tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14486343287973625132024-02-21T03:28:01.706-05:00Bird in Hand FarmFood, goats, soap making, knitting, home brewing, parenting, random crafty stuff, and lots of opinions....Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-60815222795337994942012-02-13T21:09:00.000-05:002012-02-13T21:09:20.044-05:00Happy Valentines Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/93002044/328_medium.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/93002044/328_medium.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/PATTheart.php</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I really can knit anything.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/93001887/331_medium.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/93001887/331_medium.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-9807652972163954762012-01-30T17:14:00.000-05:002012-01-30T17:14:36.115-05:00Someone broke into our house<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bastards.</span><br />
<div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Imagine a pic of our broken front door here</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometime on Thursday between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, someone kicked in our oak front door. Why? Oh, right. To steal our crappy stuff.</span><br />
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<div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Imagine a pic of our trashed living room here</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They took 2 old laptops, a 4 year old wii, the cash from kiddo's piggy bank, and my grandmother's engagement ring. They destroyed our door. They threw stuff at our dog who, while sick, old, and deaf apperently got up from his bed under the dining room table at some point. There was stuff broken in the doorway between the living room and dining room and they did not touch anything in the dining room, kitchen, or basement. They went through lots of stuff upstairs and generally made a mess. To top that off, fingerprint dust is a real pain to clean up. The evidence tech warned us. Wow.</span><br />
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<div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Imagine a pic of the tech dusting our TV for prints with shimmering dust motes in the air here</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a special place in hell for someone who steals cash out of a child's piggy bank.</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Imagine a pic of <em>Dante's Inferno</em> here</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The street value of our stuff was probably less than $200. It's going to cost a heck of a lot more than that to put our household back to rights. It's also going to be a bit before the blog is back on track as I used to post from my netbook.</span></div><div align="left"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-68644730586777352562012-01-22T09:35:00.000-05:002012-01-22T09:35:54.599-05:00Pizza Roll<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuu0PNm428sy7SnGkMmeGSYsnuoDUp-QZuGp0sKPdKb9PKHxmQUxoloB1p91CxsIEzSIi-EH2ERQXmIl7OnyrFp9OjmH1KGNwIZE5XgGYaUinNVbCtsAQctnoHFNlSQFow21w55TULQ/s1600/Picture+1177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuu0PNm428sy7SnGkMmeGSYsnuoDUp-QZuGp0sKPdKb9PKHxmQUxoloB1p91CxsIEzSIi-EH2ERQXmIl7OnyrFp9OjmH1KGNwIZE5XgGYaUinNVbCtsAQctnoHFNlSQFow21w55TULQ/s400/Picture+1177.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is easy and good.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A friend told me about it at knitting one morning. Where has this recipe been all of my life? Even the kid likes it. There are a bunch of recipes out there for this but something this simple seems like you should just be able to wing it.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You need:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">pizza dough</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Shredded Motzarella</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Provolone cheese</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">pepperoni </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">grated Parmesan cheese</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">egg</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">tomato sauce </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350-375</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXozv5uAw7j_5xLCljM7Z7CVtmc0psbP4lAzSPp2tMqG3j_MUIomLiYyruLm-HqwsInXufNLPW6gCYEIg2XDrcp_nTlu-TzYwSflxga-SjFGbJknAs-tYYESKCJH4PNhuGDF9zVlQK3A/s1600/Picture+1178.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXozv5uAw7j_5xLCljM7Z7CVtmc0psbP4lAzSPp2tMqG3j_MUIomLiYyruLm-HqwsInXufNLPW6gCYEIg2XDrcp_nTlu-TzYwSflxga-SjFGbJknAs-tYYESKCJH4PNhuGDF9zVlQK3A/s400/Picture+1178.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Roll out pizza dough. I had to pull it over the corners of the cutting board to keep it from bouncing back. The first time we made it we brushed the dough with beaten egg, the second time we didn't. I didn't notice much difference. Layer the dough with the cheeses and pepperoni. Once we didn't have any mozzarella and cut up a bunch of the little cheese sticks that we picked up for the kid's lunch. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15gVe5sormFF28mXFKL2tpyPepk_XYJhsiLhWw5BjgIhh1TN8O-bJK4ORcujOQdh4Hs98qv8EvI0gt3CFB9_5s_QG8P-pC-NMgzy9PUZEeqfjeP3-MO3LaHBDOZhHVGODqyMIHKj4sw/s1600/Picture+1179.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15gVe5sormFF28mXFKL2tpyPepk_XYJhsiLhWw5BjgIhh1TN8O-bJK4ORcujOQdh4Hs98qv8EvI0gt3CFB9_5s_QG8P-pC-NMgzy9PUZEeqfjeP3-MO3LaHBDOZhHVGODqyMIHKj4sw/s400/Picture+1179.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Roll the whole thing up and put on a baking sheet with the seam side down. We used a silicone mat to keep it from sticking,. Brush with egg and bake for about 40 min.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Slice and serve with warmed tomato sauce in a little bowl for dipping.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRCc941KSGcPp_KbwDC0TY0Jj6MOeTtwX5GiDq1UOBtbZ66vEKcH1aInH16afe5oHeOh7M-HLfCo3uAdofqfdtE8iGtkuPdA4Hi9c7B92WweAHKq0S3Ktp33_V7VpTI9I0a7bibSgCQ/s1600/Picture+1183.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRCc941KSGcPp_KbwDC0TY0Jj6MOeTtwX5GiDq1UOBtbZ66vEKcH1aInH16afe5oHeOh7M-HLfCo3uAdofqfdtE8iGtkuPdA4Hi9c7B92WweAHKq0S3Ktp33_V7VpTI9I0a7bibSgCQ/s400/Picture+1183.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ours has had a blow out on the side each time we have made it. No big deal. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvBT0rOybPMlMfh1TalxZuSHo4BI4klglSB2eh147QNM5wn2ht8UorCQmEaYb5Lhi2ITBe90VQCzDUMK1YgCuLHe7J9_bwu0KAJ5vdoMtaeMHtk2eZMtU3uPdSNwFKxcr25w68hfRew/s1600/Picture+1190.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvBT0rOybPMlMfh1TalxZuSHo4BI4klglSB2eh147QNM5wn2ht8UorCQmEaYb5Lhi2ITBe90VQCzDUMK1YgCuLHe7J9_bwu0KAJ5vdoMtaeMHtk2eZMtU3uPdSNwFKxcr25w68hfRew/s400/Picture+1190.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm looking forward to tweaking this with all kinds of different ingredients.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-43333968362973106182012-01-21T14:00:00.001-05:002012-01-21T14:37:21.508-05:00Another week, another update<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have not bought any yarn.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have been making some. This is from 4 oz of alpaca pencil roving that I picked up at the Alpaca Expo in October. