Geez! I swear the weather here has totally freaked out. Today it's back in the 90's (ok-that part is normal) but what's with the compulsive flip-flopping? It's SUMMER for crying out loud...ACT like it would ya? I'm tired of having a storage bin full of winter clothes at the foot of my bed, for days (for days/and/or nights) when it's freezing. And I know my garden is tired of it! It's doing ok in spite of it though. The okra is finally starting to take off and the swiss chard is threatening to take over. This is the first year I've still had peas and favas going this late in the season. They usually are fried by now, which is convenient since I need the space for summer veggies. DH pulled up all but one of the brussels sprouts and that one is going tomorrow(aphids are getting to it anyway) and the shallots and garlic should be ready soon, so that will free up some room. Unfortunately there won't be enough season left to grow all the things I usually grow. Oh well, there's always next year.
On another note, I did indeed have to give up on the cashmere/silk sweater (sigh) I guess I got a little too ambitous. That was way too ambitous an undertaking for me. So, on to the 100% silk dk! I'm fairly busy, between taking Mom to the various dr. appointments and house sitting, babysitting, and bum sitting (sitting in front of the computer) but I'll find the time for silk!.And I have some serious weeding to do as well.Gonna try to go to the grower's market tomorrow and I have meeting tonight, so c u later.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Just got back from a couple of weeks in Bend and haven't really gotten used to being home again. But I'm getting there. I've been raveling sweaters to reclaim the yarn and I had to stop because my eyes refused to focus anymore. I got two of them done, with help from my also-fiber-addicted daughter (thanks hon) but I'm afraid the one I'm working on now might have to be given a decent burial before all is said and done. It's a mohair/silk /wool blend and is incredibly fine gauge. i finally got all the embroidery and beads off,but the stitches are so tiny and tight I can't see where to snip threads to separate the pieces. So far I have 380 grams of laceweight gray cotton and 277 grams of lacewight turquoise cotton in hanks drying on the rack. Not too shabby, considering how little the sweaters cost. I bought two in Bend; one was $4 and one was half price at $1.50. Then, I bought two more at goodwill when I got back home. The aforementioned mohair/silk that I probably won't ever get done, and a beautiful, richly colored 100% silk DK. Can't wait to get to that one.
On a totally different topic, Wow! I can't believe how freakishly cold it is today. I actually had to put on a jacket....INside the house! It's raining too. Almost unheard of this late in the season, at least in southern Oregon. I think I'm going to go into a mini-hibernation now. I'm gonna go fix a cup Earl Gray and go to bed. Oh, and wear socks to bed. Nitey-nite.
On a totally different topic, Wow! I can't believe how freakishly cold it is today. I actually had to put on a jacket....INside the house! It's raining too. Almost unheard of this late in the season, at least in southern Oregon. I think I'm going to go into a mini-hibernation now. I'm gonna go fix a cup Earl Gray and go to bed. Oh, and wear socks to bed. Nitey-nite.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Its hot,hot,hot!
Man, Oregon weather can be a booger! 3 days ago I was freezin' and now I have a sunburn. It cooled down to a breezy 91 today. Yesterday I went to nap and woke up in August. Whew! It'd be great if we had a week or two to get revved up for summer. Still, it is nice not to be cold and wet.....Oh who am I kidding? I wouldn't be happy if the moon was, indeed, made of cheese. Maybe if it was dark chocolate?? I think it's safe to say the baking binges are over for the time being.
Since it was so hot, I left the slider open in the bedroom, and even though the screen was shut, I ended up with three soldier beetles and a very thirsty mosquito flying around. The soldier beetles must have found their way back out,or are hiding until I go to sleep, but the bloodsucker isn't going to be draining anyone else. I will, however, need to wash the wall.
