Holy Crap, What a Week...

Oh. My. God. 

Just when we thought we had a handle on stuff. 

The Red Hot Mess...

So along about the time I was prepping to have my hip replaced, I found a knob on Raisa's throat. I remember feeling that same king of knob on Tippi's throat and my stomach dropped. We had our vet do a biopsy, but she said it was in an area where she couldn't get a clear sample. 

And then there was the hip replacement, and things got shoved aside for a while. So now that I'm 3 months post-op, we took her to the specialist. They did an Xray and scan and found masses on BOTH sides of the thyroid. The doctor said it's gotta go, so she was taken in for surgery. That was on a Friday. She got home and we thought, "Ok, wait for pathology."

That wasn't what we wanted to hear -- they got all the thyroid out, left a bit of the parathyroid, and found tumor cells in her blood and lymph system. That was Saturday. 

Tuesday, I awoke to Hubby telling me that at 4 a.m., Raisa had a seizure. He was staying home to watch her. Her eyes were dilated, and I was concerned. Late in the afternoon, he texted that she had had 2 more. I had a meeting to attend, and he knows what to do, so I would only have been in the way. During the meeting, she had 2 more, so he called our usual vet, who said take her to the ER vet. 

It was not a comfortable ride for Raisa; the seizures were really bad. They got her stabilized, and it was a bit touch-and-go for a while. They kept her overnight, and started pumping her with phenobarbital. The idea is to get her up to a therapeutic level quickly so the seizures stop.

There are several theories: Either it's a side-effect of the thyroidectomy or it's a thing that happened to her as a pup and they manifested after the trauma of the surgery; or -- huskies have seizures. Or her low calcium levels caused the seizures. In other words, not a lot of answers, but the phenobarb is a good, older remedy that works well with dogs. 

She finally got home Thursday (yeah, 3 days at the ER vet...). She shakes like Katharine Hepburn, and she sploots on the floor, and is incontinent. That's just her body adjusting to all the phenobarb; it should be about a week and she'll be back to herself. 

We have the big harness on her, which has a handle. Hubby has to literally carry her down the steps to get outside. Quinn's not sure what's wrong, but she knows something is off. 

We have an oncology appointment next week so we'll figure out where we go from here. The good news is that since they found those cells, it was a very specific test - if it's early enough, perhaps we can catch this before it goes all the way pear-shaped. 

She may have a very swift retirement from comfort dog work, which will be unfortunate, but we just don't know right now. 

It's going to be a very long week. 

Hip Update...

On a related note, I can get down on the floor...I have to get down there to rub her belly to calm her to sleep, apparently. Getting up isn't exactly poetry, but hey - I can do it! 

I've also got permission to add the Warriors to my yoga practice. And the doctor is pleased with my progress. I'll see him in 3 months, and next week, I drop down to PT two times a week. We now begin the strengthening segment in earnest. 

I am still not doing a full yoga practice, but when I did the warriors the other night, my students said, "Does your PT know???" I'm tellin ya - I've got eyeballs on me! 

I'm now walking without a cane; the first few steps might not be pretty, but I am doing it and my gait gets better with walking. 

The Knitting...

Washcloths. I'm on a washcloth binge. I am teaching my friend K how to do this and I'm hoping it sticks with her. She needs an outlet, and washcloths lead to other things, and knitting is a good hobby. 

The washcloth binge is alongside my Star Trek binge, so I can knit without too much brain work. 

It's the "Grandma's Dishcloth Recipe" - the one on the bias. It's a nice one to learn to knit with, as you learn increases, decreases, yarnovers and knit 2 together -- these are pretty much the basics. And it's all knit, so there's no fighting the curl. Yeah, there's no purling, but that can come later. 

I've still got Long Sands in time-out, and it's going to take a bit for the linen yarn to unkink from frogging it. And I still have that blue striped sock, so we're good to go. I will be switching up the projects as soon as I finish a couple more cloths - those are Christmas gifts, so I figured while I was on a roll, I'd knock those out. 

I want to make some progress on denting the stash, so I'm going to go through my patterns and see what I've got in the closet. I just feel like I'm in the mood to de-clutter the stash and get a handle on it. 

Counted Cross-Stitch...

Well. I joined a Facebook group on counted cross stitch. Boy, was that a bad thing to do. I also now want to get back into that. Luckily for me, I have all the stuff. I just need to figure out how to balance that and knitting and teaching and working... 

I truly think my mom has given up on a large angel project I started for her. Hubby figured out that, if I did 60 stitches a day, I'd have it done in a year. I suppose if I could dig it out, dig out all the floss (and there's a LOT of floss), find the beads... I could re-start it and get my act together and perhaps have it ready for her 87th birthday... 

This is an image of it - I'm done with her head and the top of her wings. I've got a ways to go. My mom picked out a dusty blue linen. It's going to be gorgeous. I just have to get skippy and do it. Maybe if I give up knitting for a year? Or if it's "only 60 stitches a night," I can balance the two? 

A girl can dream. 

Recipe...

I was talking about breakfast to Kid #1, who has been a chronic breakfast-skipper. I have found a sort-of solution, because I am kind of the same way, especially if I have something early in the morning to do - I have to shuffle around how I eat. I call this my go-to Overnight Oats with Apple Pie. This is one serving; I usually do 4, so I set my containers out and scoop everything in there. 

