Stupid Is The New Awesome

What I've Been Up To, Pt. I

2010-04-28T09:08:00.002-04:00

So, here we are backtracking all the way to March. At the end of March, we went to Houston for my littlest sister's wedding. the day before all the madness started, we went down to Hermann Park for a little sightseeing. Bf and I are Travel Nerds. It doesn't matter where we go, or why we go there,- we'll always manage to find something educational to do and see. This time we went to the butterfly exhibit at the Museum of Natural Science. So awesome.

In the butterfly exhibit, you sweat your butt off while wandering around in a rainforest-like enclosure. All the butterflies just flutter around you, and you have to resist the urge to swat at them as they fly by (or land on you!) It's pretty awesome.

I love this blue one. I think it's one of the Morphos.

Camouflage butterfly says that he is an owl, not a butterfly. No clue how this pic came out so perfectly in focus, but I just love it.
Fuzzy pic of the butterfly nursery. The orange and black striped one is emerging from his (or her) cocoon! I could have watched that for hours. First a little twitch...then a wiggle...then some more wiggling...then a bit of a wing...then more wing...then a butterfly! So exciting.

Posting two days in a row, look at me go. Hey, that rhymes.

Uh, hello.

2010-04-27T08:20:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone (especially Kerry).

So sad that it's taken me this long to get myself back to this space. It's a tricky thing, blogging. First there are stretches of days where everything is so regular, mundane, and ordinary that it hardly seems worth mentioning. And as we all know, I am not a person who slows down and remembers to breathe, or sees the beauty in a glass of water and a peice of toast or something. I mean yeah, those are good things. But they aren't MY things. It's all tomfoolery, all the time around these parts. But then there are occasions and things worth mentioning, finds worth sharing, and thoughts worth saving for later, and I don't do very well at that either. Time slips by at a rate of speed greater than my internet connection, and then it seems less than relevant. But it's all worth keeping, you just have to get around to it.

So.

Although I want to start way back in March, I would like to mention something first. This is the week of two very big anniversaries. First, it was two years ago that I brought home a terrified little hound named Sticks who was not house trained, got car sick, and would not walk on a leash. Now Maya keeps amazing us every day with the things she is willing to take in stride, and how very much she likes to snuggle. And bite your butt if she wants attention. And how loudly she barks. And how much she likes to go for walks. And car rides. And how she went to the Farmer's Market and walked through downtown traffic and into throngs of people and had only one freakout when the Kettle Corn man fired up his big kettle. She's a good girl. Perhaps on our three year anniversary, I will write about how she doesn't rip up potted plants. That would be nice.

The other anniversary is the one that marks the passing of our first year as a family, me and BF and Lilly and Maya and Charlie. A year ago, he arrived after a 10 hour drive in a car full of clothes, cds, and a big dumb dog. Now, I can hardly remember a time when I didn't wake up next to him (or Lilly, depending on if she got cold and snuck up into the bed between us). It's so easy to bicker about money, dishwasher loading principles, dinner, and TV viewing that I forget how really lonely I would be without them. It's been a most educational year, one where I learned a lot about compromise and team work and the awesome power of just being nice.

I've got lots more to catch up on here, and I promise to do just that. But this is getting awfully long, and that's no good. And since pictureless posts are no fun, here's a sunset for you.

Let Us Speak of Pickled Things

2010-03-19T10:48:00.000-04:00

Here lately, what with the interest in canning, I have given a lot of thought to pickled things. I love them. I love pickles in many forms, and I know that it's a typical food in the south, but I am not sure about other places. Anyway, we had a dinner party last weekend, and I put together a few of my favorite pickled things of late and called it an appetizer. They were hits, so I thought I would share these with you.

These pickled cucumbers are struggling to find a name with me. They need a special name because they aren't even pickles really- more like brined cucumbers. And they are also very Asian-flavored- lots of ginger and fish sauce. But they are crisp and crunchy and have about a thousand different uses- they are great on top of a peice of grilled tuna, great in sandwiches, on crackers, or just crammed into your mouth while you hang out on your deck, all bundled up and pretending it's spring. I adapted this recipe from a marinade I found in one of our cookbooks on modern asian and thai cooking.

Asian Briney Cucumber Thingys

3in peice of fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves
just a bit of thai chili paste or maybe a dash of Sriracha
5T sugar
5T fish sauce
juice of 2 limes
1/3 c of water
2 cucumbers, seeded and sliced sort of thin

mix it all up and toss in the cucumbers. at first the cukes will not be very well covered by the marinade, but within about 20 minutes they will give up some of their juice and kind of settle in. Let sit overnight. This will keep for about 10 days in a sealed container.

I feel like people should make the most of what's available locally. This is double true when you are lucky enough to live in a fishing town, where local shrimp can be bought pretty much fresh off the boat. If you can't go down to the docks for your shrimp, find the best ones you can get. As with all things, that is the difference between goodness and greatness.

Pickled Shrimp
Adapted from This Recipe

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
large onion, sliced thin
green pepper, rough chopped
1C vegetable oil
1 1/2 C ketchup
2C Apple Cider Vinegar
1T yellow mustard
3T worstershire
1t Old Bay
a few shakes of salt, pepper, and hot sauce

mix up everything but the shrimp in a giant bowl. drop the shrimp in boiling water for just a short short time- like one minute. Seriously. It won't look to be fully cooked, but the vinegar will continue that process. If you fully cook them when you boil the shrimp you will end up with some very tough shrimp, and we all know that's not fun. Serve with crackers.

Have a great weekend! There are buds on the trees here, and the dogwoods are in full bloom. I will be popping Claritins, enjoying the view, and wishing for more pickled things.

Knitting on St. Pats

2010-03-17T17:27:00.001-04:00

It's St. Patrick's Day, so it is not only awesome that i have completed, photographed knitting to show you (and knitting in progress for that matter, now that I think of it- I have sucked on that front too.), but that knitting is also green in color. Fancy that.

My Wicked Sweater. Eh.
I am very proud that I knit an item of clothing, and it hasn't fallen to shreds or burst into flames. And short sleeved sweaters are actually feasible for me to own, what with us having like two weeks of winter. But I tell you what, right up there with No Wire Hangers, EVER is no worsted weight sweaters. Ever. It's a bad look for me. That, along with me knitting this probably a size or so too big means that there's a boxiness to the middle that honestly I have worked way to hard at the gym to get rid of. Oh well, win some, lose some. Here is the Rav page, and the yarn is Cascade 220 in Irelande. Hmm. How appropriate.

The Textured Shawl, for more worsted weight fun:
(and the shawl is sitting with my Oxalis and actually looks kind of nice with that purple. Maybe I will knit the plant a shawl as well.) I shopped at home for this- there are three balls of this stuff that have been hanging around for ever. I think it's so funny that I am knitting a shawl. At first i thought that maybe it was like my transformation into someone's grandma or something was becoming more complete. But no, it turns out they are kind of trendy and fancy right now. you don't wear them with the point in the back, you wear them in the front sort of like the stars of Young Guns II or an old timey bankrobber or what not. It's The Cool Thing To Do, and this is the first time in a while that I have been aware of what the cool thing is, I am running with it.

In neon green.

I hope your St. Pat's is loads of fun, and reeks of cabbage. We are cabbage-less, but BF informs me that he will be staying in and having a one man party of sorts. Goober Go Bragh!

Playing Hooky

2010-03-11T09:25:00.002-05:00

Younges Island, SC

It's rainy, I'm tired, and I should be in spinning class right now. I should also be sharing a thought provoking post on pickles, or perhaps modeling a new green sweater for you, but all that will just have to wait. Sometimes not doing what you should be doing is the best thing to do.

Yep.

The Jelly Jar Is Half Full

2010-03-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

I tried.

I failed.

Sort of.

this is yet another foray into yet more uncharted territory. Up above in those sunny pictures, you see some Three Citrus Marmalade, from Well Preserved. This book was a Christmas gift, and I fell in love with the idea of preserving small batches of things at the height of their awesomeness (really, in December, who doesn't dream of a time when zucchini is in season?) and having them to enjoy later. Each recipe for preserving something is followed by a handful of recipes that use that item as a key ingredient, and I must say, those recipes are sexy.

Yeah, I called them sexy.

So, for the first time ever I made marmalade. I got to use my candy thermometer, I carefully processed all the jars like i should have, and all of them sealed. I understand the process and no longer have a fear that during water bath processing, all the jars will explode and glass shards will go in my eyes. Vivid imagination + generalized fear of the unfamiliar = eternally living in a B horror movie, if only in my own mind. So that's the good thing.

The bad thing is that i HATE the resulting marmalade. HAAAAAAAAAATE. And you know who is to blame for this? Me. That's who. I mean in retrospect, I should have known that while i like oranges quite a lot, I don't like grapefruit at all. Lemon- eh. So why I thought that a great thing to make would be Three Citrus Marmalade with grapefruit and lemon- well, I'm just not sure.

Now back to the good thing. It's actually a Great Thing. While stirring and canning and timing, I got that smug feeling that I thrive on. And since my shady little yard that is patrolled by mongrel dogs isn't conducive to growing things, the next best thing is buying stuff that other people have grown, and putting it in little jars to store away for another time. The bonus is that BF REALLY enjoyed the process. Surprisingly so. It involves science, precision, gadgets, and squirreling away food- not sure why I didn't realize sooner that this could be his life's work. I figure since I am In Charge when it comes to the kitchen, he will be a great little minion, and lord knows I do love to Supervise. But yay! Another thing we like to do together, and another thing that has me looking forward to a good Southern Summer- long growing season, lots of time for trial and error.

Another Outing

2010-03-09T18:23:00.000-05:00

Spring is most certainly arriving here, and that means that it is the season for outings. We are playing Tourist in our own town a lot lately. It's great for a transplant like the BF and for a jaded local like me to be able to go enjoy these things together.

This week we visited the Angel Oak. It's the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi. It's 65 feet tall, at least 1500 years old, and just awe inspiring. We arrived bright and early on Sunday, and were able to catch the most beautiful light...through the fence because the park didn't open till 1 on Sundays. Doh!

By the time we went back, it was close to the end of the day, and the clouds had moved in. Stunning still, but there was something about that light.

Dresser Update

2010-03-03T16:09:00.000-05:00

so I have this old dresser, a freebie from my college roommate. It was a freebie to her. Back then I got it and it was a wacky green with wooden handles. Very farmhouse.

I got the bright idea to paint it a crazy purple (i still love that color, i think it's very dramatic.), take off the hardware and...do nothing else with it for like 5 years. Here it sits, housing lots of sewing doo dads.

And here it is now, still housing sewing doo dads, but in a much more stylish way.

With minimal begging, BF installed some knobs and a fun little handle. Although I am sort of over decals, i still have an inner squeal every time I see this one.

Now here's where we talk a bit about a shift that I am seeing in many of my creative endeavors. You see, those handles are ever so slightly not perfectly aligned. And ya know what? That's okay. Because I have realized that the vision of perfection I have in my mind is the greatest reason why it takes me, oh, EONS to finish things. I am really finding it easy to accept Good Enough these days. Because Good Enough is better in about a thousand different ways than Half Finished.

On Napping

2010-03-02T13:28:00.000-05:00

[Taken on Sunday]

Ravelympics Redux

2010-03-01T16:31:00.000-05:00

Yay! Another knitted thing! Two, actually!

These are socks that I made during the Ravelympics, a super cute little knitting Olympics hosted by the knitting Cyber-Leviathan, Ravelry. (I really just wanted to use the word Leviathan. I heard it last night during a show about dinosaurs and have been itching to use it since. It's a great word, leviathan.)

I want to interrupt this post to say that the slow photo uploading times of Blogger, combined with the generally terrible upload speeds of Knology mean that I have been sitting here watching those gray dashes whirl around that yellow triangle for some time now. That's annoying.

so, here are my socks! Let me just say once again, in case I have never said it on this blog before: handknit socks are one of life's greatest pleasures. If you ever by chance happen to save a knitter's life and they want to know how to repay you, you should ask for handknit socks. Everyone that knows good things should have at least one pair. But don't ask me for them; they are a pain in the ass. I am a slow knitter, and although i had lots of Real Life type things slowing me down, I persevered. Yay! Be all that you can be! Wait no, that's the Army.

Top photo is wildly inaccurate in regards to color, but that's ok. Bottom photo is probably closest, although they are a bit greener than that. Lovely all the same. Sigh.

One thing I have been trying to do lately is take part in all manner of challenges and what not. Meeting my goals makes me feel like I am actually accomplishing something. That has really become important to me. I did the Ravelympics and am currently taking part in two challenges at the gym. Being competitive and really wanting to feel obligated in some way to anything Outside the Home is helping to define my days a bit. And that's nice.

what about you? Did you knit? Did you crochet? Did you finish?

As a side note, I would like to say that I really enjoyed the Real Olympics this year. I watched a LOT of them, and I like how there are sports that are fun for People Who Don't Like Sports. Like biathlon is my new fave. Curling is up there too. LOVE skeleton, if for no other reason than to giggle at the terrible angle at which athletes are shot at the start. Spandex, running, full-on butt shot...not so cute. And also if you are a weepy sap like me, you get a kick out of seeing people achieve their dreams, try their hardest, and put on display all the good things that there are in the spirit of competing. What? No, I wasn't crying when the whole arena gave the Georgians a standing ovation. i just had something in my eye.

Oh! Knitting details:

Pattern: Embossed Leaves (found in the Best of Interweave Socks or some such thing)
Yarn: Classic Elite Alpaca Sox
Needles: US2's for the ribbing, 1's for the socks

On Screenprinting and Paying Attention

2010-02-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we spoke of failure around here.

I got Lena Corwin's Printing By Hand for Christmas. I had been itching to learn screen printing, and printing in general, and this book finally made me feel like the info was accessible. I have another book about it, but all it really did was confuse me. Not Lena! I got so excited about it that I made up a stencil, devised my first project, got all the materials out, and got started. I was bound for success.

And because I know myself, i read the instructions twice. Before even starting. I re-read each step as I worked it, and this is what happened:

A lovely, clear stencil all ready to go. BUT- I read the instructions, but not the bottles. I used screen filler instead of drawing fluid, and thusly ruined my screen. The project never got off the ground. Well it did get off the ground, but then crashed and burned.

But now we get the the annoying part of the post where I tell you the bright side: I ordered plenty more screen fabric and some more inks for cheap on Dick Blick. I got over the crushing fear of failure (again, it's a recurring theme here for some reason. This blog should be called Fear of Failure is the New Awesome. Only it's not the New Awesome, it's the Goofy Stumbling Block Which Exists Only In My Mind. But that's a terrible name for a blog, so we will keep things as they are. Anyway.). Also, the most fun thing about this is that BF came home, and was quite excited to see that there are screen printing supplies and instructions laying about the house. Turns out he is actually interested in this! This is- wait for it- a Crafty Activity We Can Do Together! This is pee your pants worthy excitement here. He never wants to do creative things with me, and for my part- i shoo him away from all my art supplies because he is like a toddler in that he picks things up, clings to them for about 6 seconds and then throws them down where ever he is at that second. So, I am thinking that this could be the beginning of Something Fun.

By the way, the intended project was to screen print some paw prints onto some fleece remnants I bought at the fabric store and turned into doggie blankets. We keep our house really cold to save on power (although the rates are so high here, I shudder to think of what our bill would be if we let it get over 63 in our house EVER) so the dogs get cold. And for about $3, two fleece blanket-like remnants with the opportunity for customizing- it was just too appealing.

Worth Mentioning

2010-02-01T10:41:00.000-05:00

Like so many others in the blogosphere (I find it so strange that "blogosphere" is like a Real Word now. Huh.), I have been in hibernation mode. And again, like so many others, I am full of things to say, and they are all random and not totally coherent. It's funny- is this proof that things will find a universal rhythm if you let them- like that time i worked with 13 other women in a law office and within three months if you weren't on some sort of hormonal birth control you wound up on the Universal Monthly Cycle? Or is it simply that i have had too much coffee this morning? Anyway:

I found these two sitting this way yesterday totally of their own volition. I love their friendship, and the way that they stick together. These two teach me a lot sometimes. I only wish I could return the favor, but they don't seem interested in learning.

We have been in the most unfortunate position of discovering fleas. We caught it early, the vet has been most helpful, and we procured lots of very expensive sprays and medications and have been removing them from the house. Ever the optimist, I see that although I am SICK of laundry, the Spring Cleaning type phenomena around here is nice. I love nice tidy baseboards, organized closets, and switching furniture around. Although this does nothing for ridding the house of pests, it seems to have shaken my hibernation.

With the hibernation shaken, I made the Apple Cobbler with Cheddar Cheese biscuits this weekend out of Rustic Fruit Desserts. It was stellar, and I had it for dinner last night. And again for breakfast this morning. The cheddar gives just enough of a bite to the cobbler so that it's not sickeningly sweet. I declared the book a Keeper; BF remains skeptical. He says that it must contain two knockout recipes to be declared a success; I say he's inexplicably jaded with regard to homemade desserts. Bah.

Comic Relief is a great thing to have in your home. Even if it has fleas. She was restrained for the photo, but this was her idea. Honest:
If I had one wish, it would be for a space heater, so that I could warm up the sunroom enough to make use of it this morning.

I am finding the job search tough. There are no prospects, and because we have all we need in so many ways, I am surprised to find myself in an identity crisis of sorts. It's not sitting well with me, this trying to fill up my days and feeling like my sole worth is wrapped up in doing the laundry. However, I am pleased to say that taking my vitamins and doing as much exercise as possible, particularly yoga, is really helping. When I think about taking charge of my well-being, I feel better.

Lost returns this week. This is so exciting to me.

Bacon, basil, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar sandwiches are the best thing ever.

I've been knitting.

Hooray for February!

Can't Win Them All

2010-01-25T15:02:00.000-05:00

Well, that didn't go very well.

I was feeling sort of badly about the fact that we use these disposable swiffer pads. In the past year we have all but eliminated paper towels from our home, we use reusable shopping bags all. the. time (seriously, i have gotten worlds better at remembering to bring them). But damn if we can find a way to make my best buddy the swiffer a little more kind to the environment.

Well guess what.

I thought i found it. I looked at a few tutorials, tried a few, winged it myself, and still- the right thing eludes me. It sucks, and i think it may also be because our floors desperately need to be refinished. Nonetheless, the only thing that makes mopping less fun is these towel swiffer pads. .

Fail, Fail, Fail, and more fail.

Have you made anything terrible and fail lately?

Good Things In Yellow

2010-01-21T15:46:00.001-05:00

Today is a gross day. It's gray, it's cold, and it hasn't stopped raining all day. The dogs have gotten out of bed once today, and I am fighting so hard not to join them. When dumping my pics onto my hard drive today, i was happy to see lots of yellow around here- it cheers me up considerably.

Let's talk first about the second attempt at ravioli. MUCH better looking, no? It was butternut squash filling of my own devising, and i must say- delicious. Served with a pesto sauce, and it also froze beautifully. I am so so so pleased with this.

The flowers that the BF bought me are finally opening. And aren't they pretty! I am sort of not allowing much in the way of spending on stuff like this right now, but they were the last ones left, with no blooms open, and you could almost tell they would be yellow. So he was sweet and spent the $2 it required to get me these pretty flowers. I am so glad he did. He's good that way.
And finally, a pictorial that is proof, i think, of becoming an adult: a snack in my house. Yep, that's butternut squash and brussels sprouts. We are working hard at eating well, and it's starting to show around here. It would also seem that my dorkiness is starting to show (starting?!?!?) because i thought the color combo of the veggies in the blue bowl was so pretty I had to take a pic.
I hope your day is bright and shiny, and that you don't have to try as hard as I do to keep the gray away.

In The Strangest of Places If You Look At It Right

2010-01-20T10:11:00.000-05:00

this was just too amazing and awesome not to share. Below are pics of the back of a shopping center in town. The front is average looking, even a bit depressing. But this is the back, done all in spray paint, by the one man who has been given permission to use this space. I wish I knew his name, because I would fully credit him here, but I don't. Click to enlarge the pics- and you will want to, because they are spectacular. Sorry for all the shadows from trees; it was just that time of day.

Well Spent

2010-01-19T10:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday a big time was had by all at our house. BF came up with a fantastic idea: picnic at the beach! We are having strangely warm weather- mid-sixties- and chose to make the most of it. Such a fun day. After all the heavy heartedness of the last week, it was nice to be in the sunshine, laughing and running and stuffing our faces. Winter at the beach is the best time to be there, if you ask me.

The Zen of Pasta

2010-01-11T13:21:00.000-05:00

See that pic up there? since you can't tell just what it is I'm sure, I will tell you. It's ravioli. Portobello ravioli to be exact, and made by my own two little hands. Well, my two hands and a pasta machine that I got for Christmas.

It is really ugly looking, but I learned a lot about making pasta, one thing being that you really ought to roll it out much thinner than you think you should. i did not do this, and it was so thick that it sort of cooked up into a very bland, crumbly bread with yummy stuff in the middle. So here's a rundown on what I learned- possibly more for my benefit than yours.

