It has been a few days since I last blogged. My hands have been a total wreck with tendinitis and carpel tunnel. I have splints for both hands and it seems to help. I am going through terrible withdrawal symptoms from knitting and spinning. I hate not doing anything but I must give my hands a break. In the mean time you will find me wearing a matching set of these. Its so fun doing laundry while wearing them.
Well its time to put the boy to bed so he can go to his last day of school tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Catching Up
I have been very busy since Wednesday with routine stuff., and therefore to busy to blog. Here is a brief catch up for everyone. Teri got a summer internship in the bay area and will be with in walking distance from a Bart station. Eric made it to school every day this week, to bad he only has a few more days of the school year left.
I have also done a lot of knitting and spinning this week. I really don't know if that contributed to a sore left hand and swollen thumb this morning. I have put my hand in a brace and the swelling seems to be going down although the clicking still seems to be there. I have spent the entire day Not spinning or knitting and to cope I went through old knitting magazines picking out the patterns that I want before I pass the magazines on. Maybe I can swap them for fluff on Raverly.
Well my hand is very tired so it is time to say goodnight to everyone.
I have also done a lot of knitting and spinning this week. I really don't know if that contributed to a sore left hand and swollen thumb this morning. I have put my hand in a brace and the swelling seems to be going down although the clicking still seems to be there. I have spent the entire day Not spinning or knitting and to cope I went through old knitting magazines picking out the patterns that I want before I pass the magazines on. Maybe I can swap them for fluff on Raverly.
Well my hand is very tired so it is time to say goodnight to everyone.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Hump Day better Known as Wednesday
Today was another busy day in the Old Pueblo for me. I actually made it to the dentist for a long over do check up and guess what Mom? No cavities. I learned an interesting tidbit at the Post Office today. Did you know that you pay more for larger lighter packages then smaller heaver packages? Something about the space it takes on the plane and not the amount of fuel used per pound. It seems odd to me.
Then it was on to Bookmans our favorite used book store to see if they had anything I wanted and to see if they would take anything that was in the go to Bookmans bag. Well I did not find anything that I wanted so Teri will have $10.00 more in store credit when she comes for her next visit. Hopefully this summer before her 3rd year of law school, because December is just to long to wait.
I came home and had left overs for lunch and watched a little TV with some spinning on the spindle and knitting included. After lunch I went to work in the craft room and manage to put some things away and add some more to the charity pile. While Eric was doing his percussion I sat down at the spinning wheel to practice with some very thin roving to get the hang of the wheel. I think my plan worked very well. I am starting to feel better about the wheel, but if I ever up grade I think I might get a 2 peddle wheel. Also I think that 45 minutes is long enough to sit and spin in one session for right now.
Well it is getting late and I have another very over booked day for tomorrow so good night all.
Then it was on to Bookmans our favorite used book store to see if they had anything I wanted and to see if they would take anything that was in the go to Bookmans bag. Well I did not find anything that I wanted so Teri will have $10.00 more in store credit when she comes for her next visit. Hopefully this summer before her 3rd year of law school, because December is just to long to wait.
I came home and had left overs for lunch and watched a little TV with some spinning on the spindle and knitting included. After lunch I went to work in the craft room and manage to put some things away and add some more to the charity pile. While Eric was doing his percussion I sat down at the spinning wheel to practice with some very thin roving to get the hang of the wheel. I think my plan worked very well. I am starting to feel better about the wheel, but if I ever up grade I think I might get a 2 peddle wheel. Also I think that 45 minutes is long enough to sit and spin in one session for right now.
Well it is getting late and I have another very over booked day for tomorrow so good night all.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
A Busy Time of Year
It has been a week since I last posted. In that span of time I fell off my shoe while walking and wrenched my knee. Yes I know sandals with heels are not the best exercise shoe around. If it is still bothering me next week I will have it looked at. John and I put together my spinning wheel. The spinning definitely needs some practice as it is so different from the spindle as it goes much faster. The kindest thing you can say about my first spin is that it super bulky. I think I will try to put together a spinning wheel orifice hook, as I think this might help getting the yarn through the orifice.Eric is back to sleeping through the night and we are getting much needed sleep. He delivered the going away scarf to his teacher, he picked the yarn by feel and the color from my descriptions, of course he choose green. The scarf pattern was potato chip Scarf Pattern. The yarn was by Rachael of the The CountingSheepFarm. I just lover her colorways, fiber and handmade soap..
I have started to attack the last room of the house and am happy to say that I am making slow but steady progress. I am limiting my self to no more than a half hour at a time several times a day. I find that heavy deep cleaning has to be taken in short spurts until the room is almost done and then I find its OK to go longer to finish.
I have been doing a lot of charity knitting and am slowly filling my giant Ziploc XXL bags. One bag even hit the 10 inch mark this week. I have made a very small dent in the hat yarn basket, but I am afraid that I might find more small bits for the basket as I clean the craft room. I am almost done with another Project Gratitude scarf. As you can tell I am so glad that the yucks of winter are past and things are getting done at a good pace. I am not so glad that the school year is almost over, since it seems to me that Eric was home more then in school.
I am so glad that I am finding time to knit with my friends as I find that getting out of the house is a very good thing. This leads me to my money saving tip of the week. If you bring your own drink glass most places will give you a discount on your drinks from 10 cent on upwards of almost a dollar a drink. Well it is time to go get dinner ready. So have a great day and enjoy your families.a drink.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
An Amazing Day
I think I had quite an amazing day today, considering Eric kept me up until 3 am and I was up before 7:30. I joined the Tuesday morning knitting group at Einsteins arriving a little late, I had a hard time getting into gear this morning. As I walked in Nancy said to the group that there is another teacher here to the assembled group. I looked around wondering who it might be and then Carolyn piped in that it was me. Was I ever so surprised that Nancy thought so much of my humble knitting skills. So I spent part of the morning teaching an adorable little blond how to pearl and cast on. Considering how tired I was, I found that I could improvise on my feet pretty well.
A drive to Kiwi to look at some fibre and for the other to get more yarn to finish their current projects. Then more driving to the Tucson Mall to have lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen. Note to self even the half order of salad is enough for 2. Their Moroccan Chicken salad is just wonderful. Just be sure to leave off the dressing for the full flavor of the salad.
I then went home and watched a little Tivo until Eric got home. A little spinning and laundry got done. The dishwasher run and emptied. Did I mention that I had planed leftovers for dinner so there was no cooking involved.
I would like to thank every one who has helped Eric over the last 2 months collecting tabs for our local Ronald McDonald house. His 2 month total was 3.9 pounds. That is quite a lot for one not so little guy to carry in.
Well here is hoping that the not so little guy is asleep.
A drive to Kiwi to look at some fibre and for the other to get more yarn to finish their current projects. Then more driving to the Tucson Mall to have lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen. Note to self even the half order of salad is enough for 2. Their Moroccan Chicken salad is just wonderful. Just be sure to leave off the dressing for the full flavor of the salad.
I then went home and watched a little Tivo until Eric got home. A little spinning and laundry got done. The dishwasher run and emptied. Did I mention that I had planed leftovers for dinner so there was no cooking involved.
I would like to thank every one who has helped Eric over the last 2 months collecting tabs for our local Ronald McDonald house. His 2 month total was 3.9 pounds. That is quite a lot for one not so little guy to carry in.
Well here is hoping that the not so little guy is asleep.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Semi Homemade Chicken Pot Pie.
It was a very rare lazy day for me. I followed my bodies lead and took it very slow today. So this is what John got for dinner tonight.
Semi Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
6 ounces pre diced onions
2 cups frozen hash brown potato cubes
2 heaping tablespoons margarine
1 box of Pillsbury ready made pie crusts - you will need both
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
6 ounces pre cooked chicken diced
1 large deep dish pie pan
1 foil lined cookie sheet
In a large fry pan or wok melt the margarine on a medium low heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Lower the temperature to a lower heat and add the frozen potatoes and cook until soft. Add the chicken and the vegetables and keep on a low heat until 45 minutes before dinner. Unroll the first crust into an un greased pie pan. Pat the pie crust in place. Add all the mixture from the pan and pack it very firmly into the pie crust. dampen the edges of the pie crust and unroll the second pie crust on top. Wet the entire top of the pie crust with a small amount of water. Roll the bottom and top edges together and crimp anyway you would like. There are no bonus points for perfect thumb prints or crimps. Make 4 slits around the top of the pie crust and another vent hole in the center. Place in a cold oven and bake at 325 for 45 minutes, a little longer if you like a darker crust.
You will notice two things about this recipe. First I did not add additional seasonings. I find that when making semi homemade items everything is usually very well seasoned to begin with. Secondly that I place the pot pie in a cold oven. I use a glass pie dish and I do not want it to crack so I put it on a cookie sheet lined with foil into a cold oven. It is better for the pie dish to heat up very slowly. When I remove the pot pie I leave it on the cookie sheet. It is very important that you do not put hot glass baking dishes on a damp or cold surface when taking it out of the oven. So the cookie sheet is perfect in two ways. First it will catch any over flow and second just leave the pot pie on the cookie sheet until both are cool.
This serves 4 to 5 people. For a vegan pot pie just leave out the chicken.
Semi Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
6 ounces pre diced onions
2 cups frozen hash brown potato cubes
2 heaping tablespoons margarine
1 box of Pillsbury ready made pie crusts - you will need both
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
6 ounces pre cooked chicken diced
1 large deep dish pie pan
1 foil lined cookie sheet
In a large fry pan or wok melt the margarine on a medium low heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Lower the temperature to a lower heat and add the frozen potatoes and cook until soft. Add the chicken and the vegetables and keep on a low heat until 45 minutes before dinner. Unroll the first crust into an un greased pie pan. Pat the pie crust in place. Add all the mixture from the pan and pack it very firmly into the pie crust. dampen the edges of the pie crust and unroll the second pie crust on top. Wet the entire top of the pie crust with a small amount of water. Roll the bottom and top edges together and crimp anyway you would like. There are no bonus points for perfect thumb prints or crimps. Make 4 slits around the top of the pie crust and another vent hole in the center. Place in a cold oven and bake at 325 for 45 minutes, a little longer if you like a darker crust.