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIgcBjzvplPqSEQjr2PU0GkTHO-w3Y_QV68ux1XYNVOJzGNPV24VJRtbFfp48XdBGEg7HmvHCNyyo_bxNVTUrCuEcBuAKS2ERJm4r5vH2U3Vcv3ZRgE740lIDGSUvEFjRfgaSn0pD6mM/s1600/Picture+1195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIgcBjzvplPqSEQjr2PU0GkTHO-w3Y_QV68ux1XYNVOJzGNPV24VJRtbFfp48XdBGEg7HmvHCNyyo_bxNVTUrCuEcBuAKS2ERJm4r5vH2U3Vcv3ZRgE740lIDGSUvEFjRfgaSn0pD6mM/s400/Picture+1195.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm knitting 3 projects at once...</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Susie Sweater is slowly growing. Love the cables.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr4Tusi3ky42AmNvFNS0BlbTkXpp8GGCpSf_iudwMJR7o6vxF_Hs5gf8x0-UJQDH_LPUvhiBAgMSLvfYfOOU1FCnHJZzQ64NIjEjV-mjpMmId7Ag6aags_zIqWFsEHOONiLO0xwiryNU/s1600/Picture+1196.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr4Tusi3ky42AmNvFNS0BlbTkXpp8GGCpSf_iudwMJR7o6vxF_Hs5gf8x0-UJQDH_LPUvhiBAgMSLvfYfOOU1FCnHJZzQ64NIjEjV-mjpMmId7Ag6aags_zIqWFsEHOONiLO0xwiryNU/s400/Picture+1196.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Second is a doll nightgown. I made it once already and it was waaaaay too short so this is the second go with bigger needles. I think I am going to run out of yarn. It might be a doll skirt when I am done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RnC0osTO5uGw40RnHDSMOko9yvNC0v1dtSKCg53-e3fjKxvf7F_0P7lzvFAT7P5xyMWfT9AqZ-pf-7bS_dvVn-CSuWZVsMfMW0dlxSs8L_Wxd6TR5AQzfPH6sbc6I80vsBYnymfkeI4/s1600/Picture+1198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RnC0osTO5uGw40RnHDSMOko9yvNC0v1dtSKCg53-e3fjKxvf7F_0P7lzvFAT7P5xyMWfT9AqZ-pf-7bS_dvVn-CSuWZVsMfMW0dlxSs8L_Wxd6TR5AQzfPH6sbc6I80vsBYnymfkeI4/s400/Picture+1198.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The last is the Farmer's birthday hat from the brown alpaca I was spinning last week. It ended up being 426 yards in dk weight. I'm test knitting a friend's hat pattern. It starts out with 9" of k1p1 rib.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEikI6iyuZPYkj-oQmV98nodzv4GolYBHa5J2vPaIoEqVEILukhi4ZA5YHTmkHMAZ0ETv8ELRsjX_2Cg3lvbiR4I6q_sLISgH0q8eyVh3PdIjOwV7qxbRiQ5Dj4bp6aNMyx6tMuR8QSk4/s1600/Picture+1197.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEikI6iyuZPYkj-oQmV98nodzv4GolYBHa5J2vPaIoEqVEILukhi4ZA5YHTmkHMAZ0ETv8ELRsjX_2Cg3lvbiR4I6q_sLISgH0q8eyVh3PdIjOwV7qxbRiQ5Dj4bp6aNMyx6tMuR8QSk4/s400/Picture+1197.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The next creative adventure is making felted mittens. Someone in my knitting circle of friends made these really cool mittens out of felted wool sweater. It inspired a bunch of us and "T" went thrift shopping. Here they are arriving at the house to be felted. Yes, I never took the sleds out of the car.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7cwMwRH_nr0Ncajt5YrC9gk9cGuFgjctVke-9dvHXZYzPbftoF1PFH8P_ngTzryfHBWlKffzOJJNHzzdrEUpUNakKwyBAkBgsaKBcYAO2E1-8PtTq_q5HlXq2MRj5jcVB3bIZUK_hTc/s1600/Picture+1193.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7cwMwRH_nr0Ncajt5YrC9gk9cGuFgjctVke-9dvHXZYzPbftoF1PFH8P_ngTzryfHBWlKffzOJJNHzzdrEUpUNakKwyBAkBgsaKBcYAO2E1-8PtTq_q5HlXq2MRj5jcVB3bIZUK_hTc/s400/Picture+1193.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Also in the works is a cookbook with the Farmer's family's recipes. We are using<a href="http://createmycookbook.com/"> Create My Cookbook.</a> We are up to 27 recipes. Nagging family members for more. I will be posting recipes as we proof read and test cook them.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Darwin seems to be a bit off. He is only eating about half his food. This is the dog who gained 30# when he came to live with us because he had us conned that he was starving. Waiting for a call back from the vet.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIYx_fujb4ql0zapk26o3ttZi21MVxtQ7t5BqSBi9iIJ3AsheOR2EwwgK88DnbHPa6acjUtTExjwPBgmGoi1sCFAp9UcRIv0efS8pom5Un6JyDLzlNa2OGbVZcwVdy7DeNdZVtrt2mZI/s1600/Picture+1201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIYx_fujb4ql0zapk26o3ttZi21MVxtQ7t5BqSBi9iIJ3AsheOR2EwwgK88DnbHPa6acjUtTExjwPBgmGoi1sCFAp9UcRIv0efS8pom5Un6JyDLzlNa2OGbVZcwVdy7DeNdZVtrt2mZI/s400/Picture+1201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Finally, with yesterday's paycheck, February's budget is fully funded. We were also able to throw $188 at the car loan. Not much, but it adds up. $2,223.83 to go.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-51675961349408661862012-01-17T10:43:00.000-05:002012-01-17T10:43:18.956-05:00It's finally winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX53kimtuhkz7OJypPZdI1XihwdbcXt9yVXB734kAkvZlTJo6Y2J4nzVCPCzm5q2wlappALMT6GGZJf9vl1m9v4kV0SKmG_mSBAehAW_T6wTFkyIfEbd89P2ADQ0prBkSgcxFIkVNpsbI/s1600/Picture+1185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX53kimtuhkz7OJypPZdI1XihwdbcXt9yVXB734kAkvZlTJo6Y2J4nzVCPCzm5q2wlappALMT6GGZJf9vl1m9v4kV0SKmG_mSBAehAW_T6wTFkyIfEbd89P2ADQ0prBkSgcxFIkVNpsbI/s640/Picture+1185.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Winter arrived really late this year. January 13th is late. This time last year we already had almost 100 inches of snow.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When snow arrives in central New York, the kids go sledding. Even when it is 7 degrees. There is nothing like sliding down a frozen hill, completely out of control, to make you scream like a little girl. One guy brought a lawn chair. I admit I was a bit jealous.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGXXSLlFW8MrWz4aiFQn8zZPaumfiqgTGoZPOB28mlqDMftoArVpri4zJHhaXBnaPeoZd1t6AmnG8BRLB7cDmQrus_Y2KcuW2g4Elyp2XFol93rBUDVl-CAtQTTGg1XJV0dEYi8CCs1c/s1600/Picture+1184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGXXSLlFW8MrWz4aiFQn8zZPaumfiqgTGoZPOB28mlqDMftoArVpri4zJHhaXBnaPeoZd1t6AmnG8BRLB7cDmQrus_Y2KcuW2g4Elyp2XFol93rBUDVl-CAtQTTGg1XJV0dEYi8CCs1c/s640/Picture+1184.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After sledding you </span><i style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">must</i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> have hot cocoa. Because we went early, before the hill got too crowded, we had ours at the </span><a href="http://nonamediner.com/" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">No Name Diner</a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">. According to Kiddo, they make the best chocolate chip pancakes on the planet. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvHu3JGWQevMihakrEtsSG_DARTtpy8jHLL_5uwDQqbOntIEo2zTNTbYePZPImkAUl84g6a6H9wXJmvyKy3AbzFBbOlie0dIo6WlZt8uXYFctg2cyu9_WxAhISMCmnVltsmRs1NTPTSQ/s1600/Picture+1187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvHu3JGWQevMihakrEtsSG_DARTtpy8jHLL_5uwDQqbOntIEo2zTNTbYePZPImkAUl84g6a6H9wXJmvyKy3AbzFBbOlie0dIo6WlZt8uXYFctg2cyu9_WxAhISMCmnVltsmRs1NTPTSQ/s640/Picture+1187.jpg" width="480" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Winter is good.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-28656496927074135192012-01-14T21:11:00.000-05:002012-01-14T21:11:22.549-05:00January 14th<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm still here.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I even finished something this week. It's Bubbly Curtain from <u>Mason Dixon Knitting</u>. This is the third project I have made from the book. I made the curtain last summer and ran out of yarn. It was too small.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/66266515/csa_1312_medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/66266515/csa_1312_medium.