STOP. BLOWING. THINGS. UP.

For the love of God... Since MEMORIAL DAY, there has not been a night that goes by that my neighborhood isn't ablaze with booming fireworks. We're not talking the rat-a-tat-tat of the regular ones, or the ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzPOP of a bottle rocket.

We're talking M80s and quarter sticks of dynamite. And if that's not bad enough? Last night we had a severe thunderstorm - wailing winds, sideways rain, thunder, power went out...And I honestly thought, "Ahhhhhhhhhh, BLISS! I'll get some sleep before midnite!"

Nope. The guys (and I know it's guys, sorry) started right after the T-storm blowing things up again. Really. REALLY??? 

I'd like two things: To not have to dope up my dogs every single night. And to get to sleep before midnight. It's not too much to ask. 

How Does The Garden Grow...

Well....We have cherry tomatoes. Lots of them. And we harvested a handful of snap peas. I think we can start plucking the kale. 

But there was a casualty today. And I was rather heartbroken to do it. We removed two very large Lemon Balm plants. 

I mean, they were 3 feet high and 3 feet across. Each. They took up the entire corner of one garden bed -- this year they just exploded. Last year they were reasonable. But this year, they managed to crowd out the gallardia and almost kill off the snapdragons, lavender and cosmos. 

This is the "after" --- before removal, you couldn't see the marble stepping stone there, and you can see where everything else was just being smothered. 

I hated to do it, but they were just too far overgrown and it would've been detrimental to the other plants. I want Lemon Balm, but I have to look for a smaller variety. 

The flowers at the studio are doing nicely: the alyssum is blooming in the one pot and the mixed wildflowers are coming along fine in the other. 

So perhaps the folks at the employment agency next door have stopped using my flower pots for ashtrays...


Speaking of which, I'm opening the studio back up!! We're in Illinois, and we're in Phase 4 of the 5-phase reopening. We've dropped in number of cases - precipitously. For those saying that the "virus ran its course," y'all are wrong... What happened was that our governor clamped down and most of us paid attention... 

What worries me is that as we can go about more, people will get complacent. And then? We get bit in the backside. Again. And I'm thinking most of us with small businesses won't survive a second shut-down. 

Just Breathe Yoga Studio...

Today, we went in, did a clean, and set up to open on July 1st. Hubby taped the floors so that everyone knows where their mats go. We can open at 50% capacity, but we're being a little more cautious. Our studio can hold 30; but we're topping out at 11 students per class right now. We'll see how it goes.

I wrote out some protocols on the one whiteboard. And I've notified the students. We're still going to do online classes - we're just doing them in a new way. We're back to doing in-person classes soon and quite happy about it. 

It's hard (in my opinion) to teach to a camera. I need to see people. Especially if I want to teach them something a bit complex. I need to see where your body is and where I may need to adjust your alignment. Can't do that the way we've been doing, but what we were doing was better than nothing. 

Each person gets a little more than "social distance" for his/her mat. And we're requiring everyone to have their temperature taken at the door...and we're lucky in one regard: once you're on your mat, you don't have to wear your mask. But it has to be worn inside and as you leave. 

I'm going to encourage everyone to be safe, but I can't police everyone. What I can control, I will. What I can't? I can't. 

Polish Sausage Risotto with Peas...

Bet you never thought of that combo...Neither did I till I was faced with dinner, a sore tooth, and lack of inspiration. Here's the recipe.

1 Polish sausage (or 4 links) cut into thin rounds
1 T. olive oil or bacon fat
1 c. risotto
4 c. hot water + broth cubes
1 1/2 c. leeks
Salt & Pepper to taste (save for last)
1 c. shredded Asiago cheese
1/2 c. goat cheese
1/2 c. half & half
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 c. frozen peas
Penzey's Green Goddess spice blend
Penzey's granulated garlic

In a large saucepan, melt the butter, and then add leeks. Stir and cook till translucent. Add the risotto and stir around, till the rice has a bit of a shine to it. The leeks should be slightly golden. 

