180. Toast some bread, it's jam talk

3 jams: Left to right, strawberry freezer, kiwi traditional and strawberry kiwi traditional.
Knitty Otter wanted to know my preferred method. Let me say here and now that I am not a jam expert but I will play one on this blog. And as I've said, I have a jam guru which helps.
I have previously always made freezer jam which could not be easier. I use my food processor (even though the pectin insert specifically tells me NOT to) because we only like small bits of strawberries in our jam but this is a personal preference. Plus as a bonus, it takes a minute and no effort. I put them in a large bowl and add sugar (tons of it too) and the pectin. Mix well for 3 minutes and put into clean, boiled jars. (Insert does not say anything about boiling the jars but I do it as a nod to the germs that I am avoiding) (it's a thing, what can I say). Cap them and put most in the freezer and a couple in the fridge. The next day, toast some bread and plenty of it. You will need it to make believe you have a reason to eat spoonfuls of jam.
Now, previous to yesterday, I had never made traditional jam that is processed. I had let myself be intimidated, like Terry by all the equipment and stuff needed. But it dawned on me that all I need is a tall pot to cover the jars by 2 inches (guru) and something to handle them with: in my case big salad tongs. They worked.
With that fear avoided, I went ahead. I put kiwis in the food processor and then into the pan, added a ton and a half of sugar (for some reason the cooked jam takes more sugar than the freezer kind), the pectin and the juice of one lemon, sans seeds. Boil for a minute, skimming off foam. I noticed that the green kiwi color boiled entirely out of the jam so I added a drop (or so I intended) or three of green food coloring which honestly made the jam an electric green color that is not natural in nature. But it works for us. Into hot, boiled jars, caps on and set aside while I make the strawberry kiwi in the same manner.
All this time I have my huge stockpot (the one that Andy started his beer brewing in long ago until we kicked him out of the house because of the smell of the brewing beer. He now uses a huger pot on a propane burner outside) trying to come to a boil on the stove.
I placed the jars in the pot, boiled them for 10 minutes and then took them out. The most fun part of the jamming? (besides the eating? ) is listening for the popping of the caps as they vacuum seal. That made me ridiculously happy. More happy than caps should ever make and adult woman but there you go.
This morning, the freezer jam was ready to go. It has been consumed. By spoon and on some toast. The other jams have not set yet. I am thinking that it is because I halved the recipes and should not have. Perhaps I did not have the exact ratio of fruit to pectin. One in the fridge has thickened a little bit but it is still too liquidy to spread on toast. But? It would be some GREAT ice cream topping.
However, in a tasting of the freezer vs. traditional jam I tend to prefer the freezer kind. It has a fresh fruit taste and frankly? Much, much less sweet. For some reason. Well, the obvious reason is that the freezer jam has less sugar. Duh. But that fact makes the jam better on my taste buds.
Not that I am dissing the traditional kind.
I will try kiwi jam again with the freezer method and I think we will be very happy toast eaters.
I'm thinking: english muffins, fresh biscuits, wheat toast, white toast, oatmeal toast. Well, you get the picture.

And that's all I have to say about that.
(any questions?)

179. I'm in a jam

A jam kind of mood! I awoke thinking of strawberry jam. So, I consulted with my jam guru and off to the farm stand we went. We planned on picking strawberries but as often happens in my world, I'm a day late (and very often a dollar short but that is not related to the strawberry story) and there are no more strawberries to be picked. But there were still local ones so I snapped them up along with some kiwi (not local but Bethany really wants kiwi jam because her host family in Germany made homemade kiwi jam and she loved it) and some blueberries.
I made our favorite freezer strawberry jam and cooked kiwi jam and cooked strawberry kiwi jam. I have never done the boiling of the canning jars because it always made me nervous for some reason but I'm over it all of a sudden.
Pictures tomorrow.
~~
This morning, I watched Darjeeling Limited which was a wonderfully, quirky, beautiful movie. I recommend it if you're into the quirky movies like Li and I are.
The men in the family are home again, the girls weekend is done. It was great while it lasted.
Remember to keep fingers, toes, eyes, needles crossed Monday at 2pm for my Father in Law. Prayers accepted.

