stoopid camera phone

So, I took photos for all you good people, via my Palm Pre, but right now, I can't get them to email. Tonight, I'll take some with the real camera and upload them. I pinky-swear.

But, how about we talk about knitting? I'm in a knitting quandry about my next project. I'm in a scarf mood. I just finished a pair of socks, I need to finish up a sweater (Jared Flood's Huron) and I have 25% of a new sock done. Oh, and 1/2 a baby sweater. I'm in that place. That place where you feel like you have knitting ADD b/c nothing feels right? I've been here for 2 weeks. Hopefully, a business trip this weekend (and into most of next week) will cure that. Nothing like hotel-knitting to get things done, I tell you. I really spend most of my non-working, non-entertaining hours, parked on the GIANT hotel bed, surrounded by pillows, watching bad tv and knitting. Of course, I am checking emails and getting some work done, but honestly, it's mostly it's knitting and sleeping early. A secret: I love work travel b/c it's the only time I have the bathroom to myself in the morning. I don't have to wait for anyone (PC) and I can take my time.

My knitting wish list for the 2nd half of 2010:
1) Finish Huron


2) knit Starsky for my mom


3) knit 4 more pairs of socks
(Clessidra counts as 2 pair)
4) knit 3 scarves

5) knit Shalor for PC :)

I do knit. I really do.

I do knit. I promise. I need to find some time to take some photos and show off my recent creations. I'm off to Philadelphia at the end of the week: work stuff. I'm 1/2 excited b/c I have been wanting to go to Philly, but will miss PC and Pumpkin. I'm heading out a night earlier than I need to b/c it was $600 cheaper, imagine that!

Also, I've re-committed myself to playing nice with South beach/low carb central. I am getting back on the exercise bandwagon and eating right. I have this insatiable urge to be active lately, I'm just trying to find my outlets.

PC has become a lean-mean-grilling machine. Yup, he talked me into a charcoal grill last year and I have to say: it's not as slow as I expected and the results are delicious.

So, in the spirit of accountability: daily updates on eating. My modified SB regimine:

• no pasta/bread/potatoes/rice/noodles/grains
• only "sugar" is fruit and only 2 servings per day
• high "sugar" veggies no more than 1X a week (like carrots)
• lean meat only
• eat every 2 hours
• salad 2X per day
• travel does not equal tragedy
  

Tuesday, June 8

• B: non-fat vanilla greek yogurt + blackberries and tea w/ skim milk
• SN: banana & cashews
• L: salad greens, grilled chicken, blueberries, cheddar cheese & homemade dressing
• SN: celery w/ onion dip (made w/ nonfat plain greek yogurt)
• D: kobe beef, green beans, portobellos w/ feta & side salad
• SN: hot tea w/ milk

CORI

This article in the Boston Globe has me pulled in two directions, so I thought we could discuss it here. The premise of the article is that CORI reform is necessary and that convicted felons should be allowed to have their records sealed in order to get better paying jobs or housing. For those of you who don't know: CORI is the criminal record that your employer, your landlord and your kids' school can get on you before you start a job, rent an apartment or volunteer at the school. As a former substitute teacher and summer camp counselor, I have been CORI'd many times.

But, I am having a hard time with this article because it focuses on a few individuals (tug at the human heartstrings, oh Boston Globe) to, in essence, add some personalization to the story. One of the women "highlighted" is a woman my age who was in jail for drugs and then assaulted a corrections officer. And wants to work with kids, which I think is admirable... kids should see the consequences of selling drugs and assaulting officers. Another 'gentleman' was working at a car wash before being dismissed by his boss due to his CORI record. His crime? He hit another man. With a handgun. Who was that other man? A rival drug dealer.

I do understand the idea of 'paying your debt' and moving on. I wish we could do that, I really do. But do I have the right to say, if I were a landlord or potential employer, that this is too much risk for me to assume by accepting this person in my home/office? Yes. Yes. Yes. and Yes again.

As a conservative, I don't want to see these people on the public dole for a lifetime either, so I do think they should be earning a living and paying for housing. What do we do? I know that some employers do hire ex-convicts and provide them with a decent wage and the opportunity to move ahead in life, but perhaps we should consider alternatives to relying on private companies to do this. One of the women in the above article was complaining that her $11/ hour job wasn't helping her get out of the public housing in Dorchester... and she intimated that she would have to return to selling drugs. How's that for trying to hold the state hostage?

My largest concern with CORI reform is that it will take the right to proactively protect yourself, your home, your investment, your business, your employees in a prophylactic manner and hand it over to the select "few" who have willfully chosen to disobey the law or commit violent offenses.

My $0.02 for what it's worth... this is just what's on my mind today. Feel free to chime in, but remember, I'm a person so please don't just yell at me. :)

A friend helps you move, a best friend helps you move a body.

In this case, my best friend wouldn't let me leave our shoe-shopping extravaganza without these:

Perfect. Shoes. They go with my khaki linen pants, my blue linen pants... dresses, skirts. :)
And, today, they are being shown around my office with a blue top and cute jeans (which are less tight today than last week: yahoo!).

Another great bonus of shoe-shopping with my best friend? The chatting and laughing... knowing that she's there to listen. Knowing that I am there to listen. Griping about our men, our moms and why do they make cute shoes so damn narrow? And what is up with high heeled flip-flops. We are both pretty anti-flip-flop... the sound in the office (yes, we can wear them in the office... we can wear tank tops & shorts as well. Office rule: clean, and not naked) is like nails on the proverbial chalkboard.

So, Syl, thanks for last night... I needed it. PC just about fell over when he saw the bag come in ( I was brave,but I totally get if you left yours in the car)... but he liked my selection. He is pretty adamant about me finding "somewhere to put them." Hm. Didn't think of that. So, ladies... where do you put your shoes?

Oh, and these followed me home too...

.
and 3 more pairs...
:)

10 on Tuesday

10 on Tuesday... taken straight from Carole's blog. I love it when she provides me with blog fodder. :)

10 Places That Make You Happy:

1. My dining room. I love my table and chairs and how PC's big clock looks in our dining room. I have made a very strong effort to make this room cozy and inviting for friends and family to sit for hours, talking and laughing.

