It's Not That Hard...

...or at least that's what I thought. 

I'm within a week or so of my (hopefully) last hematologist visit. A couple years ago, I finally admitted - or was forced to admit - that I was anemic. My GP had been telling me for years that I "didn't store iron." But it took my cardiologist to whomp me alongside the head - and almost refuse to do my PVI procedure, to tell me that, guess what? "Not storing iron" = anemia. He was madder than a wet hen that my GP essentially let my iron levels get to somewhere around a 5... They transfuse you at 4. 

So I had iron infusions over 6 weeks. Looked like they were pumping in prune juice, to be honest. And my levels gradually increased to about 12-ish. And they've stayed. 

That's not the problem. The problem is, the last 3 times I've visited "Dr. Blood," I've had to have blood drawn. And I go downstairs to the hospital. And they never have the order. In spite of my telling Dr. Blood's staff that I was going to go to the hospital's lab to have it done... 

This time, I was busy, and was impatient. Finally, after the really nice registration clerk couldn't get the order faxed over (from 1 floor up...), I trotted over to Dr. Blood's office and kindly but firmly asked them to "go old school" and hand me the piece of paper... which they did. Trotted back. Got stuck into a room. And sat for another 10 minutes... 


Good thing they weren't taking my blood pressure... Anyway, this nice lady walks in. I have stunning veins. Every nurse I know says so, and you can see them eyeballing my hands and inner elbows, thinking, "I want to sink a needle in there!" 

This lady did the usual prep, and then said, "Little pinch" like they always do. But there was no pinch... She'd pressed down on my upper arm, right above the vein, and I didn't even feel it. 

And better yet? No bruising. None. Nothing. You can barely see the needle poke. I'm on blood thinners, and I bruise when someone looks askance at me. It's insane. I come up with bruises where I don't even remember knocking the limb against anything. I pretty much take it in stride, and laugh it off. So when I get blood taken, I do bruise up nicely. It's pretty spectacular, if I do say so. But this? Hasn't happened in decades... 

She was amazing. I think I've found my personal phlebotomist... 

It's A Book...

As many of you may remember, I did the internship for elephant journal (yes, it's not capitalized). I met -- well, "met" -- a lot of great people. One of them - I can't even explain, but we click. 

We've chatted; we've kvetched. We've compared stories, trials and tribulations. It's just one of those things that happens online. You just click - there's no other word for it. 

She's written a book! I have a copy and I can't wait to dive into it. 

Our diets are closely linked to our health, both mentally and physically. Our bodies hold toxins - actually, they're held in the fat cells. And it's tough to get rid of those little buggers. Some estimates say that a larger and larger percentage of people will be diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Well - if you could "clean up" your diet and make sure that you are as healthy as you can be, wouldn't you do so?

I'm going to see about working some of these recipes into the rotation. Exercise and eating right - won't keep us alive forever, but if we can have a good quality of life, then we can live it to the fullest. 

Knitting...

Busy, busy, busy... started working on Christmas music, and then after the guitar lesson, I picked up Close to You again. As you can see, we're plugging along. I'm supposed to have 32" needles, but these are 29". I'm hoping I can fudge them and just keep on knitting. 

Chandi's has a great "hurricane sale" selection and I may have to get a couple more hanks to create a few more of these. Or some variation of a beautiful shawl with sock yarn.

Tomorrow, I'm attending a Fall Fest; doing 2 yoga demonstrations (for which I hope students actually show up!), and I'll be bringing knitting along. I'm not sure if I'm even going to have a table or chair to sit in between sessions, but if not, I'm bringing a small folding table and a lawn chair. And I'll bring one of the socks to work on. 

So either (a) I'll have somewhere to sit and chat with people about the yoga studio, or (b) I can go home. But if it's (a), then KIP (Knitting in Public) is a great conversation starter. And socks are usually right up there at the top of the list! I can bring this project, too - we'll see. 

Cubs...

Clinched again! And I'm having a bit of a concept problem with someone I know. This person is a die-hard White Sox fan. I mean, if you cut into this person, likely the blood would be black-and-white. And the devotion to the team is high. Extremely high. 

On Facebook, this person is pretty derogatory about the Cubs. I mean, I don't like the Sox, but in the scheme of things? It's baseball. It's guys running around, getting paid a boatload of money to play a game. With everything else going on, lighten up a bit, right?

Anyway, the Facebook post was kind of... Well, no. Not "kind of." It was DEFINITELY nasty. I'm not sure how to handle it and am tempted to give it the attention it deserves: by ignoring it. 

My issue is that of course it's just baseball, as I stated above. But also - I know the depth of the fandom. And in the larger picture? I can ignore it and live my life. But I find my respect for this person ever-so-slightly diminished. 

Is that petty? 

Mouse In the House...


As I sat waiting for my teacher to show up for my guitar lesson, I noticed the ceiling tile... Tell me what you see... 

