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. 

Looking for Online Yoga Classes?

Join us at www.just-breatheyoga.com and click on the "Online Subscription" tab.

$85 monthly for Senior, includes Gentle, Restorative, Forever Young, Chair and Senior

$129/month for Premium - ALL the online classes. 

Questions: call/text (815) 546-2770

Happy New Year!

Pink mitts. Check.
MIL's shawl. Check. 
Fleece-lined slippers. Check.

It's a dreary day here in blogland. Actually, it's been a dreary week. Monday was rain. LOTS of rain. Today, the frost took over, but now, with the sun going down, as I sit by my window? It's chilly. It's 29 degrees but "feels like" 22.... Cold. 

My dad would say, "colder than a well-digger's belt buckle." Or something even more pithy... I've had enough tea to float a battleship, and I've given up. Just now, I'm bundling up and hoping to warm up. You'd think a hot flash would fix this, but somehow, when it gets cold, they disappear. That's not handy... 

Eventually, I'll warm up. I usually do. Sunshine, though. Sunshine would be nice. 

Here's a mug that Kid #2 gave me for Christmas. Posted it on Instagram, and I'm tellin' ya - it struck a chord. Lots of hearts for this one. 

With the RBG movie out now, it's particularly timely. And with her recent cancer surgery, everyone's offering to give her their lungs, wrap her in bubble wrap and basically donate their healthier, younger bodies to her. Heck, I'd donate mine. I may not be the healthiest person on the planet, but I'm a good 20 years younger than she is, and even with the heart issues, I'm good to go. 

I haven't exactly been sitting on my tush all day drinking tea. It only sounds like it, right? Today, I had a whole day off. A whole day to myself, mostly. I asked Hubby if he wanted to take the Christmas tree down, but the one on the dining room table is still up. My mom's/granny's ceramic tree has been removed to its place of safekeeping in the basement. It needs a new light, but it's so old we have to figure out what kind of bulb we can put in there. It may be that I won't be able to light it anymore, because it has no way to vent out the heat. Old-time ceramics, you see. 

So off and on, I've been dusting, trashing junk, and moving things around, trying for organization. As it is, this weekend, Hubby and I are tackling The Office (a/k/a The Pit of Despair). My plan is to get my laptop back into that room (right now, I'm in the middle of the living room), and work on doing some videos and Facebook lives. A friend of mine and I are going to do weekly gratitude meditations, and right now? The living room isn't ideal. 

Looks Like Dinner...

Yesterday, New Year's Eve, we didn't go out. We're not "going out" people. So Hubby made potato soup, and we bought some "bake your own" ciabatta rolls. Of course, we've got leftovers. Lots of them. Which is fine - because, again, crappy weather is soup weather. Tonight, we have a rustic loaf which we'll warm and have...soup. It's always better the second night anyway. 

And somehow, my stomach has gone on strike. 

I'm not sure why. The food poisoning and my antibiotic "purge" have both been long over. I'm taking the mega-expensive probiotic to repopulate my gut. 

But it's being very balky, and the GERD is flaring up like nobody's business. So I'm kind of not eating. It's working, sort of. I wish I could say I'm losing weight, but at this point, I'll settle for not being in pain when I'm ready to go to bed. 

There's nothing as disheartening as your stomach trying to crawl up your esophagus when you lay down to sleep. Disheartening and painful. Very painful. 

I've started exercising more frequently, which is good. I'm not trying to "beat myself up" but I'm trying to move more. Using a Bodyblade, which only takes about 3 minutes (if that) and your arms are feeling it. The squatting part isn't hard - but hey, I'm squatting in yoga all the time. Using my arm hula hoops. Working the upper body with that and lower body with yoga. 

Hopefully, I can keep the momentum. I'm going to try. 

Hubby's Got the Bug...

So here's an update of my orchid area. And boy-o-boy --- Hubby's now got the bug. He helped me repot a few of them and there you go. He's working on using an old 55-gallon aquarium of ours that's been sitting in the basement to make a terrarium for them. He rearranged the lights so that the table here gets a bit more sun (gloomy weather, right?). 