:: ricotta is the glue that holds a good filling together.
:: roll the dough out much thinner than you think you need to
:: experimenting on loved ones is a good thing
:: the best way to go about the sealing and cutting is probably an egg wash, then a pizza cutter, then a fork. I will do this next time and likely save myself a lot of heartache.
:: pasta making is a great meditative process.

Loss touched our home this weekend, and I find the reactions to that sort of thing interesting. The way we cope, the way we process things. I tend to cook my feelings, like so many others. My heart was heavy and my brain was all over the place, and it felt good to put my hands to work. Over and over I cranked that dough through the machine, and kneaded, mixed, folded, cut, and it was good. My mind got to be elsewhere for a while, and think of good times, and ponder questions that have no answers. And then at the end of it all, it was good to sit down over a bowl of homemade pasta and talk about what we were feeling. BF said it was comforting. I thought it was grody, but the act itself was of greater comfort to me.

That is sort of what cooking is becoming to me. On a day to day basis, it's how we sustain ourselves, but special dishes, or taking the long way to get to a finished dish- we sustain ourselves differently with them. We eat them, but it's our souls that get fed. That's giving and comfort at their best, and I love being able to do that for the ones I love.

that's the sort of thing that I thought about yesterday while I worked on The World's Ugliest Ravioli. But i know that next time it will be better, and the time after that better still. That sort of knowledge is so comforting when things seem sort of dark.

and before I veer off totally into a strange new and very serious direction, let's have a look at two doggies from over the weekend who desperately wanted a crack at some ravioli. I like how Lilly's face looks so sinister when her eyes arent visible and all you see are her brown eyebrows. As for the little dog, would you be able to resist that face? It gets harder and harder.

I Wish I Knew How To Quit You

2010-01-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

Knitting,

I was wrong. I got angry and hurt and I said something I shouldn't have said. I was wrong, and I'm sorry. Take me back, baby. Please. I love you.

Had I only known that sitting down with an episode (or two) of a trashy reality show ( I like to watch them while doing complicated knitting because my brain is still working through the charts, but the part of my brain that controls Disdain turns it towards the idiots on Jersey Shore rather than on the knitting. Smart, no?) and next thing you know- you have a lovely cuff for a lovely mitt. the cabled bits are a bit wonky, but they should straighten out with blocking.

I have yet to forget the pain that is realizing that you have spent hours doing something totally wrong with no one to blame but yourself. But, i have realized that this is actually a pretty fun pattern, and hey- I've Got The Time.

speaking of- I've Got The Time has sort of become my motto this week. Now that Holiday Mania is over, I wake up when BF wakes for work, and I face a day that seems to stretch on forever. But just like that, it's over and I feel great about what I have done. I got another timer, one that works this time, and I allot little chunks of my day to this and that, and it is really sort of rewarding in it's own way. I have worked outside the home continuously since I was 15 years old, and this new rhythm that I have found is so natural for right now. It's gray and cold outside, and inside I am watching movies, reading books, knitting, sewing, re-organizing, cleaning, cooking (last night I made a lamb curry TO DIE FOR), exercising, and scheming on the Next Big Thing. I am at home in my current life, my circumstance, and that is a feeling I haven't felt in a while.

I have to say, I have a few prospects that make me think that this wonderful little slowing down will be somewhat sort-lived, so I am just trying to embrace it, and enjoy it for what it is- all while being grateful that this time can be pleasant, and not coated in a Paralyzing Fear like layoffs have been for so many others. I have been giving some thought to a Word for the Year like so many others in blog land, but I can't seem to come up with just one. The best I have been able to do is identify a Concept that I want to strive for, and that's Acceptance. I need to take things, people (including myself), situations, and accept them. I always felt like to accept things was to be apathetic, compliant, boring, inert- but the truth is that struggling against the current is tiring. And realizing that the only reason I know what day it is comes from keeping up with the Group Fitness schedule at the gym makes me smile a little, every so secretly.

Wait, wasn't this supposed to be about knitting? Yes, yes- the mitts are going just fine.

I Hate Knitting

2010-01-07T09:45:00.001-05:00

this is the last of the holiday knitting. This is also the project that made me decide that I hate knitting. why? Because it outsmarts me sometimes purely by highlighting how much i like to neglect actually reading and digesting instructions. It shines a big light on how much of a doofus I really am. I hate that. As such, I hate knitting.

This project is for a friend. The yarn is perfect. The pattern is perfect. If she could design knitwear for herself, this would be the pattern she would design. And that really sucks because that means that I have to finish this project, even though I got almost one whole mitt done before admitting to myself that something was off. WAY off.

Apparently you get gauge and THEN go down two needle sizes. I neglected to do that. What resulted is a mitt knitted to be a women's Medium- but the fit was more appropriate for Shrek, or some other monster with scary large hands. Ugh. I have to say though- I love my BF and his support of my crafting (although it's at odds with his love of my doing chores). He tried the mitt on, and as it was literally sagging off his hand, his big Man Hand, he said, "Well...it's not so bad. I mean it's not THAT big. She does have big hands...right?" Bless his heart.

And so, it's back to the drawing board. Back to an 8 page pattern, with miles of charts, cables, bobbles, picking up stitches, and other things that do not lend themselves to mindless knitting. This time though, it's with the right size needles, and that's something.

Hello, New Decade (and Old Blog)

2010-01-06T09:32:00.002-05:00

Belated Happy New Year!

Despite a bevy of circumstance around here that aren't conducive to regular blogging, I have returned. It was a hectic, crazy, wild and sort of stressful holiday season, and frankly, I am glad to see it is over. Now we come to the good part- the part where I sit down with the formidable stack of books that I got for Christmas, and feel perplexed, inspired, delighted, moved- and almost transformed.

Isn't that just the most lovely stack of brand new paper from all over blogland? And if I do say so myself, they all compliment each other wonderfully.

Creative Time and Space is just the best book. It's not terribly lengthy, but I am only halfway through it. I like to read a bit, try some things out, then think on what I have read, and then when I feel duly inspired and ready, I sit down and read another chapter or so. It is truly changing the way that I think, and helping me get a leg up on that which confounds me so, especially in light of the changes in my life: Time, and Time For Art. I love it, although BF has threatened to take it away from me. He was not pleased when I announced that with the help of my (now broken, grrrr) pear shaped kitchen timer, I would only be doing an hour of house related things a day, so he better pick up after himself. He was further displeased when I told him where to shove his displeasure. And so it goes at the House of Stupid.

The printing books and the sewing books are sort of like great cross training, if one was to consider crafting a sport. I am very excited about them- I want to cover everything in patchwork, then dip it in bleach, then dye, then rub stamps all over it all, and possibly work a silk screen in there too. Inspiration and guidance are sort of the perfect mix there. I am all tingly.

As for the knitting book- I am sure you will hear more about that. There is a sweater coat inside it, The Winter Wonderland Coat for those of you on Ravelry that I simply must have. It's long, has many complicated charts, much sewing, and is likely way over my head. I can't wait to get started. One of my goals this year is to knit something grand, and huge and awe-inspiring. I figure if I start now, I will have it finished by October.

and finally- those food books. Wow, Well Preserved. I didn't think that I could get so excited about canning. But I think that it's the combo of canning with the delicious recipes for that which has been preserved that had me literally drooling on the pages. Seriously. I looked like Lilly- she gets these disgusting dangly Drool Strings sometimes when she watches people eat. It's very unbecoming, but like a big burp- it's a Complement To The Chef. As for a Homemade Life- do you guys read Orangette ever, and long for more frequent updates? Well, this book- oh it's so wonderful. It is the first time that a book with recipes has moved me to almost tears. The stories that go along with each recipe are so personal and wonderfully ordinary- featuring extraordinary people that I keep it on my nightstand and read one chapter before bed each night. I am trying to stretch it out so that I can enjoy it for longer. It's hard not to read it all in one day though.

So, that's what I am up to as of right now. I'd love to share more about my goals for the year and all that, but my allotted computer time is drawing to a close, and I have yet to check the bank balance. See? A New Leaf is turning over here, people. I'm very much looking forward to whatever this year will bring. And, I am also hoping to spend much more time in this space. (yeah yeah I know, but hey- New Leaf).

Solstice Stuff

2009-12-21T09:35:00.004-05:00

First of all, happy solstice to you! Today will be the shortest day of the year, and that just figures. Why? Well, because I need for it to be the longest. But it isn't. Yikes.

Here are some of the things that I have been up to this season, instead of doing the things on my List. My List is very very long. And frightening.

Stockings. well, the three in the middle. The gray one is BF's, and the two pink and green ones belong to the dogs. They are made using the instructions from Warm Fuzzies and I think they are too cute. However, they pose a problem in that now I am the only one with a Store Bought stocking. This saddens me in ways I cannot even begin to express. And, that means that next year i WILL have the most magical of stockings. I may even start on it now.

Yeah Right.

We are heading out of town on Wednesday, returning only for a breif two days before ringing in the New Year elsewhere. I have succeeded on giving in some ways, and failed in others. But, I am just sort of letting that go at this point, and trying to enjoy things for what they are. Instead of gift knitting, I went out with friends for pizza and Christmas lights. The best part was that I brought the Fart Putty I got in my stocking along, and made delightfully hideous Putty Farts the whole time. It's hysterical, really. It's probably time for me to get back to the frantic pace of laundry, listing, errands, wrapping, and knitting, but the few little minutes I can stop and enjoy all the smells (I wish I could have a real tree in my house all year long) and sights and even a few of the songs (For some reason, "So This Is Christmas" has made me bawl about 4 times so far this year. Usually I hate Christmas music.) are so, so nice.

BF and I had our own little Christmas yesterday, and we exchanged gifts. It was so much fun, our First Real Christmas (last year we were apart and didn't exchange gifts). We sat by our tree that he admitted really is better than a fake one and I opened up some things I really really wanted (I Love Patchwork and Creative Time and Space) and I keep sneaking off to be alone with them for just a few minutes at a time. They are both great in their own way, and I am very inspired, which is a great way to feel when heading into a new year.

And now it's time to get to work. The List beckons.

No Paycheck Fridays: You Can Still Look Good

2009-12-18T15:58:00.002-05:00

Okay, first of all, I have regained my composure, and I am now getting to the portion of our programming where I let go of what I cannot accomplish, I but what I cannot find time or will to make, and I feel silly for being all woe is me.

So there's that.

Second of all, I spent most of the afternoon driving to get to an anticlimactic 15-minute interview. I braved the elements (raining emus and ostriches today) and drove about 40 minutes each way to see a lady about a job. It went kind of meh, sort of okay, rather ho-hum, and a host of other lackluster descriptions. BUT!

I looked really pretty.

And every day I look really pretty. Because I put a little effort in. And I find that it makes me feel lots better, and far more human than that feeling you get when your significant other comes home, takes one look at you and says "Kitty cat pajama pants...still? Okaaaaay." Time slips by so fast when you've nowhere to be. But I have found that it's much better if I get up when I used to get up, and I shower, put on Real Clothes, and do my face up. I thought like it was time to stop looking like I felt.

So, i don't want to sound all infomercial-ish. I am not getting anything out of what I am about to tell you. I am simply saying this because it really, truly, has made a difference in how I see myself (literally and figuratively) and I think it's awesome, and you will too. If you like awesome makeup, that is.

Give Sweet Libertine a try! Really! Here's why: First of all, it's handmade makeup. Handmade = great. It's mineral makeup. That means that if you are Sensitive Skinned and your eyes feel all itchy and yucky when you wear eyeshadow, you can probably get away with wearing this stuff. It doesn't have all the ick-o chemicals in it that the store bought crap does, and it turns out that those ick-o things are the very things that make my skin feel itchy and burny. It's handmade mineral makeup made by a one-woman show. If I need to tell you why this is an worth supporting, then you are just a Lost Cause. It's handmade mineral makeup made by a one-woman show that is affordable. You get a lot for a little. Do you know how cool that is when you are a person with not a lot to spend on things like eyeshadow? It's super cool. I got my Retail Therapy Allowance package in the mail today, and I am very pleased. It arrived quickly, looks awesome, and didn't break my bank. And y'all- these days everyone banks are pretty fragile, no? And the colors are pretty much magical. Dragonfly, Thai Silk, Feral, Boombox- how the hell can you go wrong? You totally can't, that's how.

Anyway, it's not too late to snag some gift certificates, some sparklies for yourself (the better to look hot while ringing in 2010, yes?), or start making your wish list for when you do land that Next Big thing.

I realize that I am sort of getting kind of commercial-y here, so I will cut it short and say that I think this makeup is very rad, it's a little thing that goes a long way in making a gal feel good, and I wanted you to know about it. Cool?

Now get back to your frantic crafting, wrapping, or smug Ignoring of A Holiday Which You Are Not Into.

Hold Me.

2009-12-17T15:00:00.002-05:00

For I am FREAKING OUT.

Um, someone tell me just WHERE the last 3 weeks have gone? Where are they? I intended to fill my time with finishing gifts, buying gifts, mailing gifts, etc. Somehow there has been very little of that and I have a lacy cowl, some felty slippers, and some handwarmers to finish in the next week. I also have more baking to do, more shopping, some sewing, and OH GEEZ the mailing.

Hold me.

I am so aggravated with myself. I have no clue what I have done with the time that I have had. Oh wait, I do know- I have been doggedly job hunting. But still. I had a schedule, people! A SCHEDULE! I don't know where I went wrong. Oh for shame. Woe is me.

Wait, I do know where I went wrong. First it started with this one pair of damned stupid fingerless mitts. Somehow or another I managed to not only ignore gauge, but i used about 4 sizes bigger than the recommended needle. Then I proceeded to make the most beautiful mitt in all the land- in a size only Shrek could wear. So that recipient is getting an IOU for her gift, and she's okay with that. Then I guess I went out frantically shopping for INTERVIEW CLOTHES (because I had one, yay!) Then after that I dealt with a glimmer of hope on the work front, some car drama, a fabulous holiday horror movie, and now here we are: 8 days and counting, and not nearly done.

Hold me.

No Paycheck Fridays: Junk Food Is My Frenemy

2009-12-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

Frenemy: Someone who is both friend and enemy, a relationship that is both mutually beneficial or dependent while being competitive, fraught with risk and mistrust. (From urbandictionary.com)

Yes, this is sort of the worst time of the year to be of the Jobless Variety. Not because of gifts and all that crap, but because there is delicious junk food EVERYWHERE. Homemade, store bought, you name it. It's there. It has sprinkles. And it knows you are weak.

Like a lot of other people I eat when I am depressed. I eat when I am sad, lonely, afraid, anxious, happy, bored, you name it. And carrots are not comfort food last time I checked.

So, I have learned something about myself physically here lately, and it's a good thing for anyone to remember during hard times: garbage in, garbage out. A little ice cream can soothe the soul, but once you get in the double digit range for Christmas cookies in one day, it's hard to beat the streets looking for the Next Big Thing when your pants are too tight. It's much, much easier to just take a nap and try again tomorrow. Only if you do take that nap, how many people aren't napping, and are instead snatching up the few opportunities out there? Long story short, you (I) can't give into temptation and stuff your (my) face. It's self defeating, and hey- it's not like you have the money for new pants right now anyway, am i right?

The other thing: Job Loss is like grieving. I know this because I am at the Anger stage. I have expertly placed the blame for this squarely where it belongs, and now I. Am. Pissed. The best thing to get over Well-Placed Anger is to punch the offender square in the nose. You can't do that though. Because if you do, you will go to jail, and then you will have to spend your Gubberment Cheese on bail! And that would be terrible! Because you would have no money left for the cookies that you shouldn't be buying but are anyway because they are delicious and you don't know what I am going through so just give me the damn cookies and stop judging me already!!!

Ahem.

Yes, anger. See? See what it does to a person? That's why you have to Move Your Ass. Regularly. And with enthusiasm. I thought long and hard about deferring my gym membership in the interest of Cutting Back. But you know what? No. I will not. Why? Because going to Spinning Class helps take the stabby feelings away. Weight lifting is good too. You can't punch people in the nose if you are too tired to lift your arms. Besides, you know that you are still eating those cookies anyway. And we have already visited the issue of having the means to buy new pants.

So in short: get off the computer and go move your butt already. And put down those damn cookies. Or better yet, just give them to me; I will hang on to them for you. Especially those ones over there, the ones with sprinkles.

Have a great weekend! I am in full crafty manic panicked swing over here. Hopefully I will come back Monday with lots of hastily cobbled together goodness to share.

A Quilt Update

2009-12-10T13:45:00.000-05:00

After some more cutting, measuring, improvising, and sewing I think I have the quilt situated just the way I want it.

Charlie thought otherwise.

We made a few adjustments, and now Charlie likes it just fine.
What do you think he will think of the finished product? I bet he will love warming his bald little tummy on it (don't make fun of him; he licks off all his fur, presumably because the dogs make him neurotic.)

It's Beginning...

2009-12-09T15:57:00.003-05:00

I have started the decorating. We are in full, glittery, Fraser Fir-y (and furry) fresh, sparkly, ridiculous swing here at the Casa de Stupids. Some of what we have been digging out and enjoying:

My new wreath. I am pleased with it because it cost about $3. This is a sad, super fake looking, boring wreath that I found in our garage when we moved in. I yanked off the pitiful and wrinkly red bow and added lots of sparkly ornaments. I bought the ornaments at a yard sale a few months ago. This was the first thing to go up.

Leftover ornaments in the hurricane lamp from Thanksgiving. That and our red cushions make the dining room feel a bit more festive. And, I have realized that I really love shiny round ornaments anywhere but on a tree.
Our tree. this is the biggest tree I have ever gotten, about 8 feet tall. We were overtaken by holiday cheer while watching Christmas Vacation, and ran off to buy one. I just love seeing all my ornaments. I try to get a fun fancy new one every year and also make one. Usually mom buys the fun fancy over the top one for me, and those are memories in and of themselves. Then two years ago she realized that she doesn't Do Christmas anymore, so she let me have my pick of all my ornaments from my childhood. I LOVE seeing them. they just remind me of a different time, and a time when Christmas was exciting, waiting was excruciating, and I felt like there was magic and wonder and the potential for miracles all around. The only time I truly feel that way about the holiday anymore is decorating the tree. After that it's still fun, but you have to work harder to see the magic amidst the commercialism and over-scheduling. Anyway. The tree.

And finally, my adorable BF channeled the spirit of Clark Griswold and did up our lights while I was at work. I compromised and agreed to have big colored lights outside in exchange for little white lights inside. It turns out that I love our lights. Most especially, the fact that I randomly wished aloud for some white and green lights to do up our little baby palm tree out front. Can you tell? It's hard to see the green but you see the white on the trunk part. We ended up having to go back for another strand of green, and we have to fix them every other day, but oh! I love that lit up palm tree with all of my heart. I am sort of priming BF to let me leave it lit all year round. I figure after that it won't take much convincing for a few flamingos to pop up in the yard too.
In spite of ourselves, we are getting merry and bright.

A Few Things

2009-12-08T13:32:00.002-05:00

::Wow, time is FLYING by! I am getting further and further behind in my knitting schedule. This does not please me.

::one of my photos taken in San Francisco has been short listed to be included in a Schmap! I don't get paid, but it does indicate that someone thought I took a good picture of something, and this pleases me to NO END.

::Maya got a doggie ski type vest for an early Christmas present (don't laugh; she is a short coated little girl that gets cold at night). She looks super duper cute in it, and is sort of learning to function in clothing. What a good girl.

::Yesterday Maya ate a corner of the coffee table. What a bad girl.

::Sew, Mama, Sew has announced that there is a Holly that won a yard of Heather Ross' Nicey Jane fabric. I entered the giveaway, so I am hoping against hope that it's me. But I bet it isn't.

::Have I told you to go read Ricë Freeman-Zachery's blog lately? I know i mention it occasionally, but lately she has written a series of wonderful posts on organizing and decluttering. Perfect for a great start to a more organized life that leaves you time to make art and do the things you love. These posts have been of huge value to me lately, but one on purging things really stuck with me. You can find it here. The remark about not using things or throwing them away because you may not have them later or have money to get more absolutely shook me to my core. That is my main self defeating behavior with regard to creative endeavors. I took her advice to heart, decided to live life from a place of abundance rather than fear, and i cut up some felt and had a fabulous time doing it. So go give it a read.

::I got a new phone. It's a Blackberry Curve. It's orange. It has an Amazon app. This could get ugly REALLY fast.

No Paycheck Fridays: Some Reading For You

2009-12-04T10:12:00.001-05:00

Okay so:

I realize that I am relatively new to this whole Not So Very Employed thing. However, I have given this a lot of thought. Obsessed over it, if we are being honest here. And I have decided a few things.

I will soldier on and have the Merriest of Holidays, and there's nothingyoucandoabouddit!
I will continue to laugh at this. Sometimes maniacally.
I am smart and sometimes downright ingenious when I need to be. I forecast needing to channel MacGuyver in the near future.
I am not alone. As such, I feel obligated to share with you what I learn and know to be true. It's my way of paying you back, because you know- if we go out for dinner or something you are totally paying. Suckling upon the government teat and all.
I hate the word teat.

