The Great Debate

I've been torn about writing this post. Really torn. Because, really? Saturday of last weekend was "all about Kate" and this is something I specifically wanted to do. And I did it. And I feel dirty.

A preface: PC and I are zoo-afficianados. We are Zoo New England Members, we planned a trip to DC around the National Zoo (our hotel was within walking distance), and have considered going to San Diego ONLY to see the Zoo. A major defect of the trip to NYC recently was the lack of two zoo visits (Central Park and Bronx).

Saturday, PC had purchased tickets for me and him to go see the live broadcast of the Prairie Home Companion. I * heart* this radio show. Love it. Love it. Love it. I like the old-timey songs, the silly jokes, the bad 'acting' and the guests they have. (FYI: the guest was Donald Hall. ) It was held at Tanglewood and we had packed a picnic for dinner. Tanglewood is a 2-2 1/2 hour drive from our home in MetroWest Boston.... and Tanglewood was worth the drive and gas!

Along the way, we stopped at someplace that we knew could go 1) really well or 2) really bad. The Lupa Zoo.
I am hesitant to blog a poor review of something. Normally, this is because most things that I don't enjoy (slam dancing, drinking beer from funnels or japanese game shows) are simply "not my taste" and I assume that just b/c I don't like something, doesn't mean it's bad.

The Lupa Zoo? Bad. Bad. Bad. We went there simply for one reason: the ability to feed a giraffe. (note: i love giraffes, and this was a "dream" to do this) Well, I fed the giraffe and then spent an hour trying not to cry b/c of the traumatic nature of this place.

What the Lupa Zoo is doing wrong:

1. feeding animals a very generic "peanut-corn-seed-stale bread" snack mix that is used for all the animals. Most of the animals did not have a food source visible beyond the "petting zoo" mix that you had to buy. Animals were conditioned to run to a "feeding tube" (PVC pipe) that you sent the food down.
   
2. poor maintenance of the animal facilities. The primate barn? Stunk like urine and feces and was over 100 deg F inside. In a large fencing material dome, there were several variety of birds, but the sheer number was overwhelming. Bird feces abounded. There was no "green" space for the animals. 95% were on dirt.
   
3. Size of animal facilities. Three Himalayan bears (all pretty big) shared a space that was about the size of an expensive house's living room. I know not all zoos have the square footage or the ability to maintain large "natural" habitats, but if you cannot: do not. Get it? Okay.
   
4. moving on... my giraffe. Emaciated. Drooping skin. Being fed bananas and apples cut in half. Sounds good, no? THE LABELS WERE STILL ON THE FRUIT. I fed plastic fruit labels to a giraffe (we noticed after the first apple was already gulped down) and I am thinking: hundreds of people have fed this poor animal something 100% indigestible.
   
5. overwhelming number of FLIES.
   

If you are in the Ludlow area, please please do not go here. I am a strong supporter of zoos and aquariums and I have to say, this was despicable. I am drafting a letter the AZA (association of zoos and aquariums). Needless to say, I could not find any association or accreditation information on this zoo. A private zoo will be, among other things, run like a business with cost-effective measure taken. A well cared for private zoo also in the area, Southwick Zoo, has a wonderful reputation, helpful staff, well cared for animals and informative/educated personnel. if you are going to drive to a private zoo, drive to that one. But, remember to support your local non-profit zoo: Franklin Park, Stone Zoo (new bears!) and Roger Williams Zoo...

Knitting photos tomorrow.

:)

How to spend a leisurely Sunday

1. Enforce "no plans" rule with significant other on Friday night.
2. Whine a little about the fact that you haven't had a "real" weekend in months (mostly due to your own planning and friend/family committments on your side; ignore this --- whine anyway)
3. Wander off on Saturday to "poke at yard sales" and get a manicure.
4. Walk into a trap of yard sale (for charity. for American Cancer Society: ahem. Anyone remember Dad? And Dad's cancer? In remission? hello heartstrings... feel the tug).
5. Buy a gorgeous rocker (needs some love. Okay a LOT of love) and side table
6. Bring it home to put in bedroom.
side note: in September, when I am "moved" to the bedroom on Sundays so that the living room can become "mantown" for football, I need a place to knit. We can all agree that sitting on your bed is not a comfy knitting place. And it gets your pillows hot. I hate hot pillows.
7. Persuade significant other to help you move some furniture around on Sunday.
8. Get up Sunday a.m.: go to gym. Run at the gym.
9. Come home: complain and make coffee.
10. Ask SO for advice on moving room around.
11. decide it's way too much effort and may not work.
12. move one piece of furniture and smoosh some more together.
13. Clean.entire.bedroom and closet and under bed and vacuum ( thank you PC) and dust and oh.my.god....

your bedroom is clean, orderly and you have 3 bags of clothes for donation. And I haven't even gone through my drawers.

Give some love to Mariuca (blog in sidebar and regular commenter here)-- my best girlfriend who is currently IN LABOR with her first baby, hereby named mini-C, 5 1/2 weeks early. Yup. Breath is held. Nothing I do in my lab today, including if I cured cancer, would be equivalent to what she is doing RIGHT NOW.

Please, God, keep Mari and the baby safe. Let Al be strong in all ways possible.

(add your well wishes and I will send them along to Mari this week.)

EDITED TO ADD:
IT'S A GIRL!!!! Healthy 6lbs both Mom and Baby are doing GREAT!!

I hate it when he does this....

I hate it when PC's right. And he is. And I am admitting it. And I hate it.

We have an agreement. He likes the gym. He likes the lifting of weights and running on the treadmill (okay, he doesn't like that part, but he does it). Me? I'd rather play tennis. But, in order to play tennis, I need to be stronger. In order to be stronger (oh and stamina too!), I need to work out. To work out, I need to go to the gym. I don't love the gym. I go. I work out. I count each and every stupid minute.

For a few months, I was up at 4:30a.m. and off to the gym (arriving by 5:05am) for 30-60 minutes about 5-6 times a week. I was seeing results, I was increasing my activity. Then we went to the wedding in NYC. I was so exhausted (emotionally, financially, physically) from that trip, that I haven't been to the gym. That was 3 weeks ago.

This week, PC woke me up at 4;30 and said "go.to.the.gym" He was not fooling around. He was serious. He wants me to be happier and have more energy. He wants me to lose weight (me too!). And he wants me healthier.

* side note: am working out, eating better, but not watching my WW points... am trying to eat only 3 meals a day and work in 3 dairies and 0 pt veggies. i am also losing bread, rice, potatoes and non-fruit sugar on Monday. hello headaches, but I need to bust through my sugar addiction.

Well, damn it if yesterday and today, I went to the gym and I feel great. I know that my "funks" are a sign of mild depression (associated with PCOS along with difficulty losing weight, ease of gaining weight, facial hair, hair loss and hormones on heroine). But, really--- it only took 2 days of returning to the gym and I feel great.

And last night, I got my hair cut and colored. It's darker and redder (love it) and it's very short and sassy (love it). PC always loved my longer hair until he realized that I wore it up 99% of the time. I look better with shorter hair and feel better with shorter hair. But, with all new haircuts, I tried to do it myself this morning and used too much of the "goo" for my hair and well... I need to work on this a bit I think. (PC is responsible for the hair too... when I complained that I needed a new style, he said "ask the stylist" and I did... I have never seen a woman so excited to help me with something new. She said people usually sit in the chair and say "I want a change, but no bangs, keep the length and the color")

* for those in the Boston area: I went to Newton Hair Company on Watertown Street, in the Nonantum Section of Newton. Reasonable: wash, cut, color, blow out, style and eyebrows: $100.