We joined the American Orchid Society and he's been perusing the back issues of their magazine. He's fascinated with all the many species and a bit bedazzled, if you want my opinion. We're going to go on a road trip to a local orchid specialist so he can take a look.

I really don't want more than what I have here, and I really don't want to get into the crazier species. Frankly, they freak me out! But I'm happy to have something we can do together. Just now, he was over at the "orchid altar" and looking to see who needs misting. It's so cute. 

The Knitting...

I've set aside the Diamond shawl. I'm committed to working on some singleton socks. I've gotta get their mates done. I'm over having Second Sock Syndrome. 

I've weighed the ball for the Diamond Smackdown. I'm still at a little over 3 oz, and the half-way point is about 2 oz. Remarkably, one ounce goes a long way. 

The first singleton I'm working on is the Green Traveling Sock. This one, the first sock has a bum star-toe (gotta work on that more...it used to be my favorite toe), and the foot is about 1/2 - 3/4" too short. I mean, it fits because it stretches, but it's not my fave. I don't know what I was thinking -- or what I was measuring...but it's a rookie mistake. 

I started it New Year's Eve. My usual pattern is to do an "exchange." 

When I've got all the stitches on the DPNs, I take the first stitch off the right-hand needle (technically, needle #4) and put it on Needle 1 (the left-hand needle). And switch that first stitch onto the 4th needle. It helps "close the gap." But it's a bit of a challenge sometimes. I usually take the #4 stitch last, because it's the last one cast on, so it's got a little flexibility. 

Then, 6 rows of knitting, to curl the end. Helps me get it over my high instep. Then the ribbing. 

Now, in all honesty, I despise ribbing. I just don't like K2, P2 -- or even worse, K1, P1. I can never get the tension right; I get ladders sometimes, in spite of tugging the first 2 stitches on each needle. And it's boring. 

You may ask, "isn't stockinette boring?" Well, yes, but no. Yes, because it's straight-up knitting. But no, because in about 7" total, I'm doing a heel flap, which is fun. And the heel turn comes next.


Which is magical. 

When I get there, I'll post some pics. 

Anyway, I got to thinking about it. 

Bored.

Bored. 

Bored...

But I need to flip that paradigm. I need to get my mind around it in another way. I need to change "boring" to "plugging through." 

So I thought, why not just take a quick break to blog, and then literally plow through the rest of the ribbing? Get it done with and move on. 

I normally do 15-16 rows of ribbing. And I have to make this one identical to the other one. Except I think I'll do the foot properly... So it's 16 rows of ribbing. I'm on row 4. It'll be done by the time the Dr. Who New Year's Day special is on. I know it. 

Yet another mug. I dug this one out of the other cabinet in the kitchen. I have 2 large snowman "latte" style mugs. One of them is really not a good mug; when you heat it in the microwave, it burns your hands to bits. 

This one isn't that one. It held my morning green tea matcha latte. I try to drink that as often as I can, and when I make mine, it's a lot less sweet than the stuff you get at Starbucks. 

That went down nicely. 

Knitting goals for 2019? Well, normally, I don't set goals. I used to, but then I got discouraged, so that took a lot of the fun out of it. When knitting becomes a "chore," it's not a hobby anymore. 

So here's What I'd Like to Happen in 2019 for my knitting. 

1. Finish the singleton socks.
2. Finish the February Lady Sweater.
3. Finish the Before and After peacock color scarf (there are 2 to this project) and figure out how to add beads to the ends. 
4. Finish Kid #2's afghan.
5. Learn cables.

That's it. We'll see how it goes. 

Random Picture...

I got the girls (well, 2 of them - the usual suspects) to wear New Year's hats. I had to whistle to get that Elkie Head Tilt. 

We tried to stay up, but I lasted till 11:30 p.m. Tippi slept with me, on the floor, though, and Hubby told me that at midnite there were fireworks for about 20 minutes. 

Well. Coulda fooled me... I heard a few of them. Got Quinn in her crate, gave them both "boom boom cookies" (dog cookies with CBD oil on them), had Kunzea in the diffuser. Tippi also slept through it, apparently. 