2. Lake Conway, NH. Especially early in the morning, when PC's fishing, I'm getting eggs and coffee ready. It's early, you can hear campers waking up, but mostly we can hear birds and the quiet sounds of the lake

3. Rand Pond, Goshen, NH. Where I spent my summers as a child. The early June light, at 5pm... bouncing off the water. Sounds of kids jumping in the pond, fisherman casting out... smell hot dogs cooking and campfires being lit.

4. The left side of the couch... snuggled with PC. It's "my side" of the couch.

5. My car. I know that isn't really a place, but I like driving (probably one of my favorite activities) and I like being in my car, listening to the radio (or not, sometimes silence is best) and just driving. I used to think nothing of popping into my car for a 2 hour drive to see a friend. Good thing PC is a road-tripper like me.

6. My kitchen. I like our kitchen, even more now with the big island. It's homey and usually smells good.

7. My parents' deck. I love their yard and wish we spent more time there.

8. Abbey Church at Saint Anselm College. My alma mater. I spent every Sunday evening for 4 years in that church. It's gorgeous and has a definite feeling of comfort. I don't think I've ever felt comfort like I did at that church. It's where I ran to the day my godmother died. It's where I prayed for faith when mine was tested. It's the place where I learned it's okay to have faith in my beliefs, but challenge the Church and it's ways. A priest at school once said "Kathleen, you can have faith in God, but still be wary of man."

9.Newfound Lake, NH. It's clean, the state park is amazing and i have happy memories there.

10. anywhere with PC (and Pumpkin).

has anyone noticed a theme here? I think it's time for a LONG overdue camping trip and for me to sit by some water. :)

quilting

My next project is not a knitting project, it's a quilt for my niece, Chloe, who will be turning 2 this summer and, soon, will be in a big girl bed! I am doing this in "chloe-colors": orange, purple, yellow, pink and turquoise... very bright! All the pieces are cut and I am going to start sewing together the blocks tomorrow night. :)

10 on Tuesday

The topic this week is 10 People You’d Like To Interview. (taken from Carole)

1. President Obama: I'd like to know when he's going to stop running for office and get some stuff done.
2. Elizabeth Dole: this one shouldn't shock anyone. She's been an idol of mine for a long time.
3. the Pope: as a Catholic, I have some questions about being faithful vs. being devout. I'd like to have an honest talk about my role in the Catholic faith as a woman.
4. Anyone who worked at Ellis Island from 1892-1930: what did they see? Who did they meet?
5. Sigmund Freud: I have a few questions about his mother...
6. Suze Orman: wouldn't it be great to peek at her checkbook? See if it's really balanced?
7. Rosalind Franklin: her opinion on women in science and professional credit in peer-reviewed publication would be of significant discussion
8. Henrietta Lacks: I wonder if she knows how many lives she has saved. And how significant her contribution to modern drug discovery has been.
9. Jamie Oliver: I'd like to talk about the locavore movement and what fresh foods can do for America... his opinion on how to create long term proclivity to fresh, natural foods would be interesting as well.
10. the White House gardener: for gardening tips, using organic mulches and pesticides, etc.... b/c we know Michelle Obama isn't out there squishing tomato bugs.

Water, Water Everywhere

And not a drop to drink? Not in the casa de Mini y PC... we are in Newton, in the midst of the "boil" zone. Good thing they have those signs on I-95 telling us so, too. Friday night, PC surprised Mini with an impromptu trip to NYC for a night of romance and urban delight. (Mini *hearts* NYC and can't wait to go back)

Saturday a.m. was: up early, breakfast at the Starlight Diner in Midtown and then off to Central Park via Times Square (straight up 7th avenue) until we walked straight into the Revlon Run/Walk for Breast Cancer. 40,000 people in Times Square + Hallie Berry. Yup, saw her. :)

Once we got to Central Park, we wandered and headed to the zoo... what cute zoo! The animals were out, like they were waiting for the kids to arrive. A quick trip to FAO Schwartz for a bday gift for a certain little person's party the next day and we were hailing a cab back to the hotel to check out. By 2pm, we were on the Cross Bronx Expressway (which was not express....it was a parking lot) and by 3pm, we were in Connecticut.

Dinner in Mystic, CT (RiverView, near Mystic Yarns, and yup... I got yarn. Photo tomorrow) and then off to the NE Revolution game in Foxboro MA at 7:30pm.

I made it to the 60th minute of the soccer game and just.couldn't.do.it. I was road-weary. And cranky. And wanted to go to bed.
We went home. :)

And on the way home, I saw "East of Weston, MWRA Boil Water Order."
Crap.

At home, checked the internet...yup. That means Newton. *le sigh*
Water was boiled and cooled overnight and then poured into a large Brita filter. Sunday morning began w/ a trip to BJs in a non-water banned city, to get some bottled water. A trip to a bday party (fantastic!) and then home to an elaborate dishwashing set-up rounded out the evening.

What.a. weekend.

Finally February...

So, my Olympic knitting is Finally Done. Yup, that's my February Lady up there. Love her, she fits and it's (get ready) : my first ever sweater for me.

Details:

Pattern: February Lady

Yarn: Aurucania Nature Wool in orange (5 skeins, total 1100 yards)

Needles: US 8 circs (bamboo)

And, since I couldn't find a button I loved... I made one. A member of my guild, Linda, taught us all to make dorset buttons a few meetings ago... I knew this is what I would use for my sweater. :) Now, I have one on and I am not sure if it needs 2 more buttons. I think it might make the front too heavy. Right now, one button.

Sweater #2 for me is on the needles: Huron from Jared Flood. I'm almost to the point where I start asking "why does he want me to put back shaping there?" :)

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

*hack*

Home and sick. Yup... caught something supremely nasty in Phoenix... but honestly? What do you expect when you are at a conference of 900 people and you have shaken 1/2 their hands? There is not enough hand sanitizer in the world to combat that kind of massive attack. So, I'm heading into the office, taking a morning phone call and probably calling it a day.

I sound like a "mouse" (according to PC this morning) and I think I swallowed two golf balls.

Scratch throat, coughing up stuff, can't swallow and slight fever.

Any moms/doctors out there tell me what I got?

Fear: strep throat b/c that means a trip to the hospital (I don't make antibodies to strep throat, so I have to have IV infusion antibodies when I get it) and I was really looking forward to my own bed tonight.

