While I'm Waiting...

I figured I'd get a jump on the blog, since I'm trying to communicate with you all a little more frequently. 

A Sweater Is Almost Born...

It's beginning to look like a sweater! I'm now churning along on the other sleeve and front. I'll look and see if the pattern is on Ravelry. It came in a booklet when I renewed a subscription about a decade ago, and it's my go-to sweater. You'd think I could knit it in my sleep. But I still need directions. 

Speaking of which...There's a part where you take off the stitches you held on a holder - put them back on a live needle and "join yarn." The yarn that you cut to do the one half, you now have to put back and immediately bind off a number of stitches. 

I've puzzled over that for a long while and I've tried various methods. The directions simply say "join yarn." Following the dictum of Elizabeth Zimmerman, the doyenne of all things knitterly, I used my brain. Knitting, says the immortal EZ, is not rocket science. See the quote above! 

So below are some photos. The yarn is striping up nicely; it's going to look wonderful on The Little Man. And the 6-month size will be plenty for him to grow into. 

The next photo shows the stitches removed from the holder and placed live onto my circulars. It's a fairly easy job to do so, and just takes a tad bit of time and some patience. You don't have to worry about orientation because this is straight knitting. Nothing fancy. Let the yarn do the work for you. 

Weave in row below live stitches...

I grabbed an easy-threading needle and pulled about 6" of yarn off the ball; I picked an area just below the live stitches, on the WRONG side, so that I could weave it in and it wouldn't show on the front. I put the needle through the first stitch, and then proceeded to weave in and out for a few stitches, dropped down a row, did a little more weaving, and then finish it off. 

You'll notice that I went in on the right side of the needles - it is the WRONG side of the fabric, but you have to attach the yarn so that you can immediately pick up that end as the "working" yarn. 

This technique also involves a crochet hook, which I find particularly helpful in snagging up those last ends of the yarn, and also in pulling through when your needle is long and the tail of the yarn is not.

Go below the row you started in...

Keep a crochet hook in your tool bag. Even if you never crochet, you'll find a multitude of uses for it, including (shudder) picking up dropped stitches, picking up the gusset stitches of a sock (so much easier than "knitting on" the stitches - at least to me...), and if you're a fringe person, a crochet hook is the way to go to knot the fringe on the ends of a shawl or scarf. Or wherever it is you people put fringe...

In fact, if you're ever stumped for a gift for a knitter, a set of crochet hooks, while it might sound counter-productive, is actually a good idea. I find Susan Bates to be just about the easiest to get, and they have a decent size range. I'm not even going to provide a link, because Google comes up with about 6 or 7 ways to purchase them. 

Easy-thread plastic needle is good for yarn thickness...

The easy-threading needle is probably a Clover. Again, Google is great in figuring out where to buy these things. I've tried several different ones, and while I really like the Chibi needles for Kitchener stitch, for this purpose, the plastic one suited the project much better. 

Crochet hook to pull through.

Tool kits are awesome and are easily personalized once you experiment with what tools you may need for the knitting you do most often. Another thing I've done is replicate that tool kit. Yes, I know - sounds counterintuitive. But remember, if you have multiple projects going, then you have multiple bags to work with. Having a couple of tool kits makes it easy to make sure that everything is at your fingertips when you need it and you don't have to (gasp!) stop knitting to find something. 

So now it's a chug for 8" and then I bind off the bottom of the other sleeve. Then the body and it should be done, needles willing, in about 2 weeks. 

Finished weaving...

Which is good, because perhaps The Little Man will be home and this will be nice to greet him with. 

I'm not sure I'll have much left over; I'm thinking he needs some Baby Uggs, and maybe if I can find some red superwash wool in the stash, that would balance out those bright shiny red buttons I have planned for this sweater. It would be cool if I had red - a tiny little cap with a rolled brim? Too, too cute!

And I made this...

Mala Bag

This is a long-ago project that I recently dug out of a purse when I was switching things around for my MIL's funeral. This is hand-dyed sock-weight yarn from my friend, now passed, Sonda. I made a hat with this yarn, had a whack of yarn leftover, and I decided to make a little bag. This is enough to hold a rosary (if you're Catholic), a special necklace, or I use it for my mala beads. 

It's a simple stockinette stitch, and then a ribbing toward the top. I also used yarn-overs to make holes every so often. Then I created an I-cord and wove it through the holes to tie up the bag. The bag seams up the sides; simple weaving stitch. This is a nice way to use up sock yarn, if you need little "trinket" bags. They're relatively mindless till you get to the yarn-overs, and frankly, I did them on either side of a 3x2 rib...so to me, this looks like the top of a sock, which is kind of a full circle. Sonda got me started knitting socks...

Knitting Injured...

If you zoom in on this, you'll see a "blister bandage." I'm a pusher. I push off the right needle when I knit. And in this case, with the Kollage steel needles, those stinkers are SHARP! And I've developed a little nick in my left index finger. After several hours of knitting, it gets irritated. 