Practice makes perfect, right?

Big problem with top of the mitten, so no photo until I hear back from the designer. I think it's me. I think I forgot how to read directions.

Thing the second, I want to say something about bicycles and cars. I like my car. In fact, I love my car. It's reliable and (somewhat) new and I get decent gas mileage. I like bikes. I think riding a bike to work is a genius idea. I think bike lanes are a good thing. But, I have begun to believe that I don't like bike riders.

Before the flaming begins, bear with me, and hear me out, okay? I drive through some very "hot" biking neighborhoods on my way to work. I pass about 50-70 people on bikes each day, to and from work. That's a large sample number to work with considering I have working on this street for 3 years. I have seen some pretty strange behavior on bikes such as : riding on a highway, stopping for no reason in the middle of the road, not stopping for stop lights, etc.

Okay, so why don't I like bike riders? When I was small, I learned to ride a bike in a very bike-friendly town. There were rules. You ride with traffic, not against. You obey traffic laws. Like stopping at red lights, moving through green ones, signalling right and left, etc. You pay attention to what's around you. I wait patiently behind lines of bikes if I can't get around them.

I also know that I am a good driver (ask anyone, I do tailgate, but I do obey traffic and speed laws with scary attention) and there are bad drivers out there. So, I imagine that good cyclists and bad cyclists are out there. Here's a bad one:

This morning, a cyclist,wearing an iPod, wove through traffic to a stop light. He was between the drivers' side of my car and the passenger side of another car. I was in the right lane. With my blinker on. Indicating my intent to turn right. The light changed (no turn on red sign present) and I proceeded to turn right. So did the bike. Without warning. Darted right in front of my car as I was accelerating. I almost hit him. I slammed on my brakes and yanked the wheel to the right, hitting my horn to alert him I was close. I was terrified of hitting this man. He pulled over. He indicated that I should too. I did, thinking "oh. my. god. I hit a person" and was then treated to a 5 minute "you-stupid-f*&^%#-C&^# SUV driving gas whore! YOU need to watch out for US on the road... that's YOUR job. NOT MINE. SHARE the road you B#$%^!!" tirade. Fortunately for me, there was an officer nearby working a detail. He came over and calmed the cyclist down.

And gave him a $500 ticket for failing to signal, taking a right turn from a left lane and wearing an iPod while operating a bicycle. When I left he was arguing with the cop that "he couldn't get a ticket, he wasn't in a car." I heard the officer say "the rules of the road are the rules of the road."

Ah. Karma.

PC made me a commercial

I love that I might cause drowsiness and potential paralysis. Or is that just my cooking?

Mitten Mania

I think knitting mittens is addictive. Really, the options for mittens are pretty much unlimited. Cables. Colorwork. Fancy texture stitches. And you can show them off. Unlike socks, where you must remove your shoes to show off the whole thing, you can easily pass your mittens around a group of impressed friends/family/coworkers. Living in Boston makes mittens a must-have. Last year, I made a pair of orange and white mittens from Cascade 220. I love these mittens. Also, I learned something very important. I don't like "wimpy" mittens. I mean mittens in fingering weight. I have found that some nice worsted wool and my trusty US2 dpns make a very warm, durable mitten. Heck, I wore my orange/white ones daily throughout the winter and they never even felted! So, when looking at the Ravelry boards... there was a cry for mitten test knitters--- I answered the call. A sadly blogless Sophia asked me to test knit, Maude, a pattern to be available in the fall, I think.


A few mods to Maude. The first, it called for fingering weight. I cast on with Cascade 220. Right now, I am searching for typos, confusing directions and any errors.


A few comments.
1. great pattern.
2. easy to memorize. I have been knitting from memory since the first repeat.
3. easy to swap around colors. I have chosen tone on tone blues, but image this in stark white and red. Or a charcoal gray and bright green.

Mittens will be filling my Christmas knitting basket this year.

Tell me: what's your favorite mitten pattern?

Operation Kill Mickey

Yup, had every intention of taking some photos of knitting this morning (not exciting knitting... nope, just an angora scarf and some golf club covers--- Fathers' Day, y'know), but we have had a "houseguest" for 2 days.

Our houseguest is unwanted and probably terrified by now. A large orange cat has stalked it and played with it, but has not quite completed "enhanced interrogation" as of 7am.

I hate mice.
I killed hundreds of mice at my first job.
I snapped their little necks humanely and for the sake of science.
Those were germ-free, clean, scientifically bred white mice with pink noses.
Our houseguest did not grow up in a sterile environment.

So, "el gato pequeno" (wee kitty; our nickname for Pumpkin, the wonder cat) is a good hunter. And she LOVES to hunt. Loves it. She was panting and stopping for water breaks. She meowed at us to help her look.for.the.mouse! At one point last night, PC was trying to coax her to bring the still-alive prisoner back to him (so he could get rid of it) b/c she seemed to be bringing it to me. A gift. A token of love and affection.

On top of all of this : it's hot. I mean real hot. Mean hot. Tap a hydrant hot. We have AC and we use it... but it's not even July yet and I hate the heat.

Photos tonight come hell or high water. Knitting photos. I'm not taking a photo of the mouse. I might take a photo of the hunter though. ;)

Another meme

Yeah, I am calling this one in....

(stolen from Sandy)

10 things that have changed since you were in High School:

1. We had a smoking section. Yup. There was a section of the outside that had cigarette cans and if you were caught smoking in a non-smoking section, you had to spend your lunch picking up the butts on campus. All of them.

2. 90210 was on the tv. And it was a big deal. Now Tori Spelling has babies and a reality show.

3. The student parking lot looked like a student parking lot. I rode by a local high school the other day and the student parking had 3 Mercedes and 4 Land Rovers. I remember my first car arrived on a flat bed truck without an engine. My dad made me pay for every part he used to fix it. I loved that car. I loved every car I had... and I appreciate a car now.

4. Sweet 16 parties were in your parents' house. If you were lucky (or in my town, you were sharing a party with a cousin-- we all had cousins our own age, or even in the same grade!), you had it at the VFW. Nobody's parents rented the Taj Mahal. No one had a famous singer (if the football team showed up, you would appropriately swoon). And most of us had to share our "new" ( i.e. Mom's) car with our parents and one or more siblings.

5. School dances were held.... at school. In the cafeteria, with streamers and off-market Kool Aid. A local dj played popular music and we danced all night long. Or until 10:30 pm, when the moms would be outside picking everyone up.

6. Cell Phones, TIVO and DVDs were not invented.

7. Call Waiting and Call forwarding was new.

8. Kids were busy: cheerleading, clubs, working PT.... and doing my honors classwork. My mom never made excuses for us... it was my fault if I was a) late for work, b) didn't do an assignment or c) let my grades slip. I was told I was to be responsible and my parents sided with my teachers. Every.time. (Note: this made the transition to college very easy... I already knew how to be responsible)

9. Having a beer in the woods on a Friday night was a big deal. Not too many kids were having orgies or doing serious drugs (some were, but it was not the majority). Kids were having sex, but no one was bragging about it.