I thought it was kind of funny, and so did my teacher. Apparently, this tile had showed up in a classroom. It got moved. Then it was in a hallway. It got moved. Now it's outside his studio. I wonder how long it'll stay there!

In another bit of absolutely random news, my favorite mug sprung a leak. Hubby put the kettle on for me, and had put out a "breakfast" sized mug. Well heck... with THAT much tea, I'd be up all night in the bathroom! So I switched it out for my "Keep Calm and Just Breathe" mug. It was a gift from one of my teachers, and of course, my studio is Just Breathe Yoga Studio... I went in to get the tea, and there's tea...all over the counter! 

Oddly enough, it was cracked in the middle. I have no idea how it happened. I guess I could've repurposed it for a pen cup, but I have far too much "stuff." So I tossed it. And immediately went on Zazzle to order a new one. First World problem, right?

Random Picture...

Dug into the archives for this one. This was the last trip I took with my mom. She's doing well - she hit 80 and we're taking her to the theater in a few weeks. But she's not a traveler much anymore. 

This is outside Pigeon Forge, TN. It's a "modern Mount Rushmore" by the Dollywood theme park. Left to right, just in case you're not sure what you're really looking at: John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. 

I guess the only thing you can say is that a woman finally made it onto Mount Rushmore... 

Hit By A Really BIG Bus...

...that's what I'm feeling lately. Not sure I can talk about it yet. But I will. 

And I have a "migraine hangover" so please bear with me... It was a 2-Maxalt headache, but it seems like I've got a bit of a fog going on.

Just A Few Things...

Just a few things have happened lately. The Cubs won the World Series. Yes, they did!

And we elected a bullying moron for president. Yes. We did. 

I watched the Cubs, though I admit I went to bed in disgust when they and their bats didn't show up for that one game. But I did it. I'm glad I was able to do that because being a life-long Cub fan, it's certainly something I've never done. So I guess I can cross that one off my bucket list. 

I would like to go to a game at Wrigley just once. I hear that it's the atmosphere more than anything else. You certainly won't have the amenities one has at home, like multiple camera angles, your favorite chair and a quick trip to the bathroom! But it would be nice to see it. I suppose I could find some knitting to bring along with me. 

I love the chalk wall. This is on one wall of Wrigley Field (probably two walls, by now) and grew organically. The management let it be, and people have been adding "In memory of..." messages since the Cubs won. Management is going to preserve it in photos though they've already said they're going to eventually power-wash it all as they continue to renovate the ball field. By all rights, my grandmother and my great-grandma should be on that wall. But they're in my heart, so that's all that matters. I will be making some small "W" flags and will, come spring, plant them at their graves. 

The cemeteries clean the gravesites to prepare them for winter, so if I do anything now, it's likely to be removed. 

We can wait. 

We've waited this long...

Knitting...

So, I was an election judge this year, and I knew it was going to be busy. Despite what the national results were, our polling place was constantly moving. We had over 560 voters (we're tiny - this was a big turnout), and I think our longest break was perhaps 20 minutes. 


I knew the baby sweater wasn't going to cut it. I was at the only fiddly-bit on the whole thing: adding the curve to the neck. Instead, I grabbed the Shape-It scarf since the wings are straight knitting. 

I sat next to Nick, a newbie judge who was THE. SLOWEST. TYPIST. EVER. We have tablets to check people in, though we still vote on paper. Nick was the absolute slowest person on the planet, and it was all I could do to not snatch the tablet from beneath his fingers. 

He was trying, bless his little heart...

And in a lull, he says to me, "Are you crocheting?" Hey - I give him props for KNOWING enough to ask. So I explained that I was knitting, and I let him pet the baby alpaca yarn. His mother "did one or the other, I don't know" and he has a "blanket" that was done for him. 

Very nice guy. And he appreciated the alpaca (or he was a great faker about it!). But I really didn't get more than 2 rows done, maybe 3. I'm going to try to put a few more rows on in the next day or so. I want to get it done so that I can block it out and wear it when the weather finally turns. It'll look lovely with my leather coat.

The baby sweater is growing. I'm on the sleeve, got about maybe 10 rows to go before I bind off there, and finish the body. Then - done. Just the buttons. 

I realized, to my chagrin, that the buttonholes are askew. Blast! It was the World Series. I'm going to have to take the sweater to a priest for a blessing as it is, since during a few of the games, I wasn't saying anything nice... I'll just tell mommy that the whole thing is asymmetrical and this is a design component. 

That works. 

I think I can pull a matching hat out of the yarn I have left. And maybe a pair of booties, but I'll have to put some brown tops on them or something. Haven't gotten that far yet. Or maybe I do the hat with a brown ribbing edge? Or stripes? It could be cute. And the buttons are brown, that's why I'm veering in that direction.

Christmas Baking 2016...

