The Kettle's On . . .

Oh For Heaven's Sake

2012-01-27T10:55:00.001-05:00

Really? I haven't posted anything since Christmas? Actually, that's not too hard to believe, considering how lazy I have been lately.

I got sick AGAIN. A chest cold came on right after the new year and hung in for awhile. Then I just lost all my energy. This is not uncommon with MS, but I do think I milked it a little longer than I really needed to. I'm still having some pain in my ears and a sore throat in the evenings, but I've decided I'm healthy, so I'm moving on. I'm really good at self-pity, but even I get sick of myself after a while.

Knitting, knitting, knitting. I haven't been too tired to not knit. Eventually, I will do a post on everything I've been doing and I will update my projects page on Ravelry. I have photos, it's just a matter of writing it all up.

I feel like I should set some goals for 2012. So far, it's been the year of apathy, and that's not good. It's also not like me. So, what should my theme for 2012 be? The year of completed projects? The year of energy? The year of living a healthy life? So many options. It looks like it will be February before I decide, though. Hopefully it won't be the year of procrastination.

I'm off. I have two whining dogs sitting in front of me. They want a treat. I shouldn't give them one because one of them is a little chunky and needs to lose a few pounds, but I'm weak. Not only are they cute with those big brown eyes staring up at me, but they are driving me crazy with that whining! Oh well, one little dog biscuit broken in half between them would be OK, right?

Ho Ho Ho

2011-12-24T13:47:00.003-05:00

All the knitting is done, all the gifts are wrapped, the away gifts are shipped & delivered, the cookies are baked & eaten, and I even spent this morning writing in my Christmas journal about what a great December I've had and what I want to remember to do next year. For as horrible as November was, December has been awesome.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas holiday and a happy and healthy 2012. I will try to be more consistent next year. It's one of my resolutions. One of the first things I'll do first is post pictures and write about the Christmas knitting.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

It's November What?!?

2011-11-15T14:08:00.001-05:00

Way back in September, I started planning and even knitting some Christmas presents. I was so proud of how early I was starting. I was not going to be crazily knitting all night just to get gifts in the mail to be received by Christmas. I was not going to have find a gift at the last minute because I just didn't get the knitting done. I was not going to have to create IOUs for gifts that would be coming after Christmas. Even through most of October I would think, "I still have the whole month of November! No problems."

"The truest characters of ignorance are vanity and pride and arrogance"

--Samuel Butler

Let's see:

Needed: 7 pairs of fingerless mittens, 2 hats, 1 shawl, 1 infinity scarf
Completed: 3 1/2 pairs of fingerless mittens, 1 shawl (that still needs to be blocked)

Suddenly, November seems like a very, very short month. None of those items take a long time, but when you add up how many need to be done, that's a lot of time for my fingers to fly through the yarn. However, it can be done! OK, don't want to fall into the pride hole again, but I do think I can still get all this done. I love knitting these items, and the people the gifts are going to are definitely hand-knit worthy, so I will just have to make it so. Every time I start another gift, I'll hear Patrick Stewart saying, "Make it so." And it will be so.

Wish List

2011-11-10T14:24:00.001-05:00

This is a quick post. Quick because I've been dealing with the stomach flu (I won't go into details, you're welcome) and quick because I'm using you. Yes, I just started blogging again, and what do I do? I take advantage of our blossoming friendship, our getting reacquainted, by using this space to enter a contest. Oh well. It can't be helped! It's knitting stuff. It calls to me. Haunts my dreams. Occupies my...oh, you get the idea.

So, here's the deal. I have to post a link to my wish list on Knit Picks to enter their contest. I really like Knit Picks, so I have no problem sending a link to their site. As far as I know, they are everything they seem to be--a family-owned business that carefully sources their products to cut out the middle man and sell knitting yarns and supplies at a fantastic price. So, here's the link to my wish list.

And here's to hoping I win the gift card!

Welcome Back!

2011-11-03T17:42:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted here. I've been thinking about reviving this blog because I'm tired of talking to the wall. It's not a good conversationalist. And the dogs, as cute and wonderful as they are, when I talk to them, they just stare at me, waiting for words they recognize, like treat, walk, and eat. Thus, I've decided this might be a better outlet.

I'd like this to be what I originally planned when I changed it to "The Kettle's On." There's going to be a lot of crafty, knitty talk on this blog. I want it to be all warm and comfy, like we're having a conversation while sitting around with a pot of tea or something stronger, if needed. Face it, some projects just don't go as planned, and all the chamomile tea in the world won't help. Sometimes there will be talk about whisky (I'm a scotch drinker), travel, my dogs, and probably movies/TV/music. Every now and then, there will be talk about MS, only because it's a part of my life and can affect this blog.

There won't be talk of politics, religion, current events, or even past events. At least, it's my plan to stay away from those topics. Not because I'm against blogs that talk about those things, I just don't do it as well as they do, so why bother. Besides, I'm so disillusioned by all things political and media-driven that you'd quickly run away from all the cynicism and complaining.

No! Let's stay positive and fun, and in my world, knitting is positive and fun. So, let me end this on a high note, with a picture that combines two of my favorite things. This is Cosette, checking out one of my latest projects, the Multnomah shawl.

Official

2009-12-20T19:56:00.003-05:00

Well, I thought that I might try blogging more often and get back into it, but it's just not happening. I don't really have the energy or the desire, and worse, I don't even read other blogs. So, I thought I might as well make it official and close the blog. Or at least, make it official that I won't be blogging.

Thanks for coming by, thanks for checking in, thanks for commenting. Thank you.

Jobs 4 Girls

2009-12-01T14:22:00.005-05:00

While Jay and Mom were up for Thanksgiving, Jay, Al, and I went to the Strategic Air and Space Museum. It's a wonderful museum, really well done with interesting exhibits and history.

However.

You knew there would be a however, didn't you?

So, we're in the museum gift shop. Lots of great models, t-shirts, and gifts to commemorate military, planes, and the mission. But they didn't want to leave out the girls! So, in the midst of all this inspiring stuff, here's what girls can aspire to be:

A Flight Attendant!

Really? OK, historically, women couldn't participate in nuclear military missions, but a flight attendant? For the record, they didn't have flight attendants on any of those planes, either. Sheesh!

Update: A source for a different perspective of gifts for girls: Women Fly gear.

A Study in Stubbornness

2009-11-22T19:05:00.005-05:00

Cosette has an opinion of where she wants to walk, and many times it's not where I want her to go. This is how it goes . . .

But, but, but, I don't wanna go that way:

I wanna to go this way:

I don't wanna go that way. You never go where I wanna go:

OK, but I don't wanna:

2009-11-13T11:11:00.004-05:00

Major knitting going on and pics to come. The women are getting fingerless mittens and the men are getting hats. One more hat to go, two more mitts, then I get to knit for myself! Unless I decide to expand my knitted-gift circle. A strong possibility.

In other news, I thought I'd share my latest exciting moment while walking the dog. OK, so there are rarely an exciting moment, that's what makes this incident so noteworthy.

(apologies to those who have already heard this)

Cosette (greatest dog in the world) loves her morning walks, right? And we walk forever in the mornings, right? Because this dog would walk to Lincoln if I'd let her. Well, every now and then we come across loose dogs who follow us then run away, and I'm always hoping they run home. This morning, a rat terrier mix, a little smaller than Cosette, was loose and came running up to play. I told him to go home and he ran in the opposite description, so we went on our way, me hoping he was going home because I hate the idea of a lost dog and I can't do anything about it. Then here he came, running up to us again--he'd found us. He came over for me to pet him, but he didn't have a tag, but this was obviously a well taken care of dog. He kept following us, but wouldn't let me get near enough to pick him up, so I just kept calling him to follow us. And he did. Followed us all the way home, with little side trips into the street, while I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't get hit by a car.

When we got to our house, I opened the gate for Cosette to run into the backyard, called for the other dog and he ran in, too. He was good dog and obeyed commands as well as he could, being excited to be in a new environment. So, we all went in the house, and I gave Cosette a treat while I put the other dog in the car to take him to a vet to see if he was chipped. And he was! He was also shedding like crazy because he was stressed and excited, but he sat in my lap and calmed down. The Home Again people left a message with the owners, giving them my phone number because I was going to take him back home with me. They told me his name was Emmet, so I said "Hi Emmet," and he tilted his head to right in surprise and I swear he smiled at me.

Cosette wasn't too sure about this. Emmet, as I now knew him to be, ran around with a rawhide in his mouth, looking for a place to bury it, jumping on the couch, into my lap, and all over. He put it down to eat some food I put in a dish for him, and Cosette grabbed the rawhide. They had both started to settle down when Emmet's owner called, and back we got in the car to take him home.

Yay! I love it when everything works out. If Cosette was loose, I hope someone would try to find out who she belonged to and get her home, so I'm glad it worked out for Emmet. I didn't ask any questions, but Emmet's owner has 2 small children at home and I think he was probably distracted and didn't realize Emmet had gotten out, but he was very grateful to get him back and Emmet was very happy to be home.

So, get your pets chipped if you haven't already. It's a wonderful service, which you hopefully will never have to use.

Here's a new favorite pic of Cosette and me. She's such a cuddle puppy.

Guest Bath Re-do is now Re-done!

2009-11-05T21:28:00.005-05:00

After a long couple of weeks of working on it when we could, the updating and re-do of the guest bath is complete! Al worked so hard, and we both learned a helluvalot. Al learned the most because he did the majority of the work. We're taking all the old stuff that still works and leftover materials to the ReStore for Habitat for Humanity.

What we did:

New floor
New countertop
New faucet
New tile backsplash
New cabinet handles
New paint
New frame around the mirror
New lights
New accessories (towel rod, towels, switchplates, shower curtain...)

Before:

After:

Cosette likes it, too, especially the new soft bathmats.

State Fair and a Chicken

2009-09-04T22:05:00.008-04:00

On this gorgeous Friday, we went to the Nebraska State Fair, the last one in the state capital city. After this, it'll be moved closer to the middle of the state. The group that approved the move said it was to be more "fair" to other people in the state to attend and not have to drive all the way over here to the eastern side of the state. Considering that something like 80% of the state population lives here on the eastern side, I'm tempted to believe the rumors that the university wanted the land and by God they got it.

I love going to the fair, but I gotta admit, I don't think moving will be such a bad thing. The fair grounds here seem more like a deserted parking lot than the dirt and grass of my youth. And going on a weekday is a bit of a disappointment because all the cool stuff like the dog herding trials, most of the sheep and goats, and the poultry and bunny exhibits weren't going on like the first time we went to the fair. I miss seeing those chickens, but we had a good time anyway. Think I'll let my pictures do the talkin'.

It was Veteran's Appreciation Day, and the parade was inspiring and emotional. All military and their families got in free this day. The parade started off with the Color Guard.

The Legion Riders were awesome

Gotta have tractors in a parade in NE

Of course there were animals at the fair!

I had never seen a 4-horned sheep. Looks like something from a sci-fi story.

The goats want some feed. No surprises there.

The AG Hall held the farming groups' exhibits. Of course there were the huuuuuuge veggies

The infamous fiberglass cow that has an udder you can milk from. The kids were just doing what we all wanted to do.

The infamous cheddar sculptor

And reminders that we are in Nebraska, after all

A new food offering. We did no partake.

And of course,

"Are you going to Heaven?" booth

Ice chest near the Methodist food stand

And since I don't have any pictures of funky chickens, I give you pictures of the chicken I knitted. I love her!

And the obligatory cute picture of Cosette, the sweetest dog in the world, asleep next to me on the love seat outside.

Lately, I've Been Knitting

2009-08-27T15:42:00.004-04:00

Yeah, knitting has become more than a hobby. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to finally find something that I'm good at and I like. Yes, I said it: I'm good at this. You don't know me that well but just believe me when I say that I would have never admitted to being good at something, whether I thought I was or not. And if I did admit it, I would qualify it with "I'm pretty good" or "I'm OK at" or "I do OK but there's a lot I can't do." Pfffft. Enough of that.

So, here are a few of the things I've completed lately:

Cosette really wants to sit on the Modern Log Cabin Baby Blanket

Prayer Shawl

Fingerless Mittens (Christmas gifts this year!)

First attempt at Fair Isle

And the infamous (in the knitting world) clapotis pictures are on their way. Now, onto the next project! Or maybe I'll go back to one of the many I have already started. Choices, choices.

Mega Fun at the Mega Tasting

2009-08-03T14:49:00.006-04:00

Years and years ago, a friend of mine was talking about liking scotch and I told her I didn't like scotch. She looked at me as if in shock for a second, then leaned in and said in all seriousness, "You're not drinking the right scotch."

She was so right. I had only ever had a blended scotch, which often is over 70% grain whisky (corn, rye) as opposed to single malts, which are made only from barley. That's not to say there aren't some good blends. Johnny Walker Blue Label, Famous Grouse, Dewers all perfectly good blends, but it's the force of the single malts that drew me over to the scotch side.

I've often talked about our favorite pub The Dundee Dell in Omaha, NE. For scotch lovers like ourselves, it's a mecca with over 700 single malts offered. As far as we know, that's the largest collection the USA that is also open to the public. There are larger personal collections, but you can't buy a dram of their whisky. Luckily, this mecca is only 20 minutes from our house!

There's a great group of people who get together once a month, at least, to drink and talk about single malts. Yes, talk about them. The complexity of single malts is vast, with different regions of Scotland contributing a different flavor. A whisky from the island Islay will more likely smell and taste of the peat used to dry the barley and the brine of the sea air that swirls around the barrels as they mature. A whisky from the Lowlands will more likely be light and floral, with hints of heather. And we haven't even begun to talk about the difference the wood of the barrel makes on the taste. A whisky that spent all of its life in a bourbon barrel is going to taste completely different from one that spent its life in a sherry cask. Here's a map from Scotchwhisky.net that shows the regions.

Really, I could bore you for hours talking about whisky--it's a little embarrassing, but hey, I could just as easily talk about knitting.

On the first Sunday in August (then again on the first Thursday), The Dundee Dell hosts its annual Mega Tasting. People fly in from all over the country for this event. For $100, you get 10 tastings of some of the oldest, rarest scotches they have. $100 is a bargain when you realize none of those samples come from a bottle costing less than $150, and several are in the "priceless" range because you just can't find them any more.

Since we missed last year's tasting, we were very excited to participate in this years. We were not disappointed. Wanna know what we drank? Well, I'll tell you.

We started out in the Lowlands, with a nice heathery, floral Rosebank 25 (25 year old). It's pretty rare to see a Lowland that old. Since they are so light in taste, there's just not as much flavor when they get that old. This Rosebank is the exception, proving that I really shouldn't assume anything with my limited knowledge. This whisky is cask strength, meaning it came right out of the barrel and wasn't watered down to the normal 40% ABV (alcohol by volume). This Rosebank is 61% ABV. That means it was hot hot hot. I added a few drops of water to it (as did everyone else) to drink it.

Oh, a little note about water here--please don't add ice to your single malt. Not only is it cold and will cover up the taste of the whisky, but it will melt quickly and add more water, which will also cover up the flavor. That said, I don't have a problem adding a few drops of water to open up the nose and palette, but I want to control the amount of water I put in. If a whisky is so high in alcohol that it burns my taste buds, it's not enjoyable and adding water takes care of that. Think of it like taking the seeds out of a jalapeno pepper to control the heat in a salsa.

And one more quick note about age. The age on the bottle represents the youngest whisky in that bottle. Different whiskies from different barrels at the distillery are blended to keep a consistent taste profile. This way a Glenfiddich 15 always tastes like a Glenfiddich 15. That also means that a Glenfiddich 15 could have some older whiskies like a 25 year old in there, but the youngest whisky is 15.

OK, let's speed this up a bit or we'll be here all day.

Glenlossie 27 is a Gordon & MacPhail bottling, meaning it wasn't bottled by Glenlossie but by the independent bottler, Gordon & MacPhail. Sometimes a distillery has a barrel or cask that doesn't quite fit in their usual taste profile and they will sell it to an independent bottler to sell. It opens a whole new world of single malts. Glenlossie is a Speyside, a large region in the northern center of the Scotland. This whisky smells and tastes of honey and green apple. To me it did, anyway. You may smell and taste something completely different.

Balvenie Rose is ultra special because you can't get it over here and it's a limited release. The general manager of the Dell bought it on her last trip to Scotland and opened it especially for this tasting. But this lovely 16 year old spent it's last 3 years in a port barrel, giving it a light pink tinge and a sweet, floral flavor with a hint of the oak it spent most of it's years. Several people thought it too light, being fans of the 12 year old Doublewood, but I thought it was a light and lovely change of pace.

Glen Keith 39 (Gordon & MacPhail bottling), a Speyside whisky, is known for being the first to use gas-fired stills and the first to bring in computers to run the distilling process. Spicy and sweet, with a hint of citrus for me. Others got baking spices like cinnamon and cloves.

North Port 23 (Rare Malts bottling) as a single malt is really rare because the majority of the whisky produced went into blends. A Highland whisky, the distillery, alas, is no more. There's a Safeway in its place now. But, thanks to Rare Malts independent bottler, we can enjoy a wee dram, even though I wasn't really impressed. Everyone else around me was, but I just didn't think it was exceptional. I got mostly baking spices, and the hubby smelled butterscotch.

Glenfarclas 40 (Scott's Selection bottling) is a rare thing. You hardly ever see Glenfarclas in an independent bottling because being a family-owned distillery, they are very careful about what is released. Glenfarclas is my of our favorites, not just for the lovely whisky, but also I love that they are still family owned after all these years. Therefore, it was sad to taste a Glenfarclas I was disappointed in. It was Glenfarclas-lite--it still had some spice, some sherry, maybe some anise, but it wasn't the full body experience I've come to expect of Glenfarclass. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't the normal great.

Bruichladdich 35 125th Anniversary is a special bottling that the general manager bought during our last trip to Scotland in 2007. With this whisky, we venture over to Islay. Ah, Islay. A small island that is the home to 9 distilleries (counting Port Charlotte); 9 tasty, lovely distilleries. Bruichladdich was one of our best tours in 2007 because of the passion of master distiller Jim McEwan. It's a kind of boutique distillery, with some pretty wild expressions. This particular whisky comes from a 1970 vintage which is legendary for being one their best, then it was finished in the barrels of a well loved Pinot Grigio. The original barrels give an oakiness while the wine barrel supplies fruits like banana and apricot. I also get some honey and vanilla. No heavy peating here, as with so many of the Islay whiskies.

Coleburn 21 (Rare Malts bottling) is the rarest whisky we tried, and you can't even get it at the Dell any more because we finished the bottle. Our taste was very little, but even in that wee drop of whisky the character and complexity were evident. Light and floral with a little peat on the nose, a sweetness like toffee in the taste, and a long, warm, peppery finish made this a lovely sample. Oh, and at 59.4% ABV, I added a drop of water.

Brora 25 is from a Highland distillery that has been mothballed since the 1980s. It used to be called Clynelish, but a new Clynelish was built across the street. Being aged in bourbon barrels, the nose and taste is earthy, with vanilla and oak. There's a little puff of smoke, not really typical of a Highland but the history of Brora is linked with Islay, helping out by producing peated whisky for blends. The finish is long and warm with that hint of smoke making this a really lovely whisky. If you hadn't guessed, this was one of my favorites.

Laphroaig Cairdeas was our last taste and as we usually do, we finished with a bang--a complex, warm, peaty bang. I'm not sure which year this bottling was, if it was for the 2008 or the 2009 Islay Festival. I don't even have notes because I knew what to expect and that this would be my favorite of the evening. The best thing about drinking an Isaly whisky is that I can close my eyes and as I nose the whisky, I'm back there. I smell the brine of the sea air, the smoke of peat drying the barley, the wood of the barrels, and the all over earthiness. The taste adds a little sweetness to the party and the long finish fades out on a light puff of smoke. Yummy.

All in all, a very successful tasting. As you might have noticed, I like back story about the distilleries and the whisky as much as I like the tasting. My tasting notes aren't very descriptive because I'm still trying to put words to what I'm tasting, but that will come. With more practice!

Oh, and for the grammar geeks, I apologize for tense being all over the place. I couldn't figure out which one to use. The event was in the past, but describing the scotch felt more natural with present tense because they are still present. Maybe someone can let me know how to handle it.

