Several weeks ago, in a fit of desperation I laid in bed and prayed for God to give me patience. My kids were all in various stages of driving me bonkers, and rather than asking for them to change, I thought that maybe it was me who needed an adjustment. Since that whispered prayer, however, I have suffered a variety of annoyances, large and small. (a moment for perspective: I accept and acknowledge that my moaning about these annoyances that are not even blips on the screen of world suffering, is more than a bit shallow and self-absorbed. I’m still going to write about it,in the hopes that at least some of you can laugh at my small suffering)
First, I tore three ligaments in my right wrist. The hand I write with. I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. (The Brainiac’s response when I walked up to him, cradling my wrist and crying? “You weren’t watching where you were going. You always tell us to watch where we’re going!” I would have strangled that child of mine, except I couldn’t move my hand. Lucky for him)
Having my wrist immobilized for 6 weeks means that I can’t knit for that whole time. I don’t know about y’all, and your various reasons for knitting, but I suspect I am not the only one who knits so I don’t kill people. Stress from painful wrist+stress from not being able to do stuff+no knitting= one jacked up mama. Not good, people.
So I’m cruising along, voraciously reading every book I can get my hands on and trolling the internets as meager substitutes for what used to be knitting time. And then my computer charger dies. And then I get a massive sinus infection. And then my fridge dies, and the installation guys shove a too-large replacement in a justbarelytootight space, laving me unable to open half the fridge. And then they convince me that all I need to do is trim the counter down 1/4″ and it’ll be fine. (As is I’m going to bust out the circular saw with my one good hand!) And then the handyman who came to do said trimming instead pulls out the baseboard molding, jacking up my wall twelve ways to Sunday. And the fridge still won’t open. And then my washing machine starts alarming some bizarre error message that no one can figure out. The door’s locked, with two of the boys’ baseball uniforms held captive inside. Uniforms that they need to wear tonight. Repairman (covered under warranty, one bright spot in an otherwise dark day) won’t be here till Monday. So now I’ve got half the kids not speaking to me, and I get to schlep to the laundromat with 3 days worth of laundry (and have to do it all one handed, mind you!)
So I’m left wondering who’s got a voodoo doll of me under their pillow? I’m crying uncle here! Of course, the real moral of this story is – Don’t pray for patience cause you just might get loads of opportunities to use it.
20 Questions
1. Explain what ended your last relationship?
I met my husband!
2. When was the last time you shaved?
This morning. Spring = shaving every day. Electric razor might be one of the best inventions ever, especially for sensitive skinned lassies like me.
3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.
Drinking coffee, trying to get through even one sentence of my current read (The Great Stink) without one of the boys talking to me.
4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Installing a new light fixture in AJ + Rusty’s room. Wishing I’d gotten this one, instead.
5. Some things you are excited about?
The Hubster coming home from the Master’s today, after being gone for 5 days. A glorious spring weekend that I fully plan to spend entirely outdoors, getting my fingernails terribly dirty.
6. What is your favorite flavor of JELL-O?
Not a big jello fan. Love the jello pudding pops,though. Remember those Bill Cosby commercials?
7. Your prom night, what do you remember about it?
Too many details to say. I remember dancing with the guy I’d really wanted to go with (who was not my date) and cursing the circumstances that led to us not going together.
8. Do you have any famous ancestors?
No idea!
9. Last thing received in the mail?
The new issue of Real Simple, two skeins of yarn, and an exhibitors contract for TNNA. (Which I won’t be exhibiting at, but will actually be attending this year!)
10. How many different beverages have you had today?
Coffee, water, iced coffee (does that count as a different beverage?!), Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry (ick) and freshly brewed sun tea (unsweetened).
11. Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?
When I’ve got no other choice; but I really hate leaving and/or listening to messages.
12. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
Not anymore – now I draw my boys’ names.
13. Any plans for Friday night?
Spending time with the prodigal hubster. There will probably be board games with the boys, and margaritas.
14. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
Ick, no. *shudder*
15. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?
Yes. But I think they’re kinda gross, so I wind up letting theboys eat some, then dump it out and it gets used for toy storage.
16. Do you re-use towels after you shower?
Heck, yeah. If I washed towels after every use, I’d have to do even more laundry that I already do, and there really aren’t enough hours in the day.
17. Describe your keychain(s)?
Seventy-million (give or take a few) of those annoying store cards (which will be gone soon thanks to my handy-dandy new Droid, which I can put all the cards into and then have them scan the phone at checkout, yippee!!) a silver turtle that my dad recently gave me, a little folded-up pouch bag, a carabiner to hold them all together, and then the keys to my car, my house, in-laws’ house, neighbors’ house and my parents’ house.
18. Where do you keep your change?
there’s a stash in the van for parking meters, a change jar in the kitchen cabinet, and way too much jangling around the bottom of my purse.
19. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?
