Bloggers’ Silent Poetry Reading

Goodness and Mercy:

Many mothers knitting us

Held in steady arms

–Maria Fire

And from a book I’ve read many times with my children:

Spaghetti! Spaghetti!

Spaghetti! spaghetti!
you’re wonderful stuff
I love you, spaghetti,
I can’t get enough.
You’re covered with sauce
and you’re sprinkled with cheese,
spaghetti! spaghetti!
oh, give me some please.

Spaghetti!  spaghetti!
piled high in a mound,
you wiggle, you wriggle,
you squiggle around.
There’s slurpy spaghetti
all over my plate,
spaghetti! spaghetti!
I think you are great.

Spaghetti! spaghetti!
I love you a lot,
you’re slishy, you’re sloshy,
delicious and hot.
I gobble you down
oh, I can’t get enough,
spaghetti! spaghetti!
you’re wonderful stuff.

–Jack Prelutsky

Boom Boom Pow

Man, I am getting o-l-d.  Tonight I finally found out who sings “Boom Boom Pow”.  My super sonic 9 year old has been boom boom-ing for awhile now.   Now, who would think that was Fergie singing?

ANYWAY.

I (mostly) finished the blanket.  I have mixed feelings about posting a picture of it.

Excuse the slight blurriness.  My whole knitting group is sick of hearing me bemoan this blanket.  I didn’t understand the directions at first, so I made the blocks 1/2 the size they should have been.  That made it become W-I-D-E-R faster than it should have.  So, I decided to finish it up by adding length only to it.  And of course, being the perfectionist, it looks bad to me.  I mean, look at how wonky it is at the top! (yes, I know – blocking will fix it).   I hate the top – it detracts from the log cabin pattern.   But honestly, I don’t mind the bottom.  It must be the color combination at the top and the wonkiness.  I cast on a billion stitches at the bottom and it just ate yarn.  I’m wondering if I shouldn’t have done that at the top – maybe it would look “fuller”.  Craig told me that it looks like a flag for a poor African country, which made me laugh.  It is pretty colorful.

If I had more patience or desire I would rip out the top sections and re-knit.  But I’ve had this project on my plate for a good year and a half, so I’m going to call it done.  We’re going to use it for a lap blanket in the living room at night.  It’s warm.  And I’m so glad to be done picking plant matter out of my yarn!

I will look at this as a good learning experience:

1. I will never knit with Ohio yarn again. (sorry, Sandi!)

2. If I don’t like something right away, I will stop and figure out how to make it better.

Gotta get that…. gotta get that…boom boom boom….

Continuing the cooking adventure…

I resolved to start cooking more after we spent most of December eating out.  Literally.  Remember me going through and getting rid of my “Taste of Home” magazine collection?  I got a bunch of recipes and have been pulling them out.  I’m trying to concentrate on main dishes, as that’s where I need the most help.  In this spirit, I made “Western Beans & something or other” (I can’t remember what it’s called) and it won ‘GRAND PRIZE’ the month it was printed.  Grand prize!  That means it should be good!  And since it’s “Taste of Home” there shouldn’t be any funky ingredients that my picky family won’t eat!

IT TURNED OUT BAD.  I used too much garlic.  Lainie spit it out.  Craig said:  “Are you trying to kill me?  Onions, garlic, and beans?” –onwards and upwards!  Tomorrow night – basil pasta shells!  (Something is bound to work, I can’t have bad luck all the time, right?)

Anyway, some of you were interested in my Oatmeal Pecan Cookies (which were a hit with Craig).  Here you go – I should make this into some snappy PDF file, but Lainie wants me to play, so I have to hurry.

Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

1 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream shortening and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla.  combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Stir in oats and nuts.  Chill for 30 minutes (I didn’t do this and it worked fine).  Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

There you go!  May the cooking gods be with you!

Baby FO’s

I finished the baby things for my s-i-l’s shower coming up on the 30th!

My first topdown cardigan – it was so easy!  And I used stash yarn for it!

Drat the winter light.  Here’s another picture to give you an idea of the color:

Get Rid of Stuff Sunday (on Monday!) – #9?

