History -- (HERstory)

History was made twice yesterday: once locally and once nationally. 

Yesterday, Fermilab here in IL appointed its 7th director: the first woman to run the lab. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is located in Batavia, and it's the leading particle physics lab in the US. It was established in 1967. Lia Merminga is a physicist and will assume her duties this month. 

And yesterday, women all across the United States celebrated the confirmation of the newest Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson. She will be sworn in this summer. She is the first black female justice on the court. She is incredibly qualified, which means the GQP had a stroke during her confirmation hearings and acted like a squad of petulant two-year-olds who were constipated and deprived of naps for several days. 

I didn't watch the hearings (I've got to watch my blood pressure), but I followed things in the Chicago Tribune, hardly the bastion of the liberal press (if such a thing actually exists anymore, anyway, what with all the news congolmerates). That was enough to keep me sleepless, if I wasn't already suffering from insomnia. 

Ted (Cancun) Cruz is living proof, by the way, of "the bottom of the class." He and Justice Brown Jackson were classmates at Harvard. And Ted, being...Ted... asked some of the most incredibly stupid questions ever. The entire process, to quote Susan Collins (yeah, I know, right?) "is broken." It was all about scoring points and demeaning her, waiting for her to break, kind of like Frat Boy "I Like Beer" Brett K... Of course, if she'd have shown one scintilla of emotion, they'd have all crowed, "Oh, look, such a snowflake - she has NO JUDICIAL TEMPERAMENT."

And yet, Frat Boy, literally screamed during his hearings. Hmmmm. I wonder what's different about THIS nominee? Any guesses?

And I was thinking about this last night... I read somewhere where someone called her "Notorious KBJ" and while that's perhaps a nice tribute to "Notorious RBG" and it's almost as alliterative, I would suggest to NOT call her that. 

Allow her the dignity of her own tenure, and her own moniker. She will be forging a path that Justices O'Connor and Ginsburg started to pave, and Justice Brown Jackson will put her own spin on it. So let her acquire her own appellation on her own merit. 

The Knitting...

The Secret Project proceeds apace. Zooming along (as much as one can zoom along) with Seed Stitch, on the final bit of this piece. 

I can't remember if I showed you this one, so if I did, I'm sorry... This is a cowl, crocheted in Urchin Stitch (I've also seen it called "Star," but my book called it the other name). I love that stitch; it's easy to memorize, and has a lovely rhythm to it. You can truly buzz along with this. I did crochet this flat, and wove the ends in. It's a Lion Brand Mandala cake, the color called "Sprite." 

I like this cowl; it can be worn several ways, and it's washable acrylic - but cozy. It makes a fairly drapey fabric for crochet (which to me is usually always a bit stiffer than knitting). 

I could be wrong on that; I haven't done any fine crochet. I know my grandma did doilies with what was called "crochet cotton," and she must have crocheted them because she didn't knit much. She could -- she taught me. But I always remember her crocheting. She did knit some booties in very fine yarn, but they were never completed. For all I know, she was playing with a pattern. She never knitted or crocheted to a written pattern. I remember asking her about one once, and she said, "I have no idea - I can't read those..." She was taught visually and orally. I still can't figure out her waffle stitch, no matter how much I've researched and tried to "read" her crochet. 

I have a close-up of the stitch so you can see it. I seriously think this is such a cool one to use in just about anything: baby stuff to adult
accessories. I haven't used it with a really busy yarn, though. I suppose it would obscure the detail a bit, depending on the yarn. 

This colorway is a pastel rainbow and I normally prefer a softer blend from one color to the other, but in this case, the straight line demarcation works. One could wear each color in the front as the color fits the outfit. Or it wouldn't matter -- either way. 

I probably would do another one. This is a DK weight yarn, and it worked up super-quick. I have plenty of it in stash, too. It's a nice, mindless project that can be put in the gift-stash for a person who's worth it. 

Knit-Worthy...

Let's discuss "knit-worthy." We all know what that means, and I've heard non-knitting friends use it too. One of my quilter friends uses the term to decide who gets one of her works of art. 

I have a few friends who are knit-worthy. Others, even though they admire the knitting, I can tell that they would be all, "Oh, isn't this nice?" with that tone of voice which suggested "how can I get rid of this and never wear it?" 

Those of us who craft a lot know that tone. I learned the hard way. I spent a lot of time on a wedding announcement that I had cross-stitched for a couple. They opened it up at the shower, and the bride looked at me, blinked a couple times, and said, "Oh. That's nice." 

Now, I didn't expect a brass band, or a parade, but even my MOTHER leaned over and said, "Well, that's not exactly a ringing thank you, is it?" 

I've become picky in who gets my knitting or my needlework. It's a lot of time and a lot of money, quite frankly. Especially the needlework, which is often framed. Framing isn't cheap. 

But so far, now that I'm more discerning, my heart gets broken a little less. 

Random Picture...

We got new awnings! After about 8 years, the awnings on our building were looking a bit shabby. So the landlord decided to replace all of them. In December, we had some pretty horrid wind storms and the few awnings which were intact ended up being torn. Then February and March -- sideways winds of 60 mph+ - it was pretty scary! 