10. We said the pledge of allegiance, we had moments of silence for special events, we faced the flag at sporting events.

Since I haven't taken any knitting photos

A meme (a la PumpkinMama)

1. What were you doing 10 years ago.
Huh. I had to think about this one. 10years ago was 1998. I was finishing my junior year in college and starting my first ever laboratory job as an intern at a local biotech firm.

2. 5 things on my to-do list today.
Besides the 28 things on my work one? Personal to-do list: start packing list for this weekend's wedding. Download hotel/rehearsal/bus information and print out 2 copies. Laundry, laundry, laundry. Make world famous meatloaf and mashed cauliflower to make PC smile. Make mani-pedi and eyebrow appointments for pre-wedding.

3. Snacks I enjoy.
Popcorn, popcorn, more popcorn. Fruit with cheese.... yummmmm.....

4. If I were a billionaire instantly, I would:
-pay off our new car, my student loans, my parent's bills
-move into our very own house. (maybe something like the one we saw this weekend?? in the "fancy neighborhood"?)
-buy PC all the books he could ever read. In first editions.
-stay home and knit, play tennis, give money to charities, hang out with my friends and my mom.
-buy my mom a smaller, sportier, reliable car
-get a dog. Or 4.
-get married
-have a baby
-see my trainer.every.day

5. Places I have lived:
Melrose MA, Goffstown NH, Melrose MA, Newton MA

Tagging: anyone who wants to play along... leave a link to your meme if you like!

good week/bad week

You know what I want to do right now? go home and knit. Seriously. I just want to go home and knit. Or drive. Yeah. I am loving the new car. I do feel a little guilty about driving a V6 in a $4 a gallon world, but I am a snow-panicker and honestly, I drive 11 miles to work. I am not indepently to blame for global warming. And, now that PC has my old 4 cylinder, he's doing 1/2 the driving. And he has a 3 mile commute to work.

Mornings lately have been wonderful for driving into work. It's light, but not bright yet... and the air is crisp. I prefer early spring and fall weather to all others. I hate hot weather. New Englanders are celebrating b/c we will have our 1st 85 deg day on Monday and I'm all like "where's the AC?" I have always been like this.

Mornings have also been well, tough. For about 6 weeks, I got up at 4:45am, changed, hit the gym and came home, went to work. for the past 2 weeks, I have been sleeping in and skipping the gym. This needs to change ASAP, if not sooner. My body clock feels off and I am kinda grumpy b/c of it. I think a lot of this is me missing my "mojo" lately. I am in a kind of workplace burnout-funk (I need a good long weekend and a new project and sense of responsibility) combined with wedding funk. Honestly, honored to be the maid of honor in the wedding next weekend, not happy about having to stay 2 nights in an exorbitantly expensive hotel in NYC and play servant/errand girl to the bride all weekend. I know, I know.. harsh. I do love my friend who's getting married and I love her hubby-to-be, but right now-- money is just stressing me out.

I think it's because of the following:
1. moving Sept 1. Anyone want to help us move? Anyone know a good 1+ bedroom in the Metrowest area with 2 car parking available for under $1200??
2. school. I start school July 7. Completly ecstatic. But, must pay all money up front and then get reimbursed.
3. Disney World. majorly expensive vacation in the fall ( made less expensive by PC's very generous parental units ) that has me cringing when I see the price of airlines going up-up and away! At least we have AAA and will save a little on Park Hopper tickets. And, since we are adults, our biggest expense is food... not toys. :)
4. saving money. I am a little late to the financial responsibility game, but honestly, with home prices as low as they are (sorry, good for those of us who want to buy, bad for you who just did) and everyone telling us "ohh... you could get a house for a steal!".... it's time to start thinking more than just 2-3 paychecks ahead. Add in the very unexpected car payments for the next 5 years... ugh.

I know I am sort of mentally dumping out there today, but it's what's on my mind and when I am stressed, I just need to throw it all out there and see what happens.

-mini

These are our friends. Our friends are having a baby!!! Their dear sweet little girl will be here in a few short weeks--- everyone's excited to meet her! Of course, this wee one will need some sweaters for her first few New England winters, but we're waiting to see how big she's going to be before I begin that knitting! :)

A word about my friend, M (shown above). It's funny how we became friends... she married A and we met when I started dating PC, A's friend. Now, A and PC were always friends, but never really did stuff "outside the group" and since M and I were always outside the group, we naturally did what women do--- we became friends and now the guys hang out all the time. M is the best kind of friend. The one who emails you at 3:55 pm to say "5 more minutes!!" until you both leave. The one who really appreciates a trip to the Christmas Tree Shop. She's the friend who's cabinets you can rifle through looking for tea bags. My mom once remarked that seeing me with M and S (another great friend) was like seeing me with sisters.

Now, M is having a baby. A long awaited baby. A long wished for baby. She's nervous. She's scared. And she's gonna be a wonderful mom. A's going to be the best dad ... and he will be completely wrapped around that little pink finger from day one. I'm very honored to have friends like these... we love them and we are so happy to be part of their lives. Baby C, you are going to have great parents and you will always be surrounded by people who love you. And yes, I'll sing the Katy Duck song to you.

baby sweater, receiving blankets, and quilt (under sweater) for C.

WW Would've Been Wednesday

Yikes! I missed a WW wed! So, you will get it today, Friday, instead... "and you'll like it!"(said in my best mom voice.)

This weekend is the American Festival of Momness. My mom has a lot of momness.

• She owns mom-jeans, but 2 years ago finally said "what about straight leg?"
• My mom has said things like "I brought you into this world and I can take you out!" with a straight face.
• My mom's spit has magic dirt removing qualities.
• My mom bravely took 3 hungry kids to mass every week. By herself.
• My mom makes the best chocolate cake with icing (the cake must have a hole in the middle).
• My mom tolerated me from age 12-22, when I knew everything.
• My mom tolerates me now, when I admit I have no idea what I am doing.
• My mom allowed "mental health days" when you didn't want to go to school.
• My mom played more than she did housework.
• My mom knows how to throw a football and cook a pot roast.
• My mom is a world reknowned emergency doll surgeon: complete with dishtowel "mask" over her face, spatula "defibrilolaters", flashlight and "sterile" dish gloves. She never lost a patient. And she let me say "Stat!"

So, this weekend, b/c my mom (and PC's mom) need to be celebrated, I am hosting my 3rd Mom-Day Brunch. The menu includes: hashbrown potato quiche, french toast souffle, salad, cheddar/apple kisses (PC is making these), and fruit salad and pastry (if my brothers remember it's their job to pick these items up).

Hash Brown Potato Quiche (or White trash tater tots 'n eggs)

Ingredients:

• 1 bag tatertots, thawed
• 5 eggs (or egg beater equivalents)
• 1/2 ham steak, diced
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt

In a pie dish, put 1/2 the bag of tater tots. Mash with potato masher and form into the "bottom crust" of the quiche. Line the sides with the intact tater tots. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes. Put cheese and ham in cooked crusts. Beat eggs, milk and salt together. Pour into quiche crusts, over ham and cheese. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes (Until eggs are set). Serve with salad to your favorite mom.

No points on this one... though, i think with the egg beaters, it's like 6 per slice. Makes 6 slices.

Lions and Tigers and Bears... Oh My!

Now, lion cupcakes don't get made for just any old birthday....