And because I like to end my posts with a picture of Cosette, the greatest dog in the world:

Twitter

2009-07-08T21:40:00.002-04:00

I never seem to be inspired to post any more. Just too lazy, I guess. But I can find a few seconds to Twitter! I have a hard time keeping it to 140 characters, though. I'm constantly editing.

So, come see me on Twitter.

Happy Days and Happy Pics

2009-04-25T22:54:00.005-04:00

I had a new adventure! Today (Saturday) I went to the Great Nebraska Mushroom Festival and hunted for morel mushrooms. It was rainy, freezing cold, muddy, early on a Saturday morning and much fun.

In case you're not familiar with morels, you can go here and get more information than you ever wanted.

It's a big deal here. There's a short window when you can pick morels and that window opened this weekend. Even though the ground wasn't over 50 degrees yet and it wasn't warm and rainy long enough and some flower hadn't bloomed yet (all part of the myth of when to find morels), we went hunting and were successful. Well, my friends were very successful with two big bags full. I did find about a dozen or so and was ecstatic that I didn't come home empty handed. Actually, my hands were overflowing as one of my friends gave me all of his mushrooms. I was excited because I had big plans!

I wish I had more photos for you, but I forgot my camera and my phone was dead. So, I took a couple of pictures when I got home.

I didn't collect the mushrooms in a plastic bag--heavens no! One must use a mesh bag because that way the spores can shake back onto the ground to ensure more mushrooms next year. But I didn't want spores all over my kitchen floor that I had just swept and mopped the morning before, so I put them is this trash bag to bring them into the house.

It's important to wash morels because, after all, you did just pull them out of the dirt a little while ago. People have definite ideas about how to clean these mushrooms, but I decided to follow the advice I got from the experts I met today. I split them in half lengthwise then soaked them in salty cool water and left them that way for over an hour. Yes, I said I soaked mushrooms in water, don't freak out. Have you seen these things? See all the those wrinkly crevices? Dirt and bugs hide in there, and the salt water kills the bugs. Al may have eaten bugs during his survival training, but he doesn't have to eat them at home. So here's the last picture of these little delicacies that I have, the mushrooms soaking:

It's important to slice them in half because the rule with morels is "if it ain't hollow, don't swallow." If it isn't hollow, it's poisonous so just throw it away.

So, what does one do with morels, you might ask. Well, I'll tell you what I did. Basically, anything you can do with mushrooms, you can do with morels, you just get a richer, meatier flavor. They're like little portabello mushrooms. I dipped some of them in egg then in Panko bread crumbs and fried them in an iron skillet full of butter to keep us happy while I made the entree. For that entree, I sliced up the 'shrooms, sauteed some finely diced onions and garlic in olive oil then added the 'shrooms and a splash of white wine. After some of the liquid had cooked down, I poured in a half-pint of whipping cream (oh yes I did), grated in some nutmeg, sprinkled in some salt and pepper and let that come back to a boil, turning the heat back down after I got big clear bubbles. I threw in a little fresh parsley, then poured it over some bowtie pasta. Even Al, who isn't really wild about mushrooms, loved them. He was most impressed and I was most pleased. And most tired. Good Lord was I tired. I've had a rough week with my MS, so trapsing around in the cold and rain might not have been the best idea, but it was totally worth it.

This is the best thing about being in military--you learn something new everywhere you move to. I'm already looking forward to the next Great Mushroom Festival.

So, I promised some happy pics. Of course, they're all about Cosette because pictures of the cutest dog in the world makes me happy.

First pictures at the dog park. Cosette loves to go, so we introduced my friend and her dog Topsy to it. Topsy is usually a little nervous around other dogs, but not here. They had a great time. Topsy is a cockapoo--cocker spaniel and poodle--obviously more poodle in the legs.

What a good girl coming when I call.

With spring comes mowed lawns and with mowed lawns comes green noses.

Cosette loves her new bed. Only $20 at Costco!

A Contented Sigh

2009-04-15T19:15:00.006-04:00

Right before winter, we had a deck built onto the back of the house. It’s lovely.

The deck is made with the compressed wood stuff and the pergola is cedar. It’s exactly what I wanted, and I spent most of the winter looking longingly out my window at the snow-covered deck, impatient for spring so I could enjoy it.

Well, spring is finally here. OK, so it’s not as warm as many of us would like, but it’s not freezing. Personally, I like highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s. It just fits my “middlen” personality. Al won’t be happy until it’s near 80. It’s amazing we have lived together this long, what with him complaining about being cold and me complaining about being hot.

But it is spring, so it was time to buy patio furniture for our new deck. I had in mind what I wanted—a comfy, rattan love seat with 2 single chairs and a fire pit in the middle. And that’s what I got! Well, I didn’t get the fire pit (I lost that battle to Al), but we got a coffee table instead, plus an ottoman. It’s as lovely as the deck and looks wonderful.

When I first saw them, I told Al they were too “Floridian.” Then he flipped the cushions over to reveal a beautiful pistachio green and I was sold. Cosette loved them at first sight and quickly initiated them into the household like she did every other piece of furniture in the house.

So, this is my new favorite thing to do. I sit outside on my love seat and read or knit and enjoy a glass of wine. Just today, I sat out there and started a new cabled scarf with the most wonderfully luscious Rowan Felted Tweed yarn.

Right now, I’m typing this post as I sit out here. It’s tricky having the computer outside—the light has to be just right or you can’t see anything on your screen. The sun is just starting to go down. It’s not quite dusk yet, but it’s not daytime either. The wind is blowing, of course, making things just on the chilly side, but I don’t mind it. It calms down in spells, and I can feel the sun on my left cheek and neck, promising it’ll be warmer soon. I look up at one of the trees and see a red cardinal then notice there’s a fly teetering on the edge of my now-empty wine glass. I can hear the kids a couple of houses down playing basketball, and a woman behind us is vacuuming out her car. More signs of the season changing. There’s even a faint smell of someone grilling out. Now if that’s not a sign of spring, I don’t know what is.

I feel sleepy and content, and I don’t think it’s the wine making me feel this way. But with the smell of someone's dinner grilling, I’m also hungry, so I think I’ll wake myself up and reluctantly head inside. Oh well. There’s always tomorrow.

List-o-rama

2009-03-10T19:34:00.005-04:00

You will achieve a grand dream, a day at a time, so set goals for each day / not long and difficult projects, but chores that will take you, step by step, toward your rainbow.
--Og Mandino

I'm an organizer freak, I admit it. I love organizing tips and tools, and The Container Store is my mecca. One of the best gifts Al ever gave me was a label maker. But what I found at the bookstore has got to be the best thing ever!

So, let me set this up for you. I am a list maker. Not just "a list" maker, but many lists, with sublists and subcategories. I've even made a list of things I need to make a list for. And I write them down on whatever I have handy, so I find them in pockets or in my purse or in a basket of yarn. The problem is that since I'm an "all planning and no follow through" kind of person, all these lists are doing is cluttering my house.

Enter the most amazing book ever! A book of lists!

Organize Now! A week-by-week guide to simplify our space and your life. Here, in 234 pages, is every list I've ever made and some I haven't but should have. Instead of me writing all these lists on slips of paper and being frustrated because my lists need to be better organized, here they are in a spiral-bound book, which is designed to look like a day planner (which is what attracted me to the book in the first place).

Jennifer Ford Berry takes weekly installments to get you organized. With checklists, tips, ways to stay organized for the whole year, and places for notes, she outlines everything to organize your papers, your things, each room in the house, storage areas, and special events like vacations and holidays.

It's a beautiful thing. And here's the really amazing part--I'm using it! I can't seem to keep it to a week because everything takes longer than I think it will, but my goal is that by the 2009 holidays, we will be living in a house where there's a place for everything and everything is in its place. Since Al is seriously thinking of putting in his retirement papers next year, it would be one less stressful thing if we had all the house stuff in order so that he could focus on adjusting to a civilian life.

The only hard part so far was the suggestion that I write down my top 10 priorities and schedule time in my planner to contribute to my priorities--it can be something as simple as calling Mom. The problem is that I couldn't come up with 10. I'm not sure what that says about me. Am I ignoring some priorities? Am I not being honest with myself? Is my life really that dull that I can't come up with more than 5 priorities. I think it's like my kitchen in San Antonio. It was the largest kitchen I had had, and I excitedly called my mom to tell her that I actually had empty spaces in my cabinets. "Not for long, I bet," she said. And she was right. By the time we moved again, my house-hunting parameters included a big-enough kitchen for all my stuff. So, although there's an opening right now on that list, I'm sure I will fill it up.

I've got lots to do, huh? I've found that if I will leave the tv off, it's amazing how much I get done. I've replaced the tv with podcasts. However, I'll waste hours looking up podcasts on iTunes. I've traded one procrastination tool for another. Oh well.

So the theme for the rest of 2009 will be "Organize This!"

And because I can't have a post without pictures of the cutest dog in the whole wide world, here's one of Cosette doing her latest trick and one of her in her favorite place on the couch.

Play Time Comfort

2009-02-13T15:39:00.005-05:00

Play time is very important, and as we grow older, it becomes even more important and precious. We plan to play; it has to be scheduled in between work, the laundry, cleaning the house, and buying the groceries. And every now and then, even those times that seem like play, come out of some kind of responsibility. But play is play, and it should be enjoyed no matter the circumstances.

One of those responsibilities where I get to play while on duty is helping out with crafts at the Teen Center at our church. Once or twice a month, a couple of us crafty-type people think up something for the kids to do. Making cards, decoupaging clay pots with pictures from magazines, decorating cookies, painting picture frames, we’re always trying to come up with an easy but not too “childish” project for these teens. It’s a bit of a struggle for me because I make everything a struggle for myself. I can’t just relax and enjoy doing some crafts, I have to worry about if it’s too difficult or if it’s too easy or if the kids will like it. But come to find out, these kids love to do any kind of craft. I could have them trace their hands and make a turkey out of it and they would enjoy it.

I tend to tell people that I’m only crafty if I have directions on how to do it in front of me. I said that to the Teen Center director, but she’s so desperate for volunteers that she didn’t listen and just sent me emails saying when she had scheduled craft day. Luckily, there’s another lady who helps out, but she, too, describes herself as direction-driven. But for women who say they aren’t really crafty, we sure come up with some good stuff. So, this little responsibility has been very good for me in an unexpected way—it’s let me embrace my crafty self.

So, it’s play time! We’ve decided to let the kids make scarves out of fleece and embellish them to their hearts’ content. Fleece is the perfect material for this because you don’t need to hem it, just cut and go. Even the fringe is easy. This serves double duty, by the way: they get to do a craft and they get something they to keep them warm this winter. I decided that part of my stress comes from not being prepared. I have ideas and pictures in my head of what they could do, but I never actually play around with it and come up with a sample for them. I haven’t worked with fleece, so I decided I should try it out before I let the kids loose on it.

I gave myself permission to play first and work out what I wanted. I even sketched out what I was thinking first. Then I tried out different supplies and different techniques. I wanted to show them how they could appliqué a shape on with an easy buttonhole or blanket stitch, in addition to just gluing stuff on or painting on it. I had a great time, just look:

Trying out different things on a scrap piece.

I ended up doing hearts instead of flowers.

Close up of the hearts

I’ve realized that there needs to be some time between idea and finished project for some experimentation and play. I always tried to skip that middle part and would end up frustrated that I wasn’t getting what I wanted immediately. I just needed more play time!

And to brighten your day (and mine), a few pictures of Cosette

Needing Good Thoughts

2009-02-08T22:32:00.003-05:00

We need your prayers and good thoughts for our friend Steve who is in the hospital. He's very sick, and it doesn't look good.

Steve is Al's motorcycle riding buddy. Despite his illness, he would meet Al and they'd ride all over this side of Nebraska and Iowa. Several times they would stop by our house and we'd spend hours sitting around the kitchen table talking and laughing. He shared Al's love of motorcycles and my love of cooking, dogs, and having a creative outlet. He also had a sympathetic understanding of dealing with a chronic disease, and we bonded over tests, medications, and the frustration/necessity of taking things one day at a time.

We knew he was pretty sick, but his strength and attitude made it easy for us not to think about it. But he called tonight, wanting to let us know what was going on and to tell Al that even if they get tests back and can do something, his riding days are over.

So, please keep good thoughts for Steve and we'll do the same.

Thank you.

Good News All Around

2009-01-22T16:24:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't been around. It was just so exciting seeing our new president being sworn in and seeing so many people filled with the audacity of hope.

Plus, there's more good news. You might not have known that it's been a little stressful around here as we waited to see what the military was going to do with Al--move him or keep him here. Well, I'm happy to say we are staying here. They've extended him for another year and by the time they could give him another assignment, he'll be well within the window to put in his papers to retire, if that's what he wants to do. That decision changes daily; luckily, he doesn't have to decide right now.

But, we don't have to sell the house this spring! We don't have to rush to get the last of the updates done. We'll be here for the next Scotland trip with our friends from the Dell. We can go down to Kansas City for the Highland Games and maybe stay a few extra days. We can take some small trips. I can find a part-time job. I get to stay with my doctor. Cosette gets to stay with her vet. Al gets to stay with his motorcycle buddies. I can sign up for some classes I've been wanting to take. I can make plans for . . . hell, I can just make plans.

So, 2009 has started out pretty well. I feel like the gods are trying to tell me to keep up the energy that's already been started here. I better get busy!

In Stitches

2009-01-12T17:57:00.012-05:00

Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit, either. ~Elizabeth Zimmerman

Years ago, Al was diagnosed and successfully treated for testicular cancer. He has been cancer-free for almost 12 years, but I remember every minute of sitting in those cold waiting rooms while he went through more scans and while doctors reviewed the results before talking to us. “The Price Is Right” was showing in every room, and to this day I can’t listen to the theme music for that show.

I always had a book with me, but I couldn’t concentrate long enough to read even a page. I tried crossword puzzles, but same problem. So, I mostly just sat there, tapping my foot. Near the end of his treatment, he had to have a long surgery to remove the scar tissue, and I knew that I would have to find something to do with my hands. I could hand-stitch quilt pieces together, but that would take a lot of prep work to cut out the pieces first. I decided to fall back on cross-stitch, an old favorite. During his over-6-hour surgery, I finished an old project and gave it to a friend for Christmas. Cross-stitch was the perfect thing for me at that time because it kept my hands busy and following a simple pattern was about all the concentration I could handle. Besides, the repetition of making those Xs was comforting some how. I haven’t done much cross-stitch since.

Flash forward some 6 years or so. After trying quilting again, honing my cooking/baking skills (gaining 40 pounds in the process), playing with paper and stamps making scrapbooks, and writing bits and pieces of a novel that wasn’t going any where, I took a good friend’s advice and tried knitting. My mother had tried to teach me when I was a teenager, but I didn’t like it, probably because I wasn’t good at it immediately and my pattern was to quit and move on to something else. I believe it was cross-stitch, actually. Anyway, I got the book Stitch and Bitch, some needles, and yarn and got started. Something my mother taught me must have been hiding in my subconscious because it came very easy to me. Not only that, I liked it! I felt I had found the craft for me, the one I could concentrate on and get really good at while still loving what I was doing.

As a bonus, learning to knit came at a time when I really needed something to keep me from cracking up. Yes, I say that flippantly, but for a couple of years there, I don’t know how I kept it all together. Actually I do know how, I knitted. I obsessively focused on learning how to knit, playing with yarn and learning how to follow a pattern. I won’t go so far as to say knitting saved my life, but it came damn close.

When I thought things were getting ready to turn around for me, I had an MRI done, expecting a migraine but finding lesions, the first step in diagnosing MS. Thus, I started spending a lot of time in waiting rooms again. The diagnosis process is a long one for MS, mostly because it is difficult to diagnose. One of these days, I’ll write more about why that is, but the point is that I now had something to do in the waiting rooms and at home while I waited for test results. As long as I followed simple patterns, I could easily sit and knit for as long as it took. Unfortunately, I couldn’t knit while in the MRI machine nor while getting a lumbar puncture.

It’s a testament to how much I love knitting that I haven’t turned away from it after my diagnosis and after things started to turn around for me. Whereas I can’t watch “The Price is Right” nor do I have any desire to cross-stitch, I happily continue to knit. I haven’t ignored the fact that I have a disease that could affect my dexterity, but luckily, my case is pretty mild and it hasn’t interfered too much. Actually, knitting is a pretty good gauge of how I’m doing. Sometimes, even on a bad day I can knit as long as it is a simple pattern not requiring a lot of concentration or the need to follow a chart. Then there are those days when I knit even a simple row over and over again and can’t get it right. We all have bad days, but I know that when I can’t complete a simple knit 2 purl 2 rib, something else might be going on and I should pay attention. But even on a bad day, I can listen to a knitting podcast (yes, there is such a thing) or look at a magazine to plan my next project. Sometimes, it’s just a bad day.

And now, knitting will help Join the Movement by raising money for MS research. At both of The Knitting Guild of America’s (TKGA) 2009 Knit & Crochet Shows in Portland, OR and Buffalo, NY, a silent auction will be held, featuring socks by various designers. Socks are a favorite project and an obsession with many knitters, so this is a wonderful idea. Proceeds will go to The National MS Society (NMSS). In their statement, the NMSS said, “The mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is to end the devastating effects of MS. Support from organizations like CGOA (Crochet Guild of America), TKGA and the Knit & Crochet Shows helps us to pursue new treatments so that no one will have to forgo the pleasure of being able to participate in activities that are so rewarding.”

Maybe knitting really is a life saver.

Another little life saver who wants to take a nap with Al.

My latest project--a market bag

Yes, You Can Make Bread

2009-01-05T19:03:00.005-05:00

Love artisan breads, but in this economy, don’t want to spend the money? Want to make your own bread but are afraid of the yeast? Want to eat hot, fresh loaves of bread but don’t want to put in the effort? Come over to the yeasty side, my friends.

Al and I have discovered No Kneading Bread. It’s been around for awhile, but we were reminded of it in an article in Mother Earth News and decided to give it a try.

I was leery. I’ve made bread and enjoyed it, but it’s an all day event and a lot of work, which is why I don’t do it often. This article made it sound practically, well, easy. How could it be good and easy? That’s why we buy frozen rolls at Thanksgiving—because they are good and easy, easier than praying that the rolls rise. It’s why we make quick breads—no yeast equals quick and easy. So, I was skeptical.

Al, however, was gung ho. He went to Breadtopia and watched the videos and got the recipe. The only thing you really should have that everyone might not have is a cast iron Dutch oven or a terra cotta baker with a domed lid (called a la croche). Otherwise, it’s easy peasy. And yes, it tasted good, really good. It was crusty on the outside, with a soft, holey crumb on the inside.

I can hear you saying, “Get on with it! Just tell me how to do it!” OK, OK, jeez. I’ll tell ya, but you might want to go to Breadtopia to see the instructional video.

The ingredients are

3 cups bread flour
¼ teaspoon instant yeast (We didn’t get instant, so we bloomed it with a ¼ cup of lukewarm water)
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups water (actually, the recipe called for purified or spring water, but pffffft. Our tap water is pretty darn good)

So, here’s what you do:

1. If you didn’t get instant yeast, mix the yeast in about a ¼ cup lukewarm water, just to give it a head start.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together (if using instant yeast, that’s included in this step).
3. Mix in the water until it is incorporated. The dough will be wet and sticky.
4. Cover with plastic and let it sit at room temperature for 18 hours.

Here's what it looks like in the bowl after 18 hours:

5. Scrape that yeasty goodness onto a well floured surface. Flour your hands and the top of the dough, then press it into a rectangle.
6. From the short side, fold a third of the dough onto itself, then fold the other third of the dough on top of that first fold, so you’ll have a rectangle. Then fold it in half to form a square.

7. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.
8. Dust a kitchen towel with flour and transfer the dough to the towel or into a proofing basket (which is basically a basket with a towel), cover with another towel and let rise for 1 ½ hour.
9. With the Dutch oven in it, preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
10. Flour your hands and form the risen dough into a ball.

Put the dough into Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Remove the lid, reduce heat to 450 degrees, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

12. Let cool completely, for at least 45 minutes, on a rack.

13. Reward yourself for waiting by eating a thick, warm slice with butter and honey.

We were so excited about this lovely little loaf we had created that we wanted to try all of our favorite things on it. While Al went to the store for a bottle of wine and tomatoes, I cut up a platter of leftover prime rib, ham, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and summer sausage.