One morning, the parking lot was filled with trucks, and there was a flatbed rumbling next to the rear exit. Guys on ladders took down all the awnings...which was kind of funny - had to tell my students to "tune in to your breathing and draw your attention inward" while workmen were clambering up and down ladders with power wrenches taking down the metal awning frames!

A few weeks later, these beauties were installed. The whole plaza looks so neat and spiffy. 

It's so nice to have a great landlord! 

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You Can't Rush The Knitting...

 I know this. I know this like I know the back of my hand. I know this like I know my dog's bark from a thousand others, like I know when bread is risen, like I know my own heartbeat.

And still... I rushed the knitting. The sock, luckily vanilla, is too short and the heel is wrong. I tried it on again, hoping that, after ignoring it for a little bit a long time, somehow the Knitting Fairies would've fixed it. Or my foot magically got shorter. Neither of which happened, so once again, I'll be frogging yet another finished sock - though not all the way. Just to the leg, which is bad enough. It's a bit worse this time around because the LAST one I had to do (the green sock) was only to add about 1.5" to the foot. The rest of the sock was fine. I don't want this to become a habit. This is one skill I would want to not develop. 

You know you've screwed it up when you have an awful lot of yarn for Sock #2...and you look, again, at the first one, and you have that little "knitting nudge" that says, "you really screwed this one up, buddy..." But you don't listen to either. You happily cast on Sock #2, thinking you're really making progress, and "getting knit done," and then... 

WHOMP! Reality smacks you upside the knitting bag, and you realize that it's time to re-think what you were doing, and maybe -- just maybe -- use a measuring tape properly. "That looks like 2 inches" is NEVER going to work. I don't care how long you've been knitting. 

Knitting is dependent on multiple factors, and I'm not even getting into "getting gauge." That, for a sock, in my opinion, is irrelevant. A sock is a sock. If you have the basic recipe, it'll work. I know that, for me, anywhere between 68-72 stitches is a good cast-on, depending on needle size. I know that I usually like a 7" leg, and somewhere around 8.5" for the foot before I begin the toe. I know that I have to do a 6-row "knit" to give a slight roll to the cuff so that I can get it over my "biker calves." 

So, Bob's yer uncle, I can knit a sock. Except when I can't. You can clearly see in this picture that (a) the foot is too short...and (b) the heel flap is NOWHERE near 3" -- more like half that size. So it's frog, frog, frog till I get back to the leg. 

Thank goodness this is Opal yarn, which takes lots of ripping without any harm to the yarn. Unfortunately, it's got an absolutely spot-on, beautiful star toe. Well...so much for that. I guess I'm doing round toes on these when I re-knit Sock #1. 

Also, there was FINISHING to end the old year and start the new. 

A Few Fewer UFOs...

I got on a kick. Just needing to finish stuff before 2022 dawns, and I'm still whining about "too many UFOs." 

Here we have a scarf; a one-skein wonder from Lion Brand, which will go into the gift pile.

Since I'm multi-craftual, this one is in crochet. I can crochet like the wind, but I'm The World's Slowest Knitter. I have to like the process, because I'm so stinkin' slow that I would otherwise be driven crazy by the process...

I like this scarf because I like the gradient. It's acrylic, can't even remember which Lion yarn it is, but I know it's still available because I was recently in JoAnn Fabric, and it was there. 

It's a half-double crochet, which I like for a scarf. It's weighty enough to keep you warm, but not as stiff as some stitches where you feel like you're wearing a horse blanket. And it's not too lacy; there's "just enough" interest. And to crochet it, you get in this really cool groove where your hands just...move. 

Here we have a cup-guard. Boss Lady has, over the past couple of years, given me re-usable Starbucks Xmas cups. Well, those stinkers get HOT when you have a beverage in them. I made one cup-guard out of 100% wool, and I had more wool leftover (Lion again, or maybe Paton's? I can't remember). 

So I figured I could use another one. The first one was knitted; this one is, again, crochet. Single crochet this time. In about 15 minutes, I'm going to blast this with my blow-dryer. I soaked it in hot water, did the hand-felting technique called "scrubbing out the stain," and then squeezed, twisted, and generally beat up the yarn. Then I put it over the cup. Heating it, like I'd do in a dryer, will help the felting process, and since it's on the cup, it should -- SHOULD -- mold right to it. Maybe. Not sure. But it's a cup-guard, so it's not a huge deal if it won't fit 100% correctly. It'll still keep my fingers from scalding. And I have extra yarn; so if all else fails, I can do a drawstring along the bottom and tie a bow on it. It'll be odd, but it'll be mine. 

Next to me, in my various project bags, I have a few other UFOs, so I may dive in there and see what's what. Though I'm going to finish Sock #2, so that I can rip out Sock #1. 

It's a process. 

New Year's Eve...

I'll be watching a Dr. Who marathon, knitting, reading...Because if the snow storm we're supposed to get is just a piddly little thing, then the pyromaniacs in the neighborhood will be out in force. Thankfully, nobody's shooting off guns (though maybe they are and I just get that sound muddled with the M-80s and large boomers?). Mostly I worry because my knitting chair is right next to our picture window. 

Anyway. The point is, Quinn will once again be traumatized by the noise. We'll start dosing her early afternoon, beginning with hemp chews to take the edge off. Then, she'll get a lavender butt rub, and I'll time it (hopefully) so that I can give her at least 1 dose of Sileo when the real chaos starts. 