You will notice two things about this recipe. First I did not add additional seasonings. I find that when making semi homemade items everything is usually very well seasoned to begin with. Secondly that I place the pot pie in a cold oven. I use a glass pie dish and I do not want it to crack so I put it on a cookie sheet lined with foil into a cold oven. It is better for the pie dish to heat up very slowly. When I remove the pot pie I leave it on the cookie sheet. It is very important that you do not put hot glass baking dishes on a damp or cold surface when taking it out of the oven. So the cookie sheet is perfect in two ways. First it will catch any over flow and second just leave the pot pie on the cookie sheet until both are cool.
This serves 4 to 5 people. For a vegan pot pie just leave out the chicken.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mother's Day 2011
My Mother's Day for this year started rather early this morning as Eric is having a rather hard time recovering from this bout of pneumonia. I truly had one of those befuddled nights with no attention span at all. I started out knitting on a poncho. After a few rows I switched to a scarf. Then to yet another scarf and back and forth between the 2 scarfs. I think I have a few too many things on the needles when I can switch back and forth like that and still not get anything finished.
I got to talk to my mom very early this morning before she headed out to my sisters house. The guys took me to brunch at China Phoenix for dim sum. I then got to spend the afternoon spinning and knitting. Yes I again hopped from project to project. I still have a lot of UFOs.
One of the high lights of my day was that Teri managed to break away from studying for finals for a few minutes to talk. Talk about an wonderful an unexpected call. John and I got a quick dinner at Mayco's while Eric and his aide worked on his night time routine. Well I think I will call it a night and try to stay awake long enough to put Eric to bed.
I got to talk to my mom very early this morning before she headed out to my sisters house. The guys took me to brunch at China Phoenix for dim sum. I then got to spend the afternoon spinning and knitting. Yes I again hopped from project to project. I still have a lot of UFOs.
One of the high lights of my day was that Teri managed to break away from studying for finals for a few minutes to talk. Talk about an wonderful an unexpected call. John and I got a quick dinner at Mayco's while Eric and his aide worked on his night time routine. Well I think I will call it a night and try to stay awake long enough to put Eric to bed.
Friday, May 6, 2011
One Thing to Never Do
Today I have learned not to fight with fabric while trying to sew. The sewing machine always wins. I have been sewing since I was 9 and have never sewn my finger before. This is a first that I could have done with out. One black and blue finger plus a tetanus shot later I have decided to go back to quilting the wrong way. I have been doing it wrong for years and before today I have never run over my finger.
On the Bright side Eric's fever is gone and he is feeling well enough to grumble that he does not feel well. I will take progress anyway I can get it.
I also need to thank John and Eric's aide Joe for fixing Eric's bed. They managed to wangle the old wheels off and putting the new ones on with a plus side of we now have working breaks.
The blog is going to be very short until my finger feels better because I don't type well when I am not using all my fingers. I do very badly with hunt and peck.
On the Bright side Eric's fever is gone and he is feeling well enough to grumble that he does not feel well. I will take progress anyway I can get it.
I also need to thank John and Eric's aide Joe for fixing Eric's bed. They managed to wangle the old wheels off and putting the new ones on with a plus side of we now have working breaks.
The blog is going to be very short until my finger feels better because I don't type well when I am not using all my fingers. I do very badly with hunt and peck.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
A Smile
After a very long night I did manage to get 5 glorious hours of sleep. Eric and I had a very lay low day today. By all accounts I should have called in a nurse for the day. That being said I sometimes get tired of the revolving door of people through the house and just wanted some quiet today. So a few chores got done and I spent most of the day with Eric.
For those following the saga of the 33 gallons of wool boucle, I did manage to finish the orange up today and will have to finish the current poncho with some yellow. The end is in sight 3 maybe 4 more ponchos and the boucle should be finished. It took me long enough. I did manage to sneak in a nap today when Eric's aide got here.
I have finished half of the yellow and red combo I got from Kathy. I have decided to wind off the first half and start with an empty spindle for the second half. Pictures will follow when I get the camera out.
This evening even though he is still feeling crummy I got the first smile in days from Eric. That being said I think I will call it a night.
For those following the saga of the 33 gallons of wool boucle, I did manage to finish the orange up today and will have to finish the current poncho with some yellow. The end is in sight 3 maybe 4 more ponchos and the boucle should be finished. It took me long enough. I did manage to sneak in a nap today when Eric's aide got here.
I have finished half of the yellow and red combo I got from Kathy. I have decided to wind off the first half and start with an empty spindle for the second half. Pictures will follow when I get the camera out.
This evening even though he is still feeling crummy I got the first smile in days from Eric. That being said I think I will call it a night.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
And Life Goes On
Well I took Eric to the doctors today and no surprise here, he has pneumonia again. The down side he is not feeling well and wants to be with his friends. The up side is that he has won me. I will also get a lot of knitting done. Last night I finished 1/2 of a poncho and started on the second half. I also put another color and style of poncho on a a pair of circulars I am on 5 or 6 rows into the first side of that one.
Teri has one final down and 3 more to go. She has also won a Cali for her Mass.Comm. class. We are very proud of her and are so lucky to be part of her life. Keep up the good work Teri. Eric also enjoyed listening to Teri's call today, but wanted to make sure she knew that because he was sick he owned me.
I suspect that it will be another lay low week end but I have yarn and fluff so I am good to go. If I don't get to blog before then. Happy Mothers day to all you moms and single dads who have the children full time, this is your day too.
Here is hoping for at least 5 hours of sleep tonight.
Teri has one final down and 3 more to go. She has also won a Cali for her Mass.Comm. class. We are very proud of her and are so lucky to be part of her life. Keep up the good work Teri. Eric also enjoyed listening to Teri's call today, but wanted to make sure she knew that because he was sick he owned me.
I suspect that it will be another lay low week end but I have yarn and fluff so I am good to go. If I don't get to blog before then. Happy Mothers day to all you moms and single dads who have the children full time, this is your day too.
Here is hoping for at least 5 hours of sleep tonight.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Wants verses Reality
Today I wanted to have time to take pictures of all the knitted and hand spun projects that I completed this weekend. Well that did not happen.
The reality of the day was I was up slightly before 3 am with Eric. I thought it was just a nightmare that I could not wake him up from to calm him down and put him back to sleep. It took me a while for me to wake up and determine he needed meds. So meds were given and I was still by his bed until around 4:30 am when I decided that I just must have a cuppa tea. So I went to the kitchen and made myself a cold glass of iced chai. I just love the Oregon Chai. He was calm enough for me to get some knitting done. When John got up I went back to sleep for a couple of hours and woke just in time to get Eric out the door and get myself ready for the 9 am appointment that I had.
After a late breakfast with more tea I decided that I was going to be utterly useless without some sleep. Looking back on the day I now find it interesting that my nap was the length of time I was up with Eric. Don't you just love those random thoughts? Then some lunch and a little cleaning and before I knew it Eric was home from school. Another random thought, it is almost time for another Goodwill run.
I dug into some nice fluff I got from Kathy, { Kathy's blog }and I just might have enough for a small shawl if I don't ply the yarn other wise if I ply it it will be a nice scarf. It is simply perfect.
Dinner was one of those just grab what ever is in front of the freezer kinda nights. Pictures tomorrow if I get sleep tonight. Well it is now after 10 pm and I am now a pumpkin so have a great night and enjoy your families.
I buy the Oregon Chai and keep it stocked in the house. I have a cup ever day, hot or iced depending on the weather. I have not received any form of payment for this blog.
The reality of the day was I was up slightly before 3 am with Eric. I thought it was just a nightmare that I could not wake him up from to calm him down and put him back to sleep. It took me a while for me to wake up and determine he needed meds. So meds were given and I was still by his bed until around 4:30 am when I decided that I just must have a cuppa tea. So I went to the kitchen and made myself a cold glass of iced chai. I just love the Oregon Chai. He was calm enough for me to get some knitting done. When John got up I went back to sleep for a couple of hours and woke just in time to get Eric out the door and get myself ready for the 9 am appointment that I had.
After a late breakfast with more tea I decided that I was going to be utterly useless without some sleep. Looking back on the day I now find it interesting that my nap was the length of time I was up with Eric. Don't you just love those random thoughts? Then some lunch and a little cleaning and before I knew it Eric was home from school. Another random thought, it is almost time for another Goodwill run.
I dug into some nice fluff I got from Kathy, { Kathy's blog }and I just might have enough for a small shawl if I don't ply the yarn other wise if I ply it it will be a nice scarf. It is simply perfect.
Dinner was one of those just grab what ever is in front of the freezer kinda nights. Pictures tomorrow if I get sleep tonight. Well it is now after 10 pm and I am now a pumpkin so have a great night and enjoy your families.
I buy the Oregon Chai and keep it stocked in the house. I have a cup ever day, hot or iced depending on the weather. I have not received any form of payment for this blog.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Saturday in the House
The most positive thing I can say so far about our lay low weekend is that minus weaving in the ends, sewing side seams and tagging. I have gotten 2 scarfs, 1 poncho, and 1 hat off my needles so far. UFOs seem to be flying off at a good rate. I also spun 2 mini skeins. So tomorrow morning I will be sewing and weaving in ends. Then it will be off to see how many projects I can finish. When the weekend pile is finished I will post a photo.
Well its getting late to good night all and have a great evening.
Well its getting late to good night all and have a great evening.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A Very Slow Day
I can't decide weather I spent the day catching up on sleep and rest or pre-loading on sleep for the weekend. But one thing I know for sure is that my 4th operation gratitude scarf of the year got finished, the ends woven in and tagged with the yarn content which was super wash merino. Then put in a giant Ziploc bag with the other 3 scarfs so it would not get lonely. I just love those XXL Ziploc bags for finished craft projects. I also cast scarf number 5 for this project on the needle today.
I also worked on a scrappy hat, although with the amount of yarn I have it may not turn into a scrappy hat at all. It might just get finished tomorrow. Maybe just maybe I am in a finishing streak instead of of a starting streak. I will see how many thing I can get off the needles and into the bags this weekend.
I did not get much spinning done today, but for that there is always tomorrow. I also got a very small amount of house work done and attacked another pile not all gone but half way there.Well it is getting late and I should not be this tired but I am so good night all.