It was M's 1st birthday!

A jungle party!

Pattern: backpack based on the backpack pattern from Jujube & Lolo.

Elephant: my own design :)















Lion: my own design














"M" puppet: my own design














Lion-y pocket: loopy stitch from Grr... the washcloth (free on knitty), but I did the face as intarsia with duplicate stitch. I think it came out pretty cute.

Most important: the birthday boy liked it, and he can now take his treasures with him... it'll be more useful this summer when he is running around and will be feeling more independent.

whirlwind

I have knitting to show. Finished knitting and just-started knitting. Pictures tonight. (I'm not at home).

Weekend of whirls. We took the new car for a whirl. A few of them actually. Friday we found out that my dear friend, S, will be having a BOY in September! S, her hubby and her step-kids are super excited. :) Saturday was all about PC--- specifically, PC needing a suit. We have a wedding in NYC (oh, yeah: Manhattan here we come!) at the end of the month. I am the maid-of-honor, so my outfit is covered, but PC, well.... when you lose 75lbs, you have to buy a new suit. Think navy pin stripes. *me-ow* PC doesn't wear a suit very often, but when he does: hubba hubba!

Saturday night was a wee adventure to Coolidge Corner. Dinner at b.good. Oh how we LOVE b.good. (WW girls: they give you the nutritional info ON THE SIGNS in their restaurants. And you can email Jon and Anthony for any more specific info. PC and I used to have date night at their restaurant on Dartmouth for a long time... ) Then off to the Trader Joe's (they have booze) for wine, beer, tuna-for-cats, and turkey jerky. A quick diversion to Finale for coffee and dessert. Oh.my.god. Orgasmic chocolate creation --- and I left 1/2 of it on the plate. I guess working out and changing the diet is working. And now we know: next time PC and I will share a dessert there.

Sunday was our friends' son's 1st birthday!( there are photos of his cupcakes here) A jungle theme set the mood... it was nice to chat with good friends and catch up. Watching everyone's kids grow up so fast... makes you realize that time does move quickly. PC and I love kids,but right now, we are very happy to come home to one very happy cat.

Speaking of Pumpkin: tomorrow is her 2 year adopt-iversary. :) 2 years and she's still better entertainment than the tv. Just this morning, she jumped on my lap for pre-work snuggles and tried to drink my tea. And then she bit me.

Photos of a jungle themed backpack and the start of PC's sweater tomorrow.

:)

May Day

My middle name is Mae. I always thought that having my name spelled like that made me special. I thought that I was called by my first and middle names as a child made me special. Later I found out it was to distinguish me from all the other kids with my name. My full first name is long and very traditional (my dad picked it) and my nickname is common and "cutened me up" a bit (so says my mom).

So, until I was about 6 , I thought May 1 was "Katie Mae Day" and not May Day. Hm.

And before I forget: Karen touch Eddie Izzard. She knit him socks and handed to him in person. I would have passed out. Karen's stronger than me.

Happy Maryland Sheep and Wool to all of you--- busting at the seams to hurryupandgetthecarpackedandgetontheroadthereisyarnwaitingtobebought. (yes, I wanted it all one word) :) Think of me--- not buying any yarn and avoiding all those crowds.

WW Wednesday

Goop. Yup. My mom "named" it when we were kids and I have to say there isn't one among the three of us who don't drool when we hear it. Goop.

Goop came to be as a remedy for the first big recession in the 80s. My dad was in construction/heavy equipment and he was out of work. A lot. So, he went to work at the local schools system (janitorial) and my mom learned to drive school buses. Dinners became faster and the grocery bill for a family of 5 needed to extend farther. My mom, always a bastion of good nutrition, wanted her very energetic kids to have red meat at least 1-2 times per week and make sure veggies got in us (some of us, ahem: J!, were resistant to any and all veggies). But, a small grocery budget and red meat (i.e. steak) for a family of 5?? Let's just say, the steak "needed a little somethin'" to be more appealing.

Goop: that somethin' special! And since we are (or soon will be) in another recession and everyone's looking for ways to reduce the cost of food, I thought I'd share it with you.

WW: 2 points per 1/4 cup. Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
4 big mushrooms, sliced
1 tomato, sliced (strange, but the pinker "not-ripened-on-the-vine" (y'know:cheap ones!) work best
1 large bottle of Fat Free Italian Dressing (Wish Bone brand is the best, and on sale)

Directions:
Put everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot over steak tips, strip steaks, chicken, etc. YUMMY.

Nipple Tape

A few weeks ago, my guild (MetroWest Knitting Guild) hosted Joan Michael-McGowan as a guest teacher for a weekend. There were many wonderful classes offered, but I only participated in two: vintage knitting and whip your knits.

Vintage knitting gave us old lace patterns that would be great accents to blankets, pillowcases and even plain ole stockinette sweaters. Not my normal cup'o'tea, but i am trying to step outside my comfort zone (not with car purchases, but more about that later).

Whip your knits was probably the best thing I have ever done in terms of understanding knitting for myself. The first exercise resulted in the photo you see above: nipple tape. And waist tape and arm tape. By buddying up and armed with masking tape and our trusty sheepy tape measures,Trinknitty and I set to work, measuring each other and writing down the measurements. Oh.my.goodness. What an eyeopener!

Now, Item #1. You have a photo of ME on the blog. Yup. Talk about WAY outside my comfort zone, but I have to tell you.... last year a photo of myself that I saw put me in a state of depression--- well, it was bad. This year, with WW and the gym and tennis (starts tonight!!!), I am slightly smaller. And, you can tell by the smile on my face, I am having so much fun at this class. So, maybe more Mini photos "IRL" (in real life) as I am know going to try to knit more for ME!!

Tonight I pick up the new car. I think her name will be Betty Sue, the Vue. The Kia's name was "ka-ka-kia!" b/c my grampy used to sing "ka-ka-ka-kay-teeeee" to me all.the.time. I miss that. There's a lot involved in my heart with handing over the Kia to PC and taking on the new car. My first adult purchase was that car. It was the first thing over a thousand dollars that I owned. I learned alot buying and paying for that car. PC keeps asking me why I don't seem more outwardly excited about the Vue... and it's kind of hard to explain. I know I will love this car. But, while we were test driving cars, I had the opportunity to buy something "fully loaded" and kinda sexy. Not so "soccer mom" or "safe and reliable". Something that would turn heads. But, as with all things in my life, practicality won out (PC says this is an endearing quality of mine) and I bought the Vue. And I will love it (I already do--- they're giving her a bath and installing the remote start today), but doesn't everyone want to be the sports car once in their life?

Unexpected Expenses

Okay. The yarn stash is officially at maximum capacity. The beloved Kia (my car for the past 10 years) has been a "problem" for a few months. She groans, I offer a quick fix, my wallet cries. We get along for a few weeks, she cries a little more, I sigh, open wallet and start feeling weepy myself. There have been hushed discussions about quality of life and "being able to get places, like work"... decisions have been made and considered.

Banks were called.

Decisions were made.

Cars were driven.

Dealers were pushy and ready to deal.

Overall, the result is that the Kia will live on in our family, as PC's back-n-forth to work car, with some repairs (will save us buying 2 cars this year!!!) and *fingers crossed* this will be in the driveway Tuesday night:

2007 Saturn Vue,V6, 3.7L, 270 hp, AWD

Got her for a steal at Saturn of Norwood. A review of my service later this week. I have to say, having been "among" car dealers for over 3 days straight, I felt confident buying my new baby here. Oh, and the finance guy even got me a lower rate than I was preapproved. Even better.

