Jewel Tomes

Pinterest - I don't know whether to hate it, or love it

2012-01-29T10:25:00.000-05:00

I think I'll go with love it.
Pinterest.
The newest mind suck.
Or rabbit hole.
Call it whatever you want, but anyone I know who is on Pinterest can't help but be led along one path, only to divert to another path, and then down another.
It's the "Look! A Squirrel!" reaction for humans.
Today I found my latest obsession, and in my obsessive way decided to share it.
This is so awesome - Mason Jar Meals, as shown on the Big Red Kitchen blog.
Oh, I'm in LOVE with the idea of cooking meals ahead and storing them in mason jars.
If you remember, I have plenty of mason jars due to my last obsession with canning (that was before all the freezing).
And my mother gave me all of her canning supplies, in addition to what I purchased, so I have about two racks in the back room filled with jars and lids.
Yes!
I would also imagine that since you're just putting your meals in the fridge and not canning them, you could reuse the lids. You know that with canning once that seal on the lid has been used you can't use the lid again.
So in love.
I'm totally cleaning out my fridge (more so than I've already done) and making some mason jar meals.
Of course the hubby has to poke that pin in my Pinterest balloon and tell me, "So what do you need all your Tupperware for?"
I hate it when men inject common sense into a conversation.

On Today's Menu....

2012-01-28T08:58:00.001-05:00

....applesauce.

I love apples.
And I love applesauce.
I have a good friend who makes apple butter every year, but we're still working our way through some jam, and as much as I'd love to make it I know that it probably wouldn't get eaten.
But perhaps next year.
Pumpkin butter too, yum.
Today, however, I was using up the last of our apples.
Well, our apples that we bought, not that we harvested.
Although that might be a good future occupation...hmmm....that and a Christmas tree farm.
I tried to use the apple peeler corer slicer, but since the skins were getting soft it wouldn't work, so I spent a good hour peeling, coring and slicing 18 apples by hand. I am making a triple batch.
Next year I'll use up the apples sooner when their flesh is firmer.
There are lots of recipes for chunky applesauce out there, but I've taken mine from The Dutch Oven Cookbook.
Of course then I modified it.
So here's how I make my applesauce, at least this version, modified from the published version:

Six apples of whatever flavor the farmer's market has, or of your choosing, and cut into chunky pieces
1/4 - 1/2 cup of sugar (I like a lot of sugar)
juice of one orange
the zest of one orange (or as much as you'd like to get from there)
one cup of water
one teaspoon of cinnamon (I like a lot of cinnamon too)
1/8 or so teaspoon of allspice
1/8 or so teaspoon of nutmeg
one cinnamon stick

Heat over medium heat until it starts to sound like it is boiling, and then lower heat to simmer and simmer the mixture uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the flavor sufficiently permeates your house, or until it cooks down long enough to mush, but with enough chunks of apples left in there. (Perhaps I should say, until it's at the desired consistency.) Remove cinnamon stick before serving. Cool slightly and serve warm, or freeze, or refrigerate. Bring for lunch and tease your friends with just one small taste.

Okay, so Julia Child I'm not.
You won't see a cookbook in my future, but I'm telling you this stuff is good.
Well, my youngest and the hubby don't seem to think so, it's too sweet for them, but my oldest has a much more discerning palate, and he echoed my thoughts -- it tastes like apple pie filling!
So what I think I will do with some of this applesauce is use it for handheld apple pies - like empanadas, or pasties - choose your regional name for whatever you call them. Think Hostess fruit pies.
Yum.
You could even add raisins or nuts to the mixture if your heart desires.
Lovely stuff.
Happy Saturday!

And how long ago was this?

2012-01-27T07:30:00.028-05:00

I remember the night that Welcome Back Kotter premiered on television.
Know why?
Because it was my birthday.
My 12th one to be exact, and for that birthday I was given the great present - every year actually until they started screwing up television seasons - of a brand new TV show(s) happening right on or around my birthday.
Remember when you could count on going back to school and also getting those huge September issues of TV Guide that would describe all the new and returning shows?
Now everything's so mixed up throughout the year that I usually end up waiting to watch a show on Netflix about three years after it's been cancelled.
I sure miss the agrarian-based system of television. You know, keep the summers free for farming (show repeats), and we'll premiere the new shows when the crops are in.
But September 1975 - it was a clear evening, and after my birthday dinner and some cake, I was hanging outside with a couple of friends talking about the new show that was coming on that night.
It was a school night - a Monday to be exact.
I was wearing green pants.
I think.
And if I wasn't I will have been - that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Enough of the details.
Suffice it to say that we were all pretty excited for "Welcome Back Kotter".
Life was pretty exciting in my town - still is.
It's a hot time in our town, etc., etc.
But from the first I was hooked.
I still love that show even though it's now thirty something years later (stop trying to do the math, I'm old, okay?).
Even after watching it recently (thank you again, Netflix, now quit raising your prices) I was immediately drawn right back to that first viewing and the palpable magic of being there as witness to the birth of a hit show.
Sure it's a little dated, but it's easy to get hooked again, and it had such a great storyline with such memorable characters.
Even my kids have watched it and thought it was a great show, and they're the YouTube generation! Nothing shocks them!
Now which Sweathog was my favorite?
Hard to say, they were all rather quotable, but surely Epstein, or at least his "mother", were memorable.
But who didn't want to be a sweat hog, right?
They were so dang cool.
And for that matter, who knew any Puerto Rican Jews? There certainly weren't any in my hometown.
I'm happy to say, however, that in my world travels I have acquired two gentleman friends who are indeed Puerto Rican and Jewish.
Yes, we have made the Epstein reference in conversation.
It's obligatory.
Sadly, Epstein's mother has written her last note, as Robert Hegyes, the actor who played Epstein, has gone to the big classroom in the sky.
Here's a little bit of the magic that was revealed to the world in 1975.
That was a long time ago, but it seems like yesterday.
Enjoy and remember. Or discover!

Sure I'll Eat That Ham

2012-01-26T08:20:00.000-05:00

Thank you, dear farmer, for the lovely Christmas ham, but please don't plan on raising those nasty smelling animals so close to my house.
Now I don't necessarily feel that way.
During several years of my childhood there was a pig farm just downwind of where I lived, and on a warm, windy summer day when those breezes were blowing in from Canada they would bring along the fresh scent of pig.
Was it gross?
Certainly, but having grown up in an area where there is a lot of farming (whether it's animal or vegetable/fruit/grain), you get used to the smells.
Rotting cabbage in the fall?
We've got it.
Cow manure?
Not as prevalent as it used to be, but in certain spots you can get it.
(We also have ICE cruising the area at all times looking for illegals, although how diligent they are only their records would show, but based upon the recent stabbing in a Wal-Mart parking lot, I'd say not very. That's a blog post for another time though. We're here to talk about pigs.)
Farming, to be exact.
We need farmers.
There is no argument against this.
How else do we expect to have food?
With farms close by you can always eat fresh (or can/freeze it and save it for the long hard winter).
But Americans are a funny, selfish lot.
We don't mind finding our food in nice shiny wrappers at the grocery store, but we certainly don't want any stinky reminders of where that pretty food comes from.
Farmers can farm, as long as they keep the smell downwind.
That's why I have sympathy for this particular farmer.
I can appreciate the plight of the people across the street, but certainly the town needs to pay attention to how they're encroaching on agricultural land.
And really, do they need more housing?
No, we need more pigs.
Or farmland.
Support your local farmer.
That's all.
Now I'm down off my soapbox.

Finding the Magic

2012-01-25T08:00:00.002-05:00

Academy Award nominations were announced yesterday.
Were you surprised by any of them?
I guess some were a little surprising - Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids? - congrats - you were awesomely funny.
But the whole "who got snubbed" piece - I haven't been to all that many movies in the past year to really give any original thought to the nominations. In previous years we were frequent movie-goers, but lately I find that even when my desire to go out is there, my flesh is weak and I stay home.
Hello Netflix!
(how's that for Cinéma vérité - pun intended)
I did make an effort this summer, however, to get out to see one particular movie.
And oh how I loved, loved, loved it.
I was really hoping someone would get it for me for Christmas, but no joy.
I did eventually rent it, but I'm really ready to watch it again.
(Gifts are always welcome! Feel free! Ha!)
First off, I love the director. Not that I love every single movie he makes, but I appreciate his artistic vision (not to mention we both feel the same about Ingmar Bergman - he just says it better). I love the mood he presents, I love the font he uses, and sometimes regardless of the subject he just wraps it up in such an incredibly comfortable package that we're okay with not only our neuroses, but the characters' neuroses (and resolutions) as well.
(That is my objective - or is it subjective - opinion - see Love and Death for the decision on that one.)
Which movie?
This one:

What a magical film, and for any lover of ex-pat 1920s literature it was a dream realized (for both Owen Wilson's character, and the viewers). We got to meet all of our favorites, as they were brought to life!
So congrats to Woody Allen for the nominations!, and for making such a magical (can I say that too many times?) movie that just gets better with each viewing. This is my new Hannah and Her Sisters.
Thank you.

Born Too Late

2012-01-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

It's pictures like this that let me know I was definitely born in the wrong era.

Look at the arms on this one. And the ankles! They look familiar (I say as I look down at mine).

I could totally work that hourglass shape, and honestly, it's a bit scary to see that I might actually resemble her. From face to thigh.

Here's the mummified bride. I'd look good too if they covered me with a body length white stocking and then put gauze over the top of me. I suppose this is a precursor to soft lighting.
But really, these photos show that our ideas of what makes a beautiful woman are totally out of whack.
And these photos are from the 1890s!
Anyway, if you want to get a good look at some more of these beauties (and I mean that in a totally non-snarky, I'm living in the wrong century kind of way where women have to be anorexic to be considered beautiful), head on over to Retronaut.

Long Live Rock

2012-01-23T08:00:00.003-05:00

Music is such a big part of my life.
I realize that I should probably be listening to more non secular music, but I'm sure the Lord will forgive me for finding inspiration in all types of music.
And music can be inspirational, and bring good feelings of harmony and love.
It also causes us to think.
Sometimes we think about why a particular artist is popular even though they have no discernible talent, can't sing without auto tune, and never perform completely live.
Then there are musicians and artists who you don't have to wonder why or how they're so talented - they just blow your socks off.
Elton John is certainly one of them.
The man is talented - we can't even begin to doubt that.
I remember that for a long time (in the 70s) I didn't really like him.
Why?
Because it wasn't cool.
At least to my friends.
Fortunately I'm at the stage in my life where I don't give a right crap what others think (but you will tell me if I've offended you at any point, won't you?) so I listen to the music I like.
And I could never understand why I stopped openly liking Elton John when secretly I adored his music.
His songs are not really just "songs" but more like anthems.
Ones that encourage audiences to sing along.
I've never had the pleasure to see him live, and you know, I'm okay with that.
I hate crowds anyway.
If I could go back in time, however, when his voice was in its prime, there are certain songs I'd want to hear him perform.
So for your listening pleasure here are some great songs with which to start your day.
Enjoy.

And this last one I include - even though it's not a complete version of the song - because it really embodies that anthem-like, crowd-unifying spirit of Elton John's music (and, I believe, Bernie Taupin's lyrics - couldn't cook with fire without him). Cameron Crowe really captured that feeling, don't you think?

For the record, I know that Elton John did not sing "Long Live Rock."
I like The Who too.

How I spent $300 on 2 skeins of yarn, or shopping at the mall with my husband and teenage daughter

2012-01-22T08:00:00.003-05:00

There are some activities in life that should always be done as a solo act.
Monologues immediately come to mind.
Maybe time in the toilet?
Certainly that's an activity that you hope remains something you do by yourself until you're too old to function without assistance.
What else.
Oh, I don't know, maybe.....shopping?
Specifically shopping on a budget?
Any woman (or man, to be non discriminating) worth their salt knows that you don't take your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other to the grocery store with you unless you intend to make a lot of impulse buys.
I'm not saying that it's wrong to have impulse buys - they certainly make shopping enjoyable and less of a chore.
That sponge candy conveniently placed by the checkout at Wegmans? Total impulse buy. And totally justifiable! (Don't know what sponge candy is? I've included a link so you can get a good idea what it is.
If you're British (or Canadian) and reading this, think of Crunchie bars.)
Yum....chocolate.....Oh wait, where was I?
Oh yeah, impulse buys.
So the other night I went to the mall with the long-standing hubby (and I don't mean he's been on his feet a long time, but that he's been hanging around me for close to three decades), and the angst-ridden, angry teenager.
All so I could get two skeins of yarn to make gifts for a swap.
Two
Skeins
At Michael's.
How much would that normally cost?
Yarn is usually not overly expensive (depending upon your taste), but this yarn cost me $300.
What happened to the budget, you ask?
Yeah, I asked the same question.
It got lost somewhere in the clearance sales at Bon Ton, a department store that is closing next month. I am not even going to include a link because in a short time that Website will no longer be viable.
Sure, sure, I bought a couple of things for myself (at 70% off!), and the hubby got something, and so did the teenager, but dang, all I needed was yarn!
My head's still reeling.
But I sure am loving my new coat.

Slippery When Wet

2012-01-21T08:30:00.001-05:00

On an extremely windy, rainy night while thousands lost power, I sat in my kitchen and ripped out/unknit several rows of my hat.

And watched Netflix.
Why yes, that is Murder, She Wrote that I'm watching.
This is another hat using this same pattern I used earlier - I really like it - it's simple and warm, and who doesn't need a red hat?
I don't, not really, but I want one, and since I'm knitting from my stash....red it is!
But this yarn is dangerously slippery on metal needles. No matter how much I mash the stitches together as I'm knitting on one needle, it invariably moves and gets too close to the end on another needle - or in my case, drops several stitches off the end.
Since I knit my other hat with these same needles, you'd think that I would have learned from experience - if the yarn is slippery on metal double points, then switch to bamboo/wood.
Did I do that?
Heavens no.
On this particular hat I had to take out several rows and then do the New Yankee Workshop exercise. You know - count twice, knit once - isn't that how it goes? - to make sure I didn't need to rip out any more.
It's a laborious process at best, but sometimes the only way to fix mistakes.
Exercising patience. Yet another resolution.
And speaking of Yankees, and Jessica Fletcher, next time we head to Maine, which I hope is soon because we loved it there, I hope to have my red hat done.

For your viewing pleasure, here's a gratuitous shot of Sand Beach on MDI.
Love it.

