takes talent to be quite this uncoordinated.

Luckily, it hasn't gotten in the way of my knitting.

Don't Panic

2008-10-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

A relevant bit of advice don't you think? I've been repeating it almost mantra-like this morning. I had to deal with spiders. I am not fond of most spiders, especially out here since many of them have rather nasty bites. Not nice daddy long legs, no, a mini tarantula and a black widow were what I had to deal with. Now I knew the little tarantula was out there, he'd been camping on my back door for a couple of days. I also knew that I didn't want him hanging around till he got bigger. So, clad in boots, gloves, long sleeves and long pants, I ventured into my back yard with the intent to get rid of him with the bottom of my boot. Only to find he wasn't on the door anymore. As I was watering my plants, I saw him crawling on the wall. Up towards my bedroom window! Hose in hand, water pressure turned up, I began to spray him, all was taken care of...till the black widow dropped from the corner of the patio I had hosed down. I am happy to report I got her too. Have I mentioned I don't like spiders? I have to admit, they were easier to get rid of than the centipede the size of my index finger that was in the kids' bathroom! I just really would rather avoid all large, potential hazardous creepy crawlies from now on, thanks.