I was worship leader at church two Sundays ago.
20. What kind of winter coat do you own?
A brown wool pea coat. Love it to death and will be so sad when it meets it’s demise (which I worry will be soon, I’ve had it since high school!)
Now that the holidays have past and we’ve entered the days of bleak midwinter, I have been knitting a lot. (not that I ever am not knitting alot, really!) But there’s something about these arctic cold days that make me want to do nothing other than drink coffee and knit, while snuggled on my couch and under a plush blanket. I’ve decided that 2010 will be the Year of Knitting Selfishly. It’s pathetic how few items I’ve made for myself. I knit for the boys, for the Hubster, for gifties, and (always) for the shop. And it’s not that I’ll stop doing those knitting projects (onthe contrary, I am all aflutter with knitting for the Spring Collection!) but I am being more conscious about taking time to work on projects for myself. So, this week’s Ten on Tuesday list is of those projects I plan to knit selfishly. Anyone want to join me?
- February Lady Sweater – this is actually a re-knit, as the one I did last year is way too big on me now (yay for losing 15 pounds! Boo for too-stretchy knits)
- Strawberry Lace Cardi – I’m a sucker for anything Veronik designs. Planning to use some Malabrigo for this.
- Shifting Sands – To be done in a Merisoft Shimmer from Punta Yarns. Love that stuff!
- Juliet – not sure on yarn for this yet.
- Dahliah – having to restrain myself from casting this onbefore I finish #6.
- Touch of Grey – started already, check out my progress on my project page!
- Prairie Boots – quick, cute slippers. Enough said.
- Squirrel Mittens – just enough whimsy to suit me.
- as yet-undesigned tank top (I’ve got the picture in my head, just need to get it onto paper!)
- Fill in the blank (I’m leaving this last one up to you, dear readers! Leave me a comment with the project you think I should do)
The flu has hit me, and hard. I’ve done pretty much nothing for the past 48 hours, except make myself some chicken soup, knit, and surf the net looking for ideas and inspiration for my December Daily. I literally gasped when I saw this:
on Etsy. Seriously, is it not the most adorable vintage christmas goodie you’ve ever seen?! You must go buy this pdf (super cheap, by the way!) from TayloredArts and plop one on every single gift you give out this season. Bonus points if it’s a knitted gift you’re giving.
And because I’m feeling a bit loopy from the flu drugs, I’m even going to give away one of these PDFs. Leave a comment telling me all about the knitted gifts you’re planning to give this season, and I’ll have the boys pick a name out of a (knitted) hat. I’ll buy a set for the winner and have it sent to your email so you can give some Christmas Cuteness!
The Giveaway will close Sunday, Nov.8th at midnight. For a second chance to win, join Little Turtle Knit’s facebook fan page.
A knitter on Ravelry posted asking for clarification on the pick up and purl technique on my Stripey Slippers. I promised that I’d get a video of the technique, since it’s one that would take far too many words to describe (but can be shown in less than 30 seconds!) Please excuse the insanely poor quality of this video – it’s what you get when your 8 year old is weilding the tiny camcorder. You might want to turn down the volume before you hit play, he was way too close to my mouth!
It seems that in the past month, at least two people are sick at any given time in our house. That’s a lot of germs, folks. That’s a lot of demands for comfort food, also. To be frank, I’m a little tired of chicken soup, so I’ve been trying to develop a taste for other comfort foods in my family. This recipe is a sure winner. Everyone loves it, and it’s easy to make.
White Chicken Chili
2-3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (if we’ve got leftover chicken from a roast, I use that, otherwise I boil 2 boneless breasts and shred it after cooking)
1 bag of great northern beans, soaked and cooked(or 2 big cans of northern beans or other white bean)
1 onion, chopped
1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cups milk or half and half
2 cups chicken stock (or 1 can chicken broth)
1 small can green chilies
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper (to taste)
Condiments: sour cream, monterey jack or sharp cheddar, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro or whatever else you fancy
1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot (I use this cast iron dutch oven) over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions, stirring several times to coat with the butter. Allow the onion to cook down until golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove onions to a separate plate, and add remaining stick of butter to pot.
4. Once butter is melted, slowly add in flour while constantly whisking (this is making a roux)
5. very slowly whisk in the milk/half and half until the mixture is thick and well blended, then very slowly whisk in the stock
6. add in the onions, chicken, green chilies and spices
7. reduce the heat to med-low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes (or reduce to low and let it simmer for an hour or so)
Serve with condiments and enjoy!
One of my favorite digi designers is having a sale at 2Peas this week:
I’ve already gone and gotten myself the January + February 365 Kit (yes, I’m starting my 365 Project in April. So what? I’m a bit quirky!) and a cute little graph paper. Crystal’s work is fun and fresh, and makes seriously awesome pages, so go check it out!