178. What's with today today*

I planned on doing a Philosophy give away today but I can't drag myself to the other room to take pictures and string some thoughts together so that you will want to try them.
Seriously, though, when I DO have the giveaway? You should really put your name in for it. I rely on their products to cleanse, moisturize and refresh my face. I can't say enough about them and I'd even get all melodramatic and say that Philosophy changed my life. Or certainly the way that I view myself. And that is BIG people. Big. There is nothing better a person can for themselves than take care of oneself, she says as she sips her diet coke. (Just so you know that I am not getting all preachy and stuff. )
I love to hear your weekend plans, all of you being all productive and all. I planned to be productive myself. Andy went away on a golf weekend and Derek is canoeing the Saco overnight complete with pup tent and peanut butter sandwiches and Bethany had to work today (not at the new wonderful EMT job but the old job) and I had BIG plans. Clean, organize, scrub, put laundry away, do some crewel, read, cook a nice meal. None of it materialized itself when all of a sudden I was struck down with a severe case of sleeping sickness. I have taken naps with a vengence today. One after another and frankly? If I go sit on that couch right now? My head will droop and I will be drooling and snoring within minutes. So I will force myself to roam the house doing this and that for a couple of hours and then put in a movie tonight. Then? All bets are off. When I get like this I figure it is for a reason so I try to snooze away. But enough is enough, you know?
There is always tomorrow for plans. I would like to go strawberry picking tomorrow and make some strawberry jam.
Most likely the snooze activities is coaxed onward by extreme worry. There is some big worries about my father in law right now and I'd appreciate more than ever if you kept him in your good thought especially on Monday at 2 pm when he will be in Beth Israel Hospital having a biopsy and a bile duct stent put in. Honestly as many good thoughts as can be mustered need to be floating his way. This is some bad stuff, potentially. And I can't even mutter it aloud just yet.
~~
And on a tangent to brighten this place a bit, I am reading 2 pretty good books right now.
The first is Digging to America by Anne Tyler. I just love Anne Tyler and this book, while not her best is very good. The other is called The Sister by Poppy Adams. So far I love the story and the writing is excellent.
What are you reading?
~~~
*A quote from one of my favorite movies, Empire Records

177. The name is Daisy. Shasta Daisy.

A picture for a Friday.
What is going on in your weekend?
Do tell.

176. Versus

New hair color:

(I wonder if I look that tired in real life or if it's a photo fluke)
~Click it~
Old hair color:

~~~

The lupine is a very tall flower

I think I found the inspiration for Marge Simpson
~~
I cannot get over how wrinkly my eyes are in that picture. Wait. I was probably squinting. WAIT. I am embracing the wrinkles. Yes. I love that picture.
{gulp}

175. Is your hair gray? Did you earn every one?

I have been thinking a lot about Jamie Lee Curtis lately. I am, all of a sudden a big fan.
She has decided to embrace her gray hair and aging body. To "age wisely and well". I applaud her. Granted she has good genes but to see her looking beautiful in her short, gray haircut makes me proud to be a woman.
I always thought I would age au naturale. Embrace my inner gray. And now that it's here? I can't quite pull it off. I want to. I see woman sporting their gray and I am a bit envious. Some woman can really pull it off. Me? I have these sproingy, coarse grays that have a mind of their own. So I dyed. And I keep dyeing. Once you go blonde you can never go back. Or something like that.
I think of letting my hair do it's thing and look my age but when it starts coming in with a vengence, I run to my wonderful colorist. And she is wonderful. A couple of people at work could not believe that I color my hair, they thought it was natural and that I did not have a gray hair on my head. That is the best compliment a hair stylist can get, I think.
Tomorrow? They will all know I color because I requested a darker brown today instead of blonde. I love it but it is dark. Going blonder is so predictable with people of my (former) hair color.
Maybe when I hit 50 I'll get up the nerve to look my age. For now? I'm fighting it with all I have.
Gracefully, though.
~~
Swiss Chard Cam: Or: My future dinner:

~~
Ebay auction of Alice Starmore's Aran Knitting. I will be donating 10% of the proceeds to the Red Scarf Project.