I've also got a headache because the barometric pressure is changing. That makes it even more fun. 

We don't go out on NYE. Just not party people, and with the Omicron variant of Covid running through our town like crap through a goose? Nope. 

Also, New Year's Day is my one-year "Covid-iversary." And I have to have another test tomorrow... One of my students was exposed at Christmas. I think I'm fine, but I'm not going to wing this. For a very good reason...

Family Health Issues...

After I got home, my sister said to me, "Call me." I was curious, because usually we chat while I'm driving. The last time she said that, she was calling to tell me that my neurologist had died (she used to work for her). 

I thought maybe she'd tell me that her youngest son + wife were having a baby and she didn't want me to crash my car. I was thinking, "They'd better give me knitting time!!" even though I've sort of already got a Feather & Fan afghan started (which I'm going to have to frog back a bit, because I should've used stitch markers, but I digress). 

"I have cancer." 

Oh dear Lord... I wasn't expecting that at all. At. All. 

There are 3 tumors, encapsulated (that's the good part). Her care team has "seen this before" (another good thing). But she's frail because she just came off a bout with pneumonia, and she's had IBS for about 30 years (the not good part). She knows she has to bulk up, but there's that dance between her belly and her brain. 

Part of me wants to be the snotty big sister who says, "Oh, so I have a heart condition and you've got to one-up me?" Believe me, she can take that kind of ribbing, but right now isn't the time. 

We've set up a system where my brother is the point of contact; no sense in all of us bombarding them for information. So far, it's working and she calls me when she feels ready to talk. Due to a complication with putting her port in, her voice still isn't 100% and she's still coughing, so we limit our conversations. 

I'm pretty gutted. 

The good news is that, when I tried to tease her about taking her bag of Xmas cookies home, she did threaten my life. That's a positive sign. 

The Big Blow...

We're anxiously awaiting a big winter storm. Some of us with happy anticipation, and others with dread. But it's December/January in Illinois. It's time. Past time, actually. We should have had snow sooner (thanks climate denying polluters), which has caused us problems with not only the water table, but also with some plants and crops. They need that blanket of snow, and they didn't get it. For reference, this picture is my Rosemary planter. 

Personally, I'm excited because I'm one of those odd folk who really like cold weather, and winter in particular. And I'm also happy because I want the idiots to stay home. I'm so over Covid. 

Tomorrow is my "Covid-iversary." Today, Dec. 31, 2020, I was at home, feeling like I'd been hit by a bus. I thought, "this is my usual cold/sinus thing," but I figured I'd get tested if I didn't feel better by morning. So Jan. 1, 2021, I got tested...and there you go. The beginning of my year-long journey with Covid. 

I recovered at home, but had long-haul symptoms through most of 2021. Honestly, I finally got my sense of taste/smell back after my heart procedure. Otherwise, who knows how long that would've lasted. Frankly, I was resigned to not ever having it back again. 

Which is why the following "big blow" of mine is something I've been mulling for a year. 

If you haven't gotten the vaccination and it's because "you don't know what's in it" or "what the side effects are" then you are being wilfully negligent, uncaring, selfish and mean. 

Do you know what was in your measles vaccination? Any idea what's in your annual flu shot? I didn't think so. Social media has spawned a whole community of amateur virology experts. 

How about we leave that to the people who've actually studied this stuff and not Fox News (which, by the way, required that their employees be vaccinated) and their stupid pundits? How about we care for our fellow humans? You want to profess Christianity as your religion, then maybe start acting like it. "Do unto others" and all that stuff. 

I was going to be sent home after a pretty intense pair of heart procedures because the hospital was being overrun by people with Covid, most of which are unvaccinated. Sorry, but if you're complaining that "the government is trying to tell me what to do" then can you even try to explain why you stop at red lights? Why you don't shoplift? Why you don't haul off and punch someone who's bugging you? (and if you do that last one, why you haven't been arrested is another good question...)

You know why? Because as a mostly civilized society, we obey certain rules. We stop at traffic lights, we wear seatbelts, we don't smoke in restaurants, we don't steal, we respect certain societal norms. 

OK, let's for the sake of argument say that civility has gone down the crapper, which it has by the way... Still. When I'm driving through the neighborhood, I can mostly reliably figure that the driver on my left is going to obey the stop sign. I can mostly reliably figure that the person in the grocery store aisle isn't going to boost a 6-pack of soda. I can mostly reliably figure that someone's not going to vandalize my yard and steal my holiday decorations. 

So why is the vocal minority squealing like caged squirrels about the vaccine? "My freedom." 

My keister. 

YOUR freedom ends when it infringes on another person's freedom. Your freedom to ignore a pandemic is actually not supported by law. When the danger to the public is so great, your own personal beliefs are irrelevant. 

Or, in the words of the great Mr. Spock, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." 

So. Get the shot. Get the booster. Wear a mask. 

And on the subject of masks? As my friend A. says, "I pushed a freakin' BABY out while wearing a mask!" 

And my friend T., a NICU nurse, says, "Wear the PPE that I have to wear for 12 hours and then complain about your little mask." 

Kudos, ladies. Well said. 

Random Picture...

This was when they all got along. When Raisa was in her first heat. She drove Tippi and Quinn nuts. She whined. She pawed at them. She tried to hump them (didn't go over well with either of them). She cried, she whimpered. 