The Interpretation of Dreams

2012-01-20T08:34:00.011-05:00

Not to go all Freudian on you, but have you ever wondered what your dreams mean?
The other night I had a dream that I was in our old library building.
Now we have this brand spanking new library that is up-to-date, state of the art, but like a lot of contemporary architecture lacks warmth.
Here's the current building:

Lots of room, on a good-sized piece of property (donated by a local family), and room to expand if necessary.
Tons of books, and computers all on one floor.
And I love the library, I do, but it's lacking something.
Kind of like contemporary church structures - big and open, but lacking feeling.
Sure it's a pretty picture, and I love the books, but it doesn't feel cozy.
Our old library was housed in a Victorian home owned by a prominent 19th Century citizen.
Here's the old library which is now the current Village government building:

That extension on the eastern side was added in the 80s (or 70s, I can't recall exactly), but it was in this building that I really came to love reading.
Outside of my first grade classroom, of course.
The second floor was, and still is, used as the Village museum, so only the ground floor was open to patrons on a daily basis - and oh how cozy it was.
Cramped yes, but definitely cozy.
The main room was filled with oak bookshelves, tables, and chairs, and the librarians always encouraged everyone to take as many books as we wanted. Seriously. I used to go there in the summer for the week-long activities, and I recall one librarian whose name escapes me (but it was a male librarian, I do remember that) who told us that if we wanted we could bring a wagon everyday to the library and fill it with books.
I still think about that when I go to certain libraries and they have a limit as to how much you can check out.
I like libraries with no limits.
But adjacent to the stairs in our old library - and just by the entrance - was where I would always find the books I wanted to read some of which are probably not stocked by libraries anymore.
I would read Rosamund du Jardin's novels over and over - the quintissential 1940s/1950s books about young women and growing up.
Sure, life wasn't like that for me, I was a product of the 70's, but I loved those books - and I still do.
I remember leaning against the staircase and turning the upright book rack looking for a paperback that caught my eye, or browsing through the hardcover books on the built in shelves.
You know how you imprint a certain memory or place in your mind and use that as the basis for all future comparable locations?
That's how it is for me with our old library.
I know that's an unfair distinction, and no libraries look like this one did, but for me, it was the best library ever.
Which probably explains why I dreamt about it.
Only problem is, why was I wearing my bathrobe while I was there?

Safe Return - Catherine Dexter

2012-01-19T07:30:00.001-05:00

Below is a book I had to get from another library as I believe it is currently out of print.
Sure you can find copies, but remember, I'm not buying books this year.
This story taught me a few things - or at least caused me to explore a bit further - about "Sweaterhags" a phrase that when used will cause your search to be automatically redirected you to "sweater bags."
No, that's not what I said.
Sadly, I can't find a lot of information about these women, but here's what is written on the book jacket:

Catherine Dexter says the story of Safe Return was inspired by a true incident in 1824 on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. "I discovered it while reading a book of knitting patterns from the island and thought, 'This is too good to pass up.'"

I'm presuming the mitten book she is talking about is The Mitten Book: Delightful Swedish Country Mitten Patterns with Traditional Designs to Use for All Your Hand or Machine Knitting Projects.
Well, that title is quite a mouthful. I'd love to look at the book, but sadly I believe the knitting level for the mittens is beyond my skill set. Interlibrary loan? Possibly.
That's how I got Safe Return, and here's my short review:

Safe Return by Catherine Dexter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you're a knitter, you'll love this book. If you're not a knitter, you'll still love it. It's a sweet little tale about an orphan girl who lives with her aunt and uncle on a Swedish isle. Ursula, the young girl, does not know how to knit, and everyone on the isle knits. Even the men. This causes her a lot of anxiety, and adds to her feeling of being an outcast amongst the island-born natives. As Ursula's aunt prepares to leave for her annual pilgrimmage to Stockholm to sell sweaters at the market, Ursula's fears of being orphaned by yet another mother figure are all too present. For adults this is a quick, yet enjoyable read, and for the younger crowd this is a good life lesson in self-sufficiency and faith. That this tale is based on a historic event makes it even more interesting, and the author has added depth to the supporting characters so that Ursula's fears and daily anxieties are much more tangible, and all too real.

View all my reviews

In the year of living frugally

2012-01-18T08:02:00.001-05:00

Every year new resolutions are made by so many people.
Personally I think you can start each new day with a resolution, or each week, etc., but there's something about kicking off a new year with new goals.
This year I am attempting to live more frugally.
Something, I might add, that I should have been doing for years.
Alas, better late than never.
Now my latest guilty pleasure (but is it really pleasurable?) is watching the show Hoarders on Netflix.
Wow, way to make me repulsed, feel superior, horrified, and saddened all at the same time, A&E. You go.
As I forced my way through show after show I began to recognize certain of these compulsive traits in my own behavior.
For me, however, my brain is wired differently - I can throw stuff away once I get off my lazy butt and do it. And garbage belongs in the trash can, and not on my floor. Yuck.
I do hoard food though.
Last year (or was it 2010?) I bought a big freezer at Lowe's and as it was on sale, had free delivery, and combined with my military discount (10%) I got a really good deal.
I proceeded to fill up all 20 cubic feet.

That's a lot of space to fill, but by golly I did it.
And then there was the pantry.
I live in an old house, ergo I have a really big pantry.
Closet space is sucky, but room for food storage? I've got it in spades.
Is that full too?
Sho nuff.
And books, wowee, do I have books.
So many - and in so many places - that I checked out a book from the library because I couldn't find my copy in the house.
It's here somewhere, I'm sure, but where?
Yarn is everywhere too, but let's not go there shall we.
My new year's resolutions couldn't have come at a better time. (Like at the beginning of the new year - odd how that happened.)
They are simple enough in theory, but it's the execution of them that kicks my butt.

Create a meal plan. And stick with it. There is enough food in the freezer for several, a lot, too many meals, so go through that and figure out what to eat each day. Now as my red-headed friend would say it's probably better to create meal ideas instead of identifying them with specific days, but we hadn't had a chance to huddle over my idea since we were on break. I do see the genius of her plan, however, I had already enacted mine. So far, so good. The meal plan has accomplished several goals: (a) I have spent less money (only $36 to be exact) on eating out in two weeks; (b) we have been eating good, wholesome meals from the food that is on hand; (c) my grocery bills are 50% less than what I normally spend/waste every two weeks. What will I do when my private stock is depleted to dangerous levels? The hoarder in me is avoiding thinking about that, but I do know that Fort Drum will be holding their first commissary case-lot sale in May. The way my luck goes it will probably be the weekend we have Commencement, and you know I'll be stressed with that. But yes, I will drive three hours (or so) for a case lot sale, and this time I'm bringing the truck. The last few we went to my Subaru was completely filled except for the front two seats. Don't judge.
Buy no new books. Or old ones. Or any! This one is just as tough. My theory has always been that since I work hard for my money (a la Donna Summer), I should be able to treat myself. Thank you Amazon Prime for enabling me with even faster shipping. So I have been going to the library. Like this is a new concept, right? But I've been checking out cookbooks, and trying recipes, and getting free books through my Kindle, and deleting any emails I get from Crafter's Choice, Barnes and Noble, Interweave Knits, Amazon, etc. STOP TEMPTING ME! I will resist. I'm kind of digging the cookbook from the library thing because I try a recipe, and if it's a success I actually write it down on a recipe card. Remember those things? Sure, from back in the stone age. And let's be completely honest - I also own about 40 hundred cookbooks (that's a pretty accurate count), so I should be using those too. And a big shout out to online recipe sites such as allrecipes. Love it. You're the best. Plus, I work at a college - did I tell you how long we can check out books for? A year. Yes, 365 days. And then if they're not returned - automatic renewal. Love it! Apparently the librarians know that faculty (which I'm not) get cranky if asked to think outside their bubble, so they've afforded this courtesy to all faculty and staff. Talk about blessings! And free Inter-Library Loans! WorldCat is our oyster.
Impose immediate yarn diet utilizing the same principles as the meal plan. Somehow writing things down helps keep me focused, so it's good for me to think about what I want to make. How many times have you seen a project, bought the yarn, and then by the time it gets into your home you forget what you were going to make? Raise your hand, I can see you out there. Of course I signed up for the Valentine's Day yarn swap through Natural Suburbia. It's not like I'm buying for myself, right? I'm purchasing a gift of some sort for my swap partner. (Hoarders always have a remarkable ability to rationalize any situation.) Knit, knit, knit, and listen to audiobooks courtesy of the Monroe County Library System. You rock. Now see how two of my resolutions meld together? I'm so awesome.

And here we are in the middle of January - so far, so good. I'm feeling good about everything, enjoying the idea that I don't have to come home and stare into the fridge/freezer and decide what to make. Or give up and get McDonald's. Did I tell you my pants are not as tight? Hmmm...I wonder if there's any correlation here. Let me ponder.

I'll have to continue to monitor my progress, and I'm sure I'll backslide, but I am resolute!

What have you resolved to do this year?

And I'm still reading

2012-01-17T07:31:00.003-05:00

Last year I created a very unhealthy challenge for myself.
I decided to read 175 books.
I'm not very good at any kind of math - even simple arithmetic - but even I could figure out that 175 books in a year equates to a book every 2 days.
Was I crazy?
Absolutely.
Did I change the amount?
You betcha.
One hundred books seemed a more manageable goal, and I ended up reading about 120 or so.
This year I decided to push my goal up a bit - not quite into the 175 range again - but this time to another manageable goal.
101 books.
Yes.
That I am pretty sure I can accomplish.
It's actually pretty cool to keep track via GoodReads because it's great to look back on books I have known.
And loved.
Some of them anyway.
You too can join the challenge - if you're up to it, although I'm falling a bit behind with only five completed books this year. That's a book every three days! Oh the horror!

2012 Reading Challenge

Julie has

read 5 books toward her goal of 101 books.

hide

5 of 101 (4%)

view books

...and so it began

2012-01-16T07:28:00.000-05:00

The year 2012 began with a right punch in the face.
My mother passed out in church (we go to different ones), and I received a call at home (I had actually skipped church that day - serendipity? - I think so otherwise I would have still been at my church), so I was at home to take the call at 11:03.
Exactly at that time. I remember.
I went down to the hospital and actually got there before she did - the ambulance crew was taking their time, giving her an EKG, etc.
So I waited the hour, marveling over the varying degrees of social aptitude and personal hygiene displayed by many of those who live around here. Yeah, it's interesting, but that's a blog post for another time.
My mother was eventually transferred to a hospital in the city where she stayed for the week.
Happy New Year's Day!
I'd like to say that knitting helped calm me down, but I felt like a caged lion...or hippo....I'd go with the hippo. I was too antsy to really focus, so it took me almost an entire week to knit this simple hat. I mean, I am a slow knitter at best, and extremely inattentive, but that was much too long a time to take for that hat. (Now ask me if it's actually finished, as in ends sewn in, etc. - you guess the answer.)
I had been off of work for two weeks already (our annual shut down period - love it!), so being out of work during a week when I had intended to catch up was really not on my to do list!
Fortunately my boss was not at work that week, or my guilt/anxiety level would have been even higher.
Anyway, so far all is well, no heart attack, but we're proceeding cautiously. My mother will be turning 81 at the end of this month, so it's time to slow down. Living in a place where it snows almost six months of the year doesn't help either, as she really shouldn't be out in the snow/cold/ice, so I'll be doing her grocery shopping for a while.
Such is the life of the youngest/only daughter/only one living nearby.
Fortunately my husband is very patient with her although she talks enough to drive a man (or woman) to drink.
Hmmm, that could explain all his beer drinking....
So there's my saga for the beginning of 2012.
From here out let's hope it only gets better!

Ah.....Vacation

2011-12-17T06:53:00.000-05:00

The place where I work closes for a two week break.
Academia is not all bad, I have to admit.
So now I'm technically "off" for two weeks, even though I'll check e-mails, and will go in for a few hours one of the days - no big deal.
How will I spend my time?
1) Putting up our Christmas tree - for some reason the kids are all anxious to have this up. Seriously? It's not like Christmas is next week or anything.
2) Finishing a Who? hat for the little girl across the street, and finding a cool hat for her younger brother. Plus knitting an infinity scarf (of some sort) for my sister-in-law.
3) Organizing my pantry. It's a wreck. Food hoarder gone wild. Menus will be made and food will be incorporated into dishes. Stat.
4) Finishing up the 13 books on my "Currently Reading" list. That's a lot of carryover into the new year - must start fresh. Although if I were smart....hmmm....I'd read all of those 13 books up until the end, and then finish them all at once in 2012 so I can list them as completed on next year's reading challenge. Hmmmm....naw, that's kind of cheating, don't you think?
5) Sleeping. As much as possible. Like a bear I'll hibernate and store some energy so I can begin 2012 refreshed and ready.
As a matter of fact, I think I just might go back to sleep now.
After all, I woke up at 3:00 on my first official vacation day.
How sick is that?

Unraveling Anne - Laurel Saville

2011-12-16T19:48:00.000-05:00

Unraveling Anne by Laurel Saville
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Most everyone thinks the relationship between Edina Monsoon and her daughter, Saffy, is quite funny. Of course that's television, "Absolutely Fabulous", to be exact. But imagine if you really were Saffy, and your mother was constantly drunk, raising you in spite of ignoring you, and constantly inviting strange people into your home. A life filled with stability and rules might actually seem attractive, and not as perverse and rigid as Edina makes Saffy feel. This, in essence, is the life that Laurel Saville lived with her mother. This comparison is not meant to minimize the mother/daughter relationship between Saville and her mother, Anne Ford. It is noted, however, that through, or because of her mother, Laurel Saville truly lived the life of the 60s free spirit, an ersatz hippie lifestyle of love ins, happenings, and beach living. What is so often romanticized by those who lived this life as adults, or those who wish that they had been there, is proven by Saville that, for a child, the alarming lack of structure is really not conducive to a strong, healthy parental bond, or a safe and secure home life. Certainly there are those children who, like weeds, are able to thrive in any environment, but Saville documents her story as that of a lonely, serious child who loved her mother, yet never understood her. Nor was she understood by her mother. Unraveling Anne allows Saville the opportunity to step back through time, to remember her feelings, examine her memories, and seek to gain understanding of what drove her mother's self-destructive behavior and lifestyle to the extent that her mother's life ends with her rape and murder at a relatively young age. Saville doesn't seek to blame, but only to understand, and she is left with many unanswered questions and missed opportunities. As she is only seeking enlightenment, she comes away with a better understanding of what missteps her mother took that prompted her decisions, and caused her mother to turn out as she did. What is missing from this book, and this may be due to requests from her brothers, is any explanation of where they are now, and how they are attempting to heal any emotional scars left by their upbringing. It is apparent that she is holding some things back, but Saville reveals as much as she can allow which one can tell is not the entire story, but we are left with enough of her poignant tale to understand where she is coming from.