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, I made it again. This time from a full cone of Peaches and Cream cotton yarn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BvtTMrqi4oQfNxicl-npXhGnUHLSouWQZA38oYk5IRYCrq2kmNyk9mGSHDvL2ID6Cz9jxxZRV8u8OZbCkOHwsSVO4J2KwIzSV-XujOlME44geEVnN9mIGUWFADgqnxcV2lRYgc-Kohw/s1600/Picture+1174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BvtTMrqi4oQfNxicl-npXhGnUHLSouWQZA38oYk5IRYCrq2kmNyk9mGSHDvL2ID6Cz9jxxZRV8u8OZbCkOHwsSVO4J2KwIzSV-XujOlME44geEVnN9mIGUWFADgqnxcV2lRYgc-Kohw/s400/Picture+1174.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Much better.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I also have a few projects in the works and some goals for the year.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our financial goal is to have all debts but the mortgage paid off. Right now we are working on the second car loan. $2,400 to go on that one. Then there are 3 student loans.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My next goal is to keep the dining room table cleared off. It is amazing how much crap accumulates there. It took me the better part of an hour today to clear it off and put everything away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfaDh3LaAQ4wJSihFkDjR7mO_0KDZ9sAskD2wLIdplLXEZj4q8FAvSAdnTM1Mi94QX-EkzBRnSMKzmHfsyVbXUPp5vSjjWjfym-O90ectFIECfyiZyJAT3Q_5jCV7fUgv_wJOZ77gEOI/s1600/Picture+1173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfaDh3LaAQ4wJSihFkDjR7mO_0KDZ9sAskD2wLIdplLXEZj4q8FAvSAdnTM1Mi94QX-EkzBRnSMKzmHfsyVbXUPp5vSjjWjfym-O90ectFIECfyiZyJAT3Q_5jCV7fUgv_wJOZ77gEOI/s640/Picture+1173.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here it is with only the Farmer's laptop, kiddo's homework and the library book bin on it.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As usual, I am knitting and spinning stuff. I'm knitting</span><i style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Susie Hoodie</i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> from </span><u style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">More Big Girl Knits</u><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">. I'm using Cascade Eco+. It means the cables will be soft and not well defined, but all in all I really like the yarn. I'm spinning an alpca blend from </span><a href="http://www.autumnmistalpacafarm.com/" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Autumn Mist Alpacas</a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> that the Farmer picked out at the <a href="http://www.empirealpacaassociation.com/extravaganza/">Empire Alpaca Extravaganza</a>. It is sooooooo soft. I spin about 30 minutes a day. I'm hoping to have it spun up and knitted into a hat in time for the Farmer's birthday.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxzH3nAonA4iuo-Jo_v9Fgjtb5IY6sh0ovM8Qy6OfbCdJmfufg8jnNNBEHUfX83u0mZwU6HDN7BVGdEKttn-GTPJrZhIsz7AFyEVMV_4vG1Lfi0kF625GaPvS_OpFxNj2AAPD3J2ljeo/s1600/Picture+1172.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxzH3nAonA4iuo-Jo_v9Fgjtb5IY6sh0ovM8Qy6OfbCdJmfufg8jnNNBEHUfX83u0mZwU6HDN7BVGdEKttn-GTPJrZhIsz7AFyEVMV_4vG1Lfi0kF625GaPvS_OpFxNj2AAPD3J2ljeo/s320/Picture+1172.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm going to try to get back into the habit of posting.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-15718346509297294682012-01-10T19:14:00.000-05:002012-01-10T19:14:13.835-05:00Remember the blankets for Ethiopia?<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here is the finished blanket. I had fun finding my 10 squares. Original post: <a href="http://birdinhandfarm.blogspot.com/2011/06/charity-knitting.html">Charity Knitting</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u270/Jeremybec/Stitches%20for%20Sisters/P1060596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u270/Jeremybec/Stitches%20for%20Sisters/P1060596.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-35449914810313067762011-10-23T21:53:00.000-04:002011-10-23T21:53:52.186-04:00Dueling Apple Pies<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgEI21Tt_-kV2oQc-SMELGeFJ_rjqWlqk12qjJ8dfZ7dzPgoK4Td38GKjrzbtcfEXJRQxX_KQXSUTMk4SBxCJbD8pAffCbJmpH5nq73W-3rC93g3jYQyWF_Bo99cavRgqwS68UzQWkbc/s1600/Picture+1103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgEI21Tt_-kV2oQc-SMELGeFJ_rjqWlqk12qjJ8dfZ7dzPgoK4Td38GKjrzbtcfEXJRQxX_KQXSUTMk4SBxCJbD8pAffCbJmpH5nq73W-3rC93g3jYQyWF_Bo99cavRgqwS68UzQWkbc/s400/Picture+1103.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The little apple trees in the back yard have a long way to go before they are going to give us apples. Two weekends ago we went up to a little orchard in Jordan, NY called Leubner's. We exercised a great deal of restraint and only came home with 2 bushels. For three people. Oh, and Darwin. He likes apple slices too.</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anyway, after two weeks of eating apple stuff nonstop and still looking at three seemlingly full bags sitting on the kitchen floor I decided enough was enough. Applesauce day! We made 21 half pint jars and a full quart for the fridge. Still, there were more apples hiding in a bowl on the kitchen counter.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SLrrXwJzrrYnKDagppYP98u_a9d9CzxspxY6-GLxxTQ4ji7MT3fw14SpLEX77jefaJYZn93iMnl3p8waFLldcpTmyOvtm7FSXqHYkjy4_Jg0IE08JFvVt50DxFQyRURxJ-LUGXlJ3pA/s1600/Picture+1093.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SLrrXwJzrrYnKDagppYP98u_a9d9CzxspxY6-GLxxTQ4ji7MT3fw14SpLEX77jefaJYZn93iMnl3p8waFLldcpTmyOvtm7FSXqHYkjy4_Jg0IE08JFvVt50DxFQyRURxJ-LUGXlJ3pA/s400/Picture+1093.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Late in the afternoon, we decided that instead defending ourselves against the invading hoards, we would pit them against each other. Two pies. Head to head. Winner gets eaten. We made Judy's Apple Pie, which has its very own post on this blog and <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/apple-pie-by-grandma-ople/detail.aspx">Apple Pie by Grandma Ople</a>. Grandma Ople's pie is the first hit when you google "apple pie." It also has 4,107 reviews and is rated as 5 stars. Judy better watch out. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxc3ralQ3UvuZk4B1dckuP4D9bt9hu9f-qrZhEo3-9twWpiSWxfVyLjIO09r1P-1g9vw7Z7QOcFOlaAEZyZB5IuZfFmQnAitODvhnTmh11wGVRRZWPZu3CWxRmS0CxKtAsrw4dQvMc04/s1600/Picture+1104.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxc3ralQ3UvuZk4B1dckuP4D9bt9hu9f-qrZhEo3-9twWpiSWxfVyLjIO09r1P-1g9vw7Z7QOcFOlaAEZyZB5IuZfFmQnAitODvhnTmh11wGVRRZWPZu3CWxRmS0CxKtAsrw4dQvMc04/s400/Picture+1104.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The results? They were both excellent. Too different to really say which was better. But really, the final result is that we do not have a single apple in this house. Phew!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-57066963029626627632011-10-09T18:26:00.000-04:002011-10-09T18:26:05.779-04:00Happy Birthday to Me!<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Whoops. Been a while since I posted.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I made these.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZlj8TbmvCRcjecPnJVgU3PA1Ji66Uq4pQRiTMK_cveO8beFxMZAGPjiVE_IihpV3l4z6gwkoTK9f8jOWTzqmKR2Jlv_SFL0f-SZypPlCcnJuOpTzyBatLUasyCbgGQ4DKW7X5oCnzYk/s1600/Picture+1086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZlj8TbmvCRcjecPnJVgU3PA1Ji66Uq4pQRiTMK_cveO8beFxMZAGPjiVE_IihpV3l4z6gwkoTK9f8jOWTzqmKR2Jlv_SFL0f-SZypPlCcnJuOpTzyBatLUasyCbgGQ4DKW7X5oCnzYk/s400/Picture+1086.