Maybe I should pay better attention

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!

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....

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!

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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?