I also poured a small bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and got out the butter, jam, peanut butter, and honey. When Al got home, we just ate ourselves into oblivion. I have to say, that my favorite was the peanut butter and honey. It reminded me of the 15th anniversary Al and I celebrated at this lovely bed and breakfast outside of Ohio called The Murphin Ridge Inn. It was in the middle of an Amish settlement, so they used bread and other things made by the Amish. The Inn owners offered a box lunch of thick slices of Amish white bread, slathered with peanut butter and honey. I’m salivating just thinking about that sandwich.

Since this first trial, we’ve made 2 more loaves—one with dried cranberries and walnuts (my favorite so far) and one with Asiago cheese. And the house smells amazing.

So, give it a try. There aren’t many more things as comforting as warm bread with butter and jam and a cup of coffee, unless, of course, it’s bread with peanut butter and honey.

And for your amusement, here's a picture of Cosette enjoying her Christmas present from Uncle Jay and Grandma.

And Another Big Thank You

2009-01-04T11:55:00.003-05:00

Thank you to The Background Fairy. While I was at over at The Knitting Contessa and admiring her site, I discovered that I, too, could have a pretty background on my blog just by going over to The Background Fairy's site. She has samples with the instructions and code that you just copy and paste into the html of your Blogger blog.

The button for the her site didn't come through, but I'm working on that. Until then, you can use the link in the post to check her out.

Big Thank You

2009-01-03T11:46:00.001-05:00

Thank you Jay for the awesome header!

"Do they still play games on Christmas?"

2008-12-29T12:32:00.007-05:00

At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year. --Thomas Tusser

I had been making a joke for a month or so that since you should be with your family at Christmas, we should go to the Dundee Dell, since that’s where we have good friends and spend a lot of our free time. Ha ha ha, our family is the local bar. Well, I was partially serious because we didn’t have anything to do any way, until our neighbor called and asked if we’d like to come over for dessert late Christmas afternoon. Al was disappointed that I said yes because if he has a choice between a warm pub with a wee dram and a house full of loud teenagers, guess which one he’ll choose. Come to think of it, a lot of people probably would’ve chosen the pub, too, but what could I do? It just doesn’t seem polite to turn down an invitation to spend Christmas with someone.

Besides, our neighbors are great. All five kids, plus a son-in-law and one of the girl’s boyfriend were there. The oldest is married and also brought their new dog, the next two girls are in college and home on Christmas break, their 15-year-old son is the one who mows our yard, and their youngest son is 10, I think.

When we arrived, there was a bustle of excitement while they finished getting all the dinner dishes together. The atmosphere was the definition of “jovial.” Everyone was still basking in the warmth of a Christmas dinner and family time around the dinner table. Their house looked like Christmas had exploded. Wrapping paper, tissue paper, clothes, DVDs, games were in small piles around the living room, obviously representing each person’s haul. While Christmas carols played on the stereo, the older kids cleaned up the dinner dishes while the younger ones ran down to the basement to get another game of Rock Band in before dessert, and the parents and we had a glass of wine. The dad said they went around and opened one present at a time, and with nine people, it took a couple of hours, especially once you add in the time for appropriate ooohing and ahhhing.

Then the big decision had to be made—should we eat dessert then play a game while we drank coffee or eat dessert while we played the game. Considering how good that pumpkin pie smelled, everyone was all for dessert first. When playing a game was mentioned, I glanced over at Al who had that look on his face that said, “You didn’t tell me we were gonna have to play a game.” It’s worth mentioning that I love playing board games, but Al does not, especially, the “trivial” games where you answer questions. I think it’s because he’s just so damn intelligent that he gets bored. See, ya gotta be clueless like me to enjoy the public act of humiliation of trying to answer a question your average 16 year old would know. To make matters worse, the game was “The Battle of the Sexes,” which would really irritate Al. It pits the women against the men, answering questions that supposedly the opposite sex would know.

Now, a game called “Battle of the Sexes” is inherently sexist. The premise alone lets you know that someone is going to feel insulted, and that person was me. In this game, the men ask the women questions that a man would know, and the women ask questions that a woman would know. There were the obvious cosmetics questions for the men and sports questions for the women, but here’s what really ticked me off. Of the questions we had in this one game, the questions for the men were all focused on movies and gossipy things, while the questions for the women were about history and computers. Here’s some examples so you’ll get a better idea what I’m talking about:

(Questions for the women are in red, questions for the men are in blue.)

What 2 colors combine to make pink?

What does Blog stand for?

What does PMS stand for?

Who is the architect of some PGA golf course? (can’t remember which ones mentioned)

What actress flashed her breasts at a late-night TV host?

What year marked the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Israeli independence? (We guessed 1997, but it was 1998)

Here’s the weird thing, the women won! I’m still not sure how that happened. I think the end of the game wasn’t the objective, so pawns didn't get moved and we lost track of how many places to move the pawns. Plus, we got lucky on some wild cards. The objective was to be together, have a good time, and laugh at the bizarre answers we would come up with. I admit to getting a little frustrated when I couldn’t answer something like what blog stands for because there were so many people talking I could think, but then I had to try to step back and realize what the true objective of the game was—to have fun.

After the game, I decided Al had done his time and we should head home. He had decided that, too, and we bundled up to walk back home. After rounds of “thank you” and “so glad you could come over” and “thanks for including us,” we walked back to our house. We were greeted by a sleepy Cosette, who decided to wake up enough to play one more time with her Christmas presents.

When I was a kid, before my parents split, we had big Christmases like that, too. My dad’s extended family is pretty big and everyone lived close by, so it was usually easy for all of us to converge at my grandmother’s house or some other brave person’s home. Lots of food, lots of drink, lots of packages, lots of noise and chaos, so being at our neighbor’s house made me kind of homesick, even though I haven’t had a Christmas like that in years. I’m not sure I was homesick as much as I was lamenting how long it had been. Al was glad to return to the quiet and calm of our home, but I was missing that chaos. People say they envied my quiet, stress-free Christmases of just the two of us, yet that night I envied the lively bedlam of a large family celebrating. Um. Go figure.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-22T17:40:00.011-05:00

Christmas is for children. But it is for grownups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts.
--Lenora Mattingly Weber

I'm not ready for it to be Christmas. I don't mean I still have shopping or wrapping or anything like that, I mean I don't want it to be Christmas yet. I want another week to enjoy it all some more. What with Thanksgiving being so late and the ice storm and snow we've had, there just didn't seem to be enough time to really enjoy the season. I'm not ready for the commercials to be over or the Christmas shows or the Christmas movies to stop running. The radio station will return to it's usual line up and the stores will throw all their Christmas stuff into big bargain bins.

No, I'm not ready for it to be Christmas, but here it is. So, I'll enjoy these last couple of days to the fullest, literally and figuratively considering the dinner I'm planning.

I also didn't post as much as I wanted to this season. So, here are some photos to illustrate what's been going on this festive season.

Decorated for Christmas. We got a bigger tree last year, so I bought more ornaments at the after-Christmas sales last year. I got frustrated while decorating, thinking it looked awful, then I turned on the lights. Oh, it was so pretty. It's amazing how prettier it looks with lights on.

Christmas baking--I love this part of the season. I didn't do as much as I usually do. But it still kept me busy.

I baked for Al's office, making the usual Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Chip Snowballs

I also made the easiest candy ever. Here's the recipe: Melt a 12-oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips, stir in 1 cup of peanut butter, stir in a cup or so of dry roasted, salted peanuts. Spoon into mini muffin cups, then put in to refrigerator until cool and solid. I put them in muffin tins, but you don't really have to.

The craftroom exploded with presents, packaging, and wrapping.

Made my first Gingerbread House. I used a kit to make it easier on myself. Next year, I'm doing my own thing. I might even make it while everyone is here for Thanksgiving so they can join in the fun.

Took Christmas photos of Cosette. Some might call it torture, but we gave her the treats we were holding in front of her to make her stay.

Until she just couldn't take it any more.

Knitted presents--neckwarmers, the cutest hat ever, and an afghan for the in-laws.

Had our first snow, but it started out as mostly ice. It's still around since our temperatures haven't risen much above 10 degrees.

Cosette looked out the frosted storm door.

Enjoyed a glass of Samual Smith's Winter Warmer Christmas Ale

And enjoyed a Christmas Brunch with friends.

It was a pretty full holiday season!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Antici............pation

2008-12-22T09:40:00.004-05:00

For Christmas is tradition time-- Traditions that recall
The precious memories down the years,
The sameness of them all.--Helen Lowrie Marshall

Recently, I attended a United Methodist Women’s Christmas brunch at our church. I felt a little silly going since I haven’t been exactly enthralled with our church lately, but that’s my problem, and I’ll try to figure it out some day. Like every good Southern woman, I’ll think about that tomorrow.

So, I braved the single digit temperatures, 30 miles per hour wind gusts, blowing snow and low visibility to go to this brunch. I told Al was going to be brave this winter and not let fear of driving on snowy roads stop me from keeping appointments and commitments. Stupid pride. Al said, “We bought the Element so you could get around in the snow.” Yes, the Element can get around in the snow, but I never actually said I would get around in the snow.

But I digress (again), so I got there and it was very nice. I had said I would greet people as they came in and I would talk about a Christmas tradition, following the theme of the brunch. Despite having blocked out a lot of my growing up years, I do have fond Christmas memories, and the tradition I decided to talk about was our Christmas Chains.

When Mom and Dad split up, Mom spent a lot of energy making Christmas special, so we wouldn’t think too much about how different it was going to be. Mom incorporated many traditions into each Christmas: painting ornaments, driving around to see the Christmas lights, singing Christmas carols, reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and relenting (to my whining) to keep putting our gifts out after we had gone to sleep because it was just more magical that way. But her brilliance came with the Christmas Chain.

Like most kids, we drove her crazy with “how many days ‘til Christmas” questions. We didn’t have advent calendars, but we had construction paper, scissors and tape. So, she had us each make a chain, each link representing a day until Christmas. Then, each night Jay and I would tear off a link, and we would be a day closer to Christmas. The chains had their place of prominence, taped to a wall, and it was so exciting to see them getting shorter. This may have been the beginning of my love of anticipation and my inevitable crash with post-event depression.

I get all giddy just thinking of tearing each of those links off. I think we started that tradition before Dad left, but we carried it on for a long time. Even when I knew exactly how many days it was until Christmas, I enjoyed counting those links. Of course, Jay and I were so competitive and we fought over every thing, so we had to tear those links off at the exact same time because it was unfair if someone tore one off before the other. Therefore, it was quite a ceremony to tear off those links.

Now my days until Christmas are counted by how many shipping days are left until it will cost a fortune to get it there overnight. Or how late can I get those Christmas cards out and still get them delivered before Christmas. It’s a whole new kind of anticipation.

As a visual reference for my story to the ladies at the brunch, I made a chain. I didn’t even realize I was doing it, but I made a chain with 6 links, exactly how many days it was until Christmas. Every time I look at it, I get that same sense of excitement, that same feeling of anticipation I got as a kid.

I’ve been tearing a link off each night.

Cold Comfort

2008-12-10T10:53:00.007-05:00

One morning a couple of weeks ago, I just couldn’t face walking Cosette around the neighborhood again, so I we went to the park. There were several parks to choose from, but I decided to go somewhere new for her, and we went to Two Rivers State Park.

It was around 32 degrees and the wind was blowing, making it feel like 22 degrees. I decided to walk around one of the lakes but questioned my sanity when we stepped out of the car and a wind gust took my breath away. I was wishing I had my scarf, why didn’t I think to wear a scarf? I knit and have several scarfs! Sheesh. Cosette didn’t care at all, but then she has a fur coat. She was excited to be some place new and immediately headed to a trail around the lake. We didn’t cover much land quickly because she could smell the horses that had passed through before and was a little overwhelmed. It took a little while to get into the groove of walking and sniffing.

As we walked, the wind stopped being a hindrance and became an enhancement. The quiet around us was interrupted by the sound of wind cutting through the bare limbs and ruffling the leftover leaves still clinging to stay on. Cosette skipped along, happy in the great outdoors and reveling in all the smells. I felt warmer, maybe from the activity of walking or maybe from the comfort of walking my dog on a crisp Fall morning, anticipating family coming for Thanksgiving and the warmth of a busy kitchen.

Whatever the reason, we were having a grand time. Cosette barked at tall weeds that were moving in the wind. It must be alive! Therefore, she must bark and run away, then cautiously walk towards them until they move again, then bark and run away. With one final huff, we moved on to a new spot in the park.

During the summer, this park is pretty full, but today it was as if it was our private play ground. We walked towards the shoreline of the river because being a hound, Cosette must sniff the brambles and edges for critters. We walked along, then in unison looked up into the trees ahead of us. A trail! We both ran for it and into the small forest. The trail quickly became covered with leaves and was indistinguishable but that didn’t stop Cosette from hoping over downed limbs and zig zagging through the trees. I stopped, wondering if they allowed deer hunting in this park. It was around 7:30 in the morning during deer season and I was walking with a hyper dog in a wooded area without a reflector vest on either of us. Just to be safe, I steered us back to the entrance. Of course, I couldn’t find that trail, but we hadn’t gone that far and Cosette knew how to get out. Or at least she acted like she did.

We walked around a little more then headed back to the car. Neither one of us was ready to leave, really, but hunger was a stronger instinct at that point than the need to be outdoors. As we drove home, the dog who whined most of the way to the park was silent in the backseat. She stared out the window for awhile, then curled up on the seat and sighed the most satisfying sigh I’ve ever heard. And so did I.

The Comfort of Hot Chocolate

2008-12-10T10:36:00.004-05:00

Each time I tell myself it's the last time, but then I get a whiff of her hot chocolate
-- Luc Clairmont [at confession], Chocolat

Did you see the movie Chocolat? If you haven’t, you should because it’s wonderful, but I’m guessing a lot of you have. Anyway, remember the scene when Juliette Binoche’s Vianne, who says she has a talent for knowing what people’s favorite chocolate is, pours a cup of this velvety, dark chocolate that was so thick a spoon could stand up in it from what looks like a Turkish Coffee Pot, then she put a dollop of whipped cream on top? Remember Judi Dench’s reaction to that first sip? The pause, then “Mm” then a sigh and “Mmmmm”? I have been searching for that moment. I love hot chocolate, but I’ve never found anything that thick and rich or as good as I imagine that drink must taste.

Until now.

William-Sonoma has a hot chocolate mix that is wonderful. It’s not quite as thick as I would imagine I’d find in a French café, but how thick can it be with 1% milk, really. But it’s still damn good. Oh my gosh, it is so good.

This hot chocolate is a canister of shaved bittersweet Guittard chocolate. Heat 1 cup of milk, whisk in 5 tablespoons of the chocolate and you’ve got a luscious cup of wonderful. A dollop of whip cream and a sprinkle of some of the chocolate shavings and you too will say, “mmmm.”

When Mom was up for Thanksgiving, I made everyone a cup of this hot chocolate. I did the whole thing—served them in pretty Polish pottery cups I have, whipped cream on top, sprinkled with chocolate, joking that this was a very high-end B&B they were staying in, after all. I warned them ahead of time that it’s not as sweet as the mixes that they were used to, but that I thought they’d like it even better, then I sat and waited for the response. Mom was sitting in the recliner, telling Cosette that she couldn’t have any and was faced away from me. Then, she was quiet. And using her tip toes to walk the chair around to face me, with her eyes wide and cheeks almost rosy, she asked, “Where did you get this?” She followed it with “mmmmmmmm.”

That moment was almost as good as the first sip I took.

Comforting Leftovers

2008-12-01T21:04:00.006-05:00

The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again. --George Miller

I’m a very lucky woman because I have a husband who likes leftovers. He’d be just as happy to put all the Thanksgiving leftovers on a plate and reheat them or make turkey sandwiches, but his wife isn’t really that wild about them. So, I try to think of different ways to use those leftovers in new dinners. That way we still get the comfort of that Thanksgiving meal, but it’s remade into something new.

This year instead of the usual turkey soup or turkey white chili, I made a pasta dish. Here’s what I did:

I cooked a pot of fettuccini. While that cooked, I sauted ½ of a diced onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic. I chopped the leftover green beans into bit size pieces and added them to the pan. Then I sliced a carton of button mushrooms, and added them in. I sprinkled in a little salt and pepper, then cooked until the mushrooms were cooked through. Meanwhile, I chopped up some leftover turkey then added that. About this time, I remembered that there was a baguette in the freezer, so I preheated the oven and got the bread ready to put in. Once the turkey was heated through, I added some of the turkey gravy that was left over, it was less than a cup. I let it heat through, then poured in a half pint of heavy whipping cream. I grated some nutmeg into it, then heated through until there were big bubbles and the sauce had thickened. By this time, the fettuccini was cooked, so I added it to the pan of sauce. Lastly, I chopped up some leftover sage and sprinkled it over the pasta and sauce. I turned it down to low, put the lid on, and waited for the bread to finish baking. When I took off the lid, the wonderful aroma of sage filled the room and all of a sudden I realized I was hungrier than I thought.

It was pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.

And we finished just in time for Shrek the Halls and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. What a good night it was.

Cute picture of Cosette for today. This is one of her favorite places to hang out.

The Comfort Zone

2008-12-01T14:02:00.005-05:00

There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere.
Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Mansfield Park

There are so many things to worry about these days and so many things to complain about, and it doesn’t do a damn bit of good to do either, so I’m trying not to. And failing miserably. So, I’ve decided that instead of using a blog to give a voice to my frustrations or my anger, I am going to use it to bring comfort.

The one thing I’m proud of is that people who come to my house tell me that it’s warm and inviting. It’s a carry over from my mom, I guess. All my friends used to congregate at our house, and now people congregate at mine. Going down to our favorite bar and sharing a dram with our friends is always fun, but I’d much prefer for our friends to hang out here and have a dram and a conversation. This is also where the Prayer Shawl group meets, where I teach friends to knit over a pot of tea, where my family comes for Thanksgiving, and where we have parties for Al’s co-workers. The door is always open, literally. We open the door so Cosette can look out the glass storm door and bark at the kids walking home from school or people walking their dogs.

So, that’s why the title of this blog has changed. The kettle’s on, so come in and get comfortable while I make a pot of tea and get us something to snack on, then we’ll have a nice chat. And for the most part, let’s talk about things that make us happy and feel content.

Oh, I’m sure there will be those days when I will need to vent, and if I can’t vent here then what the hell good is having a blog anyway? Besides, sometimes conversations go that way and that’s OK.

I’m not exactly sure where this will go. I imagine it will always be a work-in-progress, but I’m going to be OK with that, even though that’s not like me. I like things to be thought out before producing, but I’ve decided I need to let go of these control issues. Besides, the jumble of unfinished projects around me are proof positive that just because you’ve planned it out, doesn’t mean it can be completed.

So, the door is open. Please come in. Unless you’re a vampire, then you are not welcome. Sorry.

Still In Progress

2008-11-29T22:51:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm still working on it. Jay was great help, but we were having so much fun while he was up here that we didn't get around to working on it very much. That means I'm having to figure a lot of this out on my own, which is never pretty.

Pictures in the header are a real pain in the butt. And giving an anal-retentive person choices in colors is really a bad idea because, of course, it's not quite what I want. But whattaya gonna do?

So, it's getting there. I'll be back with real posts soon.

We Interrupt These Posts . . .

2008-11-07T14:04:00.004-05:00

For a little break so that I can do some re-organizing, re-evaluating, and re-vitalizing this blog. I've had some ideas for a change, and since Jay is going to be up here for Thanksgiving, I can utilize his blog knowledge to help me. Instead of starting a whole new blog, I think I'll just tweek this one.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I'll be back soon.

Kell

Election Results

2008-11-03T15:53:00.001-05:00

I got this widget from MSNBC. I'm so anxious about this election, so I want to know immediately what happens!

John McCain Broke My Heart

2008-11-01T23:51:00.002-04:00

I have lost all respect for a man whom 8 years ago, I thought about voting for. Even though my Daddy would have haunted me from his grave if I would ever dare vote Republican, I actually thought that if he won the Republican race, I might vote for McCain over Gore.