I also worked on a scrappy hat, although with the amount of yarn I have it may not turn into a scrappy hat at all. It might just get finished tomorrow. Maybe just maybe I am in a finishing streak instead of of a starting streak. I will see how many thing I can get off the needles and into the bags this weekend.
I did not get much spinning done today, but for that there is always tomorrow. I also got a very small amount of house work done and attacked another pile not all gone but half way there.Well it is getting late and I should not be this tired but I am so good night all.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Life on the Mommy Track
Well it has been a couple of pretty busy days around here, with spinning, knitting, cleaning child care and finally getting Eric back to school today. I took full advantage and got a lot of errands done, the usual and not so usual errands included shoe laces, light bulbs, tall shoes with a 3 inch heel. Guess what! I am still short when I wear them. I also got a great deal on a new fry pan originally $39.99 I got it for $13.99 and I don't care that it was lasts years model, I really don't think the function of a fry pan changes from year to year. Shopping for dinner. Poor John I really don't feel like cooking so he is getting roasted turkey breast, steamed green and wax beans with rosemary bread. Tomorrow it will be turkey and avocado sandwiches on hopefully rosemary bread ( or I will be back at the store again.), vegi sticks and pineapple wedges.
I have one room left to do. The craft, guest and exercise room left to do. Yes the ultimate multi purpose room. I know it will be the hardest room yet as I find it hard to part with craft/sewing supplies. But I should really get in there at a few minutes a day until it is done. I am hoping that I get it done before it hits the 100's because I would like to tackle the garage next but will not do that on days over 100f just because I say so.
Well I am headed to the craft room to start. since I have to finish dinner I will not be there long by design. Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
I have one room left to do. The craft, guest and exercise room left to do. Yes the ultimate multi purpose room. I know it will be the hardest room yet as I find it hard to part with craft/sewing supplies. But I should really get in there at a few minutes a day until it is done. I am hoping that I get it done before it hits the 100's because I would like to tackle the garage next but will not do that on days over 100f just because I say so.
Well I am headed to the craft room to start. since I have to finish dinner I will not be there long by design. Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Monday, April 25, 2011
My Hand Spun Yarn
OK, I finally got it together and took some pictures of my hand spun yarn as of late. It is not all the yarn I have spun as I have some bits and pieces waiting to be soaked and thwacked. As You can see there is a jumble of colors and different types of fibre. Some 1 ply and some 2 ply.
A more artistic presentation is show below.
The Yarn that is still on the spindle is about 1.8 ounces of merino wool. I have put the picture here so Teri can get a better look at the color. She has first dibs on this yarn. There is enough on the spindle for a nice scarf. I will figure out the yardage( apx. 2640 inches and 73.33 yards. I just measured) when I get I take it off the spindle this afternoon.
It will get the soak and thwack treatment today and should be well rested and ready to knit in a few days.
It will get the soak and thwack treatment today and should be well rested and ready to knit in a few days. Well it is time to get back to my day, after a long night with Eric I managed a nap with the nurse here and am so behind on everything, but if I hustle I will get most of it done today. So Enjoy your families and have a wonderful day.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Weekend - What Weekend
I spent the weekend bouncing my attention between my guys. One started off the weekend early and sick the other decided to play catch up and got sick too. One will be out the door tomorrow( fingers crossed on that one) and for the other I called in back up for the next 2 days.
A lot of knitting got done on a whole lot of projects and needless to say nothing got finished. My mind was just too distracted to sit down and finish a project. I landed up with projects scattered around the house and where ever I happened to be was the project I worked on at that particular moment.
I got some spinning done and will devote my blog tomorrow to that. I will have pictures. Note to self get the camera out. I think the house if finally quiet and I hope to get to bed before tomorrow. So good night and enjoy your families.
A lot of knitting got done on a whole lot of projects and needless to say nothing got finished. My mind was just too distracted to sit down and finish a project. I landed up with projects scattered around the house and where ever I happened to be was the project I worked on at that particular moment.
I got some spinning done and will devote my blog tomorrow to that. I will have pictures. Note to self get the camera out. I think the house if finally quiet and I hope to get to bed before tomorrow. So good night and enjoy your families.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Good Friends Good Food
I taught my friend Carolyn how to spin at Friday Fun Knitters today. I can officially say how jealous I am of her. After just 1 1/2 hours of spinning her yarn looked like mine did after a couple of weeks. I on the other hand manage to spin and ply one sample that arrived in my Phat Fiber sample box with out a tag, the yarn was yummy green with blue flecks if any Phaties know what it is please let me know.
We did go out to lunch and the company was great and the food was good. The only thing bad about lunch was I got a call from the school nurse saying that Eric had a seizure in class and was running a fever. Well that call broke up lunch while I went to retrieve the above mentioned boy. Well that broke our streak of 15 straight days of school. The fever has broken as of now and he seems not to have lasting effects from the seizure today. But I have declared it a lay low weekend anyway. I have yarn, fibre and my 2 guys, who could ask for anything more? Well...maybe Teri.. but school comes first and I am quite happy with everything she has done this semester.
I hope everyone had a great earth day. Well I think it is time to say good night and enjoy your families.
We did go out to lunch and the company was great and the food was good. The only thing bad about lunch was I got a call from the school nurse saying that Eric had a seizure in class and was running a fever. Well that call broke up lunch while I went to retrieve the above mentioned boy. Well that broke our streak of 15 straight days of school. The fever has broken as of now and he seems not to have lasting effects from the seizure today. But I have declared it a lay low weekend anyway. I have yarn, fibre and my 2 guys, who could ask for anything more? Well...maybe Teri.. but school comes first and I am quite happy with everything she has done this semester.
I hope everyone had a great earth day. Well I think it is time to say good night and enjoy your families.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Stepping It Up a Notch
This morning was the knitting guild meeting and somehow I managed to irk a lot of people. No I don't think it was the kosher for passover snacks and pre packaged utensils it. Maybe it was because I brought some stitch markers to sell, nope I did not sell a one. Was it that I was wore the nice pin that Candy made for me when I could not manage to knit with double pointed needles, I don't think so. Was it my noticeable loss of inches, maybe. Was it that I tried to give a link to Yumiko Alexander's web site and scarf pattern. I had also tried to mention that the Friday fun Knitters and I have already managed to donate 2 1/2 boxes of hand made items already, probably. Here is the link and if you have not made one just give it a try and send it to the address on the pattern. http://dandoh.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-march-11-2011-japan-suffered.html
There was a nice lunch with Nancy and Darlene. There is nothing like good food and good friends. I did manage to bring home lunch for John, he said that the hot soup hit the spot. Then it was catching up on Nova's with John while spinning. When Eric came home he "helped" with the paperwork, bills and filling. I think he just wanted to hang out with me.
For my walk today I decided to try a pair of Earth Shoes, they were great on the down hill and flat straights but going up hill I slowed my pace down and could still feel the burn. If I am not walking well tomorrow it is because I stepped it up to fast.
Well it is time to go move my car before the pack rats attack and get dinner on the table. Have a Good night and enjoy your families. By the way I ask everyone to wish my mom a belated Happy Birthday, being that I am a bad daughter and forgot. Sorry Mom. Happy Birthday very belatedly from your very forgetful daughter.
There was a nice lunch with Nancy and Darlene. There is nothing like good food and good friends. I did manage to bring home lunch for John, he said that the hot soup hit the spot. Then it was catching up on Nova's with John while spinning. When Eric came home he "helped" with the paperwork, bills and filling. I think he just wanted to hang out with me.
For my walk today I decided to try a pair of Earth Shoes, they were great on the down hill and flat straights but going up hill I slowed my pace down and could still feel the burn. If I am not walking well tomorrow it is because I stepped it up to fast.
Well it is time to go move my car before the pack rats attack and get dinner on the table. Have a Good night and enjoy your families. By the way I ask everyone to wish my mom a belated Happy Birthday, being that I am a bad daughter and forgot. Sorry Mom. Happy Birthday very belatedly from your very forgetful daughter.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Reaping Dividends
I have started trying to find time to exercise every day. It is all part of my trying to be good to my self personal campaign. Aside from getting down to a 15 minute mile, to clarify the starting point was about a 30 minute mile. So now I have to walk 2 miles to get my 30 minutes in. Same time double the distance. In my humble opinion not a bad start.
The dividends started really coming this morning when I got dressed for the day. I either needed to be 6 inches taller, buy much taller shoes or dig into my closet for smaller pants. I of course choose the smaller pants. Here I am go through my closet like a teenage girl trying to find something that looks nice.
Another dividend that I noticed is that I have more energy. Which means more things are getting done around the house. Today was not one of those days however since I was up until a little after midnight with Eric and started my day at 5:45 am. So goes my life with Eric. I did manage to get him out the door for the 13th straight day of school, for which I am very grateful to the powers that be.
I did manage to ply 1 small skein of alpaca this morning while we were waiting for the bus and then proceeded to start spinning another bit of Moreno wool. I spent a lot of time spinning and did even manage to get a nap, baking and a little cleaning in today.
Well it is time to go hook up a hungry boy for the night. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
The dividends started really coming this morning when I got dressed for the day. I either needed to be 6 inches taller, buy much taller shoes or dig into my closet for smaller pants. I of course choose the smaller pants. Here I am go through my closet like a teenage girl trying to find something that looks nice.
Another dividend that I noticed is that I have more energy. Which means more things are getting done around the house. Today was not one of those days however since I was up until a little after midnight with Eric and started my day at 5:45 am. So goes my life with Eric. I did manage to get him out the door for the 13th straight day of school, for which I am very grateful to the powers that be.
I did manage to ply 1 small skein of alpaca this morning while we were waiting for the bus and then proceeded to start spinning another bit of Moreno wool. I spent a lot of time spinning and did even manage to get a nap, baking and a little cleaning in today.
Well it is time to go hook up a hungry boy for the night. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
A better day
It was a better day today. I got up extra early this morning to make a breakfast of fresh mango, sausages and a potato kugle to share with John. There was some random surfing and knitting that went on. Then it was off to knit with the girls.
After Knitting I introduce Carolyn to Unique Designs by Kathy. I am going to teach Carolyn how to spin so we went to pick a spindle and some nice roving. If you would like to see some very fun well made yarn please stop by Kathy's shop at 4010 West Palo Seco. Kathy also has a lot of unique batts. Kathy's yarn holds up very well. The shawl I knit with her hand spun mohair is going on 5 years old and still in great shape with a lot of wear. Just don't tell Kathy I wash it in Tide on gentle wash and hang it dry. Yes I know it is not recommend for mohair.
