Rock and Roll

I don't know why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn't the commercial success that the Grammy's or the Country Music Awards may seem to be but to me, its the Heart and Soul, its the REAL music awards show.

David Geffen was inducted this year and when you listen to the artists that he represented, its like a list of the artists that formed my young ideal of good music: Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young,

Jackson Brown, Bob Dylan, Elton John.

The Hollie's were also inducted with an amazing induction speech from Stevie Van Zant which, if you get a chance to hear it, is well worth listening to, on the historical perspective of the cultural change and musical revolution that happened in the 60s.

The Stooges, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis, so much good music.

ABBA's acceptance speech made the point of how inspired we are by the creativity of those around us.

Hearing that and all this music takes me back to my core and makes me realize how inspired I am when I listen to that music and reminds me how much more I need to listen to it.

Weekend fun

Making molasses cookies.






Lego building.

Animal Lover

My son has started volunteering at the Humane Society. He loves spending time playing with and socializing the cats and taking the dogs for walks. Of course he wants to adopt every animal he bonds with.

He loves his job so much that when faced with the prospect of the world ending in 2012 (as has been brought up recently by a popular movie and numerous science-y shows on the Discovery channel) his only concern is how it will affect his ability to volunteer at the Humane Society, not his own personal future.

Peanut butter chips

For those who don't love chocolate, and I realize there are probably very few of you, isn't it nice that there are so many other options for baking chips?

I somehow produced a daughter who isn't a fan of chocolate so tonight we made Peanut butter chip cookies. Yummy.

Oscar Party

Yummy food and a nice beverage







Best Actor: Jeff Bridges









Best Actress: Sandra Bullock








Best Movie: Hurt Locker

Carrot Soup

I've gotten some of my best recipe ideas from blogs I've read and some of those recipes have become part of my permanent recipe file - those recipes that I use over and over again. They are either quick, healthy, inexpensive, my kids like them - or any combination of the four. Those are the keepers.

This recipe for carrot soup I found on-line because I got a bargain deal on a five pound bag of carrots and wanted to find a good way to use them. The most important ingredient in this is the tool that has opened my soup repetoire wide open - the hand-held blender.





Curried Carrot Soup

2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
1 T curry powder
2 pounds of carrot
4 cups broth (I used chicken)

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent. Stir in the curry powder. Add the chopped carrots and stir until the carrots are coated. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and use hand-held blender to puree soup until it is as smooth as you like it. You can re-heat and add water to thin if you like. I like it thick with some slight chunks.

It may not be Campbells, but its Mmm, Mmm good.

Girl Power

Last night I was invited to play in a Mother-Daughter basketball scrimmage. It was the last official practice of my daughter's basketball season and the coach thought this would be a fun way for the girls to end the season. I thought so too until I finished my work day and didn't feel like going to run up and down the court for over an hour playing a game I haven't played in over 25 years.

Once I got there and started playing, it was fun. The other moms were there and they were all as ambivalent about it as I was at first so I felt in good company. When we started playing, we had a great time and it was a fantastic workout as well. The girls were a little frustrated by our height advantage but I think it was good for them to see us playing as seriously as we did and hopefully it will have a lasting impact on the activity level they maintain over their lives.

One more basketball season over for the year, many new friendships cemented.

In like a lamb

March came in mild and lovely after a beautiful, last day of February yesterday that was sunny and actually a little warm.

I caught these geese munching while I was on my afternoon walk and break from work today. It was almost balmy and I was not a bit cold which is the first time in months I haven't been cold! I know it will get cold again, but spring is on the way - YAY March!


Its amazing how if you have an entire weekend to do your homework, you wait until Monday morning at breakfast to actually do it. But its super cute to see a 5th grader actually enjoying himself reading.

Winning a medal

There's nothing like meeting a challenge you set for yourself, its so satisfying.


Mom's sweater is done, cast off, and all the ends are woven in. I finished tonight, even before the Closing Ceremonies started.