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The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures

2011-12-10T15:55:00.001-05:00

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had to go back and pinpoint the moment when everything in Frankie's scrapbook merged, and I could no longer tell if the author was creating the story from the scrapbook and assorted ephemera, or if the ephemera created the story. This is a truly wonderful book - it's magical in its beauty and ingenuity. It definitely needs to be read more than once so you can marvel over the ephemera, and at the fact that like Forrest Gump, or rather more like a recent Woody Allen film, Frankie encounters many famous personalities during her emancipated life in Paris, as well as her time in NYC. It is truly brilliant.

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Hunter's Green - Phyllis A. Whitney

2011-11-28T19:13:00.000-05:00

Why is it that I have to work?
Can't I just win the Powerball and move to England (or Greece, or France, or Norway) and sit around and read all day?
Please?

Hunter's Green by Phyllis A. Whitney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been a fan of Phyllis A. Whitney for a long time, so my reviews of her books are not necessarily the best by which to judge how good a book actually is. I grade through nostalgia: for the time of which she writes, and also for who I used to be when I read this book for the first time. I have to admit that it has been many years since I read this particular book, but I did enjoy it - even this second (third or fourth, perhaps?) time around. While the heroine may aggravate many a contemporary reader with her sometimes passive attitude towards how she is treated and viewed, the fashions of Mary Quant and other 60's fashion trends as described in this book will win over many a reader. If you're looking for a good, relatively contemporary Gothic romance for a rainy, gloomy day, then check out Hunter's Green.

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Gingerbread Cookie Murder(s)

2011-10-09T07:47:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I spoke with my brother who lives in Colorado Springs. He said they were having so much snow that it was almost a blizzard. Friday they spent in t-shirts and shorts, and on Saturday he was pulling out his snow boots. Too bad he's not a reader because he might have enjoyed staying inside and reading this book:

Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Christmas time is usually when we slow down, but not until after the shopping, cooking, baking, and cleaning are done. For those of us in the snow-trapped northern states the best view of winter is when you're looking out the window as you read a cozy book and enjoy some tea or cocoa. Gingerbread Cookie Murder is the perfect book for a slow winter day. While the stories are short, and the intricacies normally found in cozy mysteries is not as fleshed out as one would expect from these three authors, the book can still provide enjoyment during a relaxing interlude in your day. If you haven't read any of these authors this is a good introduction. As for me, I think Laura Levine is the best of the three writers, and I am certain that I will be reading more of her books in the future.

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How to Clean Your Bathroom Floor

2011-09-26T20:34:00.001-04:00

How to Clean Your Bathroom Floor in Five Easy Steps:

One: Use the faucet to wash your hands, and inadvertently leave it running.
Two: Go to the library, and return in 30 minutes.
Three: Return to see that the clogged sink has caused the water to spill over onto the floor.
Four: Gather all the "dirty" towels from your teenager's floor and use them to soak up the water.
Five: Wring out towels in now-dirty tub, and take them upstairs to wash in hot water, bleach, and detergent.

Voila! A clean floor! I wouldn't eat off of it, ever, but it's better than it was.

Next lesson: How to Get Your Husband to Clean the Dirty Bathtub in Two Easy Steps.

I know we're excited, but even so....

2011-09-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the Bills beat the Patriots today - that's a big thing not only around these parts, but everywhere.
(Financial crisis in Greece? Who cares! The Bills beat the Pats!)
So we're all happy, the Bills are 3-0, yea!
But does this news have to be included in every story on the web, especially local news?
Such as this piece which has some information about a serious car crash.
Read the article in its entirety (and I copied it because I'm sure at some point the article will be modified - I hope):

7:34 PM

Crash in Orleans County Sends Two People to the Hospital

By: Casey J. Bortnick

Two people were seriously injured when a motorcycle and a car collided in Orleans County Sunday Afternoon. It happened in Kendall on Route 18 near the Orleans-Monroe county line. Sheriff’s Deputies tell YNN multiple EMS crews and mercy flight responded to the scene.

One victim was flown to Rochester's Strong Hospital; the other was originally taken by ambulance to Lakeside hospital and then airlifted to Strong. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The Buffalo Bills are now 3-0 after edging out the New England Patriots in another thriller at Ralph Wilson Stadium Sunday.

And how do I spend my weeks?

2011-09-17T18:51:00.000-04:00

Wondering what I've been doing?
This is my weekly routine:

Work lunch work go home work go to bed
Work lunch work go home work go to bed
Work lunch work go home work go to bed
Work lunch work go home work go to bed
Work lunch work go home order out go to bed

Remembering

2011-09-11T09:14:00.000-04:00

I know everyone has their own memories and thoughts about today.
I just want to share this lovely, elegiac version of a traditional song which I think sums up many feelings that will be expressed and shared today. The lyrics may not fit, but then again they may, so please enjoy as we remember how our world changed 10 years ago.

And while we all remember what happened to the Twin Towers, let us not forget all those who lost their lives both in the Pentagon, and on the plane.

Semper fi.

It's Not Only Kids Who Say the Darndest Things

2011-09-10T19:41:00.000-04:00

So my son's girlfriend works at Subway.
She told us that she gets asked a lot of stupid questions, ones not coming just from the WalMart employees who want to know if she has a boyfriend, does she want to go out, and also if she wants to go out drinking (yes, no, and no).
Two examples of the dumb questions she hears:

"How long is a footlong?"
"How big is a six-inch sub?"

Or regarding what kind of cheese they want on their sub, people will often respond, "Um, yeah."
Sometimes I forget how stupid people really are.
I'm glad they remind me from time to time.

Everything has a downside to it

2011-09-09T14:45:00.000-04:00

So...discovered the big downside to using honey as a face wash today.
Bees.
Sitting on Main Street at lunchtime enjoying a slice of pizza with my youngest son, we had four - yes four! - bees buzzing around us.
Granted, we were outside, they wanted some of the pizza too, but no one at any of the other tables was having a problem.
Only us.
On the plus side neither of us were stung, so I guess there's some camaraderie involved here.
Go bees!
No really, shoo...

She Works Hard for Her Money

2011-09-08T11:19:00.000-04:00

Recently a former co-worker and I were ~~joking about something~~ networking via e-mail, and I asked her now that she has been promoted how her daily routine had changed.
This is a legitimate question as she is now the queen bee on her floor – not the office manager, but the senior executive assistant to the big boss.
Here is her reply:

This is my schedule:

• Saunter into the office, passing by the lower-class people out front (since I’m nice, I greet each of them)

• Enter my office with the magic lights turning on immediately

• Decide which shoes I should wear with my outfit

• Go into the ladies’ room and make sure that all of the spackle and super glue are holding my face together and that I don’t have any lipstick on my teeth

• Decide if I want coffee or tea to start my day – if tea, I handle that; if coffee I go downstairs and get it (since I don’t believe in the office manager’s method of washing these pots)

• Go back to my office and change my shoes for the first time of the day

• Glance at the headlines in the Wall Street Journal

• Peruse the D & C

• Check my email

• Check CNN and one of the local news sites

• Watch my phone ring and wait for someone else to answer it

• Change my shoes again

• Go check my mail

• Put my flats back on because my feet are already killing me

• By then it’s lunchtime and in the summer I expect the office manager to bring me tomatoes

• If no tomatoes, then back downstairs for salad but not before changing into heels and checking myself out in the mirror

• Change my shoes, eat lunch, brush/floss my teeth

• Re-apply lipstick/powder (repetitive throughout the day as you can imagine)

• Answering questions from the peeps out front because they’re all so damn stupid (excluding SN)

• You know, it goes on and on – definitely not easy being me…

Winter is Just a Dead Leaf Away

2011-09-07T20:41:00.000-04:00

Being locked in an office all day does not allow you to experience the weather in any way other than visually. If it's raining, I see the wet rooftops, when the sun shines I'm envious of all those able to walk around and enjoy it, and when it's snowing I look out and see the white snow blanketing the cars and streets. But on a day like today - a cool autumn day - I don't know what the temperature is until I come outside at the end of the day.
So even though it was overcast it was wonderful to come outside and feel the coolness in the air. The high temp was 66, and tonight is definitely sweatshirt weather.
Before leaving for work this morning I put a chicken in the crockpot, and as I walked in the door this evening all I could smell was that wonderful aroma of a dinner - already cooked and waiting to be served.
I've lit some apple scented candles to usher in the cool fall evening, adding to the ambiance of the changing season.
Finally, some Vivaldi adds an extra special touch to the evening:

In other words, enjoy the mild weather while you can because winter is coming, and it's going to suck just like it always does.

Back Into the Closet You Go

2011-09-06T10:09:00.000-04:00

Labor Day is here and now gone.
As a non-union employee I appreciate what Labor Day means to workers, but it doesn't affect me in any way other than having a Monday off at the beginning of Semptember every year.
What it really stands for, to me, is that it is time to put away our summer clothes, sandals and bags.
To be honest, we all know that Birks can be worn year round so those can stay out.
My awesome new white sandals, however - time to say goodbye.
Back into the closet they will go, but before I put them away, have a look at them.
Here they are in all their pristine whitness:

Thank you Macy's for awesome end of summer sales.
I really like these sandals a lot, and they are very comfortable. All told, since I purchased them, however, I've only had the opportunity to wear them a total of three - no four - times.
There was a song going through my head in an endless loop as I thought about putting my sandals (and other summer clothes) away, and the words go something like this, "So we've gotta say goodbye for the summer..."
Know who that is?
Well it's not a new song, and it's actually not about the end of summer, I don't believe, but about not seeing someone over the summer.
(Please correct me if I'm wrong - it's been known to happen with alarming frequency.)
So I will ask you to sing along with Brian Hyland (no relation) as he wishes his school love goodbye, and as I say goodbye to my sandals:

You know that everytime you hear that song now you'll think about my sandals (or maybe your own sandals).
And yeah, I know this song is backwards for this situation - no one expects me to be rational do they? - but it's still a very nice song. And if you substitute the words, "I'll send you all my love everyday in my closet..." for the others in the chorus, well, you get my drift.
I'll miss my sandals, but they'll be there waiting for me to wear them on Memorial Day 2012.

P.S. Don't you think it's kind of sad that I actually already have a label for "Shoes"? Can you say "obsession"?

The Reason Why

2011-09-03T21:21:00.000-04:00

This is why we came to Quantico:

Big congrats to an outstanding Marine who will be an amazing Brigadier General.

How Many Books Do You Have in Your Bag?

2011-08-31T15:53:00.000-04:00

So we're going away for a few days over the long weekend.
Back to Virginia for a promotion ceremony, to visit friends, and to shop.
It's a 7-9 hour trip depending upon your speed and traffic, and I'll have to drive halfway there and back.
We'll only be away for a few days, but it begs this question: How many books should I bring with me?
I'm 80 pages from the end of The Long Goodbye (super fantastic book - there's my 5-star review), and know I'll finish that on the way down.
Should I bring just one extra book, or two?
Or maybe 275?
That's about how many are on my Kindle.
Yeah, I'm thinking 275 books, let's go with that.
That should see me through a four day trip.

But is it money well spent?

2011-08-30T06:36:00.000-04:00

So my youngest is still a pre-teen for at least another two months.
After October we'll be going full throttle into the heady teenage years.
Fasten your seat belts!
This ride is going to be a doozy!
She's different from her older sister in that as a younger girl she is focused on many areas of beauty such as maintaining a polished set of nails on both hands and feet, likes to get her eyebrows threaded, and she fixes her hair every morning - things like that.
And like many adolescents she is anxious to stave off the oncoming signs of hormonal disturbance - you know, the bad stuff that happens to your face when it's not sure what the hell is going on with your body.
I bought her the generic brand equivalent of ProActiv in the grocery store a couple of months ago for $12, and then for some reason when she was in Macy's last week her father bought her the Clinique version as well as something else.
I can't remember what the something else is - all I know is that the Macy's bill was $55 for stuff from the cosmetics counter.
It's time to do some math here - you've got my $12 plus the recent $55 purchase - what does that come to?
$67.00
Now you may recall that in a previous post I was effusive in my delight over the effects of washing my face with honey.
I've been doing it for how many weeks now? It really does work.
That jar of honey (local honey, my friend - I firmly support NY farmers and bee keepers) was $6.00
I think you can see where this is going.
For the past week the youngest has been washing her face with honey.
It's unbelievable - her face is clear and youthful (one would hope, she is only 12).
In other words, she really likes using the honey - a lot!
(What's even better is you can use the crystallized stuff at the bottom of the jar as a scrub.)
Time for math again.
$67 worth of chemicals with so-so results vs. $6 worth of honey with perceivable results.
You can see how she feels about it:

(Pay no attention to the crap on the couch in the background - focus on the face!)

Things I Do Good

2011-08-29T20:05:00.000-04:00

Today my boss asked me if perhaps my ego is getting bigger because I'm signing things for him.
I replied in a rather dumbfounded (but slightly disingenuous) manner, "I don't have an ego."
"I know you don't," he admitted.
And really, I don't.
Trust me when I tell you that I have so many things wrong with me it wouldn't be surprising if my co-workers signed a petition encouraging me to become a hermit just to keep my sorry butt out of the general population.
Wow, I'm just bringing myself down here, and I haven't even gotten to the crux of this post!
Seriously, I'm a rather self-effacing individual, and it's usually so easy to find things that I've screwed up.
Rather than dwell on those, I've decided to focus on things at which I excel (because saying it that way is more grammatically correct than the way I have it in the title), and some of my most favorite things in life are reading, knitting, and watching movies.
So I got to thinking that it probably would be good to stop and consider, and perhaps create a list that would allow for reflection and focused direction in the future, and keep me from being too down on myself.
Without further ado here's a list of 20 things at which I excel in no particular order:

1. I can read.
2. I can read fast.
3. I can find lots of books that interest me.
4. I can buy lots of books to read.
5. I can successfully keep at least 10 books in a "currently reading" status without losing place of where I am.
6. I can keep books on the shelf for decades before I get around to reading them.
7. I can pass along books I've read to friends.
8. I can give unread books away.
9. I can knit.
10. I can knit socks.
11. I can buy yarn.
12. I can buy yarn for projects and then forget which project I was buying it for.
13. I can buy yarn for projects and let the yarn sit on the shelf for years.
14. I can start projects.
15. I can successfully keep at least 10 projects in a "currently knitting" status.
16. I can sometimes figure out where I left off when I pick one up again.
17. I can correct a mistake if I let the project sit for long enough (it's amazing how it fixes itself sometimes!)
18. I can tell you quite a bit about classic and contemporary movies.
19. I can tell you quite a bit about classic and contemporary television.
20. I can sit on my butt for hours at a time reading, knitting, or watching movies and TV.