We had a quiet day today. Both are now zonked out next to me in the living room. 

I really wanted to stay up till midnight. I had it all planned. I had some cookies, a special tea I was going to enjoy. I even had a face mask I was going to treat myself to. 

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd.... I got tired. 

Oh well. 

New Years came without me. It's ok. 

What did you do special to bring in the new year? Any plans? Let's chat!

Looks Like Prune Juice...

I mean my iron infusions. Seriously, they look like I'm ingesting prune juice via IV. And I actually LIKE prune juice. Especially warmed, with maybe a slice of lemon if I have it around. 

OK, so this isn't a great picture, but remember, one arm is tethered down with the IV set-up, and I'm balancing a camera which isn't set up to just touch the center of the picture to snap it. 

The OLD Windows phone allowed you to do that. Microsoft caved in and made you have to hit the "camera" icon and you have to hit it with a fingertip, not a fingerNAIL. Trust me on this one. 

Here's the IV set up. They're alternating arms, so next week I get to have my left arm skewered. This last time, I was actually in a room, not in the (very cold) common area. Still, I brought along the red knitted capelet I bought from WinterSilks. It was on clearance, otherwise I'd give y'all the link. 

It covered my neck and down to my elbows, which was just enough. As you can see, it's not likely that I'll be knitting during these infusions (drat), but I do get a fair bit of reading done. And if I chose to, I could probably drag my laptop along, but I don't want to do that. Too much crap to handle, and I don't want to risk it falling off the tiny table they give you. 

My entire professional life is on this laptop, and I don't want to be in danger of losing it. 

Copy Writing...

So. No word on the job yet. Stressed much? It hit me hard today, and I told BossLady in an e-mail. She's a peach. No, I mean it. She has just about given herself an ulcer trying to get me and The Assistant placed elsewhere in the university - preferably running the new site, though they can't seem to see that they need us there. 

Anyway, she e-mailed me back and said, "You know, you can just stop working on 12/12 - I will fill in."

And while it's tempting, my Better Self says to just suck it up and complete my job. Which is what I told her. I appreciated her offer, but she's insanely busy and I don't want to give her any more work. I can do this. I'm a big girl. 

But there are days when I really feel like I'm the statue and there are about 4 flocks of Canadian Geese flying overhead, fully loaded. It's just the way it is, lately.

Anyway, I have aligned myself with the American Writers Association, Inc., and will be taking a brush-up course on copy writing. I fancy myself a fairly good writer, and I believe I can be persuasive when I need to be. 

So I'm aiming to do web content and social media in a few specific areas that are appealing to me: alternative health, yoga, pets, public relations, and cooking. I have expertise in these areas, and I believe firmly that you write most passionately about that which you are passionate. 

For example, copywriters in the finance area make huge money. But I'm not good at that. Was my MBA a waste? Nope. My concentration(s) included HR and Marketing. I had to take the finance stuff, and I have a passing familiarity. But I'm not comfortable in that role. 

So. I will take about 3 months to finish the brush-up courses, build a portfolio and then launch myself back into the freelance world. I'm starting with folks I know, and I'll go from there. 

I write really good press releases, so I can at least offer my services there at the beginning. 

Knitting...

Speaking of knitting, I'm at about 13.5" on the blanket -- so, almost 50%!!! That's of the body - I still have to do the ruffle. 

Using math (don't be shocked), I think that if I can do 7 rows a day (not REPEATS, but rows) -- remember, it's cotton, so it's a bit of a stinker on the hands - I can get the body done in 10 days. Perhaps, with the holiday weekend, I can stick 7 rows at the beginning of the day and 7 at the end, speeding up the process, if my hands can take it. 

Then, likely 5 days to finish the ruffle, wash and block (I really want to block this thing) and mail it. 

There. Baby knitting DONE. I will still, of course, work on knitting from stash for the easy baby sweaters, booties and hats. But until I have grandKIDS and not grandCATS -- no more afghans. At least not in cotton!

The sock - I have it at work, but I was listening to a webinar and taking notes, and I was searching up invoices for various services at the campus. BossLady wanted to know about servicing the sprinklers, etc. 