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">From this</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgve4-4kovZ-4AH8_NsBJZDY9_O0nd-HDuaxMFTK3mF_ky2DSjQJd4x0UtIRrILaMTpzAcubQE8KLRnrbIBrV8yBExHdaMgg2O_KyLM6nnlZMXXr-xUg4NqocOMUpiYFuJr2G8mil5SCNk/s1600/Picture+1069.jpg" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgve4-4kovZ-4AH8_NsBJZDY9_O0nd-HDuaxMFTK3mF_ky2DSjQJd4x0UtIRrILaMTpzAcubQE8KLRnrbIBrV8yBExHdaMgg2O_KyLM6nnlZMXXr-xUg4NqocOMUpiYFuJr2G8mil5SCNk/s400/Picture+1069.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With this. My dad gave me birthday money.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lQfKPYwN5ahnJKnKCHfftf0LUIkEArp2GNosueKL2DZqTu7KZyrd6hnHGbjDwIic4jGfP7SAdSSweZy24xHpS_4jGPdw370hjomC2aHnwt8sf46HvWI2alOBODHAeBT7oFoXjhS1vkg/s1600/Picture+1085.jpg" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lQfKPYwN5ahnJKnKCHfftf0LUIkEArp2GNosueKL2DZqTu7KZyrd6hnHGbjDwIic4jGfP7SAdSSweZy24xHpS_4jGPdw370hjomC2aHnwt8sf46HvWI2alOBODHAeBT7oFoXjhS1vkg/s640/Picture+1085.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When It was yarn it looked like this. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipARMt8s02QZh-7xQ1K85aZ_gS7GLVPO-JyiEpXJO0-4LxR-wVyatYzn-EDfLcqHRVhKo3_1hKo39QhmHLBK6M0L3xEAVYOPjjyuKhFAFjUUSUo01B_zMtuA4qg8kSKbD6pukfhq3uVF4/s1600/Picture+1084.jpg" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipARMt8s02QZh-7xQ1K85aZ_gS7GLVPO-JyiEpXJO0-4LxR-wVyatYzn-EDfLcqHRVhKo3_1hKo39QhmHLBK6M0L3xEAVYOPjjyuKhFAFjUUSUo01B_zMtuA4qg8kSKbD6pukfhq3uVF4/s400/Picture+1084.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's addictive.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-74044962534785772952011-09-11T11:25:00.000-04:002011-09-11T11:25:34.310-04:00Dark spots and bright spots<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOoIt_cAo85_JyY_YvEC22A6h6oEzDay5WSRkIqantZoDaibX55ZAvsTbClUmYeDJWfJLnX6KVx0je58wpxWQZHdY6_27es8bbDKGSIU8xV3BmIdt_CI18FH2N6gXL8jpu02HY3XtnIM/s1600/Picture+1057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOoIt_cAo85_JyY_YvEC22A6h6oEzDay5WSRkIqantZoDaibX55ZAvsTbClUmYeDJWfJLnX6KVx0je58wpxWQZHdY6_27es8bbDKGSIU8xV3BmIdt_CI18FH2N6gXL8jpu02HY3XtnIM/s640/Picture+1057.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is my favorite piece of broadcasting reflecting on 9/11.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bb3gInJAY6g?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When it all happened, I was a Therapist in Watertown, NY. A coworker (who happened to be a nun) told me. I told her she was putting me on. It did not seem believable. Shortly afterwards, the fighter jets scrambled out of Ft. Drum. Being near the base we were used to maneuvers, but never so many at once. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I went to NYC with the Red Cross as a Mental Health Technician. It was several weeks later and they were rotating in fresh responders. No one was cheering when we came. The city was angry, tired, and grey. People were on edge if the subway stopped and anthrax letters were all over the news. I was assigned to Service Center #2 on Canal Street. We worked hard. I learned a lot. I will never forget it.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Kiddo was just a hope at that point. Now she is the center of my universe. As I type this, she is playing on her computer. She is wearing a bunny costume and humming to herself.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-0gSeu0f0Dyaqz93zFc6m432YuWZVpzNMW2mJge2PE5WL519MmW2Xa9wlKq37JDqs23XngNoew5zvl1js8eI8BmJOldEbSKMtE-_qt97lnxdkw2Ba-UHD_IeDa66zjpePGIA4VlWNR8/s1600/Picture+1055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-0gSeu0f0Dyaqz93zFc6m432YuWZVpzNMW2mJge2PE5WL519MmW2Xa9wlKq37JDqs23XngNoew5zvl1js8eI8BmJOldEbSKMtE-_qt97lnxdkw2Ba-UHD_IeDa66zjpePGIA4VlWNR8/s640/Picture+1055.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I made her a <a href="http://www.cosmicpluto.com/blog/simple-yet-effective-shawl/">Simple Yet Effective Shawl</a> using two skeins of yarn that she gave me for my Birthday. I alternated 2 rows of each skein. I did not want big fat bands of color at the beginning and then really narrow bands at the end. It still does that a bit, but it is not as pronounced. I used every inch of yarn and <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/FEATjssbo.php">Jenny's Suprisingly Stretch Bind Off</a>. It is very stretchy, but it uses a TON of yarn. Even more surprising, she likes it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYm1FHmB0_1Bz0rqcgQ8efkBLZjRlaCaZwHhOQRVO2xhu2yFXdmf8_eMycPSDM3w7nc86uRgjy5Tgn_x0RIgwdhmyk02W1e4KNeZ7vEw0g8dvwV8AsG7eTzRad2s-4YO6hFO4F1sKJHs/s1600/Picture+1056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYm1FHmB0_1Bz0rqcgQ8efkBLZjRlaCaZwHhOQRVO2xhu2yFXdmf8_eMycPSDM3w7nc86uRgjy5Tgn_x0RIgwdhmyk02W1e4KNeZ7vEw0g8dvwV8AsG7eTzRad2s-4YO6hFO4F1sKJHs/s400/Picture+1056.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So I guess there are dark days and bright ones. From where I sit right now, the view is a pretty good one. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh, I'm still trying to do one little bit of decluttering each day.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Wednesday: I washed the back screen door. I figure decluttering grime counts</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Thursday: pulled 7 old sweaters to make into a blanket and found a bag of donation stuff in the attic.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Friday: emptied a bin in the basement.</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Saturday: went through everything in kiddos dresser. That was a big one.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-28929505592016796682011-09-07T18:41:00.000-04:002011-09-07T18:41:07.528-04:00Vegging Out<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrycGrK7T_7qwpNIBeIJCEq0tz5617LfQXfGrQEwBiU3uNvvn3jWICybEsqJbRBYHkUf6XpJ48zzxZfvtO5EL6vT0LQ8RqBbujq1x0LOr3h66sgtuu2t4AIOUe8-FGLR5bQden5I0IEM/s1600/Picture+1051.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrycGrK7T_7qwpNIBeIJCEq0tz5617LfQXfGrQEwBiU3uNvvn3jWICybEsqJbRBYHkUf6XpJ48zzxZfvtO5EL6vT0LQ8RqBbujq1x0LOr3h66sgtuu2t4AIOUe8-FGLR5bQden5I0IEM/s640/Picture+1051.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today was kiddo's 1st day of school. Yesterday, I pretty much let her do whatever she wanted. I offered to go play out and about but mostly she wanted to watch TV and play with her dolls. I'm okay with that. I think that sometimes you just need a day to veg out. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyJEoqqLU17kEHpl193l9xsawXmfOXLYsTQF66s9aL_sR7ADNMhWgNGsf0PETbX5bNyo-2jPwu723AAGaJG5IiWwvjyNTZ7f3tEIAl88-J6SghzqtdkkmUOpFUzZIOlXLwX75L46HOqw/s1600/Picture+1033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyJEoqqLU17kEHpl193l9xsawXmfOXLYsTQF66s9aL_sR7ADNMhWgNGsf0PETbX5bNyo-2jPwu723AAGaJG5IiWwvjyNTZ7f3tEIAl88-J6SghzqtdkkmUOpFUzZIOlXLwX75L46HOqw/s400/Picture+1033.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQRkuseqaKzrebzH-VooBMZXeOGFlxzfv7wMmS-W9aGS4UseGTL4aEM1BcBQhoqCjZtnTW45DEXB2t3q5zCuUJsIIba4FTasAlzDzAZJvJl_rUz17NtHaN741Mmlg_uM58O6MeKcIQ1o/s1600/Picture+1047.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQRkuseqaKzrebzH-VooBMZXeOGFlxzfv7wMmS-W9aGS4UseGTL4aEM1BcBQhoqCjZtnTW45DEXB2t3q5zCuUJsIIba4FTasAlzDzAZJvJl_rUz17NtHaN741Mmlg_uM58O6MeKcIQ1o/s320/Picture+1047.