Band-Aid "blister" bandages - which are useless on blisters, in my opinion - are perfect for this kind of knitting injury. They're cushioned, they're waterproof, and they stick like crazy. Except for the taper at the tip of your finger, they fit nicely, and can be trimmed with a sharp scissor. 

I've used this technique each time I've used the Kollage square needles. I love those needles. They make lovely stitches and they do enable me to knit for long periods of time. 

But they're so sharp that it's very easy to stab yourself. Or someone else, come to think of it! (No, I didn't really say that out loud, did I?)

What we knitters do for our craft!

Politics...

So Bernie won Indiana and Cruz dropped out of the race. I heard a scary thing today. As the "presumptive" nominee, Trump will get courtesy copies of a version of the President's Daily Briefing. It's a tradition extended to the nominees of both parties. 

Much as I dislike Hillary, I can trust her to keep her mouth shut. Trump? That narcissistic SOB will likely Tweet them out... 

While we're at it, let's talk about civility and keeping friendships intact. 

There's this group I (used to) belong to. It was made up of strong-minded women who differed quite often in their opinions but listened to each other. 

This election cycle? Notice the parenthetical statement. I have just walked away. They've gone nuts. Absolutely insane. If you support Bernie, you're a moron. If you don't support Hillary, you're a traitor to the Ovary Crowd. And some of the Bernie folks have become Bernie-Bots. Several people hurled accusations against each other. Several had and have hurt feelings. A few say they didn't do what they're being accused of. 

So a group which has had at least a decade of friendships has gone pffffth because this election cycle is so warped and so mean. Really. 

Let's just think about this. Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee. 

Trump. Reality show. Serial bankrupt. Selfish misogynist. Wants to build a wall around Mexico and have them pay for it. Has "huuuuuuuuuuuuge" plans, but can't give specifics. A moron. 

The world is laughing at this development, but I believe there's a hit of terror in that laughter because this idiot could be elected. 

If the Democrats don't get their collective heads out of their nether parts, we will lose this election. Period. 

I don't like Hillary. I don't like the idea of a coronation. I do like the idea of a woman president, but I don't like her. But I'm going to vote AGAINST Trump being president. 

While we're at it, can people please stop making ignorant comments about President Obama? Especially his daughters. I mean, seriously people... The child got into Harvard. Her father graduated from Harvard. Her mother graduated from Princeton. 

For God's sake: even George BUSH - not the brightest crayon in the box - had a legacy seat at Yale. 

The kids are off-limits. Even Bush's kids. They're just off-limits. 

So in regard to our group? I'm not sure I'll be back. I'm really not a "take my toys and go home" kind of gal. But I really have been assessing what's healthy for me. Healthy in the sense of, do I really want to be the "mom" of the group? One person has chosen to assert herself as putative leader. She's someone I don't always agree with and I can live with that. What I can't live with is being dictated to. I already have my own mom who is happy to tell me what I should be doing... Don't need it in my social life. 

So I may or may not return to the group after November. But for sure, I will be thinking about how this election has affected families, friendships, and other relationships. 

We need to pull together to think about what's good for our country. But right now, we're so polarized, I'm not overly confident that that will happen. 

Random Picture...

One recipe of my lovely MIL's - and no, I don't have it handy, otherwise I'd post it here. They're Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies and we usually add coconut because we love it. 

Hubby made them. Yes, I've been avoiding sugar. And it's been about 10 days of full-moon-like behavior from people around me, so yes, I've eaten (more than) a few...

I keep telling myself that oatmeal is good for you. And so is coconut, right?

Right? 

Making Hay...

...while what's left of the sun shines.

Knitting...

Today being Saturday, I got up, taught the 9 a.m. class I'm subbing while Janae is out on maternity leave, and then got home to get cracking on that project...

New Arrival Cardigan

So far, I've done 21 rows of the right front on the baby jacket. I'm plugging along and working to get the other 39 rows done. Probably not tonight, but this weekend, for sure. 

I'm also catching up on one of my favorite blogs, and on a "Dual Survival" marathon. Using the idea that you shouldn't just focus on one thing for long periods of time.

True story: I was zipping away on a prayer shawl with a definite deadline, and I didn't shift my field of vision. I looked out the front window at Hubby, and realized I could not see.

I mean, my distance vision was totally blurry. Scared the heck out of me. So now, I make sure that I have a few things going: computer distance, TV distance, out the window distance, and I did several other things as well today. 

Oh, and I got the new Piecework magazine. But I haven't had a chance to look through it. I'll save that for later...

Dinner...

The perennial "what do you want for dinner?" question is a pain in the rear. Especially when I get that question at 10 a.m.! I know we have to think about defrosting something, and I really dislike the idea of nuking it because Hubby has the annoying habit (sorry, dear!) of nuking it in its original container. Drives me nuts. 

