Thursday, October 6, 2011

Fantasy vs Reality

Fantasy
Yesterday my plans included 8 hours of sleep. Bringing the spinning wheel to the front porch and spinning for a couple of hours. It was such a lovely fall day. Followed by a trip to the post office. A light lunch and clothes shopping all before Eric got home.

Reality

Up half the night with Eric, but he did go to school. I tried to nap but the phone was ringing non stop. That was not all that bad I did get to talk to my good friend Donna. Thirty minutes trying to make a doctors appointment. Followed by lots of paper work, a trip to the post office. Three hours at the Social Security Office, a quick trip to Trader Joe's and lunch to go at Burger King at 3:30pm.. By the time I finished lunch I had 20 minutes to decompress before Eric got home. A few hours to get things done while the aide was here. If you have not guessed by now up until 1:30 am with a sick boy. Yes he does have the cold de jour. I did manage to finish one scarf and start another.

Today

I have been up since 6 am. Eric is home sick. I have managed breakfast so far, but not much else. My plans today include a lot of knitting and maybe some spinning.  I should also squeeze in some finishing work to clear the pile of freshly knitted objects. I will also try to figure out how to take in my skirts or dash out when John gets home so my skirt is not falling down during services this weekend.

Have a great day.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Butternut Squash Soup

When all else fails I will give you a new recipe. Yes, Eric was up until all hours. I had a fight with the insurance company over Eric's formula. Lets just say I lost round one. Unlike the old days of so last century the executives and decision makers don't take phone calls. I just love when a big company states we are exempt from state laws because they say so...are not...

The day was not all bad though. I did manage to use 1/2 of a can of Pledge on the front door. Boy that wood was dry. It just soaked up the polish like the prickly pears soak up the summer rain. The upshot is that the door looks so much better. I even did a few windows too. That was my exercise for today.

So without further ado.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 small Onion peeled and diced
1 Banana Nut Squash peeled and diced
2 medium Yams peeled and diced
2 tart Apples cored and diced
2 Tablespoons of Oleo
2 14.5 ounce cans of Chicken Broth
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a 4 quart soup pot melt oleo. Add the onion and saute until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature and simmer for 2 hours. Lightly break up some of the larger chunks of vegetables and serve.

This soup is definitely better the first night. Serves 4 for a main course.

Friday, September 30, 2011

ML4


As a lot of you who read my blog with regularity know that my youngest child Eric has ML4. You already know that a considerable part of my time is spent caring for Eric. I never thought that in my life time let alone Eric's that we would be able to find the gene that causes so many problems for Eric. Yet through the ML4 Foundations funding of research has help make that dream come true.  It would be nice to dream that in Eric's life time there was a treatment to slow or stop this life altering disease. This is a copy of a mass appeal fundraising letter that is going out this week. If you can find it in your heart and budget any help would be wonderful.


A clear link to the letter is ML4 Letter
In case you can't read the mailing address checks can be sent to

ML4 Foundation
719 East 17th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11230

www.ml4.org

Please feel free to pass this letter on to anyone who might be interested.
Have a wonderful weekend with your families.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

A Simple Soup

I made this fast and easy soup for dinner last night.

White Acorn Squash Soup

1 White Acorn Squash - peeled, seeded and coarsely diced
2 Large Russet Potatoes - scrubbed and coarsely diced
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
2 Cans chicken broth ( you may substitute a vegetable broth to make this vegan)

I put all my vegetables in my 4.5 quart Le Creuset pot. I added the 2 cans of broth. I brought the soup up to a low boil and reduced the heat to low and cooked it for 2 hours on low.  I did not add any additional seasonings, but feel free to spice it up anyway you would like.

This will serve 4 as a main course. I can't give you a calorie count but it will be pretty high in fiber.

Monday, September 26, 2011

A Little Catch Up

Well it has been a little over a week since I last blogged. A week ago Monday I got Eric out the door to school and spent the next 3 days running around town like a mad lady trying to get everything under the sun done.

I found a new home for the 2 knitting machines that were in need of a lot of work. They went home with a nice couple from the Midwest. They joined us a knitting and had breakfast with us. Afterward they moved their car by mine and we whooshed the machines to their new home.

I did get my 2 rather large boxes off to Vermont. The final count that I sent was 30 back packs, 25 scarfs and 23 hats. This should actually read that I got about 50 to 60 skeins of yarn plus some backpacks out of the house. Some of the scarfs took multiple skeins. The sad part of this is that other than reclaiming a shopping bag I personally don't think I made much of a dent in my yarn stash. I will keep knitting up a storm because winter is coming and I know that the need will be great this year. I think I will make my motto "Have yarn will knit"

When it gets a little cooler, to read in the mid to low 80's. I will get some help to move yarn around the garage and see if the stash has gone down. This is when I plan on doing some more decluttering. I have found that the garage is like Fiber McGee's closet only larger and less prone to fall on me.

Not one bit of spinning has gotten done since last Friday.  Although John has discovered where the newly spun yarn takes a short rest after being boiled and thwacked. His only comment was "more yarn".

John and I did manage to get out of the house for a bit of "us" time this weekend. I would also like to add that at the party we went to the hostess graciously accepted one of my hand knit hats hot off the needles so I did not have to take the finished object home with me.  Can I count that as 1 more skein out the door? Yes I do take my knitting every where.

Well it is time to end this post so good night all. Please enjoy your families.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

All Is Well

All is well again. Today Eric woke up with a smile, the first time in it seems like weeks. Thursday and Friday I started to slow down an opted to have some help with Eric. By the way Thursday was also the first day of my flare up.

My knitting mojo slowed down by Thursday. I finished 2 scarfs and started another scarf. I also started a special order for Logan.  I also started another hat today.  Friday was the day the spindles got a lot of action. It just seemed to be what my body and soul needed.

I have started spinning unique combinations to put together in embellishment packages that I will have at the Tucson Wool Festival on October 22, 2011 At Kathy's Ranch , just follow the link for details.  Don't worry I will also have a large selection of stitch markers too. Rumor has it that there are new yarns in her store this week,. If you love her yarn as much as I do hurry in as the yarn will be sold long before the wool festival. If you can not make it out to the ranch check out Kathy's Esty Store . By the way I did not tell Kathy Withers, I was going to write about her new yarn nor am I receiving any compensation. This is all my version of fan mail for a very talented lady.

Well it is time to go check out what is happening in the rest of the house. Have a great weekend and enjoy your families.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

And Today Is?

It has been another long day of sick child care. This morning while we were in the living room I did the finishing work on 6 scarfs and 2 hats. I tagged them and put them in the rather full bag destine for Vermont. They also wanted woolen socks, gloves and mittens, but you know that I don't do those. It would mean that I had to pay attention to what I am doing. So a very large bag of scarfs and hats are going to be headed their way.  Some is better than none and I think these will still be useful. If you would like to send some hand knit socks or mittens let me know and I will send you the name of the contact person, school and address.

After lunch I finished 1 more scarf and started another one. I spent the majority of the afternoon being a chair back for Eric to he could breath easier. So not a lot of knitting got done, but breathing is better than knitting. I want to try to get a little more picking up done before John gets home so I am going to end the blog here tonight.