The afternoon was spent doing laundry and sending robots off to do various chores around the house. I also managed to ply 3 skeins of yarn. I find a quiet house when I am wide awake the best time to ply. I am also spinning a small sample of Alpaca which is a dream to spin with.
I did manage to get a walk in today. I am now at a 15 minuet mile. Then made a very lazy dinner of left over roast, potato kugle and canned asparagus. Then some more spinning and now it is time to get ready to turn in for the night. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
After Knitting I introduce Carolyn to Unique Designs by Kathy. I am going to teach Carolyn how to spin so we went to pick a spindle and some nice roving. If you would like to see some very fun well made yarn please stop by Kathy's shop at 4010 West Palo Seco. Kathy also has a lot of unique batts. Kathy's yarn holds up very well. The shawl I knit with her hand spun mohair is going on 5 years old and still in great shape with a lot of wear. Just don't tell Kathy I wash it in Tide on gentle wash and hang it dry. Yes I know it is not recommend for mohair.
The afternoon was spent doing laundry and sending robots off to do various chores around the house. I also managed to ply 3 skeins of yarn. I find a quiet house when I am wide awake the best time to ply. I am also spinning a small sample of Alpaca which is a dream to spin with.
I did manage to get a walk in today. I am now at a 15 minuet mile. Then made a very lazy dinner of left over roast, potato kugle and canned asparagus. Then some more spinning and now it is time to get ready to turn in for the night. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Happy Holidays
I would like to start by wishing everyone a Happy Holiday no matter which holiday you celebrate this week. May you enjoy your families and enjoy the fact that we have all made it to this season.
That being said, I am a little melancholy this year. As you know Eric has had a lot of tough health issues this year, which have left me exhausted. I can report on the good side that Eric has slept 5 yes count em 5 nights in a row. Yes miracles still do happen. With just the 2 of us eating tonight I will not be preparing the huge festival meal. First I don't have the energy and second we can not eat that much. I have instead spent the last few days really cleaning and there is a large visible difference. Today I even let roomba have the run of most of the house, he did a good job but did not have enough juice to make it back to his docking station. I would also like to say that roomba still does not like Eric's hoyer lift. I also gave scooba a work out and plan to do so again tomorrow in another part of the house.
With all that being said I still prefer huge holiday gatherings and the formality of the the order of the holidays. It is my hope that when our daughter finishes grad school we will again be able to have nice family holiday dinners. It really does not matter the location as long as we are together. Well I have to go put the finishing touches on dinner.
Happy Holidays to All and to all a very festive meal.
That being said, I am a little melancholy this year. As you know Eric has had a lot of tough health issues this year, which have left me exhausted. I can report on the good side that Eric has slept 5 yes count em 5 nights in a row. Yes miracles still do happen. With just the 2 of us eating tonight I will not be preparing the huge festival meal. First I don't have the energy and second we can not eat that much. I have instead spent the last few days really cleaning and there is a large visible difference. Today I even let roomba have the run of most of the house, he did a good job but did not have enough juice to make it back to his docking station. I would also like to say that roomba still does not like Eric's hoyer lift. I also gave scooba a work out and plan to do so again tomorrow in another part of the house.
With all that being said I still prefer huge holiday gatherings and the formality of the the order of the holidays. It is my hope that when our daughter finishes grad school we will again be able to have nice family holiday dinners. It really does not matter the location as long as we are together. Well I have to go put the finishing touches on dinner.
Happy Holidays to All and to all a very festive meal.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
It has Been a Week
It has been a week since I last blogged. In the interim Eric made it to school 5 days in a row. I got a whole lot of cleaning and knitting done. And yes it being Saturday I made another charity run of hand knit items.
This was more than my knitting this time. I had a full box and a bag from my Friday knitting group the Friday Fun Knitters and a full box of items I had hand knit. These were all destined for Japan. They were delivered to Yumiko Alexander of DanDoh who was doing a trunk show at Grandma's Spinning Wheel on Tanque Verde. I was also able to have a nice chat with Yumiko, she is always so delightful to talk to. I can't wait for Yumiko's next book to be published.
If you would like to help in this effort here is a link to Yumiko's blog: http://dandoh.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-march-11-2011-japan-suffered.html
The pattern is quite easy. I made 6 of these scarfs last week. I also included some hats. Please tag your hand knit items with the yarn content and write a short note of encouragement. They survivors have a long road ahead of them and they need all the help and love we can send. You may also send hand crocheted items. The address of where to send your finished pieces is on the scarf pattern sheet.
I think it is time to start working on Teri's blanket again. so I will be rearranging things to get that endeavor underway tomorrow. I only have about 15 square feet left to knit, so I hope to get it done before I loose my blanket mojo again. I have only manage to get 10 square feet done so far. It is by far the largest project I have undertaken since I started knitting. And NO you may not have a queen size blanket as this will be the last large blanket for a while.
I did manage to get some spinning done tonight, but I am saving plying for when I am a bit more awake and have a little more patience. As we are going into a holiday week may you all enjoy your holiday celebrations with your families.
This was more than my knitting this time. I had a full box and a bag from my Friday knitting group the Friday Fun Knitters and a full box of items I had hand knit. These were all destined for Japan. They were delivered to Yumiko Alexander of DanDoh who was doing a trunk show at Grandma's Spinning Wheel on Tanque Verde. I was also able to have a nice chat with Yumiko, she is always so delightful to talk to. I can't wait for Yumiko's next book to be published.
If you would like to help in this effort here is a link to Yumiko's blog: http://dandoh.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-march-11-2011-japan-suffered.html
The pattern is quite easy. I made 6 of these scarfs last week. I also included some hats. Please tag your hand knit items with the yarn content and write a short note of encouragement. They survivors have a long road ahead of them and they need all the help and love we can send. You may also send hand crocheted items. The address of where to send your finished pieces is on the scarf pattern sheet.
I think it is time to start working on Teri's blanket again. so I will be rearranging things to get that endeavor underway tomorrow. I only have about 15 square feet left to knit, so I hope to get it done before I loose my blanket mojo again. I have only manage to get 10 square feet done so far. It is by far the largest project I have undertaken since I started knitting. And NO you may not have a queen size blanket as this will be the last large blanket for a while.
I did manage to get some spinning done tonight, but I am saving plying for when I am a bit more awake and have a little more patience. As we are going into a holiday week may you all enjoy your holiday celebrations with your families.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Saturday in Tucson
Need less to say my day did not go as planed. But I did manage to drop off a bag of hand knit items at a charity event before I came home. I have lots of skeins of freshly spun yarn hanging in the garage waiting to dry. Think back on my, plan a cold rainy day was not the best day to do the final processing of the yarn, so it will take a bit longer to dry.
A lot of random knitting went on but nothing was finished. A lot of progress was made on a lot of projects. I kinda of envy those who can work a project from start to finish without picking up another project. I am not that type of person so I have random knitting projects placed where ever I tend to spend time in the house. I even have my emergency knitting kit in my car. After all I never know when knitting will come in handy.
Some plying and spinning also went on. I definitely need to practice my plying to get a better technique down but since plying is a relatively new activity I suspect it will take some time to learn.
It was a very cold and rainy day here I think the high was around 48 and it rained all day. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the rain and we are at a rain deficient but some things just cant be done in the rain. Such as taking pictures of some of my newer projects.
Well it is getting late here and tomorrow is going to be a very long and busy day. So enjoy your families and have a great weekend.
A lot of random knitting went on but nothing was finished. A lot of progress was made on a lot of projects. I kinda of envy those who can work a project from start to finish without picking up another project. I am not that type of person so I have random knitting projects placed where ever I tend to spend time in the house. I even have my emergency knitting kit in my car. After all I never know when knitting will come in handy.
Some plying and spinning also went on. I definitely need to practice my plying to get a better technique down but since plying is a relatively new activity I suspect it will take some time to learn.
It was a very cold and rainy day here I think the high was around 48 and it rained all day. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the rain and we are at a rain deficient but some things just cant be done in the rain. Such as taking pictures of some of my newer projects.
Well it is getting late here and tomorrow is going to be a very long and busy day. So enjoy your families and have a great weekend.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Learning is Good
I learned something new today. It has to do with my spinning. I found that it is easier to spin lace and fragile fibres on a lighter drop spindle. 4/16 of an ounce can really make a big difference. Well you seasoned pros already knew that but for this newbie it was a huge break through.
Well here is hoping it is going to be an early night. Enjoy your families.
Well here is hoping it is going to be an early night. Enjoy your families.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
No good deed goes unpunished. For me it was letting Eric rest part of yesterday. I can't tell you what a big mistake that was in so many ways. Eric was up until 3:30am and therefore we did nothing I had planed for today.
I think John got the worst of it though when he went to try to fix Eric's bed railing that broke. He has it held together with ducked tape but I have an e-mail in to Hill-Rom to see if they can help. When he was trying to fix Eric's bed John's i-pod touch the 4th generation that he just got fell out of his pocket hit the floor and the screen broke. Yes something else to add to my to do list for tomorrow. So If you know who repairs the screens for the i pod touch 4th gen please let me know.
Things are very hectic around here now and when things get really hectic I tend to knit scrappy hats. and other charity projects. The good or bad news is that I have found 2 large project bags filled with scrap yarn so I can knit to my hearts content. I should get about 20 hats out of all of this..
Well I am hoping that Eric is asleep so I can get some much needed rest tonight. tomorrow looks to be a very busy day.
I think John got the worst of it though when he went to try to fix Eric's bed railing that broke. He has it held together with ducked tape but I have an e-mail in to Hill-Rom to see if they can help. When he was trying to fix Eric's bed John's i-pod touch the 4th generation that he just got fell out of his pocket hit the floor and the screen broke. Yes something else to add to my to do list for tomorrow. So If you know who repairs the screens for the i pod touch 4th gen please let me know.
Things are very hectic around here now and when things get really hectic I tend to knit scrappy hats. and other charity projects. The good or bad news is that I have found 2 large project bags filled with scrap yarn so I can knit to my hearts content. I should get about 20 hats out of all of this..