On the up side, my yard is in full bloom. The winter daphne and tulips are done of course, but all the columbine is blooming and the carnations, rhodies, iris, coral bells (thanks Melanie), calendula, candytuft,and periwinkle as well. I think I probably lost all the cherries to frost AGAIN, but the fava beans and peas look good. We have to have broccoli tonight because it's starting to bloom, and the lettuce is already bolting. We just put in tomatoes, squash and artichokes; cukes, okra, and pole beans go in tomorrow. The sorrel is seeding up and the radishes are ready. The swiss chard is going bonkers and the basil loves the heat. I have two handfuls of currants this year (last year only one). We have the all-time favorite sungold tomatoes (got my first blossom!), a couple of heirlooms-cherokee purple and brandywine, and the cantaloupe plant that never died from last summer. It's a mystery how it survived. And I need to transplant the grapevine. Gosh, I'm a busy girl! Better get back at it.
Since it was so hot, I left the slider open in the bedroom, and even though the screen was shut, I ended up with three soldier beetles and a very thirsty mosquito flying around. The soldier beetles must have found their way back out,or are hiding until I go to sleep, but the bloodsucker isn't going to be draining anyone else. I will, however, need to wash the wall.
On the up side, my yard is in full bloom. The winter daphne and tulips are done of course, but all the columbine is blooming and the carnations, rhodies, iris, coral bells (thanks Melanie), calendula, candytuft,and periwinkle as well. I think I probably lost all the cherries to frost AGAIN, but the fava beans and peas look good. We have to have broccoli tonight because it's starting to bloom, and the lettuce is already bolting. We just put in tomatoes, squash and artichokes; cukes, okra, and pole beans go in tomorrow. The sorrel is seeding up and the radishes are ready. The swiss chard is going bonkers and the basil loves the heat. I have two handfuls of currants this year (last year only one). We have the all-time favorite sungold tomatoes (got my first blossom!), a couple of heirlooms-cherokee purple and brandywine, and the cantaloupe plant that never died from last summer. It's a mystery how it survived. And I need to transplant the grapevine. Gosh, I'm a busy girl! Better get back at it.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Bakin' away again in sourdoughville
After an incredibly long hiatus my oven is back! I've since been on a baking binge-just making up for lost time. Bread, casseroles, cookies with the g-kids, and the latest, my Aunt Monica's sherry cake. I can't say it was only nostalgia that compelled me to bake it. It was definitely a factor (loved Aunt Monica..also loved the cake.) But it was also because the sherry bottle was in the middle of the floor and every time I had to step over it, I was reminded of how incredible those cakes are! I was using it to hold a cone of yarn still while I crocheted and being naturally lazy, I left it there until I couldn't hold back the yearning anymore. Since there's only DH and me in the house, we've had cake for dessert for the entire week. Now I've been pretty good about not eating sweets lately, trying to keep my blood sugar under control. But not this week. It's physically impossible for me to resist this particular cake. If you've ever had it, you're drooling right now, so you know of what I speak. If you haven't, well ....I'm so sorry for you!
I never wanted the glaze some people put on it, so that helped with the sugar content. To me, it's practically a sin to corrupt anything so delectable by putting a syrupy glaze on it. That part wasn't hard to resist at all...but the lightly sweet, rich nutmeggy perfection? I sooo lost that battle! Come to think of it, I believe I hear the siren song calling to me right this second.....yup, that's the song! I'm off to serve up the last two slices. I've earned it, sweating all day planting the garden. And then I'll start a new crochet project...just not one that needs a sherry bottle to hold it still, lol. TTFN
I never wanted the glaze some people put on it, so that helped with the sugar content. To me, it's practically a sin to corrupt anything so delectable by putting a syrupy glaze on it. That part wasn't hard to resist at all...but the lightly sweet, rich nutmeggy perfection? I sooo lost that battle! Come to think of it, I believe I hear the siren song calling to me right this second.....yup, that's the song! I'm off to serve up the last two slices. I've earned it, sweating all day planting the garden. And then I'll start a new crochet project...just not one that needs a sherry bottle to hold it still, lol. TTFN
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Breathe in, breathe out
I finally got around to posting my blog last night- at 3 am- and was down to the last paragraph....and my computer decided to update and I lost the whole dang thing. Some idiot decided it would be a great time to do updates because "no way I'll be on the computer at that hour!" Pfft! Long story short, today I can't remeber one iota of all the pithy stuff I wrote....and it's probably a good thing: wasn't in the best of moods. So here's a new one:
My oven died! OK, I killed it. I was trying to get ahead on my bread baking because I know better than to leave DH without a fresh loaf. His latest penchant is sourdough molasses cornmeal bread. He's a bit obsessive; he tends to run anything new into the ground, so I wanted to make sure he had enough to support his habit while I spent a week or two with my daughter's family in Bend. I also wanted it to be as guilt-free as possible (at least he couldn't claim I didn't care if he ate). Anyway, It's going to cost a minimum of $100 to fix. It's not the element or it wouldn't heat at all, versus getting up to a searing 230 after a 2 hr preheat set at 450. The only thing left is the switch. Who'da thunk a 2" piece of metal and plastic could cost so much? I was excited there for a minute, thinking "Woohoo! I get a new range", until sticker shock set in. So the only option is "fix it".
