Threads in the Wind

The Garden in Summer

2011-07-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

A flash of harmless lightning,
  A mist of rainbow dyes,
    The burnished sunbeams brightening
      From flower to flower he flies.

John Banister Tabb, Hummingbird

My pink garden is blooming again, thanks to monsoon rains. We have been seeing hummingbirds in much greater numbers than any season before this. To encourage even more to visit us, I have finally put out this lovely glass hummingbird feeder one of my sisters-in-law gave me when we moved in here. Now if I can only get one to light long enough for me to snap his photo.

Add enclosure link

A Burst of Color

2011-04-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Whether the flower or the color is the focus I do not know. I do know the flower is painted large to convey my experience with the flower – and what is my experience if it is not the color? ~Georgia O'Keeffe

We planted two trichocereus cactus in our front yard when we moved here and they have faithfully given us spectacular color each year. However, because the past winter was so damaging to so many of our plants we were unsure if they would perform as usual this spring. But once again nature has surprised us with its resiliency and we are enjoying a burst of color in the garden. It will be short-lived like most cactus blossoms, but the vivid color will remain in our memories until next year.

A Hedgehog in Bloom

2011-04-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Although they can look fearsome with their spines and prickles, or just plain ugly, cacti are transformed into strange creatures of beauty when their delicate flowers appear. ~Unknown

My hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) bloomed today and already some critter has eaten part of the first bloom. Life in the dessert, I'm afraid. The beauty is always fleeting.

Springtime in the Garden

2011-04-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

"And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest."
- Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Sensitive Plant

Today has been a lovely day. In spring we often have very windy days and yesterday was like that--not a day for wandering in the garden. But today has been calm and sunny and so I just had to go check and see how my garden was doing. As you can see it is in fine fettle.

This is my perennial garden. It is to the side of our back patio and I can even see it from my kitchen. We had such a lovely garden back East and I miss it, expecially in spring. Since we planted these perennials, however, I feel happy. There are sages, valerian, penstemon, and guara. I hope to continue planting flowering perennials each year. I can never have enough blooms in my garden.

Here are some close-ups of my Hill Country penstemon--we planted this in honor of my mother-in-law who misses the Hill Country of Texas now she's in California--my valerian, and some of my sages.

This is the southwestern corner of my back garden. The little leaf ash has regained its feathery leaves at last. It is a semi-deciduous tree, but lost all its leaves this winter because of the unusual cold. The euphorbia in the foreground is a superb plant. Its yellow flowers appear early and last and last until autumn. The little hedgehog cactus is getting ready to burst into bloom. We rescued it from along the road on one of our walks. Javelinas had been feasting on it and dug it up completely. As a rule we never take plants from the wild, but it would have died otherwise.

Yarn Along

2011-04-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday so I am joining Ginny for her weekly Yarn Along. I'm a bit late today, but I went into town early this morning and just got back.

This week I have a new knitting project to show you. It is a reversible cable pattern that is easy to follow. The yarn is Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash in the Ruby colorway. The free pattern can be found here. I am making this scarf for the Red Scarf Project.The volunteers who run the project only accept donations from September 1 through December 15 each year. Having so much time in which to finish my project makes me feel very relaxed and I am enjoying knitting it very much.

I am listening to the book, Faithful Place, while I knit on the scarf. I prefer reading, but this allows me to multi-task and, since this mystery is set in Dublin, I also get a chance to hear the lilting cadences of the Irish characters in the novel. I have read two previous books by the author, Tana French, and really enjoyed them. Her mysteries are like no others I've ever read. The internal musings and motivations of the detectives in her stories are as important as the victims and perpetrators of the crimes they investigate.

Yarn Along

2011-04-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Once again I'm joining Ginny at small things for her weekly yarn along.

Time has gotten away from me since last Wednesday and I haven't accomplished very much in the way of crocheting or reading. I haven't done anything on the tote project I posted about last Wednesday, but I have been working sporadically on two other crochet projects--an amigurumi snowman and an afghan square. Both of these projects need a lot more work before they look like much.

The snowman is my March project for the Christmas ornament KAL/CAL-2011 on Ravelry. The pattern for this little guy can be found here on the Lion Brand website. It is free, but you must join to have access to their free patterns. He is my third amigurumi project and I am continuing to enjoy making these cute stuffed toys.

The afghan square is my April square for the 2011 Crochet Block-a-Month CAL, also on Ravelry. The pattern, Crown Jewels Square by Melinda Miller, is also a free pattern, and can be found here. It is the fourth square for the afghan I am making for my grandson for Christmas.

I haven't gotten very far in The Dollmaker since last week, but it is well-written and has captured my interest. I need to finish reading it by April 22 in order to discuss it at my book club meeting.

Looks like I have a lot of crocheting and reading to accomplish in the next week if I want to show more progress than I have this week.

National Poetry Month

2011-04-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

Poetry should... should strike the reader as a wording of his own highest thoughts, and appear almost a remembrance. ~John Keats

Each year the month of April is set aside as National Poetry Month, a time to celebrate poets and their craft. Various events are held throughout the month by the Academy of American Poets and other poetry organizations. The Academy has a website here where you can find information on poets, their poetry, and ways to celebrate this month.

I found one of my favorite poems on the above site--Spring and Fall by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Hopkins was an English poet of the Victorian era. His experimental explorations in prosody (especially sprung rhythm) and his use of imagery established him as a daring innovator in a period of largely traditional verse.

Spring and Fall
by Gerard Manley Hopkins

to a young child Márgarét, áre you gríeving Over Goldengrove unleaving? Leáves, like the things of man, you With your fresh thoughts care for, can you? Ah! ás the heart grows older It will come to such sights colder By and by, nor spare a sigh Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie; And yet you will weep and know why. Now no matter, child, the name: Sórrow's spríngs áre the same. Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed What heart heard of, ghost guessed: It ís the blight man was born for, It is Margaret you mourn for.

I encourage you to check out The Academy of American Poets website, Poetry.org, and find a poem that speaks to you.

Spring Flowers

2011-04-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Terri Guillemets

Because we had a very dry winter and it continues to be dry and very warm now into spring, we have very few spring wildflowers blooming in the desert. Luckily for my soul, we potted up some flowers that are now thrilling us with their profusion and their vibrant colors.

Verbena, African Daisies, Calendula, and Nasturtiums--who wouldn't be filled with joy just gazing at them? I walked through the back garden today and saw green leaves bursting forth everywhere along with many buds ready to bloom soon. I love spring!

Celebrating Spring

2011-03-31T12:20:00.001-07:00

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams

With forecasts of another snow storm due to hit the northeast U.S. tonight, I am giddily happy to be living in a warm southwestern state. We are actually experiencing unusually warm temperatures for this time of year. This is a sign for me to celebrate spring before it quickly segues into summer. I've decorated my holiday tree for Spring/Easter and am ready to party.

The base of my tree is a bright red and so I searched for a way to cover it with something more appropriate for spring. I had some leftover variegated cotton yarn in my stash that had good colors for my theme and found a pattern here on Dottie Angel's blog that I whipped up quickly. And, voila!, my table top is now in party mode.

Yarn Along

2011-03-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

I'm joining Ginny at Small Things and her Yarn Along today. This is what it is all about, in her words:

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading?

The crocheted granny squares are waiting to be assembled into a tote bag with the purple fabric as a liner. I got the inspiration for the bag from this pattern and this one and have made my own changes to them to suit my needs. I put this project aside for a while because I was feeling insecure about sewing a lining for the bag. I've gotten up my nerve and have found a wonderful tutorial here at the future girl craft blog to help me. Hoping to finish it this week.

I am just beginning to read the novel, The Dollmaker, by Harriette Arnow. It is the April selection to discuss at one of my book clubs. My sister has read it and highly recommends it. Too soon for me to tell if I will like it, but one of the blurbs on the back taken from the Georgia Review makes me think that I will: "The Dollmaker's depiction of family life--the entangled bonds between parents and children, brothers and sisters--is unparalleled in modern fiction."

I've been reading the Yarn Along posts for some time now and enjoying them very much. Today I decided to stop lurking and join in. Check out the links here to read about what other bloggers are knitting or crocheting and reading.

A Fabulous Giveaway!

2011-03-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

No one has ever become poor by giving.~Anne Frank

In that case, Neen should be rolling in riches after this Saturday. That is when three lucky people will win one of the wonderful prizes she is giving away on her blog, neencrochet. If you recall, I made one of her designs, a Valentine's Wreath, this past February to hang on my front door. She is a talented crocheter, designer, and teacher. I would love to be the recipient of one of her prizes, so probably shouldn't be telling you about how to enter her giveaway, thus reducing my chances of winning. However, I'm trying to be less selfish and spread the word about the goodies she is offering. You can find the rules for entering the giveaway and pictures of all the prizes here. Hurry! The drawing is on Saturday, April 2nd. I've got my fingers crossed.

Finally Some FOs!

2011-03-28T18:43:00.001-07:00

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. ~Greg Anderson

I did experience joy in the making of these finished objects (FOs), but I have gotten even more joy from actually finishing them.

I finished my Scrawl on the Wall Shawl several days ago. I began this shawl in January as a knit-a-long on Ravelry and first posted about it here. It has been my go to project when I needed to relax because it was an easy knit. I'll have to find another project now to relieve my stress.

I also started this little Christmas Gnome in January as part of a monthly Christmas ornament knit/crochet-a-long on Ravelry. The free pdf pattern designed by Else Tennessen can be found here. He is the very first amigurumi project I've ever attempted. I enjoyed making him so much that I am now addicted.

I finished this Starburst Flower square for my grandson's afghan in just two days. It is the March square for the 2011 Block-a-Month Crochet-a-long I'm participating in on Ravelry. The pattern can be found for free here. The talented designer is Donna Mason-Svara, otherwise known as SmoothFox. It is a very well-written pattern and included some stitches that were new to me, so it was very interesting and educational to make.

Now I have to get busy and finish some more projects.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

2011-03-23T16:02:00.001-07:00

Just remember, during the winter, far beneath the bitter snow, that there's a seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes a rose. ~Leanne Rhimes

Spring has definitely arrived here in the desert and the rose bush we feared would not survive the record cold this past winter is blooming its little heart out. We planted it last year in a big pot outside the gate to our back yard and mulched it heavily. As you can see, we worried needlessly about its ability to withstand the cold.

It is a Lady Banks' Rose (Rosa banksiae) and it is a climber that generally reaches 10 to 20 feet in height with a 12 to 20 foot spread. It is tolerant of heat so it is a good candidate for our area.

In Tombstone, which is about 24 miles south of us, there is a Lady Banks' rose that was planted in 1885 and has become something of a tourist attraction in that town. Supported by an ever-expanding trellis, it is now over nine feet tall and covers an area over 8,000 square feet. I doubt if our sweet little rose ever grows to those proportions, but who knows? Someday people may come from all over to view our rose.

Birthday Wishes

2011-03-20T22:07:00.002-07:00

One may live without bread, not without roses. ~Jean Richepin

My thoughtful daughter sent me a miniature rose bush in a wooden basket for my birthday. They are yellow roses and my favorite color is yellow. I have been enjoying them as one by one the buds begin to open. Each blossom seems like another birthday wish from her.