So, first I would like to mention some Reading For The Unemployed. Or reading for the Employed Who Like To Laugh. Whichever. Read Bitter is The New Black by Jen Lancaster. Or, pass it along to a friend. I got it this summer from my local library. It's full of awesome. I don't recommend it as a holiday gift, because I think that it would be filed along with other Unintentionally Insulting gifts, like giving a chubby college girl lots of work out clothing and a pilates set (I'm looking at YOU, Mom!), or wrinkle cream to...any woman. Still- the book is hilariously funny, and there is a good deal of Schadenfreude for those of you into that sort of thing. I totally am, so it was wonderful reading along as a very materialistic bitch got her comeuppance. She is so lovably terrible that by the end of the book I would have had her over for a bowl of Ramen Noodles and a walk around the block with the dogs. I'd even let her walk Maya (Lilly is strong as an ox, and it takes a Herculean effort to get her to act like she has a lick of sense on walks.).

And then, once you love her as much as I do, you can toddle on over to www.Jennsylvania.com and read her blog, which is also hilarious. I find her so funny that I forgive her for her obsession with Twilight.

Thanksgiving Rundown

2009-11-30T10:41:00.000-05:00

Whew! I had a really nice Thanksgiving week, and I hope you did too. I am sorry if I came across as overly dramatic in my last post. It was a hard week, and this is new territory for me. But thanks so much for the kind words and all- I appreciate it. I know that we will be okay. Maybe this is even a blessing. It really did make this holiday different. I tried very hard to distract myself in the kitchen and around the house, but I thought a lot about how much there truly is to be thankful for in my life, and I feel really fortunate in spite of all the stress and uncertainty.

Moving right along. Here's our table.

Lilly doing what she does best, which is nose around for food. In the interest of fairness, I will say that the smell of turkey was making the human family sniff around the oven a lot too.
Lilly doing what she does second best, which is be incredibly goofy.
A wonderful new practice of mine: I have been buying myself a bunch of fresh flowers every other week. Mums keep forever, so by the time I am bringing new ones in, the old ones are only just starting to get sort of funky. It's amazing what they do for my mood.

Okay, so I thought that since my Thanksgiving was such an amazing success, I would share some recipes, while I still remember where they are. I will probably be making most of this stuff again next year, but maybe you might like to try it over the Winter Holidays, whatever those may be to you.

Turkey Brine
Oyster and Cornbread Dressing
Honey glazed Carrots
Green Bean Bundles (no recipe, just wrap a bundle of fresh beans in bacon, then secure with a toothpick. Pour Italian dressing over them, marinate, then bake at 350. YUM!
Sweet Potato Casserole this one is similar to the one we use. I cut the sugar way down though.
Mashed Potatoes-everyone does this their own way, so we will skip that
Caramel Pecan Pie- SWEET MOTHER OF GOD THIS WAS AMAZING. I followed the modifications posted in the very first review. So. So. Good.

So that was our holiday! The pace was very Festive-Lazy, which I think is my new favorite holiday vibe.

In Which I strive to Remain Grateful.

2009-11-24T10:52:00.002-05:00

Hello friends!

Luckily at this point you don't depend on regular posts from me. If you do, at this point you are probably rocking back and forth in a corner somewhere. Anyhow.

This week is shaping up to be a busy one. I have been planning out decorations, rabidly cleaning the house in anticipation of the arrival of The Mothers, and making list after list of what needs to happen in order to feed the masses on Thursday. And by masses, i mean all four of us.

I'm making all manner of goodies- turkey, oyster dressing, honey glazed carrots, green bean bundles, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (i look forward to these all year long), rolls, the ubiquitious cranberry sauce in a can, and caramel pecan pie and pumpkin cranberry bars. I am excited and can't wait to feed everyone.

It should also be noted that i am doing double duty at the gym to counteract what will be the most calories ever consumed at one sitting.

I have tried really really hard to keep my heart in the right place this year. We have donated food, I worked hard for a cause that matters so very much to me (more about that tomorrow) and I am looking forward to a long week filled with family and friends. I try to consciously be thankful for things that I take without question all year: my family and friends, their health, the adoration and company of my wonderful if perpetually irritating furry friends, the way the river looks when the water is perfectly still, and the fact that i still have a good job in an industry that is sucking it hard right now.

But I was laid off yesterday.

I have work through the end of the year. I may have health insurance for a few months as a bit of a parting gift. I have a roof over my head, and people that care about me and will help me if i need it. I am smart, resourceful, and i make a mean quiche. I know all this and I am sort of clinging to it right now. I will be okay. And for that I am thankful.

As such, it seems that true gratitude takes a lot of effort. But, if it is harder than cooking a turkey for the first time, then it's all downhill from here.

Resurrected Green thumb

2009-11-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

I swear, i live in a seasonal Twilight Zone or something. When the rest of the bloggy world is filled with pics of changing leaves and things dying off, there is new stuff popping up all around here. This is especially good since I am REALLY trying this time, once again, to not kill plants.

These I am super proud of. BF bought me the little growing kits in the $1 section of target. I have lavender, basil, parsley, some weird flowers, and ornamental peppers. And I started them from seed and they are actually growing!
This is a zombie fuschia plant. I thought I totally killed it when we went on vacation this summer. The thing was just a bunch of bare sticks by the time we came home. I then left it in it's haging position because I am trashy. One day it rained, and tiiiiiiny little leaves popped back up. Now it's almost full and lush and even has flower buds! I can't believe my good luck with Undead Plants.
Paperwhites! Grown from a bulb kit. They are really growing! I can't believe it. I have bought all manner of those grow kits before, and never once have I gotten them to grow. But these are in the sunroom, and they are happy as can be. I am just so proud of myself I could burst. Me, the Worst Gardener In The World, growing things. Wow.
And! Another zombie plant! I even tried to throw this one away before we moved. I don't get to have much in the way of interesting plants, since the last place was rather shady, and so is our new back yard. Anyway, i thought i threw this plant's carcass away but i guess i totally didn't. There was a dirt clump in the bottom of a pot. That pot sat in the garage for a while, when i noticed a tiny little sprout. I put it outside, and then one day it looked like this! Who knew- water and sunshine, that's all that plants need! I can tell you that come spring i will be taking this little nugget of wisdom all the way to the nursery.
Sorry for following a week of silence with such an inane post. But ya know, nature is just a marvelous thing. And when it foils my best attempts at destroying it, in November no less, well it's worth at least a little discussion.

Christmas Cowl the Third

2009-11-12T14:18:00.000-05:00

On Schedule: You Betcha (oh Sarah Palin, why did you have to ruin those two little words for me?)
Level of Smugness:Extremely High

Okay, so here is yet another Gift Knit. Made by me. On time. With scraps leftover from a neckwarmer thing i made last year. I feel like I have Christmas in a choke hold this year. Things are getting crossed off The List (it's almost perverse, the amount of joy that gives me). I will beat you yet, Holidays!

So, if you care, the yarn is Malabrigo Worsted in Emerald, and the pattern is Ribbed Mini Scarf and it is the quickest knit ever. And, the fact that it is made out of Malabrigo makes it a super wonderful gift in my opinion. You can't go wrong with Malabrigo, unless you are forsaking it for cashmere. Then you are excused.

Christmas Cowl the Second

2009-11-11T10:49:00.000-05:00

On Schedule: Check
Continuation of Smugness: Check

I want to keep this for myself. For those that care, it's Malabrigo Worsted in Amoroso (salvaged from a terrible scarf I made once, and then frogged), it's the Candle Flame Cowl on Ravelry, and it's splendid. And soft. And squishy.

And I am giving it away, and I hate that.

Also, it now occurs to me that i am desperate to knit for myself. It's a good thing I love feeling all sanctimonious for knocking out holiday knitting around Halloween, or I would forsake it all in favor of knitting for My Favorite Recipient. Hint: It Ain't Charlie Cat.

Make This Bread

2009-11-10T14:21:00.000-05:00

Well, only make this bread if you really like Banana Bread. It so happens I love it, and have this recipe. I took about 5 recipes and cobbled them together to make this one. I am asserting that it is mine, however, I am open to the possibilities that there is another one out there just like it. If so, please don't sue me for CopyWrong. I just like to share.

Super Awesome Banana Bread

2C Enriched Flour
3/4 C sugar (I used white, but it was because I thought we didn't have brown. Use light brown.
2 eggs, beaten
1/2C Butter
3 of the biggest ripest bananas you can find
some Reese's PB chips (add according to how much you like peanut butter. I recommend a lot)

preheat oven to 375F
grease your loaf pan
cream butter and sugar
stir in eggs
mash bananas and fold in
fold in PB chips
dump in your loaf pan
bake for about an hour. after about 65 min, start poking with a toothpick. Mine took about 75 minutes or so.
allow to cool
stuff your face

I can report that this slice was only cut out so that I could show you the inside of the loaf as well. It is NOT because this is such a moist, delicious, and wonderful snack when it is still warm from the oven. Nope. Not at all.

Christmas Cowl the First.

2009-11-09T10:39:00.000-05:00

Here is the first of many, many handknits to be cranked out before the holidays.

It's the Clemence Cowl, made with London Tweed that i scored at the awesome annual sale at my yarn store. I try not to buy yarn at retail prices if I can help it. It helps with the justification.

So, this will be for one of BF's three sisters. Not sure which- I am just knitting what I want, and letting him decide who might like it most. The really swell thing is that for most of my gift knits this year, I am knitting from yarn I already have. That just adds to the smug feeling I have regarding the holidays this year.

Now, here's a lingering little thing that I have in my head. First of all, there is that ongoing thing where I wonder if gifted knits that I have made will fall apart in the recipients hands, or perhaps combust, either spontaneously or as a result of the recipient hating it just. that. much. So, there's that. But then there's another thing. So this year, I have been indocrinated into the holiday plans with BF's family. It will be only our second time meeting (the perils of dating from over 700 miles away), and now I am racked with doubt here. Is a cowl enough? There is a part of me that says, yes- a useful handmade gift from someone is a nice gift. And then another part of me started wondering, and then got pissed: What is this "enough" crap that gift giving has turned into? there is no reason to try to buy your way into a family's good graces. But still, it feels like I somehow should. The one thing saving me from sliding into an abyss of gift giving madness is the fact that the only thing bigger than my desire to please these people is my lazy streak. I am just not interested in working that hard to find the Perfect Thing. Especially since I know deep down that the Perfect Thing is usually not a Thing.

Wow. This turned into a long rambly diatribe when what I meant to say was- here is a cowl I made. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Never Too Late For Dogs in Costume

2009-11-06T14:45:00.000-05:00

Hello! Froghair, this is for you. And also for everyone else who likes to see dogs who feel fabulous when they are dressed up like other things.

Here Lilly waits for Trick or Treaters. She was so excited to see them, so convinced that the feeling was mutual, and so eager to show off that we did not tell her that in fact they were just there for the candy, and she was a bonus.

Here is Maya in her not-so-great-as-Lilly's costume. She is really not that thrilled with clothing, but she forgot she had this little shirt on once there was action around the house. I think those little sleeves are just so funny. I would also like to add that I did not buy this shirt for her. It was a BF Impulse Buy, and it was originally intended for the Bumble Bee to just wear around the house. But alas, it is too small for her, and she looks like a body builder in it. And, it stops just above all her many nipples, which is both hilarious and unbecoming.

Finally, this is the best forward facing picture I got all night. Lilly is harder to photograph than Sasquatch. She is constantly moving and this is about the best I could do. But at least it shows that she has antennae on her head and she does not mind that in the least. Truly- we took her to a Halloween party and she LOVED the attention that a costume got. We would take it off her when she got hot, and before too long if anyone even so much as touched it, she would run over, sit down very straight and tall, and wait patiently to be dressed before running off to show the ENTIRE party that she was a bee again. Ah Lilly- Attention Whore be thy name.

Knitting for Tiny People

2009-11-05T10:26:00.000-05:00

I made this cute little set a while back. I have yet to mail it to the itty bitty recipient because...I suck. However, here it is.

So, here's the sweater, which is the Baby Yoda Sweater for those on Ravelry. I made it out of Lion Cotton (I would never give a new parent something not machine washable- NEVER). I will tell you a funny story about why it took me two tries to make this sweater. See, the first time, it came time to seam the peices together. That is when I learned that I hate nothing more than seaming. This is good info to have, as it caused me to basically burn my seater queue to the ground. I HATE SEAMING. So anyway, I started seaming the little sweater together, and sure enough- I was not paying attention and seamed it ALL THE WAY UP ON BOTH FLIPPING SIDES. I made a Baby Yoda Straight Jacket. Yep. Nothing says "Congrats on that little person you shot out of your no-no's!" like a Baby Straight Jacket. Unless if by "Congrats on the little person!" you mean "Quick! Restrain them AT ONCE!"

So then there's the little shoes. Aren't they adorable. They are so cute they make me want to throw up on myself. they were a pain in the ass to make, but they are just so damned adorable, I will probably make the,m again. They are the ubiquitious Saartje's Bootees, once again in Lion Cotton. The color is way more accurate in the top photo.

So minus the Straight Jacket incident, I am very happy with this knit. The second time I did it, I did it bottom up in the round, separated for the armholes, then did three needle bind off at the shoulders. Picked up stitches for the sleeves (a lesser evil than seaming, but an evil all the same) and knit the sleeves from the top down. I am not smart enough to think of this alone- I read the mods on someone's Rav project page. Just another reason why it's an amazing resource, that Ravelry.

If for some very odd reason, I ever report to you that I am With Child, remind me of the Baby Yoda Straight Jacket. I will make a few of them in several colors, and never have to worry about keeping breakable things out of reach. Hell, maybe I should patent them. They could be the next Snuggie.

Something New

2009-11-04T15:06:00.000-05:00

In case there are not enough domestic pursuits at which I am fairly inept, I bring you:

this will become a quilt for our living room. Hopefully soon. Hopefully without tears. I am scared. Hold me.

I will say this. Although I am sort of scared to cut into all this pretty fabric, I have to say: getting under the house and fixing the duct work is now a success that all other efforts are measured against. Is that bad? I mean, anything I am sort of nervous about doing just doesn't feel that bad when I remember that I crawled through an OMG TINY space to get under my house, where there could have been spiders and boogie boogies, and I fixed (well, I was in more of what I call a supervisory role) the duct work.

So yeah. Quilt, you're going down. And you just might be taking some patchwork-y type pillows with you.

Partial FUNemployment

2009-10-27T10:37:00.002-04:00

Oh wow, what an interesting week this is shaping up to be.

As of yesterday, I have received a cut in work hours and pay to a new as of yet undetermined amount.

And hey, guess what? I am sort of not so secretly excited about it.

I have no debt to speak of. I can pay my bills with unemployment checks, so really anything above that (plus health insurance!) is pretty darn spiffy. And it gives me more time to make messes in the kitchen!

So even though I am ever so slightly freaked out, the idea of having more time off during the holidays to really enjoy them is sort of tempting to me. The idea of looking for a really fun part time job to maybe make some extra cash is sort of interesting too. Or maybe an internship in a field I have only dreamed of before? Or maybe just a temporary yet mandatory slow down of life and a recharging of my internal batteries? I am all fluttery with the possibilities that I have been given. I want to make this into a blessing.

I suppose that now I will have no excuse not to update this blog more often. With pictures, even.

TMI Tuesday

2009-10-20T18:26:00.003-04:00

--Lilly is just fine. She is healing well, and is being super annoying as usual. She stays inside while we are at work, since playing with her sister is prohibited, and unavoidable when they are alone for even 5 minutes. She also ate a bunch of Halloween candy today, and Hershey's pumpkin pie spice kisses have not done anything to her but give her bad farts. Thusly, I conclude the obvious: American chocolate is total shit.

--the ductwork was replaced without a hitch. We did a great job just patching a new length of it in after cutting a destroyed section out. I feel like this could be a great fallback career in These Trying Times. the ease of replacing it, and building a trap door to keep her out has resulted in Maya resuming her place on the Good Girl List. She is not on the list with anyone else. See above.

--I am a cooking machine lately. I have been making all sorts of ethnic cuisines and baked this and thats. Perhaps it's my huge new kitchen. Perhaps it's the cooler weather. Perhaps it's my new healthier habits in an effort to look good for the Sisterly Wedding Extravaganza taking place in March. Perhaps I should start taking pics and sharing recipes? Tonight I am making low fat chicken and dumplings. The dumplings are made with corn meal, which is different, and the Chicken soupy part is made with apple juice and thyme. Strange, but so, so good.

--I've also gone and done something crazy. I have hauled off and joined a gym. I am going about 5 nights a week and LOVING it. Loving. Oh man, loving it. I am having lots of fun and really look forward to it most days. I am even getting over my hatred of sweating. However, I have a giant red zit on my back. I can't really see it, but I am told it's totally Unhot. Hey, TMI is right up there in the title. I didn't make you read this.

--I'm also feeling smug what with my Christmas Plan of Action. I have a list of who is a knitting recipient, a pattern picked out, and a tentative knitting schedule. If I can finish one thing a week (most are small projects- cowls and mitts and such) then I should be able to get it all done by christmas with a week to spare. That leaves the week days to knit for myself. Since I am so smug and prepared, it is just a matter of time till this blows up in my face.

--the house is coming along nicely. I am still on the $60 a week trip to Lowe's kick, and the yardwork on our tiny lot-- oh the yard work. I hate picking up crap. But hey, it's gotta be done. This weekend I have big plans for a few bits of furniture, stopping only to go see Zombieland and crank out a cowl. See above.

That's all that's fit to print. Soon, very soon, I should be showing finished things, for a change. I have my very own computer up and running after a long hiatus. Now I should be able to post pics more frequently since it isn't such a collossal pain in the ass. I hope your week is off to a wonderful start!

Frankenloo & HVAC Girl

2009-10-16T15:35:00.003-04:00

Let's talk about the past 24 hours. then let's talk about an epiphany of sorts, and we will conclude with why animals are horrid and merciless with the way they harangue you into loving them.

And so it begins...

Lilly came home from surgery disturbingly out of it. Moving around was such an effort. She was in so much pain. She got a pain pill, she went to sleep. BF is racked with guilt and is angry with me for putting her through this. I begin to doubt whether or not it is right, despite my fervent conviction that unless we are willing to keep every single offspring of our animals, they should be Spayed.

Well then, it occurs to us that Maya is outside in the rain. Except she's not. Turns out that she moved a mound of bricks and got under the house via the crawlspace. So BF decides to go in after her, so he can start repairing the damage to the deck. And then he sees it:

she has destroyed a roughly 25 foot length of AC duct silvery tubey stuff. Destroyed. And shat upon. Seriously, there are tons of dumps under there. I could have killed her on the spot, had I not had to sit there and wait for her to be dragged out from under the house. I felt my knees get all wobbly, my blood ran cold, and in my mind, mentally thousands of dollars would have to be put forth RIGHT FECKING NOW to make this right. It did not help that BF was ranting and speculating that we would be sued over this.

so I did what any sane person would do, and that's throw on their shoes and speed to Lowe's as fast as they could to see what sort of DIY duct job they can do. Turns out, for about $50, they can make it like it never happened. I have spoken to a few people who have done this before, and it is simply a matter of taking down the shredded duct, and taping up the new one. Crawling around and cleaning up dog shit- not so glamorous, but can be done at the same time. Oh and here's something fun" Turns out, no one uses duct tape for ducts anymore. They use this metal foil tape. Guess who has a whole roll of it from her Mixed Media Days? Me!!! This is twice in the last month that Craft Supply Hoarding has paid off, folks. Twice.

So the Duct Panic wore off, and I got to thinking. I thought about how competent I will feel when I can say that I replaced that stuff, and did it On My Own, and how I was almost getting excited about it. And then I realized that it was the same feeling I get when I say "I need a hat; I will make one. I need a pillow that looks good in the living room; I will make one." And I think that I figured out the root of why I am a Habitual Tryer. Because I need to do things so that I know that I can do them. Some things I really like to do, and so I will do them again. Some things, once is enough (I believe duct repairs will fall in that category.) But that's okay. I think that the motivations don't really matter; the outcome, the joy that comes from Making Something- it's always the same.

so there's that, and it should be where the story ends, but it isn't.

So Lilly gets worse. she starts some wheezing; she doesn't eat or drink. she wheezes and moans her way through the night, and I wake up ragged this morning. Then we head to the vet after they say that they want to check out her wheezing. so I come home from work, and she is like all Doom and Gloom, woe is Lilly. We ride in the car, where she shivers, moans, and cries the whole way. At this point I am scared, and just wracked with guilt that I have done this to this poor dog. Yeah, she pisses me off, but are ovaries a fair trade for stepping on my feet all the time? I dunno. So anyway, have you ever had a car that made a funny noise, and you took it to a Mechanic, and it ran beautifully for the Mechanic? Lilly is that car.

She hopped out of the car, tail wagging, and marched right into the vet's, demanding to be loved upon. She tried to make out with the vet. The vet listened and listened to her, endured being kissed on the mouth (YUCK!) and said that she had a bit of an upper respiratory thing going on, and good thing we brought her in- it could have become pneumonia. So, after devouring an entire can of dog food, and then trying to dig in the trash, Lilly succeeded in almost making me look like a total idiot.