Add a bit of the water. Turn heat to low and simmer; stir every couple of minutes. When the rice has absorbed the water, add more; keep repeating that pattern till the water is used up and the rice is slightly al dente. 

While the rice is cooking, put the sausage into a large saute pan with a bit of olive oil or bacon fat (live large...). Stir it around till the sausage is warmed through and maybe a little browned around the edges, just for taste. Set aside. 

When the rice is al dente, add the peas, spices and pepper and stir. Then add the cheeses, stirring. Add the half & half and stir. Then add sausage. Taste. Salt here, if needed. The whole process takes about 45 minutes. You may have to add more water - if your rice is exceptionally dry. 

This serves 5 people. Or 2 people with really lovely leftovers... 

If you want to use this as a side dish, omit the meat. 

It's a Bird, it's a Plane...

It's a bell tower! The bell tower project is about 98% done. There's some clean-up work to do, but it's all in place. The grass is growing; we're planning a labyrinth and adding a deck to the office space to make it ADA compliant (there'll be a ramp to access off the church property). 

And tomorrow, because I said yes before getting all the details? I'm participating in another peaceful march. We're marching in support of Black Lives Matter again, but our destination is to go to a prayer meeting that the black pastors are organizing. 

Yes, in case you're wondering, we have their permission to march to their event; the timing is that we'd be there before they start. No way do we want to take away from what they're doing...we want to support them, because unfortunately, the neighborhood is kind of ... um... racist, actually. It's kept under wraps, but those of us familiar with the area? We know. And we want it to be better.

Back to the bell tower....The bell has been in the church garage since the late 1980s. It was given to our church from another church. And I have to do some research; it's from the early 1900s we think. It'll be fun to do that kind of detective work.

Knitting...

I'm still beavering away on the Breathe & Hope Shawl; only because I've been busy on other stuff. Not knitting, sadly. 

I'm half-way through Section 8. According to the change the designer made, the colors in this section are actually backward of the way I am doing it. She wants B/A/B/A and I did A/B/A/B. It looks fine to me. 

I don't think it matters in this section how the colors go. It's an interesting one that's going by quickly. See all that pink there? That's Section 6. Which was FOR. EVER. Honestly my least favorite part of this shawl. 

Section 7 in this pic is barely started (sorry, been busy knitting and haven't photographed it in its latest iteration)... it's the striped section, which is the unifying component of the whole thing. 

I'm finding that this is now going faster as I'm closer to the end. When I finish Section 8, there will be 193 stitches. Section 9 brings us to 208 stitches, and Section 10 gives us 211 before we bind off. 

Random Picture...

Well, Raisa is totally untroubled by the fireworks. She sleeps through most of it. And here's her teddy-baby. 

Which she disemboweled this morning. End of that one... I caught her before she could ingest any of the stuffing. 

I have to take a rake to her tomorrow. That will not be fun. She hates to be brushed. Another oddity. 

Every other Siberian Husky I've had has (a) been terrified of fireworks; and (b) adored --- ADORED --- being brushed. She's merely tolerating me plucking her floof. 

I have enough now to knit a small spaniel. 

And it just keeps coming...

It's Not the Sushi...

Yeah. Not the sushi or the poorboy. Seems like there's something long-term and uncomfortable going on here. I see the doctor next week; yeah - enough so that I want to actually see a doctor. 

I'm not tossing my cookies, thankfully, but it's like every time I eat - anything I eat - I need to run to the bathroom shortly thereafter. And for a couple of hours after that. 

That can't be right. I'm dreading being told it's some variety of IBS - my sister has that and her life is one long commute back and forth to the bathroom. No thanks. Not like I have much choice, but I'm hoping that perhaps it's stress-related. 

So if things calm down soon, which they should, now that The Vicar is here, maybe life will get back to normal. Or what passes for normal around here. 