It's not like I'd be unable to make bread without it. I do have a bread machine and I have baked bread on the BBQ during a power outage (not at all bad) But a gal just has to have an oven, right? Especially me. Baking is one of my all-consuming passions, so amoment of silence please for my dearly departed. She will be missed....On the upside, it means I have a little more time to hold out for the range I really want. Or will settle for. The bright shiny six-burner commercial oven is out of the question, but no way am I submitting to another 15 years with another "next-to-the-cheapest-one-in-the-store model. I can get something better, I have the POWER! DH may have all the remotes to all the electronic devices in the house, but the kitchen is my domain. This is an amazing power to have and I wield it with no mercy! The man loves to eat, ergo I will get the best oven we can afford; "tools of the trade" ya know? I don't have to have a porsche or a lincoln, but darned if I'll settle for a tin can with a model airplane motor. I need something more like an SUV; built for power and versatility. My current range buckles on top if I have to cook anything on high. All ovens have hot spots, but really, the difference between the Sahara and the North Pole? In the space of 6 inches?
So fixing the old oven means I have a little more bargaining time before we have to buy a new range. This is a good thing. I will keep chanting this to myself until I can achieve the ultimate goal and be satisfied. Breathe in...breathe out.
My oven died! OK, I killed it. I was trying to get ahead on my bread baking because I know better than to leave DH without a fresh loaf. His latest penchant is sourdough molasses cornmeal bread. He's a bit obsessive; he tends to run anything new into the ground, so I wanted to make sure he had enough to support his habit while I spent a week or two with my daughter's family in Bend. I also wanted it to be as guilt-free as possible (at least he couldn't claim I didn't care if he ate). Anyway, It's going to cost a minimum of $100 to fix. It's not the element or it wouldn't heat at all, versus getting up to a searing 230 after a 2 hr preheat set at 450. The only thing left is the switch. Who'da thunk a 2" piece of metal and plastic could cost so much? I was excited there for a minute, thinking "Woohoo! I get a new range", until sticker shock set in. So the only option is "fix it".
It's not like I'd be unable to make bread without it. I do have a bread machine and I have baked bread on the BBQ during a power outage (not at all bad) But a gal just has to have an oven, right? Especially me. Baking is one of my all-consuming passions, so amoment of silence please for my dearly departed. She will be missed....On the upside, it means I have a little more time to hold out for the range I really want. Or will settle for. The bright shiny six-burner commercial oven is out of the question, but no way am I submitting to another 15 years with another "next-to-the-cheapest-one-in-the-store model. I can get something better, I have the POWER! DH may have all the remotes to all the electronic devices in the house, but the kitchen is my domain. This is an amazing power to have and I wield it with no mercy! The man loves to eat, ergo I will get the best oven we can afford; "tools of the trade" ya know? I don't have to have a porsche or a lincoln, but darned if I'll settle for a tin can with a model airplane motor. I need something more like an SUV; built for power and versatility. My current range buckles on top if I have to cook anything on high. All ovens have hot spots, but really, the difference between the Sahara and the North Pole? In the space of 6 inches?