174. 10 things

Seen at Terry's: Thank you, my friend for tweaking my brain today!
~~~
10 inventions that make life easier:
1. computers: I remember when Derek was younger, a Sunday night 4 pm and he blurts out "Oh, I have a 10 page paper due tomorrow on Australia". I remember we went to the local bookstore and sat on the floor and did research until the store closed. No necks have to be wrung now with the World Wide Web at our fingertips 24/7. (I still reserve the right to wring necks, though)
2. Once again, a computer thing: The keyboard in general or word processing specifically. When I was in college, we had to type our papers out. Handwritten was unacceptable. If you did not have a typewriter, you bartered to find someone that could type it for you. I did laundry for a week for a typing roomie.
3. In house washer and dryer: When we were first married we had to lug every stitch of clothing except for the "wash day outfits" to the laundromat and spend hours washing, drying and folding. It is so much easier now to throw a wash in and let it do it's thing while living the life. If only clothes could march themselves back into the drawers, then I'd be a truly happy person.
4. Tilt windows: How much easier to clean our windows with this little nugget of the 20th century. Remember standing on tall ladders once a year (heh) to clean the outside glass? Now, just tilt and wash anytime you want. The thing is? We still have to actually wash them. They are not self washing. So, I do not HAVE cleaner windows than I did 10 years ago, pre tilt windows. But I COULD have cleaner windows if I WANTED.
5. Rotisserie Chickens: Too busy for cooking dinner? Pick up a rotisserie chicken or two and some carrot sticks. Done and done. No one complains either.
6. Key fob door locks/unlocks for our cars: Remember how we had to put the pesky key in the pesky keyhole? Fumbling around, sometimes it got frozen in the winter and you'd have to heat the key with a match? No more.
7. Caller ID: No more answering calls that waste our time.
8. Cell phones: How good is it if we are driving along a dark road and our car breaks down that we can now call for help from the relative safety of our car. No more walking the streets looking for a phone. And? Those phone booths were just RIFE with germs. You do NOT know where that thing has been. But? On the other side? We cannot be left alone with our thoughts. Don't you hate it when you are in the grocery store and someone says something (they are wearing those bluetooth phone thingys in their ears) and you think they are talking to you and you snap your head up at the ready to take their heads off before you realize they are on the PHONEEEEEEE. I hate that.
Hmm. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
Either way. It changed our lives.
9. Afterschool Activities. Some kids have so much to do. They should be able to sit under a tree gazing at clouds or reading Nancy Drew books at their leisure. Kids must be scheduled now. That's kind of sad.
10. 500 count sheets. This has changed my life, honestly. No more pills on the sheets (not actual pills, but the fuzzy kind) (pills in the sheets would be another kind of invention, would it not?) Crisp, cool sheets. That's what makes life great.
and a bonus:
11. Honestly, the thing that has changed my life the most? (I know that you are expecting BLOGGING. And it HAS. But that is not my answer today..) AGE. Yes. My age has improved my life immensely. I do not feel self conscious or inadequate just because I am standing there like when I was younger. I don't care what people think of me as a rule which makes it much easier to go out in the world or not. Either way. I can let things slide a lot easier than when I was younger and more intense. Sometimes it's just not worth it. Knowing when to fight about something that matters. This is a great one too.
Yes, aging has been a great thing. I would not go back to my teen years for anything. 46 is where it's at.

~~
Well, that turned into a raving "I remember" session. Let me just ease myself down into my rocker and rub some ben gay into my arthritis for cripes sake. Let me pick up my knitting.
Oh, wait. That's a GOOD thing.
~Inventions. Love them. Hate them. Love writing 10 things about them.

173. A short story

Seen in our local paper:
I kid you not:

At approximately 4 pm a Washington Street man called police, complaining that someone had stolen his shorts. "He was asked if he knew of anyone who would want a pair of his shorts," reads the police report by patrolman So and So. He was "unable to come up with any possible suspects." It was suggested that he look in his other drawer, which he did, locating the shorts. He then reported that "someone broke into his room and moved his shorts from one drawer to another". At this time there are no suspects or witnesses.

~~~
EDITED TO ADD:
I am cleaning out and putting some things on ebay. The first one is up. It takes me a while to add things but check back.
Alice Starmore's Aran Knitting <-------click

172. Fig says Hi

He's lost a bit more weight. I call him skinny. Bethany says he is just trying to be "America's Next Top Model".
I think he's a shoo in to win.
But then again, I could be prejudiced.

171. Summertime

There was an arts festival in town today which is always a fun thing to do. I really enjoyed perusing the booths. I fell in love with a girls paintings which were 6 x 6 oil paintings of things that caught my fancy. Like a hot dog or a cupcake or cookies. I could envision a couple of them hanging in my kitchen. But the price was a bit too steep for me. $100 each. I understand that they are paintings but I'm sure she did not sell one of them. It really is a fine line between what you deserve as an artist and what people will pay, isn't it?
The picture is of a random little girl doing chalk drawings on the sidewalks.
And the sky? It's Saturday after all.

It was a gorgeous day. One that makes me break out in song. Not out loud though, that would just be downright embarrassing for my family. Or anyone in hearing range. So, I sing inside, where it counts.
Hope your day had some blue sky.

~Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.
Walt Whitman

170. Wow! 170 days of posting! *(Again! I used this title about a week ago when I was numbering wrong!) : OR: Lights, camera, action! MOVIE TIME

Today is the day before the summer solstice. I know it's not a popular position, but I for one am glad that the days will start to get shorter. My internal clock does not let me sit and relax until it gets dark and that leaves precious time to myself in the summer. My eyes close like on an alarm at 10 pm. and if I am not sitting until 9 pm that leaves not a lot knitting/crewel time. And frankly? I miss it.
On the other hand, I seem to be wishing my life away a lot lately. So, for this weekend, I am going to work on being IN the moment. Enjoy the time. Leave the dishes or laundry or whatever. Sit with the family, whether they like it or not, watch a movie! Or two! (Speaking of movie, Bethany and I watched Sweeney Todd recently. We loved it but it is not for everyone, especially the wee ones. How much do I love Johnny Depp? That is one great actor!)
And while I've gone off on the movie tangent, there's always my all time GO TO movies.
Sleepless in Seattle
It Could Happen to You
Family Man
Empire Records
Home Alone
Little Miss Sunshine
Christmas with the Kranks *I love Christmas movies year round*
Hocus Pocus
Edward Scissorhands
Ratatouille

~~~
Off the top of my head those are the movies that I WILL watch, guaranteed if I come across them on tv. The family question goes something like this: "haven't you watched this enough the last 100 times?"
Apparently not.
Do you have favorites?
~~~
Watch this:
It's Wonderful Life, bun style <------CLICK

169. Don't be crewel to a heart that's true (lyrics bent to my purpose)

I'm really enjoying the crewel. I guess I'm a crewel person (funny when said aloud or at least phonetically in your head)
I've even shed blood for it. See the tiny spot in the upper right around the 1:00 position that looks like a speck of dirt? Yeah. Blood from a pin prick. (can I say that on the blog?) The reason I mention that is not to BRAG but to tell you what my crewel teacher told me. If you accidentally spill blood onto a crewel project, dot saliva onto your finger and dab the blood until gone. Apparently your own saliva will remove your own blood. But if your friend has a pin prick blood stain, your saliva will not work. The working rule here is: Your blood, your saliva. Who knew?
We now know.

And? I apparently am in love with a chain stitch leaf.
It's a big day around here, I tell ya!

168. Homegrown

Yesterday, while home being a Mom to recuperating Bethany, I visited a farm stand and came away with lots of veggies and flowers. Knowing that my MO in the past was to buy them and set them somewhere, promptly killing them with neglect I knew the time was NOW to plant.
Plant I did. Honestly, I thought I would die. A nap, 2 rests, umpteen glasses of water, 4 porch breaks got me through. I exaggerate only a little, sadly. Gardening is not my thing. What I do love is having it done. And gazing at it.
Yes. The gazing.
And later? Some grazing. I hope. Roots crossed.
Back in the day, I used to have a bit of a garden in these spots but they were terribly grown over and weedy/grassy.
The first one I tackled was the shadier spot. Under the dogwood.

Basil, 2 kinds of lettuce (Romaine and buttercrisp), swiss chard (OH YUMMMM), summer squash and a hosta for good measure reside there. I found an old straggly remains of the thyme plant I had there years ago. I do believe it now lives underground, turned under as it were.

The lettuces already look delicious to me! Notice I am not weed free. Never in this yard. My friend has an immaculate yard (the kind you love to hate) and she always blames any weeds she has on her neighbor. They don't pluck their weeds and then they spread to her yard. I must be one of THOSE neighbors.
I'm over it.
On the other side of the house, I started to do a half circle shape. But about half way through, I broke my cardinal rule of gardening (Be that as it may): Do not plant in straight lines. Lines, straight or not by the end of all that planting and weeding was all it was going to get. It was that or the rubbish barrel. I do believe I may have looked at the last 2 plants with scorn as I stood there, dirt crusted under my fingernails, pressed into every crevice of my sneakers, sweat pouring off of my head and every part of my body hurting. I may have even said a swear word. But you did not hear it from me.

This is more of flower/veg mix. Tomatoes, lamb's ear, a pre existing sedum (I have never met a sedum I did not like), lupine, 2 kinds of peppers, parsley, a yellow cherry tomato and a coneflower and shasta daisy. Those last 3? Were the scurge of the day.