So, yarn shopping: no mas until Christmas. So, feel free to send yarn!

:) kate

Pressure

I am really glad so many of you like the "WW Wednesday" idea... please let me know if you have a favorite or if you made any changes to a recipe that I should know about (i.e. "adding BBQ sauce really yummed it up!").

Pressure. Pressure at work (big presentation next Friday--- trying not to throw up). Pressure at home--- huge car repairs and car buying decisions to be made. Pressure from knitting. Yup. I have some projects to complete and I am trying to not impose deadlines. Baby C--- you will have hand knit items, but if your baby blanket doesn't start behaving itself, permanent time out!!! I am also working on some stash reduction (stop laughing!!).

On my knitting queue:

baby backpack (jungle theme) for Baby M's 1st b-day, complete with finger puppets.
baby blankie (knit) for Baby C's shower
baby quilt (sewn) for Baby C's shower
orange aran wiggles for me!
cotton pullover for me.
fionn for PC
Oh Canada! for me (using Kim's yarn)
Cobblestone for my dad
Mr. Green Jeans for my mom
10 pairs of socks

That's my list for the year. I might add in another sweater for myself right around Christmas.
Oh, one more pressure:

DID I MENTION I START GRADUATE SCHOOL THIS SUMMER??

(you knew there was a reason I wasn't blogging, didn't you?)

WW Wednesday

I swear: I knit. I do. I just haven't been taking photos and who wants a knitting post without photos? So, until I get my butt in gear (Saturday? I have free time on Saturday b/c the NFL draft is Saturday and PC will be glued to the tv.), you get another recipe. This is a PC favorite:

Greek Burgers:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lean turkey
2 tsp olive oil
8 ounces fat free feta, crumbled
2 tbsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat grill pan, broiler, grill, indoor grill-y thing until hot. Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl and shape into 4 patties. Grill 20 minutes (it's poultry--- make sure you cook it all the way through) over med-high heat.

Serve with lite whole wheat rolls (Stop'N'Shop brand: 1 pt) and hummus or yogurt/cucumber sauce. Delish!!

WW: 5pts each (makes BIG BURGERS)

WW Wednesday

I do Weight watchers. kinda. I haven't been going to meetings b/c my clothes are looser and I am in better shape, but the lbs... they aren't coming off. Surprised? I am! Many discussions with the trainer and the PC, I guess this is normal when you are working out.

Anywho.... I have a new "blog thing" I want to try: WW Wednesdays. I will post a WW friendly recipe (complete with points) that PC and I have tried and liked. I know some of you out there are also being a little bit more calorie conscious, so we all help each other, no?

Today is something I made up this week to fill in a meal ( haven't we all done this?). I call it Mexican Lasagna, PC prefers "taco casserole" (we both agreed if we had it in a high school cafeteria, this would be "taco surprise"). I hope you enjoy it! Let me know if anything seems "off" or if I missed a step!

Taco Casserole

Ingredients:
12 small corn tortillas (we like Mannys: 1 point each!)
1-15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bottle enchillada or taco sauce (pick your poison- and regulate your own heat)
1 lb lean ground turkey
8 ounces corn
2 cups cooked couscous (no oil, no butter)
2 packets low sodium taco seasoning (or whatever you use for taco seasoning)
8 ounces reduced fat "mexican" cheese
1 1/4 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet, brown the turkey; add taco seasoning + water once meat is completely cooked. Stir in couscous, corn and black beans. In a casserole dish (Big one!),sprayed with cooking spray, layer 6 tortillas along the bottom. Pour 1/2 the meat-bean-corn-couscous mixture into the casserole dish and spread out evenly. Top with 1/2 the taco or enchillada sauce. Layer 6 more tortillas and the meat mixture. Top with more sauce. Cover the entire casserole with cheese. Bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes.

Serves: 8
Points: 7 points/ serving

One Month Later

Hi. Did you miss me? I missed all of you! Well, especially you, of course. I'm back with a new outlook, a new routine and am raring to go. Raring might be an overstep. Okay, I'm ready to go.

So, I got a lot of "ohmygodwhodied" when I said I was stepping away from the blog for a breath. Honestly, I stepped away from pretty much everything. And, no, no one died. I'm sure someone somewhere died, but I didn't know them and it wasn't the cause of the emotional upheaval. I'll be honest, I needed a break. I needed to regroup.

Anyone who really knows me (Ahem. PC?) will attest that I crave routine. I like that we watch this show on Tuesdays and I do this activity on Fridays. I like to be busy, I like to do stuff, but I like to know well in advance that I am going to do it. So, in the interest of embracing my routine-loving self, I started a new one. The gym. Yup, this chubby gal is puffing away at the local gym (under the careful eye of my trainer...more about him some other day--- Steve rocks. I *Heart* Steve's training) 5 days a week (soon to be more!). Are you ready for this??

I.lift.weights.

I know!!! I am totally amazed myself! I lift them and I don't mind it so much. I like it better than the damn elliptical. I hate the elliptical. With the fire of a thousand suns, I hate that machine. But my thighs are smaller and it's probably b/c of it, so I'll hate it,but I'll hate it while i am making it work. Combine the crazy 1/2 hour each morning "power workouts" (no stopping--- just as fast, hard, heavy as you can go for 30 minutes) with some sensible eating and you have : a slimmer more streamlined Mini. Who is realizing her body can do some amazing things.

Now, there are a few goals. 1) we are heading to Disney in October--- I want to ride the rides comfortably. 2) zip line in NH--- I need to lose a little more until I can ride it, but then, I am doing it! 3) my 10 year college reunion (!!!) is next year. I'm going and I am looking fabulous. Other things: all of the little peeps in our lives are walking--- I'd like to be able to chase them. :)

Knitting: yup, been doing that. For Chloe. She's a yet-to-appear baby and I have been knitting a little for her. I am very close friends with her mom and so, i'll be knitting for this kid until she's in college.

Some photos this weekend. My guild is having some classes this weekend email me if you are interested:
The Metrowest Knitting Guild proudly presents

A Weekend of Knitting with
Joan McGowan-Michael
of White Lies Designs

April 12-13, 2008
New Arts Center, Newton MA
9:00 am-12 noon; 1:00-4:00 pm each day

Joan McGowan-Michael has been professionally designing clothing and
knitwear for over 25 years. Her company, White Lies Designs,
specializes in unique, vintage-inspired romantic knits for a wide
range of sizes.
She has appeared on local and national television programs including
DIY network’s Knitty Gritty, Shay Pendray’s Needlework Studio and Good
Evening Sacramento. Her designs and articles have been published in
Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits, Knitters, Cast On, and other
knitting publications. She has contributed designs to numerous books
including Stitch-N-Bitch Nation and Big Girl Knits.
Her own book, Knitting Lingerie Style, was released in the Spring of
2007 and has received excellent reviews for its uniquely elegant and
innovative design aesthetic.
Visit her website at http://www.whiteliesdesigns.com and read this
story at http://www.whoknits.com/ISSUEjan08/DSGRjoanjan08.htm

Come for one to four of the classes

Saturday AM (9am-12 noon): Vintage Knitting
Wondering what to do with all those old knitting patterns people
insist on giving you? What's old is new again and with just a little
tweaking, knitters can use those wonderful retro styles to add vintage
flavor to their sweater wardrobe.