10 on Tuesday

Taken directly from Carole's blog... I needed something to update. I'm still here in AZ; last night we went to a Mexican rodeo as a "networking reception"... it was fun, full of margaritas and cerveza and iffy bar-b-que. It's just after 6am here...I've been up for a bit... what jet lag? lol

So, here you go... top 10 TV shows:
1. Deadliest Catch: amazing show... I am so sad that Capt Phil passed away this year and I can't imagine how his sons will go on without him. PC and I "root" for different boats to bring in the big catch. :)
2. Amazing Race: this one is a bit of a problem. I get a serious case of wandering feet when I watch this show; I want to quit my job and hop on a plane and let it work itself out! Go Jet & Cord!!!! You can win it cowboys!
3. Millionaire Matchmaker: Patti Stanger is such a moosh of sappy, sweet, bitch and bravado and I love it... I don't love the guys that she thinks are "hot" and I can't figure out for the life of me how these guys think women in a "millionaires club" aren't after their money? They aren't in the "marry an unemployed actor club."
4. Real Housewives (and and all of them): it's pure "seeing how the other half lives" and... they are not doing well!
5. Bones: Love Love Love Temperance Brennan and Sealy Booth's slow circle of each other. I even love Dr. Sweets.
6. Fringe : my inner scientist makes me watch this...
7. Life (the Discovery channel series) : just watch it... then you'll know why.
8. Big Love : I have a strange fascination with religions... I am very curious about how and why someone believes what they do. I've been told it's perceived as rude, but I really really just want to know what your faith is like. Only caveat: I don't push mine on you, you don't push yours on me. :) I'm always amazed at the amount of sex on this show.
9. NECN Morning News : my local news outlet
10. Property Virgins : I'm learning to buy a house from HGTV. :)

Going to Phoenix and throwing away yarn.

I'm going to Arizona for a few days... I may or may not be mobile blogging. I am bringing knitting, for the evenings, but my days will be full of more professional endeavors, I'm afraid.












In knitting news, if you won my haiku anniversary contest (Louise, Diane, Trek), you will see a package in the mail next week. I spent the entire weekend at IKEA with the fabulous PC getting one of each of these and reorganizing my kitchen and my craft room/office. (my bookcase has doors... well, it will soon, we need to put them on.)
















Actual photos to follow once I am back home and the space is even more cleaned up. (right now, it's slightly organized chaos.) Oh... and I threw out yarn. Yup, crap yarn that I didn't want to gift or try to sell. I might do some online yarn hawking... any advice from those in the know? Do I do it straight off the site?

Oh, and if you are Dora... :) I have the white shelving thing, some fabric boxes for the shelving thing, the cube system and some good plastic shoe boxes for you... you and Trevor want to swing by for some beers and pick them up next weekend?

Oh... and Dora? There's a bag o' yarn for you too :)

Welcoming craft

My bro, J, has a great gf, C, who made me this as my placecard on Easter. 

And, yes...my bro calls me Katiecita and I call him Jonafinny. :)

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Feeling Green

For those of you who have dined at my house and said "oh, don't bother" with my cloth napkins... I feel reaffirmed in my decision to provide them. Dan and I try, try, try to be more earth-friendly (see new fully recyclable car, full recycling container at curb on Fridays, use of reusable plastic bottles, repurposing glass containers).... and cloth napkins are just a new way to do this. There is a major overhaul going on in our house over the next two weekends (creating more usable, pleasant spaces in the kitchen and office), so I'll be looking at my plethora of kitchen towels and making a concerted effort to use them more, and less paper towels.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2010/02/french_napkins.html

I think I'll make some neat napkin rings for the next dinner party. :)

Angst

A lot of heartsick angst here today. I traded in my beloved Saturn for a Subaru. I know, in my heart, it was the right decision ( dealer paid off the loan on old car, i had positive equity in my car, got the color/model/features I wanted), but I was really rooting for my Saturn. I was.

3 weeks ago, it stopped braking and accelerating. On the highway. I had just had the brakes done, so I took it back: brakes are fine. Must be a sensor or transmission problem. Car is fine... drive home, leave it, head to work the next day. Same.problem. Except, now, I get "bumped" in traffic b/c I had no brake lights. *sigh* Call dealer, tow it in. Mention 3 times: brakes, struts, accelerator (car was jumping around).

Saturn/GM service only looks at cars towed in after lunch. So, if your car gets towed at 7:30 am (mine), they put it on a list, and look at it after 1pm. They never got to mine on Day 1. Day 2, got it on the lift at 4pm (close at 5pm). Day 3, says nothing wrong; I ask if they have test drove it. No. Well, drive it. Car gets stuck and they have to tow it back to the dealer after a 4 mile test drive. Call me to have it brought back to the non-dealer brake place. Hm. No.

Day 4 with my fancy rental car (paid for by Saturn, who called to say my warranty was up in 8 days)... fixed. They think. Keeping it overnight to drive again in the morning. Day 5...pick up my car and told "brakes fixed." Okay....what about struts? Um, didn't look at them. Okay, warranty is up soon... need to wait 1 week to bring it back in and they need it all day.

Le sigh. Struts fixed.. head to doc office on Monday: dashboard lights start blinking, flashing... car is running, makes whiny sound... lights come back on.

My 2007, fully loaded Saturn Vue, with 32,000 miles was falling apart.

Monday night, signed on dotted line for new 2010 Subaru Forester 2.5X premium in Camellia Red. :) Cry when I leave the dealership. Love the Subie, but really going to miss my Saturn. I was rooting for you!

What shall we name her?

More Beth classes...

More classes today!  10+ cast ons and norweigan purls....so.much.fun! Right, Sue?

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Twining...

Twined mitten class with Beth Brown-Reinsel (www.knittingtraditions.com) all day today....love, love, love this class!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Winner, Winner... Chicken Dinner

I have no idea where the above title comes from, do you? It's something I started hearing a few years ago ( I think it's Southern) and it has stuck. Stuck.Stuck.Stuck.

Winners. I'm a winner and you are all winners! If you left a haiku for my blogiversary, send me a pm at kskaare (at) gmail (dot) com w/ your address so that I can send you a present. :)

I'm a winner...? I totally won at Kristen Tendyke's contest and I got a free pattern! :) I'm sure she won't mind me linking and lifting a photo from Ravelry....