1/2 c. old-fashioned oats

1/2 c. your favorite dairy or non-dairy liquid

1 t. maple syrup

Small handful dried cherries or cranberries

1 T. chia seeds

1 T. cacao nibs

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and diced (peel on)

1 T. brown sugar or coconut sugar

1/4 c. water

1/2 t. chai seasoning or apple pie spice

Put the first 6 ingredients in a container and set aside. In a small saute pan, add the sugar, spices, and apple and stir around over medium-high heat, so the apples soften and caramelize slightly. After about 5-ish minutes, add the water, clamp a lid on the pan, turn the heat down, and then let the apples soften for about 2 minutes. Set the pan aside for a few minutes to cool slightly and allow the sugar + water to make a slight syrup.

Stir the contents of your containers thoroughly. Then divide the apples between all 4 containers (if you're making 4 -- the apple mixture will go for 4 containers-worth of oats). Put the lids on the containers and stick them in the fridge. Next morning, grab a container and off you go! 

And, as always, There Are Notes.

NOTES:

You can skip sauteed apples and simply top your mixture with frozen berries of your choice. Overnight, they also add a bit more moisture to the oats. If you use frozen berries, all you need is that maple syrup - you won't need (or want) added sugar. The berries take care of that. 

Add a bit more milk if you want your oats a little looser.

Feel free to add nuts when you're ready to eat. I like slivered almonds or chopped walnuts for extra crunch. Sunflower seeds also work well here. 

There are a ton of Overnight Oats recipes out there, so have some fun with it. I've added nut butters, I've added chopped dates...it's really a blank canvas. 

Random Picture...

Sometimes, you just want to eat like a kid. One night, Hubby and I looked at each other and said, "fish chunks and tots." 

Little did I know that he had scored a deal on "dinosaur tots." Hey. Why not?

The fish chunks were cod that he hand-breaded with panko and fried. They were delicious and flaky. I love cod. 

Most every day, I get a text saying, "What do you want for dinner?" and I can tell you that it's usually timed (unfortunately) for right after I've eaten lunch. It's a pain because Hubby works from home so he's the one doing the cooking. And I'm never thinking of dinner. Especially after I've just eaten lunch. 

I know I'm extremely lucky to have someone who cooks and is good at it. And I also cook, but usually only on the weekends. But it inevitably happens that he times that text inadvertently right after I've finished eating. He doesn't know it, but it seems to always fall that way. 

Not Word Salad...

I promised you a recipe... The other day, after having to scrounge for lunch for the 3rd or 4th day in a row (I just need to do a grocery run and plan better), I decided to make a Dump Salad. This was a recipe that I adapted from my Vegan Kid. 

DUMP SALAD

1 cup Wild Rice

3 cups water

1 Knorr Vegetarian Cube

1 (8 oz) container mixed mushrooms (can omit or use your favorite)

1 T. avocado or other neutral oil

1 c. frozen corn

1 can beans, drained (your favorite: garbanzo, kidney, black)

3 radishes, sliced thin

2 carrots, cut into 1/4" slices (If they're thick, cut in half first)

2 celery sticks, diced

6 spring onions, sliced - both green & white parts

1 navel orange, peeled and cut into portions (see directions)

1 bottle Farm + Field Basil Vinaigrette (oryour favorite recipe/bottle)

Put the water in a saucepan, add the Knorr cube and the wild rice. Bring to a boil, turn to a "strong simmer" and cover with a lid. Cook for 40 minutes.  In last 5 minutes, add the frozen corn to the rice and put the lid back on. When time is up, drain if there's still water left (I check after 20 minutes, just to see what's going on). 

In a saute pan, add the oil, heat to high. Add mushrooms (cleaned by removing root ends, chop if they're big mushrooms). Saute till cooked through, set aside. Add more oil if needed, sautee carrots and celery for about 5 mintues on medium-high. Then add the white part of the onion, and the sliced radishes. Cook for about 3 min. more, don't let them get too brown. Drain and set aside. 

When the rice + corn is done, dump it into a large bowl (I use a covered bowl so I mix & store in the same container). Add the mushrooms, beans, green part of the onion. Add about 1/3 of the bottle of the vinaigrette and stir together. Season with salt & pepper if desired, and you can add more vinaigrette. I tend to like mine a little on the "dry" side, but you do you. 

Pull the orange apart into sections and cut each section into 3 pieces; add, along with any juice off the cutting board, to the rice mixture. Chill or eat at room temperature. 

THIS CAN BE AS-IS. Or if you want more protein, add some chicken, chicken sausage, or low-fat kielbasa. 

This serves 6 people as a side salad or 4 people as a main dish salad. 

I love this because you can add whatever you have: broccoli, green beans, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, you get the idea. 

The Knitting...

Porch knitting tonight! I've figured out (with the help of the FB Shawl Knitting group) the one instruction that I was definitely over-thinking. I ran it past Hubby and we were both thinking along the same lines. I could've asked my knitting friend, but she's out of town, so there's that. 