Well, see that?
Already I feel so much better about myself!
I'll have to remember this post, and when I get discouraged about nothing in particular I can pull this list up and remind myself that there is some worth in what I do (and don't) do.

Bitter Harvest - Sheila Connolly

2011-08-28T07:48:00.002-04:00

Bitter Harvest by Sheila Connolly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When is a mystery not a murder mystery? When no murder takes place. Sheila Connolly's latest outing with orchard farmer Meg Corey is a mystery without a murder, and that's no bad thing. Winter is downtime for an apple orchard farmer, a time to take stock of your stock, of your life, and to catch up on paperwork that was held until the harvest was in. A blizzard, power outage, and a dead furnace leave Meg and her handyman cum love interest Seth Chapin plenty of time to take stock of Meg's colonial farmhouse. During their inspection of one of the front bedrooms they discover an antique sampler shoved in the back corner of a closet lying there undiscovered for well over 100 years. This discovery coupled with a series of odd, almost vindictive events forces Meg to try and figure out the sampler's origins and meaning, as well as uncover who is causing problems around the farm. Once you have suspended disbelief that no one would have found this sampler in the many years of people occupying the house, you'll find the book that much more enjoyable. More genealogy mystery than murder mystery, this cozy is best read in the middle of summer because Connolly so fully evokes the winter weather that I found myself shivering as I read - and it's August!

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We're having weather here too, you know

2011-08-27T17:35:00.000-04:00

While the heavily populated east coast has prepared for Hurricane Irene, I was making preparations myself.

I can't very well watch news of the hurricane unless my toes have been properly cleaned and colored.
Hope everyone stays safe!

Concerts

2011-08-24T13:31:00.000-04:00

How can I resist this concert?
It's only three blocks from my house (win!), and Christine Lavin is a fantastic artist, an alum, and best of all a...well, read the last line and you'll see just how confident I am that I will be in attendance at this performance:

Friday, February 3

Christine Lavin:

My 25th Anniversary Concert: What Was I (EVER!) Thinking?

This Brockport alumna (’73) has made her mark interntationally as a singer, satirist and raconteur extraordinaire. During her concert she will share some of her early hits while introducing her latest songs, all the while weaving hilarious stories through her music, reflecting on the people, events, near disasters and minor miracles that have defined her life and music. As folksy as she is charming, join Lavin for a knitting circle prior to the show.

This concert is sponsored in part by the Office of Alumni Relations and Development.

Friday, February 3 at 7:30 pm

$15/$10 Seniors, Alumni, Faculty and Staff/$8 Students

Tower Fine Arts Center Mainstage

Oh yes, everyone loves a knitter.

Mother's Day Murder - Leslie Meier

2011-08-21T10:23:00.001-04:00

Mother's Day Murder by Leslie Meier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lucy Stone's children are getting older, and in this outing of the Maine mom's sleuthing adventures she is dealing with mean girls from her daughter's school. Also included is an interesting rivalry between two politically and civically active women, the death of one, and a murder of a teenage girl. What Meier tries to relate, and does an adequate job of conveying, is the feeling of helplessness a parent can have when they realize how ignorant they are of the influences in their child's life. Or conversely, how significantly a parent can truly screw up their child when they stifle a child's personal wishes, and control every aspect of their life.

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Late to the Party, but Still Dancing

2011-08-14T19:22:00.000-04:00

I have been getting older.
It can't be helped.
It's almost an epidemic.
We're all getting older!
What can we do to stop it?!?!
Is there any kind of emergency drill?
Part of getting older for me is that my normally very oily skin has now become somewhat dry.
The expensive beauty products that I used to use now don't work, and only make my skin dry out even more.
So I over-hydrate, and then it becomes oily and breaks out, so I have to dry it out...It's a vicious cycle.
Something has changed to fix that - certain information has come my way, and it's been good - and I mean really good - for the past week.
That's how long I've been using a new facial treatment.
See, I was creeping on someone's blog and noticed that they were convinced to take up a challenge by another friend.
What's the challenge?
To wash your face with honey for two weeks.
Seriously.
Honey.
But won't that be sticky?
Sure, if it gets in your hair, but water washes it right off your face.
So why honey?
The answers can be found on Crunchy Betty's blog, and let me tell you, this blog is a compendium of wonderful, life-changing information.
And you can put food on your face!
The short answer is that I missed out on entering her challenge, but the long answer is that the challenge was only to just kind of participate and maybe win a prize, and I decided to do it anyway.
Man, am I glad that I have.
Not even a week in and a co-worker/cousin/friend told me, "It's like you're glowing!"
I'm sure she was just saying that because we work together/are related through marriage/and are friends, but the truth is my pores are smaller, my skin is softer, and there really is a difference to my skin.
I have been using some honey from Crete that I bought at the Greek Festival in June, but today I went to Wegman's and found some local organic raw honey (and did I mention it's local).
I believe this is the kind I really should be using, but I have to tell you that the probably over-heated honey from Crete still has worked wonders.
So give it a try - challenge yourself.
And the bonus - when you're rinsing off the honey, if you are like me and tend to leave your mouth open as you rinse, you'll get the sweet taste of honey in your mouth as opposed to the chemical taste from your over-priced beauty aides.
Go natural, follow Crunchy Betty's advice, and let me know how it works out for you!

Yes! No! More Dubstep!

2011-08-10T06:30:00.014-04:00

The deal was that if I drove her somewhere then we got to listen to my music.
She pouted for most of the way.
Who is she?
The last one left at home, the spoiled youngest one, the baby otherwise known as She Who Will Turn My Hair Gray Before Its Time.
The rule has always been that whomever is driving has control over what is playing.
If you don't like it then this is why you have your own headphones and iPod.
It reminds me of a Simpsons episode where Lisa wants to listen to something on the radio, and Homer tells her that when she drives she can listen to what she wants. No, I didn't get my rule from The Simpsons. Anyway, next thing you know there's eight-year old Lisa standing in the seat and driving while Homer rides shotgun.
I'd post the clip, but I can't find it (nor have I looked very hard for it).
You'll just have to believe me that it was funny.
So here I am in the car with Pouty Patty feeling kind of bad (but not really) as a Yes song came on my iPod.
"Hey, listen, your sister loves this song!"
Always a way to encourage her since she idolizes her sister.
No joy.
"All I wanted to do," she said, "was listen to one song."
"What, your friends don't like dubstep?"
"No, they don't."
"Fine," I said, "one song."
Now I admit that I'm fond of dubstep - it has a great beat (and you can dance to it, Dick), but I was driving! My car, my rules, right?
So not in my control.
And I think that's what it is all about - it's not that she hates my music, or that I hate her music, well not all of it because I'm really not liking the direction Britney Spears is going, but that we both want to be in control of what we listen to.
I try to tell her how difficult it was when I was growing up because when we took trips it was usually my mother, my stepfather and me, and he would only listen to WEZO which was an easy listening (think of elevator music) radio station.
Ugh.
She should be so lucky that I even let her listen to one song, right?
Just to give you an idea of what we're talking about, here is a song that is not what she was playing last night, but that has been in constant rotation in the car for the past few outings:

Not a bad tune, right?
She's really been into it lately since the older ones went to a Skrillex concert last month.
I like this music - I really do - and when they mix the music, and add in the dub you don't necessarily feel like you have to dance as with old school house music because the dub is more hypnotic.
Do I even know what I'm talking about?
Who knows.
Okay, are you still with me? This is the song I was getting into (being hypnotized by) when she forced me to change to her song:

Alas, musical choices continue to painfully reflect the huge generation gap in American households.
What are your kids forcing you to listen to?

Wicked Witch Murder - Leslie Meier

2011-08-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Think of the Wicked Witch Murder as Arthur Miller's The Crucible light. Well, it tries to be anyway. Here's yet another mystery where the mystery doesn't matter as much as the social interaction of the main character, Lucy Stone, with other residents of the small Maine village of Tinker's Cove. A witch, or rather a follower of Wicca, has moved into the village and opened a shop. Her activities as well as the newly-discovered burned body of the coven leader have become the proverbial line in the sand as Meier sets out to prove that the archaic and irrational thinking that drove the Salem Witch Trials is alive and well in modern-day New England. The book is divided up into the five classical Wiccan elements, and actually takes place over several months thus making the solving of the original mystery of who killed the witch really not that important. This means that when Lucy is placed in danger once again, I'm really not feeling all that into what happens to her because again - the mystery doesn't matter. Several episodes in the story are never totally fleshed out, but I will admit that Leslie Meier does conjure up a wonderful New England town.

View all my reviews

Books Can Be Deceiving - Jenn McKinlay

2011-08-08T08:54:00.000-04:00

Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever read a book and thought, "Hey, I would say that," or "I would have done that"? For me, Books Can Be Deceiving is just that kind of a book, and it is filled with realistic characters. These are the people you would meet in any small town across America, they just happen to live on the coast of Connecticut. Lindsey Norris is the library director, and is settling into her groove in small town Briar Creek. Her college friend, Beth, who has been working at the library for ten years, has an unfortunate encounter with a corpse who just happens to be the boyfriend she dumped the night before. Lindsey and Beth don't actually seek to solve the mystery, only to clear Beth's name before the small-town police chief can effortlessly pin the blame on her. Typical mystery, but written with a certain intelligence and keen eye. Author Jenn McKinlay hits the nail on the head when describing certain bibliophile lifestyle choices, such as having "comfort books" close at hand (who doesn't have those by their bed). And any book that opens with knitting is a good one (although how Lindsey turned a pair of socks on two circular needles into a hat is beyond me - I'll have to check that out). The denouement is a bit flat, but still a rather enjoyable read, and fully worth four stars.

View all my reviews

Acting Apish

2011-08-05T19:43:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge "Planet of the Apes" fan.
Bet you didn't know that.
Yessiree, I do so love the 1960s/1970s Planet of the Apes films - there's something about tales of a dystopian society that puts our contemporary lifestyle in perspective.
And they serve as such wonderful allegories for the consequences of our societal sins!
My kids think I'm a geek (for this and many other reasons) because I can tell them the names and plots from each of the films in the series.
So I'm really anxious to see the new film, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."
For the record, I never did watch the latest remake from a few years ago.
Why mess with cheesy special effects - it adds to the authenticity.
I'd really like to get out and see this film, and since no one in the house seems to want to go with me, I may just have to go on my own.
Anyone interested?
Here's the trailer in case you've been living in a cave and have missed the previews:

And just in case you want to remember how the first Caesar came into our world, here's the trailer from "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes":

Finding Comfort in Food

2011-08-04T08:02:00.000-04:00

It's difficult to lose weight when the phrase, "Comfort Food" carries so much (no pun intended) weight. Being an emotional eater, and looking to food for relief, or pleasure, is dangerous.
I know that when I am upset there are certain foods that instantly make me feel better. When talking about the pleasure principle, for me, nothing makes me feel better than peanut butter and crackers.
It's gotten to the point where even if I'm not upset, eating some crackers and peanut butter brings back the impression that I was upset, but now am feeling better, and I draw comfort from this.
As with anything, I can't eat too many, but even a quick consumption of a package of Ritz crackers makes me feel fully emotionally replete.
Being driven to consume certain foods based upon a visual stimulus is even worse.
How bad are fast food commercials when you're trying to diet?
Those commercials are the worst because even if you don't like Wendy's (which I don't), there's nothing more tempting than seeing a commercial for a Wendy's double burger (or anything) and then feeling compelled to go get one RIGHT NOW.
Then there is the olfactory stimulation that makes us crave certain foods
For instance, does the smell of freshly popped popcorn instantly take you to the theatre where you want to comfortably settle in for a film?
I cannot go to the theatre and not get popcorn. It's virtually impossible. Yes, I've done it a few times, but it's hard for me to focus on the film without my hands having something to do (knitters get this, I'm sure).
And the smell of popcorn literally drives me crazy.
And then we have the memories that are the most dangerous of all - the situational comfort food.
Does the thought of a snowball fight, or building a snow fort make you crave chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa?
When someone mentions a Sunday dinner, does your mind immediately conjure up fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese?
The worst thing to happen, however, is to eat just because it's there.
I can't tell you how many times while at work, or reading, or watching a movie at home, I've opened a bag of crackers, totally ignored the serving size, and started munching away only to look up a short while later and find that three quarters of the bag is gone!
Potluck dinners, or all you can eat buffets are like mined battlefields.
So much to try, and all these good foods - its impossible not to go back up for just one more round.
Even literature is filled with images of families eating meals, and celebrations filled with ritual feasts.
We probably need look no further back than our religious rituals to see how closely intertwined food is with the rite. Look at our holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter - even the supermarkets know what to stock. Have you ever bought Halloween candy in September, just so you're ready, and then found that you have to buy more because the first batch has been consumed? By you?
The only place where I am safe from consuming food is when I'm drinking beer.
This is hardly a plus, since beer has never been considered a valid diet aid, but I just can't mix my vices, so I don't even eat peanuts (not that they serve them anymore) when I drink.
I believe there was a cartoon character who said, "When I drinks, I drinks, and when I eats, I eats."
Or maybe that's just something I made up in my head when I was drinking (not that I really do a lot of that, so don't worry).
Life with food cravings is tough, and I wish there was some magic pill that would shut off my food stimulation switch.
I do realize, however, that finding comfort in food is all about mental satisfaction, and has nothing to do with a physical need.
I just have to remind myself that food is not there to make me emotionally well.
But dang, it sure does taste good

Thursday, in which I win a free book

2011-07-28T21:42:00.000-04:00

I won a free book from the local bookstore.
How exciting is that!
I just love getting free books, and it doesn't even matter if they're any good or not, I'll take them.
The book I just picked up was My Name is Mary Sutter.

Have you ever heard of it?
I might have, possibly, but does it matter? It was free!
Actually I had originally won The Help, but I have the audiobook, and I've listened to it already, so I went with the unknown book.
And then added it to my stack of other "to be read" books.
The days are just not long enough for all of my leisure activities.