I have not, in case you're wondering, done "the google" or WebMD. I don't think that's wise. It only makes you nuts. I'll wait on the doc. 

Maybe I'll actually lose a few pounds... 

How to Use Your Turn Signal...

There's actually a wiki on this. I'm serious. Here it is. Maybe some folks will need this. The issue I have is that I drive up to Lisle sometimes, and it's incredible that people don't know what that knob is on the left hand side of their steering wheel.  

There are a few more rules of the road that I really, really need people to pay attention to. For your perusal, I'll outline them here. 

1.  Use your turn signal. Obvious. Use it. 

2.  Use your rear-view and side-view mirrors WHILE using your turn signal. Come on, you can probably text and walk, so you can surely flick on the signal, and check to see if someone's occupying the space you wish to occupy. Physics - you've gotta have an empty place because two vehicles that occupy the same space actually is an accident...

3.  This should actually be Number One: Put down the phone. Put. Down. The. Phone. There need be no other addendum to this. 

4.  Be aware of what's around you. I'm going to let the semi truck in - he's bigger than me. I don't appreciate you ramming your way past my front quarter-panel. Seriously. Take your turn. 

These are simple rules that will keep all of us safe on the road. 

Knitting Process...

So I think I may have a new process here. Well, it's not new but it's new to me. I had an epiphany the other day. As I turned the heel of the Green Sock, I realized I was kind of buzzing on with that and I knew I was having a problem with Second Sock Syndrome. I have the Petty Harbour, the Bigger on the Inside, the Soul to Soul... All singles. 

I need to make a PAIR. So I came up with this thought. How about I finish this one, and then pick one of the others to finish? Then I finish the next Green Sock. Then I finish another one of the "complex" patterns. 

I can always have a Vanilla sock on the needles. I keep the "complex" (anything other than a simple ribbed leg) ones at home. 

In between, I finally decided to finish off the Before And After scarf. It's been my "travel project" for about 5 years now, and it's time to wrap it up. At least the peacock colored part. Then I start on the chartreuse one. Again - not sure why I liked that combo - I look horrible in yellow. I can only hope that the peacock colorway overshadows the chartreuse. I mean there's chartreuse in the peacock part, but I want it all to balance out. It's a double scarf - two layers. So I think it's going to be lovely, but it's also my first attempt at a provisional cast-on, and beading. This could be interesting. 

I have heard that other knitters do this "alternating socks" thing. Nice to know that it's not just me. 

How My Garden Grows...

So my lettuce is done. The romaine did its thing, and it's time to let it go to seed. The basil is done. The dill is dried. And remarkably, the parsley is back! After the caterpillars ate it to the nub? It's back. Beautifully, if I may say so. 

The flowers are now looking ragged. The hanging pots are just about done. The hummingbirds have found the new feeder, thankfully, but the hanging pots - somehow, lately, they don't last the season, in spite of our watering them every day. 

The tomatoes? They're coming along nicely. I've gotten a nice bowl of the large cherry tomatoes, and as you can see, they're still producing. I'm hoping they'll go into the fall, but you never know. 

The larger tomatoes are ripening, too. I have a red one. And I think I have a yellow one, but I haven't seen them yet. We have lots of green ones, but we have to wait. I think the yellow ones take a bit longer to ripen. 

Hubby just asked what I'm going to do with them. Well, none of them are good for sauce, so I'm going to be the "Crazy Tomato Lady," and give them away. Let's see how many people take me up on it. 

Hubby has dreams of BLT sandwiches. I admit, I do too, in my own way. Heaven knows, if we play this right, we'll have enough tomatoes. I've got lots of uncured bacon in the freezer. I'll be using romaine lettuce, and wheat bread. And homemade mayo. 

Man, I'm drooling as I type this!  Speaking of which, lunch lately (and sometimes dinner) now includes the cherry tomatoes. 