It was pretty awful. But I'm glad she went through that one heat. I believe we should have let Quinn do that, instead of spaying her when we did; I'm almost convinced that doing it so quickly created some of her long-term health issues. 

I really believe in spaying and neutering your animals. What I don't believe in is doing it really early. A neighbor did it to their dog at 8 weeks -- which is incredibly early and caused issues with the dog's health for the rest of its life. 

Anyway, I remember this period in our house like it was yesterday. And it makes me miss Tippi all the more. 

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100 Year Floods...

...Every year... Seriously, the folks who disbelieve climate change need their heads examined. Today, we had another drenching rain, flooded roads, downed trees and a building in town partially collapsed. I took some pics afterward, and thought that the ripples on the bird bath were particularly interesting. Maybe not. But what the heck. I was waiting for the indigo bunting to come back to the feeder, but by the time the bird came back, the temperature had dropped about 8 degrees and my camera lens fogged up... 

But hey - no climate change here... We wrapped Tippi in a blanket and she was happier during a pretty intense thunderstorm. Quinn spent most of it in her "cave" - a little freaked out but not too bad. 

And I was sitting there, on the one day I decided to put a sheet mask on my face.... waiting to hear if the tornado sirens were going to break out in song and shuttle us down to the basement... because, of course. The one day I decide to pamper myself, the pampering is cut short with the prospect of having to haul three dogs downstairs to the basement in quick order -- three dogs who don't get along in the first place. That could've been fun. Not.  

I'm currently sitting here munching on raisins - supposed to be golden, but they're not looking like they usually do. Anyway, raisins are supposed to help you sleep. Hopefully that's true, because I have been having trouble sleeping. Many folks have said the same thing; it's the long shelter-in-place during the COVID-19 pandemic which is messing with all of us. The best thing, though, is that I've gotten a lot done. 

I delivered 50 masks to the local hospital. And...a set of 8 ties that we had set aside for more masks. Which I didn't realize till I'd gotten home to sew said masks. Jeeze... Anyway, dropped those off. I have a small stash of these (2-pleat, flat masks) at home and I'll be starting on some more for the hospital in the next week. We'll be wearing masks for a while so I may as well use up the fabric I was given. 

I'm also making more of the fitted ones; I have 4 to send out to Colorado, and 4 to make for our vicar and her wife. Then, I think, a break. At least 3 or 4 days of no sewing. Give me and the machine a rest. 

We've used 11 spools of thread so far. Hubby has cut material till he can do it in his sleep, and finally he's using the fabric scissors! He was using scissors that he has at his desk, and I was having trouble with some of the ties that he was cutting (we're not using bias tape, but some of the fabric, which makes really nice ties). And so on this most recent batch, I handed him a lovely pair of Gingher shears, and the cutting has gone much more smoothly. I'm doing a couple special requests with interfacing for a 3-layer set of masks, and good scissors really do make the difference. 


I've been using thread that we bought when we did a lot of dog rescues, and were making our own leashes to have in the car. The thread is a sturdy cotton, an off-white. I tried to use up some of the thread I had from long-ago sewing projects, but it seems my vintage machine is persnickety. It likes certain tensions and as I mixed up the threads (say a color on the top and white in bobbin), the tension went all wonky. So it's back to plain white thread. I have 6 more full spools. After that, I'm going to have to go shop for new stuff. 

Today, I had a near tragedy -- well, "tragedy" --- because I was in the middle of sewing a fitted mask, which is a bit fiddlier than the flat ones. And it requires a lot of top stitching. And I was almost out of thread on that particular spool. This is what I had left after finishing the top stitching... In knitting, we'd call this "yarn chicken," and I don't know if this is a thing in sewing. But I am hereby calling it "thread chicken."

And I won that round. 


The Breathe & Hope Shawl...

It's coming along. I'm on the 4th section and there are, I believe, 8 sections. Zipping along with very little problem. I think I don't like the switching of needles. I'm not sure how it's going to block out, though on the pattern, the example shows a great deal of drape. Mind you, even though I'm using sock yarn, as suggested, I notice some slight difference in thickness of the yarns; the base color is a tad finer than the accent color. That may be making the difference you see in that middle blue section. 

But then - I changed the needles and am using smaller than called for. You have to have 2 sizes between them, so I'm using size 3 and size 5. The pattern calls for size 4 and size 6. I have no idea where all my size 6 circulars are.

Though I suspect they're in WIPs somewhere. Luckily for me, I can't go out and just pick up another set. Because sure as you can imagine, I'll find ALL of them. 

I also whipped out one of these for my friend. We've been trying to figure out how to retrofit her mask. The clinic she works in won't let them wear home-made masks, which is fine. But the one she has is one with elastic around the ears and as you can imagine, her ears are raw. 

Technically, it's crocheted, and it took me all of 10 minutes. I did it in 100% cotton (same stuff for face cloths). That way, if she has to "sterilize" it, she can use hot water. The buttons are out of my button tin. But I realize that I don't have a good stash of that size. So I don't know if I'll be able to make a quantity of these. 

I do have a stash of baby buttons for sweaters, but I'm not touching those! Besides, they're "character" buttons - teddy bears, flowers, etc. And they wouldn't stand up to heavy washing anyway. I'll skim through the button bin again and see what I can come up with. They have to be at least 3/4" wide. 