The Great Potica Bake Part I has happened. Ten. Count 'em. TEN long loaves, 2 small ones. Kid #2 came down to help, because of Hubby's chipped wrist bone - he didn't have enough flex in his wrist to help roll. 

I tried something different this time. I did the prep in stages. I did the filling and stuck that in the fridge on Friday. Then, on Friday night I did the dough.

I checked with my friend and chef Carolyn - and she said, "yeah do up to the first rise and stick it in the fridge - it'll rise a bit and should be fine."

Well. It doubled in size and popped the lid off the sealed bowl. Hmmmmmm. 

I was off to a church function on Saturday, and The Kid was going to come down around noon. We serve lunch at the local homeless shelter as part of our outreach. Sadly, I was kind of verging on a migraine, which didn't help (and yeah, it "bloomed" after the last bake, thankfully). 

I asked Hubby to take the dough out of the fridge, and I think we had a bit of a problem estimating how long it would take to warm up. Just as, I think, we underestimated how long it would take to cool off - the rising happened because the dough was warm and it took a while to chill, so the yeast did its thing...

The Kid took charge of the filling and did the "drudge work" of greasing pans and flouring the cloth. I wanted him to help roll, but seeing as he's a large guy (tall - just about 6'2") and has hands that are "basketball hands" -- that didn't work out well. 

I ended up doing the rolling, and as the dough came to warm up, the rolling was - even though I hesitate to say it - perfect. Seriously, no trouble after the first one, which was still too cold. 

See, here's the issue: Potica dough is notorious for being more finicky than you can imagine. It's bothered by temperature. It's crabby about humidity. It's cranky about the amount of flour on the cloth... And it's picky about the rolling pin. 

I ended up with my marble rolling pin. (Hey mom, since I've been doing these for 6 years now, can I have Dad's ball-bearing solid oak rolling pin, please???) It worked well, and the cloth, being fairly new, actually behaved better than last year. 

There's also mythology about the cloth too. We had a damask tablecloth. It was, in my estimation, about 40 years old. I finally retired it the year before last, when it got too hole-y to patch anymore and the darns were so large that they were tearing the dough. 

The dough has to be thin, and the cloth was already worn. The darns didn't help. So we bought a new one a few years ago, and it's taken some punishment to break it in. It's good now, I think. 

I rolled, he prepped the rolled dough (and no, I can't give you details. The mythology also involves secrecy about the exact components of the recipe. My granny would haunt me.), and we got it all put together. 

We thought at first that we'd have to re-do the last batch of dough because of the extraordinary rise it got overnight, but it seemed like everything went well. 

We may do another single batch over Christmas break so that we have extra for Easter. It freezes well. And I've got 4 of them sold for Christmas already. Thankfully, I got 4 "pretty" ones out of this day's work. Kid #2 got one of the half-loaves for his help.

Frankly, I missed Kid #1 - he's our "premier roller" and he's working out of state. He may not even come home for Christmas. I'm not sure I'm ready for that. But I don't have a choice in that one, that's for sure... All I can do is send him a care package and hope he's doing ok. 

So here's The 2016 Cookie List. It's mostly final. I may put together a biscotti, just to lighten up all the heavy flavors. 

Kid #2 has his list and he usually brings them to our family celebrations. 

This is the list that ends up on my holiday platters for gifts. So there also may be some pumpkin bread or some date-somethings. 

I like to have variety, and while I appreciate the tradition of the same cookies, I always try a few different ones every year to shake things up a bit. I noticed that I didn't add any "bread" or "bar cookies" so those might make it on there. 

The "walnut tarts" -- those are a new invention of mine. I have more potica filling left. I didn't make it as "wet" as Hubby thinks I should, but I think it's too wet and doesn't cook well when the filling is too heavy. And my dad never put a lot of filling in. And the dough was especially thin this year, as I mentioned, so I went with a little lighter hand. 

Hubby has been bugging me. Nay - he has been positively NAGGING me to try his grandma's Never Fail Pie Crust. I've been avoiding it, because I don't do pie crusts. But Kid #2 tried it (he also stinks at pie crusts) and told me (ha!) "The Curse is lifted...it works, so go for it." 

So what I thought, since I only have about a half-batch of filling left, and there's no way I can make only a "half-batch" of dough, is that I might try a tart. Tiny tarts. Like pecan tassies, if you know what those are. If not, I've provided a link. My granny used to make these, too. 

This is the experiment for the day. It may flop tremendously, but it might be ok. We shall see. 

Garden Bounty...

The garden has given up everything but the carrots, and those are coming out soon. 

This is the last of the kale, and Hubby got a 2-quart bag full of Brussels Sprouts, which isn't bad for our first year. 

It's getting cooler, so I'm not in the mood for smoothies. I did The Google and found that I could just bag it and freeze it (after washing, of course!). I bought a can of soup for the office and it's Kale, Quinoa and Red Lentil. That shouldn't be too hard to duplicate. Or even a creamy kale soup? Or adding it to a veggie soup. Once it's frozen, I can chunk off a hunk and dice it up, toss it in a stew or soup, and there ya go. 