I first met Kristen at a knitting class one weekend through a mutual friend, Andi. Kristen and Andi work at Classic Elite Yarns... where I did a project management project for one of my classes (yup, project management with Kristen Tendyke, Cecily Glowick, and Pam Allen (via phone)--- all for a grad school class? Swoon!) and now Kristen lives in a little house in Texas. I'm not kidding about it being little... it's approximately the size of my kitchen and I live in an apartment. :)

Dunkin' run....

What do you get when your significant other walks up to the Dunkin' Donuts to get the Saturday morning coffee? Me, I got a tea and these! I <3 PC. (and our florist, who just adore him)

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Friday night

Spent @ PC's curling club (broomstones) while he squeezes in a few more games before the end of the season. Can you guess which one is him? :) 

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Anniversary & Contest

So, 5 years ago on March 24, 2005, I started Minestrone Soup. It's been a great ride and I'd really like to thank each and everyone of you for reading, laughing, crying along with me. I'm going to keep on blogging, even though it's feeling less and less popular.

5 years ago, I was....

• recovering from being hit by a car on Valentine's Day
• considering living with PC
• blissfully unaware that my dad had cancer
• watching my mom struggle with her emphysema, congestive heart failure diagnosis
• digging out from a giant blizzard!

4 years ago, I was...

• smoke free for 3 weeks (l-o-n-g weeks)
• living with PC for 3 weeks (l-o-n-g weeks)
• wondering what to do with my life
• reporting to Sylvie at work
• learning about chemo/radiation for my dad
  

3 years ago, I was...

• at a new job, and wasn't sure if it was meant to be
• wondering when the cat will learn to like me
• realizing that renting is not all it's cracked up to be
• fully involved in the knitting guild

2 years ago, I was...

• still crazy in love with PC
• in year 2 of job and learning that I like Type A bosses, but I don't like conniving ones
• starting a new project at work with a new supervisor, who turns into a great friend!
• waiting for Sylvie and Mariuca to have their babies

1 year ago, I was...

• out of work
• scared to death of not being able to stay in my field, but not really wanting to either
• began 'networking' and discovered that I am really, really good at it
• started to think about moving
• still worried about PC's heart and blood pressure

Today, I am...

• happy in my new job (even though it's 100% more stressful than any other)
• knitting, knitting, knitting
• quilting, quilting, quilting
• confident that Pumpkin likes me
  
• sure that PC loves me
  

If you have stuck around this long, you deserve to see the contest:
Rules:

1. write a haiku about me, PC and/or Pumpkin in relation to this blog
   
2. submit by March 23 via the comments on this post
   
3. Winners announced March 24
4. Yarn, needles, books and patterns will be provided as prizes
5. You may enter more than once
6. if you blog about this (or tweet) and have contestants tell me "[insert your name/blog here] sent me" I will add you to a special drawing.

Bon chance!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

As a woman of obvious Irish heritage ( I come by my dark hair and blue eyes honestly), I can't let today go by without wishing you all a Happy Saint Patrick's Day!  So, raise your pint to the sky and repeat after me: Sláinte! (to your health!)

Toes for curling

PC is a curler. He loves the game and I think between it and flying, he has truly found his passion. What kind of curling gf would I be if I let him stand on the ice for hours in store bought socks (I love llbean, but his wool socks are getting holes and they wer pricey)???

Enter pair #2 of the handknit curling socks. He put them on and smiled...enough to warm a knitter's heart, and hopefully a curler's feet!

Good curling honey!

Btw, 600 + people showed up to PC's club on sunday to "try curling"...and two of them read this blog!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

silence

I know there has been some radio silence lately here on the blog. One reason is that the commenting system was just whack-a-do and Trek (there should be a link there, if not, I'll fix it when i get home) had to go under the hood and pull out parts of my blog. Now, I have my blog back. And it's happy. And I sent her yarn without her knowing. Oh. whoops. well, she knows now.

Second is that I'm dealing with some indecision in my knitting/personal life that has to come to fruition soon. Some of you know that I am a coordinator for a guild here in the metrowest of Boston. I love my guild, but recent events have caused me to seriously consider stepping down/bowing out. I'm not sure yet, but I need to make a decision soon. There's a lot involved in this and I am trying to figure out if I am letting one or two events cancel what's been a wonderful experience or are one or two events highlighting what I've been seeing through rose-colored glasses. See? Hard. 

Third: my car. My fun loving, road tripping Saturn Vue is being evil. She decided she needed new 'shoes' for the spring ($400) and then decided that she didn't want to get them dirty, so has stopped working. From what I can guess from my knowledge of cars, online research and gut feeling: it's my transmission and it's slipping. On an automatic, which doubly sucks. So, she stopped this morning near a Marshalls (note: no matter what PC says, keeping socks-in-progress in car is always good) after she just Stopped. In the middle of the road. Got bumped by a very nice man, who felt SO bad (not his fault) and he kept traffic at bay while I turned the car on and off a few times and then coasted into the parking lot. So, Betty Sue (my Vue) is at the dealership today... she had to be towed. 

A side note; a Saturn dealership is really just a big garge waiting room these days.

More later. I have socks, sweater, and cowl progress to show.

A spa morning

So far, I have 1.5 socks finished and 90% of my feb lady sweater's body done. The socks on the right are for a coworker:
 paton's croy sock yarn, 2 skeins
 Monkey sock pattern, cookie A
     Knitty.com

Sock on the left is Wisdom Yarns, Los Angeles, for PC...they are curling socks. *note for me: 68 st cast on & leg, dec to 64 for the foot, 9 inch before toes *

Amy's been knitting on her shalom cardi all weekend...and Diane? She wore your cowl all weekend and I made her get up before 8 am each day :)

Photos of yarn that I rehomed to my house. :)

See you tomorrow..

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

@ spa...

Having a great time! Yup, that's my Olympic knitting: orange february lady :)  I'm getting there, but not quite to the end yet.

What do you think? Will I make it?

I'm walking around in my purple shawl at spa, so if you see me, say hi!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

sewing mojo

So, on my lunch hour, I cruised over to the Moda Bake Shop (what a place... it's filled w/ great ideas and truly cool projects) and found these flat dolls. Yup! Paper dolls that are fabric. I'm in love. I  *heart* paper dolls and know 2 little girls who will need these very soon (Sorry, Noodle, maybe next year-- you are too little for these this summer).