What happened to that man? How did he get replaced by this fear-mongering, hate-mongering old man who seems to have completely forgotten what it means to be an American? When did his ego overtake his senses? I realize this has been a long time coming. McCain actually finally lost my respect last year with the whole "safely walking down the street of Bagdad" debacle that he tried to back track on.

Yes, yes. McCain has had a poorly run campaign. But he picked that team and he goes along with whatever they want him to do. Obviously, his judgement is impaired.

His leadership skills leave a lot to be desired, too. McCain has led the GOP into producing particularly vicious attacks this election. Guilt by (no) association--Ayers and Khalidi. Guilt by innuendo--ad to tie Obama to Iran. Fear mongering--Obama's view on immigration will lead to another 9/11. Questioning Obama's patriotism. Trying to claim voter fraud, but not being able to name an instance. McCain backing up Joe the Plumber who agreed that "a vote for Obama is a vote for the "death of Israel" then the GOP put the phrase on a flyer. Robocalls! My God I can't even begin to list them all, so go here to see.

But the worst, the very worst is a flyer sent out insinuating that Obama will bring on another holocaust. Go here to see the flyer the GOP put out in Philadelphia.

Of course, it doens't stop with just Obama. We all know how Michelle Bachmann questioned Obama's and other democrats' patriotism, calling for an investigation of their views. And now Elizabeth Dole has run two TWO ads trying to link Hagen to a fundraiser that was not put on by the "Godless Americans" group.

I just can't stand it. I'm embarrassed for him. Do you think he really knows the hate he is spewing and that he is pandering to that low, dark, ugly place that many humans don't want to admit exists and that he is encouraging others to do so?

Let me put it in an analogy Senator McCain would understand. In the military, when someone screws up, he is reprimanded. Also held at fault is the squadron commander because it was on his watch and he is ultimately responsible for what happens. And if it's a really big screw up, the wing commander is also be held responsible and maybe even the base commander.

So, Senator McCain. All of this happened on your watch and you are ultimately responsible for the actions of your team and your organization. Will you take responsibility?

2008-10-31T11:38:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween

Yeah Baby

2008-10-20T19:18:00.005-04:00

Proud Member

of the

Liberal Feminist
Agenda

Helping women with "health" and other issues for decades

Thanks to John McCain, I now have a name for it.

Catching Up with a Ramble

2008-10-08T23:01:00.003-04:00

I'm down right giddy about going back to Arkansas next week to go to War Eagle craft fair with my bestest bud, Angie, and to my grandmother's 90th birthday. She's an amazing woman and I'm looking forward to seeing some family members I haven't seen in a very long time. Well, actually, I think I'm looking forward to seeing the family members. See, when my folks split and my dad remarried, his new family became the ones who went to all kind of stuff. My grandmother and a couple of aunts and uncles made an effort to make us still feel like we were part of the family, but there's only so much they could do. So, I probably won't even recognize a lot of these people. OK, so that's probably more info than you needed. But I'm taking Cosette, so they'll love her. As we all know, love my dog, love me. That's the rule.

------------------------
I am the world's worst doggie mom. While we were in Virginia, I was constantly trying to keep fleas off of Cosette. I didn't take extra Frontline with me because I figured I could get some there, but the vets I went to wouldn't sell me any because she wasn't their client. I ended up getting Advantage or something like that which seemed to help. Once I got home and got her back on Frontline she's been fine. But too little too late. Because she would eat the fleas she took off herself, she has worms and had her first big ol' pill and half today and will have to have more in 3 weeks. In the meantime, I have to be diligent about picking up after her (which is going to be really gross, the doc warned, telling me it will be "wormy" Ew). But she'll be fine. I'm just kicking myself for not taking the Frontline with us.

------------------------
I hate not knowing the future. I'm not always that way, but it's just kind of stressful right now. We don't know if we're going to stay here or have to move. There's a good chance he could go on remote (probably to some place dusty) and could be gone any where from 6 months to a year. There's just as good a chance he could be extended here and be able to retire. There's also a good chance we could move somewhere for another assignment and just love it. All I do know for sure is that if we have to put the house on the market any time soon, there's a good chance we won't be happy with how long it will take to sell it nor how much we will actually make on it.

------------------------
The weather has been gorgeous around here! Just gorgeous. Thank goodness we are having a lovely fall.

------------------------
We have the most stubborn dog in the world. For over an hour, she sat by the pantry door in hopes of getting a treat. I stayed on the couch, ignoring her because she has gained quite a bit of weight and we are trying to get her back down to a healthier size. Every now and then, I'd hear a soft little whine or sigh, just to let me know that she was still there.

------------------------
I think the press should start referring to the "undecided" voters as who they really are: the "it's none of your damn business who I'm voting for so stop asking" voters.

-----------------------
We're having a pumpkin-carving party a week from Saturday, and I can't wait. I'm in that fun planning stage again where I'm looking through my tried-and-true recipes and magazines for new ones. But I have to make jalapeno poppers and the chocolate trifle because requests have come in. Once I've decided, I will post the menu and put up some recipes. This blog isn't all about the dog, you know. *thinks about it* OK, so it's a lot about the dog and I will include a picture or two of her, but she's just so darn cute!

------------------------
Did I tell you guys that I found a therapist to talk to? Well, I did, and it's getting pretty hard now. She says I need to stop pushing people away and withdrawing from society and being so overprotective of myself and my feelings all out of fear of being hurt. So, my question is when do I get to start blaming other people for my anxieties because so far, it all seems to be on me. I would choose a therapist who won't let me be the victim, or at least she did at first then turn it all around and said, "but you've let yourself stay in this cycle and we need to work on breaking it." Well hell. If I knew it was going to be this much work, I would have just continued my program of self-healing by buying another carton of Ben and Jerry's and watching old movies, even though the only progress that would have made would have been on my waist line.

-------------------------
Did you know Playboy makes women's Halloween costumes? There's something so right about that. Apparently, they're the best quality of the other ready-made costumes in the store. I'm leaning towards Naughty Nurse because the French Maid makes me think of cleaning and the Cheerleader is just a little "ew" for my taste.

-------------------------
I know there was something else I was going to tell you, but now I can't remember what it was. But believe me, it was eloquent, witty, and brilliant. So, I'll just end on pictures of Cosette. She gave me her approval on my grandmother's afghan that I knitted.

Follow Through

2008-10-01T15:36:00.006-04:00

How is it that I can feel restless and tired at the same time? How can I feel like I could sleep for hours, yet my head is spinning with ideas for projects and my fingers are itching to do something?

The problem is that I’m a great planner, but I’m usually not so good at follow through. I love planning. I love the excitement of those early moments in an idea. The gleam of “what if I . . .” completely redirects my attention me from whatever I’m doing.

For example, I decided that I needed a knitting journal. I have a spiral journal/notebook thingie (with sheep on it, of course) where I keep notes on what I’m working on. OK, that makes me sound sooooo much more organized than I am. Let’s try that again: When I think about it, I write down notes about what I’m working on, such as what yarn, what size needle, and any changes I’ve made to the pattern. But the notebook is haphazardly used, writing something down when I think about it and I have trouble finding the info later. So, I decided I needed a little more organization.

I thought about making my own first, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to look around the internet to see if there was already the perfect one out there. There were knitting journals, but back when I was looking at them, there weren’t that many and they all lacked a little something. They all had the basic info describing the project on a page, but somehow they just weren’t user-friendly enough for me, mostly I couldn’t take the pages out to categorize the projects so they’d be easier to find. Time to make my own!

I got a pretty binder and sat down with Excel to create my project pages. I tried different ways with different information, but finally ended up with something I liked. I made a lot of copies of blank journal pages, put them in the binder, then put the binder on the shelf of my knitting bookcase. And there it sat for I’m embarrassed to say how long. I did fill out a few pages, but for the most part, I didn’t want to take the time out of working on my projects to actually write all that stuff down. But when I got back from Virginia, I decided I needed to get out that journal and update it. I printed out photos of finished projects to tape to the pages, then filled out as much information as I could remember. While doing this, I realized there was a little more organizing to do: putting in dividers for projects in progress and projects completed. Then there was the growing list of projects I want to do. I decided I needed a page (or 20) so that I could list possible projects and where I can find the patterns and what yarn I would need. I even went through my magazines and tore out patterns, put them in protector pages, and I now have a “Wanna Do Projects” binder.

I’m so pleased with myself! Sure, I have new magazines I need to go through and patterns that I downloaded are still on my computer, but I have a good basis to build on. I do wish I was a better wiz with a computer and design programs because there are some things I would change about those journal pages, make them prettier. Also, right now, the binder is for 8 ½ x 11 paper, but I’d really like a smaller sized one, such as a 5 x 8 so it would be easier to carry around. It would come in really handy at the yarn shop to just pull my journal out of my purse and double check how much and what weight of yarn I need for that hiking scarf. I have a binder that size, but I can’t figure out an easy way to type up my journal pages on paper that size. Oh well, it’s nice having all the room on a page for my notes an pictures.

A quick Google search shows there are lots of journals out there now, even a woman who offers on her blog pdfs of her journal pages to download; they look a lot like mine, but are much prettier. Plus, there’s Ravelry, where you can keep an online journal and talk about your projects, even keep an inventory of your stash. I could be uber-cyber-organized, but I really like pen and paper, so I think I’ll stick to what I have.

Of course, there are more magazines coming in and several yarn companies offer free patterns for downloads, which are on my computer and need to be printed out. It seems like organization is an ongoing chore, I mean task. I shouldn’t think of it as a chore. OK, it’s a chore. It was fun to think about it and play around with the idea of having the journal, but now it’s a lot of work to keep that sucker updated. But in the end, it’s worth it.

It’s nice to have an idea and actually follow through with it for a change. Hmmm. Maybe this a brand new start to a whole new me! A disciplined, organized, and projects-completed kind of person. A person who finishes her projects instead of letting UFOs pile up around her. A person who keeps . . . hold on a minute. I just got an email from Knitting Daily. Maybe there’s a new pattern! Sometimes they have articles about spinning and weaving. You know, I’d love to learn how to spin. That would be so cool, wouldn’t it? Of course, I’d need to learn about the different types of yarns and understand better what “ply” means, but it would be so interesting. Then I could knit with the yarn I spin! Oooooh, oooooh, then I could start dying my own yarn! Yeah, I could try my hand at my own hand-painted yarns. Where’s my color wheel? What colors go well with sage green?

Sorry, I gotta go! You guys can let yourselves out, right? I got things to think about!!

P.S. Clip art from fotosearch.com

No, I haven't vanished from the face of the earth

2008-09-23T09:47:00.004-04:00

But I've sure considered it. Or at least moving to New Zealand and raising sheep. And to all those people who say to me, "Oh there'd be problems any where else, too" I say "Pfffffffft." Not the point. The point is that the problems we are facing are almost unbearable. And the really irritating part is that people care more about playing the blame game and pointing a finger at everyone else, i.e. the other political party. There was even an editorial about all these financial problems are Clinton's fault. Please, please stop blaming each other, stop crowing about how much better your idea is to fix it, stop yelling about how wrong other people are. Here's an idea. Why don't our politicians, whom we elected, try thinking about what's best for American citizens first and actually doing something that would benefit us for a change. It's time for all these people who think they are examples of American success stories to step up and support the people in the country who propped them up.

Enough of that. I'm just going back to my knitting. Yes, the knitting obsession continues and grows, even. I listen to a knitting podcast while I walk Cosette and it fires me up to work on something. I'm busily trying to finish an afghan for my grandmother's 90th birthday present and a scarf for a friend before I go back home in October for the birthday festivities. And while I'm working on them, my mind is spinning with all the projects I want to work on next. Then, when I'm not knitting or listening to the knitting podcasts, I'm on knitting community websites, such as Ravelry. I can waste a lot of time looking at projects other knitters are doing, and one of these days, I'll stop looking around enough to figure out how to participate. I did start a knitting blog with a friend, but both of us got sick right after I set it up and I haven't done anything with it. Hell, I hardly ever update this blog, what made me think I'd keep a new one updated. But still, I might switch to that blog for awhile, just to be able to talk more indepth about what I'm doing. A kind of hobby journal, if you will.

I have gotten some reading in, too. I read The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library by Alice Kimberly. I got this from my mom, who decided she wasn't going to keep reading the series because it's just not her favorite thing. Me, seemingly always disagreeing with my mother, liked it and am looking forward to getting some more from the library. The premise is bookstore owner Penelope McClure who somehow (I haven't read the first one yet) is in possession of a coin that belonged to a private detective who was killed in the bookshop in the 40s and now the ghost of Jack Shepherd is with her, talking to her and helping her solve mysteries. The story has a modern day mystery that parallels a case that Jack had in the 40s, so it goes back and forth a little bit. Jack is a little bit of a stereotype and says "baby" a lot, but I enjoyed it and I think Kimberly is a good writer. So, I'll be reading more. But first, I'm enjoying Murder Runs in the Family by Anne George, part of her Southern Sisters Mysteries. It's funny, clever, and very Souther, and I like that. I have several books sitting on the waiting shelf, one of them is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I've wanted to read it for awhile, and when I found it at Half-Price Books, I snapped it up. Oh, but first I'll have to read Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn, which I borrowed from my best friend, Angie. I have to finish that and the Anne George, which I borrowed from Mom, so I can return them when I go back in October. That means I better get to reading. *Tsk* Oh the sacrifices I have to make, but I gave my word that I would return them and I can't go back on that, now can I?

So, how about some pictures?

A pause in licking Uncle Jay. The lull before the storm.

Baking pumpkin bread for a bake sale

Cosette hoping for a bite of said pumpkin bread

Yarn to finish the afghan

Cosette napping after her morning walk

Craig, Oh My Craig

2008-09-12T20:08:00.002-04:00

I've had a little crush on Craig Ferguson for awhile now, but Wednesday night, I kinda fell in love with him a little bit.

If it doesn't come through, go here

Weighing in--Issues and "The Media"

2008-09-08T17:16:00.004-04:00

I have John McCain’s and Barrack Obama’s websites open side-by-side so that I can take an issue and read what each person says. When I’m on the computer checking email or whatever, I go to the sites and read a little bit. It’s not easy because there are a lot of generalities, a lot boring repetition, and a lot of sentences starting in third person, which drives me crazy (John McCain believes, Obama believes . . .). But it’s been interesting and enlightening in a couple of areas. Every now and then, I think I’ll write about what I’m reading on those sites.

What struck me first as very telling about the candidates is that on Obama’s site, under “Issues” is the category, “Women.” There is no such category under McCain’s “On the Issues.” Obama addresses pretty much every issue that women are dealing with, even taking the larger issues such as the economy, national security, and education and applying them directly to women. This is also where he discusses a woman’s right to choose. McCain addresses this issue under “Values.”

A woman’s right to choose is a deciding factor for me, and I will not vote for someone who supports repealing Roe vs. Wade. Obama’s site states,

[Obama] has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case.

On McCain’s site, it states,

John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench. Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.

So my understanding is that John McCain believes that, #1, abortion shouldn’t be legislated by judges, yet he is going to appoint judges who agree with him to overturn Roe vs. Wade, and #2, reproductive rights should be the decision of the state. The federal government shouldn’t be legislating a woman’s freedom to decide what she wants to do to her body, but it’s OK for state government to do so. However, that’s not good enough, either. The site goes on to state:

Once the question is returned to the states, the fight for life will be one of courage and compassion - the courage of a pregnant mother to bring her child into the world and the compassion of civil society to meet her needs and those of her newborn baby. The pro-life movement has done tremendous work in building and reinforcing the infrastructure of civil society by strengthening faith-based, community, and neighborhood organizations that provide critical services to pregnant mothers in need. This work must continue and government must find new ways to empower and strengthen these armies of compassion. These important groups can help build the consensus necessary to end abortion at the state level.

Government must help pro-life groups? Must empower and strengthen them to end abortion at a state level? The federal government now will interfere with state issues? How will he “empower and strengthen” these groups? Will he provide money for these groups? Will there be federal government programs they can apply for grants from? If these pro-life groups have done such great work in faith-based organizations, will they get government funding? So, will the laws separating church and state now be overturned, too?

On NPR this morning they said that abortion isn’t usually such a big issue with voters, with only 13% of voters choosing a candidate on his/her stand on abortion. Well, it better get more important pretty quick because it’s even bigger than just who will be our president. It’s who will be our judges and what laws they will take on next, and it’s our state governments who will have even more say on how much freedom we really have. And I think we’ve all moved beyond thinking that John McCain chose Sarah Palin to appeal to Hillary voters. He’s appealing to the right-wing, uber-conservatives who didn’t support him before and who he can’t win without.

I want to say one other thing about the “Women” issues. Obama addresses women’s issues in National Security, i.e. our military members who are women and the special issues and problems they face. On his site, it states:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that was built to care for World War II veterans is not ready to handle the influx of women veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Barack Obama has introduced legislation to force the Pentagon and VA to better track the newest generation of veterans – including the number of women veterans – so that the VA can better plan their care. Obama also introduced legislation to fight homelessness among veterans, with a special focus on treating women who may have been victims of sexual trauma. Along with Senator Claire McCaskill, Obama has also co-sponsored legislation to provide funding for additional caseworkers and mental health counselors, a women’s mental health treatment program, and a comprehensive mental health study of returning soldiers. As president, Barack Obama will fight to ensure that women can get the care they deserve at the VA.

This is the closest statement I could find on McCain’s website that I thought was comparable. It was under “Veterans.”

John McCain believes that America's veterans who dedicated themselves to protecting our country deserve the highest quality health care. He is committed to ensuring that veterans' health care programs receive the funding necessary to provide the quality health care our veterans need and deserve. He has worked to ensure that the Veteran's Affairs provides care for all eligible veterans, no matter where they live or what they need. In addition, John McCain has fought to ensure that retired servicemen and women have meaningful access to affordable health care.

McCain goes into more specific detail about helping veterans, but he doesn’t specifically address the issues of women veterans. It could be argued that he doesn’t need to because they are included in “veterans.” However, personally, I believe the fact that Obama addresses women as having issues of their own, says a lot about him. Both Obama and McCain have sections devoted to issues concerning veterans, and we can go over that later.

I know this has been a long post, but I just want to address one more thing quickly. If I hear one more person say “The media is being so unfair to [fill in the blank]” I’m going to scream. Just what is “the media” any way? Best I can tell, the definition of “the media” is “anyone who publicly doesn’t believe the same way I do.” Honestly, what constitutes the media? Is it anyone on tv? Anyone in publication? Do you have to have a journalism degree? Do blogs count? How about message boards and forums? How about forums on political sites? It seems that there is no news any more, it's all op-eds. And you can argue with an opinion; therefore, it's OK to dismiss almost anything as "the media." However, there are still legitimate outlets for news, and they have every right to ask questions. So basically, I just want to say--Grow up and get over it. There’s an election going on, and it’s just going to get worse.

That's enough for now. Thanks for stopping by.

On My Mind

2008-08-24T21:51:00.005-04:00

Hello. Welcome to my world. The rambling side of it, anyway.

Less than a week left, and I’ll be on the road back to Omaha. In those few days, I have to figure out how to load all the stuff that I bought into a car that was already pretty well loaded down. Hmmm. I may have to ship some books back. And some yarn. What am I saying?!? I have to have my yarn with me!

Ring around the rosies, a box full of cozies. Mom is so excited that I have relaxed a little and am enjoying reading cozy mysteries that she sent me a boxful from her own library. A few of them were on my list for when I got back to the library, so bonus. I already have so many books on my list to read, and now I have even more physically on the “to read shelf.” I’m going to have to get a “to read” bookcase [she says with girlish glee].

The last couple of mornings, guys from the marine base were running on the beach while I was walking Cosette. That’s right. Starting the day with a little man candy. They would run, then stop and do sit ups or push ups or something else, then run a little further. Cosette wanted to sit and watch them run by, and being the over-indulgent owner that I am, I let her and kept her company.

I’ll miss the morning walks that we go to the park and are joined by Gracie and her owner Gail. Gracie is the cutest little beagle, and when she sees me, she runs up baying and barking so loudly that she sounds like she is in pain. It cracks me up every time.

I’m not sure how Cosette is going to adjust to not having her nightly walks on the beach. What started out as a run through the sand and water, turned into a hunt for crabs to eat, and is now a passion for digging for live crabs.