I’ve been struggling, a mighty soul-sucking struggle, with one of my boys. More days than I can count in the past several weeks, I’ve locked myself in the bathroom and broke down crying, calling out to God, asking for a break. Today, I nearly felt that I was at break-point, when I came across Owlhaven’s oh-so-wise words in her recent post Parenting: Hard Stuff:
As a human, I can’t ever affirm my kids perfectly– heck, on crazy days I struggle to do it even to a small degree. It is darned hard in the busyness of life to really LOOK people in the eye, to make them know just how precious they are. It is doubly hard when 80% of the hassle in your day is coming from the kid most in need of affirmation. I take great comfort in knowing that God loves my kids more than I do, and that He, unlike me, is a perfect parent.
I cannot tell you how mary’s words spoke to my heart. As I struggle through this trying season with this precious boy, I need to remember that I am not a perfect parent (gracious, I am so far from a perfect parent!) but that I can only strive to be a human, imperfect parent and rest in the comfort of knowing that my boys do have a perfect Father. and I need to remember that the God who loves them perfectly also loves ME the same way. Even when I lock myself in the bathroom to escape my boys for 5 minutes.
To most people, March Madness means basketball. For me, it means gardening. March is when seeds need to get started indoors to be ready for planting later in spring. I’m pouring over seed catalogues, excited by the possibilities. Should we try melons this year? Will I be able to keep the rabbits away this time? (I was so NOT successful at keeping the critters away last year, and they absconded with my whole carrot crop)
The first few years we lived here, we had one spot where we did all our planting. It’s nestled in the back corner of our (small, suburban) yard, sheltered on three sides by fencing and the shed. It was safe from tromping toddlers, and everything we planted grew like gangbusters. But as our family grew, we realized that we wanted to grow the garden. We wanted to be able to plant more varieties, and put our produce up for winter. So, we expanded, and the original garden spot became what I affectionately refer to as “The Red Bed” – it’s where we grow all our tomatoes. Here’s the Red Bed last July:
It’s about 5′ x 11′, and gets a fresh helping of compost every spring. We turnt he compost in, then cover with wet newspaper and salt hay. We n-e-v-e-r have to weed this bed, because of the newspaper and hay. It rocks. In the picture above, the row closest to shed is brandwines, middle is cherries, grapes and romas, and the row closest to the fence is romas and amish paste. I just used the last of the tomatoes we put up from the garden last year, so I’m reeeeeeeeeeeally ready to get back out in the dirt and get growing!
Last spring, we added two new beds. After going back and forth on the best way to use the space we had, I decided to go with a Square Foot Garden. Two 4′ by 6′ beds, divided into a grid of 1′ squares. The Hubster built the boxes for the beds quickly one Saturday morning, and then got all fancy by surrounding it with some lava rocks. We filled the beds with a mix of our compost, peat moss and vermiculite. Here’s what it looked like the weekend after, when I’d planted a bit.
I cannot tell you how well everything grew in these beds. We planted several kinds of peppers, strawberries, lettuces, tomatoes, cukes, peas, green beans and several herbs. No chemical fertilizers, just our compost, and this is what it looked like in late July:
The yield from these two garden spaces was well over 150 pounds of produce. We had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with – and that was AFTER I’d canned salsa, barbecue sauce, and spaghetti sauce. We’re enjoying some relish now that is from our crop last year. We had pickled green beans with dinner last night that I canned back in August. It’s most definitely the best garden we ever had. And I can’t wait to do it all again this year!
So, what are your plans for a garden this year?
Apparently, there are some people in my house who think I’m a stick-in-the-mud. Moi? That’s absurd. I can be exciting. Adventurous. Daring. I can live on near somehwere in the vicinity of the edge. Just the other day I cut the tag off my new pillow. I even started a pair of socks, two at a time, on two circs.
Aren’t they lovely? That’s absolutely scrumptious handspun BFL from my friend Meri at HandSpun by SweetKnits (Go ahead, I’ll wait here while you drool over the handspun) It’s dyed in the perfectly named Snowmen at Night, by Selah. (An aside – have you read the book Snowmen at Night? So. Cute.) I am in love with this yarn, it’s a treat to knit with. Watching the color develop, without any jarring changes because of how well the handspun is well, spun; it’s so much fun.
Only, I really hate working two socks on two circs. Really, really hate it. It’s a tangle of needles, balls, yarn flying everywhere. Sure, I suppose it’s great because I’ll have two socks finished at the same time (instead of struggling through Second Sock Syndrome) but – ugh I just can’t get into a groove like this. Fiddling with the circs, always switching and fussing with which needle I should be using.
So, I’m admitting defeat. I’m a traditionalist. Handknit socks are meant to be made on double pointed needles. The way they’ve been made for centuries. Maybe that makes me a fuddy-duddy an old-fashioned knitter. I’m okay with that.
The socks and I are much happier now.