I thought I'd get out there while it was nice, shady and before the pyromaniacs get started. It has been (dare I even jinx it??) quiet here for Memorial Day. 

I'm literally zipping along with this. Which means I may be wearing it by Fall, but hey - at least it'll be done, right? 

Next up will probably be a singleton sock that has the mate already done; I have to dig them out. And the Copland shawl, which is a WIP that I'm looking forward to finishing as a gift, hopefully for Christmas, but that could be a stretch. We'll have to see on that one. 

Postcard Project...

I'm back with the postcards again... Is it "doing something"? Who knows? It's something that's being done, that's for sure. I can't march, and I don't have the money to influence politicians, so I do what I can do. 

My friend came up with a pretty brilliant idea - she gathered up all the postcards she got from her own travels and those that people gave her from theirs. I have a bunch of them, and they mean nothing to anyone else. I may as well put them to good use. So she addressed them and shared them with us. I find it ironic that a few of them were buildings that meant a lot: for example, a picture of the historic Supreme Court building for Mitch McConnell and the stained glass for Ted Cruz. 

I wrote what I wanted them to do to curb gun violence. (Well, their JOB would be a start) And then I wrote a small prayer asking God to grant them the courage to DO their job. 

Hey, they're all professing to be Christians, right? So prayer shouldn't bother them. And I don't care if they ARE bothered. 

Random Picture... 

This is the garden as of today. It's been super windy (it's been like that since January...I'd swear my sister was coming back to try to tell me something...) and the middle cover is a bit twisted. 

Soon, we'll be putting on the tomato cages, and the racks for the bush cucumbers. I know - bush means not climbing, but so far, every time I've planted them (this will be my 4th go-round with them), I've needed to give them something to climb on. 

One of our tomato plants (in the far left bed) already has blossoms on it, so we should see something nice soon. 

Gardening is nature's prozac. If you have the space for even a couple pots on the patio, try it. You'll feel good getting your hands dirty and you'll have flowers or veggies. Win/win!

Reading and Cooking...

I need to get my act together. I need to get serious about getting healthy, particularly in light of the re-do of the PVI (pulmonary vein isolation, a/k/a cardiac ablation) and my hip injury, which has seriously impacted my physical activity. 

I spent about 3 hours yesterday listening to the replay of a workshop that I missed (what with my sister and all...) on hip labral tears. It was really interesting, and I'm eager to know more. 

And it's not that I want to go vegan. I love cheese too much, honestly. But I think if I can "partially" vegan it all, that might help. I do feel lighter when I eat less meat. 

I asked Kid #2 for the recipe for the bean salad we had when we were in Kentucky. Wrapped in sprouted or whole wheat tortillas, they were a great on-the-go lunch with an apple as we traveled. 

So here's my take on it. Vegans, feel free to add all the red/green/yellow peppers and red or yellow onions you want. 

THE BEAN SALAD:

1 (15 oz can) EACH: Garbanzo beans, kidney beans, black beans (your choice, but have at least 2-3 kinds)

1 (4 oz) can Yellow corn

3 stalks celery, chopped fine

1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced into chunks

1 small can EACH: sliced bamboo shoots and water chestnuts

1 bunch spring onions, chopped white parts and green parts

Penzey's Sunny Paris & Mural of Flavor spice blends, to taste

Salt & pepper

Field + Farmer Lemon Garlic Basil dressing (or your favorite vinaigrette)

Drain the canned veggies and rinse. Dump into a large bowl (I used a Rubbermaid bowl with a lid so I could shake it all together). Chop the celery fine, slice the spring onions, with the white part, and about 4-5 green ends chopped for spice and color. Add them to the bowl with the cucumber. 

Drizzle vinaigrette on the salad, add the salt, pepper and herb blends to taste. If you're using a lidded bowl, put the lid on and shake, shake, shake. 

NOTES: Refrigerate for best taste blending, but you can also eat this right away. Think about light and dark red kidney beans, canelli beans, Great Northerns, black-eyed peas, pinto beans...the combinations are pretty endless. 

Mushrooms: I had sauteed mushrooms, so I added them to my wraps.

Dressing: Don't drown this!!! Go light on the dressing and remember you can always add a teaspoon more. You can't take it away...at least not easily!

Original Version: The Kid uses red onions, yellow peppers, chopped parsley, sometimes chopped mint. Homemade vinaigrette, too. You could toss some previously cooked tofu in there if you have it handy. 

Tomatoes: I wouldn't, unless you have several people eating this. I'm the only one, so the tomatoes actually have too much water in them; by the time I get thru this salad, they'll be mush. 

Cheese or avocado: As you dish this up, chunk up an avocado and add it to the wrap, or if you're inclined, sprinkle on some shredded Asiago cheese. 

Other veggies: Go nuts... add leftover chunks of boiled potatoes. Add cooked rice, farro, barley, quinoa - whatever you have. Get spicy and try different peppers: yellow banana peppers, a jalapeno if you're feeling brave... Cut up olives and add them. Shred carrots (they'll be better and easier in a wrap if they're shredded), canned or fresh peas. Add fresh parsley or basil, in season. Sliced radishes would be amaaaaaaaaaaaazing in this dish!