Well I am hoping that Eric is asleep so I can get some much needed rest tonight. tomorrow looks to be a very busy day.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Eric is on Spring Vacation
It hardly seems possible that Eric is on spring vacation from school. I really don't think he has earned it this year since he has spent most of 2010/2011 school year home sick. This is life as we know it so I am trying to keep him active with field trips to the likes of Target yesterday and Costco today. If the weather is nice I do plan on an outing to the U of A to get Eric Sweet 16 gear to wear to school and camp. He has got to support the home town team and family Alma Mater after all.
We have such broken up shifts for aides this week that things like a trip to the movies are out. The weather is finally decent this week in the 80 to 90's range. So a lot of knitting has gotten done and some spinning has also gotten done. I want to thank Chris for his help with plying and how to judge if my spinning is to tight. I really did not know that you could spin too tight only to loosely..
As you can tell I am finally getting back on my feet with the energy to blog. So Hopefully I will get a few more out this week. By the way how did the change hunt challenge go for everyone?
Well it is time to go make salmon salads with fresh avocado and papaya for dinner.
We have such broken up shifts for aides this week that things like a trip to the movies are out. The weather is finally decent this week in the 80 to 90's range. So a lot of knitting has gotten done and some spinning has also gotten done. I want to thank Chris for his help with plying and how to judge if my spinning is to tight. I really did not know that you could spin too tight only to loosely..
As you can tell I am finally getting back on my feet with the energy to blog. So Hopefully I will get a few more out this week. By the way how did the change hunt challenge go for everyone?
Well it is time to go make salmon salads with fresh avocado and papaya for dinner.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
A New Saving Challenge
Well the year has finally caught up to me. I have hit total exhaustion and caught the crud that is going around. So Not much has been getting done this week. I feel that I have lost ground on the house. My big accomplishment of the week was getting the change jar to the bank to deposit all the loose change hanging around the house.
This is where the challenge comes in. Most people do not realize how much spare change is laying around the house with a penny here, a nickle there and a few dollars of change in the couch. So here is the goal for everyone this week. gather up all the change you can find just laying around the house. Next bring it to your bank or credit union and deposit all the money you found in your savings account. Now leave this money in the bank or credit union and don't spend it. After all you were just letting it do nothing anyway. Do this every few months and in a few decades all your found money will give you a nice treat. This is a great plan for getting rich very slowly. Maybe a little faster if the interest rates ever pick up again.
The only prize you will get is knowing that you house is a little less cluttered and a small boost to your savings account. If you do not have a savings account check with your local credit union. They usually have lower minimum deposits and pay slightly more than most banks.
Well I have run out of energy so it is time to go be a couch potato for the rest of the weekend so I can have the energy to keep up with Eric next week while he is on spring break. Have a great weekend and enjoy your families.
This is where the challenge comes in. Most people do not realize how much spare change is laying around the house with a penny here, a nickle there and a few dollars of change in the couch. So here is the goal for everyone this week. gather up all the change you can find just laying around the house. Next bring it to your bank or credit union and deposit all the money you found in your savings account. Now leave this money in the bank or credit union and don't spend it. After all you were just letting it do nothing anyway. Do this every few months and in a few decades all your found money will give you a nice treat. This is a great plan for getting rich very slowly. Maybe a little faster if the interest rates ever pick up again.
The only prize you will get is knowing that you house is a little less cluttered and a small boost to your savings account. If you do not have a savings account check with your local credit union. They usually have lower minimum deposits and pay slightly more than most banks.
Well I have run out of energy so it is time to go be a couch potato for the rest of the weekend so I can have the energy to keep up with Eric next week while he is on spring break. Have a great weekend and enjoy your families.
Monday, March 21, 2011
And the Year Moves On
Well Eric is home sick again with some kind of stomach virus. Which means 4 loads of eyrpy laundry in less than 24 hours. But I used my time with Eric wisely today. I did all the finishing working the finishing basket. Finished 1 UFO and worked on a few more. I had a very short attention span due to lack of sleep last night. But knitting did get done, not a complete project all at once though. We will not talk about the house work that did not get done or the errands.
My Priority List
1. Family
2. Laundry
3. Crafts
4. House Work
5. Errands
You guessed it I am not a domestic diva but things to get done in due course. Food does land on the table for dinner. Take to night, one of my best semi home made dinners, chili. Simple brown the meat open the cans and freezer bags of vegetables and add the spices. Stir up the corn bread 45 minutes before dinner and I have a happy family. One pot meals are great for days like today.
I wonder if John would consider it fibre encroachment if I put finished objects in the hall closet in giant Ziploc bags. Well I guess we will see when he does open the hall closet. I have to put the charity work some where before it can be dispatched.
Well it is time to pretend that some work got done today. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
My Priority List
1. Family
2. Laundry
3. Crafts
4. House Work
5. Errands
You guessed it I am not a domestic diva but things to get done in due course. Food does land on the table for dinner. Take to night, one of my best semi home made dinners, chili. Simple brown the meat open the cans and freezer bags of vegetables and add the spices. Stir up the corn bread 45 minutes before dinner and I have a happy family. One pot meals are great for days like today.
I wonder if John would consider it fibre encroachment if I put finished objects in the hall closet in giant Ziploc bags. Well I guess we will see when he does open the hall closet. I have to put the charity work some where before it can be dispatched.
Well it is time to pretend that some work got done today. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Well at Least I am up to Something
It has been a while since I last blogged. After Eric being sick and at home for over 6 weeks this time I am a little tired. But the good news is that since giving up diet soda and hfcs my body is not stuck in bed. So my un-scientific real live test subject research shows that the combo of hfcs and diet soda is not good for me.
I have spent the week doing errands and running around getting out of the house. It seems to be a good plan in hindsight because they sent Eric home with a fever of over 100 today, but they sent him home alone on the bus, even so I did not have to finish emptying the car in a hurry to run to school and pick him up.
There has not been much cleaning this week. Hey I can either run errands or clean there are just not enough hours in a 24 hour day and I really don't think I want a long day anyway. I also broke the second tape gun this week. They just don't seem to last as long as I would like, we got them in the late 70's and early 80's. I thought they would last forever. What is this with the poor workmanship. So I made John an apple pie to ease the news to him. It's in the oven now. Well it is time to go make turkey and avocado sandwiches for dinner.
I will write more tomorrow about my adventures in spinning. I think I am getting fairly good but I will let Kathy Withers be the judge of that.
Well since I did not finish yesterdays blog I will add that today I made up for the rest of the week in getting some cleaning done. I have gotten 5 baskets and 2 full loads of shredded paper out to the what was the nearly empty recycle bin in the back yard. I am hoping that I have enough room for the rest of the week.
Eric's temperature went back to normal a few hours after he got home, but I had to keep him home anyway because they sent him home with a fever. He was very content to kick back most of the day, after all what young adult would pass up a day to kick back and watch TV?
Well I have decided to make pizza for dinner so it is time to go make the dough and get things going for home made pizza and salad for dinner. I am seriously thinking a wedge cut salad for dinner tonight not that I am tired after a full day of Eric care and cleaning.
Have a Great evening and enjoy your families.
I have spent the week doing errands and running around getting out of the house. It seems to be a good plan in hindsight because they sent Eric home with a fever of over 100 today, but they sent him home alone on the bus, even so I did not have to finish emptying the car in a hurry to run to school and pick him up.
There has not been much cleaning this week. Hey I can either run errands or clean there are just not enough hours in a 24 hour day and I really don't think I want a long day anyway. I also broke the second tape gun this week. They just don't seem to last as long as I would like, we got them in the late 70's and early 80's. I thought they would last forever. What is this with the poor workmanship. So I made John an apple pie to ease the news to him. It's in the oven now. Well it is time to go make turkey and avocado sandwiches for dinner.
I will write more tomorrow about my adventures in spinning. I think I am getting fairly good but I will let Kathy Withers be the judge of that.
Well since I did not finish yesterdays blog I will add that today I made up for the rest of the week in getting some cleaning done. I have gotten 5 baskets and 2 full loads of shredded paper out to the what was the nearly empty recycle bin in the back yard. I am hoping that I have enough room for the rest of the week.
Eric's temperature went back to normal a few hours after he got home, but I had to keep him home anyway because they sent him home with a fever. He was very content to kick back most of the day, after all what young adult would pass up a day to kick back and watch TV?
Well I have decided to make pizza for dinner so it is time to go make the dough and get things going for home made pizza and salad for dinner. I am seriously thinking a wedge cut salad for dinner tonight not that I am tired after a full day of Eric care and cleaning.
Have a Great evening and enjoy your families.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Contest Winner Announced and Other Things
First of all I would like to say that Ashley is the winner of the Cooking Disasters contest. Ashley Please let me know if you want cotton or wool for knitting or felting or a mixture of everything.
Well I finally got Eric back to school yesterday. It was a long one this time but I am happy to say that he has his smile back. So I went all over Tucson yesterday doing long put off errands and charity runs. I have also been cleaning like mad and almost have a totally clean front room to show for it.
My spinning is progressing nicely I have gotten some of my single ply down to 18 wpi (wraps per inch) which gives me a dk ( double knit) weight yarn. Plying is still giving me a devil of a time, but later this month John will make me a plying box that others on Raverly say work well with hand spindles for plying.
I also have a question for any spinners out there. I have one small sample silver that I messed up while trying to ply. Can this be re carded or should I just wash it and put it in my pin weaving as an artist accent?
Yes I did take a virtual mommy day off today. So far only 2 loads of trash out, 2 loads of laundry done, run the dishwasher and took a nap. Well its time to go do my hair. We have a sitter for Eric tonight. So enjoy your families and have a great evening. Later all.
Well I finally got Eric back to school yesterday. It was a long one this time but I am happy to say that he has his smile back. So I went all over Tucson yesterday doing long put off errands and charity runs. I have also been cleaning like mad and almost have a totally clean front room to show for it.
My spinning is progressing nicely I have gotten some of my single ply down to 18 wpi (wraps per inch) which gives me a dk ( double knit) weight yarn. Plying is still giving me a devil of a time, but later this month John will make me a plying box that others on Raverly say work well with hand spindles for plying.
I also have a question for any spinners out there. I have one small sample silver that I messed up while trying to ply. Can this be re carded or should I just wash it and put it in my pin weaving as an artist accent?