I used much less yarn than I expected. I guess I'll need to make a scarf to accompany the sweater because I used only half the yarn we bought almost three years ago and I was afraid I wouldn't have enough! I used about 525 yards total.


My lovely knitwear model shows off her Grandma's new sweater.



If it looks small, that's because its less of a sweater for warmth and more of an accessory sweater to be worn over a little dress.




I could put a button on the top or several all the way down the front. What do you think?




Here's what it would look like with a shawl pin for a closure.


I'm pretty proud of myself for finishing this sweater in two weeks!!

Taco Stand?

Taco Stand Friday was thrown off course today - The Taco Stand was closed!

They are a local, family-owned business that can close on a whim if they choose to go watch a ski race or cook for a Mt. Bike race. They're only open for lunch hours on weekdays anyway so they don't have extended hours to maintain. But a lot of locals depend on them and it threw us way off. We didn't know what to do and we were hungry.

Somehow we decided on Super Burrito, a restaurant that neither of us have been to in its most recent carnation in the Mid-Columbia Bank building on Newport. It was not bad, had a fairly extensive menu (compared to Taco Stand) and is open for dinner as well. I tried the Torta with pork and it was pretty good but just did not have the good bread that Tortas in Mexico have. I wish now that I'd tried the nachos. Heidi stuck with her regular meal and had the bean and rice burrito.

I would eat there again and its close enough to walk to in the evening from my house. Lets just hope that next Friday we can go back to our regular schedule or I will have an unhappy, burrito-eating friend on my hand.

The end is near

The sleeves are attached and I'm working the raglan decreases on the yoke. I may actually get this finished on schedule and win a medal.

Inspiration

Reading other blogs makes me happy and sometimes is a huge source of inspiration.

I love it when I get new ideas about recipes or crafts or whatever else it might be. Its something that gives me energy during a busy or down day.

Some of my favorites: Crazy Aunt Purl, and Posie gets Cozy. Yarn Harlot is fun too.

They are my on-line friends.

February 23

I feel I should apologize for the boring posts lately. I know I've just been slapping up a photo, writing a brief comment, and logging out to get on with the rest of my evening. I can only think of one person for whom these posts might not have been so boring and that is the person following the progress of the sweater with the most excitement.

The one thing about this Olympic challenge for me versus the actual Olympic athletes is that they get to go far away from their real lives, stay in a dormitory, and spend their time focusing on their event for the duration of the Olympics. If I could do that, I might actually be able to knit and write creatively about my knitting as well. Where in reality, I have had to keep up my real life including full time work, parental and domestic responsibilities, and more social engagements than I've had to think about since the holidays. I haven't even watched much of the Olympics since that first weekend.

But here's what I have done, I've knit not a stitch on anything other than my intended project since the Opening ceremonies and when I could, I've focused an extended period of time on that project. I really would like to get this done within the time frame of the Olympics.

The body is done up to the bottom of the armholes, one sleeve is done and the second cast on. Next step is to attach the sleeves and work the yoke and shoulders up to the neck.

Ready for sleeves

The bulk of the sweater is completed and I've knit up to the armholes. Now I make two sleeves separately to sew on later.

I was a little worried that I might not have enough yarn, since we didn't have a pattern in mind when we bought it. But I think that I will have plenty of yarn left when the sweater is done.

Weekend

As I said, this work week was pretty much without knitting since it was filled with basketball games, social engagements, and a rare dinner out. It was busy and fun but knitting was not part of the plan. Now that its the weekend, its time to sit down and put in some real knitting time.

The 5th graders at High Lakes had a successful fundraiser in their 'Beach Bash Dance' last night. I worked the concession stand and the money for glow sticks, cookies, candy, and pizza was coming in fast and furious. Here's a glimpse of the Conga line weaving across the dance floor.









Those boys were tired today!!

February 18

Not a lot of progress is made during the work week, but little by little I'm adding to the body of this sweater. I can do about four rows during an average lunch hour along with eating and chatting. This week's evenings have been busy so not a lot of knitting has been done. I'm looking forward to the weekend where there should be plenty of knitting time.