Bring: Size 5 needles, 1 ball of DK weight soft wool

Saturday PM (1:00-4:00): Crochet for Knits
Have no fear; if you can knit--you can also crochet!
Sometimes knits cry out for the stability , prettiness or just the
fine finishing touch of a crocheted edge. Learn how to handle a hook
and work some simple crocheted finishes that lend added depth to your
knitted garments.

Homework: With size 6 needle and smooth worsted weight yarn, cast on
30 stitches and work in stockinette st until swatch measures 5 inches.
Bind off. Make two. IMPORTANT: Please steam press your swatches to
make them as flat as possible.
Bring: Your swatches, the same worsted weight yarn, size G or H
crochet hook.


Sunday AM (9:00-12:00 noon): Whip Your Knits into Shape!
Adding designer shaping touches to your knitted garments is easy once
you know a few simple rules and how to apply them. Flatter your
figure by shaping any garment as you knit it. Darts, ease, and short
row shaping are all important elements for a custom fit. Learn which
ones to use to play up your specific body type to its best advantage.

Homework: None.
Bring: Size 7 needles, stitch markers, ball of light colored smooth
worsted weight yarn.

Sunday PM (1:00-4:00 pm) Beading for Knits
Learn how to bead embellish your own knitted garments to give them
that glamorous touch. A plain cardigan or pullover becomes a gorgeous
heirloom in a matter of a few hours! Hand beaded sweaters sell for big
$$. Learn how to duplicate this luxurious look easily for very little
money.$5 per person additional materials fee.

Homework: With plain DK weight wool and size 5 needle cast on 30 sts
and work in stockinette for 6". Bind off. Single crochet around
outside to keep swatch from curling.
Bring: 6"x 6" swatch. Scissors. Sewing thread, white and black.

General Information
Location: The New Arts Center is located in Newtonville, MA at 61
Washington Park, just off Walnut Street and very close to the Star
Market that sits over the Mass Turnpike. Directions are available at
http://www.newartcenter.org/contact/index.html

Lunch: Lunch is at your own expense. There are several sandwich shops
within walking distance of the New Arts Center, or you can bring your
own.

Cancellation Policy: Sorry, we cannot do refunds, but LeAnne will keep
a waiting list of those wanting to participate and will pass it along,
should you not be able to attend. Then, you are responsible for
finding a replacement and working out financial details with them on
your own. We cannot manage substitutions for you. Questions? Contact
Kate Skaare : kskaare@gmail.com

Course Fees:
One Course (Non-members) $50
Two or More Courses (Non-members) $45 each

Radio Silence

There's gonna be some radio/blog silence for awhile. There is some stuff going on and my energy needs to be focused on something and someone else for awhile. There is family stuff, PC and me stuff, just plain ole me stuff and this blog has been a great outlet for me... I am not sure I can have this outlet available and not use it, y'know?

Problem Child

It needs to be ripped. I am not sure I have the heart to do it. I am not sure I can rip back to a recognizable round. Plus, one bambino will be a girl, named C. I have purple. But, baby #2 might be a boy... I need to think on this a bit. Baby C is getting stuff at the shower and some stuff just as we go along....

Here's my "working yarn": (not very portable, is it??) Got this at a JCA sale two years ago. This and 2 other cones: one darker blue and one olive green. Olive is for a sweater for me...













Close-up of the petal-y goodness. I really like this yarn for this project. Maybe it's worth trying to rip back. Yup. I see some constrasting thread in my future.

No excuse

I really don't have an excuse for not blogging lately--- just being busy I guess. My new routine of hitting the gym 5 times a week is eating some of my time though. Have a I mentioned how great my trainer is??

Today will be a whopper of a post: FOs.

First, the WIPs:
1) second bunny hat
2) Aran Wiggles pullover in orange (numero uno) wool.
3) EZ february sweater (in a coral-orange Dale Baby Ull) for Mari's baby-to-be, C.


FO #1:














Pattern: My So-Called Scarf
Yarn: Malabrigo; Jewel Blue (2 skeins)
Needles: US 11
Notes: this went very quickly. I see many more in the future. Malabrigo is sooo soft. this is a gift and I don't want to give it away!

FO#2













FO#3













Pattern: Quicko-Cheapo
Yarn: various encore yarn (wool/acrylic blend)
Needles; US 7 and US 8
Buttons: from Island Yarn
Notes/Mods: changed the neck on the cardigan. Had to rip and re-do the neck on the pullover three times... read the directions carefully. These are both for A, for next year (2 yr old size... A's 18 months now, but a peanut of a kid, so these will fit next fall/winter)

FO#4













Pattern: Bunny Hat from itty bitty hats (Susan B. Anderson)
Yarn: Sublime, pink - 1 ball (127 yds)
Needles: US6, bryspun 16" circulars
Notes: need to make a second one... and add a tail and Ribbons.

FO #5 and #6













Pattern: Kitty (free on Ravelry)
Yarn: acrylic from stash
Needles: US7
Notes: needs whiskers and eyes. Pink is for A, Gray is for M. I see more kitties in the future. PC thinks I am starting an army.

babies, stuffed cats, and gin for my hemlock.

I am working on the Hemlock Ring Blanket for one of the babies-to-be (both Mari and S are due! July and September babies! with moms who love handknits!!).

Edited to Add: One of these babies will be a GIRL!!!!!

I'm stuck.

I am at just into the feather and fan section and I am off by 3 stitches (181 instead of 184). I have the errata (now) and am ready to rip.... anyone else had this problem??

Ripping: I am new to lace-y things and ripping back seems terrifying. It's going to snow tomorrow night... maybe I'll sit at the dining room table with a gin and tonic and rip, rip, rip.

Oh and since the moms-to-be read this blog, leave congratulations and warnings of the complete handknit overload they are about to encounter. :) I have yarn, I am ready to knit. Also, letting me know your favorite newborn-to-toddler pattern would be nice.

SPA: I was there. Next year I am sleeping over again. During the day, I guess most of y'all shopped, b/c the town hall was empty as were the Harakeesett knitting rooms. Hmm.... so, I shopped. :) I did fall down in Amy Boogie's booth--- two skeins of chunky big ball, two skeins of alpaca. I also fell down in Kim's booth--- one skein of Opulence in a midnight blue color for Oh Canada!, the scarf version. Oh and a skein of sock yarn ... and some soap.

Pictures tomorrow. I have two sweaters (for A, my favorite wee one to knit for... these are for growing-into), two kittys (one for A and one for M), a scarf (to keep my tennis buddy warm) and some swatches. Oh, and you may even see the Hemlock Ring blankie.

Hmm... this is probably true

You Belong in 1956

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

What Year Do You Belong In?

I am Susie Homemaker. Surprised? I am. While I bitch about housework (don't laugh PC, I do actually DO housework, you just do 1/2), I like a clean house (mine is not... in 1956, I wouldn't be working full time either) and a good meal on the table. And, I try to get a hot nutritious meal on the table by 6pm every night. Sometimes that meal is pizza, but more often than not it's meatloaf, roast beef (tell 'em honey, I make a knock out roast and meatloaf) or mac'n'cheese from scratch. I like to bake and have been known to bake muffins on a Sunday morning before PC gets up. I like setting my table and using cloth napkins and having friends over. My ultimate dream is to stay home and take care of my family. And I think I'd be really good at it.