You can even cook up spaghetti squash or regular pasta (your choice) and then top it with this salad as a wonderful single-course meal. Technically, except for the cucumber, you could warm this bean salad up. Serve with some crusty bread and then maybe some berries as a dessert, and you're good to go. 

Anyway, I know that here it's still cold, the snow remains on the ground, but the object was that I'd have something easy and relatively light to eat after teaching my evening yoga classes. I don't like to teach after I've eaten, because I don't just stand there and call out poses. I was getting tired of eggs (one can only eat so many), I've been trying to avoid deli meat (inflammation, sugar and all the preservatives), and was kind of over yogurt and the original PBJ...

I remembered how much we enjoyed these wraps, and while my wrapping skill is minimal, I'm ok with practicing. 

Orchids blooming...

One of the cattleya plants is blooming. The other one has a flower stalk with buds, but it'll be a while. And we have three of the phalenopsis in bloom. 

The cattleya does have a scent, but I can't smell it. It seems that the return of my scent was only temporary. I have about 50% of it back, but it was only 100% after that huge dose of steroids and antihistamines, and it lasted about a month. 

I can't remember what color the next one is...We have the pink one here, a yellow one, and ... my mind is blank! Anyway, that should be about 3 more weeks till that one blooms. 

The Chicago Orchid Show is on now, through the end of March. Hubby and I decided the temptation was too great. We try to avoid going to the local orchid house, because we don't have a lot of room for the plants. 

The Knitting...

Not much to report. I've started the toe on the blue striped sock. Not much to look at right now. Just round and round. I can tell you that the crazy-tight tension is kind of a pain when you're decreasing,but I can't manage to loosen it much. 

Knitting always tells you how you're feeling, regardless of what you tell yourself. 

I should have that sock finished this week, and will be able to start frogging the finished one shortly thereafter. That one should go quickly. I need to remember that I did Eye of Partridge heel, so that the heels match! Though I've done socks before with mis-matched heels. Maybe I can start a trend? 

Even though the "about-to-be-frogged" first sock has an absolutely perfect star toe, I chose a regular round toe for Sock #2. The toe instructions I pulled had the needles in a different order (the #1 needle was one over from what I had) and I didn't realize it...so I re-wrote the instructions. It wasn't too hard, except I had to remind myself:

SSK = left-leaning decrease

K2TOG = right-leaning decrease

It's important, because you don't want to put the toe decreases on the top of the foot and the bottom (hey, it happens!), and you don't want your lefts to go right, etc. It won't look right and likely won't feel right on your toes. 

The Reading...

I'm currently reading "Pastrix," by Nadia Bolz-Weber. She's fantastic. I've watched many of her videos, and honestly, I can hear her in the words on my Kindle screen. In my recent experience, it's pretty rare to read someone's autobiography and hear them as they actually speak, if I've had the experience of seeing them in person or on the computer. They tend to get more formal when they're writing, which to me stifles their personality. 

She doesn't. It's right there as if you're watching her on Facebook. I love that. 

My vicar gave me Martha W. Hickman's "Healing After Loss," which is organized in a calendar year; you can literally pick the date you want to start reading this. I got it a few days after my sister died, I started my journey with this book on her death date. I'll work through the year. 

And of course, I couldn't ignore Thich Nhat Hanh's books, "No Death, No Fear," and "How to Live When a Loved One Dies." I haven't cracked those, having actually just had them delivered today. 

In the week we were waiting for her wake, I downloaded true fluff... Literal romance novels. I occasionally indulge in this stuff as a "brain cleaner." I tried some new authors. Some of the romance scenes were totally overwrought, but what do I know? All I knew at the time was that I wanted to read, and it had to be pretty much nothing I had to think about. I couldn't even concentrate on my beloved mysteries. That was too much. 

Random Picture...

This is Frozen Niagara in Mammoth Caves. It was one of the hikes we took. I'm a bit claustrophobic, but it wasn't too bad, considering!  The lighting was a bit weird; they didn't want us to use flash, because of the tiny critters who live in the caverns. 

There was lighting there, which was compatible with the tiny critters, and my phone camera did a pretty good job. I did carry the bigger EOS with me, but didn't always have time to haul it out of the bag while we were in the caves. The rangers kept us moving along pretty quickly. I mean, you got to experience the caves, but they weren't dallying. I was able to get the big camera out for the Rotunda pictures, because they let us spread out in that vast space. I got all tingly hearing them talk about how they held concerts (pre-covid) in the space at the holidays...Wow...

I tended to use the EOS for the outside shots. The only time I didn't was when we took that mis-matched hike to Eagle Falls...the one labeled "moderate" that was really "advanced." Kid #2 is still going to pay for that one! 

This trip was one of my favorites...it was a quick one, but we did have fun. 

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The Nation Exhales

 Over 50% of the United States has just exhaled... 

Joe Biden is our President-Elect and Kamala Harris is our VP-Elect. 

Maybe we'll get some sleep. 

And I'm going to say this right here and right now: I don't CARE that conservatives or Trumpers are upset. Don't. Care. Not. One. Whit. 

As they said to us, "Get over it."

It was a long, hard road. There were questions and there was stress. There was a lot of breath-holding. 