Or I can let it stay in the fridge and use it next year for smoothies. Either way. Didn't want to waste it, so this is a great alternative. 

If anyone has any decent recipes, I'm all ears. I know I can't do my usual sauteed kale. Like most greens, freezing changes the texture. Maybe I can fiddle with Mario Batali's Kale Pesto recipe. Boy, I wonder if that would be too strong? Kale makes itself known, and sometimes that's not always good. 

I'm also wondering how the Brussels Sprouts will be, and I'm toying with a potatoes-and-sprouts recipe for Thanksgiving. We still have Rosemary in the garden, and I've frozen some basil and parsley. 

As has been our practice, we're doing most of Thanksgiving again, though my mom is hosting. I don't mind, and in past years, we've been parceling out the side dishes to the grandkids - they have to learn somehow, so it's a good thing to do. And for the most part - they're mostly boys; they'll eat anything. 

The Election...

OK, I think I'm ready to talk. 

I was devastated by the results of the election on a couple of levels. First, in full disclosure, I am not a fan of Hillary. I was a Bernie voter and I would vote for him again in a heartbeat. And I think he'd have beaten the bullying moron (or BM as I shall hereinafter refer...).

Do I believe we need a woman as president? Absolutely. Just not her. 

Is she qualified? Absolutely. But we don't do political dynasties here in the US. It was bad enough with Pappy Bush and Shrub. And then Jebbie tried again - and failed miserably. 

Hillary, despite her qualifications, has more baggage than O'Hare International Airport during the Thanksgiving weekend. It was never going to happen. I'm sorry to burst bubbles, but it wasn't going to happen. 

As usual, Democrats sat on their laurels and underestimated "the base." That nebulous group of individuals who vote and always, always stun the professional data-geeks spoke, loudly.

That being said, many people spoke by silence. The voter turnout was at a historic low for a presidential year - especially given the contentious nature of this election cycle. 

Stuff is whirling around about the Electoral College being overturned, and maybe we need to have that discussion - when tempers and emotions have cooled. We really do need to at least talk about it. It wouldn't have mattered which way the election had gone, because the discussion about the institution itself needs to be had. We have drilled into our kids' heads that "your vote matters," but really, in a presidential election, it doesn't seem to. Hillary has won the popular vote. But she lost the EC vote, at least for now. 

The Federalist papers say that the Electors have a duty to make sure the president is fit and to determine if there are any things or issues which would disqualify the candidate. The BM clearly is not qualified. The terrified visage portrayed during the ceremonial White House visit is clear. 

While I cringe at the thought of Kim Jong Il and Vladmir Putin at a state dinner, I feel for my younger sisters-in-life - the women of child-bearing age who will clearly have all choice taken from them if that guy gets hold of the Presidential Pen.  

So my choice is to sit and wring my hands; do "Facebook activism;"** or actually, you know, DO SOMETHING. 

I'm choosing to do something. I'm not sure what, but I'm taking Bernie's advice as seen in this clip here. I posted this and a friend of mine, who for some reason HATES Bernie, said she "couldn't bear his sneering face." 

I don't think Bernie sneers. But I appreciate her bruised feelings. I don't like her tone, but I can only control my own reaction to others. 

I have already contacted my senator and representative, and asked them to demand that the BM release the taxes. We have a right to see if there are any disqualifiers there (see the comment on the EC above). I'm going to donate to causes which will have an impact. I'm going to write letters. I'm going to call people (which is REALLY out of my comfort zone) and I'm going to talk to local officials, too. Nationally, we must do something about the stranglehold now on our government - and locally, we could always use the help, too. It starts locally, and grows into a global movement. 

**Facebook activism refers to those folks who "click" or "share" something and then feel all proud of themselves for "being involved."

Don't kid yourself. You're a speck on the cosmos. You're better off getting off your rear end and actually contributing something: even a little bit helps. Make a phone call. Write a letter. Join a cause. Contribute money if you can. But don't sit in your chair clicking away and thinking you're changing the world. Because you're not. 

So that's my take. I will do my homework and pick a cause or causes to concentrate on. And I will get involved. This is our wake-up call. 

Random Picture... 

So the deck is coming along. We have a "deck" part, we have railings (not up yet) and posts. The steps are all stained and coming along. Even with a chipped bone in his wrist, Hubby is plugging along. 


Today, we take down the hummingbird feeders and get them stored away for winter. He may even mow one or two more times this season. He's determined to get the deck done before the cold sets in. I will, of course, post a picture of the finished product. 

We chatted about whether we're going to put the grill out there. "Or do you want to sit out here," he says. 

We've had a lovely patio he put together about 10 years ago. Upon which we've rarely sat. Even with nice chairs. We have a porch. Upon which we've rarely sat... We're not really "outside-sitters." But maybe we should be. 