I missed posting last weekend because of internet issues.  After a new adapter and a new internet program, life is good and we are back on-line.  NOW.  To remember what I got rid of a week ago.

1.  I went through my costume jewelry and got rid of 2 bracelets, a necklace, and 3 pairs of earrings.

2.  One red cardigan which I loved but did not look right on me.  It was one of those sideways deals that I picked up on clearance and have worn exactly once since I bought it.  That should have told me something.  Also:  a pair of jeans with a broken zipper.

3.  This one makes me sad:  an afghan that we got 16.5 years ago as a wedding present.  It was made with squeeeeeeeaky acrylic, but I really appreciated the effort put into it.  We’ve used it all these years, too.  However, Archie got anxious one day and chewed a hole in it.  I managed to catch all the ends and pull them in, so I had a big hole in the blanket.  We’ve used it for months that way and it’s washed fine.  But I got a new comforter, and I’m about to finish with the log cabin blanket, so out it goes.

4.  2 dresses of Lainie’s, a pair of pants and 2 shirts:  either faded or too small.

5.  One pair of jeans of Cole’s – too short.

Yesterday, I got rid of nothing.  I had a sudden urge to get rid of every single sweater I own, but I never made it to the closet.  Probably a good thing.  How about you guys?  Any new year’s resolutions to clean up and clean out?

No Internet = Few Posts!

Just a quick note here while I’m at work.  I have no internet at home (and none since last Friday), and I think it may be our computer, as it’s not the wireless adapter (I bought a new one) and it’s not the router (I called the internet service).  Now I wait for Craig to bring home something from work so he can uninstall Internet Explorer and re-install it.  I have two projects finished that I want to show you all (baby items!) and post my weekly “Get Rid of List”.  So, when it’s back on, I’ll see you all then!

Tired

I’m tired and it’s making me putzy.  I was supposed to go to the gym, but here I am.   I did make some cookies for Craig:

Oatmeal Pecan Cookies.  I got the recipe out of one of the Taste of Home magazines I recycled.  I am trying to cook (so we don’t eat out as much), and I am trying new recipes. 

The sucky nighttime light does not make for the best photographs.  But the cookies turned out pretty good.  If you’re interested, I can put up the recipe.

I wish I had more energy.  I think it’s work, to be honest.  We have federal regulators examining our department, which is always stressful, and I have so much to do right now.  By the time I get home, all I want to do is sit.  But instead I make cookies and then listen to Lainie tell me about her day while she’s in the tub.

ON THE CRAFT FRONT:  I finished knitting the baby cardigan for the soon-to-be nephew.  Now all I need to do is weave the ends in and make 4 ties for the front.  Pictures to follow.  I think about crafting all the time, but feel like my projects are moving in slow motion!

How are your craft projects going in 2010?

Get Rid of Stuff Sunday #7 (Late)

This post should be titled “How I was a consumer this week”.

Aack!  The lure of sale and clearance items!  The undefined feeling of “want”!  I am plagued.  And it sucks. 

First:  what I got rid of.

1.  Cole-two t-shirts that are grubby.  One overnight bag as he got a new one for Christmas.  3 swim shorts/1 swim shirt he’s outgrown

2.  Christmas-one big candle thing-y, another large candle and holder.  I also broke a nice glass ornament, does that count?

Now on to the purchases:

We had a number of things to return and of course, that leaves you with store credit.  And Craig was in a shopping mood, which is very enabling, since that doesn’t happen often.  Here’s what I bought:

From the returns at MC Sports (his Christmas gifts from me):  a pair of workout capri’s and a t-shirt for me.  With the return, I only spent $8.65.

From the returns at Kohl’s:  one pair of mario brothers sleep pants for Cole with “built in wii pocket” (I have to laugh because my friend Trixy said “where is it?  Right in front?”  No, on the leg, silly!) – I still have a decent merchandise credit.  But we went shopping separate from that and got:  pair of pants for Cole, 2 long sleeve lego star wars shirts on clearance, Lainie’s next year’s Christmas dress on clearance, two shirts for Lainie on clearance (one for next year), a set of flannel sheets for our bed, a workout bra (I got rid of one).