So fixing the old oven means I have a little more bargaining time before we have to buy a new range. This is a good thing. I will keep chanting this to myself until I can achieve the ultimate goal and be satisfied. Breathe in...breathe out.
Monday, February 23, 2009
pondering
Hi There!
I haven't posted for a while....a LONG while,true. Can one have writer's block about one's own life? It's not like there's anything absolutely fascinating about it, anyway....and my only follower is my blogophile daughter, so I'm not exactly depriving the public of any deep philosophical thoughts.
I was watching a movie tonight that was funny, sad, sweet ,...you know one of those stories that takes you through so many highs and lows that once the show is over you sigh deeply and start thinking about how good your life is in spite of all the little bumps in the road?OK, maybe more like ruts than bumps ,and an occaisional pit of dispair; but all in all, not truly awful. It made me start counting my blessings, and as trite as that sounds, I have decided to announce to one and all the things I am grateful for right this very moment.
I am grateful-beyond-belief that my mother's cancer was caught so early and I will have her a good bit longer. And that my dad, although he starts to wander back to his childhood, at least seems to be happy there. Lately he's been reciting poems and singing himself little songs, and is pleased as punch about it. He usually ends thems with a schoolboy giggle; if he's happy, I'm happy,you know? I have great kids,(and that includes you, Chris & Kirsten) amazing grandkids (they're all beautiful too-and funny and smart!) who put up with my hugs and kisses and love me anyway, grand dogs that think I am their personal property, loyal friends, a roof over my head, beautiful scenery on every side, subdivisions notwithstanding. I have a husband who secretly watches "chick flicks" with me and makes me coffee every morning and enjoys so many of the things I enjoy. Even though he doesn't always understand my passions (yarny things) he allows me space to obsess. He even brags about my masterpieces! We make a living and sometimes a little more. I have a cat that drools on me because she's so happy I'm home; no, it's not the drool (yech!)that pleases me, but that she misses me! After all the highest compliment a cat can give is choosing you as her "person". I am very appreciative that there are so many things that excite me. I mean, I could be one of those people who go through life not ever realizing that life is filled with richness. I like the way Sheryl Crow puts it, "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got".
Maybe it's because spring is just around the corner that makes me enjoy each tiny bud I see in my garden. Maybe it's because I'm an incurable romantic. Maybe it's insane to want to feel so much joy when it means you inevitably have to deal with it's opposite, too. Me? I just think it's what makes life WORTH the living.
I haven't posted for a while....a LONG while,true. Can one have writer's block about one's own life? It's not like there's anything absolutely fascinating about it, anyway....and my only follower is my blogophile daughter, so I'm not exactly depriving the public of any deep philosophical thoughts.
I was watching a movie tonight that was funny, sad, sweet ,...you know one of those stories that takes you through so many highs and lows that once the show is over you sigh deeply and start thinking about how good your life is in spite of all the little bumps in the road?OK, maybe more like ruts than bumps ,and an occaisional pit of dispair; but all in all, not truly awful. It made me start counting my blessings, and as trite as that sounds, I have decided to announce to one and all the things I am grateful for right this very moment.
I am grateful-beyond-belief that my mother's cancer was caught so early and I will have her a good bit longer. And that my dad, although he starts to wander back to his childhood, at least seems to be happy there. Lately he's been reciting poems and singing himself little songs, and is pleased as punch about it. He usually ends thems with a schoolboy giggle; if he's happy, I'm happy,you know? I have great kids,(and that includes you, Chris & Kirsten) amazing grandkids (they're all beautiful too-and funny and smart!) who put up with my hugs and kisses and love me anyway, grand dogs that think I am their personal property, loyal friends, a roof over my head, beautiful scenery on every side, subdivisions notwithstanding. I have a husband who secretly watches "chick flicks" with me and makes me coffee every morning and enjoys so many of the things I enjoy. Even though he doesn't always understand my passions (yarny things) he allows me space to obsess. He even brags about my masterpieces! We make a living and sometimes a little more. I have a cat that drools on me because she's so happy I'm home; no, it's not the drool (yech!)that pleases me, but that she misses me! After all the highest compliment a cat can give is choosing you as her "person". I am very appreciative that there are so many things that excite me. I mean, I could be one of those people who go through life not ever realizing that life is filled with richness. I like the way Sheryl Crow puts it, "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got".