Hmm... 1 for MC and 1 for Miss O.

:)

Contest!!! you could be a winner!

Or I could. Go see JessaLu and say "happy blogiversary!" to her --- 5 years of bloggin' and she's going strong. I feel  a special kinship to JessaLu... the patience of waiting for a particular man, the need to create, and I think we have a bit of a 'bag problem.' :)

http://www.jessaluknits.com/2010/02/18/five/

South Beachers!

Okay, so I've been on Phase II and I don't like it. I'm eating too many carbs and I really don't like that. I'm getting too hungry and cranky.  So, today's back to Phase I. Anyone have a good recipe for lentils? I need to have more legumes in my diet and lentils are a good legume.

Breakfast: eggs + celery + peanut butter (3tbsp)
Snack: Greek Yogurt + sprinkle sugar free, fat free jello powder (cherry)
Lunch: scallops+ asparagus+ quinoa (I know, not Phase I, but it's what we had for leftovers and quinoa is a whole grain)
Snack: mozzarella cheese sticks
Dinnner: tandoori chicken (see recipe) + green beans+ wax beans
Snack: jello snacks (10 calories each)

My tandoori chicken recipe is easy peasy and crockpot friendly.

• 4-5 skinless chicken thighs frozen ( I know, SB says only chicken breasts, but some checking around says that skinless chicken is fine)
• 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 lemon
• 3tbsp tandoori seasoning (I use Penzeys)

Put chicken in crockpot (line with crockpot liners and save yourself a hassle). Mix next three ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 7.5 hours. Cooking the chicken frozen keeps it moist and delish.

rare photo post.

On Saturday, I got to meet up with someone quite cool, Jacquie! She and I were Valentine's Day Swap buddies on Ravelry... y'know where you send each other a package with V-Day stuff inside? Well, that wasn't quite good enough for us. Jacquie lives in NY (in a former B&B, I'm trying to convince her to host some knitting events!) and used to live up here. So, we made a date to have lunch while she was here. A few hours at Aquitaine at Legacy Place and voila! Instant friendship! My package included 8 balls of orange wool yarn, a skein of hand spun (that's already been wound--- waiting to be a cowl post-Olympics), candy, pattern book for purses, 2 original Jacquie patterns and some really cute other things.















(rare Mini-in-the-wild photo)

This is the Mini-Mom. She's sporting a new cowl on Sunday (in my kitchen) that she loves. Mom uses O2 and the cowl is better than scarves for not getting wrapped up in the tubing. Note to self: mom loves cowls. Wants more cowls. Isn't she beautiful? I look a lot like my mom.... especially when I smile. Our eyes crinkle.














No Olympic updates except Curling starts tonight. There's a curling broom in my kitchen, so you can bet we'll be watching. Am 90 % through the yoke of the Feb Lady-and am remembering how much I love garter stitch (not at all).

Technical Difficulties

bear with me while I strangle ECHO (my new comment service)--- I'm having it uninstalled as it completely sucks. A supposed upgrade to the perfectly fine Haloscan.

You need a degree in computer science to moderate your comments and I am just not Trek. :)

So... any recommendations for a non-evil free commenting service that works a la Haloscan?

Opening Ceremonies

Tonight marks the opening of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Of the sports being played, our house is anticipating the curling, downhill racing, and snowboarding. Speed skating tops the list as well. :) And, while I never wanted to buy a DVR when we had the chance, our cable system came with one this year and I expect it'll be pretty full at the end of the 17 days of competition.

On the knitting front, have you joined up at the Knitting Olympics? I had to make some adjustments, didn't want to be accused of "doping" by bringing a started project to the games. So, I wound some yarn last night and swatched (all legal: falls under training) and washed the swatch.


My house is desert-like, so the swatch was dry this morning.... last night's unwashed gauge: 5spi (too small); this morning's washed & unblocked gauge: 4.5spi. Perfect! My stitches plumped up with a washing and got softer.


Oh? What's that? You want to know what I am knitting?

Project: February Lady (pdf), size 49 inches (2 sizes smaller than I am now)
Yarn: Aurancania Wool Solids, Color 53 "Marigold"
Needles: US 8 bamboo circulars and dpns

Pumpkin will be announcing my progress at times throughout the competition. She's been practicing her Howard Cosell impression.

Ready, Set....

Why is she stretching? The Knitting Olympics begin FRIDAY!

Are your needles ready? Mine are!

Project: Huron by Jared Flood in Reynolds Whiskey and Cascade 100% alpaca. J

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity, nay, the privilege of joining my fellow MetroWest Knitters at Whispering Pines conference center at URI for a long, luxurious weekend of knitting, eating, laughing, singing, and laughing. Did I mention the laughing?
Our annual retreat "sleepover" is always a success, but this year we had a special treat at the end: a trip to Unwind in East Greenwich, RI. Holy.smokes. Now, this is quite the LYS! Jeanne (the owner) opened up Just For Us on a Sunday and was so great about hosting the 20+ knitters who descended upon her store like a bunch of crazy women who've never seen yarn before. I'm sure Jeanne did 'well' for keeping the shop open, but we loved just having us in the shop. It was personal. The employees were great. So great in fact, there might be more surprises next year. :)
My mom flat out asked me for a cowl. Now, this is not something I thought she'd want. Mom wears oxygen and her tubing would get stuck under the cow l (I thought), but no, she likes mine and tried it on. And, of course, it must match her jacket. Her purple ski jacket I bought her a few years ago. I have a weekend to myself coming up (PC's got a curling tournament)... perhaps some coordinating mittens are in order.
And finally, the Steggy. JR's (my nephew is a JR) birthday party went swimmingly. Auntie Mini spoiled him rotten with several outfits, new sneakers, books and a handknit sweater (he got lots of toys for Christmas, the month before). My bro and SIL loved the sweater and I have been promised one of JR in it. I'll post it if I can crop the face out--- I don't put photos of kids online, unless they are mine. :)
I got home from a work trip to San Francisco where I sealed my realization that I am meant to do this job. And i love it. I'm amazed at how natural it feels and how much I am enjoying the work. But, I only had limited knitting time as I was exhausted by 8pm each night. I had cast on for some Monkey socks,using Paton's Croy Sock yarn that I had in the stash. It's "meh" but a coworker who watched me knit on them fell.in.love. And she's the resident no-shoes person at the office, so it's very fitting that she desire hand knit socks. So, they will go live with her. Once I finish sock #2.