Let's Go for a Hike

2011-03-13T13:46:00.001-07:00

In the American Southwest, I began a lifelong love affair with a pile of rock. ~Edward Abbey

Author and essayist, Edward Abbey, developed a love for the desert Southwest as a park ranger at Arches National Monument (now a national park) in Utah. His non-fiction work, Desert Solitaire, has been compared to Thoreau's Walden. It has also been cited as an inspiration for some radical environmental groups. While I may not agree with some of his more controversial views on the development of public lands, I do share his love of this desert environment in which I now live.

This week I went with a group of my friends on a hike through Catalina State Park, located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson. The sky was a brilliant blue and the scenery was breathtaking. Because our winter was so dry there were only a few, small, purple blooms of verbena instead of the usual display of spring wildflowers, but the numerous majestic saguaros provided a splendid treat for our eyes. For those who think the desert is a barren landscape, I recommend taking a hike in this 5,500 acre park of foothills, canyons, and streams.

Here are a few photos I took on my hike. See if you don't agree with me that the desert is indeed a place of beauty.

Monthly Check-Up

2011-03-06T17:15:00.003-07:00

Energy and persistence alter all things. ~Benjamin Franklin

A new month has already begun so I am late with my Monthly Check-Up, but there is nothing I can do about that now. Here is an account of my progress in achieving the goals I set out here for the year:

I did use some stash yarn in making two Christmas ornaments, a heart garland, and a cute heart amigurumi, but I also bought some more yarn for the afghan I’m making for my grandson.
I did finish four WIPs--the above mentioned Christmas ornaments, heart garland, and heart amigurumi.
I did not walk in February. The weather was too cold and I was too lazy. I do have plans to begin again tomorrow morning.
I did stick to the mostly vegan diet most of the month. I succeeded in losing some weight and lowering my blood sugar levels. Need to be more consistent, however, in my eating habits.
I did blog and write in my journal regularly.
I did not call my parents once a week, but did call them twice in February.
I still did not get a new primary care physician. Hopefully, this month.
I did read a piece of classic literature in February (White Fang by Jack London) and I did finish reading January’s selection also (Call of the Wild by Jack London). I am currently reading Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
I did not make a baby quilt yet, but I am signed up for a Basic Quilting Class this coming Saturday, March 12^th!
I did not make a family photo album for my children yet. Still haven't looked at all the pictures I have in those 3 big boxes.
I did keep in touch through e-mail and some cards with several of my long-distance friends.

Still just six out of eleven, but I feel like I am making some good progress. I feel more energized and motivated to stick to my plans and get things accomplished.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

2011-03-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

These things are fun and fun is good. ~ from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Fun is good and I had lots of fun today. I have been volunteering in my local library by making bookmarks to give out for free to patrons for about two years, but lately I have been filling in when needed as the storyteller lady for the 3-5 year old children on Wednesdays. Today we had a big celebration in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday. He would have been 107 today. We had many activities for the children: making Cat in the Hat hats; having their picture taken with their hats on in front of a big poster board of the Cat; being silly in various ways as children love to do; and listening to Dr. Seuss stories. My assignment was to read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I have loved that story since I used to read it to my little sister many, many years ago. The crazy animals and the wonderful rhymes are just what is needed to engage children in the wonder of reading.

Right before I began this post, I was catching up on some of the blogs that I follow regularly and found that I was not the only one mentioning Dr. Seuss in their blog today. Kat, who blogs on Much Ado About Nothing posted a wonderful tribute today to Dr. Seuss here. She writes about why she loves Dr. Seuss and what he has meant for her in her life. Her words express how I feel about Dr. Seuss in a way that I never could. You need to read it!

A Trio of Hearts

2011-02-28T21:58:00.001-07:00

There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. . .pursue those. ~Michael Nolan

As a final indulgence in my passion for all things heart this month, I have made two more items to share with you as February is ending. I liked the pin I made for my sister for her birthday so much that I decided to make one for myself. I never used to wear bright colors, just blacks, browns, dark blues and greens. Lately, however, I have been attracted to more vibrant colors. This pin should help spice up my wardrobe a bit.

In looking for crochet and knitting patterns that feature hearts, I found a quirky one that I just had to make. It is called Love Bugs. The crochet pattern can be downloaded for free here if you have registered at the Lily Sugar 'n Cream website. Isn't he cute?

And then the grand finale for this month of hearts arrived in the mail for me today. One evening when I was surfing the net looking at different craft blogs, I ran into a delightful one, My Tinker Space by Aisyah Helga.
She just happened to be offering a Valentine's giveaway to the first person to comment on her current posting and I was that person. The giveaway was a crocheted garland of hearts. Interestingly, it was very similar to the one I made for my mother-in-law. Serendipity! Check out her blog. She is very talented and it is a bright and cheerful space to spend some time in.

I continue to be in love with hearts and will surely make more in the future. However, I will be concentrating on other things in March.What they will be is still to be determined, but definitely they will be things that catch my heart.

A Birthday Wish for A Special Boy

2011-02-25T15:21:00.003-07:00

Because today's your 1st Birthday
And you're so special too,
Everything that's happy,
Is being wished for you.

I can't be with you today on your very first birthday, but I am keeping you close in my heart as always and hoping it is an extra specially nice day for you. I miss you very much, but your mommy sent me these lovely pictures of you opening presents and taking a ride in your new wagon to help me share in all your joy today.

A Few Signs of Spring

2011-02-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout

Today was a sunny, blue skies kind of day, but still chilly. And the weather forecast is predicting severe weather for Sunday--a high of 47 degrees and a low of 22 degrees. For those who have suffered a frigid, snow-filled winter this may sound like spring, but for us here in the Southwest, this is far from springlike. I've done what I could do to springify my indoor environment, so I went outdoors to my garden to search again for signs of spring there. I'm happy to report that although the signs are few, there are some indications that spring is actually on its way.

I found daffodils blooming and some almost ready to bloom. I have a special love of daffodils because they are the flower of my birth month--March.

Our Lady Banks rose is beginning to leaf out. I look forward to her blooms later in the spring.

And the salvia in the pot with the rose is leafing out too. Its blue flower spikes make a lovely contrast with the yellow of the Lady Banks.

I am getting impatient for spring's arrival, but these signs of spring have given me hope that my wait may not be too long.

Making the Best of Things

2011-02-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. ~John Wooden

I have been preparing for the meeting of my Book Club at my home today for several weeks. First, I made little heart bookmarks for everyone. Then I decorated my holiday tree with hearts. And then I made a heart wreath for my front door to welcome my friends. Finally, I prepared a special family favorite dessert for them--Pineapple Angel Food Cake. I have made the recipe, which is incredibly simple, many times before, with good success, and expected the same results this time as well. How wrong could I be? It was a total disaster as you can see!

Now what? I decided to switch gears and make a trifle using the cake as a base. I searched online and found this recipe. I purchased a few needed items yesterday and made the trifle today, changing a few things according to the first two reviews written about the recipe. It was beautiful and tasted delicious. It was a much more impressive dessert than I had planned and earned me kudos from my friends.

It is trite, but true. When life hands you lemons, make a trifle out of them!

Spring in My Heart

2011-02-19T19:27:00.004-07:00

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

After the record cold we experienced the week before last, I reveled in the warm weather, sunshine, and blue skies that came our way most of this week. My husband saw a lizard on the wall in the back garden and some of our perennials began to show some green leaves. The false spring was short, however. Yesterday and today have been windy and cool, with intermittent sunshine and clouds. They forecast rain, which we actually could have used, as this has been a dry winter, but we only received a few drops. I looked out to the back garden yesterday and saw two little birds shivering in the bare mesquite tree and clouds rolling by in the background.

I needed something cheery and springlike to brighten at least my indoor environment, so I bought these two lovely primroses at the local Walmart. They make me smile every time I glance their way.

Being housebound by the ugly weather, I decided to start another project to lift my spirits. I had wonderful news the other day of the expected arrival of a new little one in our family come October. More about that later. But in the meantime, here is the beginning of a sweet baby afghan. The crochet block is called Friend Family Square and the free pattern can be found here. I really like the stitch definition and the pattern is well-written. I am grateful to the designer Christal Friend.

It is too soon to know if the baby will be a girl or a boy,but I think the colors should work for either. I made a big granny square afghan for my grandson that had the variegated yarn in it and fell in love with the colors then. It is Red Heart's Monet. The other colors are Soft White, Lavender, and Aruba Sea.

Thanks to my primroses and this afghan in progress, I have springtime inside even when it is wintry outside. And now, I have spring in my heart.

A Crafty Day

2011-02-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

One craft project, like one cookie, is never enough! ~Unknown

What a wonderful, crafty day I've had! I made good use of some of the materials I bought yesterday and made this for my front door. It will welcome my book club members to my home next week and follows the heart theme I have going in my decorating at the moment. The pattern for this project can be found here. Neen, a lovely lady from Galway, Ireland, has generously shared this pattern for free.

After I finished the wreath project, I was on a roll, so made this little pin for my sister's birthday. It was last week, but we are celebrating it tomorrow with a spa visit and lunch at a tearoom. The photo is a bit blurry. My photographic skills definitely need some improvement. I purchased the clever silver pin and the charm (amethyst for February) from CR's Crafts, a great online resource for many crafty products. Used some beads I just happen to have in my craft closet. I love the pin because the head unscrews and I just slid the charm and beads on and screwed the head back on.

A Shopping Trip to the Big City

2011-02-15T19:37:00.001-07:00

I like shopping, and I like to drive. ~Lacey Chabert

I scouted around my small town source (otherwise known as Walmart) for craft supplies yesterday and could not find what I needed for two new projects I want to work on--a wreath for my front door and a baby blanket made from a doily pattern. Luckily, like the quoted actress above, I like to drive. The nearest location of likely materials for my projects is approximately forty miles from my home. Whenever we go there we plan to be gone all day and we incorporate all those errands that cannot be done in our small town into our itinerary.

Today we got our hair cut, went grocery shopping for items we cannot buy at the local Walmart, went to lunch, and I bought the materials for my wreath and a book of doily patterns. It was a lovely day.

A Valentine for My Husband

2011-02-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows.

Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

And the sky of the sky of a tree called life;

Which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide.

And this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart.

I carry your heart.

I carry it in my heart.

e.e.cummings

A Christmas Heart

2011-02-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

May we keep Christmas in our hearts
Through every day of all the year.
~Gertrude B. Holman

Okay, I know tomorrow is Valentine's Day, so why am I making a Christmas Heart? I am part of a group on Ravelry which is making a different Christmas ornament each month. I haven't finished my ornament for January yet and the suggested ornament for February is an adorable little snowman. However, when I saw this pattern for this Decorative Heart, I just had to make it. Used the same yarn as for my Valentine's Scarf--Cascade 220 Heathers in the Carmine colorway. I am really trying to use yarn from my stash. I'm going to make several more for additional gifts, but this one is for my grandson.