Maybe it's because spring is just around the corner that makes me enjoy each tiny bud I see in my garden. Maybe it's because I'm an incurable romantic. Maybe it's insane to want to feel so much joy when it means you inevitably have to deal with it's opposite, too. Me? I just think it's what makes life WORTH the living.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Mmm,comfort food!
I've been out of action lately(sniffle,snort). I was helping my youngest move and caught the cold of all colds fom the babies.
So, needless to say, I went in search of comfort food. Made chicken soup. It was good, but not "it". Apple pie? close, but only rated third heaven, not seventh. What finally soothed the surly beast? Arroz con pollo! Almost as good as my teenage memories of Panama. MMMM! except for the secret red sauce I used to get at the roadside stand, exactly the same flavors. Mission accomplished,I am comforted!! Only problem now is it kicked off another whole set of yearnings for things like fresh coconut,plantain,a nice big hunk of sugar cane freshly hacked from the field with my very own machete (while keeping a sharp eye out for any errant ferdelance snakes)....Oh, yes I did have a point to make...long story short, most of these cravings I could assuage fairly easily with a trip to the market, if I could stick to the mundane things that are actually imported to the U.S. But could I? Oh no, not me. I have to crave something that, as far as I have been able to determine, grows nowhere on earth but Panama. Guinups! The closest thing I can compare them to is a key lime that is creamy and silky inside and sweet at the same time it's sour and tangy, and I am positively drooling just thinking about them. Some of my happiest memories are when I was perched 10 feet off the ground on a guinup tree limb with a book in my hands.(OK, most of my good memeories involved books) I can even feel the tropical breeze, smell the frangipani,and hear the hum of the jungle. ....so back to the point...
I want comfort. I like to give comfort,too. Which is why I finally finished my mothers "radiation shawl", and as soon as I figure out how to post the pics you can see it too. I'm extremely pleased with it. As much because I actually finished it, as that it's soft and comfely (comforting and snuggly morphed together) and beautiful in spite of the mistakes in it. And because it will warm and comfort Mom; who taught me the meaning of "comfort" and who spent many hours of my childhood making sure I felt loved and cared for. ...to put it mildly. It's a hug when I can't be there for her, and every stitch, perfect or not, was made with love in it. Enjoy, Mom!
Hopefully, I can get some pics of some of the other things I've made,too. Might be a little difficult since my camera decided to die on me. How is it possible to work fine last time I used it and suddenly it says I have a bad flash card? I swear I didn't leave it on the TV or anything. I thought maybe I had too many pics on it, so I loaded them all on the computer (no problem) and tried again. Nope..still "bad'. The card is"good" enough to load, but too "bad to take more pics? I give up, I admit I'm technologically challenged......and I think I need some more comfort.....
So, needless to say, I went in search of comfort food. Made chicken soup. It was good, but not "it". Apple pie? close, but only rated third heaven, not seventh. What finally soothed the surly beast? Arroz con pollo! Almost as good as my teenage memories of Panama. MMMM! except for the secret red sauce I used to get at the roadside stand, exactly the same flavors. Mission accomplished,I am comforted!! Only problem now is it kicked off another whole set of yearnings for things like fresh coconut,plantain,a nice big hunk of sugar cane freshly hacked from the field with my very own machete (while keeping a sharp eye out for any errant ferdelance snakes)....Oh, yes I did have a point to make...long story short, most of these cravings I could assuage fairly easily with a trip to the market, if I could stick to the mundane things that are actually imported to the U.S. But could I? Oh no, not me. I have to crave something that, as far as I have been able to determine, grows nowhere on earth but Panama. Guinups! The closest thing I can compare them to is a key lime that is creamy and silky inside and sweet at the same time it's sour and tangy, and I am positively drooling just thinking about them. Some of my happiest memories are when I was perched 10 feet off the ground on a guinup tree limb with a book in my hands.(OK, most of my good memeories involved books) I can even feel the tropical breeze, smell the frangipani,and hear the hum of the jungle. ....so back to the point...