It's all part of being a part of your neighborhood and a part of society. We've lost the "porch sitter" aspect of our neighborhood, and I think that's to our detriment. I am horribly shy (go ahead, laugh, but it's true). I don't like to be in situations where I'm faced with people I don't know. 

But it's time to step out of that comfort zone. Not like I'm going to change the world, right? 

But then again, by changing my own attitude, am I not making a step toward changing the world? Margaret Mead said it best: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has."

True Confessions...

...I have never seen a World Series. 

The snarky among you might mention that I am, after all, a Cub fan...

But I'm going to watch tonight; we'll see if the "family curse" holds, because my granny used to not watch. Yep. NOT watch. Because she said when she DID watch, they lost. 

I'm hoping the curse isn't really a curse. 

So the first thing that strikes me is the number of people IN THE STANDS who choose to watch the game through their stinkin' cell phones.

People. You are AT THE WORLD SERIES. Put down the phone... 

Most of the time we watch sports on TV we either watch for the commercials (Super Bowl) or to see who's singing the National Anthem and how badly they botch it. Baseball - tonight's game, for example - doesn't start with the anthem. They just started right in.

Well, I don't know if my heart can stand this game!

Knitting...

The sweater continues apace. I'm almost to the point of putting the left side onto the scrap yarn so I can continue with the right front and the rest of the right sleeve. It's progress. It's buttonholes, so on we go. 

Theoretically, I should be practicing my guitar. Christmas is coming... But I'm cranking away at the blog and then working on the sweater. I can't decide my next project. Oh, I know I'm going to shoot for a hat, at least. Maybe socks, if I can find a toddler sock pattern. 

But I need a project for me. I mean, aside from finishing the Shape-It scarf. I have to Stash Dive, though. Yes, I have yarn that I've purchased, but I really need to get into the stash and start some of those projects that have been sitting there for a while. 

We shall see. 

Socks, definitely, but I want something to wear other than on my feet. Or on my neck. Kinda tired of scarves, too (sorry, Shape-It - I consider you lace, not a "scarf" that'll keep me warm with a jacket).

Reading...

I've started "The Citadel." It's an oldie but a goodie. Yes, I have 2 books going, but that's not odd for me. It's a smaller book, so I can drag it to work and read on my (ha) lunch breaks. 

I try to take a "computer break" during the day; I work on computers all day and I get tired of looking at the screen. I usually try to read a "real" book, though I have used my Kindle. I get a lot of my books from the second-hand store, and that makes it easier for me to stay within my "book budget."

Smoothie...

So I made a smoothie with garden kale. Surprisingly, I was unable to find Haas avocados, so I bought something called a Florida avocado. And it stunk... I mean it wasn't ripe, and it felt like it was frozen solid sometime during transit. I had to skip the avocado in my smoothie. I was a bit concerned because it was very kale-heavy, so I added 2 bananas, a pear, a cucumber and an apple. 

As you can see by the picture, the Florida avocado has a smoother skin and it's HUGE. The gal at the Jewel said it was "just like" the Haas avocado, but from what I've read, the calories and the fat content are not alike. Aside from the size (which is the issue with the calories), I'm not all that sure I'd use it again. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to use it at all... It wasn't ripe, and I had to have Hubby help cut the blasted thing. And of course, if they're not ripe, they're not going to get any better when they're cut. I tasted it, and it was like eating a green banana. Urgh. 

I don't know - maybe it would've been better if the thing was actually ripe. Or maybe I should have just sprung for the Haas avocados, but due to a shortage, they were really pricey. 

So in order to "save the smoothie," I ended up adding honey. I rarely add sweeteners because I don't think you need them. But this one needed honey. 

And more. So I rooted in the freezer and found a small bag of blueberries. That did it. It looks a little "dark" but it tastes pretty good. It's a little more liquid without the creaminess of the avocado, but it's something I'd do again...if I can remember what it was I actually did!

The garden is still belching kale, and the carrots have to be pulled up yet. We may yet have an experiment with kale soup. Or kale pesto - that sounds good. While I like my sauteed kale, I'm a little bored with it. I have to think of something else to do with kale that's savory. I have to think about it a bit. 

Random Picture...

From last fall, at the park. It was a lovely afternoon, and we took the girls for a long walk. The colors were at their peak and the light was perfect. So far this year? I'm not sure how the colors will go. It was an odd summer, and it was on the wet side too. Our backyard tree hasn't decided if it's going to turn color yet, and the front yard tree is still pretty bright green. Mr. K's birch tree is a waterfall of green and gold; but so far, nothing else is moving. 

All I can do is wait and see what happens in the next few weeks. I'm afraid it's going to be a "blink and miss it" kind of fall. 

Monogamy...

Have I got your attention?

Well, it's not what you think. But maybe it is. 

The Cubs...