A Warm Heart, Part II

2011-02-12T16:04:00.007-07:00

Memories are the treasures that we keep locked deep within the storehouse of our souls, to keep our hearts warm when we are lonely. ~Becky Aligada

As I've mentioned a few times this month, I am somewhat obsessed with heart-themed projects. I posted here on February 9, about the crocheted Valentine's Scarf I was beginning. Well, it is finished and I love it!

Now, I need to find just the right top to really set it off. I'd like a boatneck or V-neck top, I think. Even though it is wool, it is not bulky. Hopefully, I will get some wear out of it before it turns too warm here. I would like to thank Claire Ortega for making the pattern available for free on Crochet Spot.

Showing Some Progress

2011-02-11T16:20:00.001-07:00

The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, but in what direction we are moving.~Oliver Wendell Holmes

I am finally moving in the right direction with my Scrawl on the Wall Shawl. I have begun decreasing now after increasing to 120 stitches. Many of my fellow members of this Ravelry group have finished their shawls--and they are all beautiful! I have been obsessed with making heart themed projects this month and have not devoted as much time to the shawl as I could have, but it is coming along nicely. What do you think?

Vegan Bread

2011-02-10T17:41:00.002-07:00

"Diabetes is not necessarily a one-way street. Early studies suggest that persons with diabetes can improve and, in some cases, even cure themselves of the disease by switching to an unrefined, vegan diet."

Andrew Nicholson, M.D., Physicians Committee
for Responsible Medicine Good Medicine
Magazine, Winter 1997

I'm still committed to a mostly vegan diet for health reasons and I have been searching for recipes online. I love making (and eating) bread made in my bread machine. The best recipe I have found for bread thus far, Gary's Vegan Bread, can be found here. It rises beautifully, has great texture, keeps well, and tastes delicious. My husband likes it even better than non-vegan recipes I have made.

A Warm Heart

2011-02-09T17:15:00.001-07:00

Keep love in your heart. . .The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring. ~Oscar Wilde

I was searching yesterday for another knitting or crochet pattern with a heart theme. My love of hearts has turned into an obsession this month and I just can't stop making things with hearts. I found a lovely crochet pattern here for a neckwarmer with hearts. I am going to make it a bit longer and use it as a scarf. I am using Cascade 220 Heathers yarn in the Carmine colorway. So far it has been a quick and easy pattern to follow. I have it memorized already. I just started this afternoon and this is what I have completed:

And Even More Hearts

2011-02-08T17:37:00.002-07:00

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I bought a little artificial tree years ago for Christmas and really enjoyed placing small ornaments on it that I had made or bought over the years. It always made me a bit sad to take those ornaments off and pack them and the tree up when Christmas time was over. Then one day, a lovely idea came to me. Why pack the tree away when it could be decorated throughout the year for the different seasons or holidays? Here it is in its role as my Valentine's Tree:

I made this heart garland for my mother-in-law to hang in her living area. We won't see her for Valentine's Day, but I wanted her to know she was in our thoughts. I made it so she would have a visible proof of our love. I used Peaches & Creme yarn in the Peppermint colorway. The pattern Crochet Heart Garland can be found here. Thanks, Suzetta of Suzies Stuff. It was a lot of fun to make and I love the way the variegated yarn made each heart unique.

Order Out of Chaos

2011-02-07T19:01:00.002-07:00

My yesterdays are all boxed up and neatly put away. ~Sheryl Crow

Well, I managed to restore order to my knitting and crochet patterns. As you can see from the photo they are neatly contained in four binders now. I still need to buy some more plastic sleeve protectors and some dividers. The binders are now stored on a shelf in my craft closet--the only things in there that are organized.

Chaos

2011-02-06T23:31:00.002-07:00

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it's not all mixed up. ~A.A. Milne

Oh, why didn't I read the words above before I started printing patterns out?!! I've been seriously knitting and crocheting for about seven years now and have been printing out patterns for just as long. Patterns I wanted to make right away (and I have made some); patterns I would like to make some day; patterns I liked the look of; patterns that would teach me a new technique; patterns . . . well, I think you get the idea.

I began to put them in a binder when I realized that I was collecting quite a few of them. I brought the binder with me when I moved from Virginia, along with quite a few space bags filled with yarn. That was almost four years ago and my collection of both patterns and yarn has grown to amazing proportions. I am attempting to control the stash yarn by not buying any new yarn and knitting and crocheting items that will utilize the yarn I already have in my possession. Of course, that has necessitated finding and printing out even more patterns that are ideal for the yarn I have. So, the yarn accumulation is very s-l-o-w-l-y diminishing, but what to do with all the patterns?

The original binder was filled up some time ago and so I began putting the patterns in plastic sleeve protectors. I kept these on top of the binder in my craft closet, but every time I wanted to find just the right pattern that I knew I had printed out at some time in the distant past, I had to fumble through piles of patterns that I didn't want. And they slipped and slid all over the place.

So, yesterday I decided to get organized. I pulled out every pattern I could find in the craft closet and put them on my kitchen table to begin putting them in order. I remembered a box of empty binders that came with us from Virginia that has been hanging out in the garage since we moved in here. Binders! What a perfect place to store all those patterns! Much easier said than done, however. I worked for several hours yesterday and this is what I have accomplished:

Why haven't I finished yet? Today was Super Bowl Sunday and I had company coming over to watch the game with us; and I had food to prepare to munch on while watching the game. But, no more excuses. I promise I will have a picture tomorrow of all my patterns arranged in orderly fashion in binders. Just don't hold your breath.

Gardening Woes

2011-02-05T13:48:00.002-07:00

When one of my plants dies, I die a little inside, too. ~Linda Solegato

The other day I posted here about our record-breaking cold and my hopes that we would not loose any of our plants. Well, my hopes were dashed yesterday as I looked out at our magnificent Indian Fig Cactus. The temperature dropped to single digits Wednesday and Thursday nights. Indian Fig are supposed to be cold hardy, but when I looked out yesterday afternoon, this is what I saw:

This is what our Indian Fig looked like just one month ago. You can see it behind the Acacia tree.

We are not sure if we can save any part of this poor plant, but we will try. Gardening requires both a strong back and a strong heart.

More Hearts

2011-02-04T16:08:00.003-07:00

Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily, but also those who need it so much.~Daphne Rose Kingma

I promised more hearts this month and here are some from last year that I didn't post about.

Sweet Heart Sachet

I crocheted this heart last year to hang on my guest bedroom door knob. I don't remember now what yarn I used or what hook size, but the pattern can be found here. It is a PDF download. Very quick and easy. I filled it with potpourri which has lost its fragrance, but it is a cheery welcome to all who come to stay with me a while.

Heart Pin Front

Heart Pin Back

This little Heart Pin is one of five I made last February for my sister, her daughter, my daughter, my cousin, and myself. We all rented a beautiful home in Phoenix for a week to celebrate our birthdays. It was so much warmer than this year, but at least I have the memories to keep me warm. I used a variety of scrap yarns for the pins and put a different button on each one. I hot glued a pin on the back of each. It gave me pleasure to show them how much I love them with a gift of a heart. The pattern for the heart pin can be found here.

Those are all the hearts I have to show you today, but I have more in the works. Need to get busy now.

February Hearts

2011-02-03T18:39:00.001-07:00

Love is not written on paper, for paper can be erased. Nor is it etched on stone, for stone can be broken. But it is inscribed on a heart and there it shall remain forever. ~Unknown

Grandma's Heart Square

This is the February block for the 2011 Block-a-Month Crochet-a-long I'm participating in on Ravelry. It was designed by Carola Wijma and the pattern can be downloaded for free from Ravelry. It is aptly named because it will be used in the making of an afghan for my little grandson, Baby G. It was a challenge for me, as I needed to read a crochet chart in order to make it, and it incorporated many different stitches. It was a wonderful learning experience and great fun, too!

Little Heart Bookmarks

I posted here about these bookmarks I was making for the members of one of my book clubs. The pattern was designed by Lee at KilliecrankieFarm. They were quick and satisfying to make and now here are all eight finished and ready for gifting.

I love to make things in heart shapes and I am always attracted to items with hearts on them. Example the pillow above. Since Valentine's Day is in February I usually indulge myself with the making of hearts and decorating with them as well. Don't be surprised if more hearts show up on this blog this month.

What to Do When the Weather is Cold

2011-02-02T22:07:00.003-07:00

The one thing I never get involved with is selecting art or pictures for a client. This is a very personal thing. If the clients have pictures, I will hang them. When they do not own pictures I leave the walls blank. ~Albert Hadley, The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer

This is our fourth winter in the Southwest and we are noticing a pattern. When February comes look out for a cold snap. This year it seems to be particularly brutal. Our high temperature today was 36 degrees and the low tonight is predicted to be 11 degrees. Brrr! My husband covered up a number of our outdoor plants that are marginal at 20 degrees. Our plants and trees are not as precious as our children, but they do run a close second. If one of them succumbs to the cold, we shall be very distressed.

We certainly aren't suffering like the Midwest or Northeast. No snow or ice, but when you are used to winter weather in the 60s and 70s during the day, this kind of cold really inhibits our usual activities. Definitely no morning walks until the weather warms again. Today we didn't stir from the house, so we spent the day in cocooning activities. I washed bed clothes, cooked, and crocheted. My husband rearranged furniture in our bedroom and hung this fabulous peacock, painted by our darling daughter.

She painted it to hang in an art show in which she exhibited last year. We admired it greatly and she gave it to us last fall when we visited back East. We've tried it out in different rooms in our home, but were never satisfied with how it looked. Now that the bedroom has been rearranged, it has found a suitable hanging place. When I look at it I am reminded of our beautiful, talented daughter and get a big smile on my face.

Monthly Check-Up

2011-02-01T22:52:00.001-07:00

An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises. ~Mae West
Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. ~Tom Robbins

The first of February and I think it is time to check-up on those eleven goals I posted here and see what progress I have made.

I did use some stash yarn this month to make bookmarks for the members of one of my book clubs.
I did not finish even one WIP (Work in Progress); instead I started a new afghan, a shawl, and a Christmas ornament.
I did start walking again, but so far only one day and I am going to postpone any more walking until next Monday. We are having cold, cold weather right now (24 degrees tonight and 16 degrees tomorrow night.) My blood is now acclimated to warm weather, not cold.
I did start a healthy eating regimen. In fact, I am trying out a vegan diet for three weeks.
I did blog every day for a month, but did not write in my journal even once.
I did not call my parents once a week. They were here for ten days, but I have not called them since they returned home.
I did not get a new primary care physician yet.
I did not finish reading a piece of classic literature in January, but I did begin reading The Call of the Wild by Jack London. I read it first when I was about fourteen and remembered liking it very much. I am very engrossed in the story and plan to read White Fang next.
I did not make a baby quilt yet. Haven't even thought of it much.
I did not make a family photo album for my children yet. Haven't looked at all the pictures I have in 3 big boxes in some time.
I did send a long, newsy e-mail to my neglected friends. Just made it under the wire for January--sent it yesterday.