Anyway, if you can't sew, but you can crochet, these are ridiculously easy to do. Do yourself a favor, if you know front line medical workers -- or anyone who has to wear a mask - and whip up a few of these. Here's a Ravelry link for the free pattern.... Ear Guard. 

Nature in Bloom...

Took a couple more shots of the garden; we've got birds, we've got flowers. We've got milkweed. ALL. OF. THE. MILKWEED. Seriously, we counted 65 plants growing and so we plucked that back to about 30. And then more sprouted! Even this little guy in a crack in the sidewalk. If that's not an exercise in persistence, I don't know what is. 


My lily of the valley are so beautiful! I do have to thin them out. I think that Kid #2 is going to get some for the shady side of his yard. I've never had the opportunity to smell them - I understand their scent is lovely, but my allergies have been nuts lately. The lilacs are done; I think they keeled over prematurely because they got beaten with the incredibly heavy rain storms we've had in quick succession. 

The Icelandic Poppy is starting to bud. I love the parchment-like blossoms, and the creamy-pale-pink of this variety is always a welcome sight in my garden. I can't even remember how long ago I bought it. Surely, at least 15-20 years ago. 

And then there are the birds. Oh my... Today, I got the blue jay on the shepherd's hook - back view only, sorry. And I was wondering what was chomping on the orange in the oriole feeder. It hadn't been the orioles. They hadn't quite figured out how to nibble at the oranges, so I put more in the holders on the larger feeder. 

Turns out it was a visitor I haven't seen in a lot of years:

A red-bellied woodpecker... 

Normally, they suck down the suet. And I had just put fresh suet out there, with mealworms no less. But - he decided that the orange was what he wanted. Suits me. 

As long as he stays off my house. 






Random Picture...

This is the Cassaday mansion. Well, that's what the local historical society is calling it. It's on blocks because it was moved from its original location over and down 3 blocks. Because the city wanted to put a gas station there. Because that's more important than historical buildings. 

There was a kerfuffle that I documented about this house. It finally ended with the house being purchased and moved. It's not settled yet, and I have no idea what they're going to do with it. Preliminary plans seem to be another museum, this one housing records of African American history in our area. I'm looking forward to seeing what it will be like when they get it done. 

Best. Purchase. Ever.

I just used something that paid for itself. Twice. And I never thought I'd have to use it.

Hubby bought me a battery charger - I mean a device which can re-charge your car's batteries. It's in lieu of jumper cables (which scare me to death anyway). I thought, "That's nice." Tossed it in my console and went on about my life. 

Till this morning, when I was running errands ahead of my haircut. My battery died. Deader than Marley's Ghost. I pushed the ignition button and .... Nothing. Click, click, click, and the entire dash went nuts. A kind county sheriff stopped next to me, I got out and said, "It is what I think it is, isn't it?" Yep. And then the guy who parked in front of me asked, "Did you leave your lights on?" I mean, it's 11 a.m...and my car is newer - the lights automatically go off. Ah well...I said no. He told the sheriff he didn't think he had cables, I went into my console and said, "You don't need them. I have this."

"Does it have a charge on it?" I swear, he was trying to be nice, but really?? I said it did. He hooked it up. Voila - car started. I drove it home dutifully because the charger pack has one jolt in it and that's all - I didn't want to risk stalling out. Cancelled the hair appointment, recharged the jolter-thingie, and then charged my battery once more so I could head out to get a new battery for the vehicle. 

Yes, I'm perfectly capable of charging the battery, but you know what? It was nice that they stopped to help. The sheriff, actually, said, "Man, I wish everyone carried these in their cars!"

Best hundred bucks spent. As a matter of fact, don't tell my kids, but that's what they're getting for Christmas. 

Garden Bounty...

The garden continues to produce, and I think we have a few more months of goodies. Today, I was outside and figured I'd better thin out the carrots. Really, that should've been done 2 months ago, but better late than never. I started grabbing the smaller carrot-tops, but a few of the bigger ones came with. No problem. 

I brought them in, sorted and trimmed, and then washed what we were keeping. In reality, I tossed about 18 of the "micro" carrots - too small to even wash. The bunnies in the front yard will be happy. 

Hubby and I snacked on a few of them. Boy-o-boy -- you really need to taste a "real" carrot. So earthy, crunchy, and sweet, along with being rich and "carroty" - totally unlike the supermarket ones. 

I love the taste of these raw. I love them roasted. I enjoy putting them in juices and smoothies because they add a strong kick of flavor. 

They freeze up nicely; we usually cut the spares into medallions and use the freezer bag system where you vacuum seal everything. Keeps the colors crisp and keeps the flavor as intense as if you'd just picked them. 

This variety is "Shorty." They're meant for raised beds, because they don't get very tall. I've done "short" versions of carrots for a couple years now. My favorite is a combo of apple + carrot juice. Very refreshing, with a hint of lemon in it. 

I Hate Ribbing...

Why, oh why did I think these mitts were going to just "zip along" because they're called "simple"? They're not. They're taking an eternity. And I'm not jazzed with them. 