So he pulled out a roasting chicken early this morning. I roasted it today. Just some lemon, salt & pepper, and a spice rub that one of my SILs gave us for Christmas. Veggie broth was the "marinade" for the roast. Brown rice, a salad, and we had dinner. 

And enough left over for me to do chicken salad for lunch tomorrow. 

Easy Chicken Salad...

I've finally conquered a simple chicken salad without too much fuss. It uses leftovers. Plus some other stuff that most people have in their fridge.

Chop up about 2 c. of cooked chicken (or you can shred it)
Add 1 T. yellow mustard (plain old yellow is fine, thanks)
Add 1 T. dill pickle relish (use sweet if that's all you have)
Add about 3 - 4 T. Hellman's Mayo (this is my preferred mayo)
Add about 1/2 c. diced celery
Add a dash of onion powder (unless you have fresh spring onions - use fresh spring onions, diced, if you have them)

Mix this all up in a large bowl. 

Add 1/2 t. dried dill, and a pinch of salt & pepper (fresh ground, if you have it)

Place in a covered container, chill through (overnight, if you can) and eat it on a bed of lettuce with a cut -up avocado, or in a sandwich.

You can add more mayo if you need it a little looser. 

Easiest thing ever. So that's on the docket for tomorrow. 

Bike Ride...

Now, in spite of TWO falls on the left hand within a month, I have, thankfully, not broken it. But I've got a brace (which I'm not wearing so I can type and knit). Tomorrow is supposed to be lovely, so I'll strap on the brace and we'll go for the first bike ride of 2016. 

I got notified last night that they're shipping out a new Jawbone UP-3, so in the meantime, I'll use the other one and see if it works with the bike ride. Pedometers don't work, and it's frustrating. 

My activity level goes down over the weekend, unless I'm at a workshop or we go on a ride. But I get my steps in during the week, with the day job and the teaching, so I don't fuss or fret when the Jawbone says "you're slacking off." 

Yes, I am. 

And I'm ok with that. I need my vegetation time. I need to recharge. I need to work on projects that I neglect during the week because my schedule is so packed. 

So be it. I'm good. 

I have my favorite mug filled with chamomile tea; I'm watching TV and typing this blog. I'll knit more in a bit. It's Saturday and I need to let my brain unhinge itself from the busy-ness of the work week. 

Politics...

So I've been relatively quiet on this score for a while. But I can't keep quiet any longer. 

I'm so disheartened with the "Bernie's gotta go" crowd. One of them is someone I've known for a long time, and she's bound and determined that nobody but Hillary is going to be elected. 

Which is fine if it happens. But at this point in Hillary's campaign in 2008, she was still in it and "inevitable" till Hurricane Obama came through. 

Bernie may not win. But let's make this an election. Not a coronation. Let's listen to both of them and let's see what happens. We're in the midst of a too-long and too expensive primary season. Let it play out. 

I'm a liberal, tree-hugging yogini. I'm not even going to address the mess that is the conservative wing of this nation. Except to say that it is my firm belief that Paul Ryan's "no" means "yes."

We shall see. 

Random Picture...

My favorite mug. Given to me by my oldest friend. And Hubby hasn't managed to break it yet (he's a mug-destroyer, and he doesn't mean to be). Tonight, it's filled with tea and sitting next to me. 

Mugs are an easy way to get my attention. I have more of them than I need, and it's a standing joke with the kids. I call it "their inheritance."

They call it "after the funeral garage sale."

I think they're joking. It's hard to tell sometimes. 

Either way, I won't be in a position to argue, then, will I?

It's time for me to get back to work if I want to get that front done this weekend. If I can get to that point, then maybe I won't feel so bad about setting it aside for another week. 

What are you working on now? How's it going? What's the next thing in your project bag?

So, It's Been A Trip...

So much has happened since we last chatted. Where to begin?

Sad News...

My lovely MIL passed in April. She was just shy of 89; had lived a good, long, faith-filled life, and died at peace with Whatever Comes Next. 

Seriously, that's what she told my SIL. "I'm ok with whatever comes next. I'm ready."

She didn't die of "anything" in particular. She died of "old." I will remember her as always smiling. Not a silly, Pollyanna, "I'm clueless" kind of smile. But a "hey, world, you can toss crap at me, and I'm ok with it, because I know what's what" kind of smile. 

A kind smile that lit up the room. A welcoming smile that reached out to you so that you may have been a stranger, for a nanosecond or so, but now you were family. 

A smile that said that she was happy doing what she did best: making everyone feel as if they were the most important person she spoke to all day. 

She'll be missed by many, and her children are going to feel her loss all the more because she truly was the anchor of the family. She and my FIL are waltzing up in Heaven. 

Glad News...