WE WON!!! The Cubs are going to the World Series. I'm beside myself. I wore my Ron Santo jersey to church today, and when a confirmed Cubs-hater (what the heck...I never did understand that) pointed out to me that the Gospel today was Luke, and it was about humility, I smiled and said, "We've been humble for over 100 years."


He tossed his hands up, and said, "Well, you got me there."

And what is it about Cubs-haters? Hubby, sadly, is one, and I don't understand it. Even my friend Sue, who bleeds White Sox colors, actually said that this was going to be the Year of the Midwest Match-up. This was always a thorn in our relationship. But she's come around. She was in Billy Goat Tavern last night to watch the game. I'm so jealous of that! 

World Series tickets are out of sight...I heard anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000. Yikes! Guess I will be watching from the comfort of my knitting chair...

My granny would have loved this. We were talking about it in yoga tonight and while Hubby insists that we should, genetically, be Sox fans, it wasn't that way. We had WJOL and Channel 9. It was Cubs all the way. 

I was predisposed to be a Cub fan from an early age. We listened to WJOL and they had the Cubs games. We watched the 4 channels we had, and Grandma and Grandpa preferred Channel 9. "Home of the Chicago Cubs." 

So there you have it. The reason I bleed blue and red. 

I have three wish list items:

1.  A real Cub jacket (I sent 2 links to Hubby)
2.  A Greg Maddux Cubs jersey
3.  A Dave Ross Cubs jersey

My Ron Santo jersey is my pride and joy. And I did buy a "Champions" t-shirt with Rizzo's number on it. It's the first "new" Cubs attire I've purchased in probably 10 years. 

Tuesday will be a nail-biter. The city is truly ready. We're ready for this. We've waited long enough.

Knitting...

See the cream color here, second batch of hanks from the right? THAT is the "beige" I was referring to. 

I went back to Wool & Company to pick up my Haps book (more about that in a moment), and in the meantime, I worked on a bit of a review for the e-zine I subscribe to, "Addicted to Sock Knitting." I had owed them this review for a while, but when Wool & Co. was in between owners and we weren't sure what was going to happen (will they stay or will they close?) I had to wait. 

It was worth the wait!

And of course, I came home with more sock yarn. I've never knitted with Sirdar, but I have folks in the ASK group who have, so I do have to post this for their ideas. Not sure which pattern will call this yarn. Some folks can tell right away, and I don't have that knack yet. But I loved the combo. I would prefer if yarn companies would at least put a sample pic or have a poster showing what their yarns look like knitted up. But some shops don't want the posters. The gal in Morris had lots of Opal posters, but this person at Wool & Co. wants a cleaner look - you can tell by how she's organized things, so I don't think there will be anything like that. 

From a quick Google search, it looks like Sole to Sole is primarily a self-striping yarn and they're pretty strong stripes. Maybe a plain vanilla with a ribbing down the sides would be nice. 

It's mine. All mine! Finally! The Book of Haps is here and I have it. The patterns are truly drool-worthy, and there are several without charts, so I can take a stab at them. Also, I saw a beautiful lace pattern that was charted AND written out. Heaven!

What I also like are the historical bits. The pictures. The background. 

I have the Hansel hap downloaded from Ravelry. I just have to get it to the top of the list. 

Thus brings up the concept of Monogamy.

Monogamy...

Are you monogamous? I am. 

And I don't only mean in marriage. I mean in many other things: I'm not a "swings both ways" kind of gal in sports. I'm a Cub fan and that's it. I was ok with the Sox winning the pennant before we did, but I wasn't dancing in the streets. I don't expect die-hard Sox fans to dance in the street, but I do expect an appreciation of what the Cubs have become. It's just plain respect for good work and a great team. 

I'm also monogamous when it comes to politics, for the most part. I'm a liberal progressive. I tend to vote that way and I tend to believe that polices that include ALL of us are generally good for our society as a whole, rather than narrow bits of the population. 

I'm also - I think - monogamous when it comes to projects. I really, really, REALLY want to start another project, but I have the baby sweater to finish. And then I have the Shape-It scarf. And then I have the socks. I have two singletons that need mates. 

So perhaps I'm "serially monogamous" in that I have a lot of WIPs on the needles, but I knit for long stretches on one project, till I finish it. I know - I have SABLE (Stash Available Beyond Life Expectancy) and a WIP list that would shock you. Or maybe not...

And I've tried the "knit this on Monday, this on Tuesday..." system. It doesn't work. Because of my schedule, it's not uncommon for me to go several days without picking up the needles. So if it was a complex thing, like the February Lady Sweater (WIP), it's not going to happen if I have only a half hour. For one thing, it's gonna take me a half hour to figure out where I am in the pattern. But also, with a lacy yoke, I need time to get past that part. Once I'm on the body or sleeves or wherever there's a whack of straight, clean knitting, I can do that piecemeal stuff. But for right now? 