Which really wears her out

I’m ready to get home and back into what passes as normal for me. We’ve enjoyed it here and saw as much as we could. We got really lucky and the weather gods graced us with cooler weather. Everyone keeps telling me that this is not normal for this time of year. It was really hot and humid there for awhile, but it’s been gorgeous the last week or so. It’s as if the weather gods looked in on me and said, “Alright, if we give you some nice weather, will you get out and have some fun instead of staying in here feeling sorry yourself?” Yes, I will.

But it’s not like I wasn’t productive while I was pouting. Look at the cool market bag I made.

The handles are on the wrong side, but it still works

It was fairly easy, so I’m thinking of making them for Christmas gifts. Now that I’ve made one with the pattern, I can play around and change the size, stripes, colors, that kind of thing. This one is really tall, tall enough to hold boxes of cereal from the grocery store.

We went to another delightful town the other Saturday. Ever eat or hear of Smithfield Country Ham? Well, we went to the town where it started. It's a pretty little town that is very proud of its Victorian heritage and is trying to build its place in the tourist trade with a million-dollar restoration of Main street with lots of shop/cafes and creating a walking tour of houses. It's a nice day trip.

Christmas shop

A note about country ham--Calling something a "country ham" doesn't mean a good ol' Southern ham. Country ham is very very salty; you have to soak it in water, even pre-sliced out of a package, for at least 15 minutes, maybe more. It's cured in salt and if you buy a whole ham, you have to clean off the mold and salt before soaking then cooking. It also has a kind of moldy smell to it, and honestly, I can't get past the smell to enjoy it. Many people compare it to prosciutto, but it's not as mild and the taste isn't quite as clean. If you could slice it as thinly as prosciutto, that may help, but I'd rather spend the money on prosciutto.

While in Smithfield, I had another "duh" moment. While walking around the shops, I noticed there where lots of little pigs every where for sale. Pig Christmas ornaments, pig-shaped dishes, pig notepads, you get the idea. In the Smithfield Country Ham Shop, I actually thought and almost said, "What's with all the pigs?" Sometimes, it's amazing I make it through the day.

Saturday morning, we took our coffee out to the upstairs balcony and watched a sailboat regatta. I counted 50 sailboats.

Later that day, there were kite boarders. I think we're getting some residual effects of Fay, so the kite boarders had a good time.

And a couple of more pictures. The first one shows you a storm that came in very quickly. You probably can't see it, but there is a sailboat in the center about to get hit by that storm. The next picture is Cosette waiting for us to take her to the beach. I would say "waiting patiently" but I can't even type that without say, "pffft, yeah, patiently."

This is the time of year when I say that I’m ready for fall, because I am. I’m ready for pumpkin patches and apple picking. I’m ready to bake pies and shake out my sweaters. I’m ready to walk Cosette early in the mornings and listen to the drums of the high school band as it practices. I’m ready to drink beer at Octoberfest and plan our own pumpkin-carving party. I’m ready to walk up and down the aisles of every craft fair and partake of every free sample offered me. And I’m ready to start planning for Thanksgiving visitors. I’m just ready.

But I gotta get back home, first, which means I gotta get packing and making lists. And I’ll get right on that as soon as I knit a couple of rounds on this next market bag.

Thanks for stopping by.

Whirlwind Tour

2008-08-15T10:24:00.003-04:00

Hello out there. Thanks for stopping by.

So, I was just sitting around, knitting up a market bag that might be a Christmas present or I might just keep for myself because it’s so darn cute, when Al said something strange.

“My paper’s due next week then I’ll have my final. Can’t believe time has gone so quickly here.”

What did he mean “time has gone,” we still have lots of time left. Then I realized, Holy Crap we only have a few weeks left! Where did the time go? Why am I sitting here knitting when there are things still to see?!? It seems like just last week I was saying that we should be sure to start doing the touristy things before it gets too late. And it’s almost too late! We both knew we better get off our duffs.

You don’t have to twist Al’s arm to do anything, you just have to do the deciding, the planning, the plotting and the preparing. I think I should start freelancing as a tour planner. Here are some of the things we’ve done.

We took a cruise on the American Rover.

This 135-foot tall sails ship goes for daily cruises 3 times a day, plus special charters. They stay in the calm waters of Hampton Bay, which is a good thing if not a little dull. Most of the sights you see are the shipyards for navy boats being worked on. Did you know that when a ship is in for repairs, they pull a smaller boat up next to it that serves as housing (like a dormitory) for the sailors. That stinks—no escaping the boat.

Anyway, the Rover is comfortable and it’s fun to watch them unfurl those huge sails. The Captain announces that if anyone wants to help, they can. Help? I’m cruising baby, I’m not working. But it did make us think about taking sailing lessons. Well, it made Allen think about it. I thought about how much work it was and how the older I get the more of a weenie I become. Al did look up getting lessons at the base, but changed his mind when he saw how much it costs.

The Rover holds 149 people, but luckily, there weren’t that many people aboard on the day we went. It’s beautiful and breezy on the deck, with lots of chairs under a canopy or benches along the side. And if you get a little too hot, you can go down stairs to sit in pretty comfy seating in the air conditioning.

There’s a bar that they open for the sunset cruise and special charters, but this day a smaller snack bar was open. Being on a sail boat in the harbor, we of course got a tropical drink that oh-my-goodness was it good but went straight to my head. You know, you really shouldn’t chug something with a lot of schnapps, brandy and whatever else, even if it is mixed with fruit juices.

We also made it up to Colonial Williamsburg.

Originally, my plan was to leave Cosette in this great kennel I found and we were going to take our time seeing everything and spending the night. It didn’t quite work out that way, but we got up there and Cosette did fine in the condo by herself, so it’s all good. The only hitch in our gitalong was the traffic. What should have taken 45 minutes took over an hour and a half, going and coming home. I don’t know how the people who live here get used to this traffic. There aren’t enough Zen breathing exercises in the world to keep me calm. I told Al that if the traffic on the bridge was already backed up 7 miles when we head out, I’m just going to cry.

Al: Then we’ll just head to the bar and start drinking.
Me: OK. We’ll ask the bartender to pretend that the bar goes back to colonial times and that Thomas Jefferson once drank ale there.

Anyway, Colonial Williamsburg is a recreated Colonial town. The people are in historic costumes and as you tour the different buildings, there are people telling you how things were done in past.

A shuttle bus takes you to a drop-off spot and you walk into the town, like walking through a mirror, taking you to another time. Well, you hundreds of other people. Luckily, again, it wasn’t that crowded and it was gorgeous day. Virginia is having unseasonably cooler weather right now, so it was sunny and in the low 80s.

Every building offers something different, but not all the buildings were open. Unfortunately, the weaver was closed, but there were plenty of other cool places.

Such as the Bookbinder and Press

The Silversmith

The Millner

The Brickyard

The Cabinet Maker

By late afternoon we were exhausted, too exhausted to stop at the farm. And we didn’t watch any of the shows or reenactments but I’m sure they were great. We just had a finite time there and didn’t want to spend 2 hours of it standing in the sun watching a show.

I was also too tired to stop at the yarn shop on the way out of town. Now that’s tired! I don’t know, I just may have to make a trip over there during the week some day.

Al’s seminar group went to the MacArthur Memorial in downtown Norfolk.

I passed joining in on this field trip because I was beginning to feel a little weird being this hanger-on. Besides, it’s by the mall (MacArthur Mall), and you know I’ll be going to the mall while I’m here, so I can see it later. Al said it was really interesting and the museum had a lot of amazing things. MacArthur and his second wife are buried there, so it’s more than just a statue in the park.

So, I think that catches you up a little. I still owe you pictures of Yorktown, so I’ll try to get to that.

I'll leave you with a picture of Cosette. Always leave your posts on a happy note.

Ehm, Mememememe . . .

2008-08-04T21:41:00.005-04:00

I've had a glass of wine, so maybe this would be a good time to do the "6 things I'm proud of" that I told Janet I would do. I just read my mom's and it was great. Let's see if I can follow in her footsteps.

1. I'm proud that people who come to my home describe it as "warm." Every place we've been, our house has been a "hang out" place. I always have something to throw together as a snack and of course, there's always something to drink if you care to indulge in a little Scottish warmth. And now Cosette is there to welcome you and lead you into the living room, where she will jump up on the couch with you, just to make sure everyone is comfy. Well, that and so she'll be within easy lovin' distance.

2. I'm proud that I took that stick out of my butt and have relaxed some. No really, I have! Oh sure, I'm still a little neurotic about somethings, but I don't freak out if things don't go the way I have them listed to happen. And that's huge. I sometimes wonder if I've gone way the other direction and have fallen into apathy, but I'm working on balance.

3. I'm proud of the things I have taught myself to do--the knitting, the quilting, the cooking. I've taken classes along the way, but I've done a lot of it on my own. I'm not very good at learning from my mistakes--if I'm not good at it immediately, I usually drop it--but with this stuff, I keep trying different things and repeating until I get it right.

4. I'm proud of where I came from. My mother worked hard to make a stable home for us in a very unstable time. My (paternal) grandmother did the same in her day. My (maternal) great-grandmother was the bravest of us all. I come from pretty good stock.

5. I'm proud of Al and his military brethren. I've had many people ask me how I would survive if he went to war and wouldn't I worry about him all the time. Well, of course I would worry, but I wouldn't be afraid because I see how hard they train, how much they care, and how good they are.

6. I'm proud that I'm part of a creative family. Mom has always been a writer, so when she started her blog, I wasn't surprised by how good it was. I've always known that Jay was hilarious and intelligent, and now others get to see that, too.

So, there we are. That wasn't so bad after all. I'm not going to tag anyone, but try it, you might like it!

And your Cosette fix:

We got home and caught her sleeping on her bed upstairs in the bedreoom:

Oops! She saw us!

Note: I didn't drink wine in the morning then write and post this. I tried to post last night but blogger wouldn't let me download the photos. Grrrr.

Idling

2008-07-30T10:36:00.006-04:00

Here I am again and thanks for stopping by.

First things first, I was tagged by Janet (who has a wonderful blog and you should go there, by the way) to come up with 6 things I'm proud of. I will do this Janet, but it's gonna take some thinkin'. My therapist would love this. At our first session she assigned me homework--3 of my weaknesses and 3 of my strengths. Guess which one was easier for me. But I will post it soon.

Now onto the catching up. We've been pretty busy around here. Whew! Yep, busy, busy, busy. For example, it takes so much time out of my day to have to flip channels on a TV without a guide. I've never been much of a flipper; I just go to the channel I want or I pull up the guide on the TV and look through it rather than flipping. But flip I do, and I can never remember which channels are where. Oh sure, I could write them down somewhere, but it's such a nice little procrastination tool that I think I'll keep flipping around.

I've been taking Al into work so that I can have the car and taking Cosette to one of the city parks in the mornings. She loves running around in the grass and among the trees, hunting squirrels. She's going to pull my arm out of its socket one of these days.

I have a new phone. Yep, we caved and got iPhones. Wow is it cool! I mean, super-duper even I feel like a techie cool. Plus I downloaded a Mahjong game for free, which probably wasn't a great idea because it's a better procrastination tool than flipping channels. There is so much it can do that I had to take a class at the store to learn more about it. The best thing? The sound is so clear when I'm talking to others and my battery lasts long enough that I can have a conversation without saying "My battery is running low, so if I stop talking you'll know what happened." And that's just the phone part, which I don't use that often because you know how I hate talking on the phone. It's amazing to be in the car (as a passenger) and be able to pull up the internet to find an address then plot it on the Maps, choosing to show traffic (red line means there's a back up) because like I said before, traffic is a huge issue here.

My brain hasn't caught up with it all yet. It's also the first time I've had a camera on my phone, and that's pretty cool. Here are a couple of pictures of Cosette on the beach.

Cosette and a crab. This one she didn't eat.

I love this photo. It's dusk and there's a storm on the Eastern Islands. We didn't get anything, but we could see the storm across the bay.

I also caved and bought an iron skillet. I couldn't stand it any more. The "nonstick" stuff in the other pans was peeling off into our food. Ew. This little 10-inch pan does everything I need it to do. I'm making beans and cornbread for the weekend! Mmmmmm cornbread.

On the tourist front, we got the most amazing opportunity. We toured a submarine! How cool is that? Let me tell you, very cool. I wish I could show you pictures, but I don't think it's a good idea. We could only take photos in certain areas, so to play it safe, I'll just tell you about it. As you would imagine, it was very close quarters, with lots of narrow steps/ladder configurations. The crew members works 12 hours, then have 2 days off. Anyone can do any job, even the Commander can step in and do any job if there's a problem. Except one--the medic. There's only 1 (on a crew of around 140 for this sub) and he isn't a doctor. He has some medical training, and he handles all the medical issues that come up, from a cold to an appendectomy. If that was my job, I'd spend all my time in that little room praying "Please don't let anyone get sick. Please don't let anyone get sick." At one point the guy giving us the tour told us that we were so many feet under water on that level. I could have gone all day without hearing that. I had done pretty well with ignoring that little necessity in taking part in this tour. But it was really amazing and I have a renewed appreciation for what they do.

Let's see. Oh, I've continued reading the cozies. A friend of mine sent me Mary Kruger's knitting mysteries for good beach reading. I just finished Dyed in the Wool and will read the next one, but I think I'll stop there. The mysteries are pretty good and well plotted out, but her writing drives me crazy. It's very repetitive, stilted and her dialogue is horrible. I think she was trying to capture "real life" dialogue, but that never works because "real life" is repetitive and boring. But I do enjoy the whole knitting theme; it makes me want to put down the book and knit.

Lastly, who needs a Cosette update? I know, I so rarely talk about her. We had a horrible yet quick storm a few days ago. There was booming thunder, crackling lightening, and flash flooding, all while we were at the mall. I was concerned about Cosette because she gets really anxious during storms like that, so I was happy when we got back to the condo. We had to search for her; she had found a little hidey hole in the space between the couch and the wall.

Poor baby. But she was fine, so I was relieved that she at least found a place to go. I don't know why she didn't go into her kennel. She likes to sleep in there, but she walked right past it to sit between the wall and the couch. Hm.

Anyway, here are a few more pictures for ya.

Boy, that pizza sure does look good.

Just because the dishes are in the dishwasher doesn't mean they're off limits.

Sunrise

One last thing, just something to think about. I may post something serious about this some time, but right now I'm still just thinking about it. The NY Times ran an article, "Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading" (you may have to register to read it). There's quite the hub bub about if reading forums, blogs, fan fiction, and other internet stuff is a good substitute for reading books for kids. I won't go into all of it right now, but I will quote the 16 year old who spends hours and hours on fan fiction:

Nadia said she wanted to major in English at college and someday hopes to be published. She does not see a problem with reading few books. “No one’s ever said you should read more books to get into college,” she said.

OK, let me be the first to say, "You should read more books to get into college."

Later y'all.

Some Random Thoughts

2008-07-21T21:08:00.002-04:00

Well, I have some photos of Yorktown Battlefield that I toured with Al and his class, but I haven't typed up any info yet. I've been staying really busy so I haven't had a chance; oh OK, so I haven't been exactly busy--I've been driving around looking for different shops and walking the dog in our favorite park. She has a little Beagle friend named Gracie, who is always as excited as Cosette to be there. Actually, Gracie and Cosette couldn't care less, but I'm enjoying having Gracie's mom to talk to.

We've also toured the naval museum and the Wisconsin battleship that is docked in Norfolk. I'll post about that, too, later. This tourist attraction is free! But if you want to see it, better do it soon because the Navy has told the city they are not going to keep putting money into the upkeep, so Norfolk is going to buy it. A good guess is that it will no longer be free when the city gets it.

I love museums, so we also went to the Ocean View (the neighborhood we're living in) Museum. It was a little sad because you wouldn't believe how much used to be here. It was called "The Atlantic City of the South" because of the roller coasters, the pier, the restaurants, the salt water taffy shops, the ice cream shops, and so many community activities. It's all gone now, except for the pier, where they, I kid you not, charge you a dollar to look around and $8 to fish off the pier. There is a bandstand and they have live music on Friday nights in July, which is cool, though.

It's wonderful renting a totally furnished condo to stay in so we didn't have to bring anything but our clothes. Hell, there's even a crockpot and a blender. But I wish I had brought my iron skillet. Is that a true Southerner, or what? I also like to think it's a true cook, because the cheap pots and pans are driving me crazy. They're usable, though, and I can work with it. I do, however, have to put aluminum foil in all the baking pans because they are so rusty. Ew. It's also been a long time since I've used a gas stove and I'm kind of afraid of that sucker. It won't turn on, it won't turn on, it won't turn on, just click click click, then Whoosh! We have flames!

Cosette had a trip to the groomer and they cut her pretty short. That's what I wanted, so it's OK. She's much easier to keep clean and to get those stickers off her. We left her head and tail fuzzy, so when she lifts her ears and cocks her head, she looks like one of those dinosaurs whose skin fans around it before it spits acid at you. I'll try to capture it in a photo.

Al has to play softball with his seminar group (there are 14 groups of 18 people in each seminar group). The military always feels obliged to have some kind of team sports requirement. He played volleyball when he first got in, then he played some version of flag football, then group runs and racquetball. Now softball. I was more than a little concerned because men his age are usually retired from these sports. He's played ultimate frisbee with people from work, and everyone has ended up injured--Al with a broken thumb, one guy with a broken nose, one with a broken arm, another with a pulled tendon, and one who almost broke his ankle. So, I went to the first softball game so that I could drive anyone to the emergency room. But I needn't worry. This is politically correct softball. A game lasts only an hour or 7 innings, whichever comes first. You get 3 pitches and someone from your team pitches to you while the opposing team is on the bases, in the field, and as catcher. There are 4 practice games, then everyone is in the tournament. Luckily, Al's group isn't gung ho and they really don't care--just having fun. Their first game was against the high ranking officers who are shooting for general and admiral, so they are even older than Al's group. One of the guys said to his team member, "What was that sound? Was that war cry or a did you pull a muscle?" So, they're having a good time with it.

I went to the first game, but I'm going to sit out the next one. Unfortunately, the heat has arrived. I can do anything up to the low 90s, then I have to be careful, and it's getting close to 100. So, I'll be enjoying the comforts of air conditioning. It's pretty weird and a little frustrating. I was outside at Yorktown all day and got pretty hot, but never really felt too bad--I mean MS bad. None of the MS symptoms bothered me. But today? Lordy. I was out walking Cosette and I had to get her back in so I could sit down. My left leg is tingling, the pain in my cheek is back, and there are muscle spasms in my left arm and leg, with spasticity (where the muscles tighten up to the point I'm afraid they are going to snap). It could be so much worse. I have a friend with MS who looses her ability to walk when she gets overheated. She has to be carried somewhere to cool off and rest. Once she cools off, she starts getting feeling in her legs again. So, I'm thankful that my little piddlin' tingles are all I have to get through.

My goodness but I've just rambled on and on. I sat down with nothing to say, then look what happened.

Oh, one more thing. We have a dog with gourmet taste. I made gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce, and as we were cleaning up the kitchen, Cosette licked the sauce off the plate. She likes smelly cheese. Who would've thunk it. Al and I weren't real wild about it.

Speaking of Cosette, she has her head near my lap and is whimpering in soft, high pitch. I'm not sure what she wants, but I'm going to close this and find out. I'll tell her "Show me!" and she'll lead me to what she wants, either to the kitchen for a treat or downstairs to go out. She's got me trained real well.

While I Was Away

2008-07-14T10:39:00.006-04:00

I thought I'd take a break from the Virginia stuff to let you in on what I was doing all those months I wasn't blogging.

I attended WhiskyFest in Chicago. I really came into my own regarding the water of life. We had a wonderful time with a group from the Dundee Dell.

This is George Grant from Glenfarclas. We love Glenfarclas.

Worked with other women in my quilt group to make a Nebraska quilt for the coordinator of the group who is moving. The center pinwheel blades are in the shape of the state of Nebraska. We made it with scraps from other quilts we made as a group, plus from our stash. I love this quilt and am thinking of making one of my own.

Bought a new car--a '93 Honda Element. It was in excellent condition and had less than 60,ooo miles. I love this car.

Had a birthday.

Worked with the women in the quilt group to make a quilt for Habitat for Humanity.