Yes I did take a virtual mommy day off today. So far only 2 loads of trash out, 2 loads of laundry done, run the dishwasher and took a nap. Well its time to go do my hair. We have a sitter for Eric tonight. So enjoy your families and have a great evening. Later all.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Busy as a Bee
It's been a while since I last blogged. Eric has been sick and I have been busy getting rid of junk and clutter. I did manage to get John too join in the effort yesterday. It was such a good week that we could not get all the recycling in the bin and had to hold over a little bit to add once the bin was emptied today. Yes the bin was so full we could not pack it down any further and John had to drag it to the street.
My spinning is progressing nicely and I found a way to keep the yarn from sliding around the spindle and I now have smoother yarn which is also thinner. My plying is getting better although I still have trouble when I get to the end, but with practice I am sure it Will get better.
A lot of knitting is also getting done. It is also a good thing that I have plenty of yarn and some fibre for spinning as Eric will be home another week. I think is is entirely possible to get cabin fever in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Yes I reached that point last week and still have a week to go, but at least we are home and not at the hospital like everyone was thinking this morning. So at least there is something positive about today.
I did a very foolish thing today too. I scheduled 2 IEP meetings for Eric for today 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon with a doctors appointment sandwiched in between. Definitely too much for one day when I am so tired. Just one more week will be my mantra for the week. So yes I will be off the grid for another week. Enjoy your families and have a good week.
My spinning is progressing nicely and I found a way to keep the yarn from sliding around the spindle and I now have smoother yarn which is also thinner. My plying is getting better although I still have trouble when I get to the end, but with practice I am sure it Will get better.
A lot of knitting is also getting done. It is also a good thing that I have plenty of yarn and some fibre for spinning as Eric will be home another week. I think is is entirely possible to get cabin fever in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Yes I reached that point last week and still have a week to go, but at least we are home and not at the hospital like everyone was thinking this morning. So at least there is something positive about today.
I did a very foolish thing today too. I scheduled 2 IEP meetings for Eric for today 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon with a doctors appointment sandwiched in between. Definitely too much for one day when I am so tired. Just one more week will be my mantra for the week. So yes I will be off the grid for another week. Enjoy your families and have a good week.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Kitchen Disasters A New Contest
We have all had kitchen disasters and some of them are very funny. Take the time when I was about 9 and attempting to cook dinner on my own, so I could get a Girl Scout Cooking badge. Well lets just say I was just awful at fractions at the time and when the recipe called for 3/4 cup of cooking sherry, I thought it meant 3 or 4 cups of sherry. Well you can all see where that one went. Sometimes we just burn the food other times we just use the wrong ingredients as a substitute and disaster strikes.
What this contest is about is your most outrageous cooking disasters of all time. Please keep it clean as this is a family blog. The prize will be either a $25.00 gift certificate to my store or a Medium Flat rate box filled to the brim with yarn, your choice. You have until midnight MST on February 28th to submit your kitchen disasters. Please feel free to post a link to this contest in your blog, The more stories the better.
We will have the usual panel of judges. Good luck and lets hear those stories.
What this contest is about is your most outrageous cooking disasters of all time. Please keep it clean as this is a family blog. The prize will be either a $25.00 gift certificate to my store or a Medium Flat rate box filled to the brim with yarn, your choice. You have until midnight MST on February 28th to submit your kitchen disasters. Please feel free to post a link to this contest in your blog, The more stories the better.
We will have the usual panel of judges. Good luck and lets hear those stories.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Loop de Loop
Well today was certainly a roller coaster of a day. Eric was up until the wee hours of the morning and I did manage to sleep in until 6:15am. After a bit of fumbling which was suppose to look like work; Eric and I both accomplished a nap. The day was so much better after the nap.
Eric wanted company for a couple of hours so it was naturally time to knit. About 1.5 inches got done on the second half of the poncho. After he was settled into watching some Disney Channel I got down to some serious cleaning. I made a very good start on the empty recycle bin, 3 loads out and 1 bag of trash also managed to find its way out the door.
I also came to an euphony while cleaning. I do not have to follow some will instructions to the T. When my Uncle Harry died he left me his stone and glass egg collection with the instructions that when I die it was suppose to be divided up between my kids, nieces and nephew. So I picked out my favorite eggs from the collection and put them on my newly cleaned desk. The rest of the eggs were divided up equally between my nieces and nephew figuring that Teri would get the ones I put on my desk at a later date. With any luck they will be mailed out tomorrow. I am not kidding when I say the out going mail is over 12 inches high and getting higher.
I also managed to spin almost 1 ounce of fibre tonight and will finish it in the morning; and then it will be time to ply it. I am just hoping that I can get the full ounce on one drop spindle before it gets too full. I think I seriously need to find a wpi tool and should start saving up for a spinning wheel.
Well Eric wants some company so it is time to go do some knitting. And look for a new contest in my blog tomorrow. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Eric wanted company for a couple of hours so it was naturally time to knit. About 1.5 inches got done on the second half of the poncho. After he was settled into watching some Disney Channel I got down to some serious cleaning. I made a very good start on the empty recycle bin, 3 loads out and 1 bag of trash also managed to find its way out the door.
I also came to an euphony while cleaning. I do not have to follow some will instructions to the T. When my Uncle Harry died he left me his stone and glass egg collection with the instructions that when I die it was suppose to be divided up between my kids, nieces and nephew. So I picked out my favorite eggs from the collection and put them on my newly cleaned desk. The rest of the eggs were divided up equally between my nieces and nephew figuring that Teri would get the ones I put on my desk at a later date. With any luck they will be mailed out tomorrow. I am not kidding when I say the out going mail is over 12 inches high and getting higher.
I also managed to spin almost 1 ounce of fibre tonight and will finish it in the morning; and then it will be time to ply it. I am just hoping that I can get the full ounce on one drop spindle before it gets too full. I think I seriously need to find a wpi tool and should start saving up for a spinning wheel.
Well Eric wants some company so it is time to go do some knitting. And look for a new contest in my blog tomorrow. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
It's Official
I think that is really official. I have fallen off the face of the earth. Yes Eric is still sick and no he is not ready for school yet at least 2 more days at home this week. Oh and did I mention Rodeo Break is scheduled for Thursday and Friday of this week. Rodeo is a tradition dating back to I believe the mid 1920's here in Tucson and it is a really big deal. We have a parade, official concert and everything.
Over the weekend I finished 1/2 of a poncho for charity and 1 Project Gratitude scarf. Check out this link if you would like to send a nice warm scarf to one of our wonderful military members overseas. http://www.opgratitude.com/howtohelp.php?page=individual The first year I made 4 scarfs, last year I made 6 and this year I hope to have 10 finished by October.
Well the house is quiet now so I will go get some much needed sleep. So enjoy your families and have a great week.
Over the weekend I finished 1/2 of a poncho for charity and 1 Project Gratitude scarf. Check out this link if you would like to send a nice warm scarf to one of our wonderful military members overseas. http://www.opgratitude.com/howtohelp.php?page=individual The first year I made 4 scarfs, last year I made 6 and this year I hope to have 10 finished by October.
Well the house is quiet now so I will go get some much needed sleep. So enjoy your families and have a great week.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Still at Home
I am still at home with a sick boy. Yes this is another iPod blog. I am currently watching Sprout Good Night Show with Eric and hoping that he falls asleep soon.
In honor of my UFO month I finished 8 charity items in my finishing basket. This means that I only have to knit 42 more items to reach my 50 item goal of the year. When the light is better I will take pictures and post them so you can see the work so far. Supriseingly I also picked up Teri's blanket and finished 2 squares today. I don't think it will be done by the 28th of the month,but at this point any progress is good progress. John thinks that I might have it done in time for summer.
Well it looks like Eric is finally settling in for the night. So have a good one and enjoy your families.
In honor of my UFO month I finished 8 charity items in my finishing basket. This means that I only have to knit 42 more items to reach my 50 item goal of the year. When the light is better I will take pictures and post them so you can see the work so far. Supriseingly I also picked up Teri's blanket and finished 2 squares today. I don't think it will be done by the 28th of the month,but at this point any progress is good progress. John thinks that I might have it done in time for summer.
Well it looks like Eric is finally settling in for the night. So have a good one and enjoy your families.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Day or Night You Choose
We are in the is it night or day cycle now. Eric's very bad 3 week long cold that migrated to his lungs. Yes we caught it early and the recovery should be faster. After a very long night we both went back to sleep after everyone left and slept until afternoon. I think it did us both some good.
Not a whole lot of house work got done today. But I did manage to run and empty the dishwasher. Run 3 loads of laundry, whats that you, say is it folded? Of course not, my feelings on the subject is that clean laundry is like fine wine. No laundry shall be folded before its time. Yes I find it more acceptable to wear clean but wrinkly clothes than dirty and wrinkly clothes. Go figure.
My yikes for the day was that I paid $3.10 a gallon for gas for the car. I can't believe how fast it is going up again. Last time I filled up it was $2.80 per gallon. My spectacular spotting of the day was a little ring tailed bob cat that I spotted on the way home from the grocery store. No I did not have the camera handy. I know it would have been a great photograph.
No spinning got done today, but there was some knitting. Just maybe I will get some spinning done tonight. I also wish to thank the crew of AJ's for cooking dinner. Well it is time to wrap up this blog. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Not a whole lot of house work got done today. But I did manage to run and empty the dishwasher. Run 3 loads of laundry, whats that you, say is it folded? Of course not, my feelings on the subject is that clean laundry is like fine wine. No laundry shall be folded before its time. Yes I find it more acceptable to wear clean but wrinkly clothes than dirty and wrinkly clothes. Go figure.
My yikes for the day was that I paid $3.10 a gallon for gas for the car. I can't believe how fast it is going up again. Last time I filled up it was $2.80 per gallon. My spectacular spotting of the day was a little ring tailed bob cat that I spotted on the way home from the grocery store. No I did not have the camera handy. I know it would have been a great photograph.