Our yoga teacher had her baby. Well, this is glad-ish...he was VERY early. Like 11 weeks early. He's doing OK all things considered, but it's a rocky start for the little man. 

I'm madly knitting away at the sweater. I've got the first sleeve done and I'm working on the right front now. Remember, this is a one-piece rectangle with arms. Only 2 seams! My kind of jacket! Looking at the picture, you see the blue yarn holding the back of the neck and left arm stitches on there.

So I will finish with the right front, take the stitches off the yarn holder and do the left front. Then you fold it over at the shoulder area and seam up under the arms and sides. The trickiest part is actually the 2 buttonholes. 

This is Cascade Superwash Paints; washable wool. I love the sophisticated colorway. I've got 3/4" red buttons for the front. 

If I have enough yarn left, I'll make "baby Uggs" for him. This is a 6-month size, and I was joking that he was so small that FINALLY, a baby will fit in a sweater I make for more than 2 minutes!

More On the Funeral...

So. It would have been NICE to be at the funeral. We weren't. Well, we were. Sort of. 

The family does this "Family Mass" and "Vigil" thing that I had never been exposed to. The body lies at the funeral home. The afternoon before the funeral, his uncle, a former priest, says a family mass. Then we go back to the house, have a dinner, and then head to the church. 

In the meantime, she's brought to the church, and we do a "vigil" with a rosary and then a prayer service. She lies in state in the church; this is open to the community as the "wake." 

Then the next day is the funeral mass and burial. 

We made it in to MT. We got to the house, got to the Family Mass, where we sang as cantors. Then we did the Vigil. We had brought our cameras and were supposed to videotape the funeral for the relatives who couldn't make it out. 

We got up the next morning in Great Falls to see snow. In April, yes. We got ready to hit the road and before 8 a.m., we were out the door. 

Twenty miles out of Great Falls, they closed the highway. This was our view driving back south. 

I let Hubby make the call. I've driven in snow - we live in Illinois! But this was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Our rental was a 2-WD. There were no snow tires. No snow brushes. Not even a shovel. And the slush was grabbing at the tires as if it was determined to pull us into a ditch. 

We're in the mountains, remember, so even cell service is sketchy. It's not like here - if you end up in a ditch, you just call the IDOT Minutemen or a tow truck. You get stuck in the ditch outside of Great Falls, you'd better hope you get stuck in an area where you can call someone. And then hope they come before you run out of gas, because it's going to be hours. And hours. 

As we were going north, they shifted us off onto the Frontage Road. We got to the top of the hill, and the bypass we were supposed to be on had a car on it. Sideways. 

With a snowplow trying to dig it out. The Frontage Road north wasn't even plowed. 

Again, I remind you, this is Montana. It's not like here: you close Rt 55, then you can take Rt. 57... The next highway going north is right at the base of the Rockies. If they haven't plowed THIS road, they surely haven't plowed that one. 

So we turned off, pointed ourselves south, and almost slid into a ditch. It took another hour to get back to Great Falls. I was heartbroken, but the family was rather philosophical about it all. 

"It's April. Blizzards happen, and the farmers are doing a happy dance with all this snow!"

She was a twin. Her twin brother had died in the spring, and the highways were closed by a freak blizzard. But HE had the good sense to wait till he was buried before the highways closed!

She had a statement to make, I guess. The highways closed before! Half the town had no power; they weren't even sure if the church would have heat and lights. Those who were in town already attended. Those of us who were in Great Falls were unable to do so. But again - springtime in the Rockies!

The Chalice...

So at the family Mass, Fr. Jim had a chalice. He explained the symbols on it, and I thought you'd like to see it. I got to carry it across the room, since he and Hubby moved the temporary altar before the Mass started. It's quite heavy. 

Look closely. See the gold ring right under the "bowl" of the chalice? That's the wedding ring of Hubby's great-grandmother. 

The black stone is a stone from their "home-place" - the homestead where they grew up. Jim had it polished up and carved to fit the chalice. 

At the base, you'll see a small ruby in a little filigree design. That's Great-Grandma's engagement ring. 

The symbols of this chalice are amazing. 

RIP Jawbone...

So I got a Jawbone. I wanted a fitness band that wasn't obnoxious. I wear a watch, as you can see, and I don't want to NOT wear a watch. I don't want something whiz-bang that sends me email, gives me voicemails and does weather reports. I want a thing that counts my steps and tells me how I slept. 

(Though in truth, most mornings, I absolutely KNOW how the night before went!) 

Anyway, the Jawbone was unobtrusive, so I went with that. I also like the neutral color of the band. Hubby has a clunky looking one, and he's looking to replace it with a watch-like device. I didn't want all the "stuff" or "functions" that they have. Just want steps and sleep. 

And today, I had to get it replaced. After only 4 months, it wasn't holding a charge and the metal band part was separating, so it never fully connected to the charger. 

I had a lovely "chat" with the help people, and they're sending out a new one. 

