It has been almost a week since I last blogged. Since then Eric has gotten sick yet again this time a tummy bug that entailed wild eyrping for 24 hours straight, the poor guy. Just when I thought I might get him out the door this week he started showing symptoms of a head cold. I swear the little dude has not been out of the house since the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I do have one suggestion for PBS and Sprout, for the sake of parents of sick kids please don't put your shows on a 6 hour loop. There are only so many times I can watch the same show on the same day before I go nuts.
I am happy to report that Teri has made it through her first final with only 3 more to go. That achievement should not be taken lightly. I can't begin to tell the whole world just how proud I am of her. It is truly a blessing that she is in my life. Teri is a wonderful part of our family.
I have been spending my days knitting and cleaning, aside for hanging around with Eric. I think we are in week 5 or 6 of Eric being home and I am trying not to go stir crazy. I am taking every opportunity to get out of the house for a few minutes when I can. There has been plenty of laundry, which I am happy to say that up until this point I have been keeping up with. I have not had much time for spinning, weaving or sewing. I am beginning to think I will not have a new quilt for John with no time to go into the sewing room or have Teri's new blanket finished as it is to big to take to Eric's room. I am publicly rethinking my holiday presents. Yes, Teri I know I just announced it to the world.
I have added some new items to my etsy studio and have a small pile of things that need photos before listing. I hope to get that done tomorrow. Well it is getting late so its time to say goodnight.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Were Still Here
We have not fallen off the face of the earth. I got Eric to school on Monday and Tuesday. Needless to say I got in as many errands done on those 2 days as possible. I meet with the girls to knit.
Tuesday I even went to 2 different stores to get my holiday shopping done. Not everything I needed was at Trader Joe's. Although I did score my turkey breast at the 1st stop. So a trip to Basha's after my eye doctors appointment seemed like a strategic move. They are right across the street from the eye doctors.
Wednesday with both Eric and John home I did some of the prep for Thursday. I made homemade cranberry sauce from scratch if you want the recipe let me know. And kept very busy. Thursday was spent with the guys, watching the parade on TIVO after my nap. Then there was more cooking while John and Eric napped.This was the first Thanksgiving in I don't remember how long that I was able to do all the chopping and cooking all by my self. It was one small victory over my arthritis.
Friday I left the guys at home and meet the girls for knitting. I had lunch with Nancy and then went home. We hung out and watched a little bit of TV.
Today Nancy and I went to the Reid Park Arts Festival. I came to the conclusion that art shows in the park were not going to be my thing. First of all a lot of the scarfs were made from polyester most were $15.00 or under. They were not my kind of knitting. I left wondering how they were going to break even let alone make any money. Yes they priced their items to sell, but the fiber artist should not have to sell handmade quality at discount store prices. We need to educated the public about the value of handmade and the need for the fiber artist to do more then break even or sell at a loss.
We stopped by Kiwi ( one of our local yarn shops ) to support a local business today. We stayed and did some knitting and chatting too. By the time I got home I took care of Eric's immediate needs then took a nap. John and I made it to Cafe Ole for dinner. Another one of our favorite locally owned restaurants. Dessert was curiosity of Frost another local Tucson favorites.
Well it is time to get Eric to bed for the night .
Tuesday I even went to 2 different stores to get my holiday shopping done. Not everything I needed was at Trader Joe's. Although I did score my turkey breast at the 1st stop. So a trip to Basha's after my eye doctors appointment seemed like a strategic move. They are right across the street from the eye doctors.
Wednesday with both Eric and John home I did some of the prep for Thursday. I made homemade cranberry sauce from scratch if you want the recipe let me know. And kept very busy. Thursday was spent with the guys, watching the parade on TIVO after my nap. Then there was more cooking while John and Eric napped.This was the first Thanksgiving in I don't remember how long that I was able to do all the chopping and cooking all by my self. It was one small victory over my arthritis.