When I come home from teaching, I don't want a huge meal. I want something, though, because I don't want to be munching on my pillow in the night! Usually, a sandwich does the trick. 

This wasn't after class, but it was a late lunch. Turkey on rye with Swiss, a handful of "veggie chips," and a handful of lovely cherry tomatoes. It really was pretty good. Satisfying, and I was not feeling "bloaty" like I do when I eat something heavier. 

See the beginning of the blog... 


Random Picture...

The parsley... As you can see, it's come back so beautifully! I'm always excited to see a lovely pot of herbs. And this is the best I've grown in a number of years. 

I think the herb pots will stay here next year. They love the afternoon sun, and it works well, even though I lost a batch to the caterpillars. 

I believe in sharing, so it really doesn't bother me to lose a batch. And especially since, if we're lucky, we'll get Swallowtail butterflies? And heck, the parsley grew back. 

So share. It's not a big deal. 

With this bounty, I think it's time to whip up some pesto. I have walnuts in the freezer, and I can blitz it up nicely. Adding the cheese after I thaw it and get it ready for use. 

So you add the parsley, a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a couple cloves of garlic. Blitz. Add some walnuts for texture. Blitz again. Freeze it. 

When you thaw it, you can then add the shredded parm. Parmesan doesn't freeze well in pesto, so you don't want to add it till you're going to use it. 

You can also freeze the whole thing in ice cube trays. The oil won't freeze solid, but it'll get kind of there. I like to use bags; snack-sized zipper bags are my favorite. Put the snack-sized ones inside a larger bag and grab what you need. 

How do you use an abundance of herbs? 

News! News! News!

As I sit here absolutely IGNORING the first tenet of mindful eating (which is to not eat in front of any kind of screen), I have to say I'm all a-twitter --- or maybe all flusterpated, to borrow a Winnie the Pooh phrase. 

I GOT THE INTERNSHIP!!! 

Yay - in the next 4 months, I'll be an elephant journal intern!! As soon as I know what I'm doing, I'll let you all know. 

Follow me!! Please!!! (Ok, that's the extent of my Sally Field immitation. If you don't get it, Google it). 

Ode to a Winter Tomato...

Winter tomatoes,

They sure make you think.

Not really red;

Not really pink. 

There's no 

"summer tomato stink"

On these pathetic winter

souls.

They're hard. 

Tasteless.

Old. 

They're pricey.

Quality dicey. 

What to do?

What to do?

I really want to like you.

Really I do.

I buy you, but only because

I need some summertime, too. 

See? This is why I'm not a poet. 

Thinking of all the tomatoes

And the summers when 

they grow'd.

I salt you with premium salt.

I pepper you with fine, fresh

grind. 

And all I need to do now

Is bring August back to mind. 

On The List Today...

Is to register for some freelance writing gigs. Work with my online copy writing course. STAY OFF FACEBOOK, and hem some yoga pants. 

I've done a lot of the things on the list I created on Monday. I tend to do a running list and work on it over the course of several days. 

It's a disciplinary tool. Sometimes, it actually works!

My Year in Socks...

I'm up to about 3" or so on the leg. Still plugging away. If I could sit for a concentrated time, I'd at least get to the heel. That's my new goal. As soon as I'm finished here, I'll get back to that. 


Random Picture...

A bit of a throw-back. I call this one "Plucky." This little petunia sprung up out of nowhere on my patio this fall. We have no idea how she got there, but we really enjoyed watching her. She withstood a lot of crummy weather and some pretty impressive piles of leaves. 

And through it all, her little purple head smiled in the sun. 

I wonder if she'll be back next year. It'll be interesting. We did plant quite a few purple petunias this past summer. Cleaning out the garden for the coming year will be a chore, but I'm already dreaming of what I want there. 

Ok. Blog over. Time to go finish that sock... I know it won't be done by Saturday, but I can give it a good try.