If I start a hap, I'll be knitting on that hap till the cows come home. And I have a baby to knit for first!

Pumpkin Spice Everything...

I'm not a huge PSL fan. I think that pumpkin spice in coffee sounds, frankly, icky. But as I put together a cup of tea this afternoon, I found this decaf in my Tea Box. This tea is older than the PSL craze, actually... And it was pretty good, but it needed to be double-strength before you could actually taste anything. 

I have a few more bags; I'll have to pull them out. I had a migraine starting the other day and frankly, I was on a caffeine binge. I had taken an Excedrin Migraine, which works if I catch it quickly enough. I had a couple of cups of chai which is totally not normal. But it all helped. Though I had a hard time sleeping this weekend. 

This tea is decaf, which was nice. It was warming and felt good going down. Don't know if I can find it again. I know I'm annoyed because I can't find my favorite chamomile anymore, but I don't know if I'd go out of my way to find this pumpkin spice tea. It's fine, but when I'm out? No worries. 

Random picture...

I went to the Jewel today. First off, I figured they'd have a Cubs shirt there. Don't judge me. It's our time...

And I needed to find a few other things. I came across this. Woah. 

It's jackfruit. It's kinda ugly. And kinda big; to the left there are pomegranates. And to the right is taro - our Jewel is getting exotic. These things were easily the size of footballs, if not larger. According to a story in the Washington Post, it seems to be pretty versatile. It's a member of the breadfruit and fig family. And apparently, it can be used as a meat substitute. Who knew?

It's also kinda pricey. But I can see why, since it can be used for everything from a salad to a burger. 

I'm up for an experiment, but this is kind of ridiculously large. I read the article I linked here - and I don't think it's worth the money to try it. Especially given that this is way, WAY more brown than they're suggesting at WaPo. 

The article says it has a texture similar to pulled pork. But in order to break the fruit down, you have to glove, spread newspapers, oil the knife AND your gloved hands... Ummmmmm. No thanks. I think I'll stick with pulled pork MY way. 

It's All Coming Along...

...well, more or less. Honestly, I still have very little time, and life is still chaotic. 

But so it goes. (Thanks, Kurt Vonnegut. I needed that line.)

Today, you could truly tell where we were in the lunar cycle. I spent most of the day defusing blow-ups. Apparently, my "counselor" mode was in demand a lot. Let's just say you can tell that Monday is the Full Moon. 

Knitting...

Because of the crummy nature of my week, I haven't picked up the needles much. But the Pumpkin Baby Sweater is coming along. As you can see, the sleeves are under construction and it's progressing nicely. I can knit this and read, so I've caught up with my "Jean's Knitting" blog, and I have yet to figure out where I left off with the Yarn Harlot. That will come. I miss being able to keep up with my favorite bloggers, so I have to get back to that. 

I'm headed out to the "new" Wool & Company with my friend Roberta tomorrow, after I teach my last outdoor yoga class of the year. I may find some different buttons. I have planned some brown giraffe buttons. But my friend who's getting this LOVES elephants. So if I find elephants, that's what I'm getting. Or maybe pumpkins? Who knows? I might also drag some of the wool + acrylic yarn out of stash and do another sweater, if I get the gumption, and stripe the next one. From the twins, I have a brighter "traffic cone" orange plus a yellow. That combo could be cute with either a number of stripes, or one wide one across the shoulder area. Babies are boxy anyway, so doing that, with a 6- or 7-row stripe, could be adorable. 

So I've linked the Wool and Company website above, and while the site says "under construction," I will comment: This is NIGHT and DAY different from the old shop. Not that I didn't love the original, but the new owner has breathed a new spark of life into the place,which it sorely needed. I can't wait to get there! And Roberta's always good for a road trip! There's a pub next door with the best food, too. And frankly: I need the diversion. (Shhhhhhhhhh - I don't really need any yarn, but you never know...)

In fact, I should be knitting, but I wanted to get all of this down on the blog before the weekend got away from me, as the weekends are wont to do lately. 

Hillary...

Hillary is being blamed by some folks for her HUSBAND'S ways. And let's be clear: Bill isn't the one running for president this time. 

That attitude of blaming Hillary for Bill's transgressions is wrong on about a zillion levels. And like I said, I'm no Hillary fan, but I've been thinking about this for a while now. Even before The Drumpf opened his yap. 

My question is this: Why did she stay? 

Seriously. Sit there and think about this for a moment. Why did she stay? It's not 1818. She's an extremely qualified woman. She's certainly well-educated. She's got skills. She's got money. What kept her? 

Did she blame herself for some reason? Did she think she "wasn't enough" because Bill couldn't keep himself out of the way of other women? 

Or...and this totally just occurred to me... Bill is enormously charismatic. People (I'm told) love him. Even a friend of mine who's a tried-and-true cynic said that, having met Bill in person, he does "take up the room" and she also said, "I was about 10 months pregnant and he looked at me and spoke to me as if I was the only person in that room at that moment, and gave me the impression that what I had to say mattered to him." 