Friday I left the guys at home and meet the girls for knitting. I had lunch with Nancy and then went home. We hung out and watched a little bit of TV.
Today Nancy and I went to the Reid Park Arts Festival. I came to the conclusion that art shows in the park were not going to be my thing. First of all a lot of the scarfs were made from polyester most were $15.00 or under. They were not my kind of knitting. I left wondering how they were going to break even let alone make any money. Yes they priced their items to sell, but the fiber artist should not have to sell handmade quality at discount store prices. We need to educated the public about the value of handmade and the need for the fiber artist to do more then break even or sell at a loss.
We stopped by Kiwi ( one of our local yarn shops ) to support a local business today. We stayed and did some knitting and chatting too. By the time I got home I took care of Eric's immediate needs then took a nap. John and I made it to Cafe Ole for dinner. Another one of our favorite locally owned restaurants. Dessert was curiosity of Frost another local Tucson favorites.
Well it is time to get Eric to bed for the night .
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
This recipe is a family favorite for Thanksgiving and when ever they can persuade me to make it for them. It is a very easy recipe to make but I like to keep a few things special. So with out further ado.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
2 - 29 ounce cans of Princella Cut Sweet Potatoes in light syrup - drained
1 - 20 ounce can of Dole Crushed Pineapple in its own juice. Drained and the juice put in a separate glass on ice
1 - stick of margarine
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 cups of miniature marshmallows. Reserve the extra from the bag for the topping.
A dash of Cinnamon
1 large casserole dish sprayed with Pam or greased. For the holidays I sometimes use an aluminum foil pan to save on clean up or so I don't have to worry about taking the dish back from the party.
I use my Kitchen Aide K-5 to do the mixing but you can do it by hand or with a hand mixer.
Add the Drained Sweet Potatoes, pineapple, margarine, a dash of Cinnamon and brown sugar to the mixing bowl. Beat on a slow speed until smooth. I typically start on speed 1 and work my way up to speed 4. It is important that you scrape down the sides of the bowl often. After the mixture is smooth turn the mixer to the lowest speed and stir in 2 cups of marshmallows.
Pour the mixture into your greased casserole dish and smooth out the top in a nice design. Liberally cover with more of the marshmallows. Cover with the casserole lid or foil.
For a GLASS CASSEROLE put the casserole dish in a COLD oven and turn the temperature to 325f and bake for one hour. For all other pans pre-heat the oven to 350f and bake for 45 minutes. You might want to take the foil cover off for the last 10 minutes if you want a bubbly brown top.
This recipe can be modified for a variety of diets.
For the diabetic reduce or eliminate the brown sugar and cut the amount of marshmallows in half.
For a low fat diet cut in half the amount of margarine or eliminate it entirely.
Now you are probably wondering why you put the pineapple juice on ice. After you clean up the pans it will be time to kick up your feet and and have a nice cold glass of juice.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
2 - 29 ounce cans of Princella Cut Sweet Potatoes in light syrup - drained
1 - 20 ounce can of Dole Crushed Pineapple in its own juice. Drained and the juice put in a separate glass on ice
1 - stick of margarine
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 cups of miniature marshmallows. Reserve the extra from the bag for the topping.
A dash of Cinnamon
1 large casserole dish sprayed with Pam or greased. For the holidays I sometimes use an aluminum foil pan to save on clean up or so I don't have to worry about taking the dish back from the party.
I use my Kitchen Aide K-5 to do the mixing but you can do it by hand or with a hand mixer.
Add the Drained Sweet Potatoes, pineapple, margarine, a dash of Cinnamon and brown sugar to the mixing bowl. Beat on a slow speed until smooth. I typically start on speed 1 and work my way up to speed 4. It is important that you scrape down the sides of the bowl often. After the mixture is smooth turn the mixer to the lowest speed and stir in 2 cups of marshmallows.
Pour the mixture into your greased casserole dish and smooth out the top in a nice design. Liberally cover with more of the marshmallows. Cover with the casserole lid or foil.