Well, six out of eleven at least partially held to for the month of January. Not fantastic, but it is a beginning.

Sunlight in Winter

2011-01-31T14:42:00.001-07:00

There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind. ~Annie Dillard

One of the major reasons we moved to the Southwest was to escape the gloomy, cold winters back East. Generally our weather is mild in winter and we get many more days of sunshine than we experienced in the East. Even on days like today, which has been cloudy with a few brief rain showers, we still have glorious bursts of sunlight.

I derive a tremendous amount of energy from the sun here. I love to observe it streaming in the front windows in the early morning and watch its progress throughout the day as it beams in one window after another. My favorite time, however, is about an hour before sunset when it pours in our back patio doors and makes pools of light and shadow on the walls and floors.We do get fierce winds, too, but the sunlight makes up for it, in my opinion.

Almost Vegan

2011-01-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without soup or bread in it. ~ M.F.K. Fisher

I have been planning for several weeks to try a vegan diet for a three week trial period. I first mentioned this intent in this post on January 3. Our visitors are gone and we have managed to finish up all the non-vegan perishable food in the house with the exception of some sour cream and buttermilk. We were so ready to try this new regimen that we began yesterday, even though we still had a few non-vegan items to eat. That's why I entitled this post Almost Vegan. By Tuesday we should have nothing but vegan food in the refrigerator.

Today I fixed a delicious vegan soup from a 17 Bean and Barley Mix I purchased at Trader Joe's. I followed the recipe on the package and then added some chopped spinach and Tofurky brand Italian sausage. I also made some low carb buttermilk bread to accompany the soup. A plain meal but delicious!

Another Look at Friendship

2011-01-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely. ~Pam Brown

In this post, I wondered if it wouldn't be better to let old friendships go and concentrate on new ones. I've been pondering this question and I've decided that old friendships are too precious to let go by default. I love to garden and the quote above made me think of how devastated I feel when I have neglected a plant and see it wilting or dying. How much more important to me are my friends!

I've begun a sort of Year in Review for 2010 to send to my old friends back East and want to finish it and send it by e-mail before the end of this month. A tall order, but I have always worked better under pressure. Once the e-mail is sent I intend to concentrate on the letters and phone calls and small, silly presents angle. Like the Girl Scout song intones: Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver, the other is gold.

Another Cuppa and Some More Crochet

2011-01-28T19:31:00.004-07:00

Throw out those crumpled receipts, old card catalog cards, and ripped up parking tickets and get yourself some real bookmarks. ~Robin K. Blum

One of the book clubs I belong to will be meeting at my home in February for a discussion of Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje.  I wanted to make a little  something for the members as a token of my appreciation for them.  They are a wonderful group and I look forward to our monthly discussions with great anticipation.

I came up with the idea of making each of them a bookmark and since it is the month of Valentine's Day I found a pattern for a little heart bookmark.  It is quick to crochet and I made four while sipping some Earl Grey tea.


Little Heart Bookmarks

Sipping tea and crocheting is becoming quite a pleasant habit with me.  Now what tea shall I sip as I make four more bookmarks for my friends?  Vanilla/Cinnamon, Orange Spice, or Winter Mint?

Tea and Crochet

2011-01-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. ~Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

What a lovely afternoon I've had! My husband and I sat in the living room sipping tea in companionable silence. He read and I crocheted. Life doesn't get any better than that.

I was able to finish the first block for the 2011 Block-a-Month Crochet Along, a group I belong to on Ravelry. The afghan I will eventually put together with the twelve blocks I'll be making is for my little grandson. I chose very vibrant colors because the finished afghan is for a child. However, I was getting a bit anxious wondering if the colors were too vibrant. Now that it is finished I love it.

January Block--Maggie's Square

Now, I only have eleven more blocks to go!

Friendship

2011-01-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

Every man passes his life in the search after friendship. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the secret, seldom shared wishes I have for my retirement is to make new friends while keeping the old ones. While I was in the working world I had many acquaintances, but few real friends. Being a friend requires a lot of maintenance and I was often neglectful in that area. I vowed that when I retired I would try to do a better job of being a friend.

I have more trouble it seems in keeping up with old friends than in making new ones. Distance makes it more difficult to keep in touch. E-mails are my usual means of communicating with far away friends, but they lack a certain warmth and spontaneity that face to face contact has. No longer sharing common activities also makes it difficult to find meaningful things to say to old friends. I wonder sometimes if it wouldn't be better to stop trying to keep the friendships alive and just be content with happy memories.

I have been very fortunate to find a number of people in my new life that I consider friends. We have common interests (reading and knitting and crocheting, for example) and proximity allows us to meet more frequently. Today, I unexpectedly met with a friend I hadn't seen in a few months. We have both been busy with family matters and never seemed to be in the same place at the same time. It was lovely to see her and have the chance to chat and catch up on all our doings. She is a gentle person who brings out the best in me. I have smiled all day today just thinking about our meeting. Friendship is good for the soul.

Say "Ah!"

2011-01-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

God is the experience of looking at a tree and saying, "Ah!" ~ Joseph Campbell

Lake Tahoe, California

Yosemite National Park


Yosemite National Park

Trees make me a believer. I am drawn to taking pictures of them on all my travels.

Another Work in Progress

2011-01-24T17:41:00.001-07:00

It's a work in progress. It's got a lot of new things on it, but it still needs a lot. ~Tiffany Ross
The road to h___ is paved with works-in-progress. ~Philippe de Comines

I began another project yesterday afternoon. I must be crazy with all the works in progress (WIPs) I already have, but this is crocheting one 12 inch block a month until December, 2011. When I have finished all twelve of the blocks, I will put them together into an afghan for my grandson. I am using seven very bright colors of a soft worsted weight yarn: Caron Simply Soft Brites. The yarn is a bit splitty, but I am pleased with the pattern and my progress so far.


Maggie's Square for Baby G's Afghan

The square was designed by The Crochet Dude, Drew Emborsky. It is a free pattern that can be found on Ravelry and here. It has a new stitch in it for me--the crossed double crochet stitch. It took me a bit of practice and research to be able to feel comfortable with the new stitch, but I'm glad I took the time. I really like it and am happy to add another stitch to my repertoire.

End of the Chase

2011-01-23T22:46:00.000-07:00

Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you. ~John De Paola

Yesterday I was greatly frustrated in my planning for a family vacation in May. Nothing was working. I couldn't find flights that were affordable and with times that were reasonable. I couldn't find accommodations for all of us. I was ready to pull my hair out, so I took a break and just knitted for hours. It was very calming and gave me hope that somehow I would make everything work another day.

Well, today was the day. I talked with my daughter-in-law and she was willing to change the dates I was having so much difficulty with. Then I went online and found flights and accommodations that were nearly perfect. I feel a great sense of relief and now we are all looking forward to some quality time together.

I hope I can remember this the next time I panic when things are not going my way. Stepping away from a problem for a while is sometimes the best way to solve it.

Knitting As Meditation

2011-01-22T22:31:00.000-07:00

The focus and the concentration and the attention to detail that flying takes is a kind of meditation. I find it restful and engaging, and other things slip away. ~Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford must have been reading my mind when he stated the above--almost. If you substitute knitting for flying it is exactly how I felt today as I sat knitting on my Scrawl on the Wall Shawl.

I have been very distracted, frustrated, and anxious the past few days. I have been attempting to make arrangements for a family vacation in May and nothing seems to be going according to my plans. I decided after being on line for several hours today searching for just the right flight and the perfect accommodations that it was time to take a break. Remembering that one of my resolutions for 2011 is to finish all my knitting and crochet works in progress (WIPs), I took up my needles and proceeded to knit on the shawl I am making for my mother. I not only succeeded in making good progress on it, but I also found it very soothing and my stress has melted away for the time being.


Scrawl on the Wall Shawl

I'm very pleased with my progress and looking forward to sending it to my mother. Until I finish it, however, knitting on this shawl will be my refuge from frustration and anxiety.

Vast Wasteland or Good Stuff?

2011-01-22T13:14:00.004-07:00

I was one of the first generations to watch television. TV exposes people to news, to information, to knowledge, to entertainment. How is it bad? ~Tom Clancy

I know people who would rather admit to a social indiscretion such as getting drunk at a party or using bad language in front of their mother-in-law than that they watch television regularly. Well, I don't mind admitting that I enjoy watching TV and even have favorite shows that I never willingly miss. I am particularly drawn to crime solving shows and science fiction or fantasy shows. Among my current favorites are: NCIS; Bones; The Closer; White Collar; The Mentalist; Eureka; and Fringe. In addition to these series, I also really enjoy House and Lie to Me. All these shows are not only entertaining, but often have clever dialogue as well as thought provoking situations that my husband and I discuss after viewing.

I can only take the news in small doses as I feel that newscasters sensationalize events and give you sound bytes rather than substantive information. However, one show that I tend to watch every week is GPS with Fareed Zakaria. I don't always agree with his viewpoint or that of his guests, but always find his show intellectually stimulating. It presents a wider world view of events than is found on many other so-called news analysis programs. We also watch BBC America news for a slightly different take on the news than is found on the network channels.

Other television offerings we have tuned into are This Old House and Hometime. When we were renovating our old house these shows gave us useful information about various aspects of our project. When we had finished the renovation and were ready to sell our home we borrowed ideas for staging and selling from a variety of programs on the HGTV network.

PBS has always presented high quality programs that inform and educate. Now that cable television is readily available to most viewers there is a proliferation of such programs. We especially enjoy the shows on the FoodNetwork, the Travel Channel, the History Channel, and the Discovery Channel.

I do not watch Reality TV shows such as Survivor, or Dancing with the Stars. I checked them out a time or two and they just didn't appeal to me, but I am not a television snob. I know many people who really enjoy watching this type of program and I see nothing wrong with that. To each his own.

I read an interesting article on a blog while doing a bit of research for this posting entitled, Is television still a wasteland? The author, John Silveira, gives his assessment of the state of television today after a long time away from it. His numerous examples gave me even more food for thought. I recommend reading his article, especially if you have a negative view of television. He just might change your mind.

Whatever your own opinions about television watching, let me leave you with a statement from Jack Paar, the American radio and television comedian and talk show host, who took over The Tonight Show from Steve Allen. Paar said, "I have never seen a bad television program, because I refuse to. God gave me a mind, and a wrist that turns things off. " Personal choice is still the best method of insuring quality in what we watch on television.

Time to Get Started

2011-01-20T23:33:00.001-07:00

Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in. ~Napoleon Bonaparte

I've always been great at making plans, but come up short when it is time to put the plans into action. I have no excuses now for not implementing my long deliberated resolutions for this new year. My visitors have returned home. We have no travel plans for the time being. I have few social commitments. The weather is good. So far my goals for 2011 have been unstated, but only because once I've actually expressed them verbally or in writing then I am committed. The time for deliberation is over.