Poor You

2011-07-27T22:10:00.000-04:00

Oh, my poor blog.
If you were a fish, you would have been long dead for lack of attention.
Should we reacquaint ourselves?
Yes, let's.
How about a game of 20 questions to catch each other up to date?
Well since we know that you've been languishing, why don't you ask me the questions, and I'll see what I can come up with as good rationale for ignoring you for so long.
Sound good, blog?
Awesome. Shall I begin?

1) Since January, how have you been filling your time?
Same old, same old. Knitting, reading, working my butt off (figuratively), listening to music, listening to books on tape, and more work.

2) You seem to have been doing a lot of reading. Any particular reason?
Well, blog, I have been tracking my reading through GoodReads, and I entered into the 2011 Reading Challenge. My first goal was to read 175 books throughout the year, but after sucking wind (figuratively again) at the middle of February by trying to read a book every other day, I decided to downgrade my goal to 100 books.

3) One hundred books? That's impressive. How are you doing so far?
Great, actually. Officially I'm listed as having completed 79, but it's really only 77. I gave up on two books, but they ended up on my "read" list. I could fix that, but the next challenge is in remembering that I have to subtract. Keeps me on my toes.

4) Can I be your friend on GoodReads?
Seriously? You are part of me. Don't go all doppelganger on me, blog. Certainly if any readers out there, if I have any left, would like to be friends, they can find me on there somehow. I think via my email - jap9963@yahoo.com. That is if anyone is interested. Not sure what I can offer you.

5) Well what does this site have?
Again, there are a lot of capabilities, and certainly I am not using it to its fullest extent.

6) So then why bother?
I fancy myself with having some kind of ambition to write, if only for my own entertainment, so I do write short reviews of some of the books I've read.

7) Changing the subject here, since all you seem to be doing is reading and then writing on this website, and completely ignoring your blog-
Hey, don't get all snarky, blog, I came back didn't I?
Fair. How's your summer been?
Dreadful. Not completely so, but busy enough to make it seem as if the time is - excuse the expression - pissing itself away. Oh, and I got cellulitis on my leg from a mosquito bite, or razor cut, or something. I never want that again.

8) Is this an indication that you're getting old?
Could be, rabbit. Even still, I may be old, fat, slightly misanthropic, and unfit for human company, but at my high school reunion earlier this month I did score three free beers, and a shot. I'd call that a win.

9) Do you promise to visit me more often? And provide pictures?
I will definitely make more of an effort, but you know how I am about sustaining long-term relationships.... Cheers, blog, and thanks for the forgiveness.

10) See you tomorrow?
Er, well, we'll see. Don't hold your breath.

Every Woman Needs More Than One

2011-01-23T20:45:00.000-05:00

I called DH over to look at this very nice handbag for sale on RueLaLa.
Most years I like to buy my oldest (I almost wrote "oddest" in a very non-Freudian way) daughter a good quality handbag for her birthday or Christmas.
It's a good investment, plus it's always nice to be able to switch bags in order not to wear them out.
You're supposed to do this with shoes, I would assume that the same principle applies to handbags as well.
So I showed this bag to DH, and said, "Wouldn't this be a nice gift for her?"
Seeing as her birthday isn't until November, kudos to me for thinking ahead, right?
He said, "Sheesh (that's a noise), how many bags does she need?"
I gasped and in shock replied, "Huh?"
Really now, she definitely needs more than one, or two, or even three.
Gosh.
What is he thinking?

A New Way to Be Called Old

2011-01-22T14:04:00.000-05:00

I was talking to my oldest daughter the other day, and telling her how much I've been enjoying watching the show Hot in Cleveland.
Another time when you know the internet is such an awesome thing.
All the episodes are available on the TVLand Website.
It really is funny, and one of the best things about it is that all three women (minus Betty White) are brunettes!
Yea for brunettes!
(No offense to the blondes out there, but come on.)

So here's how our conversation went:

Me: This show is so great. It's funny, and refreshing.
Her: Meh. That show annoys me.
Me: What?!? It's a really good show, how can you not like it.
Her: Well it's for your demographic.

Ouch.
Could I be any older?
To her, I guess not.

A bit too ambitious perhaps?

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that my goal this year is to read 175 books.
Wait, I should say "enjoy" 175 books, and that could be true, but at least one of the books I've read this year has been not so enjoyable.
Why is it that the bad ones always take so long to slog through?
Life really is too short to waste on bad books (or mean people), and yet I/we still do.
I think, however, that I've been a bit too ambitious in stocking my "to read" list.
I currently have eight books checked out from the library, one book that just came in through Inter-Library Loan, a new Monica Ferris that I bought before Christmas and still haven't read, and a huge stack of books in my room that are truly gathering dust.
Oh, and the audio books from Audible that are in my library waiting to be listened to/read, such as The House at Riverton, The French Lieutenant's Woman, and Crime and Punishment, to name a few.
And, not to mention all the books on my Kindle!
I think I need either a good blizzard or a very long vacation (with pay!) so that I can just read, read, read.
Now let's not even discuss all of my yarn stash that I need to tackle....

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2011-01-11T19:03:00.000-05:00

I like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
After watching the movies and cartoons more times than I can count with my kids when they were younger, the TMNT gang kind of grows on you.
Last year for Christmas I bought them TMNT snuggies, well all but one (Michelangelo) because Hot Topic sold out of them so quickly that it was amazing.
I actually called all the Hot Topic stores in the area (even in Erie, PA), and my friend Kat said she'd pick it up for me in Virginia Beach if the store had one, but no joy.
Bummer.
Drag.
So now I'll continue to search for the elusive Michelangelo snuggie, and hope that one day I can find it.
In the meantime I can actually say that I am surprised that I am Donatello.
Odd because I really did not do well in high school.
Well I suppose if my school were in a sewer, and my pen a Bo staff, and perhaps if I stretched my imagination a whole lot....then yeah, I can see it.

You Are Donatello

You are definitely the brainy one in your group of friends. Everyone knows you're super smart.
It's likely that you were the top student in your class... as long as school didn't totally bore you.
You are inventive and creative. You'll happily accept the label of "geek."
You may have a lot of brainpower, but you're not a nerdy wimp. You also have a lot of physical power.

Which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Are You?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Which Ninja Turtle are you?

I'm on a roll

2011-01-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

That's right.
A Roll.
I'm on one.
Not to eat, but because my knitting has been moving along quite well.
(Hope I don't jinx myself!)
One pair of socks finished, four other pairs on the needles, and one new pair started.
Still love the Kitchener Stitch.
I don't mind getting to the end of my socks because the Kitchener Stitch does not baffle me.
I actually understand it!
Math - that I don't get - but the Kitchener Stitch - that I get.
Perhaps we were related, Earl Kitchener and I.
Speaking of food, and being a kitchener (see link above)....now we were, weren't we?
Remember?
Way up there!
Rolls - Food - Kitchener - get it?
I got a wonderful cookbook in the mail last week.
I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but Wow - and I mean WOW!
The recipes in here are for some good, down home, simple cooking.
And the front cover pictures my favorite comfort food:

Odd, don't you think, that they called it Simple Comforts especially with a picture of some wonderful tomato soup and grilled cheese on the cover - it's like they knew!
Oh yummy, yummy, yummy.
And the cost is not all that high - I got my copy through Amazon (and no, this is not a shameless or paid plug).
Just sharing the love.

Not new music, but relatively new to me

2011-01-07T14:03:00.000-05:00

Too good not to share:

Lovely.

And just to provide some variety, here's her cover of a Kinks song:

For the record, this song, "Village Green Preservation Society" is the theme song for the British tv show "Clatterford" known in England as "Jam and Jerusalem" which leads me to three questions that remain unanswerable, but I'll ask them anyway:

1) why does the name always have to be changed (or dumbed down) for Americans, i.e., Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone became the Sorcerer's Stone

2) why is British tv so much better than American tv

3) why does American tv always have to remake a British show only to see it fail miserably nine times out of ten (the only success being "The Office")

Do Audiobooks Count?

2011-01-05T21:01:00.000-05:00

The other day I joked and told a co-worker that I was considering making a resolution to make 365 resolutions this year, one for each day.
Somehow, though, that doesn't seem like too bad an idea.
Everyday is supposed to be a fresh start, so why not be able to resolve each day to do something new, or correct something that you failed at the day before.
One of my actual resolutions, or goals, this year is to read more.
Fortunately I got a head start during December, so I'm sure my momentum will carry me through the year.
Through GoodReads I decided to challenge myself to reading 175 books this year.
This shouldn't be too hard, however, if the calibre of books I continue to read are commensurate with what I'm reading now: cozy mysteries.
You know the type of books that are no more than 200 pages each, not quite high literature at all.
I know that the one odd Charles Dickens book, or the Norse literature that is in my "To Read" queue will completely throw me off my goal because those books can often take days to read when they're not languishing in the "Half-Read Book" pile.
This is why I'm front loading the shorter texts in my challenge, so that later on I can actually have a chance to reach my goal.
Kind of cheating (myself) don't you think?
Of course I'm still driven to knit with purpose (and purposefully knit) this year, so this raises a conundrum for a bibliophile/chain reader such as myself.
When I'm knitting and listening to an audiobook (currently The Distant Hours, great book, spectacular prose), does that audiobook count towards my total read?
I say yes, my little Guppy says no.
What say you?

Sometimes I forget that the musician wants me to buy more than just one album

2011-01-04T18:21:00.001-05:00

See how I used the word "album" in the title?
That's how I'll always date myself.
I mix the word CD into my conversation every now and then, but to me a compilation of 10-12 songs will always be an "album".
Anyway, that's not what I'm here to talk about.
And the other thing I won't talk about is knitting because at chez moi none has been getting done.
Perhaps tonight while watching my little Guppy swim I'll knit.
What I am here to talk about is a musician, one who passed away today: Gerry Rafferty

This is probably not the song you're used to hearing by him, but his album "City to City" is one of my choices for a perfect album meaning that every cut on it is perfect. To me at least.
And I will always love this album, and think fondly of this very talented man.
His voice is smooth and soothing, and will always remind of 1978.
As I'm writing this I've listened to "The Ark" three times, and "Baker Street" four times.
Still not sick of it!
Unfortunately, I never explored any of his other music.
I'm sure he would have liked to have been known as an evolving artist, and not as a man who is known only for his album "City to City" or even by the single "Baker Street" from that album.

You probably also remember him as the lead singer of Stealer's Wheel (hit single - "Stuck in the Middle With You"), but I bet he was much more than that.
And now he will be just a memory.
Fortunately many of us have fond memories of Gerry Rafferty.
I actually feel quite emotional, as if part of my childhood is gone, but you know that train left the station a long time ago, so I guess I am just sad.
Well at least we have his music.
Some people don't even leave that much behind.

Retrospective

2011-01-02T19:33:00.000-05:00

Let's talk about paper dolls for a minute.
Remember them?
Some may, and some may not.
I think paper dolls are definitely not as popular now as they were when I was a child.
For one thing I don't think children now have the patience to actually cut, or punch out, all the dolls and clothing.
And for another reason, they usually want something a bit more tangible.
Fortunately my mother has kept all of my paper dolls, and I like to pull them out every once in a while and look at them.
They are so dated, but I love them. One set of paper dolls that I absolutely love is mostly because their clothes epitomize high fashion to me: my Dawn paper dolls.
Do you remember Dawn Dolls?
Here's what one of the paper dolls looked like, and this is the dress that came with the Dawn doll:

Dawn Dolls hit their height of popularity in the early '70s, and then died.
Probably because they weren't as big as Barbie dolls, and by that I mean in size.
(Another reason no one plays with paper dolls anymore is because they're so prone to ripping, as evidenced in the above photo.)
The dolls were much smaller in size than Barbie, but they did try to market them.
In another instance of "It's amazing what you can find on YouTube", here is a video of some Dawn Doll commercials and infomercials:

Watching that video makes me want all those Dawn Dolls!

Should I check out eBay?

You have to remember, I was only 7 years old when they came out, so to say my fashion sense is often stuck in the '70s would be an understatement.

Now one thing I've always said, or at least in recent years, is that if I ever won the lottery I would get an entire wardrobe made from the clothes my Dawn paper dolls have.

I love the look of them that much.

Some of the clothes would work in any era.

Take this snazzy little mini-dress:

I could totally rock this outfit - maxi coat anyone?

And then some of the clothes just don't work....in any era.
Can't you see yourself heading towards your harvest gold refrigerator in this outfit?

And this one might work if you stopped trying to wear draperies for clothing:

And I can't even figure out what to do with this hot mess:

So yeah, if I EVER win the lottery, and you see some hot mama walking down the street wearing new/vintage 1970's-style clothing, well you know it will be me.

Anyone want to come over and play paper dolls?

And here we are on Binary Day

2011-01-01T21:30:00.000-05:00

I write that title like I'm some kind of computer whiz.
I'm not.
My son actually told me that it is Binary Day - you know, 01/01/11 - because I'm not smart enough to realize that.
Unfortunately I didn't finish my goal yesterday of knitting those socks, but I have a great excuse.
Honestly.
I made a batch of 16 Bean Soup, and then canned 8 pint jars.
Plus we took my mother out for dinner, and then I fell asleep in the chair from 9-11:00, and was awakened so I could be alert when the new year came in.
I didn't get much done on my socks today either, as the puppy woke me up at 5:00, and then after cleaning the kitchen I made a batch of Split Pea Soup and canned that as well.
Love, love, love my pressure canner.
So this evening while watching - I hate to admit this - the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (I know! shoot me!), I picked up my first sock and am past the gusset and working on the foot.
Now I'm heading back upstairs to work on it again.
Good night, y'all, and hope you have a wonderful new year!

Happy New Year's Eve, and Socks to You

2010-12-31T06:10:00.000-05:00

Today's goal: knit a pair of socks.
Think I can do it?
I do.
Well I started them last night, but only knit four rows of the first sock, but I think these will work up rather quickly.
Here's the pattern picture, they're called Starboard Socks:

And they are knit on size 10s - yes - 10! - and with two strands of yarn.

If I'm really good I may actually be able to complete two pair - wouldn't that be something.

I've decided to do them all in the two colors - pink and white, and without the different color top.

Who cares, they'll be inside some boots.

I see these socks as a great way to begin knitting up some of this extra worsted weight yarn I have around the house, and the best part is that the pattern is free from LionBrand (all their patterns are free, but it's still a good thing to get excited about).