For a GLASS CASSEROLE put the casserole dish in a COLD oven and turn the temperature to 325f and bake for one hour. For all other pans pre-heat the oven to 350f and bake for 45 minutes. You might want to take the foil cover off for the last 10 minutes if you want a bubbly brown top.
This recipe can be modified for a variety of diets.
For the diabetic reduce or eliminate the brown sugar and cut the amount of marshmallows in half.
For a low fat diet cut in half the amount of margarine or eliminate it entirely.
Now you are probably wondering why you put the pineapple juice on ice. After you clean up the pans it will be time to kick up your feet and and have a nice cold glass of juice.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
More Milestones
As we celebrate another milestone in Eric's life. I would like to ask you to help us reach more milestones in his life. There are two organizations that play a vital part in Eric's life.
First there is the ML4 Foundation. Eric's primary diagnosis is ML4. Mucolipidosis Type IV (ML4) is a horrible genetic disease effecting children across the world. Doctors say that children with ML4 will likely never walk or talk, have a maximum mental capacity of about 18 months, go blind by twelve years old and live only into early adulthood. The mission of the ML4 Foundation is to promote and fund medical research to develop treatments and find a cure for ML4.
Any amount will help fund this research. Just think that in Eric's life time we have already found the gene mutation that causes ML4. We as a family know that anything is possible.
ML4 Foundation Donation Page
The second organization that we would like you to consider is the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Eric has been going to summer camp at the TJCC since he has been 4 years old. Over that span of time the inclusion program has grown from just a few special needs children mixed in with other campers to a full inclusion program with a wait list. The program has also evolved over the years to include a young adult program called Tag-Lit which is for high school age and older campers. Tag-Lit also has a year round program which Eric will transition to after high school and join the year round program.
This program is funded primarily through shrinking state dollars and grants. Any amount of money contributed to this effort would go a long way in helping Eric and his friends. Eric has been together with some of his friends for 17 years. I know it is very hard to believe that these wonderful people have kept the program going for so long.
Please use the pull down menu to the inclusion fund designation and this money will go to special needs programs and equipment at the Tucson JCC. They can stretch a dollar like no other organization I have seen.
Tucson JCC Donation form.
My Family and I would like to thank you in advance for your support. I would also like to thank you fror lending an ear over the years.. Sheri
First there is the ML4 Foundation. Eric's primary diagnosis is ML4. Mucolipidosis Type IV (ML4) is a horrible genetic disease effecting children across the world. Doctors say that children with ML4 will likely never walk or talk, have a maximum mental capacity of about 18 months, go blind by twelve years old and live only into early adulthood. The mission of the ML4 Foundation is to promote and fund medical research to develop treatments and find a cure for ML4.
Any amount will help fund this research. Just think that in Eric's life time we have already found the gene mutation that causes ML4. We as a family know that anything is possible.
ML4 Foundation Donation Page
The second organization that we would like you to consider is the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Eric has been going to summer camp at the TJCC since he has been 4 years old. Over that span of time the inclusion program has grown from just a few special needs children mixed in with other campers to a full inclusion program with a wait list. The program has also evolved over the years to include a young adult program called Tag-Lit which is for high school age and older campers. Tag-Lit also has a year round program which Eric will transition to after high school and join the year round program.
This program is funded primarily through shrinking state dollars and grants. Any amount of money contributed to this effort would go a long way in helping Eric and his friends. Eric has been together with some of his friends for 17 years. I know it is very hard to believe that these wonderful people have kept the program going for so long.
Please use the pull down menu to the inclusion fund designation and this money will go to special needs programs and equipment at the Tucson JCC. They can stretch a dollar like no other organization I have seen.
Tucson JCC Donation form.