Endless rounds of K2, P2 ribbing. Thirty-six rows. Then 10 rows knitted flat (on DPNs - that ought to be cute). Then at least 10 more rows knitted round, in endless, boring, mind-numbing K2, P2 ribbing. 

I don't much like it on socks, except I know I only have 12 rows there. Fifteen, if I'm feeling ambitious. But these are just not making me happy. 

I have easily 380-ish yards of yarn. 

I wonder if I should frog them and crochet instead, using the Urchin Stitch. It's a beautiful stitch that I've used many times. In fact, my brown wool mitts are in that stitch. It's a simple one, the whole thing is done flat, and the best thing: I crochet much faster than I knit. 

I don't think the yarn colors will be lost in the intricacies of the stitch. It's gotta go faster than what I'm doing now. Cursing the yarn isn't making for a fun project. Perhaps this "simple" pattern is better for a heavier yarn - in sock yarn, this is pretty dismal, for me at least. 

Can you tell where this is going? 

I'm frogging - or shall I say that I've already frogged. Yes, just now. 

There's quite the pile of kinked-up yarn at my feet; but I think it's easier to just do these with the Urchin stitch, get it moving and have them in time for the birthday girl. 

I don't normally crochet a lot. I love it but I'm not good enough to do anything much more than straight squares. I find that it uses a ton of yarn, and I prefer knitting overall for garments. Crochet is outstanding for those things that are geometric, in my opinion: scarves, potholders, washcloths, baby blankets. But not much else. 

I know - the "hookers" out there are passionate about their art. And they have a right to be. I'm happy for them. I'm just not in their exalted ranks. So I think I'm chaining 50, then I'll start the pattern. I want to allow for a little negative ease, so I may end up taking that down to 48...It has to be an even number, so I've got to be careful and think about the wrist size of the person who'll be getting these, and also the fact that they have to go around the palm of the hand, too. It's always fun winging it... 

The trouble is this: the first row is usually a challenge. A size C crochet hook is tiny. And I have to be careful to not over-work my left hand. It's easy to do with crochet, but also with that small hook + yarn. 

Once I'm over this "tricksy bit" it'll go a little faster, too. What I also like about Urchin Stitch is that at the end, there'll be a lovely wavy top to the mitts. Just enough of "fancy" without having to work at it too hard. 

My Favorite Snack...

I'm on the "eating air" diet (a/k/a Whole30) again, and I'm limited in my snacks. My schedule has been crazy, so I've had to get creative with when and what I eat. I've resurrected a childhood favorite. It might not be "exactly" Whole30, but it's close enough. As far as I'm concerned, it's not chocolate and it's not overly-sweet, so I'm good. 

It's "Ants on a Log." Or, peanut butter on celery sprinkled with raisins. I like golden raisins; they're not as hard and dry. 

Not glam. Not fussy. But filling and chewy and texturally appealing when you've been eating a lot of salad. I'm using low-sugar peanut butter. But I also have some almond butter and I have some raw cashew butter. Whatever I feel like, I guess. The raisins (ants!) stick better to peanut butter. 

I used to eat this a lot when I was a kid. My other favorite is cream cheese on celery, but I'm off dairy for a bit more. I'm hoping that the tummy troubles cease. 

As usual, the weight? Not coming off. Today, I probably should have gotten on the elliptical, but I was moving around by cleaning, running errands and the like. 

My Favorite Pen...

I'm working on working on the Essential Oils biz... I'm organizing prospects, contacts, etc. And I like to go Old School when I can. I remember more when I write things down. I can type like the wind. Do something for 30+ years, and you get good at it, right? 

But if I really want to remember, I'll jot a note. And I like good pens. Particularly fountain pens. I used to be able to use them more often, but they'd been put away for a while. Today, I took the purple one out and cleaned it, filled it with a new cartridge and started a lovely list of my "peeps" so that I had all their info at my fingertips, even if I'm nowhere near a computer. 

Anyway, this is my Precious. It's not a grand Mont Blanc or anything (though I can dream, can't I?). It's a Levenger pen. I just like the heft and feeling of it. I have a blue one that's a ballpoint and you can believe that I keep a close hand on that one. 

Pen thieves abound, especially with the extremely nice ones! 

Random Picture...

So I've been doing the Swedish Death Cleaning. Sort of, at least. I mean, I'm clearing out what I haven't used in a long while; I'm de-stashing and donating yarn that I haven't a hope of using, and getting stuff ready for the upcoming Fall Rummage Sale at church. Today, I cleared out the top rack of my closet. Some stuff, I'm keeping, but at least I'm curating it a bit better. I'm telling you: my kids have already stated that, aside from the books and guitars (and maybe our camera equipment), they're putting a dumpster at the back and when we're dead, they're emptying the house... They don't want my china. They don't want the stuff from my grandparents. Aside from a very few things? They're of the generation of Non-Acquirers. 

I found a set of corny shot glasses - from my Granny. But I know my friend Shaun would love them, since he bought a partial set at an antique store. Off they go to him. I found a bunch of things I'd stuck up there for gifts. Off they go to the Rummage Sale, but I did find a few things for my oldest friend - they're now where I know to look for them this holiday!

I found a set of wind chimes. They'll be tried out at the church office. If they drive us nuts, I'll bring them home... I found a frame emblazoned: "The Boys" -- and I have a perfect picture of the 2 kids that I want to put in there! 