Sanity has been restored to the White House and yes - we have a CRAP-TON of work to do. We need to celebrate this weekend. Absolutely. 

But then realize what needs to be done. And get to doing it. Here's my wish list (off the top of my head, in no particular order).

• Make Roe settled law - no more "we're going to overturn it" crap
• Rebuild the Voting Rights Act
• Pass the ERA
• Balance the Supreme Court
• Overturn Citizens United
• Restore Environmental Controls
• Green Energy
• Clean House...
• Undo the Billionaire Tax Breaks
• Secure Social Security & Medicare
• Fix the USPS

The Knitting...

So I set aside the Kid Afghan for a brief minute. I started some quickie wash cloths for Xmas gifts. I have to order the soap to go with them, but they're really easy to whip out. I have 4 more to do and they'll go quickly. 

I also have to get skippy on the baby afghan and then get even MORE skippy on the Kid Afghan. 

I really want to make a pair of "pedicure socks." Those are basically socks with no heels or toes. Today, it's a gorgeous 70-degree day and we're about to go on a walk and take some pictures of what's left of the fall colors. I got another - what may be final for 2020 - pedicure. I don't do them in the winter because my feet freeze in flip flops. 

But with a pair of pedicure socks, I could do it without frozen toes! That may be next in January. 

The Cooking...

So I'm almost done with my Whole30. And I found a few great recipes to add to my toolkit. Though tonight, I'd rather go face-first into some chocolate (see first section of blog!).

I love Avgo Limono Soup - Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. But on Whole30, it's a no-go because of the orzo pasta (or rice - I've had it both ways). But I found a Paleo version, and this is what I did:

Lemon Chicken Soup

2 scallions, diced

2 carrots, sliced thin

2 stalks celery, sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, diced

4 qts chicken or veggie stock

2 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 sprig fresh Rosemary

1 tsp EACH: Oregano, basil

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 lemon

1 pkg. frozen spinach (chopped variety)

2 T. your favorite oil (ghee, avocado oil, olive oil)

In a large soup pot, add your oil and heat it up. Add your carrots and celery, stirring (heat is about med-hi). Let them brown a bit. Then add your scallions, let them get translucent. This is about 7-8 minutes total. Then add garlic and get it a little soft. 

Add your stock to the pot. Nestle the chicken in there, add the Rosemary, oregano & basil and put a lid on it. Turn down to simmer, and let it simmer about 25 minutes. 

When the chicken is done, pull it out of the pot and set aside to cool slightly. 

Roll the lemon on the counter to make it juicier. Slice in half and juice. Then use a micro-plane and zest it. Set aside. 

Take the meat off the chicken bones, and chop it. Discard bones & skin, returning meat to pot. Add the block of frozen spinach and put the lid back on. Simmer about 5-8 minutes, till spinach loosens up and heats up. 

Add the lemon juice and zest. Add salt & pepper to taste. This serves 8. And you can either freeze the extra or just cut the recipe in half. 

There's an awesome-looking chicken & artichoke soup I want to try. Though it was nice today, it's not going to last and soups are very comforting, whether you're on Whole30 or not!

The Random Picture...

Since I haven't had a guitar lesson since March, and I haven't been able to arrange another one because the morons in our county can't behave and our rolling positivity rate is over 14% -- and our two hospitals are screaming that beds are getting scarce...

I decided to polish my nails. This is Ella Mila color "Yacht Club" which I bought years ago when the first female Dr. Who was announced - this is the color of her TARDIS. 

It's only coincidental that it's also blue for the new Democratic president. Honest, I didn't do this for Election Day. I was a judge, and I'm impartial that day.

It's a pretty color. And I'm a klutz at doing nails. I'm out of practice. 

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The Key to...

not twisting 350 stitches on a circular needle is..... to start out FLAT.

I started my Long Sands Tee (Quince & Co.) (here is the Ravelry link) using their Sparrow yarn, which is linen. I love linen, but I don't like knitting with linen yarn. I'm using colorway Moon, which is a gorgeous pewter color. 

The top itself has THIRTEEN INCHES of positive ease - so let's just call it really "floaty." For the size I need, I had to cast on 350 stitches. They call for 32" circulars - which isn't nearly enough. I did what they said, and it didn't last long; I ended up frogging. Went to Betsy's in Lockport, and bought 40" circulars (the largest they had) and started over. 

But I have to tell you about the cast on method I used. There was virtually no way I was going to "wrap stitches" to "estimate" the tail. I found the "Two Ball Cast On." I am in love. In. Love. This isn't exactly the link, but it's close enough. I thought I'd saved it, but apparently not. 

And another new thing...It's just been a great learning experience so far... After the frogging, I reached out on the Hive Mind of Facebook, and learned that, for a large number of stitches on a circular needle, one trick is to knit 2-3 rows FLAT, and then join in a circle. You can see whether you're twisted after the 2-3 rows of flat knitting and you're way less likely to twist. 

Jazzed with that, I am! 

The next new thing I'm learning is drop stitch. I dislike drop stitch stuff intensely. Reminds me of runs in nylons, frankly. But this is basically a tiny drop stitch after a row (350 stitches, did I mention???) of k1, yo, k1... So it won't be obnoxious. 