My goals for this year are:

Use stash whenever possible in knitting and crocheting new projects.
Finish all WIPs beginning with the 2008 Block-a-Month afghan for the guest bedroom.
Walk, walk, and walk some more.
Eat healthfully.
Write in my journal and blog regularly--at least once a week.
Call my parents once a week to check on their health and well-being.
Get a new primary care physician.
Read at least one piece of classic literature a month.
Make a baby quilt.
Make and give a family photo album to each of my children.
Send a long, newsy e-mail to my neglected friends.

Very ambitious, I know, but without goals nothing is accomplished. I am very motivated and can't wait to get started tomorrow.

A Hint of What's to Come

2011-01-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind? ~Percy Bysshe Shelley

The weather today has been heavenly. The first day in a long time that I could go outside without a sweater or a jacket. The sky has been blue with fluffy white clouds and it was warm. I sat outside and just soaked up the sun. The landscape is still looking like winter, but the air feels like spring. My mind tells me that we will inevitably have more cold weather, but I am refusing to listen to reason. My spirit tells me that the promise of spring will soon be fulfilled.

Good Things Are Worth Waiting For

2011-01-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

I'm a firm believer in delayed gratification. Things mean more when you have to wait for them. ~Jean Chatzky

My parents' visit is drawing to a close. They fly home tomorrow morning. I have greatly enjoyed their visit and I think they had a good time, too. I am sorry in many ways to see them go, especially because I don't think they will ever make the trip back here again. On the other hand, if you try to hold on too tightly to happiness it diminishes it.

That being said, I am looking forward to more free time to indulge my passion for knitting and crocheting. I have several projects in the works that have been crying out to me to be finished. I knitted some while they were here, but it was fairly mindless and could be done while watching TV or talking with them. These other projects require my full attention and I felt that I needed to give it to them while they were visiting.

Soon I will be able to knit and crochet to my heart's content with the happy memory of their visit still fresh in my mind. Life is good!

Depressed? Not me!

2011-01-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

A lot of what passes for depression these days is nothing more than a body saying that it needs work. ~Geoffrey Norman

According to a blog I was reading earlier this afternoon, today is the most depressing day of the year. I wondered about what I read and so did a bit of research to find out if there was really some basis in fact for this statement. This article from the Mother Nature Network in the UK gives an interesting explanation of this phenomenon/theory/hoax/urban legend/whatever. The article says that today is Blue Monday, the third Monday of January. The depression is likely caused by the weather; debt load from Christmas; guilt over unkept New Year's resolutions; and that oh-no-is-the-weekend-really-over feeling many have on Monday morning. The whole concept was started as a publicity stunt by a travel company. Advice on how to beat the Blue Monday blues? Use your depression as motivation to strive for a better quality life. For example, plan to spend less next year on buying Christmas presents.

Well, I'm not depressed today, but if I was, I would follow my great-grandmother's advice: If you don't feel well, just get up and work. It never fails to cure me of depression or just plain feeling sorry for myself.

Food Is Love

2011-01-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

“Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.” ~Craig Claiborne, ‘Craig Claiborne's Kitchen Primer’

Cooking is one of my joys and I certainly had a joyous time today making dinner for my parents. In my family, sharing a home-cooked meal is an expression of our love. I am seriously going to follow the vegan diet I mentioned at the beginning of this month, but in the meantime I have visitors that I need to feed. Visitors who really wouldn't like all vegan meals.

So today I once again got out my crock pot and fixed a flank steak I've had in the freezer. I followed a recipe from http://allrecipes.com that I have been wanting to make for a while. It is called Slow Cooker London Broil and can be found here. I made it according to the directions, but added some things mentioned in one of the reviews. Besides the flank steak, cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup, and a package of dry onion mix, I also added an extra can of cream of mushroom soup, a half a cup of red wine, garlic powder, onion powder, and lots of fresh ground pepper. The meat was sooo tender and the gravy delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper. If I become a convert to vegan eating then I will make it for guests who are not of that persuasion--it is that good!

Random Thoughts on a Saturday Night

2011-01-15T22:42:00.000-07:00

So much of life, it seems to me, is determined by pure randomness. ~Sidney Poitier

Maybe it's laziness or maybe it's just an inability to focus tonight, but all my thoughts about what to post are flitting around in my mind like a hummingbird going from one flower to another in the garden. Not being able to come up with a coherent topic, I have decided to list some of my random thoughts. Not exactly stream of consciousness, but pretty close. Here goes:

Wathching NFL playoff games on TV with my family is a very enjoyable way to spend a Saturday.
Meals cooked in a crock pot taste delicious and are almost effortless.
Waiting for an amaryllis to bloom is rather like waiting for a baby to be born.
Yahtzee is a boring game requiring little skill.
If you play Yahtzee with someone you love it can be a lot of fun.
Why do so many retired people move far away from their families and then spend half of their time going to visit them?
Wearing socks to bed in the winter helps me get to sleep faster.
Having chocolate candy in the house is not a good idea when you are trying to eat more healthfully.
Grandchildren are one of the joys of getting older.
There will never be enough time to read all the books I want to read.
There will never be enough time to knit and crochet all the things I want to knit and crochet.
Knowing that there are still books I haven't read and things I haven't knit or crocheted makes waking up every morning a wonderful adventure!

I Remember . . .

2011-01-14T23:19:00.001-07:00

"Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were." ~Marcel Proust

I am happy to report that Proust was not completely correct in his assessment of our ability to remember things from the past accurately. I went to a German restaurant for dinner tonight and relived Friday night dinners from my childhood.

I had a choice of sides to go with my Rindergulasch (German Beef Goulash). I chose red cabbage and potato pancakes. Everything was delicious, but the potato pancakes provided me with a trip down memory lane. Our standard Friday night dinner when I was young was tuna salad, applesauce, and potato pancakes. I have ordered potato pancakes many times when eating out, but they never tasted like what I remembered from my childhood. Most of them were made with mashed potatoes and my mother always made them from grated raw potatoes. She added a little onion, an egg, and some flour, and fried them quickly in a skillet until they were brown and somewhat crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Mmm! They were so good! The potato pancakes I ate tonight were just like the ones Mom used to make. Eating them was like being transported back in time fifty years.

Daily Commitment

2011-01-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the years'. ~Henry Moore

For some time now I have begun each day with a mental listing of behaviors that I want to engage in just for today. At the end of the day I review my list to see if I have been successful in achieving my morning goals. What may seem impossible for me to accomplish in the long term--a month, a year--is often attainable just for today.

Here is my morning mantra: Just for today . . .

I choose to be free of anger, fear, worry, and regret.
I will be patient.
I will be grateful for my many blessings.
I will work with integrity.
I will show kindness and respect to my family, friends, and neighbors.
I choose to live in sunshine, regardless of any shadows on my heart.

I think this is the method I should use to acquire some of the new habits I have been writing about the past two weeks.

Stick-to-it-ness

2011-01-12T23:09:00.003-07:00

Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony. ~Thomas Merton

I have been actively seeking serenity for some time now and have become convinced that by fostering balance and harmony in my life I can achieve it. Easier said than done, however. I tend to approach all my goals with great passion--one might even say obsession. This life style is not conducive to serenity, but how does one change a long-established way of living one's life?

Routines help. Getting up in the morning and going to bed at night at the same time every day is useful in establishing some kind of order and rhythm in my life. I can sustain this pattern for a while, but then something always disturbs it. An extended trip away from home; a good book I just can't put down; an inability to get to sleep one night.

Maintaining balance in my life requires tremendous self-discipline and dedication. Passion provides the motivation, but so far I am lacking that perseverance I mentioned yesterday. I need to develop the habit of stick-to-it-ness.

This topic of forming habits is a recurring theme in my thoughts and posts this month. Is it just the effect of the New Year on me? It's January so I must make changes in my life? I have been resisting making resolutions, but perhaps I need to make some commitments before I can see any progress toward my goals.

Perseverance or Insanity?

2011-01-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. ~Newt Gingrich

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. ~Albert Einstein

Sunday afternoon I grew frustrated with my knitting of the Scrawl on the Wall Shawl because I was trying to use a lace weight yarn and a novelty yarn and I kept having difficulties. The lace weight was too light and the novelty yarn too splitty. I must have frogged the same section of the shawl three or four times and finally put it up. Monday I attempted to add those two yarns to the shawl again and I had to frog it. Today I picked the shawl up and decided to try one more time with the lace weight and novelty yarns and I had no problems! Am I a persevering knitter or just plain insane?

We Are Family

2011-01-10T22:16:00.001-07:00

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." ~Desmond Tutu

We haven't always agreed with each other. In fact, sometimes, we haven't even liked each other. When I was 16, I thought you didn't have a clue about how to raise children. When I was 21, I definitely did not want to be like you. In my 30s, raising my own children, I began to hear words coming out of my mouth that sounded a lot like things you used to say. In my 40s, I envied your freedom in retirement to travel the world and I was upset when I phoned you and you were not home. In my 50s, I began worrying about your being so far away and what would I do if something happened to you. Now, in my 60s, I take every opportunity to be with you because I know our times together are precious. Today you came to stay with me in my home and visit for a while. I really didn't think that you would ever be able to do that again. Today I feel blessed to have you as my parents.

A Simple Sunday Afternoon

2011-01-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

"Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods."~James Beard

I spent a quiet day at home today. Just watching the NFL playoff games (glad the Ravens and Green Bay won!); knitting on my Scrawl on the Wall Shawl (became very frustrated after having to frog the lace weight and novelty yarns I was using today); and so ended my afternoon by baking some bread. My parents are coming for their first visit to our high desert home and I wanted to make something to welcome them. I couldn't think of anything more welcoming than a homemade loaf of bread.

I used to make bread when my children were young and then stopped when my life became really crazy with work. For years, I wanted a bread machine, but had so little counter space and storage room in my old kitchen that it remained only a dream. Our kitchen here is not huge, but I made room for a bread machine and use it often. Today I made Nutty Low Carb Bread. I've made it quite a few times and everyone seems to love it, plus it keeps very well.

I love my bread machine!


Yummy, nutty low carb bread

I was very tempted to have a slice, but once I start eating it I can't stop and it is for Mom and Dad, after all.

Comfort Knitting

2011-01-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." ~Jane Austen

Jane had it almost right. My take on it would be: There is nothing like staying at home knitting for real comfort.

I have been staying at home a lot lately trying to stay warm. After all the traveling we've done this year, it feels really good to be housebound. I love to cook, bake, and read when I have some extended time at home, but for real comfort I love to knit or crochet. I didn't finish my little Christmas gnome last night, but I did cast on the Scrawl on the Wall Shawl. It is an easy knit, pretty much of a no-brainer except when I have to decide what color to use next. Here is my progress so far:

Some may turn to food or music or even drink for comfort, but just give me needles or a hook and some yarn and that's all the comfort I need.