I still like it. I like the basic functions, and I like the fact that it's not showy. My watch tells me the date, keeps time, and glows in the dark. That's all I need from that. And the Jawbone keeps track of the rest of it. 

It has encouraged me to move more. I'm also using my arm-sized hula hoops, which has done good things for my upper body strength. I figure that all of the movement combined is a good thing. 

Sadly, it doesn't track knitting! 

I should have the new one in about 10 days. 

Random Picture...

...and random act of kindness. 

I'm friends with a gal named Lulu, and we met during our elephant journal internship. She's still writing more than I am and I think she's editing for them. I wish - but life took me in another direction. 

She is taking watercolor classes and she happened to post this picture. I complimented her on it, saying, "I'd hang that in my office!" 

Next thing you know, it's in the mail to me!  I took it to Michael's and got it framed. What do you think?

Isn't it gorgeous? The framer was also very pleased. Not only with how it turned out (which is beautiful) but with the actual picture. She's a watercolor artist, and she said Lulu's technique was lovely. 

Of course I repeated that to her! It's a beautiful picture, given with love, and framed with love. It's not hanging at my office. 

I hung it in my living room so I could see it every day. Well, hopefully next time there won't be so much time between entries. Till then!

Soooooo...

...that pair of socks I was telling you about? The ones I said were lost?

Well, I haven't exactly LOST them. 

I just haven't FINISHED them... 

I was ripping apart my knitting area, and I spied a couple of project bags hanging off my Ott Light. So the one contained the "Bowties are Cool" that needs finishing... 

And the other contained Watermelon Sock #1.

Well. We won't belabor the point. The good news is that I did NOT lose a hand-made pair of socks. 

And...

I've finished the FIRST pair of 2016. Here are the Vanilla Latte variation, out of SweetGeorgia, chai spice. Eye of Partridge heel, and cast-on of 72 stitches. I think I should have made them smaller. But I also haven't blocked or washed them yet. 

I'd use SweetGeorgia again - which is good, because there are at least 2 more hanks in my stash somewhere. It's a lovely yarn and I'm hoping it wears long. It does need a simple pattern, though - as you can see, if it was too busy, you'd lose the pattern or the colors would be muddy. 

E-mail Inventor Dies...

So the guy who kept the @ symbol alive has died. Raymond Tomlinson died on the 5th of March. He said that he was "just fooling around" with the ARPANET program. He even said, "I knew exactly what I was doing, but I just had no notion whatsoever about what the ultimate impact would be." 

Aside from the near-death of "real" mail, he's kind of the father of modern technology. When we have a client who doesn't have e-mail, we're all agog. My mother doesn't have e-mail. But maybe she has a point. I like a day off every now and then. 

I don't think he meant it to turn into the juggernaut it is. But it is what it is, and now he's gone to his reward. 

Fundraiser Story...

So we were at a fundraiser for one of the groups I'm involved in. It was at a lovely place, close to home, and I was envisioning weddings and receptions...

This was the decor for our fundraiser. There were more bunnies than you could think of. The forsythia is silk, but it really brightened up the place.

Then the luncheon came along. 

My salad had a worm on it. I mean, a small worm was crawling along the perimeter of the plate. So of course, I had the waiter bring me another one. 

The salad was "artisanal greens" and included in the greens was a baby head of red oak lettuce - one of my favorites...except that the bottom inch or so was MUDDY. At least half of our table of 10 sent back salads with muddy stems. 

I wasn't happy. I had to contact the folks who chaired the event, and while I was thrilled at the venue, I wasn't thrilled with the muddy, and wormy salad. I think they should be refunded. 

I hope that they at least made some money!

Random Picture... 

Just a small reminder that spring will be here soon. Daylight Savings time is coming up; the days are getting longer. 


My dill will be coming up soon; the coneflowers will bloom. And hopefully, we'll see some more butterflies this year. 

I bought some Seedles seed balls. You should try them. We need to bring back the bees and the butterflies. 

Have a place to sit and watch nature. Have a place to just be. Not too much, not too little. Just enough. 

A place to breathe. A place to rest. 

A place where you can have a cup of tea or sit quietly and just do nothing. And by doing nothing, you're doing something. 

You're refreshing your soul. 

Give some thought to a place like that at home. We all need it. 

I've Lost...

...a pair of socks. 

In the normal scheme of things, you'd think, "So???"

But this was a pair of my hand-knit socks. I don't have a ton of knit socks, though I'm working on it. 

And (the knitting gods will bite me for this one), it wasn't my particularly favorite pair. 

But. 

They're hand-knit. And they're lost. Crap.

I had them before my Florida trip. I even checked my suitcases. Crap. 

They're the plain vanilla socks knit with Opal's version of the "watermelon" colorway. I'm not overly fond of the large amount of yellow in this melon, but all in all, they're hand-knit and they're Opal - a great sock yarn that I use a lot. 