Still No Photo

Grrr.. this week has been so....so... busy. I feel like I am running in place all the time. I'm knitting Steggy from Knitty (almost done-- 3 more inches on the hood, put in zipper and make spikes for hood): it is 'due' tomorrow at a birthday party. I don't want to be putting the zipper in, in the car, if you know what I mean.

On top of this, I started a new quilt class and we are working on Yellow Brick Road. A great pattern, I chose great fabrics, but I am running around so much, I have not had time to sit and quilt. And, I really want to quilt.

My mom requested a cowl a few weeks back. I should whip that up this weekend. And line her bag from Mother's Day. Yup. Mother's Day 2009. Gah- what a crappy daughter I am, right?

And finally, we have PC... who's had a cold this week. A bad cold. And when one of us is sick, the house just falls to pieces. I have to clean tomorrow or Sunday before I leave for San Francisco next week... coming home to a dirty house might just kill me.

Did I mention I am going to San Francisco? Yup-- Tuesday to Friday (red eye home Friday night). If you are there (at the conference), look for me...I'll be one of the ones with a walkie-talkie. I love my new job and I am excited to travel, but I am just so damn tired this week, I am not ready to go just yet. And, yes, I've already called Imagiknit to see if they'll be open Friday night. :)

Weekend round-up

I just spent 3 days and 2 nights with the most wonderful, insightful, creative and impassioned women I know: my guild :)  We had our annual retreat to Whispering Pines (at URI) and we laughed, knit, laughed, knit, sang, ate (and ate, and ate, and ate), walked, talked, shared, commiserated, swapped, cajoled and entertained each other. I saw old friends (hi Danielle! hi Lynn!) and new friends (hi Jen K!)... it was superb.

For those who don't know... I coordinate the MetroWest Knitters' Guild, which can be described as a blissful unpaid job that resembles herding cats on somedays and is complete perfection on others. The retreat went off without a hitch, although one camper didn't make it due to a death in the family. We were sad not to have her with us.

I worked on PC's curling socks... black and gray stockinette.... and then I cast on for Huron. I did my first ever turned hem with a contract color...

More photos tomorrow.. today's back to reality (work) and caring for a sniffly PC... who's getting the 'plague' and home today.

What did you do this weekend?

Attention Handbag/Knitting Bag Lovers

Okay, everyone who knows me knows that I rarely carry the same bag twice in a row. I am a bag whore. I am. I love them. The leather ones, the fabric ones, handmade, commercially produced, Coach, Gucci, Dooney & Bourke, Macy's 1 day sale specials, Marshalls clearance rack... doesn't matter. I love me a good bag. I have a zillion + 1 bags (ask PC... he asked me to cut my # by 1/2 before we moved... it still took 5 boxes (big ones) to pack them). I do not have a Jordana Paige bag. I'd love a knitters' satchel (in red, in case you are PC and you want to buy me a knitting bag... yes, I know... another one), but I am not in the place to buy one. Mostly b/c I bought a Lexie Barnes on super discount at Webs a few months back. ;) But, if you have some holiday cash and internet connection and want to feel good about how you spend... here you go:

 From Jordana:

I've been avoiding the news since last Tuesday. I absolutely hate the feeling of helplessness when disasters happen. But avoiding the news isn't going to erase the huge need in Haiti. I know I'm not alone in having a great desire to do something, but have to realize that for most of us, we can't fly over to Haiti to give comfort, hold children and hand out food.

Giving money just never seems like enough. I always want to give more and wish I had a product that I could donate to help with relief. Handbags just aren't going to save a life. I've been thinking a lot on this and have come up with a way, with your help, that handbags can make a difference.

I will be selling all the imperfect handbags in my warehouse for $50 and will donate 100% of each sale to Doctors Without Borders Haiti relief.

My warehouse holds a mix of discontinued bags, including The Knitter's Satchel in Deep Red and Rio in Red Garnet, as well as current styles and colors. The "imperfect" bags don't meet our quality standards. Some have scratches on the fabric, broken zippers, missing removable pouches or upside-down labels. Majority of the "imperfect" bags have very minor problems.

The sale will start next Wednesday, January 27th at 8am PST. Every hour, on the hour, a new color will be made available. All sales will be final. The inside of the bags will be stamped with "final sale" in a hidden location. Due to the high volume of sales that I am expecting, I will not be able to personally identify what is imperfect about each bag. All bags are functional. We wouldn't sell something with a missing handle or hole in the bottom.

Some other details; we will only be accepting orders with USA delivery addresses. I'm sorry, but I just don't have the man-power to ship a huge number of orders internationally. Lastly, I will be charging for shipping. The cost of shipping will not be going to Doctors Without Borders, but to cover the cost of shipping your bag to you. California residents will be charged sales tax.

Please, please, please, share this with friends, post it on your blog, tweet it, Facebook it, you know, the works. Snag the image, spread the word! Together we can make an impact.

Go Scott Go!

Well, history has been made in Massachusetts. Even if you were/are a Coakley supporter and staunch Democrat, you have to admit this was a special election for the record books. As a non-Democrat (I'm not comfortable with Republican and I am too conservative to say Independent), I was watching the election these past few weeks with increased interest.

No, I didn't like the attack ads. Yes, I think both sides are far from innocent when it comes to this... but watching the "shoe-in" candidate scramble at the last minute reminded me of the complacency of Massachusetts politicians. Of all American politicians. It made me think of Canada. Now, I am not a fan of their nationalized healthcare, but I do like the idea that they can boot out a politician if they decide mid-term that they aren't doing their jobs.

Today is a day of change. Real change. Like the very liberal President wants: Change. Perhaps this is a case of "be careful what you wish for, Mr. Obama?"

But, beyond politics... what unites me to you: knitting. I'm knitty Steggy from Julia Farwell-Clay... and I'm on the sleeves. Oh, the sleeves. I'll try to pop up a photo tomorrow, but I have to say: intarsia is not my friend, but once you get going... it's not so bad. Remind me of this later this week when I am on the hood. :)

Please: play nice in the comments.... I rarely discuss politics on here b/c I am a Yankee through and through: keep your religion, politics and hands to yourself. :)

Nursing....