Obsession

2011-01-08T00:16:00.000-07:00

"The creative habit is like a drug. The particular obsession changes, but the excitement, the thrill of your creation lasts. " ~Henry Moore

Was it only two days ago that I was trying to follow the advice of Euripides to finish what I started before beginning something new? I have made good progress on the afghan begun in 2008, but I certainly haven't finished it. And yet today I joined two new groups on Ravelry in order to participate in their ongoing projects. One group is knitting a shawl from scrap yarn and the other is making a different Christmas decoration every month through December of this year. As I was gathering yarn and needles and hooks and patterns to begin making the shawl and a Christmas gnome, my husband inquired why I didn't finish the things I had already begun before starting on these new projects. That would be much more efficient he observed. He just doesn't understand the excitement of beginning a new creative project. When the obsession to create overtakes me, I am helpless. I certainly am glad I didn't make any resolutions this year about controlling my knit and crochet addiction. Now, I have to get back to that sweet little gnome. He needs some eyes and a beard. Pictures tomorrow--no time tonight.

The Garden in Winter

2011-01-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~Minnie Aumonier

Here in southeastern Arizona, we are generally very fortunate in winter to have relatively warm temperatures and sunny skies while much of the rest of the country suffers with snow and ice. Lately, however, it has been cold and gloomy often enough to make me dream of balmy breezes and tropical isles. The weather forecast keeps promising us a warming trend, but I have yet to feel it in actuality. I have been wearing sweatshirts and sweaters and a double layer of socks indoors and only venturing outside when absolutely necessary. My only solace has been the blooming paperwhite narcissus in my kitchen garden window.

Today I decided I had hibernated long enough and took a stroll through our back yard searching for some signs of life and beauty in the midst of winter. I didn't find anything in bloom, but the mesquite is still green and the deciduous trees have a stark beauty as they lift their bare limbs to the sky.

The garden is resting, but I detected the faint sound of music from the trees as the wind blew through them giving me hope for an eventual concert in the spring.

Looking for Closure in My Craft Closet

2011-01-05T22:18:00.001-07:00

Do not plan for ventures before finishing what's at hand. ~Euripides

In January of 2008, I began making a crocheted block a month in a group on Ravelry--an online knit and crochet community. The idea being that by December, 2008, I would have 12 blocks that I could make into an afghan. All went according to plan until October and then, for some reason I can no longer remember, I put the project in my craft closet and began another project, and another project, and another project. Some people call this affliction of starting one project before completing another "startitis". There is a certain pleasure in beginning a new project--a thrill of anticipation in the planning stages before the project is actually begun. There have been no problems; no mistakes have been made; no rethinking has been necessary. There is just that rosy dream of what it will look like when it is finished. And when problems or boredom do set in, it is a simple matter of setting the project aside to be finished "someday" and starting another one. It's like a shot of adrenalin.

Towards the end of December, 2010, I joined another crochet block a month group on Ravelry to make an afghan by the end of 2011. (You'd think I would have learned better in the intervening 3 years!) As I impatiently awaited the delivery of the yarn I ordered to make this new afghan, I remembered the half-finished one from 2008 and decided to work on it until the new yarn arrived. I am making the 2011 afghan for my little grandson and really want to finish it in time to send it to him for his second Christmas. I have this superstitious feeling that if I don't finish the project begun in 2008, I will never finish the new one for my grandson. I am happy to report that I have now finished all 12 blocks and have started on the first of 6 more that I have decided need to be added to make a good-sized afghan for my guest bedroom. I have even begun joining the blocks that are already finished. See for yourself:

October, 2008 Block

November, 2008 Block

December, 2008 Block


Afghan Under Construction

Euripides advice above is timely for me. I haven't achieved closure yet, but it is in sight now.

Why I Blog

2011-01-04T22:01:00.001-07:00

"My blog continues to give me sooooooooooo much pleasure too, I love coming here and wittering away alongside my pictures!! It provides me with a hugely valuable means of memory-preserving which is so precious, . . . and of course it's all there for my Little People to visit and enjoy in the future." --Lucy, blogging on Attic24

Back last August, I was pondering whether blogging was for me and if so what my purpose for blogging should be. I thought and thought and even did some research on it, but never could come to a decision so, typically, I did nothing. Then I suddenly had an epiphany after reading the above on one of my favorite blogs--Attic24. I love blogging and all it involves: design; layout; choosing a topic; composing a post; taking photos or choosing them from ones already taken. Blogging is a creative outlet for me. In addition, it is an electronic journal of my memories that I can share with my family and friends.

For 16 years, I have kept a written journal. Actually, it is now 15 or 16 journals. My writings in those journals is deeply personal, however, and not to be shared. In fact, I have requested that they be burned upon my death. They aren't a potential tell-all blockbuster about my life--just my random thoughts and musings. Now, with my blog, I have a means of sharing my life with others that I am comfortable with.

More regular posting is another habit I would like to nurture and develop this year.

How Long Does It Take to Form a New Habit?

2011-01-03T15:58:00.001-07:00

“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas” Author Unknown

So today I have been trying my best to begin a healthier eating habit. I've been reading a book entitled: Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes without Drugs. The diet he proposes is vegan and I never really imagined myself following such a restricted regimen. However, the more I read the more I am willing to give it a try. I really feel the motivation to reduce my dependence on drugs to control my diabetes. I also need to jump start my metabolism and loose more weight.

As for the answer to my original question: How long does it take to form a new habit? According to answer.com, it generally takes up to 30 days to form a new habit and this depends greatly on the ability and will of the person trying to establish that new habit and it requires constant repetition of the new behavior. Am I up for all this? Time will tell. Next Christmas is a long way off.

A New Year

2011-01-02T23:05:00.003-07:00

Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits. ~Author Unknown

I hope I am able to begin some new habits this year. Certainly not all my habits are bad or unworthy of me, but I do need to develop at least a few new ones. Habits that will give me an even happier, healthier, and more creative life. I shan't commit myself by making resolutions right now, but I am exploring possibilities at this time. Perhaps posting today is the first step in a new direction. Meanwhile, here are a few special images of my Person of the Year for 2010:

Such a happy boy!

Cutie Pie


What did you say?

Grandma knit me a sweater and hat

My First Christmas

Mission Statement Needed?

2010-08-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've been reading some online articles about why individuals blog, as well as why they stop blogging. I have come to the conclusion that at least one of the reasons that I have started and stopped blogging several times is because I have had no clear purpose in mind. Perhaps I need to come up with a mission statement. Maybe I need more than one blog. I may have been trying to incorporate too many threads in one blog. I have a number of diverse interests--family, travel, cooking/baking, knitting and crochet, nature--and these may not work in one blog. In addition, I think I need to decide if the blog is just for my benefit or if I would like to attract other readers and engage in an online community sharing of interests or thoughts and ideas. I can see I have a lot of thinking to do before I resolve this issue.

Is This Really My Return to Blogging?

2010-08-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

It has been such a long time since I posted that I feel at a loss for words. So why was I absent for so long and am I really going to return to at least occasional postings as my description states or am I just kidding myself? I have been very busy in the intervening non-blogging days, but that is not why I stopped. I have had to do some real soul-searching about putting myself and my musings out there in cyberspace. Is a blog the platform I want to explore my feelings, thoughts, and ideas? Or do I just want a place to record my needlework projects and my travels? Or is a blog not the right thing for me at all? I've decided to put my reflections on these topics into written form here and see if I can come to any conclusions.

Hooray for Crochet!

2009-03-01T14:21:00.008-07:00

It's March and that means it is (Inter)National Crochet Month (NatCroMo). Crocheters all over the world are celebrating in many varied ways, but none as exuberantly as my fellow hookers on Ravelry. Every day in March, kaet will inspire those of us participating in the second edition of the NatCroMo Freeform Game with a daily instruction. By March 31st each of us will have completed a freeform creation and no matter what it looks like we will all have had great fun along the way. Today's instruction is very unstructured, as befits freeform. It is: A is for Apple. Here is my interpretation, greatly inspired by my love of Granny Smith apples. The photo is a bit on the fuzzy side so you will have to use your imagination.

This is a good time for me to mention my attendance January 21st and 22nd at a series of Freeform Knit and Crochet Classes at SouthWest Trading Company, Inc. in Tempe, Arizona. Prudence Mapstone, a talented fiber artist and gifted teacher, was the instructor. Prudence's work, as well as inspirational guidance on freeforming, can be found here.

I basked in the camaraderie of my fellow attendees during the two sessions I participated in and learned so much about freeforming through the hands-on approach we followed each day. I was not prolific, but am very happy with what I was able to accomplish.

This freeform leaf will eventually be part of a shawl for me:

This scrumble looked so much like a fish when I was finished that I decided to make a tote bag with it for my daughter-in-law who loves all things nautical:

A scrumble, by the way, is a freeform patch made with an assortment of yarns which can combine both knitting and crocheting. The scrumbles are then joined to form a larger item such as a handbag or a shawl.

I reported last March that I was making some scrumbles to send to Prudence Mapstone for The Pink Project, an activity to support breast cancer research. Well, Prudence has taken all the scrumbles sent to her from all over the world and combined them to make beautiful and unusual items. They are now up for auction and can be viewed and bid on via this website. I encourage you to view them and bid if you feel so inclined. It is for a very good cause.

A Passion for Running

2008-11-17T15:18:00.004-07:00

I'm breaking my long silence to post about a long-term goal my daughter has just achieved. A little over a year ago, she decided to begin training for a marathon that was held in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday, November 15th, 2008. She completed the marathon in a little over 4 hours, running the entire distance. Although she suffered a number of injuries during the year of preparation leading up to the marathon, she always returned to her running after the injuries healed. She never was a runner before training for this event, but sometime during her year of training she developed a dedication and passion for this activity that she has never exhibited for anything else in her life. Needless to say, I am incredibly proud of her. You go girl!

Mile 24 and still smiling!

Her brother's support was much appreciated.

A Turista in Arizona

2008-07-15T11:56:00.009-07:00

We have lived in Arizona a full year now--July 2nd was our anniversary. We have been so busy settling in and traveling back and forth to California to get my husband's mother established after her move from Texas that we have had little time to do much local sightseeing. The two week visit of my niece and nephew gave us the perfect opportunity to visit some nearby sites of interest and we took full advantage of their willingness to get the flavor of our area.

We went to Tombstone, The Town Too Tough To Die, on July 4th. We had visited there about 11 years ago on our first trip to southeastern Arizona and were not too impressed, but efforts of local civic groups have greatly improved the town and it is well-worth the trip now. We toured the historical section by foot and trolley, but could also have gotten a ride on a stagecoach. The Butterfield Stage used to stop here. Not a method of travel I would have favored, but it was the Greyhound bus of its time.

Tombstone is perhaps best remembered as the site of the Gunfight at the OK Corral which involved the Earps, Doc Holliday, and the Clantons. We watched an outdoor presentation of the famous fight and then had a delicious dinner in the Longhorn Restaurant.

Another day, we traveled to Sabino Canyon near Tucson. The area is in the Sonoran Desert and gives visitors a close encounter with the flora and fauna that live in this challenging environment. My favorite plant in the Sonoran Desert is the saguara cactus, pictured below.

Climbing up from the 2800 foot elevation of Sabino Canyon, to the almost 9000 foot elevation of Mt. Lemmon provided breathtaking scenery as well as a breath of cool air. We picnicked in a delightful roadside park on our way up.