My Family and I would like to thank you in advance for your support. I would also like to thank you fror lending an ear over the years.. Sheri
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Party Day
We had a small party for Eric today. We had 1 friend for Eric and just did a little hanging out and relaxing. A lot of the Elmo's made it off the shelf. At one point we had a Sesame Street video going plus a few Elmos' sing and one even telling stories. Eric reached for every Elmo that made it to the bed. Matthew even managed to find and get John to open 2 more Elmo's that were still in the boxes. Eric and Matthew had a great time even though I fell asleep this morning instead of making a cake. I don't think it made a difference to either of them.
The party favor was a new dog pillow for Matthews dog. I had enough scraps to stuff a dog pillow for Frank. I made the mistake of putting my hand in the stuffing mix and have a nice blister on my hand. Polyfil is great to stuff dog pillows with along with yarn and spinning scraps, but my skin does not like it. When will I ever learn. sigh.
I did manage to score a Phat Fiber sampler box on the second drop today and it should be here before Thanksgiving. I did not find time to spin but I did get a few rows done on a hat and 1 1/2 squares done on Teri's blanket. I think the month is catching up with me so it is time to call it a night.
The party favor was a new dog pillow for Matthews dog. I had enough scraps to stuff a dog pillow for Frank. I made the mistake of putting my hand in the stuffing mix and have a nice blister on my hand. Polyfil is great to stuff dog pillows with along with yarn and spinning scraps, but my skin does not like it. When will I ever learn. sigh.
I did manage to score a Phat Fiber sampler box on the second drop today and it should be here before Thanksgiving. I did not find time to spin but I did get a few rows done on a hat and 1 1/2 squares done on Teri's blanket. I think the month is catching up with me so it is time to call it a night.
Friday, November 18, 2011
TGIF
Well we made it to Friday in one piece. John had the day off so I took advantage and went to knitting. I had fun with the girls. You should see all the creative Christmas decorations they are knitting up for their trees. There were baskets, pine cones and miniature sweaters. Me on the other hand a knit 1 purl 2 scarf pattern, it is a very steady pattern that comes out quite nice. Oh I forgot cast on in multiples of 3.
I did get some spinning time in today. I am 2/3 of the way through one of Kathy Withers batts. I did notice that she did not have any listed in her shop, but if you send her a note through her etsy shop she might be able to come up with something just for you.
At dinner, yes I take my knitting when we eat out, I found a very large mistake in the red cowl I was 2/3 of the way done and it was not a recoverable error. Believe me I did try that first before I frogged the whole thing. I had the project re casted before we went home.
A little more knitting tonight. Two more squares were finished on Teri's Queen size blanket. Just in case you were wondering why the blanket is taking so long to knit;it is being knit on US size seven knitting needles. So unless I love you as much as I love Teri I will not be making you one on size 7 needles ever. If it were for anyone else but Teri I would have given up on it a long time ago.
Well it is getting late so 1 last quick reminder. the contest is open until November 20 at midnight MST. I have 3 prizes and only 2 entries so far so you chances are very good so far.
I did get some spinning time in today. I am 2/3 of the way through one of Kathy Withers batts. I did notice that she did not have any listed in her shop, but if you send her a note through her etsy shop she might be able to come up with something just for you.
At dinner, yes I take my knitting when we eat out, I found a very large mistake in the red cowl I was 2/3 of the way done and it was not a recoverable error. Believe me I did try that first before I frogged the whole thing. I had the project re casted before we went home.
A little more knitting tonight. Two more squares were finished on Teri's Queen size blanket. Just in case you were wondering why the blanket is taking so long to knit;it is being knit on US size seven knitting needles. So unless I love you as much as I love Teri I will not be making you one on size 7 needles ever. If it were for anyone else but Teri I would have given up on it a long time ago.