And since then we have been home, where all appears to be back on track. And then I lay down in the guest bed with this
and get up after a while, when i hear lilly heave a big sigh and see this
Lilly resting, and Maya snuggled in very close, and watching to make sure no one bothers her.

and that, my dears, is how they both avoided being shipped to Nicaragua in a box with no air holes.

Think Good Thoughts

2009-10-15T11:10:00.002-04:00

As I type this, Lilly, The Resident Dodo Bird, is under the knife.

She is being spayed today. I have nothing but confidence in our vet, but the BF- he is a mess. This morning before she and I left for the vet's, he demanded that I bring her into the bathroom (while he was showering) so he could give her a kiss goodbye.

Please think good thoughts, while I am overcome with relief that this will be over and done with, and all without having to deal with another Doggie Period (oh my god SO GROSS) or worse- a litter of unwanted puppies.

Is now a good time to mention that she showed up at the doctor's in her Bee Costume? BF said it would make her feel brave. I don't know who is cuter, him or her.

Finally!

2009-10-11T09:58:00.002-04:00

I have found the USB cord! Hooray! (In case you are curious, it was in a laundry basket full of random bits of electronic gadgetry. Thank goodness that as i was packing, I would take cords and wind them up neatly, then put a rubber band around them. That saved me an extra 6 weeks of pretending I didn't see a basket full of scary tangled cords.)

So anyway. Let's look at my new house. I did not clean for this house tour. I didn't even try. It's like you've stopped by unannounced, and I answered the door in my underpants. Bet you'll call next time, won't you?

Okay. So:

Living Room, view from the hallway. I didn't try very hard, so while you are seeing the entry way, and the nice open kitchen, you are missing out on the gas fireplace (fireplaces are really just for show here) and the vaulted ceilings, and also- the New TV. BF bought it last weekend, and I hate to admit how much I am enjoying all the HD-ness of it all. Right now Planet Earth is playing on the Planet Green channel, and it's breathtaking to watch. And nice to see stuff like that on while I work in the kitchen. Also, remind me to tell you about the Couch Situation. That's a story for another post. But right now since I have no idea what works with this oddball brown color, I have just brought in all sorts of things, and am living among them- trying to decide what I like. I think the red curtains will stay, and so will the main blue color in the couch.
Here is the sunroom, which you enter from way off to the right of the above shot- near the fireplace you can't see. That sofa in the living room is moving out to the sunroom once the Couch Situation is cleared up. You can see our deck outside the french doors.

Part of the guest bath. The interesting part. You didn't really want to see a toilet, did you? I am so happy that the buddha is inside now. He's always been a garden buddha, but I smile everytime I pass by the bathroom and see him sitting there. I bought that Paris drawing the first time I went there. I love it in this ridiculous pink bathroom.

Okay so in the bedroom you get a bit of the vaulted ceilings and the fun lighting (I seriously love it- both the recessed lights and the lights on the fan are on dimmers, so we can have the room as bright or dark as we like. But just look at this crazy green! I am sort of loving it. Turns out the stuff I already have looks great in there, but I think that we might be replacing it soon anyway. The duvet is falling apart, and we need king bedding for a queen bed- it's the only way to please two cover hogs. Also, fun side note- the bed is still on wheels, and we have hardwoods throughout. The dogs like to wrestle on our bed for some reason, and after a loud BANG! and lots of little toenails clicking on the floor, i ran in to see the bed halfway across the room (not exaggerating for once) and the headboard laying on the ground. Ugh.
And finally, the master bath. I love it. It's got a dual sink counter, and the white beadboard and bright blue just make it feel so clean and cheerful. i like that in a bathroom.

Well, that's all the tour we have today. There are still two more bedrooms and a dining room, but I will save that for when they are more presentable. But! I am loving this place. We still have a ways to go, but I already feel at home here. It's been just a week and a half but I consider it home. Cute side story: I have been trying to get BF involved in decor decisions. I want him to love it here, and I want him to feel pride in his home, even if he doesn't care about things like throw pillows and stuff. But we were talking about all the wacky colors in the house, and he said "I like all the colors. It's like I have a different feeling in each room." YES! The light, it's coming on in his head! I am fine with the fact that he will NEVER care about some of the things that make me dizzy with delight, but knowing that he feels calm in our green room, and happy in the yellow sunroom- it's so fun.

More pics soon- for now I have to get back to my baking project, and see what sort of progress I can make on the Final Frontier- my office.

Have a great rest of the weekend! Since the goal is to have the office up and semi-functional today, I hope to be back more regularly with updates and such.

Monday Randomness

2009-10-05T11:01:00.002-04:00

and a pic free post, sadly.

As with all things, of course the cable/internet hookup situation didn't go as well as hoped. So there are no pics this time, but hopefully tonight there will be. Keep your fingers crossed.

The final frontier is my room, the girl cave. It's untouched, and totally daunting and frightening to me. But it's my goal for the week. That, and not killing any of my animals.

Speaking of, this weekend, BF secured his place in my heart for always. As if he hadn't already done that- he did a very wonderful thing. After we sort of forgot that we had an indoor only cat, we opened the french doors in the back and enjoyed the nice hint of fall we had going on(soon to be back in the upper 80's again, hmph). Then I was on the deck and noticed Charlie in the bushes! I went to go scoop him up and he crawled through a hole Maya made in the lattice on the deck (double hmph) and straight under the house! All it took was a little chin quivering, and BF was under the house with a flashlight, and then crawled on his belly out from under the house, along with a very dirty little cat. Victory! I do love that man.

Today I have a meeting. At a gym. Where I will likely be joining. I am excited and nervous. I know that I need exercise, and way more than I currently get. But I am scared! I am SO out of shape I am afraid I won't be able to keep up in the classes. What if I fart in yoga class?

And lastly, some sad news. I won't be making it to see Regina Spektor in Atlanta. Sigh. I'm so sad about that.

So, that actually worked

2009-10-01T10:27:00.003-04:00

We moved.

It's all over, and now I can unpack. Or rather, keep unpacking. So very, very, very much to unpack.

It's funny, unpacking a house. You see where your priorities are. The kitchen is completely done, and the sunroom is as done as it will get for a while. The rest? Eh...I'm trying.

I am so very very sore, and very tired. But, for the first time in my adult life, I love where I live. I love my home. This is such a nice feeling. I can't imagine what it will be like, knowing where all my stuff is in a house I love. And if I could just hurry up and make up my mind on some new furniture...This will just be great.

The animals made it okay. I thought that we lost Charlie yesterday, and Maya got out of the yard twice, but all in all we are settling in and getting used to the sounds of toenails click clicking on the wood floors.

And another thing, and hopefully this will make for good blog fodder- we have made a commitment, he and I. Well, I have. I have decided that we are buying a few things Brand New- just a few. All the rest, all the furniture in the house, will be second hand. I have already done some yard sales, and soon plan to hit the Habitat resale store. It should be fun- I am looking forward to this little project.

Back tomorrow with pics, hopefully. I remember putting the camera bag somewhere and thinking "this is a great place for this. I will know where it is all the time." Not so sure where that is now. Oopsie.

I Think This Will Work

2009-09-14T14:16:00.003-04:00

Go ahead. Make my Moving Day.

That was my terrible attempt at angering the gods of Moving. I don't really want them to mess anything up. Especially with me teetering on the edge of madness at this point. But I am feeling so proud of my efforts, and of my breaking my cycle of procrastination...I just feel so good about this.

Famous last words, I know.

We have really got just a little of this and a little of that to pack. Just three kitchen cabinets left, and maybe a stack of clothes. Okay fine- probably another box of bits and pieces in the office. But then we are ready to go. And me- Miss Procrastination Herself- well I feel like i have really turned a corner. I have had this move planned and pre-arranged and I have to say- I just love not flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to transporting all my Worldly Possessions in one day. Utilities are switched, addresses are forwarded, and appointments are set for meeting with various assorted people so I can give them Checks and they can hook Things up.

And then today I arranged for a gift to myself- a most wonderful gift.

We hired movers. I wore BF down. He originally said no way, no how would we pay people. I pouted. Then the case mounted against him. It became apparent that on Tuesday, fortunately for them, all our friends are at work. Especially the strong ones. Then I waved my Noodly Little Girl Arms at him, and asked just HOW he thought these disproportionally short, fleshy, NOT muscular arms would fare in helping shimmy a queen mattress down a set of stairs. He turned pale, but still stood his ground. The last nail in the moving coffin: TMI probably, but it seems as though Wednesday is the beginning of my Lady Time. Monthly Troubles. Womanly Curse. Which means that by my calculations, cramps, fatigue, anger, tears, and frustration should set in around Tuesday afternoon. He did concede that he would rather that all my rage be directed at some cookies and some movers, rather than at him while holding half a couch on a flight of stairs. Ah, the taste of victory- should go nicely with the cookies i have stashed away.

I hope the animals make it through this alright- they aren't coping well. Charlie seems to enjoy all the boxes, and packs himself up regularly. However, he knows what moving is all about, so he is FAR more friendly these days. I think he wants to make sure that we don't have a Home Alone moment, and sit back and relax at the new house, wondering what it is we forgot- then look at eachother agast and scream in unison; "CHARLIE!!!!!" The other two- the dogs- well, they aren't really sure just what to think. Lilly seemed annoyed till she saw Suitcases being packed. That sends off alarm bells in her itty bitty head. Since then she has been more clingy, whiny, and irritating than usual. But she gets a pass this week. Maya- well she takes her every cue from Lilly, so now that she feels she has a good reason to be anxious...well, let's just say it's time to get this over with.

So, the next time I check in with you, hopefully it will be with pics of the new place! And hopefully on Friday, which will indicate that our cable and internet set up went as planned.

Awesome Summer III: Getting Used To Wet Dog Smell

2009-09-09T16:21:00.000-04:00

It's not for everybody. Luckily the company makes up for it.

Awesome Summer II: The Perfect Cocktail

2009-09-08T15:50:00.000-04:00

The Kimmy Gibler

Lemonade
The Berry Flavored Vodka Of Your Choice
Ice

Enjoy.

Bonus Points if you remember Kimmy Gibler and what show she was on. Children of the '80's, show yourselves!

Awesome Summer I: Seasonal Cooking

2009-09-05T15:04:00.000-04:00

What with the holiday weekend sort of informally signifying the end of summer (for SOME of you. Till we can get our high temps under 85, fall is just a dream to me), I would share with you a few things that I learned this summer which have made it one of the best summers ever.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Blackberry Tiny Pies

some blackberries
some sugar (about 1/3c)
some flour (about 1/8c)
a roll of crescent roll dough

To Make:
combine flour, sugar, and blackberries.
roll out the crescent dough
spoon berries onto dough
fold dough over and seal (with a fork or your cool Press N Seal if you have one)
bake according to directions on cresent roll package
serve with ice cream, topped with leftover berries
devour

The Most Important Thing You Will Ever Eat

2009-09-04T13:32:00.000-04:00

Crab and Green Tomato Quiche

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/2 lb crab meat
2/3 c green tomato, chopped
1/3 c green onion, minced
1 c Swiss cheese, grated or cubed (i prefer cubed because i love the little melty cheesy pockets they make)
1/4c sour cream
Old Bay seasoning
worcestershire
9 in. pie crust

Make:
beat 4 eggs violently in a bowl
add sour cream and whisk till blended
fold in cheese, onion, tomato, 3 shakes of Old Bay, and 2 shakes of Worcestershire
fold in crab gently
pour into pie crust
bake at 400 degrees till golden at edges and no longer liquid-y in the middle

This is my very own recipe, and I am quite proud of it. It's super tasty, and the sort of things that will totally impress your friends. If you feel like sharing. And also if your friends are easily impressed. Mine are, but I didn't share with them. As for the crab, either lump or claw works just fine. I used claw, but it was because I was experimenting and didn't want to make a $13 in crab meat mistake. Sorry about the approximations on spices. It's just kind of how I roll.

I served this with a waffle with goat cheese and honey on it. You don't have to, but I really just wanted the goat cheese and honey.

Randomly

2009-09-03T13:47:00.003-04:00

I don't really have a whole lot in the way of organized thoughts, but still had a few things I would like to share nonetheless.

::Moving:: We found a house! To rent, not buy- for now. We love love LOVE this house. I even love almost all the colors that the owners chose for every single square inch of space. Wow, are they not afraid of color. It's really conducive to the things I have and want to keep and the things I don't have and have wanted to buy for a while. I'm excited about redecorating. I will have My Own Room. The dogs will have a yard, the boy will have a garage for mannish things, and we will have a big deck, a sunny yellow sunroom, and a huge kitchen and living room conducive to entertaining. I am so, so, so happy. September, I know I said that I would try to live in the moment, but you have to go. Seriously, get out of here.

::Listening::
Oh, how I love this album and this artist. And now, at long last, I will be seeing her in October. Live. With nothing but her keyboard, her amazing voice, and my undying adoration. I. Can't. Wait.

::Knitting:: Although I haven't taken any pics of it in a while, I have actually finished quite a bit of knitting lately. A pair of mittens that are slightly (okay totally) not the same size, some green mitts that were just sort of languishing, and an adorable little white capelet-- my very first wearable thing. I think you would call that a garment. Yes, a garment. I have one now. I'm also working on a baby gift that is so cute you will throw up on yourself when you see it. And now I get the hype of baby knits-- when you make clothes in miniature, it doesn't take so very long at all! Unless you are almost bested by tiny little shoes. Anyway, I hope to finish it over the holiday weekend. Out of things I already had at home, no less. Do you feel smug like I do when you realize that all that hoarding has FINALLY paid off?

::Obsessively Reading:: Design*Sponge online. Not sure if this is telling about how exciting I am, but their before & afters every Thursday are a bright spot in my week. I just love them! I have always loved befores & afters, but it's so cool to see how a coat of paint, a bit of wallpaper, or some upholstery can make something truly gag-worthy into something fabulous. Not to mention, the Design Guides are great. I think it's the re-decorating bug that's got me.

::Loving:: Maya's new trick. Now when I come home, every day she runs to greet me, jumps for attention, and wags her tail. Just like normal dogs do. I'm sure it's terrible and selfish of me, but I like that this joy is only for me, and that I am the one person in the world that she is that excited about. Wonders never cease with that little dog.

::Anticipating:: A holiday weekend, apple season, and the return of Dog Season on the beach. I am ready to do some packing and organizing, make applesauce, and walk my dog on our favorite beach once the tourists go home and she's allowed in the sand again.

What are you doing?

Love is...

2009-09-03T11:19:00.000-04:00

...using The Good Scissors to cut off your loved one's emerging mullet flap.

Almost 426 cat testicles...give or take.

2009-09-01T10:46:00.003-04:00

On Sunday I was part of a very long, very special day.

It was neuter-a-thon day again!

My day started very very early, and for the first part of the day, I was the person responsible for taking the kitties off the operating tables, and taking them to their recovery rooms. This meant that I was one of the few people wwho actually had a hands on role where I touched every single one of the 213 cats that came through the clinic on Sunday. It also meant that I got to hold them and hug them, and they didn't fight to get away, like my cat does. I can thusly conclude that sedated cats are the best cats.

The next part of the day was spent checking out kitties and giving them back to their owners. That was also sort of rewarding- after explaining to them what they needed to do post surgery while they listened carefully (I just love an audience), several told me that they would not have been able to afford the vaccinations or neutering without the low cost clinic on account of layoffs, the economy, and all that jazz that we hear so much these days. That made me feel so good!

Here's an especially special fact: According to the man from the National ASPCA Office, we shattered the previous record for Southern Neuter A Thons- it was 153 in one day. We had 213! Hooray!

Did you know that a single male cat can father THOUSANDS of offspring? Well, did you? I didn't, but that's what makes this type of work so very very important- that's thousands of cats who won't be contributing to the head count of a feral cat colony, or won't wind up in shelters. Such a wonderful program. I really can't say enough about it.

I also can't tell you how sore I was yesterday. My wrists and shoulders ached, my legs feel like I climbed a mountain, and wow is my back stiff. But I would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat!

Lilly and The Trash: A Love Story

2009-08-31T16:17:00.002-04:00

This is Lilly.

This is what Lilly does when no one is looking.

***Photo removed pending editing of my Real Life Address from the contents of the pic***

Here is the story of how much she loves her trashcan, and how she has bested us at every turn, and why you should just have cats.

Lilly got in the trashcan.
We put the trashcan on the counter.
Lilly pulled it down.
We put the trashcan outside.
It stunk.
We moved the trash back in, and put bricks in the bottom. We thought this would make it less likely to tip over, and too heavy at least to drag to the living room.
She dragged it to the bedroom.
We put a metal hook with a spring loaded lock on the can.
She pulled the back of the lid off.
Now she gets locked in the bedroom with her sister. This seems to make them both happy (Maya's separation anxiety is gone now that her sister keeps her company), and there haven't been any coffee grounds on the floor since. I find this to be validation of Occam's Razor. I hate that I didn't think of it sooner.
Lilly waits. One day, we will slip up. We will forget, and she will be there. Vengeance will be hers.

Till then, I win.

washington- the state this time

2009-08-24T14:57:00.002-04:00

Hello! Hope you all had a nice weekend! I am sure you are ready to be done with vacation pictures, but too bad! we still have a few more days, then it will be all over, I promise.

The difference between Oregon and Washington was pretty crazy and abrupt. Crossing over the Columbia River, you knew that you were not in Kansas (well, Oregon) anymore. It all of a sudden becomes more rugged and bare- but beautiful nonetheless.

Some sort of war monument:

Wind turbine thingies. I love the pic, and feel extra special about it being taken from a moving car with dirty windows. Now about this car: it was a Kia little 4 door goofy thing. Terrible, actually. Other than it's brand newness, it was just a mess. well, with it being such a small car, and us being up so very high- we were blown all over the road. It is a credit to BF and both his driving and coping skills that we didn't go flying off the mountain and he didn't have a meltdown. Because that is what I would have had.

So then there's the matter of the sunsets. Holy wow, you have some sunsets out west, don't you? This was just the start.
then this
which gave way to this. Just beautiful. It certainly helped distract me from the panic attack I was having. It turns out that i don't think i have ever been somewhere totally flat, but surrounded by mountains, and completely devoid of other people. It also turns out that I found it rather frightening. But I am so glad that I didn't freak out enough to stop taking pics.

I Love You, Oregon

2009-08-20T11:36:00.003-04:00

Okay.

Have you ever felt like you would love to live somewhere, although you had never been? And then, have you ever gone to that place, and then known that this is the place you should live for sure? Heaven, thy name is Oregon.

But first, here's Mt. Shasta.

Now that that's out of the way, let's go to our next destination- Florence, Oregon. Our original intent was to take the 1 all the way up the coast. However, Helen, our GPS, thought it wise to go another route. I am so glad we did. The route we took was varied, scenic, interesting, and also much shorter. Works for me. Now, I had still picked Florence out when I had the map of Oregon spread out on the living room floor months ago. I made a hotel reservation, and felt like it was a nice halfway point. Oh, little did I know- it was the most beautiful place I think I have ever seen. And ya know- I have been places.

On the way to Florence:
Florence. Doesn't it seem like the setting for a movie made from a Danielle Steel novel or something equally cheeseball? It's just magical. I know you can't tell from the pic, but those sand dunes are HUGE.
I want to live in this little lighthouse and go crazy there, and then yell at the sea lions to get off my rocks.
Then we hit the sea caves. Apparently, the largest underground sea cave in the world is here. After taking an elevator ride down about 200 feet, we saw all these guys just hanging out.
They make all sort of hilarious burpy and farty noises. Sea lions are so silly. I could watch them do nothing but be boorish for hours. Look at this guy. He picked his nose with his flipper right after this pic.
We didn't get to stay in Florence nearly long enough. A delicious dinner down by the water, a walk down the boardwalk, and then we were on our way again. On the road, BF decided that he had to pee. Badly. We saw a spot for a bathroom break and pulled over. Then we looked up and saw this.

Multnomah Falls. Clearly it was time to do some exploring. Oh and just so you know, these pics have only very slightly been corrected- Oregon is just that lush and green and beautiful.

These are just a few of the over 50 pics that I took there. I mean really- a waterfall like that- just on the side of the interstate. Where else does this happen?
Finally, a quick pic from the Oregon/Washington border- The Columbia River. I gotta tell ya- what with a lot of these pics being taken from a moving car and through dirty windows, I don't think they turned out half bad.

Back tomorrow with Washington pics! Soon to resume our regular bloggy programming. Well that is silence punctuated by whining, so maybe not. But bloggy programming nonetheless.

The Little Town With The Heart of Gold

2009-08-19T10:00:00.002-04:00

That's what it says on their koozies anyway. I happen to agree! This little TINY town (population 200 tiny) sits on the Yuba River, and all the people are just as kind and easygoing as it gets. It should also be mentioned that this was my first meeting with BF's mother, and she couldn't be better. She is a sweet, laid back, friendly woman who made me feel very welcome. I am glad she is who she is, because if she were different- she could make life very tough for me.