Momma, I can help you knit if you ate too sick....

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Today was going to start with a hey "how are ya?" kinda feel, but I got felled by a "raging" (dr.'s words, not mine) kidney & bladder infection. Yeah. I know. I found some no sugar added cranberry juice and have my heat-up sheep pad ready to go.

But first, some adorableness :)
Pattern: my own : "MC's heart"
Size: to fit a 2.5-3 year old
Yarn: Berroco Comfort, pink and navy (purchased at Knit Purl in Sudbury)
Needles: US 6 dpns and circs
Notes: this might be my new go-to kid yarn. Normally, I would say "encore" but I think this is good. And, the colors are great. I have enough for a puppy dog sweater for Remi. :)

Pattern: my own, with a borrowed dino motif : Carson's Pet Steggy
Size: 6 year old active boy
Yarn: Cascade 220 superwash (blue) and Cotton Ease (red): note, I have used this Cotton Ease for like 80 projects... it's the yarn that won't die.
Needles: US 6 dpns & circs
Notes: Next time, I will try to catch my floats better... and next year's mittens/hat combos will be started sooner!

I'm off to bed... battling bacteria is tiresome work.
Look back here all weekend for more fun projects.

:) Mini

PS_ and a big hip-hip-hooray for my boy, PC, who not only cooked dinner but brought home the LARGEST and PINKEST and YELLOWEST bouquet of flowers for his wounded Mini. You know how they say you know a good man when you found one? I knew 7.5 years ago and I am so glad I stuck around. ;)

gifts

There are two kinds of gifts; the 'gifts' that you have (talents, abilities, innate qualities) and the gifts you get. This post is about both.

Gift that I have.
Knitting is a gift. Not everyone can do it, despite what knitters think when they convince a friend to 'just try it'. No, it's a talent. An ability to look at string and sticks and say, hmm... that'd be a great sweater. Mitten. Sock. Quilters do the same thing with fabric. I can't say that I have the 'eye' of a quilter yet, but I am determined to try to get there.

After my quilt class in the fall, I decided to tackle a simple charm-square quilt. Easy, right? Mostly 5 inch charm squares, with a couple of 1/2 triangles thrown in for 'tree-ness'. The inspiration was two-fold. One, I had seen a wall hanging online for this, but it has the tree on a white background and it's 1 1/2 inch squares (read: tiny). Two, on rt 225 in Lincoln, MA... on the way to Westford, there is a tree. It in a field and it gets decorated for Christmas. All by it's lonesome, out there, proudly holding up it's fairy lights. I love that tree. That tree says Christmas to me. I think of that tree and think serenity and peace. And, now....it's in my living room.

Final quilt: 58" x 62"


Gifts you get.
PC, hands-down, wins the award for best non-knitting boyfriend ever. He googled "rare exotic yarn" and found quiviot. Yup. Quiviot. And then he bought it. On Christmas Eve, I opened up a small gift bag and found 218 yds of the most perfect fall of yarn on the planet. It's a golden yellow that reminds me of late autumn... and I have enough to make a delicate lace cowl. With beads. :)

A true gifts is a boyfriend who gets it. I mean, really gets it.
Another gift that I should mention is Pumpkin. She's quite the gift all right. It took 30 tries to get the quilt photo b/c she was on it, under it, trying to get under it, attacking the camera, trying to trip me, and finally....the quiviot shots? She tried to attack the camera strap while i was taking photos.


Not all gifts are well behaved. :)

Sliding Scale....

Look to the right. Yup, the ticker. Check it out: it moved!!! Yup, 5 days on and 7.6lbs down. Holy tamales. I have learned a few things about South-beaching that I will share with you (and Kim, b/c she's a partner-in-arms on this one... we'll be the thin sophisticated ones at SPA this Feb. :) hee hee)

Good things:

• Greek yogurt (non fat, plain) is awesome w/ 1/4 packet sugar free, fat free jello stirred in.
• milk is my friend *
• nobody makes salad like I make salad... 100% green veggies and lettuce.
• Homemade balsamic dressing kicks the store brands patootie
• I can watch PC eat couscous and not want to kill him
• I can't watch him eat chocolate. I nearly died last night.
• My doc gets right on the phone when I tell his nurse that I don't "feel right--- kinda pukey and light headed"

Bad things:

• ketosis (see the milk above; if you get shaky, light headed and pukey... drink milk per doc's orders)
• smelling bread. Srsly. I smell it everywhere
• Spending at least 20 minutes per day planning for my 1st apple in 2 weeks. 14 days X 20 = 280 minutes of dreaming about an apple.
• knit night sandwiches... need to pack snack!
• extreme thirst. Drinking the required water for 2 days means now, you need the required water.

Happy New Year!

One can sit and think about the year in one of two ways: the good or the bad. The things you wanted but did not get or the things you got and didn't know you wanted. It's one of those quirky things about the human condition: our ability to break down a length of time into events/ideas/tangible items and then determine the best way to analyze them. The human condition part comes in when you make the very definite decision to be positive or negative.

I've decided to be positive. We all know that in late 2008, I lost my job; in January, PC got really sick; we've had snow storms, moved, illness... but here's what you don't know....

In 2009, I ....

• found a new career that I love and am really, really good at. Really good. Ask my boss. I amaze her daily
• re-found my love of quilting and took a class. And signed up for another class. And made a quilt by myself in between
• made new friends, and kept old ones, and purged my toxic friendships.
• took control of my health and stood up to my doctor***
• learned that PC and I can do anything as long as we do it together

In 2009, I knit....

• 2 pair of socks
• 2 shawls
• 3 of the same sweater!!! (Olivia and twin sisters, Brooke and Tori have matching outfits)
• 4 hats
• 8 mittens
• 5 scarves
• 4 baby sweaters (not counting the matchy-matchy ones)
• 3 dolls
  

All in all... a good year.

*** standing up to my doctor and taking control of my health. This is something that I think all women should do and I don't think we do because we don't want to seem pushy, rude, ungrateful, or like a know-it-all. In 2009, my doctor said the words "weight loss surgery" to me more than once. I fought to get someone else to look at my test results and I have to say, what a relief when you see a doctor who wants to help you. Dr. Schreiber, you rock.