My husband and I were a bit disappointed in the Tucson Zoo, but the kids seemed to enjoy it very much. It is the middle of summer and so not surprising, I guess, to have so many animals hiding in their cooler lairs, but it all seemed a bit run down. After visiting the San Diego Zoo, however, most zoos seem to suffer in our estimation.

For my nephew's birthday, we went to Patagonia Lake. It is a scenic, leisurely drive about an hour from our home. They have boating, fishing, swimming, and picnicking. A cool, serene get-away for the hot desert summers. We will definitely return another time.

Mining was and still is a big part of the economy in southeastern Arizona. We went on a tour of an open-pit copper mine to see first hand what was involved and what it did to the environment. The Asarco Mission mine in Sahuarita, Arizona is currently owned by a Mexican firm, Grupo Mexico. It is in bankruptcy and an Indian company is trying to negotiate a buy out. The tour was very interesting and gave us a lot to think about. It contributes heavily to the local economy in both jobs and money to local retailers. Supposedly, environmentally friendly methods are now employed in extracting the copper, but as interesting as the pit is, I wouldn't want it in my back yard.

Finally, we went rock climbing in Texas Canyon, a fantastic area of giant boulders and very near the Amerind Foundation, a private museum of Native American history, archaeology, art, and culture.

As much as we were able to see in these two weeks, we have scarcely scratched the surface of all that is available to us in our fascinating new home state.

My Computer's Been Held Hostage

2008-07-14T20:48:00.004-07:00

It's summertime and the livin' is BUSY! So busy, I've scarcely had time to knit or crochet. I've managed to knit 20 more rounds of the Magic Stripes socks and am now ready to turn the heel on the second sock. Also, was able to knit about 14 more rows on the Garter Stitch Ruffles Baby Blanket for Project Linus. However, the progress on these projects is so minimal, I haven't even taken a photo.

So, what have I been doing? First, we had to fly East for several days on family business. Not a happy time, but it was comforting to see everyone. Then, a niece and nephew came for a two week visit. We kept them busy (I haven't forgotten how to deal with a 12 and 10 year old) and in the off times they hijacked my computer. How did young people occupy their time before the computer age? Don't get me wrong--I love surfing the net, e-mailing friends and family, and hanging out on Ravelry, but I do come up for air once in a while. Lest their parents think that I aided and abetted their obsession with online games and IMing friends, I took plenty of photos to prove we did do some active, outdoor stuff too. Unfortunately, Blogger is not cooperating at the moment and will not allow me to upload any photos. I wasn't kidding when I said my computer has been held hostage lately.

Finally, we saw the kids off at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix and went on to visit an elderly family member in Palm Springs, California for 5 days. Whew! Am I glad to be home, if only for a short while. More travels next week, but in the meantime I am enjoying being able to use my computer again and the monsoons have made everything green up and cool down. Paradise!

Progress on the Hobbit Shawl

2008-06-17T18:35:00.005-07:00

It has been very hot here for about a week--upper 90s to 100s. Even though we have air-conditioning and the house is usually comfortably cool, I just haven't felt like working on larger projects. However, yesterday and today I made myself crochet for a while on my Hobbit Shawl for the One Shawl to Rule Them All KAL/CAL on Ravelry. My motivation came from finishing my reading of The Fellowship of the Ring and then re-watching the film. It follows the spirit of the story well, and I wanted to hear some of the more difficult names from the book pronounced aloud. I like the film very much, but the book is wonderful! There is such a difference between the two mediums. I understand why Peter Jackson condensed some of the action and changed some of the story to fit the screen better, but I missed the poetry and the songs from the book. I think they are some of my favorite parts of the book.

I continue to enjoy this shawl pattern and I like the yarn too. It has a crisp rather than a soft hand, but very comfortable to work with. I think it will be very comfortable to wear as well. I wish the yarn was not discontinued. I found some for trade or sell on Ravelry, but I am trying to stay committed to stash burning, so have resisted the temptation. Being cotton, I don't know how it will block, but I am pretty well satisfied with it the way it is now. If it doesn't open up much, I will not be disappointed.

Is Life Just a Bowl of Cherries?

2008-06-17T12:12:00.004-07:00

In reality it rarely is, but it was for me yesterday. We've been gorging, I mean indulging, in fresh strawberries for over a month in our household, but when I went to get some more this week from my local market they were nowhere to be found. When I spied these beautiful California Bing cherries, however, I felt more than compensated. I love the sweet, but crisp and juicy flavor of cherries and it doesn't make me feel guilty when I pop them in my mouth one after the other. Their health benefits are well-documented here and they are versatile as a cooking or baking ingredient.

In fact, I found a wonderful recipe for a Mesclun and Cherry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese online at Epicurious. I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of using the fennel bulb--no fennel available in my market that day. We had it for dinner with grilled turkey tenderloin and some brown and wild rice. Delicious!

Knitting and Poetry

2008-06-16T14:42:00.004-07:00

No photos of FOs or WIPs today. I have been working on most of my projects on a daily basis, alternating from one to the other, but it is slow going when you have 5 in progress! However, today I have a Japanese haiku to share that pretty much sums up my recent knitting habits.

One more stitch...

One more row...

Ah..? It's dawn.

This and other knitting-themed Japanese haiku poems can be found on this site. I linked to it from another larger collection of knitting-themed poems, quotes, and legends that can be found here.

And here is a picture that I can definitely relate to. Who's been peeping in my craft room late at night?

I found it on this site which has many more knitting images. The prevalence of knitting on the internet, in all its aspects--tutorials, online yarn shops, blogs devoted to knitting, online knitting communities--is indeed wonderful. We are out there and the world is taking notice.

One Shawl To Rule Them All

2008-06-14T13:04:00.005-07:00

Back in April, I found a new group that had just started on Ravelry called intriguingly, One Shawl To Rule Them All. According to the administrators of the group, it was "started as a joke, but erupted into an exciting queue of must knit (or crochet) shawls. We’re doing a KAL/CAL for shawls voted on by the group that were inspired by the races of Middle Earth."

I promptly joined the group because of my interest in The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. I had seen all of the movies, but had never read the books. I don't remember now what I was doing when all my friends were reading about hobbits, and elves, and Gondor, and Mordor, and Gandalf, and Sauron, but I missed out on the whole thing until the movies came along.

Now, I am reading all about the Third Age of Middle-Earth as I begin working my way through the four shawls I've chosen to crochet and knit for this group. Thus far, I've finished reading The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring and have started The Two Towers. In addition, I've started my first shawl for the KAL/CAL. It is from a pattern by milobo that she calls Eva's Shawl. I'm calling it my Hobbit Shawl. The pattern and lovely pictures can be found here.

I am using a yarn I've had in my stash for almost two years: Elann Endless Summer Connemara in the colorway #112. It is much more a light golden brown than my photo above shows. The yarn is a worsted weight mercerized cotton which is unfortunately discontinued. I really like the way it is working up and the fiber should be good here in the desert. This is a crochet pattern and I am using a size J (6mm) hook. The yarn is heavier than the designer used and in consequence so is the hook, but I am very pleased with the look of it. I have made quite a few shawls, but never one for myself until now. I'm looking forward to wearing it on cool evenings.

Putting Down Roots

2008-06-12T10:39:00.005-07:00

One of the most marked changes in my life since moving to the Southwest concerns my passion for surrounding myself with beautiful plants and trees. My husband and I worked very hard to develop lovely gardens around our home in Virginia as can be seen in the following photos.

Kousa dogwood in front yard

Japanese maple in back yard

Peony and clematis

Besides my family and friends, the thing I miss most since moving is relaxing on one of our porches and looking out at the gardens. We don't have porches here, but we have begun landscaping around our new home. It will take time for the structure to develop and the plantings to mature, just as it did in Virginia, but I am learning to appreciate the beauties of the desert. Here are some of the most recent blooms in our back yard.

Chaste tree in bloom

The lovely purple color attracts butterflies

Arizona Rosewood

Such a delicate blossom

Change has never been easy for me. I do best with a regular routine. Even though this move had been planned and eagerly anticipated for some time, I have often felt disoriented and uprooted this last year. Now, with a garden to work in, I finally feel at home.

An FO for Project Linus

2008-06-10T16:24:00.005-07:00

I finished the above baby afghan this weekend and will be donating it to the Tucson Chapter of Project Linus as soon as I finish this one below.

The completed afghan is from one of the patterns the national organization has on its website. It is called Sideways Shell Baby Afghan. I made it with Caron One Pound yarn in the Soft Sage colorway, using a size H (5mm) crochet hook. It worked up quickly and I would definitely make another some time.

The just started blanket is called Garter Stitch Ruffles Baby Blanket and can be found here on the Knitting on the Net website. I am making it with the same yarn as the previous one using size 13 (9mm) and size 3 (3.25mm) circular needles. I will have enough of this yarn in my stash to make one more blanket. I am happy to be using up the yarn and to have the opportunity to donate to such a worthwhile organization.

Roving, Roving, Who's Got the Roving?

2008-06-07T13:22:00.003-07:00

Me! That's who. I posted a wish list in the Random Acts of Kindness group on Ravelry and asked for a small amount of roving to practice spinning with my drop spindle. Two phenomenally generous Ravelers sent me all this:

Big thank yous to franspun and songdeva. People like them are a large part of what makes Ravelry a true community. Now I have no excuse for not getting started on making some yarn with my drop spindle.

A Ball of Yarn, Some Needles, and My iPod

2008-06-05T14:59:00.005-07:00

That's all I need to achieve a state of complete bliss. Knitting or crocheting alone induces a feeling of serenity in me, but with the addition of some music or a podcast, I truly experience Nirvana. The other day I was able to sustain this experience for almost two hours of continuous knitting. In that time I was able to finish the toe of the first sock below, cast on for the second sock, finish the cuff, and proceed to the leg. Pretty amazing considering these are only the second pair of socks I will have knit.

These are the Magic Stripes Socks from Ann Budd's book Getting Started Knitting Socks. I started out knitting them for me, but soon realized they were going to be too big. I knitted a gauge swatch which came out just right for my size, but somehow they fit my husband's size 13 feet perfectly. Go figure! He's happy and so therefore am I.

I started out listening to Santana, then Acoustic Alchemy, and finished with Loreena McKennitt. I have very eclectic musical tastes and this combination really did it for me that day. Click on the links to hear some of what I was listening to. I will see if it works again another time or maybe tune in to one of my favorite podcasts. I'm willing to experiment, if it helps the process along.

Mind Games and New Projects

2008-06-01T14:07:00.006-07:00

One of my mental activities in retirement is the solving of cryptograms. My local Sunday paper has one every week, but I craved more. I found this online source of weekly cryptograms--usually about 10 a week. I'm really addicted to these.

I mentioned starting a new freeform project last week. I am embellishing some house slippers for me. I am adapting some patterns I found in Margaret Hubert's pamphlet published by Annie's Attic, Fun with Free-Form Crochet. It is a good way to use up some of my yarns from The Think Pink Challenge and The Pink Project. I work on it at odd moments. It is both relaxing and fun.