THAT, folks? THAT is charisma. And I'm not thinking Hillary has a ton of that. At least that's not how she comes across. 

From the last debate, with the Orange Menace stalking her, I can certainly say that she's enormously focused, and she stayed on her message. Well, heck - she just gave him the rope to hang himself. It was almost too easy. 

But my question still remains. Why does a woman stay, especially given her "Tammy Wynette" comments in Bill's first election campaign. Especially given that she could indeed write her own ticket. 

Why? 

It's a good question. 

Michelle...

And then there's Michelle Obama. I thought: This woman has TWO Ivy-League degrees. She's raising her family -- her GIRLS -- in a fishbowl. 

And for eight years -- EIGHT. YEARS. She has been called everything from a "monkey" to a "man." 

Say what you will. That speech was powerful. She meant it. And I'm sure the comments from The Drumpf hurt. Because even while you're telling people, "Hey, I don't pay attention to that stuff," you're still a human. And on some level, that kind of hate and vituperation has got to sting. Even if you're not actively reading it or hearing it - you know it's out there. 

Would you be able to stomach that level of intense acrimony, day in and day out? Would you be able to function in a room full of people knowing that there are other people who'd love to see you fall? Would cackle in glee if you made a misstep or "had a funny look" on your face? Where your every choice is categorized, surgically dissected, scrutinized and criticized?

I know I wouldn't. 

The Election...

It doesn't matter, in my opinion, what your party affiliation. You have got to understand that we have descended to a new low. We aren't listening to a "truth-teller" in The Drumpf. We're listening to a charlatan. 

And it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. This election is important on more than just a national level. It's even more important than the "down ticket" mentality of "vote for the people in the local elections even if you can't tolerate either of the presidential candidates" we hear from so many people. Yes, those down-ballot elections are vital, but we have more to think about.

It's important to us as human beings. It's important to women. It's important to our kids and our grandkids. 

We need to not screw this one up, people. 

But we can't be a single-issue voter. We can't just listen to those folks who parrot our own "beliefs" and we must - we MUST - not mistake our "beliefs" as "facts." Because facts and beliefs are two entirely different things. 

I believe the Earth is round. Science (a/k/a FACT) proves me right. There's photographic evidence from many sources to prove that we do, indeed, live on a blue marble in the middle of the known universe. 

I believe that I make the best potica in the world. There are no FACTS to back this up. And there are at least a couple thousand others in the world who believe that their potica (even with the abominations of raisins and chocolate) are "the best." But they as well have no FACTS to back them up. Their families - like mine - will cheerfully shout from hill and dale that they're the best, but that doesn't make ANY of us right. 

While those are two wildly odd examples, they are good ones. We as voters have a tremendously important right to exercise this November. 

And it's up to us to educate ourselves thoroughly on the issues AND the candidates. And get this one done correctly. 

Our world depends on it. 

Baseball...

Let's go Cubs!! I'm so excited! I haven't watched any games. This is a family legacy. Just like my Cub fandom - legacy says that if I watch a game, they'll lose. My granny said so. 

It's this way. I have been a Cub fan for my entire life. I have a Ron Santo jersey that I wore to church last week. I was a reader, so everyone saw me coming and going...and even the priest said, "Preach it, Sister!" One of our fellow choir members complimented me on "the Holy Raiment of Our People." 

The only next best thing would be a bona fide Cubs jacket. I've wanted one for ages...

Anyway, back to why I'm a Cub fan. Because of WJOL and my great-grandma. My great-grandma (the keeper of the aforementioned PERFECT potica recipe, by the way...) came to this country as a young woman and had to learn English. She studied for her citizenship test, but also, in order to learn more, she listened to the Cub games on the radio. WJOL was our local station (still is, but I don't listen to it a lot). So I grew up, helping her in the kitchen, learning Croatian songs, learning how to crochet, and how to cook, and listening to the Cub games. 

(OK, so I just noticed the typos in the graphic... Yikes...)

And two of my favorite players were Ron Santo and Greg Maddux. I think that Joe Maddon has hit on the formula; I think Theo Epstein has Maddon in the right place. And I think the team has the right attitude. Dusty Baker wasn't our guy. Not that he's not a good manager. But this combo of owners + manager + talent... along with a stellar work ethic and team that just meshes? It's a keeper. 

I'll be following along in the paper. And when they (I initially typed "if") get to the final game of the World Series, I may risk Granny's Heavenly wrath and watch it. On pins and needles, though...just in case. 

Random Picture...

So yeah. The week sucked. 

And this is what I came home to. Hubby, making Honey Garlic Salmon with boiled parsley-potatoes. 

This and my dogs greeting me with wild enthusiasm made for a lovely end to a stinking day. 

Hopefully, the weekend is calm. Hopefully, you all will also have a great weekend!