There's a "Creepy Jesus Crucifix" that my mother made (on my Granny's request). My mom did some lovely ceramics when I was a kid. Creepy Jesus Crucifix isn't one of them, though and when I asked Mom what to do with it, she said, "Doesn't your church hold a rummage sale???" Off Creepy Jesus goes - into the box. 

Anyway, as I rummaged, I found this little box. A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a secretary in the International Business unit of a Big Corporation that no longer exists. My boss, a really nice guy, traveled a lot, as you can imagine. And one time, he brought this back for me. 

I honestly don't remember what country it's from, but I'm thinking Middle Eastern. It's not scented or anything (like a cedarwood box or the like), but it's got a lovely inlaid patter on it, and while you can't really tell, the top slides open. I think I'll take it to the office and put it on my desk. Keep the spare Vicarage key in there or something. 

Are you de-cluttering? Are you clearing space in your physical life so you have it in your emotional life? There's something eminently satisfying about having space. I'd forgotten how good it feels to do that. 

Good News!

...I got my braces off!! A few days shy of a full year, I'm going tomorrow to get my retainers (the top one doubles as a bite guard, since I'm a "clencher" as opposed to a "grinder.") and I'm now free of wiring! 

I'm trying to discern the wisdom of my orthodontist giving me a large "sippy" cup which is filled with chewy candy. 

First off, I usually don't eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I don't like them; I prefer Justin's - the dark chocolate, thanks. The peanut butter is creamier and the dark chocolate? Well, I have no real vices (except a wicked yarn addiction). I don't drink. I don't smoke. I have never done drugs. I don't even swear. So. Dark chocolate... 

Second off, "Skittles"?? Really?? Yuck. Just yuck. Now, the KitKat I might eat. But I have never liked Skittles. M & Ms, yes. But not Skittles. Too gritty, too sweet/sour. When I eat candy, I'm craving sweets. If I want sweet and sour, I'll eat Chinese. 

Finally, it's a great marketing gimmick. The cup is a nice size and I'll certainly use it. And it's branded with his name and logo. I still don't fathom the candy, though... 

But anyway, it was very odd having them taken off. The technician, a lovely woman named Winnie, did the basic removal, and my teeth hurt for a few days. I'm getting used to chewing again. And I'm happy to be using my whitening toothpaste again. 

Essential Oils and Cats...

There's been a FB post making the rounds, where a woman claims that her cat was poisoned by "essential oils" that she bought off Amazon and diffused for "4 days straight." Well, there's a bit of Swiss cheese in her post and there's a LOT of misinformation. 

I use and distribute Young Living Essential Oils. I use them on me, in my home and on my dogs - well, on 2 of my dogs. See, the thing with animals is, they're either ok with them or not. And the husky is not. Of course, some don't care either way, but Raisa definitely is not a fan of oils applied to her. So she does get exposure because I wear them, and because I diffuse them, but I don't apply them directly. And anyway, the reason I use them on the elkhounds is mainly because they get a little freaked out at thunderstorms and fireworks. The husky? She's all, "What's the deal, people??" 

So - the issues in this woman's story:

---"I bought them off Amazon." You can get lots of stuff off Amazon. And sometimes, the Young Living products you find there are counterfeit. I'm not blaming Amazon or accusing. I'm telling the truth. Some folks can re-bottle the oils and re-cap them. You can tell a "real" YL oil by the label (which shows that it was manufactured in Utah, not Asia!), and the cap with the "teeth" on it. 

And she doesn't specify which brand she bought. Young Living has a "Seed-to-Seal" program encompassing sourcing, science and safety. We have specific protocols for making the purest therapeutic-grade oils on the planet. We are stewards of our planet. We make sure everything produced is safe and pure - no fillers, no adulterated materials. 

That being said, there's a lot of product out there that's not what it purports to be. You can buy oils in the supermarket and at specialty stores. Doesn't mean they're pure. When I was buying oils that weren't Young Living, I noticed, for example, that every "Lavender" smelled different - even though the label always said "Lavender." Hmmmmmmmm. That's an issue. 

With Young Living, I have a Lot Number. I can call the main office and say, "You know, Lot number XYW123 is not right..." and they'll replace it. They'll investigate what I send them back and make sure that it's not a quality issue. And if it IS a quality issue? They fix it. 

---"I diffused the oil for 4 days straight, day and night." Well - that's a problem in itself. Oils need to be diffused properly. Four solid 24-hour periods? That's a lot. And she doesn't mention the number of drops she used - how concentrated was the oil she was diffusing? 

If, as she claims, it was in a closed room and her 16-year-old cat was sleeping in there, that's a lot of oil for one little cat. Cats have a peculiar physiology - they can't metabolize certain chemicals. This cat WAS over-exposed. And regardless of which oil, it was too much for the cat. 

And there are oils which cats can't tolerate. She didn't know that the oil she was diffusing was harmful when diffused where the cat was exposed to what seems to be a pretty high concentration. Because she didn't do her research and she didn't ask anyone. 

I took a course with a vet in Chenoa, IL, and she posted a video about how she uses oils in her clinic. There's a link here which I encourage you to watch. Dr. Susan knows her stuff. 