They'll turn up. They'll turn up. They'll turn up. I just keep repeating that till I hope it comes true. 

Knitting Otherwise...

I'm plugging along on the chai spice Vanilla Latte variation. Sock #2 is coming along. It's the last weekend of TMC's Oscar Month, and "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (the Robert Donat/Greer Garson version - the best one) is on now. I'm on the foot of the sock. My goal this weekend is to get to the toe. 

I'll be bringing The Baby Jacket to the primary election. Unless I start another pair of socks, but they'd have to be straight up vanilla. No patterns in a primary election...as a judge, you do get downtime, but I don't want anything complex to have to fiddle with. 

I have to download the Drachenfels shawl pattern... I have the yarn for two colorways. I also have a hat pattern to download, but the way this winter is going, it looks like I won't need it. 

Yeah. That just jinxed March...I'm sorry. 

Politics...

I'm a Bernie fan. I'm also a realist. The entire GOP field is a non-starter, even if I was inclined to vote against my femaleness. 

And yes, it IS against being a woman. I've said a couple of times that the GOP wants small government and they're mostly interested in fitting the government into a woman's vagina. 

Bernie may not get a lot done, but he knows how to work with the Senate. 

For those who wonder why I'm not a fan of Hillary, it's really simple. Just because I'm female doesn't mean I'm automatically going to vote for her. I'm not a fan. I think she's far too corporate-owned, just like most of the rest of Washington. 

Do we need a woman president? Yes. It's time. Do we need gender parity in our House and Senate? Yes. It's PAST time. Do we need gender parity on the Supreme Court? Oh yeah...

But just because we need more women in places of power, we still need quality candidates. Just a set of ovaries doesn't do it. 

So that all being said, I'll vote for the Democratic nominee. Because I still feel that the Democrats, if they can work as a "herd," can get things done. We just don't "herd" as well as the GOP. But the GOP is herding itself off a cliff if they're starting to think that they can work with Trump. Let them shoot themselves in the foot... 

Cooking...

So my mom's laid up after shoulder surgery. Remember, I'm NOT the kid who's a nurse. I'm the cook. 

Today's plans (including the above-mentioned knitting) will be to cook her a few meals she can eat. She's been eating Lean Cuisines...and I'm sorry, they're processed muck. You can't survive on those; they're really not any good for you. 

She eats like a bird, so I have to ratchet it down a bit. So far, I've got "Two-fer Tuna" - a couple of small tuna casseroles. Next up is meatloaf with some potato wedges. 

I'm on a "chicken salad" kick...It's really simple: just cooked chicken, celery, horseradish, mayo and mustard. And a bit of some sort of savory - this time, dill. It's chilling in the fridge now. Of course, like anything I cook, you can "up" or "down" this dish: I start simple and then fiddle. 

The tuna casserole isn't anywhere near what I've grown up with. My mother's used wide egg noodles and cream-of-something soup. And canned green beans.

I used whole-wheat pasta shells (tiny ones), made a roux and used leeks and green peppers (she loves green peppers). I used some "sharp American" cheese instead of cheddar, added some peas, and then did a panko, parmesan and paprika topping. It's in a couple of small dishes; she can easily remove the cover with one hand,and they're sized just right for one. 

Of course, Raisa had her nose practically in the dish. "Leave it" is a great command. Even for a pig-headed Husky. 

Any other ideas for one-handed dishes would be great...I'm thinking of a pasta with a shape that she can eat with a spoon. She's had surgery on her right arm, and she's absolutely NOT good with her left hand. 

Come to think of it, taking away the green peppers, the Two-fer Tuna will be good for me and Hubby. Even in my smallest casserole dish, it's too much for the two of us. I like to make soups that we can freeze and I can take to lunch. I try to not take fish-type dishes to work - they get smelly. 

But this would be good for Lent. For us, I can add spinach and mushrooms. 

Random Picture...

Speaking of said pig-headed Husky... This was the scene by my chair. She's cat-like in that I'm certain she's determined to kill me. She winds her way beneath my chair, curls around the legs, and one day, I'm convinced, she'll stand straight up, propelling me through the front door. 

Of course, there's Tippi, who's prone to whomping into my chair after they get back from a walk - this morning, she moved it 2" toward the front window. Quinn has also decided to do the same...

My dogs are out to get me!

How Do You Die?

As we hear more over the next few days about how Justice Antonin Scalia died, it brings to my mind deaths in my own family. Most memorably, it brings back to me how my grandmother died.

Wedding Day

She always said that my grandpa “had it easy.” He walked into the house one February day, after supervising the snow shoveling, and put his hat and gloves on the table. He turned around, and fell straight to the ground – a fatal heart attack, dead before he hit the ground. Rather neat, if you think about it. No long hospitalization, no decaying of dignity, no endless prolongation of a life well-lived.