Cleaned a lot of mud off the dog

Knitted a bag holder--one of those that you pull bags from the bottom.

Knitted a Log Cabin baby blanket for my new cousin.

I'm knitting while here in Virginia, too, and will get some pictures up later. I've made a Christmas stocking and am making a scarf for Al (black, plain, simple black so he can wear it with his uniform) and a market bag. I'm trying to decide between the stockings or market bags for Christmas gifts.

I also read a lot during my break, mostly cozies. I'm still reading the Hamish MacBeth mysteries by MC Beaton and I read a few of the China Bayles mysteries by Susan Wittig Albert, but I kind of lost interest in those. While I'm here in the condo, I'm still reading the cozies. Funny that I used to tease my mother about reading those because they are all the same, but it's all I have patience for right now, and they are pretty enjoyable. But there are a lot of great used bookstores here, and I think I'll get some other books.

Anyone got any suggestions? What are you reading?

Paradise Lost

2008-07-10T14:09:00.004-04:00

A few weeks in Virginia and I’m still feeling a little limboesque (yes, I made that word up, but I couldn’t think of a real word that describes how I feel). It’s to be expected; I’m only a visitor here, after all. But it’s really odd. It’s like a vacation at home. I mean, sure, there’s a beautiful view outside the bedroom window and a beach to walk on, but there’s still groceries to buy, bills to pay, meals to cook, rooms to clean, a dog to walk, TV channels to flip through—and all in a different time zone. There’s no freedom from responsibility that you get when you’re on vacation, no release from the daily stuff, which is one of the things I really like about vacations. It’s a lot like real life, and that’s a little disappointing.

I know I sound ungrateful, but you’re just going to have to believe me when I tell you that this is not paradise. Paradise doesn’t include daily, 7-mile back ups on bridges and tunnels. Nor does paradise have to have it’s own 24-hour TV channel devoted to traffic. Granted, we are not living on the touristy side of the area, which can be a good thing. It’s kind of like having a private beach, which is very cool. I’ve been told this is because we are on the bay side, not the ocean side, like Virginia Beach is. Apparently it’s crazy over on their beaches and is always packed. So, the good news is, we aren’t overrun with people here; the bad news is that it’s not grown up with things like shops and restaurants that you can easily walk to, which is a big deal on the days when your husband takes the only car. Not that I mind hermitting in the condo, but I’m the kind of person who could easily hermit every day, so I have to make myself get out and get among people so that I stop talking to my dog as if she comprehends everything I say.

Also, it isn’t the greatest neighborhood. It’s kind of bizarre because there are some really, really nice places not only on the beach side, as you would expect, but also across the street, interspersed with places not so nice. So there will be a $450,000 house (for sale) next to a row of run-down places with “Beware of Dog” and “No Trespassing” signs on their gates. When I walk Cosette around there, I have to be diligent about where she walks because there is a lot of broken glass and trash she wants to investigate and hopefully find something to eat. There are a couple of parks in town that I take her to, but to keep things interesting, I try to take her to different places during the week, and walking around the neighborhood is something different. They do have a large area that is supposedly set to become a park because they condemned the housing that was there originally quite a few years ago. However, the city is dragging their heels because, apparently, they don’t want it to be a park, they want more expensive townhouses and single-unit homes to be built there. Everywhere I look there are large, empty houses with “For Sale—Reduced” signs in the front yard, with a new one going up next door. It’s crazy.

There are some nice areas, of course, and I specialize in finding little gems in a new town. So far, I’ve found a British store that carries my favorite crisps (Walker’s Cheese and Onion) and candy bar (Picnic), plus some other cool things, and I’ve found a pub that is a little piece of Scotland here in Virginia, complete with pub quizzes. We haven’t been for quiz night yet, but I’m hoping we can get in on that. I’ve also found the greatest consignment shop, where I bought a gorgeous handbag made with leather like butta for $54. I never spend that much on a handbag, but what the hell. Oh, and that reminds me. For someone with a tote bag/handbag/purse/backpack/whatever fetish, beach towns are very dangerous because every store has the cutest totes!

In all honesty, I admit to still be working on the whole depression and crankiness thing, and a lot of my frustration is self-inflicted, so someone else coming here for 10 weeks might very well find it to be paradise. I know that if this was in the mountains somewhere, I’d probably be happier because I’m just not a beach/hot weather kind of person. And I’m trying to follow Al’s lead and be positive and let things roll off me, which is really freaky because I used to be the one in that role and Al was the moody one. I don’t like my new role and would like to be recast, please.

I’ll leave you with some pictures of the area around our condo. It looks much nicer in pictures.

The area across from us that could be a park if the city follows through.

Cool gnarly tree

One of the nice houses

The house sits across from this park--this one really designated as a "park"

Another view of the park.

Closely packed in on the beach side. Our condo is on the far right.

Checking In Again

2008-07-04T21:51:00.007-04:00

I did warn you these posts could be sporadic. Kind of like the way my brain works.

Thank you for the kind comments welcoming me back, especially those of you stopping by from Jay's blog. Nice to know he has such good blog friends. I still haven't made the rounds to all the blogs I want to, but even if I haven't commented, I have been by.

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th. I spent most of it with an anxious dog who was pacing and panting. Poor thing. She finally jumped up in Al's lap, then jumped down, then jumped back up beside him and started to calm down. Gotta say I was a little jealous. Luckily, the fireworks aren't as bad here as they are at home in Omaha. Good Lord those people love their fireworks! Plus, a rainstorm came through. That kind of put a damper on things.

So, we're doing a lot of exploring here in Virginia. Mostly we've been to motorcycle shops (for Al), yarn shops (for me), coffee shops, liquor stores, and restaurants. You know, all the important stuff. Oh stop rolling your eyes at me, all that cultural/historical stuff will still be there in a couple of weeks. I'm gettin' to it.

We did go on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and I'm not in any hurry to do that again. It's a little bit of an anxiety attack waiting to happen--A bridge that goes into a tunnel, that comes up into a bridge again, just to go down into another tunnel, and back up onto a bridge into the nothingness of the Eastern Shore. Oh sure, there are cute little Cape villages with pretty marinas full of really nice boats, but if you're thirsty at 10:30 in the morning, all you can do is a get a large sweet tea at Hardee's.

Here are a some pics of the bridge and Cape Charles.

The gap is the tunnel. We're heading for it.

Looks like we're going into the ocean, doesn't it?

Our GPS display in the tunnel. One lone black line amongst the blue.

Land!

Ritzy neighborhood in Cape Charles

The marina

Pretty boats

Niiiiiiiiice

Added to all those thrilling experiences is the almost $20 it costs to drive on that heart-palpitating bridge/tunnel/bridge/tunnel/bridge. We were so far out on the bay that there weren't even any pleasure boats. There were no boats at all.

In other news, I've only eaten fresh steamed seafood once, and I'm very disappointed in myself. My plan was to eat seafood every day. Now I'm behind schedule. But now I have a goal; I mean a goal besides knitting and reading mysteries.

More later. I take my camera where ever I go, but sometimes, the best pictures are right at home:

Update

2008-06-25T09:05:00.004-04:00

Hello there!

You're all so sweet for checking in on me and leaving supportive comments.

Things are going pretty well. I'm in Virginia right now. Al got accepted into a 10-week school, and I told him that I thought he would be too lonely on the beach all by himself, so the dog and I had better go with him. We found a great condo on the beach, and Cosette loves running in the waves and trying to eat dead crabs. They're crunchy!

So, I'm probably going to start doing a little blogging again. I haven't decided if I'm going to do it here or on my travel blog or how often and when, but it'll probably be soon. Jay has been after me to start up again and you know how I fall to peer pressure.

Thanks again for all the kindness. A break was just what I needed.

Here are a couple of photos to update you on what's going on.

Cosette chills in the back of the Element on the drive out. She had it made--we set one of the seats up against the side, and she laid on top of a suitcase and used a gym bag to prop herself up on.

The view from the balcony off the master bedroom of our condo.

The beach. Dogs can only be on the beach from 7 at night until 9 the next morning.

At first, Cosette was afraid of the waves and tried to chase them back in. Now she loves it. I'll have those pictures later.

Talk to you all later.

It's That Time

2008-02-24T20:56:00.004-05:00

Well, I've been barely posting for awhile and I'm kind of blocked on what to say and do anyway, so I think I'm gonna take a little break. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I think taking a little "sabbatical" is a good idea.

Thank you all for coming by and reading and commenting and just lurking. I'm sure I'll be back some time. I'll still be doing some lurking of my own, I just won't be keeping up like I have been.

Thanks!

Update: Thanks everyone for the kind comments and checking in on me. Things are going pretty well, finally! It took awhile to feel better, but I'm finally able to get up and get going in the morning. I'm still on my sabbatical, but I'm checking in on your blogs and appreciate you checking in on me. Oh, and Cosette is doing wonderfully, too. She's been napping with me and getting me out walking every morning.

2008-02-20T14:17:00.003-05:00

I decided to join in the fun over at r.e.h.'s place. He's come up with this great game where he gives us pictures that represent different aspects of a story, then we write the story. He explains it a lot better than I do, and you can find the rules here.
So, here we go!

One Little Leaf

Samuel should have been working on his homework, but he was having a familiar daydream instead. He was running through the wet sand, his feet slapping against the receding wave as it tried to drag him into the ocean with it. The sky was as wide as the ocean he was running next to and all of his worries were gone. He had never even been to the beach, but he just knew that if he was there, running on the sand, he could forget about the cramped two bedroom apartment he and his sister, Abigail, lived in with their mother or the bully, Frank, who stops him on his way to school to pick on him just for the hell of it or the hours he waits for his mom to get home from her job.

He knew she hated her job. She only took it to support him and Abigail after their father left. She was so tired when she got home that he didn’t want to bother her with helping him with his homework or talking to her about Frank. Samuel knew that if they could just go to the beach, his mother would forget all her worries, too. Maybe she could relax and smile again. It had been so long since she had smiled.

The thoughts of his mom brought Samuel back to real time. He finished the last of his multiplication tables then went to the bedroom he shared with his little sister. It had an invisible line drawn down the middle by the separation of girl’s stuff and boy’s stuff. Abigail’s side was pink with Dora the Explorer and baby dolls around, while his side was darker with Transformers and race cars. He reached under his bed and took out the box of treasured objects. He ignored the ribbons for science fairs, the pictures of his mom and dad, the birthday cards from some grandmother he never met, and picked up the small, hardback book about sea shells that his mom had given to him for his birthday. It was the first birthday without his dad, so she had made it a big party to try to make up for it. They had been at the park for his party, and in a puddle of water there had been a leaf. There weren’t many trees in this park—it was mostly sand and gravel around a swing set and a jungle gym—so he guessed that’s why it caught his attention. It was a very pretty golden color and a lovely shape with no tears or nicks in it. He had carefully picked it up and dried it off with a napkin before putting it in his book about shells.

Now he sat on his bed, opened the book, and held the leaf tenderly in his hand. He thought about the birthday without his dad and the promise about going to the beach some day that his mom made when she gave him the book. She talked about how he and his sister would jump and run in the sand. And he remembered the far away look in his mother’s eyes and that she was smiling.

Thanks Again

2008-02-05T14:15:00.000-05:00

Hello.

Thanks again everyone. Your comments meant so much.

I know I haven't been around much, but I just haven't had the energy. The depression has eased up, but it always leaves me tired and just kind apathetic. I'm slowly catching up on my blog reading. Although I've been reading, I haven't been commenting much. Just lurking I guess. It's like writer's block--I just can't think of anything to say. That's also why there haven't been any new posts.

The days have pretty much been filled with walking and playing with Cosette and mopping the floors after her muddy paw prints. Did you know Pledge makes an all floor surface cleaner that you just squirt on and mop up with a damp mop? It makes cleaning the floors too damn easy, so now I feel like I have to do it more often. But on the pro side, Cosette has gotten very good at stopping as soon as she walks in and letting me dry her off. She even picks up her paws for me. Whatta dog.

At the risk of turning this into a dog adoration blog, I just have to show you this picture. As I was laying on the couch, Cosette decided to join me by propping herself up in the crook of my legs. Just look how comfortable she looks.

She eventually slid down and curled up against my legs and we both went to sleep.

Thank You

2008-01-30T21:11:00.000-05:00

Your generous spirit and kindness mean more to me than I can say. It wouldn't surprise you to know that reading all the wonderful and loving comments made me cry--in a good way.

Thank you for the support and understanding.

Partly Cloudy

2008-01-28T11:36:00.001-05:00

When I started this blog, I planned to write deep and philosophical thoughts, to find that honest part of me that wrote without thinking of the consequences. But then I realized that people might actually be reading it and I didn’t want to bum everyone out, or worse bore anyone. So, the self-censoring started and the majority of light-hearted topics.

But I’m tired people, and I need to talk some stuff out before I explode.

These bouts of depression every other week are really frustrating and they are getting worse. The demons came out again last week and were flying all over the place. I couldn’t catch them to put them away, back in that little dark place of my brain. Instead, all I wanted to do was go down to a dark corner of the basement, wrap up in a blanket and watch Law and Order reruns.

In these times, every disappointing or upsetting thing that has ever happened in my life flickers on a loop, so I’m forced to relive those moments over and over again. Sometimes, I think of a time that I hurt someone and I think about what a horrible person I am and of all the things I should have done differently. Then there are the times that I think about when I was hurt and what a loser I am that I didn’t say something or do something about it. Mixed in are the old fashioned feelings of uselessness and sadness and being an utter failure.

Some how I pull it together enough to be standing upright by the time Al gets home and actually cook some dinner (or order pizza, depending on how bad the day had been). But some days, like this last Monday, was a crying day, and he knew that it was a bad day for me. The first clue was me sitting in the middle of the couch with a Kleenex in my hand and tears streaming down my face.

“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.”

He’s used to this answer, so he just sits with me. I know he wants to help but just doesn’t know what to do, and I have no idea what to tell him. There’s not much he can do. The fact that he’s still here, living through this with me, is the best thing he can do.

I can explain it away, however. I’ve been having bouts like this for the last 5 or 6 years to varying degrees of intensity. And I honestly think that about that time, I also went through a personality change and pulled away from everything and everyone. I’m not sure family members or friends would admit that out loud, but I think they would agree. I thought it was because of hormones and that I wasn’t getting enough exercise.

Then I was diagnosed with MS, and a lot of things started to fall into place. When I went in for my first visit with the MS Nurse Practioner, I was looking at a poster about lesions and their locations. I realized and showed Al how one of the lesions looked like mine and was in the exact place that my largest one was. The little explanatory bubble said something about how that area affected vocabulary, some other things I don’t remember, and personality. Personality? Damn. I’m not crazy and it’s not just in my head. Well, it is my head, it’s a dead spot in my head, but there’s a reason for what I had been going through.

Then, joy of joys, the medication causes depression. I think that is what I’m dealing with most of the time, since the worst days are Monday after my shot on Sunday night. There are those weeks when it lasts three or more days, then there are the weeks when I’m fine by Tuesday. The pattern is every other week. Coincidentally (or maybe not) it’s the week I take my shot in my left leg, the one that is more affected by the MS. Weird, huh?

Hormones could have something to do with it because as I’m reminded constantly, I am “into my 40s.” That age seems to be some kind of friggin’ threshold and now everything I feel is because my hormones are changing. It’s very easy to throw away emotions with the excuse that your just hormonal. Doesn’t help me, but it makes it easier for others to explain it away.

As a result of my weakness, the demons take over. I take Wellbutrin and it evens things out a bit, but I can’t help but wonder if it is no longer as affective. The MS message boards recommend therapy, but the doctors others recommend don’t take my insurance and my insurance just gives me a list of doctors in my area. I just don’t have the energy to start seeing these people until I find one I think I can talk to.

So I talk to you, dear readers! You lucky people. I wish I could say I feel better, but there’s a really good chance I will end up deleting this post. But it’s out there. Maybe talking out loud and releasing those demons is better than putting them back in.

Damn Cold Weather

2008-01-24T12:47:00.000-05:00

These below freezing temperatures are playing havoc with my MS symptoms. It's supposed to warm up over the weekend, so that's good and I should be feeling much much better.

Until then, I'm going to get some rest and I'll be back when I'm not in such a depressed and whiney state.

BTW, you know how people talk about how intuitive their pets are and know when they're feeling bad and need comfort. Meet the dog who doesn't:

I actually took her for a short walk because she kept staring at me and sighing because she wanted to go for her morning walk. She has a fur coat so she doesn't care that it's -2. Then she brought the stuffed duck to me so we could play tug-a-duck. Oh well. She really has me trained well.

WWC--Envy and Triangle

2008-01-21T19:49:00.000-05:00

Actually, my WWC is only envy and it's a bit of a stretch. I couldn't think of anything for triangle, but as r.e.h. said last week, I covered triangle with my picture of the cutting mat. Plus, the quilt blocks had triangles in them, so I think I'm ahead of the game!

The WWC is brought to us by the wonderful Tink of Pickled Beef.

I envy the way Cosette can sleep so soundly.

Did you play?

In other news, Al had the winter crud the last few week and is finally feeling better. A lot of people seem to have this, and come to think of it, he had this crud around this time last year.

I had a proud moment on Thursday. We got around 3 or 4 inches of snow that day, after Al went to work of course. I decided that I really should clear the driveway and sidewalks because the sun was coming out and maybe there would be lots of melting. I also bow to peer pressure and most of our neighbors had cleared their driveways already.
But I remembered how last year I shoveled snow when it was extremely cold and I got really sick with MS symptoms. I needed to use the snow blower, but Al hadn't given me my yearly "this is how you use the snow blower" lesson. But Warrior Lass doesn't need some man to show her how to use a monster piece of machinery with huge, sharp blades! No! And I think Warrior Lass needs to make a reappearance around here! So, I got the instructions and followed step-by-step how to use the snow blower.

Less than an hour later, everything was cleared, and with the sun shining on my achievement, I cleaned off the machine and put it back in its place of honor in the garage.

Next, the table saw.

25 Years Later.

2008-01-17T15:39:00.000-05:00

Peggy over at Day to Day Life of a Very Lazy Gardner did this meme and politely tagged me if I wanted to do it. I haven't done a meme in a long time, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

The idea is to list five things in your life now that you would have never thought would be in your life when you were 25.

1. Health Issues. I never thought I’d deal with the health issues at such a young age. Al had testicular cancer when we were in our late 20s, and I was diagnosed with MS in my late 30s. Weird. On the other hand, testicular cancer is curable and we caught my MS early. And although illness can be a real strain on a couple, it has only brought Al and me closer.

2. Marriage. Not only am I still married but I’ve been married for almost 19 years! I really didn’t expect to marry. Never planned it, never wanted to. I wanted to travel, work and have fun. I didn’t realize I could do that and be married at the same time. Not that we haven’t had some rough spots, but we’ve hung in there. We’re heading into another phase of our life together with thoughts of retiring from the military. Should be interesting to see where we go from here. (You may be surprised that I’m not saying the usual mushy stuff about Al. You’ll just have to be surprised because I’m not very good at the mushy stuff. I took one of those emotion IQ tests and you wouldn’t believe how low I scored!)

3. On stage. For a few years, I did a lot of community theater. I played Dolly in Threepenny Opera, I was Sylvia in the female version of The Odd Couple, I was Hattie in Kiss Me Kate, and I did a lot of acting classes where I got to do a little bit of everything from Shakespeare to improv. It was an exciting and fun time, and every time I walked on stage, I was shocked that I was actually doing this. I’m very shy, very introverted, but I was determined to come out of my shell and try it since I have always loved the theater. I had a good time, but I don’t miss it now. I did come out of my shell some, but I never really overcame a sense of not belonging there nor could I really let myself go enough to really do well. Upside though, I don’t get nervous if I have to give a presentation or speak in front of people.

4. Travel. I can’t believe the places I’ve been and the things I’ve seen. I’ve always wanted to travel. When I finally got overseas, I wondered what the hell took me so long? We went to Scotland and England in 2001 and I’ve been hooked ever since. We met up with another couple for a week, but we were pretty much on our own and it was just so gratifying. Then I went with my mom and some friends and I did some things on my own and it was enlightening. I grew up a lot in those 2 weeks and re-connected with that independent woman who could take care of herself. We’ve since returned to Scotland (and will go back again and again) and we went to Italy. Italy! Oh my God I was in Italy! It’s just unbelievable. (Note: Sometime in the early 90s (I think ’93), we went to Germany to spend Christmas with friends who were stationed there. For some reason, I never think to include that in my travels. I don’t remember that trip except for some of the highlights, but I do remember feeling uncomfortable and not knowing what was going on at any time. I was just led by the hand until I came home.)