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I veg'ed out too. I have been roasting and freezing tomatos all summer. The freezer basket was getting full. On top of that, my Mother-in-Law brought tomatos from the Farmer's Grandfather. I like that the sauce will have a few varieties of tomatos. I think it adds some depth of flavor. I also like that with Grandpa's tomatos it's like a family sauce. In the end I had <b>A LOT</b> of tomatos. They filled 2 stockpots. It took forever to run them all through the food mill. Do they make electronic food mills? We cranked on and off for an hour or so until they had all been through. They filled the <b>big </b>stock pot to within 2 inches of the brim.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BwnG4Au2_Ai8HpGainl_La-0_qAkqr3oNHYU7oQb2Ctb6VDRnBnNLEHNYzhz5Ph27KmqeRjhXR6t6o72wISL4Qq5wajgd30GKdXUrDaBrexC1k-QbmoY9Q0nYn_j71Gl4hzJ810E-sM/s1600/Picture+1048.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BwnG4Au2_Ai8HpGainl_La-0_qAkqr3oNHYU7oQb2Ctb6VDRnBnNLEHNYzhz5Ph27KmqeRjhXR6t6o72wISL4Qq5wajgd30GKdXUrDaBrexC1k-QbmoY9Q0nYn_j71Gl4hzJ810E-sM/s320/Picture+1048.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The next step is to let the whole thing simmer down 'till it is reduced by 1/3 to 1/2 volume. This is where I cheated. I let it simmer and steam until it was reduced by a few inches. Then, I added 4 cans of tomato paste. Blasphamy, I know. The paste thickens the sauce. I get more sauce and don't have to wait until 9 pm to can. A trick in the canning sauce is to line up all of your jars and add the lemon juice to all of them at once. That way, you do not need to rack your brain trying to remeber if you added it or not. It's in there. I got 11 quarts. That is the most ever! I am a happy camper.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOkiwenl7iDw4pwqbqVkx3xJ3kMyfivW0-_GhtV6UwgzD03gAdM4_DJMYBmgcXrXAcQ-3VImTNwJk75skxICGy_GQNlVDANecyS3HRWH63phyphenhyphenf2CxRc5S9tz0NmmPOA1-EZ6xvNLz_Ms/s1600/Picture+1049.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOkiwenl7iDw4pwqbqVkx3xJ3kMyfivW0-_GhtV6UwgzD03gAdM4_DJMYBmgcXrXAcQ-3VImTNwJk75skxICGy_GQNlVDANecyS3HRWH63phyphenhyphenf2CxRc5S9tz0NmmPOA1-EZ6xvNLz_Ms/s400/Picture+1049.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I did some decluttering too. Lying on the basement floor in front of the canning shelf was the cardboard tray that had been under a litter box. When Ella died, we consolodated the boxes. Somehow that tray never got tossed. It was like it had become a fixture and I no longer saw it. I decided that the focus of the day would be the basement floor. With the monster project of the sauce going on upstairs, I wanted something quick and simple. How bad could it be?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We live in filth. Well not really, but it was bad enough. There was more stuff than I thought there would be. Stuff down there feels damp and dirty. Anyway, the tray is gone, as are some other misc boxes and random objects. You know how metal coffee cans are so great for storing stuff? I found 7 empty ones that I had taken down there just in case. Several were a rusty and cob-webby. Ick. They are now in the recyling bin. Also in the bin is an empty bottle of laundry detergent that I found under the table that lives next to the washer. We have been making our own laundry soap for the past 2+ years so who knows how long that bottle has been there? There were 5 stray socks hiding under there as well. The best things I found were about $2.30 in loose change and an escapee wool dryer ball. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-90470994325047539042011-09-06T17:33:00.000-04:002011-09-06T17:33:08.292-04:00The State Fair and a really nasty laundry basket<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTW55AbYc-JoJ9J7i9rN_NjyMA6xY8Wm9dPi8-kW35fNu65gWYU1ua-9RsqVHJrtAxU9xPh2JduGzz8PH7YiGp879J2nu1VtH3MG3rzV27uB2Z9fUZz8q0SenS0GdFrMfEcJHLFlKV4Xc/s1600/Picture+1044.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTW55AbYc-JoJ9J7i9rN_NjyMA6xY8Wm9dPi8-kW35fNu65gWYU1ua-9RsqVHJrtAxU9xPh2JduGzz8PH7YiGp879J2nu1VtH3MG3rzV27uB2Z9fUZz8q0SenS0GdFrMfEcJHLFlKV4Xc/s400/Picture+1044.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We went to the <a href="http://nysfair.org/">New York State Fair</a> in the rain yesterday. We used to have umbrellas and ponchos. Used to. I looked all over for them with no luck. But, I did find the missing laundry basket in the garage. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczoM72Y8ohHwlUKkqjSHVdVSyQPhWM1IH2vYnq2ADgajwrBqf6ufqwa8ybsnidNHP9zsAQ_VlxXsRMR5jbCvOobH33F7BRBtjmReWsEz9rKjhWrzKqk__WxYDA8n9M_1hLe-BSVUjrJ4/s1600/Picture+1039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq-JC9W1g8P77ynnUVgiID0AM1xbM6A2dPKTd8t7JSs-Wde9g20La-oxdA2Myjf1SIZm25g3qVBznLLda1dpxP8ynROnH_NHBd-80RPAIOAZv3CV9ftxAOE4RBYubtoaYwx_MkANDuBA/s1600/Picture+1034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq-JC9W1g8P77ynnUVgiID0AM1xbM6A2dPKTd8t7JSs-Wde9g20La-oxdA2Myjf1SIZm25g3qVBznLLda1dpxP8ynROnH_NHBd-80RPAIOAZv3CV9ftxAOE4RBYubtoaYwx_MkANDuBA/s400/Picture+1034.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNiQfaAamZpBuT137A_vgQ1kHh_lJZIp8GNh_7SWhOgXlE1qK5EeA1pjneOI3V8MWdQWgYZY19ytzeiDpl1jAK9jwHjBVBUOjfesndifdKQhmadASmbe1hdgPhJ7jblaP-6IS65jK47o/s1600/Picture+1036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNiQfaAamZpBuT137A_vgQ1kHh_lJZIp8GNh_7SWhOgXlE1qK5EeA1pjneOI3V8MWdQWgYZY19ytzeiDpl1jAK9jwHjBVBUOjfesndifdKQhmadASmbe1hdgPhJ7jblaP-6IS65jK47o/s400/Picture+1036.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDL_bidDJXCSRecjwcaC6v-NgDtCyevXJKXmkKt8rM1GPG0rpjJ6CLsk4YT3z8Awdch6HKxzAySQh45Z0r21gGZwmkVe21rsGGoYD9fzrhAwjmR9rEOl67JX0_4mgcfuf9yE5dwt8le0/s1600/Picture+1038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDL_bidDJXCSRecjwcaC6v-NgDtCyevXJKXmkKt8rM1GPG0rpjJ6CLsk4YT3z8Awdch6HKxzAySQh45Z0r21gGZwmkVe21rsGGoYD9fzrhAwjmR9rEOl67JX0_4mgcfuf9yE5dwt8le0/s320/Picture+1038.jpg" width="320" /></a>The Fair is nice in the rain. It is cool and uncrowded. There are still more people than I would like, but it is way better than when the sun is out. The Fair is huge and there is no way to see it all. Wear comfortable shoes. I like how there is a big emphasis on agriculture and there is a whole building devoted to poultry and bunnies. There are enormous cows. We went to a talk given by one of the Veterinarians of the Bronx Zoo. There are historical demonstrations. I learned how to make soap by watching the demos at the fair. The kid likes the rides. Of course there is weird fair food. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zcFxHbluNbf1BDTOsJTXpAVex2xkncfUgtdJ2H9nJiwkWP_iuIhTAQl_XUUmk-2_Exsvc3SvyjQyj0hce0hfQT2DnH39gAXx_e16455RXF4ixqcFV3w_Q0vhcva2oBlQ29iLtSr1-3w/s1600/Picture+1045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zcFxHbluNbf1BDTOsJTXpAVex2xkncfUgtdJ2H9nJiwkWP_iuIhTAQl_XUUmk-2_Exsvc3SvyjQyj0hce0hfQT2DnH39gAXx_e16455RXF4ixqcFV3w_Q0vhcva2oBlQ29iLtSr1-3w/s640/Picture+1045.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Jumping </span><i style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">really</i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> high!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqAv1FvFcydoU0OtLLUkJOjYpoCvS8NyGS1QB41OXQwGfKSNyQLpXu5yB8nlUbbOROEHx13aNrBLIXEYYq2VLXEKuxJq8ThSqAn_YTN7pyRpm1zJcpk1wKqXikj0pQpqtkeQl6i5863Y/s1600/Picture+1046.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqAv1FvFcydoU0OtLLUkJOjYpoCvS8NyGS1QB41OXQwGfKSNyQLpXu5yB8nlUbbOROEHx13aNrBLIXEYYq2VLXEKuxJq8ThSqAn_YTN7pyRpm1zJcpk1wKqXikj0pQpqtkeQl6i5863Y/s400/Picture+1046.