The road in:

One of the many beautiful views. I am sure the view from that little red house is even better.
THIS is his mother's backyard. It was awfully warm in Washington during the day, but that water is actually from melting snowcaps, so it was just the thing to have at your disposal.
Hummingbirds are all over out there, and this was one of the shots from the trip that made me feel like my photography is coming along. Baby steps, baby steps, and a bit of luck.
the little schoolhouse. It's just darling, and the fun thing about it is that while there was one room for 1st-4th grades (8 desks), there were brand new Macs all about the little school. Technology- it REALLY is everywhere.

This is the gold that we found while panning in the river! How cool is that?

Poor Man's Creek. Apparently $4 million worth of gold came out of this creek at one time.
And finally the little hotel/ which also houses the town's only restaurant and only bar.
This truly is a magical place. I would love to live somewhere like it one day. The pace of life, the time you have to appreciate the very simple things- it appeals to me. Not quite yet, but one day. One day.

San Francisco

2009-08-18T11:52:00.002-04:00

I loved Chinatown, and would stay there again in a second.

Getting lost is great sometimes
Love the vegetation out there. Totally different from what I normally see.
I thought this was positively magical. The books light up at night. See the words on the sidewalk?
The view from Coit tower. Thanks Coit Tower. Because of the climb to get to you, I am now treadmilling it up every day. Out of shape, that's me.
Here I am, pre-Alcatraz Tour. That's the hat that I made on the way out there. Good thing I had it too, because that ferry ride was brutal. That wind just cuts right through you. I bought The Perfect Button at Britex Fabrics earlier that day. Man, that store rules.
Alcatraz. This was my favorite thing in SF. I LOVED the self guided audio tour. Well done, not too cheesy, and fit right in with the night tour that we took. It was dark and gloomy in the prison, and a few times I got REALLY spooked. Me and my imagination, at it again.
The view from the boat, leaving the Wharf. I love that SF fog. It's like someone just takes a big gray blanket and throws it over the city. My kind of weather.
Love this- taken while preparing to dock at Alcatraz. I am thinking of having this printed for sure. I didn't know about the American Indian occupation in th 1970's. Learn something new everyday, why don'tcha.
Gaurd tower with flowers. One thing that struck me about Alcatraz is all the foreboding gloom of rundown towers and such, and the beautiful flowers that grow there. I loved the juxtaposition of it.
Bars on the bars on the windows in one of the cell blocks. Pretty serious stuff there. I could seriously do a whole blog entry on Alcatraz alone. LOVED IT.
Off we go to the Haight-Ashbury district. I love how this turned out.
Golden Gate Park Botanical Gardens. Stop it with the amazing flowers already.
And the trees. We have nothing like this where I am from. And I am surely the worse for it.
Japanese Tea Garden. I want to live here. It looks fake, doesn't it?
Lombard Street. I only include this photo because to me it reminds me of one of the most interesting things about San Francisco. I tried to imagine living on or around Lombard St. There you are, going out to get your paper, and there are people with camcorders leaning out of their cars, whooping it up while riding down your street. The attractions in SF are largely like this- you have people living by the steps up to Coit Tower, someone lives in the house at 710 Ashbury (the house of Grateful Dead fame) . Life just sort of unceremoniously goes on around all this stuff that's so remarkable. That truly boggles me.

I really, truly loved visiting this city- even if at every turn it reminded me that I am neither hip nor fit enough to live there.

I'm Home.

2009-08-17T13:25:00.004-04:00

I'm home, and feeling really really really really great.

Really great.

Our trip was amazing. It was just really perfect, and I am so glad we went. My Partner In Crime, Obsessive Over-Planning, and I have won big this time. Victory was ours. But before I tell you alllllll about the trip, I wanted to talk more about some other stuff.

First, this trip was great in that I have returned home feeling very confident in the abilities that is the team of BF and I. We did lots of things and arrived on time, we didn't run out of money or get terribly lost in big cities (well, bigger than we are used to) and navigated 1500 miles of road in a rental car, and did it all without breaking up or (me) crying or any sort of theatrics. This was a big test for us, and I am very pleased to report that we passed. It's nice to know that you can share the familiarities of every day life with someone, while also being able to see and do new things without falling apart. I take serious comfort in this.

Second, going away really showed me what a great life I have right here. I needed that. I was getting into a seriously uninspired summer funk that I think was perfectly mirrored by this dreadful shell of a blog the last month or two. Yes, I have been having summer fun, but I have also not been writing, creating, photographing...really doing anything of interest. I think familiarity just began to breed all sorts of contempt. But towards the end of the trip, i was really longing for salt marshes, floppy dog ears, kitty moustaches- even my job. That also made me resolve to try to stay in the headspace that you are in the first few days home- delighting in the familiar, the things you took for granted.

Third, I want more. I want more travel, more new things to see and do, a better camera with which to capture it all. And, we want a Westfalia van. Badly. After seeing them in camping action and talking with some very enthusiastic owners, this is a sweet little dream that could be reality one day. It was nice to pass the time in the car talking about saving for one, and the things we could see and what we could do if we had one. I love feeling inspired and motivated.

And finally- fourthly, I learned a good lesson about myself. I learned that I need to be more fully present in the Here and Now. I have a tendency to live in Remember Whens and In the Futures. That doesn't leave a lot of room for enjoying what is right in front of me at that very moment. Seeing such a stunning part of the country forced me to do just that. I must enjoy what is here now.

Painstaking retelling of the trip to begin tomorrow!

Happy Summer to You!

2009-07-16T13:41:00.002-04:00

My, how time flies when you are having fun. And fun? We are, dare I say, having a surplus here.

Summer is in full swing, and this has been probably the happiest and most carefree summer of my adult life. First, it is unseasonably cool(ish) here, and the next week the hottest it should be is about 92. That is positively great to me. Still hot enough to really know it's summer, but not so hot you swear your brain is boiling.

As a result, I have concocted a Summer Standby Cocktail, and drink it mostly out of Mason Jars. I have discovered that my dogs not only love the beach, but they love the ocean! Maya drank too much sea water one day, and learned her lesson. But now, that timid little girl runs and splashes right into the ocean, and chases waves and her sister with equal enthusiasm. Well, it turns out that all she had to say was that she liked the ocean, and soon enough, it seems that every waking moment is spent at the beach now. I like that just fine.

I've been busily planning this trip Out West. We have had to do a LOT to get ourselves trip ready: new shoes, a GPS, and trips to the vet so that everyone is ready to head off to the kennel. That is, of course, just a mere sampling of my near-perverse listing of Things to Do.

Also, we live in an apartment complex. Till September 30, that is. After that we are are getting into a (rental) house, so while I look for the right place and daydream about a yard for the dogs, I also am smart enough to know: I have a pool right now. A nice one. A clean one. A relatively child-free one. And let me tell you: while I am in the pool on a float with a book and a cocktail, the interwebs is far far away for me.

Summer is great. I hope it's going well for all of you, and I hope to get back to posting with some sort of regularity soon. In the meantime, I will be counting down the minutes till I get out of town, playing in the water, and enjoying a cocktail while trying desperately to think of a name for it.

Oh For Crying Out Loud

2009-06-22T14:54:00.002-04:00

I tell you what.

Planning this trip may very well get the best of me. I have stressed over money; that part is out of the way. But apparently planning is something that even I didn't realize that I have such an affinity for.

It's eating me alive.

I have a massive envelope containing all of our confirmations and e-tickets thus far. This envelope gets bigger by the day. I have them saved in email too. I have lists, links, maps, routes, prices, and every other thing you can imagine. I have made an itinerary. I add to it. Frequently. And now, I have been given permission to totally abandon BF in the planning process. This is now my project, my fixation, my madness.

I've been making lists.

I don't know when I did this, but I made- are you ready for this? a List of Lists to Make. Yep, I did. Every other list now becomes a sub-list to the List of Lists. Is this a sign of a problem. I fear it is so. The List of Lists is really a peek into my insanity at this point:

Things to Get
Things to Make (yay)
Things to Do
Things to Pack
Things to Plan (wtf?)
Things to Pack to Make

Things to Pack to Make. What? What is that? The best I can figure is that it's a list of knitting to bring along. But really. Why didn't I type Knitting to Pack? or just Knitting? Things to Pack to Make. Huh.

The dorkiness, it's reached Epic Proportions. I feel bad for BF. I think he's resenting this trip, and the fact that it's taken over my life.

One Year's Time

2009-06-18T20:31:00.004-04:00

This photo was taken on June 29th, 2008.

This photo was taken today.

The dog in the top photo winced when you touched her. She avoided eye contact. Well, really any contact. The dog in the second photo sits below my chair with her head on my feet as I type this.

Good girl, Maya.

Time Spent Pondering

2009-06-17T22:12:00.003-04:00

How's about today I skip the "my my, where DOES the time go?!? How long has it been since I posted again?" stuff. I believe I will.

The past two weeks have been both good and bad, with ups and downs, and all that. You know, life stuff. We are still adjusting to life together. Some days it's all eyelash batting and frosting- the days when I come home to a clean house, and we go to the swimming pool and I do Sweet Jumps off his shoulders or knees- those are the best days. Other days it's gnashing of teeth, slamming of doors, and seeing who can yell, "NOOOOOOOOOOO! FUCK YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!" the loudest. (Hint: it's usually me. However, I laugh when I say it. What I possess in sheer volume, I lack in conviction.). But that's everyone's life, isn't it? Please say yes.

Anyway, more job stuff, and more dog stuff ( I do believe some of that is share worthy, perhaps tomorrow) and more knitting stuff, and then there's the travel stuff. More on that later, too.

So anyway. I have been thinking. About blogging. And my blog. And all the blogs I read. And why I like them. And the purpose of mine. And what it's about. And what my story is. I can be crafty, but I don't even find my own crafty posts interesting. I can follow directions, but rarely am I clever in my application of said crafts. And oy, the knitting. I don't knit quickly enough to post anything much knitting related, and I have just been too lazy to post the awesome photos I have been taking. But, I plan to fix that. Yes sir. But really, what is my story?

Do you ever wonder that about yourself? Maybe not in the bloggy sense, but in the big picture sense? What is your story? I think my story is of a girl who knits, travels, has weird neurotic animals, loves a rescued foxhound probably too much, loves a boy who makes her crazy, and often fails miserably at keeping it all together, much less packaging it nicely to show to others. Is that a good story, though?

Ya know, I gotta work on eliminating self-indulgent musings from this blog. They bore even me.

Job Woe. Then Triumph. Then Woe. Then Triumph.

2009-06-03T13:53:00.002-04:00

Here at the Stupid house, it's really been a week or so of big ups and downs, especially of the Job variety.

Down: It seemed as though even the Wine Store down the street did not want BF's help. Sigh.

Up: He hit the streets, literally, and dropped resumes off in person. And it paid off! Someone who was not even hiring would be in touch!

Down: The holiday weekend came and went, and no one was in touch.

Up: Then they finally got in touch! On Wednesday- could BF come in for an interview that Friday?

Down: Later that afternoon, we learned that I would have to take a pay cut. We didn't know how much, but I was advised to find a second job. Commence to wringing of hands.

Up: He got the job! The upside is he got the job! It's sales, so working on comission isn't always favorable, especially when no one wants to buy anything, but it's a job! And it's one that I know he can succeed in.

Down: Part-time job searching proves tough on me. I don't do F&B, I hate the public, and I really just want one job.

Up: Today it seems that it was just a false alarm. No pay cuts after all! Still looking for a second job, just a bit of extra cash to put away before the trip. The main thing is we are no worse for the wear, possibly better even, and things will be fine.

This week has been a booger. And it's only Tuesday! I feel like I have been on a roller coaster. A fucking serious one, at that. We've gone up and down and up and down, and I just squinched my eyes shut tight and held on for dear life. Now it feels like the ride has come to a stop, but I am a bit scared to open my eyes. I'd like very much to get back to the business of knitting and singing to the dogs.

Landing at CharlesTowne

2009-06-02T12:54:00.001-04:00

In our continuous search for things to do that don't cost a lot, we are playing tourist a lot. I am also playing Intrepid Photographer, and it's been loads of fun. Last weekend (again, painfully late on the pics, but oh well) we went to a hidden gem of educational fun that's just right down the street from me- CharlesTowne Landing!

It's loads of fun, and I got some pretty good pics. We ended up going twice that weekend- once without the dogs, once with them. Maya LOVED it. You could really see her little hunting dog instincts come out- she had her nose to the ground at all times, splashed through puddles, and pointed at things that we might be interested in (but could not see since we are not goofy dogs). Anyway, by taking most of the trails you end up doing several miles' worth of walking. It's good clean fun for only $5. Can't beat it.

You can click any picture to enlarge, but be warned that in doing so, the pic will REALLY enlarge. I didn't really resize them, as I am planning something for a lot of them.

A blue heron at the shorebirds Exhibit. He was SOOOO close to me. I mean, kind of scary close. the exhibit is very cool; its a marshy area that's sort of netted so that the birds can't get away, and you just mingle with them. I was sort of afraid of having my eyes pecked out, but they really don't seem to be interested in people at all.
since when were bison native to SC? I really am calling shenanigans on that idea, but then again what do I know?

The magnolias are beautiful, and huge there. This was the pic that showed me that I have indeed mastered the manual focus.
Shortly after the Triumph de Magnolia Picture, it became very overcast, and stayed that way for the rest of the weekend. So, I switched to black and white, or occasionally sepia. I really liked the effect it had on the live oaks.
It is at this spot that I was once held at knifepoint by a gang of wayward turtles. I am serious- they know that people have snacks, and will give them to you if you can manage to outnumber them. I surrendered my snacks and made it out alive.
A tree. Some oars. Yup.
Maya taking a rest in the shade. Find me a prettier face with a more gentle soul behind prettier brown eyes, and I will go back and fight those turtles bare-handed.
I will confess something to you. I have been walking under these oaks since I was little, and each time I still feel the same way. Especially when it's overcast, my imagination gets the best of me. It was gray, just a bit breezy and sort of ominous. I lagged behind everyone, taking pictures, staring up at the trees, and I have to say- I spooked myself out. I thought about being lost and alone in a spooky forest, and what sort of boogie boogies might be waiting to pounce on the one lonely girl who got separated from the rest. I literally ran to catch up with the others. I've always been that way, easily spooked by an extremely active imagination.
This guy almost gave me a heart attack! We heard a CHOMP! sound, and then a big splash, and you have never seen someone scoop up her 40 pound dog so fast. There are signs all over that warn of alligators, and I was sure it was a huge one with a taste for either foxhounds or girls with cameras, or both. It turned out to be just a little 5 or so footer (Dept. of Natural Resources won't even come get a gator that size and remove it even if you wake up one morning and see it at your kitchen table, eating your terrier and reading the paper!) and i think the splash was him moving to get away from us, but I sure did my best to get away from him.
Yet another place in which I lagged behind and spooked myself out. I have never gotten the courage up to see what's behind those gates. At this point, I am sure it's some park offices, or a lounge for the rangers. Maybe a soda machine and a place to store the golf carts they drive around. But if you let your mind wander a bit, maybe there are ghosts back there in a creaky old house, or shadows that move around amongst the moss. Maybe.

Knitted Things Unfinished

2009-06-01T12:44:00.000-04:00

And now, the things that I am occasionally knitting on, and thusly they remain unfinished.

Fetching, by Cheryl Niamath
US5 needles
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK yarn

I love the color and the pattern has made for good movie knitting. However, it's sort of a hollow victory, working on stuff like this and then realizing that once you finish it, try it on, and then take a pic of it, the item then heads to the top shelf of the closet till the fall (at least). Curse you, temperate climate.

Anthropologie Inspired Capelet, by Julia Allen
US11 needles
Mirasol Miski in Snowdrop, held double (it's the best thing ever)

This is almost done, but now that all is left is one sleeve's ribbing and weaving in all those god forsaken ends, I am sort of bored with it. I hate how I get like that. Anyway, it seems to fit pretty well, and it's awfully cute, and will look good in the spring over a sundress. I consider the long, long time before I can wear it to be the perfect time to scout around the thrift stores for a truly magnificent brooch for pinning it closed at the neck.

Knitted Things

2009-05-31T12:09:00.002-04:00

Who models knitted things in summertime, anyway? A crazy person, that's who. So, you can guess what this post is all about.

Okay, so that is a Delores Park Cowl
-yarn: Alpaca with a Twist
-needle: 11, I think? I dunno.

Socks-
Monkeys, by Cookie A.
yarn: Imagination Hand Paints, in the Looking Glass colorway.

I tried two shots on the porch with them on. It sucked, so i took them off and photographed them on the chair instead. Geez, it's hot.

It's really shameful a) how long it's been between the time they were finished, and the time they were photographed and b) how terrible the pics are considering how hard I have been working on my photography skills.

Oh well, there they are.

Bliss

2009-05-16T10:33:00.003-04:00

Today is already shaping up to be the best day ever.

This morning BF and I got up for early breakfast with friends. that's always nice.

After that, I headed downtown for the yarn store's birthday sale. almost everything (but the really really good stuff, ahem) was 40% off for the first part of the sale. I arrived with a shopping bag, a list, and sheer determination. This is the last purchase I am allowed to make before my trip. No more. My yarn cabinet is full, and I must empty it by way of using up yarn before I can have anymore. I left a loophole in this promise by saying no more YARN, which does not include needles of any sort. So anyhow, in the course of saving $50, and spending a bit more than that (kind of a big bit) I now have enough yarn to finish my capelet (I hope I hope I hope) and make three summer tops, all of which I plan to take on my vacation. Fun stuff, huh? Normally I abhor shopping. It's boring, I hate people, and I never know what I want, and I wrestle with wondering if I really want something, or if I just want to buy it more so than have it and use it. Then I curse my consumerist mentality, and vow never to shop again. But this was different. I brought a list. I brought a shopping bag. I left with nothing that was off the list. I have plans for all of it. I am victorious.

BF is gone for the day. WHAT'S THAT? Sorry, i can't hear myself think over the choir of angels that begins to sing whenever I say that. He's out doing some work with a friend on the disc golf course, then cooking out, then playing a round or so of golf. This means that I have the house all to my glorious solitary self. Most likely till dinner. I feel silly- I have been giggling to myself maniacally thinking about the cleaning that I plan to do. Cleaning and actually putting things away. Finding places for stuff. Deodorizing things. Then, locking the animals out, and basking in the cleanliness. Then napping, on the couch, or maybe in the middle of the bed- on clean sheets of course. Or maybe I should have one nap on each? Then a bubble bath in a clean tub? Lots of Style Channel? Hopefully there's a Golden Girls marathon! Oh, thank you, universe. Thank you for this day of alone time. I promise to use it well; if you can keep the rain away then I might be alone long enough to sew something.

I also would like to mention that there is an exhausted foxhound at my feet. she has spent the morning playing with her new sister, running, smiling and wagging her tail. I am sure the downstairs neighbors didn't appreciate the stampede, but I sure do. I can't believe the change in this little dog. I have had her for 13 months, and she went from completely shut down emotionally to a normal dog. I find maya very inspiring when I think back on this year. I think that a lot of people could benefit from trying to be like her. No matter what you do to her, she never lashes out, not even out of fear. She's overcome God-Only-Knows-What and learned how to trust, no matter how scary that is. And she always knows when to go to a quiet place and take time out when it gets to be too much. I'm so proud of her, and I am proud of me too. She is the first thing that I didn't give up on when things got tough. I am glad I stuck with her.

Have a wonderful weekend. I hope it's filled with clean floors and sale yarn and friends that make you smile, no matter how many legs they have.

the State of Things

2009-05-12T15:55:00.000-04:00

Have you been wondering how we are here? Have you wondered if my bloggy silence means that BF has killed me and stuffed me in the toilet tank? Lord knows a time or two he has certainly had the motive, as have I.

Things are new here.

New is good. New is bad. New is different. New is exhausting. New is exhilarating. New is distracting. New is becoming familiar.

For the first few nights after BF arrived, I slept terribly. I woke up at all hours, fought for covers, fought for room on the bed, had my covers forcefully removed from my grasp, had sleepy arguments about who was taking up all the room, and so on. At times I woke up, simply thought, "He is here next to me now" and then went back to sleep. That makes me smile now when I think of it.

He is not working right now. That's fine; we knew this would happen. Unfortunately, job leads didn't pan out, and there has been little interest in the resumes he has put out. For now we are okay though, so we are not worrying. Part of me loves coming home to a Mr. Mom. I like that there are shiny happy doggy faces (Charlie's face is neither shiny nor happy, more on that in a minute.) waiting to greet me, sometimes errands are done, the bed is made, and the kitchen is sort of clean. I say "sort of" because he tries, God knows he does, but Domesticity is not his bag, and so things like wiping off the counters escapes him. It's cute, like when 5-year-olds make breakfast on Mother's Day. It's not really done well, but the effort is so apparent despite the lack of skills that you love it more than something easily and perfectly executed. However, he is bored with running to the post office, being the resident dog walker, and staring at the classifieds. He wants to bring in money too, and I appreciate that. Please think good thoughts for us on the job front. We need them.