5. Techie. Well, not really a techie but I know a whole lot more and utilize computers a lot more than I ever have. Al and I sit in the living room, each with our wireless laptops, downloading photos for a DVD slideshow or downloading songs onto our iPods. I even watched Steve Jobs introduce all the upgrades to the iPhone, iTunes movie rental, and the new Macbook Air. And upon watching Jobs take that new computer out of a manila envelope, I turned to Al and said, “I want that!” It's amazing! Go over and take a look at it. I also told him that I want an iPod Touch. I don’t need the iPhone because I hate phones, but I like the iPod Touch. This isn’t like me, but Al was thrilled because he is a techie. I still can’t hook up the DVD player, but I’m great at Google.

Need an idea for a post, why not give this a try.

That's me for the week, I think. Have a great weekend!

WWC--Soft and Square

2008-01-16T13:14:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all, it's time for another round of Weekley Word Challenge brought to you by the creative and talented Tink of Pickled Beef.

Actually, it was supposed to happen yesterday, but you don't expect me to be on time two weeks in a row do you? Silly rabbit.

So, the words were square and soft. And here we go!

These quilt blocks are made up of squares and rectangles that are supposed to result in a square.

This grid is a cutting board for quilters. It's made up of a lot of squares.

This table runner I'm working on is made up of a lot of squares.

Cosette loves her soft toy duck. Usually, she loves them to death. This is her third one.

I got this at the Scottish Games in Kansas City. It's a Highland Cow (or Highland Coo), at least that's what I'm calling it, and it's very soft.

This alpaca yarn is yummy soft.

Did you play? C'mon! It's a lot of fun and no one gets mad at you if you're late.

In other Tink news, she has once again handed out her Golden Spork Awards, and I am the humble and honored winner of the Crafty/Creative Award. Thank you Tink!

Two Wheels Too Many

2008-01-13T19:40:00.000-05:00

It’s been all motorcycles all the time around here lately.

Since the weather has been comparably nice the last few weeks, Al has been going for a ride most Saturdays while he still can. Of course, he could ride if it’s cold, too, because he’s plugged in. Literally. He plugs in his heated jacket and heated gloves and he’s nice and toasty. Now if he could just get some heated socks, he’d really be happy.

He really loves riding, and it really scares the crap out of me. I told him that he’s lucky that I don’t get in the car and follow him wherever he goes, just to make sure he’s OK. He rides as safely as he can and doesn’t do anything stupid, but he’s not the problem—it’s the other drivers doing something stupid that I worry about. He wants me to go to all these rider parties, and I do go to some, but every time I go the conversation is all about how this guy walked away from this horrible accident and this guy shouldn’t have walked away but he did, and this guy who knows someone who didn’t walk away, and this guy who doesn’t remember his accident but he’s been told how awful it was. This isn’t helping people! I just don’t get the desire for this particular hobby.

But, he loves it, and I get that.

So, for Christmas I got him Long Way Down, which is Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman’s motorcycle ride from John O’Groats Scotland to Capetown South Africa. A few years ago, the did Long Way Round where they started in England and went around the world to New York. We loved that series, so I knew he’d like this one, too.

And let me tell you, you get some interesting hits on Google if you type in “long way down.” Luckily the first thing that came up was the official website. I also went to amazon.co.uk to compare prices (these were the only two places I could get the DVD). I decided to order from Amazon because the Christmas before I bought Race to Dakar (when Charlie Boorman competed in Dakar) from the official website and it took quite awhile, cost quite a bit, and I had to pick it up at the post office, which is not an easy thing here. So, I ordered the book and the DVD from Amazon.

Before you techies ask, no I didn’t even think about the fact that it might be in a format that our DVD player couldn’t read. It was in PAL format instead of NTSC like this country uses. Talk about your dumb luck, our DVD player must be new enough because we didn’t have any trouble.

Anyway, the series was great and I loved watching this adventure. There’s a lot pre-planning, but they were a little more prepared for it this time around. But there were more dangerous border crossings and in several places they had to have armed escorts.

The only problem was that McGregor’s wife wanted to join them for part of it, so she learned to ride, met them at a relatively safe area, and rode a couple of days with them. I wish she hadn’t of done that because it only gives Al ideas.

Oh, and we found out that while we were in Florence, the were in Sienna. There was a reenactment of an historic race, the Mile Miglia, while we were in Florence and we watched a lot of beautiful old cars drive through. When we were watching Long Way Down, the guys stopped in Sienna for lunch and were pleasantly surprised to see the Mile Miglia going through the town. I was this close to Ewan McGregor!

After watching the guys riding adventure through Africa, you can understand our disappointment that the Dakar was cancelled this year. I still can’t believe it. First time in 30 years that the Dakar rally has been cancelled. They had reports of terrorists linked to al Qaeda threatening drivers coming through Mauritania. Unbelievable. The course has been changed before, but they never cancelled the whole race. They were all ready to go, too. Everyone was in Lisbon, primed and ready, then this.

So basically, I don’t want to be on a motorcycle myself, but I love watching other people on motorcycles. I don’t want an adventure of riding through terrorist-laden countries, but I want to watch other people do it. And I don’t want to risk my neck by driving across the dunes of a desert, but I want to watch other people do it. I’m the ultimate armchair traveler.

However, we watched a show today where a couple of guys rode their motorcycles around Scotland. I might learn and ride for that trip. See, I just need the proper enticement.

I was just thinking . . .

2008-01-10T11:01:00.000-05:00

Just a few things going through my head and stopping me from concentrating on more productive things.

Looks like it’s official that the Golden Globes will not be televised. HFPA president Jorge Camara said, "We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007's outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television.”

Yeah, because those deprived viewers will never get another chance to see a celebrity. Except maybe on the People’s Choice Awards or The Screen Actor’s Guild Awards or The Critic’s Choice Awards or The Oscars or The Emmys or the MTV Movie Awards or an AFI tribute every other month. . . How will we ever survive?

Producers and media types are just giddy at the idea that support for the writers is going to wane because shows like Grey’s Anatomy will be going into reruns. Horrors!

What do you think? Is it really such a hardship on your life? I think the main hardship for me is that now there is pretty much nothing but reality TV on, but that was already happening. We don’t watch a lot of network TV anyway, so it’s not affecting us a whole lot. The worse affect is on other workers. Producers aren’t taking a hit in their salaries, but other staff are being laid off.

----------------------------------

BBC America used to be such a great network. It’s the only reason we have digital cable because I used to watch it all the time. But not any more. Guess what they are so excited about for the new season. They’re showing reruns of Dancing with the Stars! Our Dancing with the Stars! WTF? Used to be a lot of great mysteries and DIY shows on that network, but no more. What’s the world coming to?

----------------------------------

I made Butternut Squash Risotto for dinner last night, and it was very yummy. It was the fist time I’ve made risotto. I had been afraid to try because the chefs on TV always talked about how you had to be careful and stay with it and all that. But it was really pretty easy, and fun. I like it when I’m cooking and I get lost in what I’m doing—it’s a great escape. BTW, I made Ina Garten’s recipe, but I added about a tablespoon of chopped sage and some nutmeg.

----------------------------------

This time last year I wasn’t feeling that great and didn’t know what was going on until it bloomed into a full MS flair up. Then there was the horrible, horrible experience with the steroid treatment. I’m being more careful this year because I don’t want to go through that again. It helps that it’s not as cold and I don’t have to spend an hour and half shoveling snow since Al bought the mother of all snow blowers.

----------------------------------

Cosette has caught onto the routine around here and has decided she likes it. She whines at me if I don’t move fast enough in the morning to get going on our walk. She sits and stares at me, then does this little shuffle, and then sighs/whines. She also does that when she wants a treat or to play. She has me trained pretty well.

Cosette plays hard with her stuffed duck, then crashes in the the sunbeam.

Lost and Lost

2008-01-09T12:30:00.000-05:00

Remember that optimistic woman who was here last week? The one looking forward to 2008? Well, she’s disappeared, and I can’t find her anywhere.

She didn’t even give me a head’s up. Just pfffft—gone. And she left this moody, crying, wimpy woman in her place. That’s just rude.

Some weeks are just worse than others. As the medication wears off, I feel better. So, it’s Wednesday. I should be feeling better as the day goes on, then a little better each day. Until Sunday, when I take my shot, and it starts all over again. I thought about changing medications, but after reading the MS boards, I realized that this is common and it’s not much better with the other medications. And since I know that this one is working, I think I’ll just hang in there.

Unfortunately, that means the loved ones have to hang in there, too. It seems unfair to keep asking those around me to keep putting up with these swings. But that’s what you do, right? You hang in there, get through the rough spots, enjoy the high spots, and live through everything in between.

Hmm, how many more clichés can I state before I want to puke? There’s always a silver lining? Things will get better, they always do? It could be worse?

OK, that’s enough of that. More than enough. Enough is enough! Eight is enough! Wait, let’s not carried away here. When I start channeling 70s TV shows, I know I’ve got nothing left to say.

I think I’ll go surf some expensive yarn shops online. Unlike the huge bag of peanut butter M&Ms, that won’t add pounds to my thighs, just thin out my wallet. I can’t decide which is the lesser evil.

WWC--Black and Strange

2008-01-08T11:54:00.000-05:00

It's time for the Weekly Word Challenge brought to us by the super-duper Tink of Pickled Beef.

That said, I have a confession to make. I'm cheating this week. I'm using old photos because I just haven't had the energy to get anything new for the this week's words. But you'll forgive me, won't you? At least I'm on time this week, if nothing else.

You see some strange things at Renaissance Festivals. Were there vikings in the renaissance?

We saw some strange roadside attractions in South Dakota

From Mount Rushmore, you can see the Black Hills (and the Badlands in the distance).

I love this picture of Al and Cosette in a black sillouette.

The words next week are Soft and Square. Won't you join us?

So, If Al Died Today . . .

2008-01-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

One of the scarier aspects of getting older and having to (heaven forbid) be an adult is dealing with life insurance. We started early on this path, so it's not like we are starting from scratch, but we are re-evaluating, in light of the possibility of Al's retiring from the AF and my MS diagnosis. Come to find out, my MS is not the hurdle we thought it would be. But that wasn't the weird part.

The financial advisor who has been helping us asked me, "If Al died today, what would you need? Beyond all the emotional needs and the time to recover, what will you need to go on, to take care of you?"

Besides paying off the house, I had no idea. That's what you do, right? You insure enough to pay for funeral expenses and paying off the house and paying off bills. And I really don't want to talk about this right now. I know, I know we need to talk about it, but give me a minute to not feel weird about it.

So, after a few moments of babbling "I don't know" and "I'm not sure" and other such things, he gave me a break and helped me out with some questions.

"How much of his pay will you need and for how long?"

All of it for as long as I can get it. After all, I'm going to have the same bills for awhile, especially if I keep the house. And if I sell it, then there's a whole new set of bills that will come with that.

"Most spouses want to ensure they have income for a certain number of years--1 to 5 maybe."

Al said, "She'll probably just need a year."

Thanks for your confidence in me, honey, but I think it will take longer than that. It's not like I can go out and get a job making even a third of what you make. I can't even be a decent office assistant because I'm so far behind in the computer world. I'm amazed I can create a Word document.

"Five years," I said. "I don't know what job I would get or when, so five years."

"And what would you like to do?" he asked. After an appropriate time of no response he again helped me along, "will you want to go back to school or travel . . ."

"I'd like to move to Scotland and open a B&B," I said with a chuckle.

He shrugged his shoulders and opened his hands as if to say, "Well, would you?"

Oh no way! This guy's not serious. I can't talk about something as extravagant as moving to another country when my husband is gone when he's sitting right here. But maybe I could ease into another idea.

"Maybe not that, but I would like to have my own business. Maybe open a shop or buy into a franchise. Something that would be mine, something that will make enough money for me to live on for a long time."

"About $100,000 for that?" he asked, and I just nodded.

Well, Al's looking at me like I've lost my mind. He's not quite sure what to think and I'm feeling pretty guilty about how well I'm making out here.

"And Al, you've done a good job setting up investments for retirement. Many spouses will put aside moneys to be put into those accounts, just to give a head start for their spouses who will be taking them over. Is that something you would want to do?"

Like he's going to say no. You're not going to say no, are you, Al?

So, there's an another addition to the ol' total. Amazing. And then something occurs to me.

"When my dad passed away, I remember that my step-mother had to buy a car that would get around in all kinds of weather because he wouldn't be able to drive her. So, I'd like to be able to get another car if I needed to--something newer because all of our cars have around 140,000 miles on them."

Well, honestly, this is something I had thought about. If I didn't have Al I would be in a lot of trouble because I hate dealing with cars. He's the one who keeps them up and calms my nerves about driving, so if he wasn't here, I would need something newer and with low maintenance needs.

So there we go. I get to pay off my house, live off Al's salary for 5 years, open my own business, keep my retirement accounts and get a new car. How are you feelin' Al? Good? Damn.

Then it was his turn. We live on Al's salary, so he'll actually be better off without me drawing on it. He would keep his job and probably move into a smaller place, but it would be nice to pay off the house. Maybe a car? Maybe a trip? Basically, I'm worth so little as far as insurance is concerned, we have actually over-insured me.

That's just sad. When you a put a monetary value on me, I'm worth very little. So, I'll just have to make up for it with my "you can't live without me" abilities.

On the ride home, Al was pretty quiet.

"That was pretty weird, wasn't it? I felt kind of guilty talking about what I'd do if you were gone," I said.

He just nodded. "That's the first time I've heard a franchise mentioned. I knew you would like your own shop or business, but I didn't know about a franchise."

Truth is, I just thought of it right then. It seemed like an easy way to open your own business--something already established and successful, with a proven business plan. I'm all for easiest and fastest.

It was a really quiet ride home after that.

So, on we go to the next step. We'll be comparing some policies, prices, and our advisor will patiently try to explain it to my muddled brain. I'll be trying really hard not to glaze over. Responsible adults don't glaze over! They listen and make intelligent decisions. They don't look at their husbands, hoping they'll just tell them what would be best. But that's what I want to do.

Until the next appointment, I'll just take Scarlette's advice and "think about it tomorrow." But I think I'll google popular franchises. Just for fun.

WWC--Brown and Pattern

2008-01-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

My WWC is late again. This is a pattern with me. Get it? Pattern is one of the words. Never mind.

Anywhooddle, the Weekly Word Challenge is brought to us by the terrific Tink at Pickled Beef. The words this week are brown and pattern. I had all kinds of ideas, but time got away from me, so I'm wingin' it here. Here we go!

My lovely orange mums are now brown.

I love my wool blanket with the pattern of the Ardbeg distillery's tartan.

This is the pattern of the blocks for the afghan I am making for my mother-in-law.

I'll try to be on time next week. But no promises.

Join us, won't you?

Looking Forward

2007-12-30T18:26:00.001-05:00

Always suffering from a little post-holiday depression, I'm usually pretty ambivalent this time of year. I know that I won't keep my resolutions, so I don't make any. It seems to take forever to put all the decorations away, and I'm tired of cooking, sweets and alcohol, so I just want to have a pizza and a Coke every night.

But this year is different. I feel optimistic and ready for the new year to get going. I actually have some resolutions, simple and attainable ones (I hope), but resolutions none the less. First and foremost, I want to learn stuff this year. I feel stagnant and bored. I want to read more, and maybe take a class at the community college--something challenging but fun. (I've already started the reading resolution with The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. It's a great ghost story that I'm having trouble putting down.) I also want to learn how to knit socks (guess what everyone will be getting for Christmas). And I'm going to knit my first sweater, which I promise not to inflict on anyone because I'm guessing it will be pretty hideous. But I'm signing up for a class so that I can struggle with others.

Speaking of others, I'm going to try not to be such a loner. I do a lot of things by myself, and sometimes that's OK, but I don't think it's always good for me. So, when someone calls and asks if I want to do something, I'm going to say yes instead of saying no and giving some lame excuse. I don't mean I'm going to chair any committees, just simple stuff like going to the movies or going to lunch.

I also want to make some small trips, weekend trips around the area, and a trip back home. My grandmother's 90th birthday is this year, and that's a party I do not want to miss. I'd also like to go on another weekend knitting retreat and learn a new technique, buy some unique yarn, and just sit around with others and knit and talk. I'd also like to go and explore at least one place that we would be interested in retiring to, if we could actually agree on where that might be.

I'm going to be more active this year. Not just the gym, which I will be hitting bright and early on Wednesday morning, but I want to get outside more. I want to do some hiking and take the dog out to the state parks and walk the trails, and I'd like to go camping.

One last resolution and probably the hardest one: I want to go out of my comfort zone. For me, that means working on that novel I started with NaNoWriMo and those short stories that are sitting in a dusty folder in my computer or as notes in my writing journal. I want to submit at least one thing for possible publication. I don't even care if it's accepted, just sending it out is a major accomplishment. OK, so I care a little, but actually sending something out is HUGE. I'm also going to do some housecleaning, like finishing up the stories about the trip to Scotland on my travel blog and adding the links to the Italy and South Dakota write-ups. And my friend R and I have talked about setting up a knitting blog, so that I won't bore you guys with the intricacies and joy of mastering the heel turn of a sock.

I'm not sure where that leaves this blog. I want to continue with the WWC, always a blast, but I'm not sure how much I'll be posting. This is a great little procrastination tool. But I've tried to take a break before and just got antsy to get back to it, so I think I'll just take it as it comes. Did I mention I'm also going to try not to stress out about stuff this year, too. But I say that every year.

So, what are you're big plans for 2008? Whatever they are, I hope they result in a happy and healthy new year.

WWC and After Christmas Blow-Out

2007-12-27T11:56:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late with the WWC this week. Sorry about that. If you don't know what the WWC is, that go to the amazing Tink's blog Pickled Beef and join in the fun!

With apologies to the vegetarians out there, this is the traditional rib roast with its pink center that I make every year.

Cosette enjoyed this tradition. She smelled the roast cooking for 2 hours, and she was about to hyperventilate from sniffing the air around the oven.

And I'm joining in with others who shared their Christmas tree tradition.

We had a lovely Christmas. It was just the three of us most of the day, then we went over to some friends' house for Christmas dinner. We got up late, took a long, quiet walk with the dog, came back for breakfast (I made scones and eggs and peppered bacon) and we enjoyed a cup of coffee as we read the paper. Then we mixed a pitcher of mimosas (champagne and orange juice) and opened gifts. This is the first year I can honestly say that I did not go overboard. I said I wouldn't and I didn't. It helped that others said the same thing and were sticking to it, so I had to, too. But it was nice and calm and I knew that everyone was going to get what they wanted, and I got awesome things, too. And Cosette got a stuffed leopard that she loves to death, literally. I'll be sewing up the hole in its leg this afternoon.

We capped off Christmas by going to the Mannheim Steamroller concert. It was amazing and a little surreal. I really like Mannheim Steamroller, but I always kind of thought of them as computer-generated, new-agey, techno geek music. So seeing them live, playing their instruments and loving what they were doing was a little weird. But weird in a good way. Chip Davis, the founder, is from Omaha, so they always end their tour here. During the show, they were presented platinum albums for the latest CD. It went platinum in 9 days.

So, New Years, then the gray days of winter. I don't mind it so much, but my hubby hates it. I know this because he tells me at least twice a day. Although it was gray this morning during our walk, the trees were twinkling with ice and it really was beautiful.

2007-12-22T12:02:00.000-05:00

Catching Up

2007-12-20T21:59:00.000-05:00

I have some time to breathe again, now that I’ve finished wrapping and shipping and baking and decorating and all that stuff that makes Christmas fun. Oh come on, it is fun! I may complain when I start to feel too stressed, but I love being this busy. I said in our Christmas newsletter that I’m starting to revel in my domesticity. That’s a little scary, but I’m gonna go with it.

However, despite having my own little world that revolves me, the world in general continued to spin the last few weeks. The news is full of the candidates in Iowa and their speeches. Huckabee is the lead GOP? When the hell did that happen? I know, I know, where have I been? I knew this was happening, but I just don’t think he can carry the rest of the country. But what do I know? I didn’t think Hillary would run, either.