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling around in a giant inflated hamster ball in a big pool. She was <i>really </i>tired after that one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After we got home, I decided my de-cluttering task would be re-claiming my laundry basket from the garage. The Farmer used it to clean out the car sometime in the spring. For some reason, he stopped in the middle and left the basket in the garage. In it was: his winter coat, a bunch of papers from school and when the car went in for repairs, and unfortunately at least three lunches that he took to school but did not eat, as well as the fast food trash from what he ate instead. Phew! I threw it all out containers and all. The coat got washed by itself. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was gross but the worst of it was done in about 4 minutes. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">At the end of the day, his coat got washed and put away, a few papers got filed, a bag of trash was tossed ad I got my laundry basket back. </span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What nastiness lurks in your garage? Oh and one last pic. She <i>loves </i>the vibrating foot massages. Pure bliss.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1cpstsg3uHb0sVujEWjFFWQdzofbabuWLYa4Gq9H-BXqviFhebZG1e9-kZwbqkjT3Ve8Z2a-dKOA9_VNm8ALhIbdJWbN4glCOhTzs1o2oOthr4KJOBnTcLDn9AYw3NFhLCN226XWjCY/s1600/Picture+1042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1cpstsg3uHb0sVujEWjFFWQdzofbabuWLYa4Gq9H-BXqviFhebZG1e9-kZwbqkjT3Ve8Z2a-dKOA9_VNm8ALhIbdJWbN4glCOhTzs1o2oOthr4KJOBnTcLDn9AYw3NFhLCN226XWjCY/s640/Picture+1042.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczoM72Y8ohHwlUKkqjSHVdVSyQPhWM1IH2vYnq2ADgajwrBqf6ufqwa8ybsnidNHP9zsAQ_VlxXsRMR5jbCvOobH33F7BRBtjmReWsEz9rKjhWrzKqk__WxYDA8n9M_1hLe-BSVUjrJ4/s1600/Picture+1039.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-1067185937162420702011-09-04T14:54:00.000-04:002011-09-04T14:54:32.028-04:00I'm liking the declutter thing<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I know it's only day three. And actually we went to the fair yesterday and I came home with a headache and went straight to bed so I didn't do any yesterday. So really, it's day 2. To make up yesterday I did a double. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm not going to post pictures of this because I want you to picture your space not mine. The point is this is not for you to feel better because your house is tidier than mine. It probably is. The point is that most of us have too much crap and this might motivate you to let go of just a little bit of it.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The first target was one of the kids bins. I dumped it and collected her yarn, beads and crafty stuff in it. There were a few items of trash, and a few things to be put away elsewhere: a dirty sock, a dog toy, and two pencils. Not as much discarding as I might have hoped, but every little bit counts. While I was sitting on the floor, I also consolidated the toys that were in two cardboard boxes back into her other bins. This is a tiny dent in the toy mountain, but every little bit helps.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Picture your child's toys here</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have a love-hate relationship with cardboard boxes. A few weeks ago I had the brilliant idea of putting all of her toys out on the porch in boxes. The plan was that as kiddo went and got things out of the boxes to play with we would put them away in the permanent bins. Anything still left on the porch at the end of the month would be donated or tossed. Sounds great in theory. What actually happened is that the porch is now trashed and boxes got brought into the house and a moat formed around her regular toy bins. Not so good. No cardboard box storage in the living room.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The next target was the bottom drawer of my dresser. As I got dressed today, I noticed that I had to move two pairs of pants that I don't like to get to the shorts that I wanted to wear. Why are their pants that don't fit right in my dresser? So I sorted. I donated 3 pairs or pants and found 3 pairs of shorts that I would wear buried in the back. I also found hair ties that I was looking for this morning and extra shampoo and hair care stuff buried in there. Why? That's now in the bathroom and off the grocery list. Is de-cluttering going to save us some money? Lastly I got to throw out a whole mess of stuff that I won't ever use. There is a whole lot more room in the drawer now.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">What does your bottom dresser drawer look like? </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I know I'm bouncing around and I figure that that is okay. The point is to just do some. Let's see how long I can keep it up.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-22550535200031575362011-09-02T19:01:00.000-04:002011-09-02T19:01:02.056-04:00The Farm has too much stuff<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UuOnZmoIhSwZphcrTf1HpQhl4V6od46vBzelF2QRj5b1ypfBzYE0G4V9UCFV7MqsghHxHnfFVLpUkArq91etuXX0d44HTRVwKMf8HOQyuxJLwb8cCIyCCFP35r9Rc0T_5D2yKzwdi_w/s1600/Picture+1029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UuOnZmoIhSwZphcrTf1HpQhl4V6od46vBzelF2QRj5b1ypfBzYE0G4V9UCFV7MqsghHxHnfFVLpUkArq91etuXX0d44HTRVwKMf8HOQyuxJLwb8cCIyCCFP35r9Rc0T_5D2yKzwdi_w/s640/Picture+1029.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>Three nights in a row I have had to tell the kid to clear a path through the living room to get to the stairs. We have tried to de-clutter. We took a big load of toys to <a href="http://www.talesandtoys.biz/">Tales and Toys</a>. It was great. We cleared out some big stuff and she got new (to her) toys that she will play with. I labeled 2 boxes: "Donation" and "Toys for Trade." A week later and not much has found its way to the boxes. There is just too much. I find it oppressive. I have a hard time concentrating. The magnitude is overwhelming. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ8mGokKXvAIyjzXA8he-EKfa_a3qhyphenhyphenDGFhegJquqLvdihudYYQ2Gh5OeD1VuNbYT7nDky-MkdzTh5iOo4wcdmShnTDXF_CpithWWJBb6ccpgslJFD_N5jgcs7FhH54g3-3TJPgAu4MI/s1600/Picture+1027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ8mGokKXvAIyjzXA8he-EKfa_a3qhyphenhyphenDGFhegJquqLvdihudYYQ2Gh5OeD1VuNbYT7nDky-MkdzTh5iOo4wcdmShnTDXF_CpithWWJBb6ccpgslJFD_N5jgcs7FhH54g3-3TJPgAu4MI/s400/Picture+1027.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>I know the key is to do a little at a time. I have been thinking about this for a while. I make plans. I don't follow through. <a href="http://www.flylady.net/">Flylady</a> says that you cannot clean clutter. You have to get rid of it. She is right. <br />
<br />
Tonight, while again thinking about this issue, I decided to stop thinking and start doing. I was standing in front of the bookcase at the time. I was going to just do one shelf of the bookcase. I wound up doing the whole thing. I pulled 6 books to let go, 2 paid bills from 2008, a case for Christmas cartoon DVDs, and a goodbye card from when I left a job in 2004. I put away some lotion, cards, and bags to give away soap in. I checked the books at <a href="http://www.cash4books.net/?gclid=CMXZuvXS_6oCFcG8KgodSANHAg">Cash4Books</a> but they were not buying any. It took 6 min. The shelves are less full and the house is a few pounds lighter.<br />
<br />