The pencil point of the garden, going down towards the peony. A pile of weeds still sits there. It can rot there, I tell ya. I'm done for now.
I even planted some pumpkins in the "compost" pile in the back. It's not a formal compost but more a yard waste heap that has some great soil under it's growths. Pumpkins can run wild there and should love the rich soil to spread it's roots.
I don't know how you people with big yards do it. I could use a gardener.
And today? I would expect to be sore, right? And I am. Just not where I thought I'd be. Back, legs? Sure, that's what I thought.
Nope: Wrists and feet.
Homegrown lettuce better be worth it all.
~~~
SOMEONE was watching me the whole time!

Where's the catnip??

167. H is for Home

We have lived in our home for almost 20 years. These walls have seen my kids grow from babies to adults. First steps, sentences strung together, many a night of homework at the kitchen table, celebrations, birthdays, tears, heartbreaks, joy, plenty of joy. We have all grown in this house.
What has always interested me is the history of the home. The house was built in 1904 and plenty a family has lived here. When we first moved in an elderly couple showed up at my door and announced themselves as the Duncans who lived here with their family in the 1940's and 1950's. They were going to Arizona for the rest of their retirement and they wanted to visit the home they were happiest in one more time before they left New England. As I walked them through the house, they regaled me of stories of the physical house and of their family memories here. (Thank GOD the house was clean that day which is one of the miracles in my lifetime!)
Knowing the house had good memories living within it's walls was very important to me.
I have always felt at home here from the first night we slept here on December 31, 1988. What a way to bring in the New Year!
So to some, our house may look a bit cluttery and a tad ramshackle with the kitchen that is as old as the hills and in need of a new ceiling, the rug in the living room that is the ugliest thing going, the long driveway with potholes in it, the weeds residing in the yard (which I like to refer to as My Wildflower Initiative, thank you!) and stairs that always are a bit past the need to be swept but I see HOME. The good, the bad, Home.
Our house, is a very very very fine house. Indeed.

166. A weekend with flowers

~Click to see big and wonderful~
I spent a bit of time playing in dirt this weekend. Bethany and I picked out flowers for the flower boxes for the porch and I had a blast planting them. I really stuffed the boxes full but in this short-ish growing season place, I believe that works the best for boxes.
Bethany fell in love with the flowers that I put in the gnome boot planter. God, I love that silly planter! Ahem. I guess I get a KICK out of it.
:cough:
I also purchased some lamb's ears to replace the plant that we had for years and years that croaked off. We all have fond memories of that plant so another will go in and a lupine plant. It's Lisa's fault. I've always had a bit of a fascination with lupines but now? How can I resist? I think it's a bit of a mountain thing which may not make any sense to anyone but me but there it is.
~~
Today Bethany had her wisdom teeth removed, impacted buggers that they were. She's snoozing on the couch kind of chipmunky looking, a bit high on many different drugs that her body has experienced today. It will be a rough couple of days for her but she's a trooper! I'm quite proud of her and ready for a nap myself, not quite aware of the worrying I was doing.
~~~
Dave has recommended, nay, COMMANDED that I can sit on the blog here v. there issue for a bit but that I should at the very LEAST back up the blog. Good advice. I will have to learn how to do that! (Told you I was a blogging dummie)

165. Happy Father's Day

June 15th entry can be found
HERE
<------- CLICK
I kind of like it over there!

Can you see me now?

Well. This is strange. Today I have everything back. This is a test to make sure this works.
Did a blog fairy come and do things while I was away spending oodles of money buying flowers and sausages? (really. Flowers and sausages. Not at the same store though) (thankfully)
Please see My Substitute Blog for entries that are not seen here:
http://mysubstitutesandysknittingblog.wordpress.com/
Be sure to add it to your bloglines so that you can catch me there when needed. I am really thinking of staying there for a bit. It seems like it may be time for a change.

163. June 13th entry

http://mysubstitutesandysknittingblog.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/i-have-no-idea-what-number-post-i-am-on-anymore-sadly-current-events/

162. locked out of my own blog, hrmph June 12th entry

http://mysubstitutesandysknittingblog.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/well-this-is-a-fine-predicament-i-find-myself-in/