The shirt has a cap sleeve, and honestly, I'd wear a tank under it. It'll be a nice shirt for actually 3 seasons. 

Closing in on 200...

Masks, that is. I've made the pleats smaller, so I can get 3 of them in. We're thinking about doing them as a church fundraiser, since our Rummage Sale (spring & fall) is likely kaput for 2020. 

I'm working on several for Kid #2, since it looks like in Illinois, we don't give a rat's rear end for teachers... put 'em in classrooms where you can't circulate the air, social distance, or even open a window. With 1200+ kids in the average high school, plus another few hundred in teachers, staff, and ancillary personnel in there? 

Yeah. Let's just open the schools. 

Ahem. I digress. 

Anyway, what we were thinking was that we could put the masks out, ask for a $10 donation per mask, and maybe make a bit of money that we've essentially lost with the lack of rummage sale profits. 

We'll see how that goes. I'm also doing another of the more "fancy" masks for myself, using an over-the-head kind of tie so that it only takes a bow in the back. We'll see how that works. I want to get that one done prior to my next yoga training. 

I used a "coffee filter" mask (that's what I call the procedural masks that loop over the ears) for the last weekend training, and it was kind of a pain in the ears... I prefer the ties. But I need something a bit lighter than the ones I made for myself that were lined with flannel. Much too hot for summer!

Got Smoothies...

Well, I went a little nuts with the smoothies this week. You think I have enough? 

In my defense, I now only have about half of the Mason jar left. Here's the recipe:


2 T. Maca Powder
2 scoops your favorite protein shake powder
1 c. coconut water
1 avocado, do the usual prep...
1 cucumber, peeled & chunked
2 stalks celery, trimmed and chunked
1 Granny Smith apple, quartered
2 carrots, chunked
1 head romaine, chunked
1 piece of ginger, about 2" or so
6 ice cubes
1 c. frozen berries
1 cup Siggi's Yogurt, your favorite flavor
Extra coconut water if needed

WASH YOUR PRODUCE.... Use Thieves Fruit & Veggie wash (no need to wash the frozen berries - but if you use fresh? Wash 'em! 

In a VitaMix or Bullet or whatever you have, ingredients in as follows: 
Coconut water
Powders
Granny Smith
Carrots
Celery
Romaine
Avocado
Ginger
Berries
Yogurt
Ice cubes

Notice you're putting the "harder" stuff at the bottom, which, in the VitaMix at least, is the preferred method. Whiz. Adjust for thickness: Add more coconut water if needed. Don't make it too thick - you're not supposed to chew your smoothies, and if you're using a regular blender, a chunky smoothie is the quickest way to burn up a blender. 

Ask me how I know that...

Store in the Mason jar and however many extra containers you need. Use within 2 days. 

You can add any other fruit that you want; I'll often add a pear if I have it. But I like the Granny Smith for the snap. Always add veggies!!! If you just go with fruit, that's a LOT of sugar, even with using Siggi's (which has lots less sugar and a lot of protein). I don't add bananas -- too high in sugar for me. But if you use a banana, you don't necessarily need the yogurt. 

If you want, skip the coconut water and use almond or oat milk. 

I Broke the Dogs...

Or, the heat did. Well, I kinda broke Tippi. She wanted to go for a walk today, and Hubby said, "take her around the block." We made it 2 blocks. The humidity was awful. And she's recovering from a UTI, so I know the antibiotic knocked her for a loop - on top of giving her the runs. Poor baby... She came back in, drank about a gallon of water, and plopped over... Quinnie was behind my chair as always. 

Raisa, on the other hand, has now got the HVAC stuff figured out. She has found the kitchen AC vent and that's her spot. 


It is, of course, the most inconvenient spot, being right in front of the sink. 

Does she care?

Nope. 

Her butt is right by the vent. We call it her "Freezy butt seat." You should have seen her when we had to get the AC repaired. 

Thank goodness that day was in the 70s. She laid by the Freezy Butt Vent and there was no cold. She looked at me as if to say, "What the heck is this bamboozle???" 

Once the guy repaired it (we only needed a sploosh of freon), she was back at the Freezy Butt Vent and happy. She was mortally offended that, till he fixed it, she only had a fan to keep her cool. 

How Does My Garden Grow...

Well, pretty darned good in certain respects. My cherry tomatoes are coming along nicely; I usually buy Sweet 100s - very reliable. My romaine has bolted; I have one pot of parsley eaten to the nubs by the caterpillars. The kale and broccoli rabe have been eaten, I suspect, by Mama Woodchuck and her babies. She's living under the neighbor's tool shed. The neighbor keeps blocking the holes, and Mama just digs more. I suspect the neighbor should just give up, otherwise, the toolshed is going to fall into the huge hole Mama has dug...

My wildflowers are doing ok; the Brown-Eyed Susans are in bloom now. The rest of the garden is starting to fade, but it's time. 

I was quite skeptical when Hubby moved the tomatoes, parsley and lettuce to the deck. But he was right. Even though it's the north side of the house, it does get enough sun - and plenty of water with all the rain we've had. I have to tug the pansies away from the back door - they need to dry out a bit. They're a tad too soggy. 

It's so cool that the tomatoes are taller than I am. 