Apparently, that may indeed have been the issue with Justice Scalia. Go to bed one night and simply not wake up. How sweet is that, really? I mean, given the all-out efforts some people endure to live a life that is not filled with quality, but only an extension of pain and suffering – thanks, I’d take the fatal heart attack.

Grandma lived to age 95. It’s a habit of the women in our family: we don’t like to leave. After Grandpa died, she was very angry. God had messed this one up badly, she thought. They were married just over 60 years, not quite 61. She was supposed to go first, in her mind - though it's a good thing she didn't. And the longer she lived, the more wrong God had it. She was mad. She was furious. How DARE God NOT take her? And don’t give her that old sop about, “God’s not ready for you yet.” By Heaven, SHE was ready. So just open the blasted gates already and let her in! As she hit 90, all the filters were off - she even said, "I'm 90 and I want to die so I can say what I want." 

It took a lot of chutzpah for us to remind her that, 90 or not, she had to be nice to us. Many of us just stopped visiting - and I was one of them. Who really wants to hear, "God you've gotten fat" every single time you visit? Every. Single. Time. I tried to be patient - Lord knows I tried. But I couldn't, and that bothers me to this day. 

50th Anniversary (Married 60 years)

Right after this picture was taken, my grandfather had his first heart attack. Due to circumstances well beyond ANYONE'S control, he ended up having a touch of dementia after that. We suspect that there was a slight delay in the ability to revive him - he was always the sharpest knife in the box: a builder, a mechanic, an inventor, a maker. But after that heart attack, his light dimmed somewhat and he became a little slower; a little less talkative; a little less himself. 

Even though Grandma had plans for how their life was supposed  to work, it ended up being a blessing that she didn't die first. He died when she was in the hospital for a bout of digestive trouble. As it was, we had to remind him to eat, to take a bath, to get dressed. He never in his life had to cook or prepare a meal for himself. He didn't choose what he wore. He never had to do laundry. Grandma was the typical housewife - she manage the house and everyone in it. He would not have functioned had she not been there to oversee the remainder of his life. At 75, he died, and I think in a way, she never forgave him - or God - for that. 

She died in a nursing home, not in a suite in a palatial ranch (though the fees charged by nursing homes are palatial to many). She died with family surrounding her, and nuns praying the rosary in the hallway.

But it wasn’t a peaceful death. Her body, in the end, betrayed her. As her mind left, as her organs failed, her heart beat strongly on. There’s nothing you can do to quell a heart that refuses to stop. We can only guess at the unfinished business that might have been part of the plan of the Universe. She was always afraid that she would not die peacefully in her sleep. How much of that fear played into what really happened, we’ll never know.

The day before she died, I was there with my mom, my aunt, two cousins and my sister... We all were saying our goodbyes and my mom popped a CD in the player. I’m the family cantor – I started singing. My grandma visibly relaxed when she heard the hymn, “Here I am, Lord,” one of her favorites. After a while, she seemed uncomfortable, so my aunt and sister, both nurses, asked us all to leave. They turned her onto her side – facing the window. They opened the drapes, cracked the window up, and told her it was ok to go. We left her then, with her two daughters, as they wished. She died about 4 hours after that.

I remember this clearly. And as we read more about the Justice, I contrast the public scenario of his death (including all the attendant hysterical conspiracy theories and press intrusions) with the private deaths that take place every day. The deaths that aren’t in a luxury ranch. The deaths which are not simple. The deaths that happen among each and every family, each and every day.

Fame brings a peculiar sort of aura to a death. Fame brings a microscope. My granny wouldn’t have appreciated that microscope, especially since she was a prim and proper church lady who always had her lipstick on and her hair done. 

Her death was ugly, it took too long (which would have been her opinion, and I don't even want to imagine the conversation in Heaven!) and only prettied up for the obituary.

But in the final analysis, death comes to us all. Grandma railed and ranted about wanting death more quickly. I don’t know – is this a common thread? Does the 106 year old want what he or she may see as the ultimate comfort of death? Does the 80 year old think it’s time? Does anyone? Do we all fear the “last sleep” that is (it’s cliché to say) the great equalizer?

In the final-final analysis, though: does it matter at all? We all die. Every single one of us will face this, and we’ll face it in the sure and certain knowledge that we have no control over it. What we can control is what we do before we die. How we live. What we embrace. What we refute. What we say to those we love; what we say to those we encounter every day - the non-family folks who we either work with or deal with in our daily lives.

What we can control is all the attendant paperwork: having “the talk” with the family about what we wish for, how we want our death to be medically managed, having our living wills and durable powers of attorney in place. Making our doctors aware of DNR requests (do not resuscitate). Being brave enough to speak early and often to our loved ones about the safest bet: that we’ll all die in time. 

We won’t likely make the national and international news, but we’ll all die. All we can do is our best to make it a good death.

Maybe...Maybe Not...