Maybe I can keep doing a little bit each day and blog about it? Go let go of something. You will feel better. Maybe I will feel better once I tackle the moat around the TV in the living room.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQyVm2oBwgiICRM-TxWpbDXMpPghzBEg3F8N6CQvK-4DxovD3iJR0hXhy17ysCqJok4nWT1URawX5de_wH-ELqEl2oApBQE2XkQn0E7G7mQ9u7-TTFab5RiOJn6fe0BqAwIGJtD1Ruzc/s1600/Picture+1028.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQyVm2oBwgiICRM-TxWpbDXMpPghzBEg3F8N6CQvK-4DxovD3iJR0hXhy17ysCqJok4nWT1URawX5de_wH-ELqEl2oApBQE2XkQn0E7G7mQ9u7-TTFab5RiOJn6fe0BqAwIGJtD1Ruzc/s400/Picture+1028.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-32532350714726126072011-08-25T08:37:00.000-04:002011-08-25T08:37:28.239-04:00I won a bet.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Goats do climb trees.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/oQev3UoGp2M?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-32966299961540952432011-08-20T08:16:00.000-04:002011-08-20T08:16:34.573-04:00What was I thinking?<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d9YryM-xwzuS3jGIleVGUodjRFIX7AXnQ-Vd16_8KX1uv0RDJX3wI4o2X8i_oYbClu0TIwPgQx4106zYtLi_9nyMRvGUELU7hBZhHQeZp0Yrc7GYs0o76oS8NN-TQ-Bw5xGUeUoeDH8/s1600/CSA+1429.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d9YryM-xwzuS3jGIleVGUodjRFIX7AXnQ-Vd16_8KX1uv0RDJX3wI4o2X8i_oYbClu0TIwPgQx4106zYtLi_9nyMRvGUELU7hBZhHQeZp0Yrc7GYs0o76oS8NN-TQ-Bw5xGUeUoeDH8/s640/CSA+1429.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Do not cut up and seed 34 jalapeno peppers with your bare hands. Ask me how I know.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_6_3YXUqeqw3VoEn3ngPFdpiqjfb0U65MTA3UVh1aoPu8j-9OWsvpFZxeE9031X5Y0wjfndb6UTpuO12K1vHqFMsK4aLvhb7KTipfZNivkLl5X6vyCJ57Wa2g1SirgwcOlDWyM1BnU4/s1600/CSA+1425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_6_3YXUqeqw3VoEn3ngPFdpiqjfb0U65MTA3UVh1aoPu8j-9OWsvpFZxeE9031X5Y0wjfndb6UTpuO12K1vHqFMsK4aLvhb7KTipfZNivkLl5X6vyCJ57Wa2g1SirgwcOlDWyM1BnU4/s400/CSA+1425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Farmer requested jalapeno peppers in the garden. They are going gangbusters, and he was not eating them. Pretty soon there were 20 of them on the kitchen counter. I went out and picked 14 more and there are more out there. What to do?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
Jalapeno jelly uses up a ton of peppers. Worth a shot. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyQzrhxyN5CTrn9sqtWP9A-yLeHvCsTKCKaKXvqadlduyMQ_pvRwvTY944TZCn7jZ9tN_RdFevBHKqnixsXDnO7-kKfaVbgIxvRyHyVYlwB_8TbzkJS6S3CpHhAuZydwTZPaXgoUhf34/s1600/CSA+1426.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyQzrhxyN5CTrn9sqtWP9A-yLeHvCsTKCKaKXvqadlduyMQ_pvRwvTY944TZCn7jZ9tN_RdFevBHKqnixsXDnO7-kKfaVbgIxvRyHyVYlwB_8TbzkJS6S3CpHhAuZydwTZPaXgoUhf34/s640/CSA+1426.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If the house was not stinky enough with the puke carpet, you can just imagine how it smelled with both the carpet and the boiling vinegar-pepper solution. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_ps-HeBp6J5QGFcvzCzeKJFJMLYbPghEbKF9VqB3PaaArqHFy-da2Uacjpi0aSKPUkff4TiEUN8VKcYSc-N9_I0bIWW3pPZiQEH6UgeBEDM_LqDjjLPHAAtvzHPJE5m7XkkMprUDExQ/s1600/CSA+1428.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_ps-HeBp6J5QGFcvzCzeKJFJMLYbPghEbKF9VqB3PaaArqHFy-da2Uacjpi0aSKPUkff4TiEUN8VKcYSc-N9_I0bIWW3pPZiQEH6UgeBEDM_LqDjjLPHAAtvzHPJE5m7XkkMprUDExQ/s400/CSA+1428.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">All the recipes I found were really, really similar. Just pick one. I used fine mesh strainers instead of cheese cloth to strain it. It might have been clearer has I used cloth. Someone suggested shaking it as it cools to disperse the peppers through the jelly. I tried. Some jars are better than others. We made a double recipe and got 4 pints of jelly. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now I guess we get to find out if we like jalapeno jelly. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-34304463533018422382011-08-16T22:21:00.000-04:002011-08-16T22:21:22.224-04:00Phew!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJUZinak9iFcmzx6mXHwb4iI8Ck1OsST7JFoc-hobYvBvIV9kZac3kENNuS8LG69ZV2ztXaRIh2aVCLnHUY94ES5gDl2i_cFhbrGjXe5i7PXjHSW-EGVUpYsjID0gfVhuNuzL4n6wRw0/s1600/CSA+468.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJUZinak9iFcmzx6mXHwb4iI8Ck1OsST7JFoc-hobYvBvIV9kZac3kENNuS8LG69ZV2ztXaRIh2aVCLnHUY94ES5gDl2i_cFhbrGjXe5i7PXjHSW-EGVUpYsjID0gfVhuNuzL4n6wRw0/s640/CSA+468.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We have the cleanest spot ever on our living room carpet. But, man oh man, does it ever stink. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJUZinak9iFcmzx6mXHwb4iI8Ck1OsST7JFoc-hobYvBvIV9kZac3kENNuS8LG69ZV2ztXaRIh2aVCLnHUY94ES5gDl2i_cFhbrGjXe5i7PXjHSW-EGVUpYsjID0gfVhuNuzL4n6wRw0/s1600/CSA+468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Last week I was cooking and there was half a stick of butter sitting on the counter. When I came down from putting the kid to bed, there was a butter wrapper in the middle of the floor. Darwin came in, licked it, and looked up at me with those sad eyes. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The next morning, the smell hit me as a I came down the stairs. Someone left a pile of puke in the middle of the floor. We cleaned it with pet stain cleanser, enzyme stuff, Febreze stuff... and so on. The stain is gone. The carpet looks great. But the smell is God-awful. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Maybe it has been so humid, that it is just damp. We have a fan on it. Fingers crossed. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I need ideas. Either that or I am ripping it out and hoping that the hardwoods underneath are in good condition.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-80361230334527722462011-08-07T21:56:00.002-04:002011-08-08T18:02:02.140-04:00Bruschetta<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAakbMKobT_HJUVKhCOKSGqpjt60gU13RwY0iAnCWerC83MglYHvG4Gu0RWckkHJCvln72Q4fuiheGjcFQWi46ElFUKkX9sUUnpgnmrRF7-9vLDkjCE0bq3EUWK6QvAesVyMGsQgD4JI/s1600/CSA+1421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAakbMKobT_HJUVKhCOKSGqpjt60gU13RwY0iAnCWerC83MglYHvG4Gu0RWckkHJCvln72Q4fuiheGjcFQWi46ElFUKkX9sUUnpgnmrRF7-9vLDkjCE0bq3EUWK6QvAesVyMGsQgD4JI/s400/CSA+1421.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If your garden is anything like mine, you have tomatoes and basil out the wazoo. Bruschetta is a great recipe to use them up in a very tasty and quick way. Put some crusty bread on your grocery list this week. Mozzarella too. You already have everything else you need in the kitchen. Really.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MJht85V7oh5hB5OaY81JuvgIFW1TX86HUfJtlYTn5xUB2-cOsEPh-EVilzfVEnsZI64PJK1lCjGmxO6vjo60vOWpPng-RvUldciAhh8eXX801oCcdoESb6wuBFnllo8nTf7x3YG5w64/s1600/CSA+1414.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MJht85V7oh5hB5OaY81JuvgIFW1TX86HUfJtlYTn5xUB2-cOsEPh-EVilzfVEnsZI64PJK1lCjGmxO6vjo60vOWpPng-RvUldciAhh8eXX801oCcdoESb6wuBFnllo8nTf7x3YG5w64/s400/CSA+1414.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;">I used the recipe from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/double-tomato-bruschetta/detail.aspx">All Recipes</a>. I think you should too. 1,462 people have rated the recipe and it scores a full 5 stars. Seems like a sure bet. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MJht85V7oh5hB5OaY81JuvgIFW1TX86HUfJtlYTn5xUB2-cOsEPh-EVilzfVEnsZI64PJK1lCjGmxO6vjo60vOWpPng-RvUldciAhh8eXX801oCcdoESb6wuBFnllo8nTf7x3YG5w64/s1600/CSA+1414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2fqKFjQuNLMJtrNgKQU3SFLd9VyqN47dN3EwdoVww5DfQZA3n4haFr5DHO3JgUuuk7djTRgX3e5QvHSDtE4TJEuiCmlkBPhD-R5yX90wJGDKQhbw6LAiWITyzydyBA59Na4-RnBJcsE/s1600/CSA+1415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2fqKFjQuNLMJtrNgKQU3SFLd9VyqN47dN3EwdoVww5DfQZA3n4haFr5DHO3JgUuuk7djTRgX3e5QvHSDtE4TJEuiCmlkBPhD-R5yX90wJGDKQhbw6LAiWITyzydyBA59Na4-RnBJcsE/s320/CSA+1415.