161. Wow. 170 days of posting. (not really. I was numbering wrong. But WOW, 161 days of posting)

It's 9 pm, do you know where your blog is?
Since I have nothing planned, this is now a Random Wednesday Post, which I like to do very much.
~I planted another Douglas Fir seed today. Little Dougy had a simple burial ceremony. If you want to call putting him in the trash a "ceremony".
~Around midnight last night we had such a wind storm that scared me to bits. I immediately thought that there would be a tornado. Luckily, no tornado was to be had. It was the strongest sustained wind we have ever endured in this house by far. A tree fell on the neighbors car and they were not as lucky as we were when a tree fell on our car.
~In their eternal wisdom, the public works department got in a bit of overtime and set up a huge spotlight and ran their industrial wood chipper which, by the way, in case anyone ever asks, is extremely LOUD at 2 am. Making it impossible to sleep. Silly me, expecting to sleep well after a non tornado.
~I went on a fish store errand at lunch today so I can make fish chowder tomorrow and found myself faced with the prospect of getting something quick for lunch. The options for a fast lunch are so dismal, as you probably know UNLESS you go to Rowands Fish Market. I dined upon a scrumptious lobster roll for a measly $10. Worth every penny. And reminding me of how much I love lobster.
~ Don't you think the first ever person to eat a lobster was a brave person indeed? How can you look at one of those and think to yourself...."YUMMM". Brave souls.
~I guess summer if here, like it or not. I'll just have to suck it up and like it. Or at least accept it. In classic wishing my life away fashion, there is only 3 more months until autumn. (not calendar autumn but autumn weather)
~I have been playing Zuma and I blame Cookie. Time is not my friend when I play things like that.
~My Brother and sister in law got a new bengal kitten this week and named it Cookie. Isn't that nice of them to name their cat after Our Cookie? Bethany and I are thinking of taking a trip out there this weekend primarily to see the kitten, knowing how fast they grow. We would totally make believe that we were there to see the relatives but we would secretly know it's only because of Cookie the kitty.
~I made the yummiest tasting fried rice for dinner tonight, made entirely from leftovers. I feel so virtuous when I do that. Almost like I am riding my bicycle to shop but only better.
~And speaking of Claudia, which we were you know. You HAVE donated to her MS ride, haven't you?
Maybe you can give a bit more. It has probably been a couple of weeks since you gave a donation and frankly? You could afford more. Go ahead! Give! You have a great chance to win a wonderful prize? But the real prize, we all know is the satisfaction of giving.
~I'd better end this before it's Thursday!

160. the life and tribulations of a fir

2 things happened this morning to set the tone. First? My internets were down. Starting a day without reading email is like a day without air. It is not a great way to start. Because then I sat for a long while trying to fix it. I can FIX THE WORLD, given enough time. But I cannot fix the internets in the morning.
And then the day got worse. YES. Worse.
See for yourself:

That is the little Douglas Fir, lying (Or is it LAYING, cripes, I cannot remember...a dog lays a person lays? Is that it??) on it's side, the little twig trunk snapped.
Luckily? If I have to look on the bright side, which I really do being an optimist and all, I have 2 more seeds so I'll plant another. I love the growing process and all but this just seems sad somehow.
The internet stayed down all day until just a bit ago when my own personal BIGCABLECOMPANY technician came home and fixed it. It's great to have a cable guy around the house.
Moment of silence for Dougy, please.
Dougy, in memoriam

159. It's a crewel summer ~ title by blogless Bonnie! Also, thank heavens for a sea breeze! Today it beat the heat! One more day of the heat wave and then I turn back into a so called human: Is that a long enough title for you?

It IS my crewel summer as Bonny stated in the comments! And then she got ME singing the song.