Hopefully they'll get done before it's too late in the day.

Stay tuned, and have a happy new year!

Now I'm off to begin watching my Twilight Zone marathon - my traditional way to spend New Year's Eve along with some knitting needles, and a good book.

Why yes I can multi-task thank you.

See you next year!!

Is it too early to think about New Year's resolutions?

2010-12-02T05:39:00.000-05:00

I've been considering what kind of New Year's resolutions I can make this year.
With the New Year a short 30 days away (if I did my math right) it's really not too soon for me to consider how I can improve my life in 2011.
Some of the ideas that have been bouncing around inside my brain housing group are:

1. Co-writing a story/book with someone comes to mind.
Such as - you write a chapter, then I write a chapter, etc.
Just for fun, mind you.
Any takers?

2. Also I've been thinking that it would be great to do nothing but knit up all the sock yarn I have - make it the New Year of Socks, or something along those lines.
But I'm not sure how that would be for me - I have such knitting ADD that I don't even know if I could last two weeks knitting only socks.
It's a great thought though, don't you think?

3. Decluttering always has a place on the list, but that's something that will never be accomplished to the degree that it should be.

4. Maybe even give up one food I love for an entire month to see how I do - just kind of a test for myself.

5. Organizing my pantry comes to mind too, but that's hardly a New Year's resolution, more of a "to do" list item.

6. The last thing I've been pondering is how to focus on improving my "professional" life.
I took a seminar this summer that was underwhelming (glad the State paid and not me), but I did take away two things from there.
First, that in whatever you do you should always remember - Q-TIP.
Quit Taking It Personally.
See, now you can't shake that one either, can you.
Second, that you should focus 3 hours a month on professional development.
I never do that.
Ever.
But there are some certifications I'd like to get, and they would require me to take a HUGE test, so I would need to study.
Can I find time for focused study?
Only time (or the New Year) will tell.

Has anyone else been considering their New Year's resolutions?

Love me some Lake Wobegon

2010-11-30T18:00:00.000-05:00

I do.
I admit it.
I love Prairie Home Companion (even though, honestly, I have such a hard time remembering how to spell the word "prairie".)
I love the homespun charm of Garrison Keillor's show along with the tales of the folks in Lake Wobegon.
What a great place to live.
So you can imagine my glee when SN1 showed me this new book - The Zombies of Lake Woebegotten:

I sure hope someone gets this for me for Christmas.
Hint.
Hint.

Sleep Deprived

2010-11-28T21:05:00.000-05:00

For a weekend that was supposed to be spent catching up on sleep and relaxing, I'm feeling very tired.
I could really use another day off.
I'm that sleepy.
And this following a two hour nap this afternoon.
Here's why I've been waking up in the middle of the night...

...several times a night.
Her name is Delilah Belle.
She's cute as a button, and she's a rescue dog out of Tennessee. Her mother was a pug mix, but no one knows about the father, although my money is on him being a chocolate Lab.
One thing is for certain...she had better stay away from my yarn and needles, and my shoes.
Other than that she's a keeper.
Now if we could just get her to sleep through the night.

Thanksgiving Time is Here

2010-11-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

Go ahead and read the title words, but now do it again to the tune of "Christmas time is here" and you'll get a sense of my mood.
I'm not a huge Thanksgiving fan although it is a good time of the year, low-stress, two birthdays to celebrate, leading in to Christmas, but it's really always been about the wonderful three day work week.
And who doesn't like short work weeks.
Rhetorical.
Don't answer.
Knowing that I have from 5:00 Wednesday, November 24th through 7:00 November 29th to perform all things sedentary my big question is: What should I focus on knitting?
Here's my current WIP list:

(1) A prayer shawl (that is really done, but those size 13 needles are great for knitting at the movies)
(2) Socks #1 - finish and start second sock
(3) Socks #2 - finish and start second sock
(4) Some random boring scarf for DH

So, should I do one of the above, or:

(5) Start some new totally random project that I have in my Ravelry queue, such as the Whitewater Wrist Warmers or the Traveling Woman Shawl.
Okay, to let you in on a secret I'm actually stacking the deck because I have some Debbie Bliss silk that I bought to make the wristwarmers, but really shouldn't that yarn be used for something more significant?
I'm just saying.

Here's what it looks like in case you've forgotten:

Let me know what you think.
I'm waiting with baited breath.

I'm Back....

2010-11-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's been a long time.
Too long, but like a bad rash you can never get rid of me.
So much going on in life, yet it feels as if there is nothing going on.
Have you ever felt like that?
As if you've been just existing?
It's a sad place to be, yet here I sit.
If I can draw myself out of the doldrums I might actually have a thing or two to say.
Regardless, I am still here - Are you?

I write like....

2010-07-20T20:57:00.000-04:00

Now if only I had her money....

I write like
J. K. Rowling

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Bring back the 70s

2010-05-03T13:48:00.001-04:00

I firmly believe that the music and movies of your formative years stays with you forever.
For example, I was a pre-teen and teenager in the 1970s, so the music and movies from that era are what I listen to, and watch, most often.
It's a time of possibilities, and the music forms a soundtrack to your life.
I love music from the 80s - absolutely - but it is the 70s that makes me who I am.
Of course now that I'm getting older (egads, I'll be 50 in 3 1/2 years!), I listen to everything.
But no matter how old I get, I'll never stop loving Walt Disney movies from the 70s.
You know the cornball comedies I'm talking about - mostly starring Kurt Russell or Dean Jones - the ones that the Disney Channel used to show on Vault Disney back before they modernized their lineup.
So you can imagine my excitement to find this for $7.50 at the Devil's Store yesterday:

The Barefoot Executive!
I've seen it tons of times, but you know this is entertainment you can count on.
It will always end up happily ever after.
Sometimes you need that in life.

Reveling in spring, but dreaming of winter

2010-05-02T07:05:00.000-04:00

I finally went back to the public library yesterday.
Believe it or not, I haven't been there in three years.
The shameful truth?
I had a ridiculously high fee that needed to be paid, and really, when I have that kind of money in hand I buy yarn (or chocolate), I don't pay my library fines.
Shame on me, I know, but I had an alternate library to use, so I wasn't really missing anything.
SN2 told me yesterday, however, that he needed to watch a certain movie for one of his classes, and the college library didn't have it, Netflix didn't have it, and I didn't feel like calling Family Video.
Well that's not completely true. I did call them but they weren't open yet, so I checked on the public library site.
They had it!
I was ready to "man up" and pay my fine, so I took some money and drove down there.
I should have walked but I was not looking my finest yesterday (not that I ever am).
Let's just say that I was fitting in quite well with some of the trashy element in town.
And I drove DN1's beater car with the broke muffler.
Lovely.
I did check out some good books, and I started reading one of them yesterday.
It's Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke.
The book is set in Minnesota in February.
Not that I'm complaining about spring at all - yesterday DH and I got out and did some much-needed weeding, and I kept waiting for the storm that never materialized which meant it was kind of muggy outside.
We definitely need the warm weather, as well as the rain, but sometimes I miss winter.
The coziness I guess I miss.
Last night I couldn't sleep. I ended up getting up at 3:30 and came downstairs, played on the computer (of course), and then curled up in the chair to read.
I feel asleep reading about Hannah Swensen (from the book) driving around Minnesota in the middle of winter, and of course I proceeded to dream about just that.
I was there - in the dusk that comes at 4:00 in the afternoon, seeing the sky dark with snow, but thankfully not experiencing the mind-numbing cold that accompanies a winter day.
And then I awoke and realized - it's not winter, it's spring!

I hung beautiful flowers out on the porch (even though the lady at the greenhouse told me, "It's too early to hang those out, you know."), and I'm looking forward to using my new tiller to tear up some ground, fertilize and then plant some more bulbs and perennials.
Petunias, pansies, buds on rhododendrons, and the promise of the heavenly scent of peonies is what makes spring so wonderful.
Balls to winter - it will be here soon enough.
I'll keep it in my dreams.

Take the Covers Off

2010-04-06T06:25:00.000-04:00

DN1 and SN1 introduced us to the band Pomplamoose, and DN2 and I spent quite a while on YouTube watching their videos on Friday.
Of course then I had to buy their music.
These two are great, and so talented that it is amazing.
They are great producers, their videos are amazing, but most importantly they put such a great spin on the songs they cover I just can't get the music out of my head and I've been listening to it incessantly over the past four days.
Plus they look like they're having a blast.
Here is a great cover of Earth, Wind and Fire's "September".
Check it out, and then check them out.
Well worth the money spent on iTunes.

Weather Pessimist

2010-04-02T06:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day. The temperature was in the 60's, the sun was warm and fell on the white legs and arms of people walking around in summer clothing.
Beer pong tables were out in force, with students holding up signs that read, "Honk and we'll drink!"
Just another lovely day in a small Western NY college town.
When I left work there was a girl sitting outside on a stairwell soaking up the sun. As she adjusted her low-cut tank dress, I said to her, "Great day to get some sun."
She replied, "I know! I have to get it while I can."
"Right, before the snow falls again," I joked.
"Yea, we're due."
"Overdue!" I had to add.
You see, we're all weather pessimists here.
We know that a sunny day in spring isn't the advent of months of sunny days, it's just a random sunny day that could be followed by a day with temps in the 40s, or even a day when the snow falls yet again.
We are seriously overdue for a spring snowfall, and it hasn't happened yet.
For the weather pessimists, it's not if it happens, but when.

Pretty

2010-03-26T05:12:00.000-04:00

So pretty and soft....

Kinder Eggs

2010-03-24T18:23:00.000-04:00

Straight from Canada.
Do we get them for the chocolate, or for the toy inside?

New Knitting Toy

2010-03-23T21:07:00.001-04:00

As if I don't have enough to keep me busy, I had to buy a new toy.
It was a great deal, and I thought, why not.
Really. Why not.
Don't try to talk me out of it because it came in the mail today.
I don't quite know when exactly I'll get around to using it.
You see, it has a lot of directions.
I'm not good with directions.
When I read them my mind wanders off, and I just can't concentrate.
Most things in life need directions.
Heck, knitting needs directions!
I guess I am a visual learner, and I can do much better when someone is showing me than through reading how to do it.
Now that doesn't mean I'm naturally intuitive. To the contrary, I couldn't wire an electrical circuit to save my life (directions or no directions), but after trying and failing, and trying and failing, I'll eventually catch on.
About 10 years later.
That's what I hate about those people who learn to knit one year and then the next year their patterns are published in Knitty.
And they brag!
Arrrgh.
I hate that.
That will never be me.
But I persist - I am nothing if not tenacious (a tenacious B to be honest).
So here it is, something new to boggle my poor little brain:

I couldn't beat the price.
HSN is selling the 10" knitting board kit for $20 or something like that, and it includes 2 instructional DVDs, and a pattern.
And the hook.
And those two long screws which I'm not sure what they're for, but someone in the house will figure it out.
For now, however, I'll put it aside and continue working on my sock which I did while we watched The Blind Side.
Has anyone seen that movie?
It was good, Sandra Bullock was good, don't know if she was Academy Award good, but that little kid who played SJ, now he deserved an Oscar.
And now back to more sock knitting.

Is it too late to knit socks for winter?

2010-03-22T18:25:00.004-04:00

Or maybe it's too early?
The weather was agreeable this weekend, but Sunday while sunny was still very cool.
I finished a sock on Saturday morning.
Check it out, it's quite cute:

Yarn is Schoeller and Stahl Sockina Cotton Summer Dream in Forest.
I really like the colors, that's what drew me to the yarn, but knitting socks on size 2's doesn't move very quickly.
I don't want to say that I became afflicted with SSS, but I did consider other socks to knit instead of starting the second one.
How did I beat SSS?
I cast on for the second sock, but then I cast on for a different pair as well.
This time the satisfaction is a bit more immediate.
Of course it would help if I didn't have such huge feet.
That makes knitting socks take a really long time.
And seriously, look at the difference between an 8 and a 3 (or is it a 2?):

I should be knitting socks for the baby across the street, she has tiny feet for an 18 month old.
Oh well, I'll stick with these new socks on size 8's, Lion Wool in rose:

DH said that he thinks they'll be itchy.
I can't say I disagree, but I think they'll be great in winter (or those cold fall/spring days) with a pair of boots.
A small consolation would be to wear a pair of white socks underneath.
Either way, I don't think I'll get much wear out of this pair right away.
They'll be ready for fall 2010.
So no, I don't think it's too early to knit socks for next winter.
After all, in New York State we only have two seasons: winter and construction, and I think winter is just about over, don't you?

It was even verboten for Miss Marple

2010-03-16T12:33:00.004-04:00

For my knitting friends who agree that one should not knit during jury duty, here is a clip for you.
Watch for Miss Marple being taken to task by a judge at around the 30 second mark:

If you watch the entire film just before this particular clip you'd hear the judge say that he can't concentrate while she's knitting, and she tells him, well I can only concentrate when I'm knitting.

Tell me please, exactly when is it inappropriate to knit in public?

2010-03-15T21:03:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow at work I'm going to watch a documentary by one of the professors.
It's not a happy film.
Really nothing about lynching is a happy topic.
But you know, sitting in a classroom-cum-theatre*, and watching something - even as unpalatable a topic as lynching - gets my hands fidgety.
I'd like to bring my knitting.
After all, one of my WIPs is a prayer shawl.
Do you think people would find it inappropriate?
I mean, it's not like we'll be munching on popcorn during the film.

*I almost hesitate to use this phrase, but I really mean the Latin word "cum" as in with.
Maybe I should change it - it does look a bit strange, and I know how perverse people can be.
Or maybe you're still trying to figure out if I should knit in public or not.
I'll leave you alone.
Go ahead - ruminate.

My glasses are rose colored, thank you very much

2010-03-11T14:51:00.002-05:00

This is how I will remember Corey Haim.

Good Thing There's Summer Camp

2010-03-09T20:37:00.005-05:00

The Parent Trap, the version with Hayley Mills, is one of my favorite movies.
It was on TCM tonight, so I watched it.
I've seen it dozens of times, literally.
I actually own a copy of the DVD, so to watch it on TV almost seems like a waste of time.
Almost.
Every time I see this movie, however, it never ceases to amaze me that parents would split up their daughters - twins no less - and then never tell them about each other.
How screwed up is that?