Oh, animals. We have so many. Or at least it feels like we do, here in our cozy little apartment. Two hounds, one tortured feline soul. Lilly has quickly learned that this is her home, and she's rather happy with that. She would be a fool not to be- after the Long Car Ride, she got another person, a sister, and a bunch of car rides with friends and parks and dog shows waiting at the end of them. Maya is slightly less overjoyed, but still happy. She is braver now as a result of Lilly and BF. When we all go on walks together, she smiles and doesn't pull away or seem to have any reservations. I guess that a pack of two wasn't big enough for her, but four seems to be just fine. I think she gets tired of all the activity, and she seems sort of offended when Lilly steals her toys out of her crate (not that she would dream of doing anything about it). Secretly, I am sort of liking the way the New Dog and New Person have made Maya a mom's girl. She sits with me while i cook now, trails after me while I water plants, and sadly does not draw the line at trying to sit with me in the bathroom while I...you know.

And then there's Charlie.

Oh Charlie. My poor little moustache face. He now has what we call his Office- the triangle of space behind the loveseat in the office. The loveseat sits catty-cornered by the window, and so he has a private little pocket of space where no dogs can go. Occasionally he comes out, like when I pull him out of it, and close off the office, and he growls, hisses and swats at Lilly whenever possible. She can't seem to find it in herself to ignore him though; and is sort of fascinated with how much he seems to hate her guts. It's all rather exhausting, but no one has shed any blood yet, so we'll take it. I guess. Poor kitty. I miss him. I miss him sleeping on my pillow, scooping up and hugging him too hard, all of it. This is tough on him, but he's just got to keep kicking Lilly's ass till she leaves him alone. Keep fighting the good fight, Charlie.

So yeah, that's where we are. I love all the company around the house, although I have been known to pretend to be going number two, just so i can sit quietly alone and read a few pages of my domesticity book. I hide it away like it's a stack of Playboys, and savor just a little bit for a few minutes. It's bliss, all of it. Except the hissing and swatting, but that will get better, I'm sure of it.

The Crawfish Boil

2009-05-11T15:22:00.001-04:00

Again, I am late on this, but I can't let the Crawfish Boil & Americana Music Fest go unmentioned. I had a FANTASTIC time. For $12 it was all you can eat crawfish, potatoes and corn (I ate about 5 mini ears- not kidding) and all you can listen awesome local musicians. Beautiful weather, cold beer, great music- I hate how much I love this town sometimes.

By the way, are you noticing the quality of my photos? Are you noticing that there's a bit of quality there? I am working hard on them, but mostly I am loving downloading them onto the computer and not groaning at all of them. I still groan at a fair amount, but hey! I got a few good ones.

In which I play with my food and the macro function:

Farmer's Market and Dog Show

2009-05-10T14:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that I am about a week late on this post! The days are just flying by. Once I get home from work (read: where all the pics are stored) I am not going near the computer. There's too much life going on in the house to lock myself away in the office at home. But still, I wanted to share these pics with you.

Last Saturday we went to the sort of Town Square thing where they were holding a dog show, and the usual site of the Farmer's Market. It was such a beautiful (as you can see) and fun day. Lilly came with us, and behaved splendidly. We ate kettle corn, bought tomatoes, ate various samples and enjoyed the Dog Show. Sigh. It was a marriage of all my favorite things. Well an orgy of them, really. Dogs, local produce, handmade things, The Pickle Lady, beautiful spring weather, and so much food you can't believe it.

Let's get on with it then.

Beautiful Weather:
Dolly Parton (costumes were by FAR my fave):

Swine Flu:

Pirate Wench:
Ever wonder what a 73 pound Bassett Hound looks like? Gunther will show you. Bassett Rescue was out at the show and they make me feel all melty and wanty. I am a sucker for floppy ears.
I just can't stand the nice weather.
Child Handler Event. A girl and her Big Pink Bow and her Whippet. Even my heart of stone melted for them.
I love doing all my produce shopping here. It really gets no better.
Lilly, having what possibly amounts to the Time of Her Life.

Kerry Got Me

2009-04-28T11:00:00.002-04:00

I don't normally do these things, but for Kerry I will.

THE RULES:

Rules of the game: Respond and rework. Answer the questions on your own blog; replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention; add one more question of your own. Tag some friends to keep the flow going, let them know they've been tagged.

THE QUESTIONS:

What is your current obsession?
Knitting socks. I think it's just magical. And I love sock yarn. I like that sock knitting enables sock yarn buying. So I think that it's fair to say that stalking etsy and Ravelry for indie sock dyers is my current obsession. Oh, and my new camera. You could call me a fairly obsessive person.

What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who don't use their blinkers. Also people who drive in the left lane on the interstate, and aren't going at least 5 over the speed limit. Or are just cruising in the left lane. MOVE OVER!!!

What was the last thing you bought?
I bought two eyeshadows and a shimmer bronzer on etsy from Colorfulsheep. They are all natural and don't have the ooky stuff in them that regular makeup does. I am very excited to try them out.

What are you listening to right now?
I'm with Kerry- I am stuck on the Kings of Leon album, Only By The Night. I'm also stuck on the new Ray Lamontagne, Gossip in the Grain, and have renewed my love for the Dresden Dolls' No, Virginia. It's just so great.

Favorite vacation spots?
hmmm, that's tough. My favorite vacation ever was the week I spent in Paris. But I also loved Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, and Bermuda. For a quick getaway type trip I love the NC coast and the NC mountains. I'm pretty much a carolina girl to the bone.

Do you have any strange phobias or fears?
(This is the one I changed.) I am afraid of damaging my teeth, DEATHLY afraid of snakes, and the remote fears that I have are: clowns (especially Pennywise), my house burning up, the IRS, and being scalped or horribly disfigured in some freak accident. Swine Flu is also creeping it's way up the list.

What four words would you use to describe yourself?
Hmm, I would say Funny, Imaginitive (not the same as Creative, I think), Crafty, Dichotomous

What is your current guilty pleasure?
sock yarn, Ben & Jerry's ice cream. They are guilty pleasures because i don't need them, but man I can't seem to have enough.

What would you do if the internet was irreparably damaged and you had to find another way to connect?
I'd go out a lot more. I would go hang out at the farmer's market, the yarn store, the dog park, and my favorite place to see music. Maybe the internet should die.

Where are you planning to travel next?
At the end of July I will be doing the West Coast for two weeks: San Francisco up to Seattle, with lots of stops along the way. I can't wait.

What was the best thing you ate or drank recently?
That would be Sunday dinner. It was a belated birthday dinner, and it was awesome: Beef tenderloin medallions, stone crab claws, cheddar mashed potatoes, and grilled veggies. So. Good.

What flower are you most anxious to see bloom this spring?
All my favorites have already come. I love wisteria and it's sweet smell, and tulips are my very favorite flower.

What are you most happy doing?
Knitting or sewing quietly alone, walking with my dog on the beach, traveling and seeing new things, spooning in bed, seeing live music

Care to share some wisdom?
No. I don't have a blog called Wise Is The New Awesome, after all.

I'm not tagging anyone. If they don't do the survey, i will feel really sad, and I'd rather spare myself the disappointment.

Older and Busier Than Ever Before

2009-04-21T12:29:00.005-04:00

Hello there!

I am back from my trip to Atlanta for the Birthday Extravaganza. Maya and I had a wonderful long weekend filled with shopping, spa treatments and way too much food. The weather was beautiful, and I love being a spring baby. It's such a great time to celebrate getting older- flowers everywhere, the days are getting longer, and the temperature is just perfect. So yeah, now I am older, but after my facial I could pass for a Girl of Twenty-Five again.

I am also busier than ever because, well, I never truly thought this week would get here. BF is moving here. On Saturday. This Saturday. That's just a few short days away. He's coming here and he is not leaving. Time has simultaneously stood still and moved at warp speed these past two months. When I think about how long it's been since we've seen each other, it feels like time is absolutely standing still and he will NEVER get here. When I think of this as the last time that's truly mine and mine alone, it flies by.

I'm working diligently at making a space for him here. Well, spaces- plural. I want for him to feel like this Slightly-Too-Small-Apartment is his too. Because it is. But at the same time there is a part of me that mourns the other side of the closet, the second shelf in the bathroom, and the way I was able to do here as I pleased without concession or apology. I've always enjoyed my solitude, and for the majority of my Adult Life, I've lived alone. I have called all the shots, left dishes in the sink when I wanted, projects in various stages of completion...everywhere, and occupied every inch of space in my home because it was mine, and no one else's.

Don't get me wrong. I look forward to having BF here. I like saying things like "our house," and I like knowing that I will share the bed (as best as I can), and having someone here who can talk is also sort of enticing. I don't regret the choice to have him move here- it feels very very right. I guess this is just one of those times where leaving something behind is surprisingly hard, given how very badly you want what's in front of you.

I don't know. This is all so very hard to articulate. I haven't had this happen to me before. I was going to say maybe right before high school graduation, but I remember climbing the walls of my high school for the last oh, say, 6 months before graduation so that's not it. College, maybe? Not really- I was a bit sad to leave behind the right to be poor and sleep till 2pm on a Tuesday, but still it's not quite the same.

In just four days, it all changes. Is there such a thing as being ready?

My Next Big Thing

2009-04-14T17:09:00.004-04:00

This is my early birthday present. It's sort of like Telemundo to me though- I enjoy it immensely, and yet it baffles me.

I'm sure you're giggling at this, what with my inability to master a little point-and-shoot camera and all. Now here I am trying to use something with, like, EASILY 3 times as many buttons. But I am going to do it! I am determined to learn how to take better photos. Not for the sake of the blog- I like your expectations for me to be low. I intend to continue to post sporadically, and have those posts filled with bad crafting, profanity, and crappy photos. It's what you come here for, isn't it?

Well, I (of course) have come up with a plan for how I am going to learn to use this camera. I'm going to pick a feature, a setting, a program, a component, a something- and focus on it every week or so and see if I can't get at least a slippery grasp on it. This will have a wonderful by-product: I will have motivation to get my ass off the couch, put the knitting down, and go out and be in the wonderful town in which I live. I have to do this both for me, and also for my BF. He's going to be here in less than two weeks (eee!) and he deserves to have an enthusiastic guide/fellow explorer in me.

Also, what with me ever unable to keep from trying too much all at once, I created an account on My Daily Photo. You can keep up with me here. I think it's a super fun concept, and it will be a great reason to keep trying new things with my camera, and a fun way to document a year. Or a fun way to document the next however many days I go till I get sick of it.

Either way, happy early birthday, Holly!

Slapstick Gynecology

2009-04-11T19:49:00.000-04:00

I swear, when it rains it pours. I either have not got one damn thing to say to you all, and I fear losing you forever, or I have so much to say you can't believe it. Funny how that works.

Yesterday was the day of my Lady Bits Checkup. I went to the doctor, and I saw a nurse practitioner, cause the doctor was somewhere else, I dunno. So, she was a lovely lady, and she was quick and thorough and chatty- that's what I like. I like to be told stories when I am wearing outfits made of paper- it helps to take my mind off the fact that I am buttass naked save for a paper vest and paper sheet thing.

So anyway, there I am on the table, and the lady is doing what the do during those appointments. I can see the top of her head, and she's talk talk talking away. Then I don't see her head anymore. I hear a crash, and as I start to half try to sit up (carefully, as my bottom was, well, out there) I see the Nurse sprawled out on the floor. Looking like those little cartoon birds are flying around her head like they do on Looney Tunes.

I was horrified. I mean, did she recoil at the sight of my...my flower? It's not the stuff adult films are made of, but I don't have vagina dentata or anything. Why did this happen? To me? While I am in stirrups and a paper suit?

It turned out that a bolt on the little stool she was using had been very loose for some time, and today it came unbolted. As she pushed back from the table, the part on which she had been sitting excused itself, and she hit the floor.

So, she was okay, I am okay, we each recouped approximately 5 shreds of dignity, and I thanked the heavens that we don't have to see each other for at least another 364 days.

PSA: the Importance of Urban Dictionary in Political Movements

2009-04-10T19:22:00.002-04:00

Heehee.

Doesn't the title of this post sound so scholarly? Academic? Not About Teabagging? Hold on, please allow me a moment to roll around on the floor.

All better.

Anyway, I don't really like for this blog to be about political things, or really have too much weight to it. I mean, in what universe would discussions on socialism and the like find a place in this blog? By the posts about my dog? Nestled in a post about a botched project? Yeah, that's what I thought. I know what I am good at, and it most certainly isn't sussing out the right and wrong of complex matters. Or matters more complex than say, ice cream flavors or knitting related injuries. But I have to say something.

To all the news people (except Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow, they know what's up), the angered citizens, and nice old ladies out there, hear my cries:

TEA BAGGING DOES NOT MEAN WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS. SERIOUSLY, IT DOESN'T.

As a point of clarification, I think that protesting is wonderful. If you don't like something, shout it from the mountaintops! From the mountains! To the oceans! To the...other things! Prairies? Those too! Get pissed, start bitching, and get all your friends who are pissed also to bitch with you. Things can change if you want them to. But there's one thing: you can shout all you like, but until the name of your little movement is not something that 13 year old boys whisper behind their hands- you don't stand a fucking chance, guys. Sorry.

As another point of clarification- the Big Bad They In Washington has really only done what you and I would do given the chance. It's called Oversight, and we Americans want it. But we don't wanna do it. We want someone else, the penultimate in trustworthiness, to watch our backs so we don't have to. What? I don't wanna do it. I'm too busy watching TV. The thing is that ultimately- We The People have ultimately reaped just what we've sown. We don't give a fuck until we can't afford to buy Cheap Plastic Crap at Wal-Mart. After that, it's time to put everyone under the microscope and proclaim politicians to be thieves and crooks. Can someone steal what you blindly hand over to them? The weren't born into their Senate and House seats, a king did not appoint them either. We did. We cast our ballots for them because the name sounded familiar, or worse- we couldn't be bothered to cast our ballot at all and trusted That Guy to do it for us. You know, the guy who blows his nose at the table in the restaurant, the lady driving the massive SUV while on her cell phone, yeah all those assholes got to write our tickets for so very long now and it's only really come to pass and now we want to teabag.

Well, if it were anatomically possible, I'd teabag the American People. But since I can't, I will laugh hysterically at the people on TV who have failed to consult with their teenage-or-older children, or UrbanDictionary.com to make sure they aren't naming themselves something so utterly and completely ridiculous that it is actually the distilled essence of the Problem With The Way Things Are Today.

Reality is too strange for me. I am going back to the Land of Domesticity, where things make sense.

Charlie is 6 Today

2009-04-05T16:16:00.004-04:00

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to take good pics of kitties? Just when they look all perfectly posed and handsome, they have to be weird and start romancing rocking chairs. It's so strange.

Today, Charlie turns 6 years old. He's eaten catnip and fried chicken. I thought about making him a hat but I knew better. I like my skin where it is, thankyouverymuch.

Did I ever tell you about when I got old Mr. Fatty Bear? I went to the SPCA after just having my heart broken by a Boy that I thought was Very Special. In retrospect, he really wasn't that special at all. Anyway, I went to the SPCA, determined to find someone to love me. I went hoping to find an adult female cat.

Instead, I found three black and white kittens, asleep on each other in their litter box. I took out the first one, a boy named Merlin, and took him to the Interview Room. Merlin sort of...sat there. He was okay, but not really very interesting. I looked at him. He looked at me. I put him back in his cage. Next was a little girl named Lilly. I put Lilly on the floor, and she scrambled to hide under the couch in the Interview Room. I looked at her. She looked at me. I put her back in the cage, and grabbed a tiny little guy named Joshua. Ahem. Joshua opened his eyes, leapt out of my arms, and climbed the little fake potted tree in the Interview Room. Then flung himself from there to the couch. Then from there he jumped from the back of the couch to my pants leg and climb up. Five minutes later, I was signing paperwork for him!
Obviously he underwent a name change. He's much more of a Charlie than a Joshua. I mean really, with that big goofy moustache, where the hell did Joshua come from? Had I known then what I know now I would have named him Headache, since he's pure pain and discomfort. And fuzzy and sweet and silly and handsome. He was my first pet in my Adult Life, the first one that has relied solely on me for everything. I am impressed we have made it this far.

Sock Virginity: A Thing of The Past

2009-04-01T18:40:00.003-04:00

My computer fan really seems to be on the verge of dying this time. As such, this has to be very fast- I finished my first socks and I love them.

Pattern: Silver's Sock class
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici, in Aquarium
Needles: US2

They took forever, but I am officially hooked on socks. Love them. And I love that there was no "when the hell will I ever use THIS" in the back of my mind with these. So hooked am I that I cast on for some Monkeys today. Did you notice that the socks aren't identical? They are very quietly mismatched. I love it.

Happy April to everyone!

Let's Do the Time Warp Again!

2009-03-27T17:06:00.002-04:00

Well, hello there stranger. Long time, no see.

I've been busy this week. That whole thing about March going out like a lamb, what does that mean? That's a temperature thing, right? It is mighty pleasant here, but only lamb-like (lamby, lambish, lambitous...we'll stick with lamb-like) if lambs are awfully busy little creatures.

Maya is doing better again. We have to go soon and have blood work done and buy more pills. Ya know, I don't want to though. I don't want her on pills anymore. I don't know that they are the right thing anymore. I mean if they were totally what is working for her, then she wouldn't have any days where she pees her pants, right? The other day I came home to find her pressed against the door to her crate, and her crate was filled with pee. It was such a copious amount of pee that I could only conclude that she tinkled because she couldn't hold it anymore. And I believe this is caused by the pills, since I know that I have told you that a very convenient side effect of them is dry mouth, increased water intake, and increased water output. Also, BF will be arriving in just a few weeks. He is bringing Lilly, Maya's new sister, with him. I think that the company of other dogs is better to her than pills, judging by how she behaved when we were visiting my mother. It's just so hard to say, ya know? The path to mental wellness is so tricky- there are meds, therapies, meds and therapies, meds that aren't the right meds, adjusting to meds, and so on. Adding in the fact that she can't talk further complicates things. Sigh.

I am still loving The Gentle Art of Domesticity. So, so much, in fact. i love it to bits. Every night I read a little- just a little. I stare at the pictures, i read and re-read the passages that appeal to me. Just the other night I caught myself closing it ever so slowly and then hugging it to my chest before setting it down. How funny is that? i just really like the book- originally i was drawn in by the talk of things I like, and the pretty pictures. But now the thing i love most about it was my original biggest fear of the book. i was afraid that it would make me feel like Martha Stewart makes me feel- slovenly, inadequate, and piss poor at making things pretty. This book does quite the opposite. Unlike Martha, the author fully acknowledges that sometimes someone may (gasp!) not have an unlimited amount of hours to spend on somesticity and The Gentle Arts (i just love that they are called The Gentle Arts.). Really what matters is doing what you can, when you can, within your own personal means, so that you fill your home with things that make you and your loved ones happy- the finer things in life, which are coincidentally the most simple. Anyway, it's a glorious book and it's added even more joy to the things I like doing. Not so much joy that I actually finish something, but that's okay. Maybe there's a section later on finishing things.

I love knitting socks, and I expect to show you a whole pair of them by the end of the weekend. that I finished. Won't that be something?

Also, somehow it turns out that I have a big vacation in the works after all. Originally BF and I were going to take a trip. Then we decided that it was a Bad Idea. then I changed our minds by getting each of us some tickets to see Phish at The Gorge in August. This will be the culmination of our trip in which we go to San Francisco, Washington, CA, two days of wandering up the coast, then George, Washington, then finally Seattle and then home. I'm so excited. Apparently I lived in California for a year when i was little, but I don't really remember. So, this will be my first REAL trip to the West Coast, and it has really become something to look forward to. Hey Other Southerners: out There, In The West, even in summer at night time they wear jackets and stuff! In August! Can you imagine? The thought of that alone will get me through the month of July, when it becomes sweltering hot. Have I mentioned that I am excited? Also, is it wrong that as soon as I started to arrange this trip, I thought right away of all the time I would have for knitting? And that this presented me with a place to take my knitting needle case? It may not Make The Most Sense Financially, but you know what? You can't take it with you. Did I tell you i am excited?

Finally, I suggest wholeheartedly that you rent Milk if you have not done so thus far. It is a beautiful movie. I loved every second of it, and I cried and cried at the end.

Well, I hope you have a fantastic weekend! Practice the Gentle Arts. Or the Martial Arts. And Crafts.

The Gentle Fart of Domesticity

2009-03-22T12:31:00.000-04:00

I'd like to tell you a story. Gather round, children.

It's barely lunch, and there is already a story to tell. This morning started way too early. BF is on a business trip, and so he thought that I too might like to get up at 8:15am to chit chat. As this was a horrible error in judgement, I was too aggravated to go back to sleep at 8:30 when he finally let me off the phone with promises of blueberry pancakes once he moves here. Anyway, I got up, watched some tv, hung out with the dog, and decided that I should go get an uber coffee drink at Starbucks, and maybe wander around Barnes & Noble. Whoever thought to team the two up is an Evil Genius.