No spinning got done today, but there was some knitting. Just maybe I will get some spinning done tonight. I also wish to thank the crew of AJ's for cooking dinner. Well it is time to wrap up this blog. So have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Mona's Danish Bakery
My friend Marge and I revisited Mona's Danish Bakery for lunch today. We had sandwiches for lunch and they were very good. Marge had the hot Turkey sandwich and she said it was made to perfection "with real turkey" not the compressed turkey most places use. She also said that she would order the hot turkey sandwich next time we go there. I had the cold Roast Beef sandwich with out the cheese. It had just the right amount of horseradish and mayonnaise on a Danish hard roll. This was very much like the sandwiches that Teri and I indulged in when I dropped her off at the University of East Angelia in Norwich.
I would also like to say that the iced tea was wonderful and brewed to perfection. The lemons were cut fresh and when the bowl was empty the next lemon was sliced. Little things like fresh brewed tea and firm lemons say a lot of good things about the staff at Mona's.
The Bakery is a full service bakery, with a whole line of pastries, cookies, cakes and bread. Marge said the small fresh fruit tart was very good and a must have again. They have a breakfast, lunch menu and kids menu. The soup is freshly made and changes daily.
Mona's Danish Bakery is located at 4777 E Sunrise Drive Suite 113. It is at the NE corner of Swan and Sunrise. The hours are Monday through Saturday from 7 am to 5 pm. There is take out and casual seating available. You place your order at the counter and they bring it out to your table.
The opinions expressed here are my own and I paid for lunch. I did not ask if I could blog about the wonderful food at Mona's Danish Bakery but since the food was so wonderful I wanted to share my experience with everyone. If asked by the owner I will take down this blog. My hope is that you will try the wonderful food here and bring friends back with you.
I would also like to say that the iced tea was wonderful and brewed to perfection. The lemons were cut fresh and when the bowl was empty the next lemon was sliced. Little things like fresh brewed tea and firm lemons say a lot of good things about the staff at Mona's.
The Bakery is a full service bakery, with a whole line of pastries, cookies, cakes and bread. Marge said the small fresh fruit tart was very good and a must have again. They have a breakfast, lunch menu and kids menu. The soup is freshly made and changes daily.
Mona's Danish Bakery is located at 4777 E Sunrise Drive Suite 113. It is at the NE corner of Swan and Sunrise. The hours are Monday through Saturday from 7 am to 5 pm. There is take out and casual seating available. You place your order at the counter and they bring it out to your table.
The opinions expressed here are my own and I paid for lunch. I did not ask if I could blog about the wonderful food at Mona's Danish Bakery but since the food was so wonderful I wanted to share my experience with everyone. If asked by the owner I will take down this blog. My hope is that you will try the wonderful food here and bring friends back with you.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentines Day
Happy valentine's Day everyone. It was a very mixed day. I did manage to get caught up on sleep. A little more cleaning got done and yes 6 count um 6 bags of trash made it out today. I should clarify that it was half recycle half trash.
John was wonderful and brought dinner home tonight. I am so lucky to have a great husband like John for a husband. Eric on the other hand was having a goof ball day.
Well enjoy your families and have a great evening.
John was wonderful and brought dinner home tonight. I am so lucky to have a great husband like John for a husband. Eric on the other hand was having a goof ball day.
Well enjoy your families and have a great evening.
Very Busy
I have been very busy this week trying to get over the cold Eric shared with me,cleaning and running errands. On the cleaning front I now have polished wood on not one but two desk tops. I have organized some more of my yarn and was able to combine two boxes of yarn for charity knitting into to one box. This leaves me more room to bring in more of my stash yarn from the garage. I am also wondering if I will be able to knit 52 items for charity this year? I know one object a week does sound very ambitious.
I have finished more charity knitting and am trying to get more of my UFOs finished. Yes I will even weave in ends this week as my finishing basket is very full. My spinning is coming along nicely. But I do have one question. Is there a very good book about spinning I have the basics down pretty well but want some technical knowledge.
With any luck Eric is now asleep and I can get some more sleep too.
I have finished more charity knitting and am trying to get more of my UFOs finished. Yes I will even weave in ends this week as my finishing basket is very full. My spinning is coming along nicely. But I do have one question. Is there a very good book about spinning I have the basics down pretty well but want some technical knowledge.
With any luck Eric is now asleep and I can get some more sleep too.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
IPod Blog
This is going to be a very short blog. The computer crashed or something this
morning,well it's all funny in a bad sort of way. I am typing this with one finger on my pod at a Tucson favorite called Bookman's.
Now on to the good stuff. I found the lost stone from my mothers ring and it is at Abbott Taylor's the jeweler. Errands are getting done at a fast pace. I even got to my class this morning. Talk about the forward thinking of our ancestors,there were concepts about intellectual property way back at Mount Sinai. All I can say is wow.
Sorry for any misspellings they will be fixed when the computer is. Have a great day and enjoy your families.
As promised all the spelling mistakes have been taken care of.
morning,well it's all funny in a bad sort of way. I am typing this with one finger on my pod at a Tucson favorite called Bookman's.
Now on to the good stuff. I found the lost stone from my mothers ring and it is at Abbott Taylor's the jeweler. Errands are getting done at a fast pace. I even got to my class this morning. Talk about the forward thinking of our ancestors,there were concepts about intellectual property way back at Mount Sinai. All I can say is wow.
Sorry for any misspellings they will be fixed when the computer is. Have a great day and enjoy your families.
As promised all the spelling mistakes have been taken care of.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sunday
I lost a stone in my mothers ring today which left me a little sad. I noticed the stone was gone when the setting got caught in the batt I was working on. Needless to say I will go over the work area with a tooth brush and sweep out every little crevice tomorrow. I need to find Eric's birth stone so I can have it reset.
I think I will take off my rings when spinning from now on.
In the mean time it is time to try to unwind and hope losing the stone was not an omen. Night all.
I think I will take off my rings when spinning from now on.
In the mean time it is time to try to unwind and hope losing the stone was not an omen. Night all.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Spinning
I have added yet another craft to the long list of crafts I already do. Recently I went to the Withers Ranch where I was fortunate enough to have the very wonderful Kathy Withers teach me to spin. Others have tried over the years but Kathy is a darn good teacher. This is a picture of the first skein that I spun all by myself. I know its not much but at least it does look like yarn.
Below is a picture of my progression from right to left of the yarn I have spun over the last 2 weeks. I was even brave enough to ply yarn today but had a slight mishap and the yarn broke in the middle, thus I have 2 skeins instead of 1 skein. Yes I did manage to ply about 370 inches of yarn. I think it 370 sound more impressive the the amount would in yards so I am sticking to it.
This is an unsolicited plug for Kathy's ranch and her classes. Kathy has not asked me to do this and I am not getting paid for this. But I feel there is some stuff that you need to know about Kathy and her ranch.
First of all her company is called Unique Designs by Kathy. Her e-mail is jmarckathy@aol.com her web site link is http://www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com/6928.html ; there you will find her class schedule,a few of Kathy's one of a kind creations and patterns, store hours, ranch tours, home grown fiber and Kathy's yarn. This is where she will be when she is a various shows., if you can't make it to Tucson any time soon.
Kathy will also be at
Stitches West February 17-20, 2011 Santa Clara, CA Booth 14
4th Avenue Spring Street Fair April 1-3, 2011
Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta May 26-29, 2011Pasadena Bead and Design Show July 28-31, 2011 in the Santa Monica Room
Stitches Midwest August 25-28, 2011 Illinois Patagonia Fall Arts Festival October 7-9, 2011It is also time to Mark Your calendars for the Tucson Spring Shearing Festival on April 9th from 9 am to 3 pm. It will be at the ranch located at The Withers’ Ranch 4010 W Palo Seco in Tucson. the phone number is
(520) 572-3758/401-6117.
I hope to see you there and that you get a chance to take one of Kathy's classes. If not at least you can check out her on line shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/uniquedesignsbykathy
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Wednesday
Not a whole lot got done today. Eric was kind enough to share his cold. I still find it amazing that I don't get more of Eric's colds with the sometimes long hours I put in. I did talk to the gentleman for whom I am making the caps for; and the order was cut by one hat so that I have only one hat to go.
My wonderful husband is going to bring dinner home although I am more thirsty and tired then hungry. He defiantly is a keeper. I am hoping that Eric sleeps tonight because I really need the sleep. As I head of to get some juice I would like to to have a great evening and enjoy your families.
My wonderful husband is going to bring dinner home although I am more thirsty and tired then hungry. He defiantly is a keeper. I am hoping that Eric sleeps tonight because I really need the sleep. As I head of to get some juice I would like to to have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Busy Day Plus a quick recipe for Ambrosia
Today was spent with Eric home sick. Just for the fun of it I added some spinning, knitting, laundry and deep cleaning. I am planing ahead for tomorrow as a nurse will be here at 8 am to take care of Eric and give my tired joints a rest. I have finished 1 of the 3 hats that need to be done a week from Friday and am contemplating making a few more to give the customer some choice in colors as she did not specify what colors she wanted.
Now for the promised recipe....
Ambrosia for 1
1 fruit cup drained
2 tablespoons of shredded coconut
1/4 cup maraschino cherries drained
1/2 cup of whipped creme
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. It is best to let it sit for a bit but can be eaten right away.
Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Now for the promised recipe....
Ambrosia for 1
1 fruit cup drained
2 tablespoons of shredded coconut
1/4 cup maraschino cherries drained
1/2 cup of whipped creme
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. It is best to let it sit for a bit but can be eaten right away.
Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Monday, January 31, 2011
A Busy Weekend
It has been a very busy weekend around here. On Saturday Eric was under the weather so it was UFO day and I did manage to finish 2, and there are more where they came from. They will have to wait though because I got a repeat order for 3 more knitted caps. The first cap is halfway through and I still have 12 days to get them finished.
Today was laundry and a trip to the hardware store. I decided to put off more deep cleaning until they pick up the recycle bin tomorrow, after all you can only put so much stuff in before they say it is too full and they refuse to take it. We talked to Teri today and she got an award for having the highest grade in one of her classes. I did forget the name of the award but it is really something and I call the bragging rights even though I did none of the work.
It is now very early on Monday morning and I am really hoping that Eric is asleep. His room has been quiet for 20 minutes. He has been very fussy for the last 2 1/2 hours and I was ready to go to sleep hours ago.
Well here is to a few hours of sleep and a very peaceful week. Enjoy your families.
Addemium- I did not get Eric to sleep until 3:30 this morning. Ugh I can't believe that I am awake.