I'm Hoping for More Snow

2010-03-08T18:58:00.004-05:00

Who wants more snow?
I do.
Totally.
You can keep this sunshine, forget about Daylight Savings Time ending, and tell the crocuses to go back to sleep - bring me a blizzard.
This year the East Coast has seen record levels of snow, and the federal government was shut down for about 80 days, or so it seemed, but not here in my neck of the woods.
Big snow like they got in Virginia and other places which are technically the South is enough for people to complain and Panic!, but up here work/school/shopping goes on.
We're of much heartier stock (plus our higher taxes pay for guys to plow the roads 24 hours a day, and when they're done they plow the sidewalks).
I was shocked today when I realized that Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday.
Does anyone else hate losing that hour as much as me?
And the extra light is great, but this year I really want another good snowstorm.
Just one more.
I'd even settle for temps in the 20s.
Want to know why?
Because these came in the mail today from Caroline:

When I opened the package all I could say was, "Wow."
And then I said it again.
One more time.
I'm still in awe.
What a wonderful gift, and you know me, the ADD knitter who especially has a problem with thumbs on mittens, I would never ever begin to knit these beautiful mittens.
And colors?
Couldn't do it.
But Caroline can.
The mittens are called Ice Wine, and sometime I'll have to tell you why that is significant between the two of us, but that's a story for another blog post.
Tonight, however, I'll be wearing my pajamas inside out, flushing ice down the toilet, and sleeping with a spoon under my pillow.
Snow day - bring it on.
I have new mittens to wear.

I really should have called in sick

2010-03-04T19:36:00.003-05:00

March 2nd should have been a sick day.
I never call in sick.
Sounds like hyperbole, but it's true.
I was raised to believe that if you're sick you go to work; if you're too sick to go to work, you go anyway and prove that you can't continue.
Silly, I know, but who wants to be a sick bay commando?
But on March 2nd I was tempted to call in and stay home because I had bought a new book.
Stop the presses - breaking news, right, I know.
But this wasn't just any book - this was Rachael Herron's just-published book, How to Knit a Love Song.
Anyone who reads Rachael's blog, Yarn-A-Go-Go knows what this means - another blogger has struck gold.
She is now officially a published author.
Draft a new CV please.
On March 2nd, however, I was interested to see how well she did, and I certainly wasn't disappointed.
The book engaged me from the start; the writing is fresh and natural, and the characters are real.
Some knitting books are so focused on showing how cool they are that they conspicuously drop the names of knitting celebs and their blogs into the narrative, but Rachael doesn't have that problem.
Abigail, the protagonist, is likeable without being overly cloying, and Cade, well, if he comes to life please give him my number.
Not only is her writing refreshing, but even though she could name drop, Rachael really doesn't do that. She pays subtle homage to important knitting figures, but really just writes a damn good story.
Do you get now why I wanted to stay home and read?
I ordered the book for my Kindle (why yes, I have a Kindle) at 5:00 in the morning and started reading.
I read up until I had to get ready for work, and then I read a chapter while sitting in my car just before going into work.
I was hooked.
And when I finished I almost sent Rachael an email and DEMANDED a sequel.
I highly recommend this book, and it is worth a second read, especially to get the advice from EC headlining the intro to each chapter.
Who is EC?
I'm not going to give anything away.
Read the book yourself and find out.
Many congrats to Rachael!

Winter Solstice Swap

2009-12-02T19:32:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been so quiet lately for those of you actively paying attention.
I'm still sucked in the amazing world of Facebook, although I did leave that site long enough to wander over to Ravelry and join in on the Winter Solstice Swap.
I like doing swaps, but I don't think I could do them every month, although I certainly do love receiving the packages.
They can be expensive though, so this is why I try to be selective about which ones I join.
When I saw this swap I knew it was the one for me to break my swapping dryspell, and I am so glad I did.
My swap partner is Gina aka Brownie Knits.
Of course talk about nerve-wracking - this woman works in a yarn shop part time and designs her own patterns!
How to be creative without being derivative - it's a challenge, but I'm putting her package together and trying to make it just as special as she is.
So look at what I got in the mail:

Isn't that Lantern Moon bowl gorgeous?
And all that blue - from the yarn, to the goodies - and what I didn't show you is the pattern she sent me via Ravelry for her Kitchen Sink blanket (the yarn is for this pattern - and you can find the pattern on Ravelry and more pictures on her blog).
The idea for the swap was to send something that will keep the recipient warm, and I can just imagine sitting in my living room watching tv (of course), and knitting on this blanket.

Blue is such a soothing color, don't you think?
And because Gina knows what many good knitters need to get through the hour (day, week, year) is chocolate, so look at what was stashed at the bottom of the basket:

Yummy.
All of it is just so yummy.
Thank you, Gina!

Book Marketing

2009-11-03T05:24:00.002-05:00

I'm sure you've seen this before, but it never ceases to amaze me.
I love how the publishing world is using videos to market books, specifically creating a trailer for the book.
Here's one I found this morning for Caroline Rance's Kill Grief:

I have to admit that reading about this particular book has created more of a desire to read it, because the trailer is not really doing it for me, but the fact that they are making videos to market a book is amazing.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
I guess it's worked for movies all these years, but does it symbolize that we're having to lure people back to reading books?

And now it's harvest time

2009-11-02T05:32:00.004-05:00

Wait, the harvest is over, most of it is in.
The only thing we're waiting on is the picking of the last of the apples, and maybe clearing those pumpkin fields.
Fortunately I got my own harvest done, and I finished this hat in the nick of time.
On the morning of October 31, if you can believe that.
We were getting ready to leave for Jamestown to watch SN2's soccer game, and I really wanted to gift this hat before we left.
You should have seen me frantically searching for a yarn needle so I could stitch the leaf on, and weave in the ends.
I found one and got it done.
What a mess.
The result, though, is worth it.
Here's my version of the pumpkin hat from Susan B. Anderson's Itty-Bitty Hats:

I used the yarn called for in the pattern which is Rowan Cashsoft DK RYC in Clementine.

Interesting Fact

2009-10-26T07:03:00.008-04:00

I've discovered an interesting fact about myself in the past few weeks, and I've been chewing over it for a while.
What I've found is that I really enjoy the dark, yet sometimes funny, Germanic and Scandinavian films over the absurd, yet bright, films of the south, such as the ones done by Fellini.
You may not find this to be a revelation, but I am surprised.
Any ideas why?
Are there any foreign films that just don't leave you once you've finished watching them?
Is there anyone in particular that you like?
While you speculate and navel gaze, here's a preview from a film I watched (again) yesterday:

Perhaps there is absurdity in the dark too.

Misplaced Mojo

2009-09-28T15:56:00.003-04:00

Why is it that I get my knitting mojo back at the same time I'm supposed to be focusing on reading books and writing papers?
I've been waiting all year (literally) for this independent study course.
For the five books I've read so far, do you know how many papers I've written?
None!
NONE!
It's obscene!
They are only 1-2 pages long, but I can't put down my knitting long enough to write.
What is wrong with this picture?
In the past month, however (no pictures, sorry), I have knit the following: a pair of hand warmers, finished a 7 foot scarf that has been in progress since February, one hand warmer, and a shawl. Yesterday I picked up the Who? Hat that I started back in January which has the 2" of K2 P2 ribbing already finished and I've knit so much on it yesterday that I am getting ready to start the decrease rounds.
Knitting mojo, where have you been all year, and why do you choose now to show up again?!?!
Begone (for a while), I have work to do.

Cutie Patootie

2009-09-23T12:21:00.001-04:00

Here's SN2 in his college soccer picture:

What a cutie.

Living in a Yarn House

2009-09-20T20:46:00.003-04:00

Do you ever stop and look around your house, and wonder, "Why do I have SO MUCH yarn?"

It's not the fiber you eat

2009-09-19T20:19:00.007-04:00

Today was day one of the Finger Lakes Fiber Fest.
DH and DN2 came along with me, and the only thing I would wish for beside more money to spend is that we could have had more time.
We only had about 3 hours there because SN2 had a soccer game at 2:00.
You know as well as I do that 3 hours is just not enough time, but the little time we had was well spent.
I need to take other pictures of my goodies, but here are a couple of pics from the day.
DN2 wants to learn how to use a drop spindle, so of course we bought her one.

Some habits you have to encourage (usually by throwing money at them).
The man who sold it to us insisted she have a quick lesson, so DH watched and learned as well.
We may get him into yarn eventually.
Later DH tried to pet an alpaca (that is an alpaca, right?), but it got camera shy because another lady was pointing her camera right in its face, so it turned its back on both of them:

DN2 was fascinated by the silkworms. They're so soft! she cried.
Well yeah, they feel kind of, oh, I don't know, silky.
I didn't want to scare them with a flash the way the alpaca was not loving it, so I was trying to be as surreptitious as possible:

When we got to the game the father of one of the kids asked DH how he liked the fiber fest.
DH redirected the question to me.
So I said that it was really good.
He asked, what do they sell there?
Funny thing, I didn't realize he thought it was the fiber you eat, so when I started talking about yarn the lights went on.
Too funny.
The game was a nail biter - two overtimes and the score ended in a 2-2 tie.
Heartbreaking.
Here's SN2 at the game:

When we finally got home this evening I had to wind one of the skeins I bought.
My yarn swift is currently MIA so I used DH instead:

How sweet.
Now it's wound and I need to start knitting.
And of course I'm being stalked.

They love the smell of the animals.

Julia

2009-09-18T06:43:00.003-04:00

DN2 and I went to see the movie Julie and Julia this week.
I read the book a few weeks ago, and I wanted to see Meryl Streep portray Julia Child.
Growing up Julia Child was a fixture on our tv, not that my mother ever cooked her dishes. No, she just loved her style.
There may be some of her cookbooks, I'll have to check.
My mother laughed along at the original viewing of Dan Ackroyd's SNL sketch of Julia Child, seeing the humor, but knowing it was done not out of maliciousness, but because Julia was unique.
We've even been to see her kitchen at the Smithsonian.
In the movie the focus was definitely on Mrs. Child over Mrs. Powell, and I think that was a more interesting story.
Buoyed by our common interest in Julia Child, DN2 and I searched eBay and Amazon for Julia Child DVDs and books.
Wow!
Have you checked out the prices lately?
Apparently everyone else is interested in a Julia Child revival as well!
There's even a reissue of Mastering the Art of French Cooking that is a movie tie-in!
Marketing.
Wow.
Anyway I think we'll try the infamous Boeuf Bourguignon recipe first before we drop too much money.
It's free on the Knopf Doubleday website.
Check it out.
And let me know what you thought of the movie.
Do you revere Julia Child?
Did you like the book or the movie better?

The End of Peter, Paul and Mary

2009-09-17T07:19:00.006-04:00

Mary Travers from Peter, Paul and Mary has died of complications from treatment following a bone-marrow transplant. She had been battling leukemia.

Peter, Paul and Mary sang many of the songs I heard growing up, my favorite album being, of course, Peter, Paul & Mommy.
I bought the CD as an adult and would often play it in the car, even when there were no kids around.
Instead of leaving you with a stirring rendition of "Puff the Magic Dragon," however, I'll post instead one of my all-time favorite PP&M songs:

...and the music lives on

(Why is John Denver there, you ask?
Of course you know he wrote this song.)

Help and Advice

2009-08-28T13:53:00.003-04:00

I need your advice.
And then I might possibly need your help too, but advice first.
I've talked before about how I have a group that knits for charity.
It is a good group of people, but involvement is sporadic.
Plenty of reasons why, but you know if people willingly want to give of their time, great; I won't demand it.
We've been knitting hats, mittens, and scarves to give to the local school districts for kids in need, most of whom live in an area that is rural with little industry (beyond Wal-Mart, and that's more a company store and a rant for a different time).
There is also a local coat drive that takes place in the area where they collect used (or new) coats and pass them out to those in need.
I said to my friend, Flower, the other day, "Wouldn't it be great if we could have a hat to pass out with each of the coats?"
Ding!
Great idea, right?
I think so, but I'm at a loss as to how to make this bigger than what I have now.
On top of this I read in our church bulletin that there are 30 homeless families in our small town.
These numbers may not seem so terrible if you compare them to the national average, but we have a town of approximately 8,000 where the median family income is $50K.
Could you run your family on that much a year?
And might I remind you that we live in the great white north where the Farmer's Almanac is calling for snow in October.
Brrrr.
So I want to expand my hat, scarf, and mitten contributions, but specifically hats.
Any ideas on who I should approach in the town?
Should I contact the coat drive coordinator, the school social workers, or my pastor?
I've even considered contacting the group that runs the learn to knit program at the local women's prison to see if some of the prisoners might be interested in helping out.
Do you think I should get in touch with the Rochester knitting guild for contributions? They put out a call to the area for these same items and got over 2,000 pieces donated; however, all of those articles are going to the kids in the Rochester City School District.
The urban poor get more attention than the rural poor, that's for sure.
Please let me know how you think I can make this into a bigger project.
I'm not doing this for attention, but because I can't imagine sending a kid out into the winter weather if they are not properly clothed.
There's got to be a way we can help.
Thank you!

Knit Picking

2009-08-18T13:27:00.005-04:00

Have you seen the latest KnitPicks catalog?
They are now carrying DK weight tweed yarn!
I'm so excited!
Want to know why?
Because I have this great book, Scottish Highland Knits, that has some great projects in it.

There are things that I can knit. I say "can" because remember I'm not that good of a knitter.
I'm much more trial and major error, then trial and error = success.
What can I say, it's an expensive hobby that I will be working at the rest of my life.
Anyway, all the patterns in the book use Rowan Tweed, some of which I believe is discontinued.
I don't know about you, but I can't afford to knit a blanket that takes 17 skeins (or balls!) of Rowan Tweed.
While I love the patterns, I just haven't taken the time to look for other yarns to use in place of the Rowan, but now KnitPicks has taken care of that for me.
Part of it anyway.
Their tweed yarn is in DK, heavy worsted, and fingering weight.
Now they just need to make some chunky tweed, and we'll be all set.
Oh, and what motivates me even more to want to knit from this books is because I've been watching Monarch of the Glen on Netflix.
Great show!
And it makes me want to go live in the Scottish Highlands.
Oh, and speaking of Netflix, does anyone use the instant watch option on an X-Box?
Does anyone here even use an X-Box?
Well it's not just for games, but you do know that you can play online with friends, right?
With Netflix on the X-Box you can also watch movies with your friends too, but they don't have to be in the same room. You can schedule a date night, or a dinner and a movie with someone, and watch it from your respective living rooms.
Perfect dating practices for agoraphobes!
Life is good!