Well it is getting late so 1 last quick reminder. the contest is open until November 20 at midnight MST. I have 3 prizes and only 2 entries so far so you chances are very good so far.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
I Will be a Willow Tree
Sometimes I wonder why I bother to make plans at all. About 50% of my plans land in the blender. Take today for instance. I had planed to go to the knitting guild meeting today and hang out with some friends and maybe have lunch. So to that end I called and scheduled a nurse for today last Friday, because Eric is still home. I figured 6 days in advance was enough. Well 8:00 am came and went. We are suppose to wait a reasonable amount of time in case the nurse gets lost. By 8:30 still no nurse and they have 2 hours to find a replacement. So much for the guild meeting and lunch with friends.
So instead I went to the pantry and filled a bag of food for the annual stuff the Mayflower for the Tucson Community Food Bank that our local radio station 94.9MIXfm puts on. Let Eric watch some TV while I got ready. Negotiated with Eric what shows he wanted to watch before we dropped the food and check off. Yes we had to wait until Sesame Street was over.
Then it was getting Eric ready to go and all that that entails. Load Eric in the car and drive down to the drop off site. Then I had to explain that Eric wanted to make the donation of the food so I put it in his lap so the volunteer could take the bag of food from him and then they said thank you to Eric. I also took a moment to drop the check in the collection bucket.
Back home again and it was time for my lunch and then to put Eric down for a nap. Eric wanted company so I did some knitting. When he dozed off I did some pretty awesome tossing of junk into recycle. Then Eric would squeak and I would go back to his room, knit some more until he dozed and then it was back to cleaning.This went on for 4 hours this afternoon. But the net result is a cleaner section of the house. And enough magazines tossed to compress the recycle bin a little.
I also figured out what was causing Eric's bed to act all funny. Yes I fixed that too. I just love duck tape, I just need to get more of it. An darn if I was not at the hardware store just last night and walked right past it thinking that I had enough of it.
Eric's afternoon aide was late too. He showed up 25 minutes after the start of the shift and then tried to play the we need to fill out the time card in pencil routine, yes like I have never seen that done before and did not know he was going to erase the time he was here with the time he was suppose to be here. Pencil really who was he trying to kid? I wrote over his pencil in black ink.
I can truly say that I am very tired and that it was a long day. Other than the disappointment of not being able to go out or have the energy to take pictures for my on line shop the day did turn out all right.
Now if Eric would only sleep through the night tonight.
So instead I went to the pantry and filled a bag of food for the annual stuff the Mayflower for the Tucson Community Food Bank that our local radio station 94.9MIXfm puts on. Let Eric watch some TV while I got ready. Negotiated with Eric what shows he wanted to watch before we dropped the food and check off. Yes we had to wait until Sesame Street was over.
Then it was getting Eric ready to go and all that that entails. Load Eric in the car and drive down to the drop off site. Then I had to explain that Eric wanted to make the donation of the food so I put it in his lap so the volunteer could take the bag of food from him and then they said thank you to Eric. I also took a moment to drop the check in the collection bucket.
Back home again and it was time for my lunch and then to put Eric down for a nap. Eric wanted company so I did some knitting. When he dozed off I did some pretty awesome tossing of junk into recycle. Then Eric would squeak and I would go back to his room, knit some more until he dozed and then it was back to cleaning.This went on for 4 hours this afternoon. But the net result is a cleaner section of the house. And enough magazines tossed to compress the recycle bin a little.
I also figured out what was causing Eric's bed to act all funny. Yes I fixed that too. I just love duck tape, I just need to get more of it. An darn if I was not at the hardware store just last night and walked right past it thinking that I had enough of it.
Eric's afternoon aide was late too. He showed up 25 minutes after the start of the shift and then tried to play the we need to fill out the time card in pencil routine, yes like I have never seen that done before and did not know he was going to erase the time he was here with the time he was suppose to be here. Pencil really who was he trying to kid? I wrote over his pencil in black ink.
I can truly say that I am very tired and that it was a long day. Other than the disappointment of not being able to go out or have the energy to take pictures for my on line shop the day did turn out all right.
Now if Eric would only sleep through the night tonight.
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