Sooooooooo. Eight years of working in adult education (university), and I never had as many holidays. 

And contrary to everyone's belief, nor did I have every summer off.

But today through Monday, we have a long weekend. Which is lovely. Though I'm spending Valentine's Day at the Clerk's Office doing training for the upcoming elections. Electronic poll books and same-day registration ought to make the primaries really fun. Not. 

I have a list. And maybe I'll get most of it done. Or maybe not. We'll see how the weekend goes. 

Detoxing Again...

The sugar detox is going. I've had a few slips, and I know that I'm not seeing results as quickly as I did the first time. But then, I shouldn't have leaped off the wagon! 

Just finished some lovely kale that I needed to process. I chop it up, saute in a pan with some olive oil and then when it's bright green, add some water and slap a lid on it so that it "steams" with the seasonings I use. And the seasonings can vary. So kale is on the menu for supper. 

I'm hoping to lose some weight, yes. And I'm hoping to kick some belly fat to the curb. It'll be healthier in the long run. 

Knitting...

I have "Sort of Second Sock Syndrome." I'm working on the second sock of the SweetGeorgia chai spice pair, and with wholly laughable enthusiasm, I thought I'd get the second one done in 2 weeks. That was about 3 weeks ago, before I had too many evenings occupied by other things. 

I'm eyeballing my Craftsy box - there's a hat in there and 2 of their shawls. Well, let's say there's the YARN in there for those projects. One of the things on my list is to download the patterns and get them sorted into project bags with the appropriate needles. 

One goal I do have that I really want to accomplish is to get the leg finished on that sock. I am anxious to wear this pair soon, and this is "one of 4" of my 4-pair goal for 2016. 

And I should put a row or two on the baby sweater. That's sitting there staring at me too. Yes, I know - baby is due in June. But you know how fast time flies. And I don't want to have to speed-knit that project. I had all good intentions to knit at lunch at work, but that hasn't happened yet. Maybe, maybe not. 

Healthy Aging...

So what does "healthy aging" mean to you? A couple of us participated in a workshop last weekend on "Yoga and Healthy Aging." It was really fantastic, though we did think we sat a lot more than we needed to. 

The sequences we looked at are all on the Yoga for Healthy Aging blog, which is great if you haven't looked at it. And no - it's not "senior" yoga. It's a way to 
use your body and mind healthfully to keep yourself moving and thinking as you age. Let's face it, we're all aging - some of us faster than others. But we can help ourselves to stay healthy and sharp. 

Nothing's going to cure the disease of life. We're all going to die. But we have options now to make sure that we encourage ourselves to stay healthy and strong for longer than before. Remember when women, particularly, "knew" that as they aged, they developed a dowager's hump, they slowed down, they essentially withdrew as they aged? 


I remember that. I saw my aunts do this. But I now see women "owning" their menopausal and post-menopausal years. 

I see the same in men. And I don't mean in a "Viagra-like commercial" way. But men staying fit and trying new things as well, so that their later years are fulfilling. 

That's yoga for healthy aging. I encourage you to take a look at the blog. I think you'll learn a lot. 

So today, also on the list, is a little walk on the "elliptiKILL" - Hubby replaced the strap on the heart monitor (I lost it). So I can give it a shot. Even if it's 15 or 20 minutes, it'll be a step (or several) in the right direction. 

I confess that the Jawbone has been helping me achieve some movement. But then again, honestly, our office manager is on vacation, so I've been doing double-duty. I like that it tracks sleep, even though it confirms when I already know I had a rotten night. But at any rate, I'm moving more. So it's all good. 

Quinn's Gotcha Day...

Three Musketeers

Today is Quinn's "gotcha day." I remember Hubby bringing her home. I was at home with Tippi, since she'd just come the month before. And I was recovering from hand surgery. 

She was so scared! Kid #1 tried to cuddle her, and she hid under the dining room table. It took him 2 hours of trying to feed her, kibble by kibble, till she came out. 

Tippi didn't help; she looked at me as if to say, "Ummmmm. What is THAT doing here???" So River kicked in and took over. 

Quinn is definitely our guard dog. She's our crazy girl, and we don't know what we'd do without her. 

This is a picture we took right after she got home. River is in the back. Quinn at left, Tippi at right. 

Sardines tonight...

Random Picture...

As a flashback, this is a picture of my grandparents on their wedding day. Granny was a "ripe old" age 22 or 23 when this was taken. My grandpa looks like a young Frank Sinatra. 

Her dress is satin. She always wanted me to wear it. Sadly, I was 6" too tall and there was no way it would be altered. 

Her flowers (and my mother has the bill to back this up) were a grand total of $5.00. But remember, this was right after the depression. Five bucks was a lot of money. That was for ALL the flowers in this picture. 

They were married for almost 61 years. This is on my phone for the month of February. 

I can only hope to attain that number of years of marriage.