So I get my coffee and I wind up purchasing two books with the money I earned (but have not received yet) by cleaning a newly vacated apartment owned by some clients at work. Aren't I clever? I was going to blow it all on yarn, but these books called to me. I bought Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. It's splendid. It's not intimidating, has cute projects, all easily (or so it would seem) completed and all were things that I totally wanted to make. Love. I looked at sooooo many books that I had my eye on because of the blogosphere hype of them all, and they sort of left me feeling kind of meh. But this one, oh this one had me wanting to run home and sew all sorts of things. I like that- I think that's the mark of a good, no, great book. There's a difference is a book that's nice to look at and makes me say "oh, that's a nice...thing" and one that makes me say "I LOVE that, that, that, and that and I need them in my life and feel inspired to make it so." That's how I feel about Heather Ross' book. It's neato.

Then. Oh, then I found a book I have coveted from afar but never actually held in my grubby little hands. It's The Gentle Art of Domesticity. It's beautiful. What little I have read has been sweet, thoughtful, accompanied by gorgeous photos, and just generally enthralls me. I had already planned to leave it out on the coffee table with my other Coffee Table Books (Spirit Dancer and Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same- what can I say, I am a varied and complex young lady.) So I pull up at the house with visions of cleaning a little, opening the doors and windows, planting some foxglove seeds, perhaps a little NPR, and practicing the art of domesticity, ever so gently.

Then I walked in the house and smelled shit.

Yup, Someone could not stand the thought of me having fun without her and shit her pants. Er, crate. Then i let her out of her crate, to discover that she stepped on turds with her back feet. They made these sort of Turd Hooves that thankfully didn't get on the carpet (mostly) while I chased her around the apartment. By the time I caught her she was so frazzled, I had to carry her to the bathroom. Now at this point, i will say that there is an upside to the fact that I frequently have to wash her own bodily...whatEVERS off her. That is that this dog delights in baths and has perfected her own Gentle Art of taking them. She waits for her collar to come off. Once it does, she hops in the tub on her own. She stays at the back end of it waiting for the water to be the right temp before walking into it (the tub drains sort of slowly. I bet there's two dogs worth of fur down there.) and then she stands very still while you lather her up, except for maybe giving you a kiss or eleven while you are on eye level. that's about the point where it's useless staying mad at her. So then when it's rinsing time, she puts her front paws up on the edge of the tub, so that you can make sure you get all the soap off her, please and thank you. Then she steps back down and lifts one leg at a time so that you can rinse those as well. Turn off the water and she will shake off once, hop out of the tub (more slowly and carefully than hopping in- wouldn't want to slip, now would we.) and waits to be towel dried. Again, with the Show Pony style leg lifting. She gives one thank you kiss, and then heads out to resume laying on the couch. How this civilized little doggie still insists on crapping herself, I will never know.

So yeah, this sort of sums up my life, and the constant fuckery that accompanies my attempts at crafty goodness and a lovely surrounding. I have the grandest intentions of perhaps ogling my hostas (still not over the wonder that is a plant that dies and then just decides to come back without a seance or anything. Amazing.), cleaning, working on the great kitchen makeover, knitting a few more rows of the second sock, and reading my books over and over and over again. But does that happen? Nope, not till the dog's Turd Hooves are removed, and the remaining little shit nuggets in her crate are ever-so carefully removed, the surrounding area cleaned, the room aired out, and disinfectant sprayed. Hey, we share a bedroom, Maya and I. i don't want Eau de Dookie in my room. Aromatherapy, it is not. Actually, I have started having a Pavlovian response to it almost and my blood begins to boil immediately upon smelling it. So yeah- cute tunics, vegan muffins, neatly stored balls of yarn, the quiet and thoughtful feathering of one's nest- not happening here at the Stupid house. Nope, but the gentle art of poop cleaning is in full fucking swing today, friends!

Oh and in the way of Confessional Sunday, unless you count books (which I do NOT; books are our friends and they are always allowed to be purchased and loved- AWAYS!) I am guilt free this week, and last week. I am also sadly Finished Object free, but hey- see above.

Unraveled

2009-03-20T21:25:00.002-04:00

Oh man.

I am starting to wonder if it is Spring Fever, or if my spring break did me more harm than good. Maybe it's allergies. Global Warming? Maybe?

O, People Who Read This Blog, hear my cries! Or rather, read them! For I have lost my mind. Really this time.

I can't find a certain prescription medication that is rather important. Well, it would be more important if A Certain Someone did not live 700 miles away, but still. It's just gone! How does that happen? I also was literally 4 miles from a yarn store in a totally different town (and looked it up online and it looked great) and didn't go! I didn't even go in! Part of it was because I didn't want to leave the dog in the car and have her fret over me while I shopped for Stuff I Don't Need (again, I dispute the validity of that word), but the rest of me was just sort of uninterested. I have more than I know what to do with as it is, and plenty of other projects to attend to (like the two day assembly of the Scadanavian Furnishing (is it right for that to be singular? seems strange. anyway). I finally bought journals that I wanted to try out, and was ready to begin the practice of devoting some time to journalling (which I know Ricë would have been proud of) and now I can't find them. How will I make lists and get it all back together? I can't go back to using napkins and empty envelopes. I can't. I can't. I can't. Please don't make me.

Everything is so out of hand right now that I have had no choice but to do what The Old Saying says: when the going gets tough, the tough pretend it isn't happening and knit socks instead. So I have. i've almost finished with the first sock, and it's been magical. Boring, but magical. I think it would be more fun if I had trusted my abilities a bit more, and not started out with something in plain stockinette. But I will tell you this: I have tried that sock on, and although it is not finished, I can tell you that the one foot lucky enough to enjoy that sock rejoiced. There are few things more simple and wonderful than handknit socks. I am sure of it, and so is my right foot (although the toes on that foot remain skeptical). I can't wait to let the other foot in on this.

Am I the only one? I have a black belt in Procrastination, and I am using every bit of my skills this week. I find myself staring at the tiny little beginnings of the return of my hostas for way too long, forcing the dog to linger under the camellia trees with me for longer than either of us need to, and just generally pretending that there is nothing else that I need to be doing.

For shame.

Some Assembly Required, My Ass

2009-03-18T15:48:00.002-04:00

Hello, I've returned. I returned home with a very dirty and Georgia red clay covered dog, who had a splendid vacation, and was greeted by the tiniest nubbins of my hostas coming back up out of the soil. I also returned home with the Spoils of War.

I fought the General Public, and went to Ikea. we don't have one here, so this was a new and different experience for me. And wow, do I ever love reasonably priced Scandanavian furnishings! Who knew? So I purchased a few things, and the Few Things includes a lovely little multi purpose table thingy that so far I could use in the kitchen (where it is now), on the porch, or as a tea cart kind of thing, assuming one day I get some friends and start to like to entertain in my home or whatever. I digress.

Anyway, this thing is held together by tiny wooden dowels and prayers still I get to step 6 of the booklet that states that these 3" wood screw things must be driven into each rung on the frame, so that the resulting shelves are held in place. I can tell you that while I now have been moving the kitchen all around, but my right hand is a gnarled claw. Do you know what they give you to drive those screws in? An ALLEN WRENCH! A fucking bent up piece of metal, that's right. It took me two days of holding the wrench in a (new, purchased at Ikea) dishtowel and running laps around the damn thing for two days.

But it's done. And I will have you know that it would not be done were it not for my spiteful nature. See, when I commented to BF that I was putting it together he said, "Hee hee! You're a GIRL! Girls can't put things together! You are going to have extra parts!" Now he was (mostly) kidding, but it was that innate desire to get it right despite his rudeness that kept me going...for two days.

Now if you will excuse me, it's time to go home and reclaim my life from the clutches of Ikea. And perhaps do a little microwaving.

This Week In Sewing

2009-03-17T10:25:00.001-04:00

Told ya I was sewing.

These are nothing to shout about, but they are made from materials on hand, useful, pretty, and appeal to the tiny part of me that thinks she's the Queen of England. they are reversible, so they feel good and think and heavy in your lap. And, during these times that feel like we are all on the Hades Express, all in this little hand basket bound for hell, it's nice to start your day with a pretty napkin, and a pretty place mat, and feel that there is still some sense of order and joy in simplicity to be had.

I'm still working on the place mats, although they should be done any time now. They are more time consuming than I thought they would be, but hey, what isn't?

Future Vampire Bunny Slippers

2009-03-12T12:21:00.000-04:00

These are the slippers I finished like two weeks or so ago, and I don't think I showed them to you. How they came to be:

Pattern: Malabrigo Loafers
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted, Damask Rose
Needles: US8 circs

Cute huh?

They will be even cuter soon. They look sort of goofy when I walk, because my feet are just a bit too narrow for them. But they basically feel like heaven. My plan is to eventually get some of the suede slipper bottoms so as not to either wear through them immediately or slip and crack my skull open in the kitchen.

But I have even better plans for them. Right now I am making some ears to stitch on, and planning to do a bit of stitching on them this week, and a face and some fangs and all that. But for a while I had cold toes and I was sick to bits of the pink Malabrigo, so I just let them be till I had the energy to make them good and funny.

Generally In Lieu of Blogging

2009-03-11T10:03:00.000-04:00

I figured I would just sort of neatly summarize why I have been so terribly absent. Lots going on here presently, but none of it interesting enough to warrant its very own post. So we'll just list and then move on.

Maya. She is peeing in her crate again. Sometimes peeing and pooping. Nothing has changed; I am not sure why this started up again. Maybe her meds aren't right anymore. I had this whole bout of melodrama where I wanted to shake her, and felt like I was failing her somehow, and why me?!?, and so on. I am over it, and I am determined to keep trying, keep loving her to bits, and dwell on the improvements she's made, and not the puddles.

Um, hello- Spring?!?! Yeah, I have actually been out in the sun and fresh air, enjoying the warmth and neglecting the computer. This has done wonders for my general outlook, despite what my sinuses may tell you.

Consequently, spring has me feeling sort of wound up and domestic. I think that the impending arrival of BF has something to do with it too, but spring cleaning has started around here. You can't really be present at the computer when you are scrubbing baseboards, windows, and cleaning out and organizing drawers, can you? And no, I will not come to your house to clean your windows and baseboards.

I've discovered sock knitting. Things will never be the same.

That's really it. Not such an impressive list now that I think of it. But hey, at least you know now that it hasn't been all crappy reality tv. Some, but not all.

I am now beginning my mini-cation. I took a few days off work to form an extremely long weekend. During this time, I need to make half a closet in the bedroom, make at least some space in the bathroom, and find some way to share the office- that part hurts my heart just a little. Anyway, there's that and then there's a trip to see my mother and some friends and then home for more feathering and fancifying (shut up, I don't care if it's not a real word) of my little nest here. Perhaps I will have a whole sock to show you when I get back?

Spring Is Here, Nanny Nanny Boo Boo!

2009-03-10T10:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am now officially taunting people. We have spring, you don't. HA! That is right, I am laughing while I can. Especially since you will be laughing when you have lovely breezy days in the high 70's and I am laying on top of my air conditioner, covered in sweat and cursing this Southern Existence of mine. But for now, I play in the dirt.

I live in a shady little spot. For the most part I like it quite a bit, but it makes having plants difficult. All the super pretty colored ones seem to want sun. I don't have any to really spare, so I went with some low light stuff for the front porch. I wish I could take this little pot with me everywhere; I love it so much.

Here's the very under exposed back porch. The picture is good in that it shows you just how quickly it's dark back there. I sort of love it that way though. As you can see, the cat, Buddha, and The Best Rocking Chair Ever make it all nice and cozy. The calla lillies, my second favorite behind tulips, don't hurt any either. I don't know how well you can see it from the pic but that rectangle planter is holding my most favorite arrangement. I had so much fun putting it together. I have no idea what the plants are in it, but when the Nursery Lady was writing up my ticket, she went nuts over it and said that I must be artsy or have a background in plants. Since I consider myself neither, this made me feel good.

And finally, the terrarium that I made a while ago needed some new inhabitants. I have a hard time with this thing- I can't seem to find anyone who gets along with the lone survivor, the guy in the 6 o'clock position. Everyone else wants all sorts of water and sunlight and bedtime stories and all sorts of botanical coddling that I am not prepared to give. so I snatched up these little succulents when the label on them basically said "likes total crap for soil and doesn't give a shit about water." I mean I am paraphrasing, but I feel the same way. Now I just need to switch out the critters, and do a bit of re-staging. I finally found a T-Rex like I wanted, and I have a blue stegasaurus that would look fantastic in there. Wow, when did I turn into a 5-year-old boy? I guess sometime around when I realized that "scrotum" is the funniest word ever, and farts are the funniest sound ever.

So yeah, spring has sprung here in the Awesome house! And this is one of the many reasons I have been sort of non-bloggy lately.

Confessional Sunday #3- Already Absolved!

2009-03-09T19:33:00.002-04:00

For this confession in the Use Me Up Challenge, I am absolved, because I was utter Don't-Buy-That Perfection!

Funny how not spending money for (OMG NOOOO!) One Whole Week is such a source of pride for me. Kind of says a lot about the Consumerist Mentality that we (okay I) have.

Also, I am catching up in fits and starts here, so I promise not to be so absent hopefully. Actually I can't promise that. But I will be thinking of you while enjoying this amazingly wonderful spring weather. I can't promise that either, actually. Who are you again?

Confessional Sunday #2- I Am But A Slave to Pretty Things

2009-03-01T12:01:00.003-05:00

I fell off the wagon. Hard.

I could give you the reasons leading up to it, tell you about the Woe To Me-ness that I felt prior to my fall from non-shopping grace. I could tell you why it's my duty as an American citizen to buy what I don't need (I think "need" is a relative term when used in conjunction with any sort of art of craft supply, but that's just me.) in the hopes of stimulating the economy, or perhaps I could tell you to shut up and go away and stop judging me. But I won't.

I fell off the wagon and it felt so good. If it's wrong, I don't want to be right. Which is a good thing, because it was totally wrong. And here's what it is:

6 skeins of sock yarn
Like 5 different sized sets of DPNs because they were on sale. and also because I needed them. I really did, I promise. Again with the relativity of the word "need."

I also bought what equates to something like 4 yards of fabric. Now this was totally not all my fault. It might be a Fat Quarter Pack, and maybe I was feeling really inspired since Fat Quarter Month ended over at Sew, Mama, Sew! and I really felt like a small re-do of my kitchen would be lots of fun for spring. And it will be, I know it.

Then there was the ball winder. I am not sure it counts at all, since it's not really a supply, just sort of a...thing. What was I supposed to do? Stupid Joanns and their stupid 40% off coupons. Enablers, that's what they are. I needed it for my sock yarn and I am sort of sorry, but mostly just excited.

Oopsie.

Oof.

2009-02-27T11:36:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is almost a week since I posted. And lord knows I have not been good about showing what I am up to.

But I have an excuse.

My power supply fan is about to shit the bed completely. You should hear this thing wheezing, groaning, and huffing and puffing along while I am on the computer. It's dreadful and there are times where I think that the computer may just completely lift off- not kidding. So yes, I know that it is a terrible reason, but I have been delaying the inevitable by simply not even turning it on. This is just to buy me some time till my Personal Computer Geek (BF luckily) orders me a new fan, tells me how to install it, and so on. Oddly enough, a by product of this unfortunate computer situation is that suddenly my free time to actually make things seems to have tripled.

A sad by-product of this is that I forget to tell you awesome things as they happen. Like the other day, i think it was yesterday but it could have been the day before, Maya wagged her tail at me for the first time inside the house. There were no other dogs around, and we weren't playing, but I asked her if she wanted to go potty and she smiled and wagged her tail at me a few times. It was cute- I have had her almost a year and now she is finally starting to come around enough emotionally to communicate with me. Oh and in case you were wondering, Operation Anxiety is going very very well. We haven't had a bad crate report in weeks, I think. She still randomly does naughty things, but overall she is a much happier dog, and I am a much happier person. Thank you, Modern Medicine. And thank all of you for all the comments and advice and support.

So anyway, i am still here, all is well, the Use Me Up Challenge is going fantastically, and I am making things. I have lots of posts that I hope to work on in draft over the next week or so, and I hope to post them here and there so that this place isn't so...quiet. It's just not in my nature.

Oh and the final count for the neuter-a-thon: 165 cats! One hundred sixty three boys, one girl, and one boy-girl. All sterilized in roughly 5 hours by two vets, with no known complications at this time- everyone woke up, no one has come back for infections or problems with their incisions, etc. So I guess you could call it an overwhelming success. I can't wait till the next one.

That's really all the news that's fit to print, at least until I make the Mother of All Confessions this week. I fell off the wagon, and hard.

The Only Thing That Stifles Creativity More Than Cat Balls

2009-02-23T21:23:00.000-05:00

is doing your taxes.

Yeah, you heard it here first. I know this because I did mine tonight. I am very happy to have crossed them off my list of things to do, but shit- it's boring and stressful (one of my absurd phobias, along with something happening to my teeth, is the IRS. I am scared of them. I don't make a lot of money, have colorful or dubious deductions, and tell the absolute truth to them every year. And ever year I tremble in fear that they will see my little old return come through, and WHAM! stamp it with a big red "DENIED!!!" stamp and audit me till I cry uncle. Or worse, swoop in through my windows on ropes and demand that I hand over my checkbook. Of course, I may or may not be able to find it, depending on if it is or isn't in my underwear drawer. Shut up, I told you this was an absurd fear. I can make it as silly and dramatic as I like. Actually I have no control over it, just as I have no control over covering whole topics inside parentheses.)...and now I have no idea where I was. My brain is fried.

Oh yes, I did my taxes.

and now that I am done with them, I have no room in my brain for anything but lists, budgets, to do's, and things of that sort. What a shame. What a waste of an evening. I mean, not exactly- keeping the Feds (hopefully, fingers crossed!) off your back is a worthwhile endeavor for sure. But when you have your ironing board all set up with a stack of cut and pinned fabric on it...eh. I'm just not in the mood.

Do you have a hard time changing gears like that? I sure do. I am envious of people who live creatively, are work at home artists, moms, or just people who are able to integrate creating into their lives more seamlessly than I. I mean, I will probably knit while I watch tonight's trash tv, but if anything at this point it is because I demand that the scarf submit to me, and hurry up and be done. I have demanded this of said scarf for a while, but it has only recently come to my attention that the act of knitting on something produces much more speedy and satisfactory results than squawking at it does.

Hundreds of Cat Testicles!

2009-02-22T14:48:00.001-05:00

Today was spent at The Shelter doing their neuter-a-thon.

I busted my ass, and several hundred cats were neutered. The first hit the table at about 8, and by 1:15 or so, the last one came off. Hundreds and hundreds of cats.

I worked the Recovery, and that actually morphed into several chaotic jobs. I'd scoop up an unconscious kitty and whisk them off to their recovery room, where I'd lay them on top of their carriers with a microwaved rice pack to keep them warm. This went on for hours, while my partner and I switched off running cats, moving crates, and watching our own little group of recovering kitties. In each room it looked like the Heaven's Gate compound- you know, the people all lined up on bunks in their black Nikes, just waiting for the Mothership to beam them up or something. Terrible, but true.

I would check their breathing, make sure they stayed warm, pick them up and change their newspaper when they pissed on it (which many did), and rub them and flick their little noses to test for ones that were coming around. Then hurriedly shove a disoriented and usually aggravated kitty into a crate. And stack them back up again. Hours and hours this went on!

The assembly line was a model of very chaotic efficiency, and those little buggers would get lined up, drugged up, shaved up, neutered up, and shipped out to recovery in no time flat. It really was a sight to behold- tufts of fur flying everywhere, the occasional scuffle with someone who didn't want to be sedated or taken out of their carrier, people bustling around with limp cats in their arms, and then those little nutless wonders, all lined up like they drank the same Kool-Aid.

I am going to brag now. those of you that know me know that I am rather squeamish and will gag over just about anything. Well! I also had the dubious distinction of scrubbing instruments in addition to flinging around lifeless cats. Hmm. Well they weren't too terribly nasty, and I held it together when I would clean a gross instrument and drop it in the ultrasonic cleaner. Until I saw it- a Rogue Testicle. Somehow, a cat ball made it into the bin of used instruments, and then came to me. To wash. Oh. My. God. A Cat Ball. I didn't scream and cry and pick up an unconscious kitten to hide my face in like I would have liked. Nope, I just waited till no one was looking, and flicked that hemostat hard, and flung the nut into the trash. So of course I am not only proud that I was not bested by a cat testicle, but the doctors complimented me on my ability to drop off clean instruments on the table, whisk away the most recent victim, and return with clean instruments in no time flat. I was born to assist in the mass removal of testicles. I can tell; it's just a gift I have.

There were a few interesting kitties there. I was in charge of Satan Himself. That was the meanest little cat I have ever seen in my life! If other perfectly sweet but groggy kitties weren't stacked up around him, I would have kicked his carrier so hard his teeth would have rattled. He was horrible. there was also a hermaphrodite kitty! This one had one ball and part of a uterus. So if the final tally of balls removed is an odd number, that's why. And also, there were a few of the Hemingway cats, the ones that have like 7 toes per front paw. They were cute, but is sure was strange (and time consuming) to clip their claws.