I really should write these things down

So, the other day I was blog-hopping (y'know how this goes) and I saw something on a very familiar blog (can't remember which one) about tying scarves. Like the fold in half and loop way, twice around your neck way and then... this one that looks like a celtic knot, but isn't and involves you folding in half, looping one dangly end through the loop and then....

I can't remember. I want to know how to do this. Anyone have this sound familiar???

Help. Alzheimer's is slowly kicking in.

SPA for you, SPA for me....

I will be here Saturday ---












for the annual NETA Spin, Knit, SPA weekend.
My friend Andi and I will be starting our adventure at ass o'clock in the morning (I am to supply coffee and awakeness) expecting to arrive around 10am. If you know me, feel free to grab me, hug me, shower me with "hi! how are you's" and so on. I will be knitting, spa-ing, not spinning (does anyone remember the sight of both Cheryl and Mel trying to teach me to spin? It was like watching a frog in a blender.

I have reason to believe that all of this:














will be gone from the state of Maine by the time I arrive. Well, at least there is one saving grace: the Maine highway department is the only highway department that knows how to plow. Seriously, they could make back all their snow-budget by offering classes to nearby states on "how to plow" and "when to plow". (For all of you non-snow living people, "snow budget" is what your town/county/state puts aside for snow removal. It's usually about 70% less than what your town/county/state actually needs. I think people from Florida are in charge of all the budgets in New England. My city ran out of money in December. It wasn't even winter yet.)

Tomorrow, a photo of knitting. Today, a preview of Saturday:













I plan on falling down and losing my wallet in the following locations:
1) The Woolen Rabbit. if only just to give Kim a hug. Oh, that's a lie...I'll probably pick up more sock yarn and some laceweight.
2) Ball and Skein. Um, b/c she shares space with Kim? Once again, a lie. I will be there commandeering more laceweight and potentially a Gust kit.....
3) Spunky Eclectic--- hmm. I would say I am stopping by to see what color Amy's hair is, but once again, a lie. I will be there to spend money (and possibly buy a sheepy mug, if there are any left.)

Happy Valentine's Day

From our love shack to yours!


















A note: our house truly is a love shack. PC and I are very much in love and we have been accused by a friend of "lying about not fighting". I always wondered that about other people's relationships. PC and I seem to have little drama in ours. The bad kind, I mean. We've never broken up, given ultimatums (except this week where PC has threatened to steal my car to go to work if I DON"T GET UP ALREADY), or left hurtful things be said.

So, officially, Saturday is our 5.5 year anniversary. I know... what a thing to remember, huh? We're having dinner at Ariadne and maybe seeing a movie. Or coming home and kickin' the cat off the bed. ;)

Happy Valentine's Day to you... I hope you get whatever snuggles you are looking for.

:) Mini, PC and Pumpkin.

Demo-Cat vs. Knots.

Hi. Pumpkin here. Mom wanted to blog today, but we had "company" over. I don't why they need to vacuum for Grampa and Granma, but anyways....

Mom's feeling better. So much better that she cooked Sunday dinner. Sunday dinner means that other people come over and pet me and give me cookies when no one's looking. I like Sunday dinner. When Dad cooks, it means I get ham. Lots of glorious ham.

I have spent a lot of time looking at Mom when she plays with sticks. I finally got Dad to take a picture. Can you see what she's doing? She's taking perfectly good string and tying it in KNOTS. She says she makes sweaters (that little blonde girl named A is getting a new sweater. Mom made it and said not to sit on it. I like that little girl. She doesn't bite).

Here's mom with sticks. She laughs a lot. She smiles a lot. She smiles most when she sees my dad.

( Mini here... this is my annual--- this is me if you are looking for me at SPA on Saturday photo)

Back to the knots. Fig! Fig! (Hey, Sandy--- get Fig please). Fig, does your mom turn perfectly good string into knots? Do they not know we cannot play with it once it is in KNOTS.

Anyway... someone tell my mom to stop turning string into knots. Or sweaters or whatever.
Later. Pumpkin.
Oh, I'm a self declared Demo-cat... and I am voting FLUFFY IN '08...
Psst... Fluff... wanna run on Fluffy/Pumpkin ticket?

As predicted....

I woke up this morning feeling MUCH better. 10+ hours of sleep probably helped. And bland food (yes, PC... you were right). I am very excited to announce: I drank tea! Real Irish tea with milk and sugar....ooohh....I have at least 3 cups per day and I was without for 6 days. 6.



And here... an early Valentine from Pumpkin:





















(Love mean always having someone to rub your butt)

Carolina on my mind....

But not in my future this weekend. Bummer. I was heading down to NC to visit a girlfriend who is getting married this May. But, the little bug that has been keeping me down? Apparently, that bug doesn't like it when I try to eat real food. You know, non-chicken broth food. I am so tired of this bug already! And on top of it all, it's a real pain in the hips! No, really. I have the worst pain in my extreme lower back and hips. Where is this coming from? I am not sleeping differently. Same pillows. Same amount of time on my ass as normal. No working out, but still... working out makes me hurt, not vice versa.

Anywho, the blog is hard up for photos. And proof I have been knitting. So here ya' go:

Yarn: Dorchester Farms yarn (given to me by Mrs. Bookish)
Pattern: Westport Waves... Jeanne Townsend (via her yahoo group)
Needles: US 1, magic loop method
Notes: Knitting with this yarn was horrible. It left a sticky residue on my hands, my needles... it just felt weird. It also tangled like crazy. But, 3 washes with SOAK later, it's soft and manageable and not one iota of felting to be seen.

Yarn: Lucy Neatby's Celestial Sock Yarn: blue
Pattern: toe-up socks
Needles: US1, Susan bates dpns
Notes: LOVE these socks. Making more stockinette socks. Love the yarn. Love the socks.

Yarn: Fearless Fibers, alpaca/wool dk blend, Bountiful harvest colorway, 500yds.
Pattern: Clapotis
Needles: US 8
Notes: yes, I fell onto the bandwagon (2 years later??) and LOVE this pattern. Very cute wrap.

Yarn: Classic Elite Beatrice, 3 skeins
Pattern: Unoriginal Hat (a la yarnharlot) and my own fingerless mitts
Needles: US 9
Notes: added one full repeat to the hat to make up for the slightly thinner yarn. Love the hat and mitts.... I got this yarn in a swap at my guild and knit it up in front of the swapper! She was very happy to see it made into something!!

The hat, mitts, and socks were knit at a weekend retreat that my guild hosts each year. It was amazing. I will totally go back. I am, regrettably, only going to be at SPA one day this year: Saturday. I will be hanging out in the vendor area, trying to fight off people for Woollen Rabbit Sock yarn (love love love Kim) and I think I will try crowd surfing in Amy Boogie's Spunky Eclectic booth (have you seen this booth: pure mayhem).

I got a present from Norma in the mail and I need to photograph it this weekend. :)


thanks for sticking around--- regular blogging will be back:)

:) Mini

Why did the computer go to the ER?

Because it had a virus.