I can slice them up, and put them on pasta. A cool tomato on warm pasta or risotto is really quite yummy. Hubby says they taste spicy, but I don't think so. I think they're a bit sweeter this year. 

If the Beefsteak tomatoes come in, I'll be using those (and maybe some of my friend's Romas if she has extra) for a fresh batch of canned pizza sauce. 

The basil was really nice; I need to plant more of it next year. I don't have enough to do pesto, but I do have enough to add to a salad or to add to pasta sauce or pizza. My Rosemary, this year, is kind of slow. I have it in the same place as last year, but it's just not thriving. Not sure why. It's usually bigger by now. There's still enough to freeze, though. 

The Stormtroopers...

Apparently, the president of Chicago's police union wrote to Washington DC and asked for help. Not sure how the new Police Superintendent feels about that. But I am sure how the mayor feels. 


Having armed, unidentified "cops" in the street, just like they're doing in Portland, OR, is frightening. And unconstitutional, though that doesn't seem like it bothers anyone in DC lately. Can you smell the Constitution burning? 

There's a hot dog place called The Wiener's Circle. They're known for their "attitude." And lately, because of COVID-19, they've been doing business in a different fashion. You can call your order in, and then specify the "level of rudeness" you want. From basically just "Chicago rude" to F-bombs. 

It's a thing. 

This is their latest sign. In honor of the Stormtroopers. 

This is a swift fall toward authoritarianism, and martial law conveniently placed close to the 2020 election. It's also very bad theater for one madman. Who managed to conflate a test for dementia with a "genius" test. 

Citing the "failing New York Times".... (sorry, snark is now "off"), we have the Wall of Moms; the Wall of Dads. And now? The Wall of Vets. See the story here. Veterans have had it. After the beating of a Navy veteran who just wanted to talk to the "federales" -- they're now standing in front of the moms & dads. 

Now, given "white privilege" and all -- I get that many black moms are kind of upset about the idea of the Wall of Moms, given that they've been doing that for at least 2 generations. I hate the idea that we, as white women, are co-opting the thing they've been doing. 

I'm wondering how awful it sounds to just say, "But if we can get it noticed and change it, is that bad?" I don't know. I'd welcome discussion...

It will be interesting to follow up on the Portland story. The "cops" have now gassed the mayor, at which point #MangoMussolini crowed that he was "pathetic." 

Mirror, dude. Just look in a mirror. THAT is pathetic. 

Random Picture...

So I did something I'd been toying with; just something to "check off my list." I had my stylist put a few purple stripes in my hair. Jeeze - I'd forgotten that "hair dye" takes forever!! I was there for 2 hours! Now, as you can see, with short hair? I'm in and out. 

You can see the larger of the stripes in this picture. When it's really styled correctly, the purple is just under a "layer" of my silver/pewter (or whatever color you want to call it). 

I have to use a special colored-hair shampoo, which is kind of annoying, but I do want this to last. It's only semi-permanent anyway, but I'd like it not to fade at the first wash!

Anyway - it's something fun.I needed some fun. 

Exactly How Long...

and how often is Mercury in retrograde? Because ... it's just nuts. And it seems that it's getting nuttier...

In case you're curious, the Farmer's Almanac says 4 times a year. Holy crap. With everything else going on, this is kind of the last thing we need - planetary craziness!

The Recipe...

Tonight, I made Overnight Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding. It's a great quick breakfast, with fruit and nuts, for the hot weather we're facing. And it fixes my chocolate craving in a healthier way than, say, a milkshake....

1/4 c. cacao powder (I used unsweetened baking cocoa - organic!)
5 T. maple syrup (organic, again, please)
1 t. ground cinnamon (I love cinnamon + chocolate)
1 pinch sea salt
1/2 t. Madagascar vanilla (only because my homemade isn't ready yet)
1 c. unsweetend almond milk
1/2 c. coconut milk (the stuff in the can)
1/2 c. chia seeds

In a small mixing bowl, add cacao powder (sift it, so it's less clumpy), maple syrup, cinnamon, salt & vanilla; whisk to combine. Then add a little almond milk and whisk till a paste forms. Then, add the milk (both almond + coconut) and whisk till smooth. 

Add chia seeds and whisk again to combine. Cover and stick in the fridge overnight. (You can do 3 - 5 hours if you're really craving it!) After the first 30-45 minutes, give it another whisk. 

Leftovers (this serves 4 (1/2 c. servings) will keep 4-5 days, but it's best when fresh. Serve with fruit, granola, or coconut whipped cream. 

The other day, I also made The World's Greatest Scones - using dried cranberries and goji berries. Those were amazing. And yes, we ate them all. 

I made them into balls, and then flattened them slightly. Did an egg wash so they had a little crunch+crust. 

That recipe will come soon. 

I've been doing more cooking since I'm home more, and it's been fun. Still baking but not as much as I was at first. I still find it more healthy to eat my own bread and certainly more economical. 

And, when Mercury comes into retrograde (this is the SECOND time of 2020, by the way), it's a good outlet for the frustration and crazies. 

Cultural Comments...

Ok, weirdly enough, I am now addicted to Queer Eye. Yes, sometimes, it's sappy as all heck. But. There's something inherently good in this show that I find that I'm drawn to. 