Another new project has actually been on the back burner for some time. I promised my daughter I would make her a new afghan to replace one that had been too damaged to repair. I've had the yarn for a year or more. I finally have finished enough of my WIPs to feel ready to proceed with a larger project, so started last night. I am using Lion Brand Homespun and one of their free patterns for a Log Cabin Afghan--size K (6.5mm)hook. I like the pattern and it is very easy, but the yarn is a bit finicky to work with as it catches on the loops I'm trying to pull through. Hopefully, as I get more used to working the pattern, I will improve my technique.

Summer in Arizona

2008-05-30T18:04:00.005-07:00

The thirsty earth frowns

At the sun's scorching embrace;

Monsoons will bring smiles.

My haiku above was inspired by a post of Robyn's the other day and the recent comments of local weatherpersons about the approaching monsoon season in Arizona. Technically they should be referred to as monsoon thunderstorms and the season is usually from July through September, but the timing is more dependent upon the dewpoint than the calendar. As the weather heats up here in the Southwest and the landscape turns dry and brown, we begin to long for the rainy season. More information on this interesting meteorological phenomena can be found at this Arizona State University website.

Promises Kept and a Lovely Surprise

2008-05-29T20:57:00.003-07:00

It's getting very close to the end of this week and I did promise myself I'd post three times each week for at least a month. Luckily for me, I have kept some other promises this week so I have something to post.

Sometime in 2006 (very vague, I know, but it's been so long I forget exactly when) I bought some Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool to make a pillow for my daughter. What with getting ready to move and then actually moving, I'm afraid this little project was sadly neglected. I did manage to work on it some while visiting in Virginia this April and now have completely finished it. This was my first cable project, but I enjoyed it so much I know it won't be my last. The pattern was from a booklet of one skein projects and that is all it took. The pattern is called Twists 'n' Turns Pillow and the needle size is 9 (5.5 mm).

I purchased some recycled sari silk yarn not long ago from a sock knitting buddy because I’ve always wanted to work with it, and decided it was just the yarn to use to make a scarf for my daughter. She just recently graduated from a seven month long course in massage therapy and I wanted to make her something special to celebrate the occasion. I spent the better part of a day trying out different patterns and needle sizes. Finally, I modified a Lion Brand Pattern for a Drop Stitch Scarf . I used a size 11 (8mm) needle instead of a 19 (15mm) and cast on 16 stitches rather than 8. To add a bit of pizzazz I added a fringe with beads. She knows about the pillow, but the scarf is a surprise--hope she likes it!

And speaking of surprises, I received a wonderful package in the mail the other day from a lovely lady in one of the groups I belong to on Ravelry--the Random Acts of Kindness group. She had messaged me that she had an owl thingy she was sending me for my collection, but when the box arrived it also contained some roving for my new interest in spinning and some teas. Such generosity!

Long Time No Blog

2008-05-25T04:15:00.008-07:00

Why has it been over a month since I last blogged? I can think of lots of excuses:

1. We were in California with no access to a computer for 10 days;
2. Since returning home I've been very busy catching up on things neglected while we were away;
3. I've been very focused on finishing a number of knitting/crochet projects;
4. I've been reading several books for the book clubs I'm in.

However, in all honesty, I'm not sure that any of those reasons is really accurate. No matter, I'm resolving right now to post at least 3 times a week for the next month. We'll see if that goal will keep me motivated.

The weather for the last week has been extreme. First it warmed up to almost 100 degrees for several days and then the winds came. It is frequently windy here, but these were the most ferocious, sustained winds we've had since moving here last July. I could hardly stand up in the gusts and we lost one tree--snapped the top off. D says he thinks it was weak in that spot, but it hurts like losing a friend. We battled the winds several days ago to stake two of our trees and are hoping they will be okay. The bark on one seems to have received some damage, but only time will tell.

We are still enjoying the blossoming of trees and cactus despite the winds. Here are a few more photos from the back yard.

One of the Kidneywood trees by the back gate

Prickly Pear we rescued after last year's monsoons

And finally, another FO--my scrumbles for The Pink Project in support of breast cancer research. I mailed them Friday to Prudence Mapstone in Australia. They were a challenge, as I'm new to freeform, but I really enjoyed making them. I feel more satisfied with these than the ones I made for The Think Pink Challenge for Jenny Dowde. In fact, I've begun a small project of my own now in freeform crochet. I'm embellishing some slippers using some of the pink yarn bought for The Pink Project.

Blooms in the Desert

2008-04-22T12:11:00.003-07:00

My husband and I have been checking our cactus everyday for blooms, just like little kids waiting for Santa. This morning we received our first presents. One of the Trichocereus cactus in the front yard put on a splendid show for us! Can't wait to see what will bloom next.

Doing My Part for Project Linus

2008-04-18T16:09:00.008-07:00

I started a crochet project yesterday because I needed to get back to crocheting and wanted to do something easy and comforting. I usually have at least one crochet project in the works along with my knitting projects, but haven't done any for a while. I will donate the afghan to Project Linus when it is completed.

The pattern is Sideways Shell Baby Afghan by Donna Laing. I'm using a yarn I purchased some time ago to make an afghan for my husband. It is Caron One Pound in the Soft Sage colorway. I donated most of my acrylic yarn to others earlier this week for charity knitting, but kept this for sentimental reasons. I thought I was finished with charity knitting for the foreseeable future, but kept feeling the pull all week. I am very happy with the way it is progressing and it is giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling that I needed also. I'm using an H hook rather than the recommended I hook because I tend to be a loose crocheter.

Project Linus is a charitable organization whose mission is to provide love, security, and comfort to children in need through blankets and afghans provided by volunteers, and to provide an opportunity for service to children to interested individuals and groups. As of December, 2007, they have donated 2, 293, 340 blankets from a total of 406 chapters. I became interested in this organization through a group I belong to on Ravelry.

Poem In Your Pocket

2008-04-16T15:07:00.005-07:00

April is National Poetry Month (NPM) and tomorrow has been designated the first national Poem In Your Pocket Day. As stated by the sponsors of NPM, The Academy of American Poets, on their website: "The idea is simple: select a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends on April 17."

The poem I've selected to carry in my pocket tomorrow is Sonnet 98 from William Shakespeare:

From you have I been absent in the spring...

From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him,
Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odor and in hue,
Could make me any summer's story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew.
Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.
Yet seemed it winter still, and, you away,
As with your shadow I with these did play.

You can find a poem to carry in your pocket tomorrow on The Academy of American Poets website: http://www.poets.org/index.php. This wonderful resource has thousands of poems for every occasion, biographies of poets, essays on poetry, as well as weekly features.

Yarn Snob or Realist?

2008-04-13T23:50:00.008-07:00

I protest, like the blogger Cabledguy , that I am not a yarn snob. However, I have been agonizing for some time, as I try to destash, if I should donate/give away most of my acrylic and novelty yarns. I just don't have the desire to knit or crochet projects with them at this time and they have really been taking up precious space in my craft room (also computer/guest room) closet. So, I bit the bullet and looked on Ravelry at the Random Acts of Kindness group to see if anyone was looking for what I had to give away. Success! I shipped two boxes in the last two days, totaling about 11,000 yards of yarn, to two different Ravelers. They are going to use it for charity knitting, so I feel really good about that. I definitely could have knit or crocheted items with all that yarn and had purchased it originally with specific projects in mind. In fact, it meant abandoning two projects already in the works for some time (Barbara G. Walker's Learn-to-Knit Afghan

And the Cuddly Kittens Afghan from Weekend Afghans).

My interests have changed, however, and I'm not sure when I would ever have gotten around to making/finishing those projects. It was very painful closing that chapter of my life, but I have lifted an enormous load of guilt from my shoulders. In future, I will be a much more mindful yarn purchaser and intend to knit and crochet only what I love with yarn that I love.

What projects are on my needles/hooks right now? I am not currently crocheting anything, but have several projects begging to be started. However, I do have two new projects on the needles:

First, Magic Stripes Socks from Ann Budd's book, Getting Started Knitting Socks. The yarn is a discontinued Lion Brand yarn, Magic Stripes. This is the second pattern I have followed in this book and I continue to learn from her clear instructions and good illustrations. I highly recommend this book to other novice sock knitters like myself.

Second, Drop Stitch Sari Silk Scarf, adapted slightly from a Lion Brand pattern. I modified the pattern by using size 11 needles instead of size 19 and cast-on 16 stitches, rather than 8. This is my first time knitting with recycled sari silk. I love the color variations, but the small pieces of fiber that it sheds on my clothing and everything else around are somewhat annoying.

Hey! We're Back

2008-04-09T20:47:00.012-07:00

We returned from our trip back East exhausted, but happy, last Thursday evening. We traveled about 5,700 miles through 17 states. The trip exceeded my expectations. The weather, with just a few minor exceptions, was very good and I got to visit with everyone I had hoped to. Incredibly, I took no pictures to remind me of all our good times except a few snaps of the socks I finished on the road and felted for my son at my daughter's home. I guess I was just having too much fun talking, eating, and reconnecting. Picture taking just wasn't on my mind. As great as the trip was, however, I am glad to be back home and I am ready to settle back into my familiar rhythms. Travel is definitely good for renewing your zest for life and widening your perspectives, but serenity, for me, comes from being in a place that I love, doing the things I love to do--knitting, crocheting, cooking, and reading.

Here are the Spiral Stripes Socks I finished while on the road.

Before Felting:

After Felting:

I was very pleased with the way they turned out. They were my very first socks knit in the round. I only wish I had been able to finish them for him while the weather was still cold and damp. It's been warmer in Virginia lately than here in the Southwest, so he won't be able to test their insulative properties until next winter. I am currently knitting a pair of socks for me. Details in my next post.

On The Road Again

2008-03-14T13:41:00.004-07:00

We are heading out tomorrow morning to visit family and friends in the East. First to Florida, then on to Virginia and Maryland. With the price of diesel fuel at this time, we are probably crazy to be driving, but we like having our own car to get around in and flying around Easter is not inexpensive either, especially with several different destinations on our itinerary. My husband rarely gives up control of the steering wheel to me except in cases of extreme fatigue, so for the long drive, I am taking along some WIPs that have been crying to be finished and hope that I will be able to pass the time happily knitting.

This pillow cover has been languishing for over a year. I started it before we moved out here to the Southwest. It is intended for my daughter so if I can finish it on the trip I can give it to her in person.

This, my first pair of socks, is actually much further along than the above picture. I have finished the first one and I have high hopes of finishing the second one so that I can give them to my son in person, as well. They will still need to be felted, but since he has a top load washer, unlike me, I can make quick work of that.

This project will not be finished on the trip. It is the "Learn-to- Knit Afghan" by Barbara Walker and still has 59 more squares to go. However, my daughter is making the same afghan and we plan to get in some quality time catching up with each other and knitting more squares.

Number Sixty-One

2008-03-10T09:56:00.004-07:00

I woke up this morning, old in years, but young at heart;

And what's most important, anyway;

Mind over matter, or the other way around?

I guess I should stay in today and act my age,

But I don't want to. . .

I'm going out and have some fun!

Happy Birthday to Me!