Oh, it wasn't the computer. It was Mini. PC and I gave a small dinner party on Saturday night that ended with me on my hands and knees, puking. Panicked, I thought we had given food poisoning to our friends (including a very pregnant Mari). Sunday, PC took me to the NWH ER (wonderful doctor, wonderful nurses) for some rehydration via IV and some anti-puking drugs. Poor PC, up all night with a very sick Mini and then in the ER and back home with only 2 hours until game time?? Then the Pats lost. :(

So, I've been home from work--- eating clear fluids for 3 meals a day. Jello is a treat. A fortuitous phone call from work today confirmed my fear: everyone at work was out yesterday. Each employee that attended our Super Bowl potluck on Friday was sick by Saturday evening. Hmm... too long for food poisoning, but just enough time for norovirus. Ugh. No one else had to go to the ER, but I'm glad I did.... thanks to PC for making me go.

More posting tomorrow... I have knitting photos and all that for you.

:) Mini

Roses are Red.....

More blogging tonight... I promise (when your boyfriend starts bitchin' because you haven't blogged... you know you need to!).

A cause near and dear to my heart:

National Go Red Day

My mom has emphysema and this can cause things like CHF (congestive heart failure), which is a form of heart disease. I love my mom and I love me too. So, today, I'll do 5 extra minutes on the elliptical, check in with my trainer (see I told you I have a lot to tell you!) and very proudly: wear RED.

My Kind of Party!

Last night we had quit e the treat! Friends of ours, S (Hi!) and D (and daughter, A... the one I made the curly cue topped hat for?) had us over for dinner-- Yumm-o! S is a very good cook and we had a nice time visiting. (S- I am posting my cookie recipe at the bottom, so keep reading!).

One topic of discussion was the fact that there are always "two groups" within any social group. I.e. people who love music break down into people who think rap is music and people who don't. get it? I was asked if among the knitting groups (and I think more importantly, the knit-blogging group) are there two groups? I answered yes, b/c my first thought was "process vs. product knitters." I am a process knitter. I know product knitters. But, then I thought: sweater kntitters vs. lace knitters vs. sock knitters... the list continues! But, unlike the majority of non-knitting groups, we have found peace among our differences. There are even spinners who are friends with knitters! ha ha ha.

What do y'all think? Do you "feel" the pressure from your counterparts in the knitting world? I have heard people say "I feel like I have to try lace, b/c it's the next step." next step to where? Knitting graduation? My godmother was a wonderful prolific knitter who only knit fisherman knit sweaters. No intarsia. No stripes. No lace. No socks. No mittens. Just fisherman knit sweaters. In worsted weight. No dk. No sport. No chunky. Did she somehow fail to move-up as a knitter? I don't think so, but I am wondering about your opinion.

Our night last night was complete with great conversation, yummy dinner and good friends. No knitting accomplished and I am very okay with that.

Hopefully, sock photos tomorrow or Friday.

:) mini

Recipe for Cookies:
Pre-heat to 350 deg F
Ingredients;
1/4cup shortening
1/4cup butter
1/2cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg yolk
1/2tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2tsp salt

Directions:
Cream shortening, butter, egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla together. Add salt to flour- mix. Add flour mix to butter-sugar mix. Dough should come together fairly quickly. Roll into small balls and roll through granulated sugar (optional). Place on cookie sheet and use thumb to make "divot" in the cookie. Add 1/2 tsp jam to each divot. Bake 8-12 minutes.

Makes: 30 cookies

Brand New Friend

Santa didn't bring it...I got it for myself after-Christmas. :) More later when I figure out how to load photos onto the computer. Keep posted for more interesting photos in the future... Did I mention the new telephoto lens I got too??

Feeling Thin

In so many ways, I am feeling thin. Pants that were just a smidge tight on my DC trip are comfy. Total holiday poundage: -1lb. Amazing, huh? I think stress burns calories. I need to hit the gym tonight. Jinann and I are keeping each other motivated with our yarn and food diets. She's a fellow Norweigan-American.

Thin feelings: unloaded a bunch of my yarn last night at a yarn swap and brought home some new yarn.... yarn that I will use. I am not opposed to trading at all. I got some really cool 100% superwash in a gray that might be nice for a sweater. And some merino. Oh, and some cotton for baby washcloths for M's baby-on-the-way. Yes, yes... this kid's not even going to have commercially made washcloths on it's wee bottom. :)

Thin feelings: time. Before the holidays, I worked 7-4pm, went home (or to the gym, but usually home), made dinner, cleaned up a bit and hung out with PC. Now, I am running to knitting, guild meetings, away for weekends (one weekend in Feb for a visit with a friend in NC, weekend retreat for the guild) and every other thing i have to do. Oh, did I mention I applied to graduate school? Yup. At night. Ugh. And, in April, tennis lessons start again, and seriously, I am taking tennis lessons again.

I just feel so impossibly spread thin. And, the laundry's piling up, the house needs a good cleaning and I need a nap. I am getting home at 9:30-10pm and going to bed at midnight... and waking up at 5;45am.

On a positive note, PC and I are way more social this year than we ever have been before! More entertaining, more being entertained, more "doing stuff", but (are you reading this honey?)--- I need some quiet time on the couch with PC. I need a day of going into town and a long lunch and ... hell, let's do this on Saturday, huh? then come home and watch the football game.

SPA: Ok, I was going to stay over in Maine this year, but there is not a hotel room to be found under $140 a night and well, with being a maid-of-honor (twice!) this year, a trip to Disney on the horizon (PC"s parents rock!), and a move and a potential new-car purchase... that's getting a little rich. Did I mention grad school?? Not.free. A day trip will have to be my option. One of the women in my guild that I like very much (hi Andi!) suggested a day trip and I offered to buy lunch--- I think we have a plan! So, as much as I love Mexican food with Carole, I am sure it's not the last chance i'll get. Next year, better planning and early hotel booking. :)

And... this made me giggle for hours yesterday:

2008

Ahh, that time of year again. It's -4 degrees outside in Boston. It's going to be cold today. Mittens are needed!

My knitting guild is knitting and accepting knitted mittens (machine washable only) for kids at Boston Medical Center intake unit (for transfer to foster care, relatives, etc). If you live in the Boston area and are interested in dropping off (or mailing) a pair of mittens BY JANUARY 15th, please email me for directions/address/more info.

I am not extending any prizes or accepting any hats or anything like that. This is a quick, last minute kind of thing. Any and all mittens appreciated.

Onto the Resolutions, but first the accomplishments of 2007:
1) I stayed smoke-free for 1 year on March 3, 2007. As someone who chain-smoked for 14 years, this amazes me.
2) I made a sweater for PC's mom and it fit!
3) I collected over 1700 hats for kids in Boston
4) PC and I celebrated 5 wonderful years together
5) I knit 3 pair of socks, 9 pair of mittens, 8 hats, 2 baby sweaters, 1 adult sweater.

In 2008,
1) I will work out more and be more "on-point" with Weight Watchers.
2) I will knit myself a sweater. Maybe two.
3) I will learn intarsia
4) I will be more charitable
5) I will be more fiscally responsible. PC and I are getting there. We started contributing more to our 401ks and savings.
6) this leads to.... yup. Yarn diet. I am going to knit from my stash unless it's baby or gift knitting. My good friend is pregnant with her first and long-awaited child. this kid needs handknits.
7) I will knit 10 pairs of socks for me this year. :)

There are some others, but they are not for here.

See you tomorrow!