February 15

Despite a lot of ripping back, I made some good progress on mom's sweater on Sunday. Not only did the Olympics kept me company but my favorite Reality TV show, The Amazing Race.

This season two people I love are on a team, Jeff and Jordan from Big Brother. I think they are so cute, cheerful, positive, and encouraging. I love to watch them as a team.

Now its back to work but fortunately I have someone to watch my knitting while I'm gone.

Day 2

Not much more progress on the sweater due to falling asleep in my chair.

The real Olympics had some short-track speed-skating, some mogul skiing, and some luge.

Opening Ceremonies

I cast on and made a good start on the 151 stitches of the body of Annette, the sweater for my mom.

You'd think I could get quite a bit done with how long the Opening Ceremonies were. It was a good show but I thought it dragged on a bit in places. It definitely showed the diversity and talent of Canada.

Now that I've cast on, I'm excited to keep working on it.

Family

An under-appreciated member of the family, Charlie is very patient with kids.

Olympic Challenge

My Olympic challenge is the sweater I promised to make for my mom. Its a self-imposed challenge, not part of any organized group. I just think its a nice idea, to go along with the Olympics, to challenge myself to something a little out of my comfort zone.

Clearly, I haven't gotten a good start on it yet. I've been putting other projects first for months because they're ones I know I can finish quickly. So, its time to just go for it and get started.

Friday night, during opening ceremonies, I cast on.

Guess

What does this basket have to do with the Olympics?

Homemade Bread

This weekend I used my bread machine to make two loaves of bread - one Honey Oatmeal and one plain White bread. Although I did add some whole wheat flour to both so its not actually white bread.

This will be much better than store-bought bread for sandwiches and toast this week.

The bread machine makes it so easy to make bread, its a great tool that ranks right up there with the Crock Pot!

Friday night

It was a pretty day today, sunny and too warm for a coat when I went on my afternoon walk.




The evening looked like it would be nice too but I spent it in a grocery store with my calculator. (So that I don't have to spend my Saturday there.)

January's shipment

The Three Irish Girls shipment arrived today!!! YAY!!!

Its the best extra yet - the 2010 Year in Yarn calendar. I wanted to buy this calendar at the end of last year but was resigned that it was not in the budget and now I get it as a gift. That's the best kind of gift.


And this month's yarn is so pretty, a rich blue blend in shades from denim to deep navy called Serenity. Its 350 yards of 100% Superwash Merino. This is definitely made for socks but I think I'm going to make it into a cowl.

Here's a picture from the calendar for May: Miss Babs Hand Dyed Yarns from the Blue Ridge Mountains of eastern Tennessee. I was able to visit the booth she had at Sock Summit last summer and see this yarn in person. Its beautiful in person and on the calendar.

Oatmeal Cookies

I had a craving for something sweet this afternoon so I came home and was able to make oatmeal cookies from ingredients I had on hand.



There's nothing like cookies for dinner!

Conner's breakfast

I had a guest photographer today. This 10 year old boy thought his breakfast looked like a commercial and wanted to document it.

Sunday afternoon reading

In the chair, in the sun, with a good book.

Its nice to be able to sit in the sun and soak up some of the heat through the window.

When the Sushi's over

Lunch out with the work team can be nice, if not over-done.

When are chores good?

When your 13 year old does them!

I love that I don't have to do all the chores anymore and even though I wish she was two years old again, I can see the bright side of her growing older sometimes.

Winter Quince Blossom

December's sock club yarn was Winter Quince Blossom. With white, pink, purple and green this sock yarn depicts a snow-covered, flowering tree.

I can't wait to see how this knits up.

Homework time

Nothing like a nice, quiet evening with kids doing homework . . .

unless its a night with no homework to do!




How long until Friday?

Sick kid

Its sad when you think you're going to play your first basketball game and you get sick instead.

Moms wish they could fix these things but all we can do is make tea and be soothing.