Today was laundry and a trip to the hardware store. I decided to put off more deep cleaning until they pick up the recycle bin tomorrow, after all you can only put so much stuff in before they say it is too full and they refuse to take it. We talked to Teri today and she got an award for having the highest grade in one of her classes. I did forget the name of the award but it is really something and I call the bragging rights even though I did none of the work.
It is now very early on Monday morning and I am really hoping that Eric is asleep. His room has been quiet for 20 minutes. He has been very fussy for the last 2 1/2 hours and I was ready to go to sleep hours ago.
Well here is to a few hours of sleep and a very peaceful week. Enjoy your families.
Addemium- I did not get Eric to sleep until 3:30 this morning. Ugh I can't believe that I am awake.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Be Good toYour Children
I spent a good part of the afternoon doing the dreaded deep cleaning of my desk drawer's. I should clarify this I only got through 3/4 of one of the file drawers. Not so much for me but for Teri. I know this sounds really odd but the more junk that is totally useless that I get out of the house now the less she will have to do 30 or 40 years from now.
My only regrets of this afternoon were, that they only pick up they recycle bin once a week and I have already done the first mash down of the week, 2 full bins and 2 large bags of recycling went out today. Also that I did not do this sooner. As a generational pack rat I know that this is an inherited trait just ask my mom. I also know that I am on the right track, so please give me time and encouragement.
Those who live with me must not take this as a sign that the house will be done tomorrow a few hours of deep cleaning is all I can handle in one day. A besides I have to give the paper shredder a break too. I am off to try to finish some craft project or another so I can chill out before Eric gets home and I get busy again.
So have a great evening and enjoy your families
My only regrets of this afternoon were, that they only pick up they recycle bin once a week and I have already done the first mash down of the week, 2 full bins and 2 large bags of recycling went out today. Also that I did not do this sooner. As a generational pack rat I know that this is an inherited trait just ask my mom. I also know that I am on the right track, so please give me time and encouragement.
Those who live with me must not take this as a sign that the house will be done tomorrow a few hours of deep cleaning is all I can handle in one day. A besides I have to give the paper shredder a break too. I am off to try to finish some craft project or another so I can chill out before Eric gets home and I get busy again.
So have a great evening and enjoy your families
Sunday, January 23, 2011
A Pivotial Day
A few days ago I noticed that Eric was having a lot of trouble after his bolist feedings. So I call his doctor and we put him on a trial of no bolist feedings and added and extra can of formula. Since we have made that switch Eric has not wild eyrped once and has slept through the night with the exception of last night. I really think he was ticked off at me for going out on a date with John.
Today was a very pivotal day in my life. Today was the first time in over 20 years that we went out as a family and I was not feeding a child. As I walked across Sweet Tomatoes parking lot I had a really odd thought. Why am I carrying my knitting with me, after all Eric was on the pump and when John and I finished lunch we would leave because we did not have to wait for Eric to finish.
John did notice how lost I felt with no child to feed. I needed to get a new rhythm of eating down. The old one was one bite for me then one bite for Eric until I was done. Then it was one row of knitting and one bite for Eric. I did feel totally lost and some what out of a job. As you all know I feel one of my jobs is to make sure everybody gets enough to eat. Yes Eric was eating via the kangaroo pump, but all I do is set up the bag and add formula during the day. So I my opinion the kangaroo pump was feeding Eric.
I need to remember that feeding Eric is not always our interaction while eating but that Eric get the proper nutrition no matter how the food is delivered. I also have to remember that as a parent not all the roads I cross will be bright and happy events. That I need to cherish every moment with my family because in the end they will not remember what we had to eat but rather the time we spent together.
Enjoy your families and have a great evening.
Today was a very pivotal day in my life. Today was the first time in over 20 years that we went out as a family and I was not feeding a child. As I walked across Sweet Tomatoes parking lot I had a really odd thought. Why am I carrying my knitting with me, after all Eric was on the pump and when John and I finished lunch we would leave because we did not have to wait for Eric to finish.
John did notice how lost I felt with no child to feed. I needed to get a new rhythm of eating down. The old one was one bite for me then one bite for Eric until I was done. Then it was one row of knitting and one bite for Eric. I did feel totally lost and some what out of a job. As you all know I feel one of my jobs is to make sure everybody gets enough to eat. Yes Eric was eating via the kangaroo pump, but all I do is set up the bag and add formula during the day. So I my opinion the kangaroo pump was feeding Eric.
I need to remember that feeding Eric is not always our interaction while eating but that Eric get the proper nutrition no matter how the food is delivered. I also have to remember that as a parent not all the roads I cross will be bright and happy events. That I need to cherish every moment with my family because in the end they will not remember what we had to eat but rather the time we spent together.
Enjoy your families and have a great evening.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Making Lemonade
I am still sick and have spent most of the day sleeping. Speaking of which another nap sounds good about now. Not much knitting or any spinning got done today. I did manage to fill the recycle basket but am too tired to walk it to the back door. I will also skip trying to make dinner tonight and let John worry about that. Just maybe I can kick this thing by tomorrow.
My drink of choice today lemon water to make add crushed ice to fill 3/4 of a large drinking glass. Top off with water. Squeeze in 1/4 of a lemon and add 1 sugar cube. Stir drink repeat as necessary.
Enjoy your families and have a great evening.
My drink of choice today lemon water to make add crushed ice to fill 3/4 of a large drinking glass. Top off with water. Squeeze in 1/4 of a lemon and add 1 sugar cube. Stir drink repeat as necessary.
Enjoy your families and have a great evening.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Quick Vegan Corn Chowder
You guessed it since John shared his cold I don't feel like cooking so this is what is in the red pot for dinner tonight.
Vegan Corn Chowder
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Package Trader Joe's Miro Poix Mix*
1 Pound frozen white sweet corn
1/2 pound potatoes boiled and cubed
1 Quart Imagine Creamy Harvest Corn Soup
In your soup pot add the olive oil and warm. Add the Miro Poix mix and saute until the onions are transparent. Added the frozen corn and continue cooking until the corn is warmed through. Add the cubed potatoes and the Imagine Creamy Harvest Corn Soup, simmer on low a minimum of 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.
Serve with Bread and Margarine for a complete dinner. This may also be used as a starter course.
Serves 4 for dinner and 8 for a starter course.
*If you don't have access to Trader Joe's Miro Poix Mix you will need to dice 1 cup of white onions, carrots and celery to a fine dice.
I guess I started cooking dinner too soon. John just called and offered to bring dinner home. Timing is everything and tonight I just don't have it.
Vegan Corn Chowder
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Package Trader Joe's Miro Poix Mix*
1 Pound frozen white sweet corn
1/2 pound potatoes boiled and cubed
1 Quart Imagine Creamy Harvest Corn Soup
In your soup pot add the olive oil and warm. Add the Miro Poix mix and saute until the onions are transparent. Added the frozen corn and continue cooking until the corn is warmed through. Add the cubed potatoes and the Imagine Creamy Harvest Corn Soup, simmer on low a minimum of 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.
Serve with Bread and Margarine for a complete dinner. This may also be used as a starter course.
Serves 4 for dinner and 8 for a starter course.
*If you don't have access to Trader Joe's Miro Poix Mix you will need to dice 1 cup of white onions, carrots and celery to a fine dice.
I guess I started cooking dinner too soon. John just called and offered to bring dinner home. Timing is everything and tonight I just don't have it.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Destashing
Yes I started today's blog with a very bad word, but it did need to be done. You see the yarn and fiber were really creeping out of the closet where they were stored. I also did not want Fibber McGee's closet in my house. After lunch My friend Marge, Eric and I went down to Target to buy 3 storage bins like the one to the right. I should have picked up 2 shopping carts at the front of the store, because by the time I had left they gave us 2 carts to go to the car with.
Packing the car was shall we say very interesting. Only 1 storage bin would fit in the back of the car. So we loaded Eric in the car and put one one the back seat and the other on the floor between Eric's chair and the back seat. The young man from Target gave me a dubious look but I assured him that it would be OK.
Once at home we unloaded the car and got to work. The first part was very easy as most of the yarn had been bought more recently. With Eric supervising and Marge putting the yarn by weight in drawers I sorted through the yarn skein by skein. By the way I think I have enough sock yarn to make as many socks as I have towels left over to make bibs with, so send those easy sock patterns my way. Things went pretty fast at first then the hard part came. Going through the older part of my stash yarn. This is where all the destashing occurred. Luckily for me I had recently taught Eric's aide Joe to knit, so I sent 1 very large carrier bag home with him. Joe was wise enough to place the yarn in his car before I lost my nerve and put it back. Thank you Joe.
By the time I sorted through all the yarn and Marge organized what I was keeping it was time to put the closet back together and I am happy to report that I can now walk in the walk in closet. Even better I have found a lot of batts and roving which should give me something to practice on while I am learning to spin my own yarn. I have 2 very small hanks drying in the garage right now and when they are dry enough you get to hear about that too.
Well now it is time to head off to bed. So enjoy your families and have a great day.
Packing the car was shall we say very interesting. Only 1 storage bin would fit in the back of the car. So we loaded Eric in the car and put one one the back seat and the other on the floor between Eric's chair and the back seat. The young man from Target gave me a dubious look but I assured him that it would be OK.
Once at home we unloaded the car and got to work. The first part was very easy as most of the yarn had been bought more recently. With Eric supervising and Marge putting the yarn by weight in drawers I sorted through the yarn skein by skein. By the way I think I have enough sock yarn to make as many socks as I have towels left over to make bibs with, so send those easy sock patterns my way. Things went pretty fast at first then the hard part came. Going through the older part of my stash yarn. This is where all the destashing occurred. Luckily for me I had recently taught Eric's aide Joe to knit, so I sent 1 very large carrier bag home with him. Joe was wise enough to place the yarn in his car before I lost my nerve and put it back. Thank you Joe.
By the time I sorted through all the yarn and Marge organized what I was keeping it was time to put the closet back together and I am happy to report that I can now walk in the walk in closet. Even better I have found a lot of batts and roving which should give me something to practice on while I am learning to spin my own yarn. I have 2 very small hanks drying in the garage right now and when they are dry enough you get to hear about that too.
Well now it is time to head off to bed. So enjoy your families and have a great day.
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