The leave on the right was done by my instructor, Ann (if my memory serves me correctly, which often it does not), the other 2 leaves are mine. I can see my mistakes and these are my crewel baby steps. I feel awkward and unsure like the first couple days of my knitting.
~~~
SING IT!!!!

158. I'm cool, are you?

I never thought I would do it. Get air conditioning, that is. Last year we got one for the bedroom and I have to admit that my misery outweighed my happiness for sleeping in coolness. I know it's weird, but I do not like being shut away from the rest of the house. (We sleep with our door open, I can't help it) I felt like burglars could be coming and going, grilling burgers and having friends in and I would be none the wiser. And if I am going to have an air conditioner in the room, with a burglar party raging downstairs, I want my room to be cold. Icy, 2 blanket cold. But I happen to live with a husband who puts the temperature on the verge of hot. Frankly, I'd rather not.
This year, I thought we'd try one of the portable kinds that we can stick in the living room window when it's ugly hot and wheel away and open the window when it's not. Specifically, we got a Haier Portable. So far, I love it. Our downstairs rooms are open to each other by non door doorways so it hasn't cooled to chilly levels but when I started the AC, it was almost 90F degees in the living room. An hour or so later it was 78F, which is a lot more tolerable than 90, the whole family must admit. I'm afraid I may have to put curtains up in the doorways to block the rest of the house off but I'm trying so hard to NOT put shower curtains because we do have some kind of standards. It's long been a goal of mine to not hang shower curtains in my doorways and for 20 years, I've kept on track.
It is loud though and I feel that I may have to learn some sign language to communicate with the fam. Or I could just turn a deaf ear. What I don't know and all..
But what does Fig think of it all, you might be asking yourself?
See for yourself:

He kind of likes it, I'd say!

157. I will not eat it in a box. Or with a fox.

Gosh, we just got home from having dinner at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Eggs_and_Hamhref="http://www.tokyosteakhouse.com/">Tokyo Steakhouse, which was a new experience for me. I have always wanted to go to a Japanese steakhouse. It was so fun with a very creative chef cooking our food tableside and we had great company with our wonderful friends. I am stuffed having had shrimp, lobster and scallops and the most wonderful fried rice! And? I had sushi for the first time tonight! It is always something that I wanted to try but was a bit chicken to do it without a "guide". Our friends are experienced sushi-ers. I have to admit to not being too thrilled about it. I wanted to love it. I did. But I did not. I do not like Sushi, Sam I am!
My complaint of the day? The heat and humidity have crept into our part of the world. Yesterday? I was freezing and tempted to put the heat on. Today? My oldest child for an air conditioner. Summer is my least favorite time. I am not looking forward to this.
So, if you love the heat and humidity, speak up and I'll send you my share.
I am kind like that.

156. I dig it

I know you are sitting on the edge of your computer chair waiting for pictures of my crewel progress but you will have to wait until tomorrow when I finish my first ever leaf.
I'm sure you are just about croaking with the excitement of it all!

I love flowers, I love wool. I love making mosaics. I love Fridays.

155. Tuesday already?

I just got home from my first crewel class at BF Goodstitch and I'm a happy camper. I should go take a little picture of my first baby stitches but honestly? That's way over there and I'm way over here and it's almost my bed time anyway.
So that leaves the problem of what to write about, doesn't it, this being a day that I did not think about blog themes all day long?
~Drumming fingers on desk~
Okay then, when all else fails lately, follow Nora. (What would I do without Nora? If she jumps off a bridge, will I follow? Stay tuned..)
10 (or however many I can come up with) things that have changed since High School:

1. Big hair. I miss it still. I loved having bangs that stuck up in the air and wings on the side that flew by themselves. I have flat hair now and it still goes against my grain. If I am not consciously thinking, I will hairspray my bangs UP.

2. Chic jeans. I loved them. Do they still exist? I still love the jeans that were very high. I see girls wearing their low cut jeans and I can't imagine.

3. The Muppet Show: There is no show like it

4. Schoolhouse Rock, specifically Conjunction Junction: learning while watching cartoons.

5. McDonald's was a new thing in town and we ate there sparingly. In fact we ate at home. All the time. Home cooked meals. There's not enough of that today.

6. Gas prices. When we went out for an evening which honestly consisted sometimes of driving around for the night, we'd all pitch in ang get a Dollar's worth of gas and it would take us many miles.

7. I miss that feeling of freedom to do anything I wanted without being fearful. The world was my oyster.

8. Family Parties. There were none like it. I still remember the smokey haze of the room and the murmur of the voices seeming louder in my ears as I got so sleepy but would not give in and go to bed. (This one was most likely before high school)

9. When you ordered something by catalog it took 6 to 8 weeks to get it. No exceptions. Can you imagine having that happen today? We'd be INCENSED!

10. Phones with cords on them. We had a short cord that we made long by years of stretching it around the corner so our Mother would not hear our "personal" conversations, like anything was ever said that couldn't be overheard. The phone was in the hall, as was all of my friends phones. Why were they put in the hallways? No answering machines either. We would count on our mothers and siblings to write a message down. The world would fall apart if we did not know WHO called WHEN.