Even as we're looking at opening up soon (Illinois is in Phase 3, and soon will be in Phase 4, thank you) (and shut up and wear your mask...it's better than wearing a ventilator!), there's still a lot of stress. Of course the "Open Now!" people are raising heck. And those of us with working brain cells are willing to wait a bit. 

Anyway...part of me wonders what the Fab 5 would make of me and my studio. And the other part says, "Hubby would hit the ceiling!" Ha! 

So if you know that there's something wonky about the show, don't tell me right now. Hang on and let me wait a bit longer...

Went to a protest march, and I'm set to go to another one at the end of the month. And probably another one, if we can get it set up. This one was at one of the busiest intersections one town over. 

I can re-use this sign at all of them. I am definitely wearing a lighter mask though! It was really hot and by the time I left this event, I was pretty much beet red. Oh, and carrying my own water bottle would've been a FANTASTIC idea...

I find it encouraging that people are gathing. I find it encouraging that people are angry. Especially when they're angry because of the injustice and the systemic racism that we have had throughout the entire existence of our country, and which is now bubbling up to the surface now that the #MangoMaggot is in office and trying desperately to ruin this country and stay in charge as a dictator. 

And I'm absolutely encouraged that the haters are coming out of the woodwork. That picture above? Someone in the news article's comments said, "Oh a bunch of unemployed losers and a fat, dumpy Karen." I'm thinking to myself, "Hey, #BasementBob -- I can hold a plank for 10 minutes...Can you?"

This is a gigantic labor pain for our country. I mean that we're hopefully giving birth to something that needed birthing a long while ago. And for all the gutting of the Voting Rights Act, the incremental attacks on women's reproductive rights, the caging of children, and the rampant xenophobia -- I think we're in a moment where there are more of us who believe that we're all human. As opposed to those who are roaring their last (hopefully) as they become extinct. 

How Does the Garden Grow...

Well, the stupid tree-rats got my shrub tomatoes. They're done. Crap. Hubby is doing some research to find out how to best nurture the tomatoes we have; there are beefsteaks in the back garden and some cherry tomatoes on the deck. 

The lettuce and radishes just bolted. They're ruined and they're pulled out. The romaine is re-growing; we had one harvest, and we can get one more, maybe. 

The parsley is inhabited by swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, and so we have to be really careful when we cut it. I've got 2 basil plants left (tree rats a/k/a squirrels). 

I've been pulling the stray milkweed for weeks now. I still see not one single monarch egg on the undersides of the leaves. Bummer. But Hubby was telling me the other day that he thought our milkweed was a good 6-8" taller than the stuff growing in the forest preserve. 

And I got a surprise the other day. In the front square bed there's a ton of Brown Eyed Susan, and a couple pink phlox. But I didn't think the phlox had bloomed yet. 

It hadn't. 

What HAD bloomed was my small rose. It's a stray miniature that I put into the ground about 10 years ago(!).... Yeah, one of those ones everyone gets for Mother's Day and then they die. But this little stinker just stuck!

And this year, it decided to bloom. I didn't even remember what color it was. I thought it was yellow! 

There it was, in all its glory. There are 4 petite little blossoms on this rose bush. This is the last rose bush, the only one left after a root fungus tore up the 50 or so roses I had planted. 

I'm so happy to see it. 

Knitting...

The other day, it was Knit in Public Day and so I sat on the porch. My porch faces "public" so I figured it was better to do that than sit in the back on the patio, right? I stayed there for about an hour and then the sun shifted to "bake" and I went inside. The curse of the west-facing front porch. 

Still working on the Breathe & Hope shawl and I'm kinda dyin' here... Section 6 was FOR. EVER. Yikes. I was just inert. 

I did push through and now I'm on Section 7 of 10. It's moving along quicker - it's the "bars" part. I really didn't like Section 6. I made some obvious boo-boos, but I did not want to rip it out. I don't care. I mean, I care, but I don't feel like I want to take the trouble to rip it. I want to just get it done. 

I have a lovely tee shirt waiting on me. And two more shawls. If I can get to my LYS, which is open, for limited hours, I'd really re-do this for Xmas. I have someone in mind. 

I also have two Wooly Hooligan patterns that need yarn. And doing. 

Look at me doing stranded colorwork... It's a new day in my knitting journey for sure. 

Random Picture...

I've been trying to zhuzh up my Instagram page for the studio so I figured what else but cute dog pics? And dogs do yoga. Whether you think they do or not!! 

So with my phone, I can fiddle with the pics, and I actually get lots more engagement. This picture got lots of comments and likes and hopefully will result in people viewing my Restorative Yoga class. 

Speaking of which, I have managed to torque my back in the last class I taught; doing a twist. I managed to just kind of push through it. But then I had an online tutorial with my teacher; got down on the floor for a small restorative practice, and did a twist with knees on a bolster. 

And got stuck. Called for Hubby, because I was on "mute" but Hubby was on a conference call. So. Managed to get myself up, sat in my chair and just finished the class in the chair. I'm not a happy camper because I have to teach tomorrow - a yoga + movement class. 

It's gonna be fun. 

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