Lion Brand's Big News

2009-08-14T10:48:00.003-04:00

Have you heard the news from Lion Brand?
All of their patterns are now free.
The only ones that cost money are from certain designers.
Here's the quote from Facebook:

Enjoy some inspiration! All Lion Brand patterns are now free! Please note that we do still have a few paid patterns from outside designers.

Pretty cool, don't you think?
They do have a lot of nice patterns that can be modified for different yarns.
You still have to register on their website, but that's not a big deal.
I'm sure you're like me and have registered on 100 different websites just to look at one pattern, and I love free patterns.
Well I just love things that are free.

Friday Kittens

2009-07-31T14:24:00.001-04:00

Being a cat person I enjoy looking at pictures of cats and kittens, so when SN2 showed me this video this afternoon, I had to share.
You may have seen this before, but it's worth a repeat viewing:

Happy Friday!

Adventures in Canning

2009-07-30T05:33:00.007-04:00

Last night I took care of something that I simply had to do because I couldn't let fresh carrots go to waste.
So I cut up those carrots, cut up some pears, and then I added pineapple, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Can't you just smell the cloves?

Delicious.
After it boiled for 20 minutes I added powdered pectin and sugar:

A lot of sugar.
Can you guess what it is?
You've had plenty of hints.
Give up?
Okay, I'll show you.
This is the final product:

It's Carrot Cake Jam!
Well, and Carrot Cake Conserve too.
Do you know what a conserve is?
It's a jam with nuts in it, that's the only difference.
Pretty simple, eh?
I'm excited to try this, but I'm also dreading finding room for it.
One of the reasons I haven't been blogging much this summer is because I've found a new summer obsession: canning.
Here's a list of all I've created so far this summer:

Danish Cherry Sauce - Cherries in sugar syrup with cinnamon and almond extract
Spirited Apricots - sliced apricots in sugar syrup with rum
Raspberry jam
Old-Fashioned Strawberry jam - no pectin, just sugar and fruit (took Hours to do but it is the best, by far)
Summer Solstice Preserves - blueberries and cherries
Victorian Barbecue Sauce - rhubarb, raisins, brown sugar-based sauce
Black Forest Preserves - cherries, sugar, and chocolate
Blueberry Pie Filling
Crushed Tomatoes
Strawberry Freezer Jam
Raspberry Blackberry Freezer Jam
Carrot Cake Jam - carrots, pears, pineapple, spices
Carrot Cake Conserve - same as above but with walnuts

You know this has meant hours of labor in the kitchen, but I think the end product is worth it.
Well here, I'll show you:

For some people this might not be a lot, but you have to realize that I have never canned before, so this whole process is totally new to me.
My mother gave me all her canning supplies, as well as her jars, so that has helped, but it's all been one big food experiment, and I love it!
(I don't know how it all tastes, but we live in hope that come December when we open a jar the taste will remind us of the rainy summer day on which it was made when all the ingredients were fresh from the market. And yeah, rainy, because that's ALL it's done this summer.)
The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving has been my guide throughout this process.
Indispensable.
And just think, it's only July - apples haven't even been harvested yet!

Dinner

2009-07-27T06:41:00.004-04:00

Last night we had a wonderful dinner.
DN1 made pesto:

It was so good, the basil taste was so fresh it was unbelievable!
Of course it was fresh, because she sat there and picked off 2 cups of basil leaves from the plant, and then ground it up in the blender with pine nuts.
I love basil, it is definitely my favorite spice, so of course I had to add a bunch (or rather more than the recipe called for) to the bolognese sauce I made:

We served both sauces (separately, of course) with the ravioli we buy from the Public Market.
This ravioli is so delicious, and so filling, that I can only eat three, okay four, before I'm as full as a tick.
Wonderful stuff, and they fill it with great ingredients. DN1 had feta and spinach last night, I had 3 cheese, and then meat, and we've also tried gorgonzola and some other flavors.
The stuff isn't cheap, but it's the best I've had.
I'll let you know when we're cooking again so you can come on over.

Why Reading Nancy Drew is like knitting a dishcloth

2009-07-24T16:45:00.003-04:00

Did anyone else grow up reading Nancy Drew?
I did.
I remember taking my birthday money to the local bookstore and buying copies of Nancy Drew books.
Believe it or not I still have them, and every once in a while I'll take one out and read it.
Could you stop reading when the chapter ended, or did you have to read on to the next page to see what came next?
Those chapter endings were so suspenseful to me as a child that I couldn't put the book down at the end of the chapter; I would have to read on to see what was going to happen.
I still do that to this day.
I read a lot, and by a lot, I mean usually constantly, with several books going at once (and some actually being finished!).
So in that, knitting is a lot like reading.
Sometimes it's hard to focus on just one project, and sometimes a project is just so overwhelming and difficult that I have to put it down and return to a simpler time.
Think dishcloths.
My first knit (thanks Major Knitter!).
Every once in a while the books I read become too overwhelming for me, so I do return to easier reads, and that's where Nancy Drew comes in - she is my dishcloth.
With her I can relax and refocus.
That girl has everything going for her.
I know that there are many of you who were Hardy Boys readers, but not for me, I was a tomboy who read all girl books.
Really I don't leave these books behind even as an adult, and I've just discovered a new series written in 1972 about a girl named Kim Aldrich who solves mysteries.
I only have two of the four books in the series, and I picked these up at an antique store, so now you know I must get the other two, come hell or high water.
And what prompted me to write this blog post was not only that I'm trying to get more information about this new to me series, but I discovered that there is an annual Nancy Drew Convention.
Who knew?!?
I didn't, but it sure looks like fun, don't you think?
Perhaps next year, I can meet up with some of my other Nancy Drew/knitting friends.
How about it?

We've Been Waiting for this Day

2009-06-29T06:03:00.007-04:00

What can I say.
Three down, one to go for starters.
Only DN2 remains, and she won't graduate for another 7 years!
Sure our seats were kind of far away, but at this stage of the game, what did it matter. He was down there with his classmates.

We were just glad to be there.
And I think he looks pretty happy too now that it's done.
Both here with my mother:

And with the whole family:

The funny thing is I sent DH out to the lobby to find SN2 so he could take pictures while I helped my mother get to the lobby.
Once we found them I asked DH where SN2 was; DH said that he had already gone to turn in his gown and get his diploma.
I asked about pictures, and he said they hadn't taken any.
What?!?
We had NO pictures of him in his cap and gown.
None.
But you know, I let it go, because SN2 was actually done and had graduated.
We hoped.
He still had to see if his diploma was in the envelope, or if there was a dreaded note that told him to call the school counselor because he had not met all the requirements to graduate.
Our greatest fear.
When he came out with his diploma cover I had to ask; he looked at me and said, "It's in there."
Woo hoo.
Then he did something really sweet. He went to his friend Jay and asked if he could borrow his cap and gown so we could get some pictures.
And even better, Jay's family waited patiently while we took our pictures.
That was nice.
(Jay was actually one of SN2's first friends when we moved up here, and it's nice to see they're still friends, don't you think?)
So actually this is not the cap and gown in which SN2 graduated, but again, at this stage in the game, who cares.
He's done!
Now isn't this the walk of a young man feeling a large sense of relief?

I think so too.
Congratulations Pooh Bear - well played.

June 25th - What a Day

2009-06-26T06:12:00.003-04:00

Was yesterday an outrageous day, or what.
We had severe weather here, so that did not affect your part of the country, but I know we're all still reeling from the news.
First, Farrah Fawcett.
I always liked her a lot.
Remember when she was married to Heath Barkley aka Lee Majors? What a power couple.
Next, a fierce thunderstorm rolled through in the afternoon, and it was accompanied by lightning. The sky became so dark by 2:00 that it looked like twilight had come early.
At 3:10 exactly the power went out in the entire building.
Since there were only 4 of us on our floor at the time, we just looked at each other.
My first words were, "Oh, guess it's time to go home!"
(An old Marine Corps saying - there's no cure like se-cure.)
We did go home 20 minutes later because we had found out that power was out across the entire campus.
Once we were in the lobby we then heard from some other employees lounging there (who can work in the dark, right?) that there were people stuck in one of the dorm elevators.
Egads.
We exited the building into a pouring rain which surprisingly cleared up shortly afterward.
It became so clear that by 6:00 we were sitting on the sidelines watching DN2's soccer game, facing west and staring into the bright sun.
Strange.
Then DN1 walks up and tells us the unbelievable news: "Did you hear that Michael Jackson is dead?"
WHAT?
It was difficult to focus on the soccer game after that news was delivered.
For all his wackiness, Michael's voice was an accompaniment to my youth, and was there as I contemplated that unanswerable question: Who do I like better, Donny Osmond or Michael Jackson?
Ah, to be 10 again.
So folks, tomorrow is SN2's high school graduation.
I think we're safe because his name was in the paper along with the rest of his graduating class, so congrats to him.
Let's just not ever repeat yesterday.
What a day.

I Found My Camera!!!

2009-06-25T10:18:00.004-04:00

I found my camera this morning!
Amazing what shows up when you clean a bit.
And surprisingly enough I also have the charger on hand, although I'm missing the case, so the battery is at home being charged right now.
Pictures!
I can take pictures again!
Not necessarily good ones, but pictures.
Now, let's see how long I can hold onto this blessed thing before I misplace it again.
Any bets?

Haunting

2009-06-24T06:26:00.004-04:00

Sometimes images never leave your head, even after many days, and sometimes they may haunt you forever.
I saw this video on YouTube via Facebook a few days ago, and I can't stop thinking about it.
Some may find the images objectionable (so says YouTube's rating), so if you have an aversion to violent images of people fighting for freedom and democracy, don't watch.

I constantly have to remind myself that this is 2009, not 1979.
The comparisons are there, although with startling differences, because I like to hope that they will fix what got screwed up back then.

It's always a good mail day when books are delivered

2009-06-22T15:21:00.005-04:00

Today was a good mail day.
For sure.
I received two books in the mail: one I had ordered, and one unexpectedly.
In helping to create my syllabus for my class this fall I had to research YA fantasy books.
Sounds pretty easy, right?
Well the problem is if you're not sure what you're looking for, then how do you find it?
Especially when the syllabus has to be submitted for approval by the department chair.
Anyway, I randomly went through and picked out some books, one of which appears to be out of print.
I'm so smart, right?
Fortunately I found it on Amazon for less than a dollar, but then had to pay $3.99 for shipping.
That's me, Mensa ready!
This book is The Island and the Ring by Laura C. Stevenson.
Hopefully I made a good choice, considering I was referring to a two line synopsis when choosing it.
I'd post a picture but even that is not available.
Oh wait, I found one on GoodReads.

Then my oldest bro (one of the real ones, as I call them, and that's a post for another time), sent the family a copy of Excavation by James Rollins.

Apparently it's filled with archaeology, lost Inca cities, graves, gold, death, and as big bro added, evil Mestizos.
That would be in reference to DH's ethnicity.
Not the evil part, just the Mestizo part.
So it's been a good day today - I had a good checkup at the doctor, the sun is shining, and I have new books to read.
I'm so excited I might just have to go take a nap in the sun.

Thinking of Singing

2009-06-17T06:33:00.003-04:00

We went to DN2's chorus and band concert a few weeks back. I was surprised that the 4th grade band could sound so good, with none of that awkward, stuttering music that occurs when the kids play a piece alone.
You could tell they had been practicing their pieces a lot.
It was nice.
She loves band, but I've had to force her to attend chorus.
I want her to stick with it because if they participate throughout her school years there are plenty of opportunities to travel and perform at myriad locations around the state and country.
This is an argument we've been going through all year, and the thing is she likes to sing. What she doesn't like is having to get up early and be at school by 7:30.
So I forced her.
And now she has been chosen to sing with the select chorus at school.
They practice at noon.
Big difference.
I asked her how she would have felt if she didn't make it into this select chorale group, and she said that she would have cried and been really upset.
We've avoided that disaster for the time being, thankfully.
Now we have another dilemma.
She is expressing interest in singing in another chorale here in the area.
It markets itself as a "select" group, but oddly all of the kids who showed up at the information meeting on Monday night were selected.
Hmmmm, is it my kid who can sing, or is it the lure of my money that you hear?
I think the group has plenty of opportunities for her to learn how to sing, and also for her to learn poise while performing. That's something she needs to know, but for $300?
I'm not sure.
Believe it or not, we're leaving the decision up to her because she'll have to learn to manage her schedule with swimming, soccer, and singing practice one night a week in the next town over. Then there are all the sundry games and meets, as well as concerts throughout the year for both singing groups.
DN2 has said she can do it, but she really needs me to buy her a planner.
Really? That's all it will take?
I'll keep you posted.

Bloomsday

2009-06-16T09:32:00.005-04:00

Today is Bloomsday, and you have got to hear this recording of James Joyce.
You can listen to it here at BoingBoing.

It's remarkable, but this is not how I thought his voice would sound.
I don't even know if I gave it much thought, but I agree with the comments where people said it will change how they hear the cadence of the words as they read his works.
Truly remarkable.
Go grab a copy of Dubliners or Finnegan's Wake, get a Guinness, and enjoy the day.

I am in LOVE!! but please keep it a secret

2009-06-15T17:59:00.004-04:00

Shhh, don't tell anyone, but I am in love.
And this is big time in love.
I can't escape from it, and you know, I don't want to escape it.
I want to revel in this feeling of ecstasy, and just spend all of my time with this new love.
What an amazing emotion, and it's so fulfilling.
Believe it or not DH knows all about it.
How could he miss it? I've been telling everyone at work, and I just can't stop talking about it even here at home.
I'll tell you too, but you'll have to keep it a secret.
Shhhhh.....here it is:

It's I Like Lemons' button-tab hat pattern.
Oh my gosh, I LOVE this pattern!
This has got to be the best hat pattern ever.
It's so simple and a quick knit, yet it makes this great looking hat that can look completely different depending upon the brim and the button.
So far I've finished one and am on the decrease rounds of the second one, and I'll show you both once I find the perfect button for the second one.
I'm beginning to chain knit these hats because my group at work is knitting and crocheting hats, mittens, and scarves for school kids in the area this year.
We have a lot of rural poor around here who are overlooked when it comes to people helping them out.
(Interesting fact: our school district has the highest amount of subsidized lunches of any of the schools in the area.)
I definitely love this pattern for middle school and high school-aged girls, so I expect to see many of them sporting my button tab hats this winter.
Love it! LOVE IT!!
And what's love unless you share it?