~~~
I also remember when the worst thing that teachers were worried about was chewing gum in class or swearing or kissing in the halls. Imagine if life could be that serene now?

~~~~
THANK you for your kind comments yesterday. And please don't hesitate to ever talk to your doctor about anything that is affecting your life. Tell them Sandy's Knitting sent you!

154. Life is hard: remember my saying while reading this: SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!

Well, here we are, just another manic Wednesday. Or something. I planned to do pictures and something really wonderous but I didn't. And now time is ticking away and my pillow is starting to call me.
Every day I think about what I am going to blog about today. Sometimes something will strike me at work, I'll see something or hear something that takes hold. Some days it's taking a picture that might inspire me or it's a song that I wake up with. Blogging is really a great exercise for my brain. It keeps me thinking all the time. Of course, it may keep you snoozing but that is neither here nor there.
:)
Life lately has been a bit crazy and I'm not sure why. Work is very busy which I don't handle very well. Busy crosses a line to nutty and then I lose my focus a bit and I get really sloppy in more ways than one. I don't like that about myself. And of course the more sloppy I get the more overwhelmed I feel which is that classic hamster wheel feeling.
When I was younger, specifically a teenager, I had everything figured out. Life was NOT a mystery and I would pretty much announce to my poor patient mother that I KNEW. Whatever it was. I knew. I had it going on. That was a great feeling. I knew where I was going, I knew a better way to arrange the cabinets, I knew a more efficient way to do the dishes and laundry, I knew I KNEW! And I was free with my knowledge.
A funny thing happened to me as the years went on, I didn't know. I didn't really have it going on. I know less now. I don't keep myself together as easily as I used to, I don't organize my cabinets in any efficient way (just ask my family) and I don't keep up especially lately. I am always behind. Always late. Always tired. Alwaysalwaysalways blah.
This winter was the hardest time for me that I've had. We've all had the blues from time to time but I could not shake them. I sank into something I didn't quite understand, getting more and more tired. Bone, Dog Tired. Sleep became my friend. I could not get enough. And then? I let things slip at work, horribly let things fall out of my grasp. It was a bit ugly.
Coincidently I had a doctor's appointment the day that was the lowest of lows and I finally talked to her about it. That was hard. To admit a weakness. To say out loud how low I had fallen. She prescribed anti depressants that day. I left the office, filled the prescription and went home and slept which was the activity of the winter.
Since then, I am better. Not all better but getting there.
I am still very disorganized and falling behind on things. I can't seem to keep up. But? It's not bothering me that much. Some days I could sleep in but I don't. (Except on the occasional weekend day).
Why am I telling you this? It's Nora's fault. She told us her anxiety, I thought I'd make her feel better and show mine.
I don't worry though. I am blessed like that.
Anxieties, every one has a little one.
~~~~

“Anxiety is the hand maiden of creativity”

T.S. Eliot

153. She plays well with others, meme style

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so I imitate KT~ It was a bit fun, try it~ You'll like it~ (Or your money back)

Click on photo to see it biggie size

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name

152. cute, handsome, gentle, funny, furry, lovable, purr-meister: My Fig likes to nap

Liz, who leaves wonderfully funny comments and is apparently blogless, asked a simple question, How is Fig? and I thought I'd answer here. Cat haters, be gone now.

~Click to embiggen~ (My spell check wants to change "embiggen" with Tombigbee, which cracks me up to no end: So, click to Tombigbee) (haha)
Fig sleeps most of the time. And then sometimes? He wants to sit on the porch and enjoy the breeze or eat a few blades of grass. And of course, we let him, with a huge bowl of water outside for his drinking pleasure. He drinks a ton and pees even more which is a good sign still. I've only done the IV (it's not an IV per se but a subcutaneous fluid treatment but I will hereby call it an IV) once, we need to do it again. He is dreadfully skinny but he is still eating a lot, which is also a good sign. He even found a catnip mouse the other day and picked it up and threw it. I love that~
But when I look at pictures like the one in the basket up above? His eyes look so sad and that makes my heart pinch a little bit.
And the other day? Tears flowed a little because Bethany leaned over and kissed him on the head and said quietly to him, "don't die, Fig" and I could just cry right now thinking of that memory. We're all thinking that right now and just enjoying every furry moment he has left. So, there might be a lot of Fig pictures for the next...well, 2 or 4 years hopefully!
Paws crossed for good kitty health.

151. Don't cry for me, blogland~

For I ate a radish. Or two.

Local Farm radishes, bought yesterday.
I made a radish sandwich, I chose the open faced option.

Under the Francaise tutelage of Maryse, I spread butter on the bread, sliced on some radishes and added some salt.
And?

I ate it. All of it.
My thoughts on a radish sandwich: It was good. Not something I would clamor for but it was a great sandwich for a warm afternoon. I look forward to slicing the rest of the radishes into the local farm lettuce and enjoying it as a salad. I loved the crispiness of it, the slight tang of pepper at the back of my mouth. It was perfectly refreshing and I do not hate radishes.
Imagine that I've lived to be almost 47 years old and I never had one.
And yet? Life went on, hard to believe, I know.