So no sock knitting. I'll do my 7 rows today when I get home, and while the turkey is cooking. Maybe some sock knitting in the evening, watching Sherlock on BBC America unless there's a better movie on. 

Immigration...

One more time: It is NOT an amnesty program. It's deferred deportation. BIG difference. And really? Why is this an issue when Ike did it. Nixon did it. Ford did it. Both Bushs did it. Reagan did it. 

Hmmmmmmmmmm. One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong. 

Would it be the BLACK guy in the WHITE House?

Republicans need to back off and start governing for the PEOPLE - and I'm talking about the ones with lungs, brains and reproductive organs. Not the "people" of the corporate world. 

But hey... keep it up. Way to zap yourself back into oblivion. 

Soup...

Turkey is in the oven for Sunday's dinner. The relish is thawing. The potatoes will be done tomorrow a.m.

I had a lovely lunch. Ham sandwich on a pretzel bun, with homemade cream of broccoli soup. We had the broccoli and I had intended it as a side dish, but things got insanely crazy...So before we had to pitch it, this idea came to my head. Well, I searched for the recipe and found one that was so easy that Tippi could do it, if she had thumbs. 

It was really good the next day, after the flavors had a chance to sit for a while. I'm going to go get some tea shortly and knit on that blessed baby blanket. 

After I check the turkey. 

Random Picture...

My gorgeous Tippi. Last night, she heard something and I was able to catch this shot of her. Usually, you see her in some goofy outfit for her therapy work. 

When she came to us, she was a wraith. Scraggly coat; just had given birth a few months prior; ill-fed. And scared. But resigned. 

Scared + resigned is horrible to see in a lovely animal such as she is. 

But after she settled down, she found her place: as queen of the household! 

She's 7 years old and has a cataract. She's intelligent, goofy, loving and one of the best dogs I've had. 

My little heart-dog. 

It's Time for Soup...

OK, so the elections didn't go off the way I wanted, but hey - the turnout was good and we were busy as election judges. No machines crapped out. No voters were denied the right to vote. Except for the crazy lady (and I'm deadly serious here; I'll be calling the States Attorney's Office today), it all went off nicely. 

But today is today. Yesterday, I was in a total fog; feeling cruddy physically and mentally. Overwhelmed and sad. But I figure this: Nothing is going to be totally ruined in 2 years. 

They'll just do the same thing that they've been doing. Nothing. 

That being said, it's November. The radio stations are promising Christmas music already (oh, please...) and people are talking about Christmas shopping and all that. I'm going to be missing my usual "Girls' Shopping Expedition" because I have a Free Clinic workshop that week. Hubby will be happy about that...

So. In the spirit of November, fall, cool weather and the time change, I give you:

                                                     Butternut Squash Soup

1 large or 2 medium butternut squash; slice in half, peel, and scoop out the seeds. Chop roughly.

2 large-ish carrots, chunked

2 large Granny Smith apples, quartered and cored. 

1/2 c. leeks, chopped

2 T. olive oil + 2 T. butter

Salt, pepper to taste

1 t. Tarragon

1/2 t. dried lemon peel

8 c. water or veggie stock (add 2 Knorr Veggie cubes if you're using plain water)

1 c. half-and-half

Put the oil + butter in the bottom of a stock pot, heat to melt the butter. Add leeks. Stir around till they're slightly translucent. Add the carrots, squash and apples, and stir around. Let that all saute for about 10 minutes, with the lid on. Add the salt, pepper, tarragon and lemon peel.

Add the water or stock. Bring to a boil, stir it up and then bring down to a simmer. Simmer, covered, about 20-30 minutes - till you can poke the squash and it's tender (the apples will be mushy, but don't worry about that). 

Shut off the heat; use a stick blender (the easiest) and whiz it all up to your favorite consistency - I like it as smooth as I can get it. Then, add the half-and-half, and whiz again just to blend. 

NOTE: IF YOU WANT TO USE BAY LEAF (which tastes yummy), PLEASE REMOVE IT BEFORE YOU WHIZ IT UP. YOU CAN'T EAT BAY LEAF!! 