The writer’s strike is affecting the award shows, and I say thank you to the writers because I’m really tired of self-congratulating actors constantly on TV. It seems every time you turn around, there’s an award show. And who cares if the writers aren’t there for the show? Was the witty banter really all that great to begin with? It always amazes me how actors who are so amazing in a movie, come across as interesting as a piece of wood when you put them on an award show. Even they seem bored. Besides, I’m supporting the writers. I might not have cared so much if some rich old-guy producer hadn’t said about the strike, “I’m not the one who’s going to lose my house.” Not cool, dude.

In Omaha, Linkin Park and Matchbox 20 are both coming here (not on the same bill, two different concerts). I wanna go, I really wanna go, but I don’t think I can find anyone to go with me. Well, maybe to Matchbox 20 because it doesn’t surprise anyone that I’m a fan of there’s, but they are surprised that I love Linkin Park. Yeah, I’m all nice, southern belle, homemaker, non-threatening type, but there’s a rocker in there. Instead, I’m going to see Mannheim Steamroller. Don’t get me wrong, I want to see them, too, because since he’s from here, Chip Davis ends the touring season with his last concert here in Omaha. It just seems like something you should experience if you live here. But I still want to see Linkin Park.

I can’t wait to see Sweeney Todd. I can’t think of a better director for that movie than Tim Burton, and I think Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter will be great in it. I didn’t know what to think at first because it looked so dark, but then I thought, duh, it’s about a serial killer. And all this concern about can Depp and Bonham Carter pull off the singing. Ooooohhh, the songs are so difficult to sing; Ooooohh they’re Sondheim songs. But Sondheim had the final say on the cast and he worked with them. Who am I to argue with Stephen Sondheim?

Cosette continues to be a joy, except for her penchant for stealing my underwear. She doesn’t mess with Al’s, she seems to prefer Victoria’s Secret to Hanes. She also likes to play chase once I’ve caught her. The last time, I was running after her saying, “No, no, no, no don’t go outside!” as she went through the doggie door. She stuck her head back in to see if I was going to follow her out into the snow, and when she realized I wasn’t, she came back in—without my panties! *Sigh*

But her favorite thing to do is bark at the kids walking home from school. I open the door so she can look out the glass door, which Al calls her plasma TV. She jumps up and does her little bark/bay, then she marches to the doggie door in the back door, huffing, growling and mumbling, “I tell those kids every day to get out of my yard and they just keep coming.” Then she barks at them through the fence.

She also received her first Christmas present and she loves it. Well, obviously--

Whoosh!

2007-12-19T13:46:00.000-05:00

That's the way this month has gone. Whoosh! Ice storms not letting me get out to the stores had something to do with it, but it just went by so quickly. So quickly that I'm already thinking about what I should do differently next year.

This was my dining room table last week.

I affectionately call it "Christmas Chaos."

But this is what my dining room table looks like now. I affectionately call it "Aaaaahhh."

However, there has been one major glitch this Christmas. I didn't knit enough blocks for my mother-in-law's afghan. I was so proud of myself because I started this project at the beginning of the year and finished by summer, I thought. I smugly put them in a bag to block and sew together later and moved on to finish the balaclavas I was doing for the guys.

Why didn't I lay those blocks out sooner? Why didn't I realize that I should make sure I had enough before I put them away? Why didn't I look closely enough at the pattern and realize it was a baby blanket. Why? Why? WHY?!?

So, her gift will be late. Good news is that I had an excuse to go to the yarn shop. I've had to avoid going there because I'm supposed to be buying stuff for others, you know. So, there really is a silver lining if you just look for it.

Otherwise, except for buying some champagne for the Christmas morning mimosas, I'm done with all the Christmas stuff. Done, done, done. Now I can sit by the fire and the Christmas tree and sip on my coffee spiked with white chocolate liqueur. Now that's "Aaaaaaahhhh."

WWC--Life and White

2007-12-17T20:53:00.000-05:00

It's that time again when I try to think of something other than the obvious for the Weekly Word Challenge. I may not succeed, but I sure have a good time trying.

Weekly Word Challenge is brought to you by the totally talented Tink of Pickled Beef. This week the words were Life and White.

OK, white is pretty easy around here. I, of course, had to take a couple of pictures of the white snow. Look what it did to this tree! Cool, huh?

(and no that's not my house in the background)

This is an early snow, just dusting the greenery on our fence.

And with it being the Christmas season, it's the season for fudge. Here are the white marshmallows for the fudge, even though they don't look all that white in this photo.

And these are my Knitting Girl socks that my friend R sent me. I'm afraid to wear them because I want them to stay white.

And one more, we have white lights on our Christmas tree.

I only have one picture for life, and it's really special to me. When my dad past away 10 years ago, I was in graduate school. My friends gave me this philodendron, which was tiny. But it has grown into this large, rich metaphor for life.

Did you play? Come join us! Yes, join us. Join us. Join us.

In other news, Al got an assignment extension, so we know that we are here until summer 2009. It's a relief and we've both relaxed a little. It's nice to know we don't have to put the house on the market, and he's happy to be staying in a job that he likes.

So, since I know I will be here next summer, I can attend the Kansas City Scottish Games on June 14 and 15. Care to join me? I'm pretty sure Jay will come up, and it's always a party where Jay is. It's a lot of fun, and Kansas City is a great place. We can meet up for a long weekend, watch men in kilts, eat some haggis, drink some scotch, then hang out in the city and eat some B-B-Q and drink some beer at the Irish pup to get the taste of that haggis out of our mouths. Fun, huh? Let's do it! Put it on your calendar now!

I love this plan. I'm excited about this plan. We have to think of something fun to get us through the dreary, gray days of winter.

Oh my gosh, I haven't mentioned Cosette once in this post! What's wrong with me? I'm falling down on my bragging duties. So, here's a picture.

WWC

2007-12-11T11:22:00.001-05:00

Brought to you by the wonderful Tink of Pickled Beef, I bring you another thrilling edition of the Weekly Word Challenge. This game really is addictive.

The words this week were Want and Green.

This Scottish Santa does double duty. He sits on our green Christmas tree, while representing how much I want to go back to Scotland.

This is Cosette's favorite new toy--the green thing. It seems pretty sturdy, so I'm hoping I won't be sewing it up every day like I am that duck.

I write a letter to Santa to tell him what I want.

In other news, we've been hit by the winter storm gripping the middle section of the country. Did I sound like a weather forecaster on CNN? I don't think we're getting such a bad hit, but it was bad enough that Al got a snow day. It is so nice that he isn't "essential personnel" any more. Not that he isn't essential, he just doesn't have to be available to run and jump on a plane any more. He's out using the manly snow blower right now. Maybe when he's done he'll actually sit down and enjoy his day off and watch the Muppet Christmas Carol with Cosette and me. All of us sitting on the couch, cups of hot cocoa, popcorn, cuddling under our wool blanket we bought in Scotland. *sigh* Well, a girl can dream, can't she?

In more news, the Mandy Patinkin concert was A-MAZE-ING! He's even better than he was years ago when I saw him in San Antonio. His voice is even richer and more powerful if that's possible. He seems so at home when he's singing and he was having as much fun performing as we were watching him. His voice is different from anyone else's. He can sing in a higher register but can sing such low notes that room resonates, and most of his songs are in those registers with not much in the middle. I don't know how to explain, but if you go here, you can hear him sing one of my favorite songs. He didn't do this song at our concert Saturday night, but this recording is from the current tour. I was going to post the video, but I know on my computer it takes forever for those things to download so that you can watch it and I didn't want to put you guys through that. But go hear him because he's wonderful and that song is so lovely.

For a comparison, you can go here and hear him sing "Cat's in the Cradle." It's not in that high register that "Mr. Arthur's Place" is.

And to cheer up an icky weather day, here are so more pictures of Cosette.

A Little Catching Up

2007-12-07T14:10:00.000-05:00

Things have settled down a little here. The mall is still closed, and many churches, including ours, are holding prayer vigils. It's been very odd to live in a town where this kind of thing has happened, but I think things will slowly return to some semblance of normal because that's all we can do.

-------------------------------

The house is decorated and the ingredients for fudge and cookies have been bought and are ready to be baked. Most presents have been bought and most knitting projects have been completed and are ready to ship to their new homes. We'll be staying here for Christmas and enjoying a quiet and peaceful Christmas. But of course, if anyone wants to come over, the door is always open! Just be prepared to to be licked to death by a fuzzy white dog.

-------------------------------

I've added a few more blogs to my list of daily reads.

R.E.H. at Ramblings of a Madman has been blogging for a mere couple of months and man is he good! His writing is honest, raw, and funny.

Macoosh at A Chuisle Mo Chroi . . . always has something interesting to say. She's really busy with a new job right now, but keep checking in with her. She lived in Ireland for a while, which is reason enough for me to be in awe. I'd love to go to Ireland, especially now as I listen to Celtic Women singing "Oh Holy Night." But I digress.

Karen at Smiling Through It All is another wonderful writer who has already done and experienced so much in her young life, that she makes me wonder where all the time has gone. There's always something interesting going on over there.

So, go check them out!

------------------------

Now I'm listening to Diana Krall singing "Jingle Bells." I love my iPod. I could turn the TV to "Sounds of the Season" which isn't too bad, really. Lots of standards and great singers. We turn that on every time we leave so that Cosette will have something to listen to. Al would prefer the classic rock station.

I've been taking it easy this week, sort of. Not only because we had 5 inches of snow and the roads were horrible, but also because I seem to have done something to my back. I know I fell on the ice Saturday, but could there be a delay before I felt it because it wasn't until Monday that my lower back started hurting. Anyway, it's slowly getting better, but I think it acted as a trigger for the MS because I'm having some trouble with my the left side of my body being a little weak. Nothing so bad that I can't keep going, but enough that I have to take breaks a lot throughout the day. I hate that. Put greenery and cranberry garland on the fireplace mantle, then sit down. Put a load of laundry in the washer and take the dry stuff upstairs. Then sit down while I fold. And why just sit when I can play tug-the-duck with the dog. Luckily, pretty much any activity with a young dog is followed by a nap. I told Al that if I'm still feeling this bad by Monday, I'll make an appointment with a doctor.

--------------------------

Now I'm listening to Loreena McKennitt singing "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen."

Saturday night I'm going to see Mandy Patinkin sing at the Performing Arts Center. I'm very excited and am hoping the next snow storm holds off long enough for me to get the there and get home. I took pity on Al and told him he didn't have to go with me. He was a good sport and went with me when Mr. Patinkin came to San Antonio. That was where we discovered that he is the most amazing singer and actor, but he's also really odd. Not bad, but there was some audience participation that was a little different. Anyone who wanted to could come up on stage and at a certain part in a song, they could all run up and touch him wherever they wanted. OooooKaaaaayyyy. I just wanna hear ya sing, dude. Actually, that's not true. If Al hadn't been there, I might have participated. I've loved Many Patinkin since I listened to the Evita cast recording in 1978.

Anyway, Al said that if the roads are bad, he'd take me and come pick me up. Is he the greatest or what?

---------------------------

Gotta go. "Snowfall" by Manhattan Transfer is playing and I just have to stop and listen to it. I just can't help imaging snow softly falling outside, the Christmas tree lit, and Al and me slow dancing to this song in front of a roaring fire. *Sigh* Who says I'm not a romantic?

A Horrible Scene

2007-12-05T18:25:00.000-05:00

Luckily, I wasn't at Westroads Mall when the shooting happened. A single gunman, a 19-year-old, entered Von Maur department store and started shooting. Last I heard, 9 are dead, including the shooter by a self-inflicted wound. Several people are at area hospitals, two are in critical condition. The mall has been in a lockdown and probably won't open until tomorrow.

When I heard there was a shooting, my first thought was that someone had shot at President Bush, who was here to give a humanitarian award and attend a money-raising event. But, he had nothing to do with this shooting.

Please keep the families who are struggling with the loss of loved ones and the relief for the ones who are OK in your thoughts and prayers.

WWC Orange and Landscape

2007-12-04T11:29:00.000-05:00

Hello all you crazy WWCers! I'm back. I just couldn't stay away!

So, brought to you by the talented Tink, here we go:

This was our icy landscape Saturday morning.

Most of Cosette's chew toys have orange on them. And she has chewed right through them already.

And, as promised, a couple of more pictures of Cosette.

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like

2007-12-03T13:06:00.000-05:00

Winter!

Ice and snow hit us this weekend. I think we had about a quarter inch of ice Saturday morning. But that didn't stop Al from going to the BMW Motorcycle Open House. Luckily, it started to melt as the morning went on. However, it did not start melting on the driveway. How does Kell know this, you might ask.

Well, I had grand plans of going to the Open House with him. I was going to be supportive, but I put my knitting and book in a bag, just in case my support started to wear thin and I needed something else to do. My hubby had already put the truck in 4-wheel drive, so while he pulled out of the garage, I decided to run back in and grab a hat because the sleet had now turned to rain. I was in a hurry and Al was waiting. I took one hurried step onto the drive way and Whoosh, Spalt! Al said, "One minute I saw you in front of the truck, and the next minute you were gone."

I have a small bruise on my knee and a huge bruise on my ego. Luckily, I fell mostly on my hip and rear, where I have ample padding.

In other news, thank all of you for your encouragement during NaNoWriMo. I didn't tell anyone except you guys that I was doing that. There's an anonymity with the blogshere that makes it easy to tell you guys something that I'm not telling the people who are around me every day. Honestly, I'm surprised I even told you guys. I'm pretty introverted when it comes to writing. It's one of those things that I know I could use moral support and objective opinions about, but I'm just shy about sharing it. What if the overall opinion is that it's really awful and all the joy I get out of writing becomes crushed under self-doubt and the loss of self-confidence due to feelings of failure?

Did I mention I'm a little melodramatic?

Anyway, I'm gonna go back to work on what I started once I pay bills, balance the checkbook, decorate for Christmas, bake some Christmas cookies, do some shopping, and mail gifts. If I can find a passage that I'm not too embarrassed for you to read, I'll post it.

WWC tomorrow! I'll be joining in the fun, and there just might be another picture or two of Cosette.

50,014!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-30T14:09:00.001-05:00

I did it!! I really did it!!

50,014 words!

25,000 of those words in 4 days!

I'm dog tired. I think I'll take a nap. I'll celebrate tonight.

Have good weekend everyone.

zzzzzzz

Gonna Be Really Busy

2007-11-27T22:14:00.001-05:00

Well, Thanksgiving is but a weight-gaining memory, and I'm suffering the usual post-holiday depression. I had so much fun with my family here; I was sad to see them go.

So was Cosette. My goodness but this is a needy puppy! She misses all the love and adoration she got from three extra people in the house, and now she's stuck with me. She pushes the laptop off my lap so that she can crawl into it. Of course, I love this and acquiesce to her request. She likes to crawl up on her target, put a front paw on each shoulder, then just lick the person into submission. The harder you laugh, the more it eggs her on.

But she has settled in very well and we are really enjoying her. So much so that she is already spoiled rotten. The breeder emailed to ask how everything was going and say that she had a friend in Omaha who was coming down to Arkansas and could bring her if it wasn't working out. I told her that she couldn't have my dog! She really is a good match for us.

So, I haven't been posting because I've been so busy with cooking, shopping, eating, playing, and all that good stuff over the last week or so.

And I probably won't be posting the rest of this week because my fingers are flying towards the 50,000 word count for the the NaNoWriMo project. I'm pretty close, sort of. Close enough that I owe it to myself to give it my best.

Words for NaNoWriMo so far: 30,006

Anyway, I'm off to get a little further along on that. I've been so focused on it that my friend R emailed Al and asked her if I was OK because she had emailed me a couple of times and not heard from me. Oops. Guess I better take a break and email her something.

Have a great week. Next week I'll return to WWC, I swear!

Until then, here are a few more pictures of Cosette:

She loves to look outside

Al is already trying to indoctrinate her into the scotch thing.

She really wanted to play Yahtzee. Or at least try to eat the dice.

How does she sleep like that?

She loved playing with her Uncle Jay

She was ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

Tired puppy.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T00:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Sorry I haven't been around. My family is keeping very busy, and I'm loving every minute of it!

Cosette has settled in beautifully. It's like she was meant to be here. If I can stop taking pictures long enough to actually download them, I'll share some.

But right now, I can't stop yawning. Better get some sleep so I can get up and watch the Macy's parade. I love that.

Oh, by the way, it snowed here today! It didn't stick to the roads, but we got a good covering everywhere else. It was wonderful. I sat in a comfy chair knitting a shawl, with my family around me talking and laughing, and the snow gently falling outside. Really wonderful

Meet Cosette

2007-11-17T16:44:00.000-05:00

We have a new dog!!

I've been waiting all week to tell you, but we wanted to surprise the family. And they were so surprised to see her that it was worth it. As many of you know, we were devastated when our darling Daily passed away last summer from congestive heart failure. I was beginning to wonder if we would ever get another dog, but I guess it was time.

Anyway, her name is Cosette and she is a 3-year-old Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen or PBGV, the same breed our Daily was. They are originally from France, hence the name. We didn't name her but I told Al that if we got one as a puppy, I'd name her Cosette. If you've ever seen or read Les Miserable, you'll be familiar with the name. Luckily, she's one of the few characters still living in the end.

So, here's the story. The breeder we got Daily from was also devastated when Daily passed because she thought she was too young. So, she told us she would give us a puppy, but we told her that we'd love another adult, too, so just let us know.

Well, I got an email from her that said "Dog." She didn't have puppies yet, but she had this 3-year-old, spayed, house-trained PBGV. The couple who had her decided to be missionaries and didn't think it was fair to keep putting her in kennels. And here's where it starts to sound like an episode of the Ellen Degeneres show. The couple gave her to their dog groomer instead of giving her back to the breeder, as it said in the contract. This breeder, C, is very particular about who gets her dogs. Anyway, the groomer couldn't keep her, so she gave her to someone, who gave her to a rescue group. Well, C is on the rescue group list. You can imagine how she felt when she saw her dog needed to be rescued! She called the original couple who went and got Cosette and brought her to C, who promptly email us.

Al was ready to go that weekend to get her.

She has settled in beautifully and she is very loving and cuddly. She's fine in the house by herself and she's very happy with the doggie door and the backyard. She keeps us entertained, that's for sure. Here are few more pictures for ya.

On the ride home. I don't like letting dogs do this, so we let her just long enough to take the photo.

She's already taken over the couch.

Actually, she's taken over everything.

Guess What

2007-11-13T15:32:00.000-05:00

CK PEIK E BKC JZO.

Hint: K=E

Let's Play a Game

2007-11-13T15:03:00.000-05:00

Ever play Cryptograms?

Each letter in an original sentence has been replaced by another letter, creating a coded message. Word position, spaces and punctuation remain the same, and a letter in the code always represents the same letter. For instance, if K in the code represents A, K is always A.

So, you look at the statement and use clues, such as the same two letter next to each other (probably LL or TT) or a word alone (probably A or I), to figure out the replaced letters to break the code and read the message. For instance, a hint for the example below is K=A and E=S.

RLCE CE KQ FPKUXJF.

The answer is: This is an example.

Tune in tomorrow for the message

WWC--Red and Architecture

2007-11-12T17:09:00.001-05:00

I knew that I wouldn't be around much during the holidays. But I couldn't let the Weekly Word Challenge go by without joining in the fun!

So, brought to your by the tremendous Tink, I give you the *sound of horns*

There aren't that many trees in Nebraska, but our little corner has a few pretty red ones in the fall.

I just thought this was intriguing and thought it might fit with architecture. At the Kvam Family Farm, the dad was going to throw the screens and stools away, but his daughter saw it as art and she staged them. Pretty cool, huh?

I'm just so excited that Thanksgiving is coming up. My mom and my brother are coming, plus our good friend J, who really is more like family, so I just tell people that my family is coming up for Thanksgiving.

Jay and I have already started making plans of where we should take J to show her the highlights of Omaha. There really is a lot to do. Really!

I'm still working on NaNoWriMo and am trying to finish up a project before the fam gets here on Saturday. So, I'll be in and out this week.

NaNoWriMo word count so far: 17,400. Yeah, I'm a little behind.