---The cat was 16 years old. Now, I'm not saying anything about how this woman kept her cat, but a 16 year old cat is old. And when you bring something new into the home, like a diffuser, you need to know what to do with it when you have animals - regardless if they're kittens or elder-cats. Or kids or elder-humans! 

Seriously, my mom has emphysema. I would only diffuse certain oils around her. Others could be harmful. It's called common sense. I've already researched oils that are ok for her to be around, so if I know she's coming to the house, I have a choice: I can choose to diffuse the stuff that's ok for her, or I simply shut it off while she's at my house. 

Anyhow, watch the video. Ask questions. Contact me if you have any questions and I'll either answer or find someone who knows the answer if I don't. 

Get the best for your pets and yourself. You both deserve it. 

Christmas again...

So I got this lovely pot for Christmas. I needed an in-between size, and this is it. I took this picture, very proud of my new pot, and I was, at the time, making steel-cut oats. 

About 5 minutes later, the entire thing boiled over and nearly drowned the burner... My "new" pot wasn't so new anymore! 

I quickly turned off the burner, moved the pot to the trivet alongside the stove, and sopped up about a cup of water + oats... Dang it, I was looking forward to those oats!!

Hubby was kind enough, after giving me a little crap, to help me clean it up. 

This weekend, I'll try the steel-cut oats again - and this time, it'll be the "watched pot that never boils" so I don't ruin them again! 

This pot will be very useful for small batches of jam or preserves. Maybe even marmalade. I'd like to try a marmalade soon. I love orange marmalade. 

WTForecast app...

So I've been looking at the funniest posts of weather. As you may know, many of us are getting clobbered. Either dumping snow, freezing weather, ice storms...It's all happening this winter in various areas. And folks have been using this app, which can be decidedly "work unfriendly" by the way, because of its witty and snarky comments about the weather in your area. 

I put it on the studio phone, because of course it's not available as a Windows app...I swear, I love my Windows phone but I wish it wasn't treated like a cootie!! 

I haven't figure out how to "dial down" the snark setting, but this is at least mild enough to share at work with those who have the appropriate sense of humor. Some of what's been posted on FB has been downright foul! 

We're in the midst of a "fog storm," and the temperature, within 24 hours has gone from -10 or so up to about 50 degrees. Yeah, with flu peaking and temperatures fluctuating, it's definitely "pneumonia weather."

And then it's going to freeze again. Frankly, I'll take snow any time. I can walk in it and I can drive on it. Ice? Not so much. And everyone here forgets any basic driving skill they ever had. 

I mean, even this morning, in a rather pea-soup fog, people were driving without lights on. At 7 a.m., when it's still kind of dark out. 

I can't wait to see what it says about tomorrow...

THIS is a yarn-bomb...

Crochet gone amok... I saw this and posted it to our knitting page. All of our Knitsters were pretty agog at this work of, ummmm, "art" I guess??

I suppose, if you were inclined to use up your "spare bits" of yarn, and you lived in one of those climates now experiencing the dire cold, this seat arrangement would warm up your body's "spare bits" nicely. 

But I wonder how far down the toilet cover goes. And I wonder if, when the seat is lifted, the rim is also covered in crochet. And I wonder if, just in case your aim is off, guys, you can get the crochet off to wash it. And I wonder how you then get it back on. And I wonder why you'd have crocheted the covers for the flusher and the pipes. Unless, of course, you do live in that cold area and you want your pipes AND your tooshie kept warm while you're doing your business...

Lots of wondering along with the sheer curiosity of where this might be and who did the needlework... 

Birdhaven Greenhouse...

The other day, I was on the way to lunch with a friend, and I had some time to spare. I was hoping that the Birdhaven Greenhouse would still have their Christmas display up. They did, but someone was having pictures taken. 

I couldn't get to the part where I wanted to take pictures so I wandered through to the back where they keep the succulents. The cacti looked sad. Which you can imagine since it was all of about 24 degrees on Sunday!! And it was ice-raining, which made it even more fun. 

As I was going through, I stopped at the koi pond and waterfall. There were some beautiful Bird of Paradise flowers, but the only way I could've shot them would have been to include the water pumps...not the image I wanted. So I came around to the front of the waterfall and caught the koi. They thought that I might have food, so they all started heading my way. I was just taking pictures, fishies!! Sorry about that! 

Birdhaven has a beautiful wildflower garden alongside the greenhouse, which borders a walking path. In the summer, the place is absolutely overrun with birds: chickadees, finches, hummingbirds, cardinals, jays... And of course, the occasional hawk swooping in to filtch a finch off a feeder. It's the circle of life, folks!

Random Picture...

No, I didn't make this. But I'd sure like to! Obviously, the skein of yarn is fondant, but thankfully, the rest of it is just plain frosting. And I think I'd use a real crochet hook. And a real yarn label, for that matter. 

I haven't done many cakes lately, though I did do one for our pastor's retirement and cupcakes for my mom's 80th birthday. 

There's not much call for home-made cakes. Most wedding venues have just about tromped us out of the market. We have to have a health department licensed kitchen and even then - for my nephew's wedding, the caterer, who had a deal with the hall, said they'd "throw in" the cake if they booked a certain number of people. 

"Throw in" was about the quality of his wedding cake. He had wanted my mom and I to do it, but they wouldn't allow an "outsider" to bring in the cake. 

Anyway, I'll still bake for birthdays, when people want them!