In the upper right of this blog, you will see a new ticker... a weight loss ticker. Each week, I'll update the number and we'll all watch it move to the right. I'll also post my loss in a posting each week as well. Medication and a modified (highly) South Beach Diet will be my tools. And you. You are my cheerleaders. :)

Christmas Eve Mayhem

Now, I don't usually blog about where PC and I, but we live in Newton, MA. In Nonantum, to be specific. Also known affectionately as "the lake." There is not lake, there is the Charles River (about 200 feet from my house), but no lake that we have found yet.

Newton is not known for its Christmas celebrations, as it is usually associated with the large Jewish population that resides here. Nonantum is a bit different: we have two populations here, Italian Catholics and Orthodox Jews. The very conservative orthodox temple is nearby and within walking distance on Shabbat and Our Lady's takes care of the Italians. :)

Antoine's the local bakery and happens to be near my house. PC called me just shy of 7am to report " a mob outside of Antoine's"--- they open at 7am. So, of course, I took a photo on my way to work today. if you look close, you can see... those people are squeezed in tighter than the Green Line T after a Sox game.

And more people waited across the street for the fish shop to open (night of fishes).

Now, I am a Catholic by birth and this kind of scene makes me say "oy vey."

Merry Christmas to you all and to all a good night!
Be Merry, Be happy and most of all be safe!

Happy Holidays,
Mini, PC and Pumpkin, the wonder cat. :)

Roar!

Thanks for your support yesterday. It means a lot to know my knitters are on my side!

Well, the color's not perfect, but you can definitely see the dinosaur in this photo. I finished this up after knit night at Island Yarn on Monday. It's a combo of C220 superwash (blue) and Cotton Ease (red). I have to fold the brim back up onto itself and stitch it down. Hopefully this will 1) fit a 5-6 year old head and 2) be cool enough for the school yard :)
So, my little cousin, Carson, will get his ROAR on with his new dino hat. Mittens to follow soon... these are New Year's presents.

More tomorrow on the tree, the mittens with the cuff from hell and waiting for Santa!

Resolute

¹res·o·lute 

Pronunciation: \ˈre-zə-ˌlüt, -lət\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Latin resolutus, past participle of resolvere

Date: 1533

1 : marked by firm determination : resolved <a resolute character>
2 : bold, steady <a resolute gaze>

synonyms see faithful

In 2010, I am going to be resolute. Recently, I started doing something in my life that is shocking (to me) and freeing (to me): I have been standing up for myself. To everyone. I spent 31 years as a doormat. Being the good daughter, the sister who let her brothers walk all over her, tolerating being called names by family, and not being respected as an adult, a person or a woman. Well, in October, I turned 32 and it had to change.

PC and I had a long talk this fall about my happiness. And I realized, I am happy and I am a good person. But, I let other people take that away from me (several in particular). I'm tired of bending until I am ready to break in order to guarantee that someone will be less miserable, never mind happy. They don't bend to assist in my happiness.

I was afraid that in these 3 months I would have become a more jaded, less helpful, less cheerful person. I was afraid of losing that chatterbox-smiling-thinking-

of-others Mini that so many call friend.  I know a few things about myself: I am intelligent, creative, passionate and make good decisions.

I didn't change. I let myself be happy and I let it all go. I did. My sibling who is constantly belittling and berating me? Gone. It's his problem... not mine. His actions will simply not be permitted in my presence; either I leave or I ask him to. My sibling that assumes that since I am a woman, I have no real job and therefore can accommodate his whims on a moment's notice? Sayonara, my friend. When I didn't comply, he was forced to do it himself and didn't achieve the result he wanted. It happens and we all have to learn to deal with it.

Don't get the wrong idea, I haven't thrown my family away or even removed them from my life. I love them and I want the best for them, but I am not responsible for their happiness. This was learned behavior from my siblings... I taught them it was okay to treat me like crap, that I was not worthy of more. Well, they are old dogs about to learn new tricks.

So, in addition to the following resolutions, I am resolving to be resolute in my decisions. I am a confident woman who has been undermined for too many years. It's time to let Mini shine.

2010 Resolutions:
1. knit more stash yarn. it's a problem.
2. learn to budget better... casa de Mini y PC will be a reality in 3-4 years.
3. stick to dr's orders and take medicine, eat right... and save my own life
4. be resolute about the above paragraphs, which should reduce stress eating
5. walk more. move more. exercise more.
6. go to spin class... love spin class!
7. love PC a little bit more each day... and tell him.
8. enjoy life now, but plan for later... don't wait for the fun start!
9. be a better friend
10. say NO when I need to or even when I want to.

hats & mittens

Many thanks for the well wishes while I was sick. It's been on and off for a week now, and I am feeling a lot better. With all my Christmas knitting (which was few and far between) done, I can move onto very important things, like hats and mitten sets for some of the cousins' kids.

First up, dino hat with mittens. I found the dino graph on Ravelry, and yes, it's a steggy. The designer also had a brontosaurus. :) Cast on 100 stitches, 1 1/2 inch k2, p3; then switch to p2, k2 (for turning) for 1 1/2 inches. Then knit 4 rounds, start chart.
The dino's little sister is 100% all girl and all things girly. So, a cute heart beret. Pattern will be up on my site before Valentines' Day.
And, while I am knitting and PC's out shoveling, Pumpkin was wondering... Is the snow gone yet?

I didn't mean to just abandon you all like that! Life took over and while I'm still not up to speed on my knitting, I am knitting. My 2nd quilting class starts Jan 14th... and I cannot stop dreaming about the quilt!

Yesterday left me at home, gargling salt water and praying for death. Today there is an added cough, the lymph nodes are swollen and tender, and my head feels a bit foggy. It's not a cold.. I am definitely a nose-dripping cold kind of girl. I'm wondering if its allergies? I did spend a few hours with some adorable pups and it's been awhile since I was exposed to dog hair.

Holiday knitting is pretty non-existent. I purchased most gifts this year (easier and I don't spend Christmas night wondering if people *really* liked their gifts). I did knit a hat for an aunt, a scarf for a cousin, and my brother's gf requested a scarf, but is getting a cowl... and am working on two hats for two smaller members of the family. They can be shipped up after Christmas though. I'll show photos tomorrow, okay?

On my 'wishlist to knit' this week: Rav links
Maine Morning Mitts
Auda Beret
Tulip Yoke Baby Cardi
and finally finish my Girl Friday!