Serve warm in a mug you can hug. It also freezes nicely, but leave about 1" head-space for expansion. 

Enjoy!

Knitting...

Well, tonight, I'm home, so I'm going to just blitz through the St. Charles sock and see how it goes. I'll start on the blanket tomorrow. I have my first iron infusion, so I'll have to bring knitting and the Kindle so I can have something to occupy myself while they're watching me. 

I've turned the heel and done the gusset. It was a little weird because I ended up having more stitches on one side, so there's some "fudge" built into the sock.   And speaking of socks, here's the "Knit from Sock Stash" project. 

Hubby did his bit. I pulled 12 yarns and he stuck them in bags and labeled them for each month. I'm going to attempt to knit a pair of socks a month, starting in January. One of our designer friends in our "Addicted to Sock Knitting" group is generously going to provide patterns for us, but we can also default to our old favorites if necessary.

For example, I have a car-load of Opal, and most of it is self-patterning/striping. I wouldn't do a fancy lace pattern or something complex with cables (though I don't know how to do cables in the first place...) with a self-striping yarn. It's just too busy. 

But in my "Bags-O-Stash" I know there are some yarns somewhere that'll make nice lace or complex patterns. 

It'll be a nice way for me to not only make the sock drawer more attractive, but also get some of that stuff knit up. 

It also makes room for More Yarn. Which is still cheaper than therapy...I think. 

Politics...

OK, I wasn't going to go there, but I am going to anyway. The mid-terms were destined to really stink if you were a Democrat. The Republicans (and why ANY woman would be Republican? It just makes my head spin) have their people all together. They are in lockstep and I imagine this when I think of them...

And no, I really don't care if it's seemingly "offensive." 

The GOP platform is inherently "offensive" if you have a working brain cell, ovaries, and/or are human.   They talk "compromise," but that's not the first thing I thought of this morning, when I read the Chicago Tribune. Mitchy says he's not going to shut down the government or hold the deficit hostage, but as my friend Jan said, "Did he clear that with Ted Cruz and Joni Ernst?" 

Because he will be just as much an obscure footnote as Boehner is: leader of the least-effective Congress in history. But to hear them talk, Obama is the weak link.

And speaking of weak links, I'm sooooooooooo sick and tired of the Dems who jumped ship. Hey, folks - howzabout you tout the things that WORKED? Stop appealing to the "base" - which are truly the lowest-educated and lowest-informed voters. Perhaps if you talked to those of us who DO think, we'd be less discouraged and more inclined to work harder.

Oh, and let's get the big money out of Election$.... Or, if you prefer: $election$ - because so many of our politicians are truly bought-and-paid for. 

Yes, on both sides of the aisle. 

We have 2 years to watch them do nothing. They'll be busy yammering about "impeaching" the "illegitimate" (so illegitimate that we elected him TWICE) president, and hopefully, we can all finally wake up and smell the coffee.

And say it out loud: They're offended that a BLACK man won the WHITE House. And they want it back to where it properly belongs: in the hands of a rich, conservative white guy. Obama is perceived to be an "uppity" elitist black guy who manages to be, in no particular order: Marxist, Socialist, Fascist, Muslim, Kenyan, illegitimate, etc. Insert your favorite pejorative here... The sooner they can be shed of him and have an upright Christian American MALE in there? The better.

Baghhhhhhhhhh. We get the government we deserve. 

Random Picture...

I'll have to pull one out of the archives, because my Sky Drive is acting wonky. I can't even show you a picture of the socks; the Hi-Res pictures show up, but the other ones don't. And obviously, I don't want a bunch of hi-res pictures on my camera, because I don't want to use up all the space.

Yes. It's The Teal Sock. 

And yes, it's still a singleton. The other one is resting comfortably in the yarn bowl, under a pile of catalogs. It's that time of year, so the mail is full of holiday catalogs. Which I pile up till I get sick of them, and then they go into the recycle bin.

But for now, they're hiding the fact that I haven't done a single stitch on The Other Teal Sock. In months. 

Hey, I've got a baby blanket to finish before Christmas.

That's my story, and I'm sticking' to it!