JCPenney:  I exchanged a Christmas gift of Cole’s for a pair of jeans (for Cole) and I got the clearance deal of the century on an Alfred Dunner outfit for my mom. I also bought a pair of work pants but they are too big so they have to be returned.   With the $10.00 off for spending at least $50.00, it came to $36.01 after the $12.98 credit. 

Barnes & Noble:  I bought a new 2010 Snoopy calendar (got rid of the 2009 one) and I got a pocket 2010 calendar so as to try and keep up with what’s going on in my life.  We’ll see how it goes.  I decided to forgo the day at a glance calendar I usually buy for work.  I also was weak and bought an ecojot notebook 1/2 price, which I started using right away.  Then I went back a second time and bought:  another Ecojot notebook 1/2 price, a booklight for Cole 1/2 price, 2 packs of halloween snoopy playing cards 1/2 price, and a gift for a friend.

And before Christmas, I ordered a new comforter set for $156.00.  Our is 6 years old and has holes where Archie’s claws have caught it.  We have decided not to buy new bedroom furniture, so this is the next best thing. 

And worse of all, when I stopped in at the yarn store yesterday, I wanted to buy yarn.  BIG TIME. And I’ve officially started the year of no yarn buying. 

I wandered around Penney’s and Kohl’s, just looking and looking.  In Target, I tried to hurry through and not look at anything.  At the yarn store, I just felt dissatisfied.  So, here’s another rule in the world of frugal-ness:  if you’re going to be tempted, often times it’s better just to not go at all.

They Lived to Tell the Tale

The ski weekend was apparently FABULOUS!  Here a few of the highlights:

Lainie riding the Magic Carpet – this was her first try at skiing!

Cole.  I can’t decide if this picture should be titled “Go Go Speed Racer” or “Hell Bent for Leather”.  Which one do you like better?

My nephew, John.  I love that smile.

Excuse my next picture, as it’s blurry (I was in a hurry this morning-for some reason the stupid camera wouldn’t focus.  I wonder if it’s the winter light?).  These are the potholders I knit for my father-in-law as a Christmas gift.  They were done before Christmas but I deliberately didn’t give them to him.  I feel more comfortable just mailing them.

What a crappy picture!  Anyway – these potholders were made by holding 3 strands of recycled cotton together and knitting garter stitch on size 7 needles.  A hand cramper for sure!

Weekend Re-Cap/Get Rid of Stuff Sunday #6

I am home.  ALONE. (if you don’t count Archie).  My husband and two children left for Wausau, Wisconsin yesterday morning at 6:15 a.m. to ski.  They will return sometime today, though I’m suspecting it won’t be until early this evening.

IT’S BEEN LOVELY.  Peace and quiet.  Music all day instead of the tv.  I did a lot of laundry yesterday.  And knitting.  And snow shoveling.

The only bummer is that the camera went skiing, too, so I can’t post any pictures of the snow or of the charity squares I’ve industriously been working on.

Today is “back to reality” day.  My husband is coming home.  That means I have to really clean.  Pick up.  Decide what Christmas stuff to start taking down. (Possession nazis are unpredictable and may begin doing it for you at a moment’s notice whether you want them to or not).  Thank goodness he’s working until Wednesday of this week.  Usually he takes the whole week off after Christmas and decides to “go through things”, which is a horrendous experience, as it usually leads to children crying and me digging through the recycle bins and salvation army bag.

Onto my regular Sunday post.  What did I get rid of this week?

1) The rest of my “Taste of Home” magazines.  Whoo!  Now I’m going to reorganize my bookcase and see what else is lurking there that I don’t use.

2) A pair of pants that Cole has outgrown.

3) Another sweater that I don’t wear.  And a pair of jeans that I do wear but that are too short and too tight.  (that’s actually all of my jeans, ha ha)

I also reorganized my blogs and put all the lovely crafty ones together and the online yarn stores at the very bottom.  You’d be surprised at how nice it is to have all of that together in alphabetical order!

Have a lovely rest of your weekend!