Sorry I'm not funnier today. I have been flinging testicles and monitoring vitals and swinging cats around since about 7:30. I'm tired and going to take a long long nap.

Looky At What I Made!

2009-02-17T21:08:00.000-05:00

Wow, this took a lot of time and effort (really only in the choosing of sweaters and the cutting of peices)! But it was Monday's installment of the Use Me Up Challenge. And oh, how do I love it.

So, I finished my knitting needle case, made entirely of recycled sweaters. Like I said, this came from the book Warm Fuzzies by Betz White. Okay, so here's the outside, all rolled up:
Here's the backside, all spread out. I love the pattern, and I am so glad I used this sweater, and left the shoulder shaping, collar, and bottom ribbing intact. It kind of shows more obviously what this case was in a former life, and I really like that.
Okay, now here it is opened, with various assorted things stuck in it, but the flap closed. Clever, huh? In the pic you can also see about half of my sewing table. It is clearly a hot mess, which I believe is a sign of my productivity. Back to the case. Anyhow, it was tricky sewing on those larger pockets. well, the only really hairy bit was the part where I was shoving three felted wool sweaters through the machine at once. I am happy to say my machine took it like a champ. The pattern calls for wool blend craft felt for that part but in keeping with the challenge, I just went for it. Not so bad.
Now here's a bit bigger picture with the flap lifted up. You may notice the crooked seams, and you may also notice that the green pocket is on a serious slant. I am very proud of myself, because my reaction to this makes me think that I am turning a corner here- I love it because of that stuff. It's sort of cartoonish, almost Seussian. I think that's pretty fun. I mean it's a stripey felted wool knitting needle case. For it to take itself too seriously, and try to be all perfect with straight lines and such- booooo-ring. I mean if you can sew straight lines, more power to you, but until I can (and if my drawing skills are a sign of things to come, this will never happen) I will just have to embrace and enjoy the delightful and semi-intentional wonkiness that is my finished projects. I'm beginning to thing of it as my personal style.

So, now all I have to do is go on a really long trip where I will need to knit like 6 different projects so I can use it! Can I come stay with you guys?

Confessional Sunday!

2009-02-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

What did I buy this week that I should confess? NOTHING! Yay!

I need to get to sewing, but I am just POOPED. Today I walked the biggest bridge in the area, and that was fun, but quite the effort. It's a very steep incline and all these strange muscles I have not used in quite a while were crying out for mercy.

Then I did something very unlike me and went to the Wildlife Expo that was in town. It was a chilly day, but a few girls bundled up (Viva La Handknits!) and headed down to the river to watch the retreiver trials, the Boykin Spaniel demonstrations (which showed to me just how willful and disobedient my dog can be) and just wandered around to look. There were tons of food vendors, and i abstained from the fried gator, although i LOVE it. I couldn't resist the hot kettle corn though. I am full to the brim of it and I am not sorry.

Then there was my favorite thing- the Dock Diving Competitions! They had events like speed retreiving, big air, and distance, and I loved it. We wound up front row on the back side of the pool they had set up, and got to watch the dogs getting ready to take their jumps. It was too funny. When one would hit the platform all the others would howl, quiver, and whine- I guess they were rotten with jealousy that it was not their turn to take a jump. It was too cute. Some of the other labs and such that were there watching began to sing and howl too- they wanted to play too! Anyway, here's their event calendar and you should really go see them if they are in your area.

One thing that I love about my town is how dog-friendly it is. There is quite possibly the world's most wonderful dog park here, and there are lots of events throughout the year where dogs get to go and see and be seen just like their people. Their were TONS of dogs there in all shapes and sizes. I hope mine can get to the point where she can go out for a day like that. Maybe one day.

I hope you all had a weekend as fantastic as mine.

This Week In The Use Me Up Challenge

2009-02-14T19:27:00.000-05:00

Well, i thought I would show you what I've been up to this week when I'm not obessessing over the state of Maya's crate and her anxiety and what not. One thing that has been surprising me this week is what all I have just sitting here waiting to be made into something. It says to me that this challenge is long overdue. It also is sort of scary in the amount of times I have been able to say to myself, "SEE! I KNEW there was a reason I kept this!"

Here's what I did on Monday. These little pillows are actually place mats that I bought for 50 cents each at the Habitat for Humanity thrift store. I bought them a while back, but just never did anything with them till now. And look at how well they go with the chair! I'm glad I started this challenge, because these things have been on my to-do list forever, like since I bought these.

This isn't anything too special, but I sure am enjoying it. Since I bought the dried lavender for this little eye pillow a while ago, I was finally able to get around to spending the 10 minutes that this took. I think it took me longer to choose the fabric. It's just a little pouch full of dried lavender and (uncooked) rice and it stays in the freezer. I take it out when my eyes feel tired and the hint of lavender is awesome. As a matter of fact, I used it last night while laying on the couch after my walk with the dog, and woke up 9 hours later with it laying on my chest. That's a pretty powerful eye pillow. Tuesday's effort:
On Wednesday I knitted. I worked on the scarf I showed you last week. Someone, make it stop. I'm tired of it. I just want to be done with it. but it just goes on and on and on and on and on an- you get it.

This is what I worked on Thursday AND Friday. And I am still only to the point of having the fabric cut and pinned. It is a knitting needle case from the book Warm Fuzzies and I think it's awfully clever. It took a while to choose all the peices, figure out where I wanted them, and cut them to as close to Just Right as I could get. I swear, cutting fabric is my favorite part of sewing, but I will be damned if I can cut a straight line, or actually cut the measurement I mean to cut. I use a ruler, a tape measure, a fabric soluble marker, a rotary cutter, and god knows what else, and I still cant seem to get it right. I swear, I thought i was going to have to call in NASA to cut some fucking sweaters. Nonetheless it's all ready to sew. I hope that my sewing machine is prepared to cope with sewing through three layers of felt. I hope that I am ready for it. Sewing on stretchy fabrics is still sort of tricky for me.

And here's today's effort. It's a little pouch made from the sleeve of the sweater that is the outside of the needle case. The back is the big band you see above with all the orange stripes. I thought it would be good to toss in the knitting bag too and hold all the little things that HAVE to come along with you when you take a knitting or stitching project somewhere. The fun thing of all this knitting accessorization is that both of these things match the bag that has just been designated my knitting bag. Amazing, huh? It's a wool camel colored tote with orange lining, and I love it. It was my Designated Carry On for a while, but now i have a bag I like better for that. I think that no matter how hard I try to quit them, bags just find a way into my life. I have loved them since I was a little girl, and I guess I just always will. I try to fight it once in a while and donate a box or two (!!!) of them, but if five leave the house, seven more show up in their place. It's maddening.

You know, I will tell you something else that is sort of amazing about this Use Me Up Challenge: my office and particularly sewing table are cleaner than ever now. Every day after I am done in here with what I am working on, I set a (imaginary) timer for 15 minutes and pick up. Huh. who would have thought- it doesn't even take 15 minutes to pick up after a small sewing project, so I just keep cleaning for the rest of the time. And then, when I come back the next day, I just grab my materials and get to work. Huh. Is this how other people make stuff? Is this how they actually find time to make things, cleaning up and getting ready for the next go round? If so, this Picking Up After Yourself and the people that do it are Visionaries. I'd like to meet such a person, that is, if they are even real.

A Dog's Day at the Beach

2009-02-13T21:28:00.001-05:00

Today Maya and I went to the beach for a nice long walk in the sand with our buddies. It was about 70 and sunny this afternoon, so we threw on our flip flops and Gentle Leaders and headed for the beach.

Maya is looking forward to going bye in the car, and is smiling and wiggling in anticipation:
The beach walk was lots of fun. We saw lots of empty horseshoe crab shells, perfect bivalves with both halves attached, and tons of snail and conch shells. Oh, and most of a starfish. Here's a massive abalone:
The beach we were on was actually a barrier island. So the four of us walked all the way to the end, and sat and rested a while on the point. Maya is looking at where the river and ocean meet. She found it fascinating, and really likes ocean breezes. She closes her eyes and sticks her nose up high in the air and breathes deeply. She made it look like so much fun that I tried it too, and it didn't disappoint.
She sure can strike a pose. I wish that in the course of striking it though, that she would not sit on her tail and make it look like she has some weird Tail-Weener thing going on. Luckily she is pretty enough to make up for it.
The reason why I am showing you this is not to make the Northerners moan and groan in jealousy (like i have with all of your beautiful snow, ice, and winter pics!), or to show off mu super pretty dog (okay that's kind of a lie) but to explain to you why I just could not bring myself to post about what all I have made this week. We walked so long, so far, and now that my legs ache and my belly is full of beef tenderloin and I am so Happy Tired (you know, the kind of Tired where you are worn out in a good way, because you had a lot of fun actually Doing Something, not just Sitting Around) that I simply cannot muster up the energy to take pics of what I have been making this week. I will just say that I promise to take pics in the daylight and tell you all about it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and a great Valentine's Day if that's your thing. If flowers and chocolate and sweet nothings don't do it for you, then I hope you are still getting a chance to spend time with the ones you love or the things you love doing.

Operation Anxiety, Day 11 (I think)

2009-02-11T18:52:00.001-05:00

I am very pleased to be making the report that I have for this, (I think) Day 11 of Operation Anxiety.

It's like there's a different dog here, sort of like a Dog Pod Person. Pod Maya.

Pod Maya hasn't peed in her crate in about a week. Today she even earned back one of her blankies, and did not tinkle on it.

Pod Maya is much less, um, frantic. She is still a bit jumpy and shy, but if a person walks by us then she looks at them, tries to figure out what they are up to and what their intentions might be, and then goes back to whatever she was smelling. Old Maya would have seen a person, tried to bolt the other way, and then settled for crawling on her belly toward home.

I used to dread our walks. I don't dread them anymore. It's actually the best part of the morning for me now. It's so nice and quiet by the pond, and she's very happy to walk around it for as long as I will let her. There's no scrambling for a hiding place or sitting down and trembling anymore.

The change in this dog is more than I could hope for on Day 11. It's like all the wonderful qualities in her, all the traits you could barely see that made me want to give her a home, all those great things about her are no longer covered up by fear and apprehension and the sweet and gentle little dog I know is out there for everyone to see. I can't wait to get her in another social situation to see what she does. It always sort of made me sad to see her sitting in the corner, because you could tell she just couldn't bring herself to join in even though she very much would like to.

I should also clarify something. I was very excited about the Use Me Up Challenge, and so I may have not said what I meant to say in the right way. I will not be using tin cans as birth control, or putting my birth control in the recycle bin. Oh god no! What I should have said was that I am looking at all the every day stuff that you just sort of Have Around, and thinking of how I can embellish it, re-purpose it, or make it a cute little cover or case out of my fabric scraps. It's pretty cool, having your brain woken up in that way. Especially when you have been Sewing Machine-a-Phobic for a while. I was always afraid to do something for fear of messing it up, or use fabric I really like because what I use it for may turn out to not be The Perfect Thing. Silly, I know. Once I decided to play this little game I just finally woke up and said, "Oh wait, it's just fabric, not the Hope Diamond." So I am already thinking more adventurously and that is fun.

The Use Me Up Challenge

2009-02-10T14:49:00.001-05:00

Okay so, the Challenge has an official name. I really thought that Ricë was right in that the name should have the word fuck in it. But I think that the only substitute for The F Word is a bit of Bill Withers. I was listening to Live at Carnegie Hall today and the idea came to me in my favorite way- when I was thinking about Nothing At All. Well that's a lie, I was singing my heart out and dancing from the waist up (I was in the car). But still.

For a quick word on Bill Withers, I will say that if I were only allowed to listen to 5 cd's for the rest of my life, Live At Carnegie Hall would be one of them. It's one of those albums that EVERYONE likes, and everyone can find at least one song they love. I love all of them, but Use Me is one of my favorite.

So yeah, that's the name. I made stuff last night, and I will make some more tonight. I will tell you one thing that I hoped would happen, didn't know if it would happen, and am happy that it has happened: I am Seeing Things Differently. Now everything I look at I give a second or third look to see if it might be something I could use with something else to make something altogether different. And that is awesome. Who knew that one day into a challenge I would be raiding the recycle bin for tin cans and pausing and considering my birth control?

I should just stop now.

A Checkbook Cover and a Challenge

2009-02-08T19:14:00.000-05:00

Yikes. Between skipping lunch and the heroic effort it took to make this thing, I have the WORST headache. Even my eyebrows hurt. But- I finished it!

Here is my checkbook cover I made using this tutorial. I am sure for most people it was fun and easy. And for me, it has absolutely nothing to do with the pattern itself when I say this thing nearly fucking killed me to make. First of all, you have to baste every piece to every other piece. I realize the purpose behind this and I think it's nice. But for me from now on I will be going without. Basting is for the birds. It took me longer to get all the flipping basting stitches out than it did to do all the rest combined. Imagine the moment of panic I had when I thought I somehow made the damn thing like two inches too small, when it turned out I hadn't taken out the basting stitches. I am SUCH a dodo sometimes.

Anyway, I know this thing looks a hot mess but it's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen at this moment.

Here's the inside, complete with wonky pocket placement (the OCD part of me that needs straight lines hates it but whatever) and strange things at the top that would have held the pages of the register up if they were actually functional. But since they aren't, I feel like it's a good thing I don't have a check register anyway.

Here's the full view of the back:

and here's what it looks like all folded up. Note the not even half assed attempt at top stitching. I just kinda said enough's enough, and there ya have it. So funny.

You gotta admit, the fabric combo is cute. This checkbook cover has that going for it.

So, I got to thinking while I was working on this checkbook. I have LOTS of supplies with which to make stuff. In fact, I have so many that I am starting to think that I don't like making stuff as much as I like gathering materials for stuff. So, I am challenging myself: I want to see how many days in a row I can Make Something without having to buy anything. I have so many things on various assorted lists in various stages of completion- I bet if I really used my head, I could make something every day for a while. Like 30 days or more. Maybe even 60! What marvelous things could I actually complete if I stopped focusing on what I don't have to make something else? How far out of the box could I think? How much money could I not spend? Would it give me new eyes with which to see the stash I have? Could it help me in my Resolution to try to free myself from the want and need for accumulating things?

I think this could be really fun. And this could be Blogging Gold, considering my propensity for Really Messing Things Up. Also, I believe that creativity can really flourish with limitations, so I am imposing a few rules:

At least an hour a day goes into the making of something, or The Thing has to be completed, whichever comes first.
Confession is on Sunday, where I tell what I really bought (sometimes you have to have thread and such). If I HAVE to buy something, I will keep it under $5 per week.
No more than 1/3 of my time spent making something can be knitting. I can knit for longer than an hour, or as often as I want, but it can only be counted for the day's project every third day or the equivalent.
Multiple days can be accounted for in a single entry. This isn't a cop out- as most of you know, blogging is really time consuming, and the whole point of this challenge is to actually do, rather than shop for or talk about.
Pictures or it didn't happen. They may be shitty, but I promise to take them.
Food does not count unless it is a recipe I devise all on my own out of things I already have on hand. Hey, it could happen, right? Probably not, but that's okay.
Stealing and purchasing are not okay for materials, but any other method of acquisition is.

Now, what should I call this Challenge? My first thought was Make Something, Buy Nothing. But then I googled that and it looks like that is already something. Most of the entries on the first page went to a site called God Spot, or God Land, or God Something. I'm not going there, although I bet divine intervention could be helpful in this. Help me think of a name, seriously.

When Good Things Happen to Crazy People

2009-02-08T12:23:00.001-05:00

It's so nice to have nothing to really complain about. I mean, this week has been strangely awesome. Really! It seems that here lately everything has been either Wrong, Harder Than It Has To Be, Out of Whack or at the very least Just A Bit Off. So it's very nice to be able to say nothing but good things.

First, there's the current Star of the Blog, Maya. She went to play with her friends on Friday night and was SO happy to see them. And when the dogs all came indoors, Maya wandered around and said hello to all the People there, instead of pacing anxiously and then deciding to sit by the door, far away from Everyone. The changes in her are noticeable to other people too! It makes me feel sort of validated, like I'm not just making up improvements in my head to keep from being nuts about her costly medication. She's having a lazy Sunday under the afghan her grandma made a long long time ago.

In knitting news, I am back to knitting for my favorite recipient me. I finished the Hat Fit For A Boyfriend for BF. I tried it on and it fits me great, so hopefully since it's stretchy it should fit his slightly-larger-yet-seemingly-sometimes-empty head. I should not say that his head is empty, because he has possibly firmly planted himself on the Knitworthy list. When I asked him what else he wanted (since he treated himself to the fancy headphones I was going to get him. Grr) he said, "The hat's plenty! Besides, you MADE it, so it's great." It was like the heavens opened up and angels sang because of that comment. I think that's what we call Appreciation of Things Handmade, and obviously Very Important.
And then on Saturday morning, I got up Very Early to be at the local yarn store when it opened. It was Annual Sale day! I felt all self-righteous when I left because I only spent $70 and did what I set out to do- I bought local, I bought Better rather than More, and also I made a list ahead of time and bought only what I needed for specific projects. And there's something thrilling about sales, although let me tell ya: there are sales, and then there are Sales At A Yarn Store. I had to judo chop an old lady to get to the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, and I'd do it again if I had to. While fondling some other yarn I thought one woman was going to pull a knife on me. The moral of the story is don't cross a knitter on sale day, folks. You could easily lose an eye or worse. Here's the Miski Baby Llama yarn I bought for a capelet (it's just disgustingly soft and I love it so much I want to marry it)
and here's the Alpaca With A Twist Highlander tweedy yarn that is also super soft, squishy, and will be next winter's hat, mittens, and cowl set. I won't be caught off guard by all the random cold snaps, and I will probably wear the set in August because although that would be terribly silly, there's something just so very right about purple tweed alpaca No Matter What. It's the little things, people.

And here is the very best thing, the thing that matters more than yarn and hats and dogs, even. This week a big huge wonderful thing happened, and there was a Change of Plans. I have been working up the nerve to announce to you that I was moving 750 miles away to live with BF. This was to happen at the end of March. It's been in the works for months and I wasn't fully prepared emotionally to handle leaving my job during a recession, and leaving my Whole Life behind. Well, it seems I don't have to because he is moving here! Soon we won't have to cry at airports, or have massive cell phone bills, or do any of that stuff. It's very exciting. And the yarn came about as a result of me figuring that things would be tight for us while he searched for jobs and both moved (his dog is coming with so we need to move to a house with a yard for the sake of all of us). I rationalized that while all the fancy yarn was on sale, I should grab some and then it will keep me occupied and offer some stress relief while we get used to seeing each other every day and not having any money to do stuff (I realize that the logic there is a bit wonky, but I am going with it and you can't stop me.). This is just so exciting. I can't stand it. Really, I can't.

And now here it is, Sunday, and I have lots of sewing projects that need to be sewn (finally). I hope that the week and weekend has been just as busy, exciting, productive, and whatever else for all of you.

It's Not All Anxiety Here- We Knit Too.

2009-02-05T17:52:00.000-05:00

I think that today we will take a break from talking about Separation Anxiety. But only after I say that Maya was in her crate for 6 hours today and did not pee. I am proud of her.

Anyhow, I am also sort of tired of talking about it, and I want you to believe me when I tell you that I am in fact still making stuff. Slowly, but surely. How's about we look at it what I am working on?

This is the scarf I talked about a while ago (I'll link to the pattern and all that when it's finished and I make you look at it again. Let's just look at pics today, shall we?). I really think that for a while after this I will be sticking to cowls, neckwarmers, and the like. Scarves are just a bit too...well it's a lot of the same, you know? I was so enthusiastic about this one, but I am just kinda over it now, and not yet half done. I will finish it because I am loving the product, but have gotten bored with the process. Lovely though, isn't it? I got the yarn half off over the summer, and don't you know it's discontinued now. Otherwise I would buy it for everything. Self striping yarn is just loads of fun.
I like the yarn so much I took another picture:
This is a very boring labor of love. It's actually not so bad, but the fact that I am a slow knitter, and it HAS to be done and in the mail to my BF by Monday or so just makes me sort of look at it and sigh. I can finish it though, I know I can. It's just a ribbed hat, nothing fancy. And he steadfastly refused to measure his head for me, so all I can do is hope that it fits. We all know about how I do with hats. It could come out like a yarmulke, it could look like some knitted body condom, and go down to his knees- we just won't know till it gets there, will we. Of course I was going to add some fancy schmancy headphones in the package too, but don't you know he went and bought them for himself the very DAY the idea occurred to me that it would be a fun gift. In order to keep from fussing at him, I decided that it is an indicator of compatibility.
And finally, the Vampire Bunny Slippers. I have one slipper done. These are so fun yet annoying to make. They would be nothing but fun to make, if I had two US8 circular needles. I don't. I have one interchangeable set and two cables. So, there's lots of sitting around and screwing and un-screwing needles and such. I havent woven in ends or added the special touches, but they involve some white felt, some stitching, some big ears, and a healthy dose of awesome. I just love pink bunnies doing bad things.
Anyway, that's what I have been up to, in various stages of completion when I am not being a Doggie Therapist.