I want comfort. I like to give comfort,too. Which is why I finally finished my mothers "radiation shawl", and as soon as I figure out how to post the pics you can see it too. I'm extremely pleased with it. As much because I actually finished it, as that it's soft and comfely (comforting and snuggly morphed together) and beautiful in spite of the mistakes in it. And because it will warm and comfort Mom; who taught me the meaning of "comfort" and who spent many hours of my childhood making sure I felt loved and cared for. ...to put it mildly. It's a hug when I can't be there for her, and every stitch, perfect or not, was made with love in it. Enjoy, Mom!
Hopefully, I can get some pics of some of the other things I've made,too. Might be a little difficult since my camera decided to die on me. How is it possible to work fine last time I used it and suddenly it says I have a bad flash card? I swear I didn't leave it on the TV or anything. I thought maybe I had too many pics on it, so I loaded them all on the computer (no problem) and tried again. Nope..still "bad'. The card is"good" enough to load, but too "bad to take more pics? I give up, I admit I'm technologically challenged......and I think I need some more comfort.....
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Busy,busy!
I just want to say for the record, I'm crazy busy right now.
Aside from the usual wait-on-the-man stuff, in the past 24 hours, I've fed my sourdough, made a years worth of pesto and sundried tomatoes, picked a ton of plums (still to be dealt with), made and canned a batch of pear sauce, gone through (part) of my insanely huge yarn stash, set up an obstacle course to foil my cats nesting in said stash, re-organized one of my chest freezers, gone to the library to get more knitting books (had to explain to the librarian what "knitting obsessively" meant), stopped by the grower's market to buy apples for a pie which prompted my DH to go to the packing house to buy another huge box of apples since I was in Suzy Homemaker mode and had so much spare time. So sweet! Then, I planted part of the winter garden. Oh, and knit and frogged and knit and frogged and re-knit the lace shawl I'm making for my Mom. I ought to be done with it just about the time she's through with radiation and doesn't need it anymore. So when I have a couple seconds to work on this blog, I'll be back to try and figure out how to put a pic up! Until then, I have hazelnuts to shell, walnuts to pick up (yucky!) chickens to feed, baguettes to bake; garlic, shallots, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and swiss chard to plant, and a possum to trap. Did I mention that just as I was making a to-go sandwich for DH (he was off to a football game) he asked if I actually DID anything today? Wow, would ya look at the time I'm wasting. Is this TMI?
Aside from the usual wait-on-the-man stuff, in the past 24 hours, I've fed my sourdough, made a years worth of pesto and sundried tomatoes, picked a ton of plums (still to be dealt with), made and canned a batch of pear sauce, gone through (part) of my insanely huge yarn stash, set up an obstacle course to foil my cats nesting in said stash, re-organized one of my chest freezers, gone to the library to get more knitting books (had to explain to the librarian what "knitting obsessively" meant), stopped by the grower's market to buy apples for a pie which prompted my DH to go to the packing house to buy another huge box of apples since I was in Suzy Homemaker mode and had so much spare time. So sweet! Then, I planted part of the winter garden. Oh, and knit and frogged and knit and frogged and re-knit the lace shawl I'm making for my Mom. I ought to be done with it just about the time she's through with radiation and doesn't need it anymore. So when I have a couple seconds to work on this blog, I'll be back to try and figure out how to put a pic up! Until then, I have hazelnuts to shell, walnuts to pick up (yucky!) chickens to feed, baguettes to bake; garlic, shallots, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and swiss chard to plant, and a possum to trap. Did I mention that just as I was making a to-go sandwich for DH (he was off to a football game) he asked if I actually DID anything today? Wow, would ya look at the time I'm wasting. Is this TMI?
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