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You can learn from my few minor mistakes. Dice the tomatoes rather than cutting them into chunks. Put more topping on the bread. More than you think you should. The broiler will shrink it down. Make more. The Farmer and I ate the whole plate for dinner.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeBaJIIivlz7TY1Qeyh-lHrNTXzpQOxgEt6HYUoCUU3TnrwF2lDyCef7pgcYPrSU7ztKewofA1IgOwH3bA3Ja88jKPgjp8OiTbLj5jvAg_AEB1KtEvYTVUnkdcVll-xc7_IEsrt2nyG8/s1600/CSA+1419.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeBaJIIivlz7TY1Qeyh-lHrNTXzpQOxgEt6HYUoCUU3TnrwF2lDyCef7pgcYPrSU7ztKewofA1IgOwH3bA3Ja88jKPgjp8OiTbLj5jvAg_AEB1KtEvYTVUnkdcVll-xc7_IEsrt2nyG8/s640/CSA+1419.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>Yes, we remembered to set the oven back to "bake." </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeBaJIIivlz7TY1Qeyh-lHrNTXzpQOxgEt6HYUoCUU3TnrwF2lDyCef7pgcYPrSU7ztKewofA1IgOwH3bA3Ja88jKPgjp8OiTbLj5jvAg_AEB1KtEvYTVUnkdcVll-xc7_IEsrt2nyG8/s1600/CSA+1419.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-13545088898464667242011-07-31T22:09:00.001-04:002011-07-31T22:22:26.564-04:00It isn't easy being green. Or blue.<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkLP8vy22qDAx9WSCACC85UXVGGkNeaXawkVJkZ3jUuK-ZGsU-fC_LIE-BV3jM-uQTWBK8iVItx424cF91JuSnKzxIdcpzh3ICkCTqt9O-sq353ny2ENuQ3dxD2AROAbxDVef3ODrTsw/s1600/CSA+1389.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkLP8vy22qDAx9WSCACC85UXVGGkNeaXawkVJkZ3jUuK-ZGsU-fC_LIE-BV3jM-uQTWBK8iVItx424cF91JuSnKzxIdcpzh3ICkCTqt9O-sq353ny2ENuQ3dxD2AROAbxDVef3ODrTsw/s640/CSA+1389.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe I should weed whack?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div>I finally got the last of the Peppermint-Basil Soap out of the mold. Lots stayed behind in the mold and three weeks later the soap at the bottom is tacky and pliable. I think it was the aloe vera gel. It is still a pretty pale green. Unfortunately, both molds took a beating getting the soap out and are now cracked.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_gvXEvgwu3DjsVTYbyjfw9aPFlG6v5QTdo8HIdxGHLCWp9ryoV1JQ9p3bEiNRm9gu4HalnxKah3uXTbnMSoeVcZkXfFQkaWWRGgeBco7fKJzXYkD8Y-jZczZYxSWJTmPGYIqyHhUdiA/s1600/CSA+1364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_gvXEvgwu3DjsVTYbyjfw9aPFlG6v5QTdo8HIdxGHLCWp9ryoV1JQ9p3bEiNRm9gu4HalnxKah3uXTbnMSoeVcZkXfFQkaWWRGgeBco7fKJzXYkD8Y-jZczZYxSWJTmPGYIqyHhUdiA/s400/CSA+1364.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CAyzA-em6R8V_lHSH2_4WJ6r66uaZisnYSPMun8REUwZMBBI95KeLlgnI6EgGEzoLZxT7khXWQBGigehSzezop8YzXdgedtCNYQR88-30cQZulGL-M09lkiPhggrFPk4EZO-qNpdTb0/s1600/CSA+1411.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CAyzA-em6R8V_lHSH2_4WJ6r66uaZisnYSPMun8REUwZMBBI95KeLlgnI6EgGEzoLZxT7khXWQBGigehSzezop8YzXdgedtCNYQR88-30cQZulGL-M09lkiPhggrFPk4EZO-qNpdTb0/s640/CSA+1411.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3CD87NA6IN9_ZPiIJli_4crADOibHKXmGQsu9DSg3Y7hcgYksbZGKVyp2RYttw7x98lGx9CCVozW-AP2p-xldYaknsutLteYflsM9HL09oLlIdM6w3kb1b4oJS-ryfm3Vdc1SMMINkY/s1600/CSA+1392.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3CD87NA6IN9_ZPiIJli_4crADOibHKXmGQsu9DSg3Y7hcgYksbZGKVyp2RYttw7x98lGx9CCVozW-AP2p-xldYaknsutLteYflsM9HL09oLlIdM6w3kb1b4oJS-ryfm3Vdc1SMMINkY/s320/CSA+1392.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29giPKUF_SI52ef2OG9dxCbf3kmnI-eFJypL15SScALCrZdJHkI1HEvoEHFFySi_6Xjfb6n7v8N3-XEBAoLhasefdqO1ioEoSg6rwrZa7ap-mAfC_MDTgImyqVs-i7dhAeDjc2109UZw/s1600/CSA+1391.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29giPKUF_SI52ef2OG9dxCbf3kmnI-eFJypL15SScALCrZdJHkI1HEvoEHFFySi_6Xjfb6n7v8N3-XEBAoLhasefdqO1ioEoSg6rwrZa7ap-mAfC_MDTgImyqVs-i7dhAeDjc2109UZw/s320/CSA+1391.jpg" width="240" /></a>The garden is growing, mostly. There are only 5 strawberries left. The asparagus never came up. The summer squash is unhappy with the recent heat. So far, the big success is the mint, which is growing well. There are several bunches drying on the porch.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17b6HsxCzXXA0QXeAnYRe1FemKD9dgZfeRc4EHc3UY6xVjDsLJQN3FIsnP1xm5n_dDJw6weJbnRMGj_Bu11NKXDi21me7MpAnjkKzldm3sESI13z986N2oiP1VPEEK9LCcJEAu3XMFEM/s1600/CSA+1408.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17b6HsxCzXXA0QXeAnYRe1FemKD9dgZfeRc4EHc3UY6xVjDsLJQN3FIsnP1xm5n_dDJw6weJbnRMGj_Bu11NKXDi21me7MpAnjkKzldm3sESI13z986N2oiP1VPEEK9LCcJEAu3XMFEM/s320/CSA+1408.jpg" width="240" /></a> I drooled over kick spindles for a year. There are a few makers of kick spindles out there. <a href="http://www.wspinesfiberandherbs.com/wst_page4.html">This is my favorite.</a> I got lucky and found a used one on one of the Ravelry used equipment boards. I snapped it up. Spinning is supposed to be a zen experience. Relaxing, and a connection to generations of women who spun and created their own yarn. I told myself that I was going to spin 10 minutes a day. That lasted for maybe 4 or 5 days. I don't draft well at all and I don't have the kick motion down. I know I can get this if I practice some more. I could use some meditative, calming activity. I just haven't managed a balance between the kid, garden, soap, and knitting. Maybe when I go on vacation in a few weeks. Or maybe I can find a use for wool rope?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLsp4meKRNItF2zpqC13T2fbIAcAJn0Nsb7mrn2TuZ89sHldaNpr1kSYIpmZUiHU0RgSAzPFIr5zIpz8zNP09DOZl7SFq0p_i4ZjbERFQyAgP06aCqTQdAi9QHvtYSO_saYrJe8YEt6k/s1600/CSA+1410.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLsp4meKRNItF2zpqC13T2fbIAcAJn0Nsb7mrn2TuZ89sHldaNpr1kSYIpmZUiHU0RgSAzPFIr5zIpz8zNP09DOZl7SFq0p_i4ZjbERFQyAgP06aCqTQdAi9QHvtYSO_saYrJe8YEt6k/s640/CSA+1410.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
Now onto blue. We went on the annual trek to <a href="http://www.stansberrypatch.com/">Stan's Berry Patch</a>. Bring on the <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/blueberry-buckle/detail.aspx">Buckle</a>! The farmer made two of them and burned the top of both. I'm the better baker, so I made one. Still burned on top and undercooked on the inside. Whoops. Guess it might be the oven. Turns out that it was set to "broil." He made broiled chicken a couple of weeks ago. I am so glad that we figured it out before we called a repair guy.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsG87YCe-LJd5Nc75r0RclfDICqs7WPhCnuf5o82_h7QE92ned6haVSWHcZT3p4PUTjQHyk1HTidqgdlBUNZ1n4c8MLl-acZV_53NR4J3mYkLzbNyCWZcLwSYd2UWsKYilJzyB2jM3iY/s1600/CSA+1412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsG87YCe-LJd5Nc75r0RclfDICqs7WPhCnuf5o82_h7QE92ned6haVSWHcZT3p4PUTjQHyk1HTidqgdlBUNZ1n4c8MLl-acZV_53NR4J3mYkLzbNyCWZcLwSYd2UWsKYilJzyB2jM3iY/s400/CSA+1412.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CAyzA-em6R8V_lHSH2_4WJ6r66uaZisnYSPMun8REUwZMBBI95KeLlgnI6EgGEzoLZxT7khXWQBGigehSzezop8YzXdgedtCNYQR88-30cQZulGL-M09lkiPhggrFPk4EZO-qNpdTb0/s1600/CSA+1411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-13943294725061849422011-07-27T18:56:00.000-04:002011-07-27T18:56:52.174-04:00America's Next Top Model?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/16249482/005-3_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/69594140/CSA_1374_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/69594140/CSA_1374_medium2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I swear. I let her watch one episode and she has not stopped posing since. The sweater is <a href="http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/bethany/bethany.html">Bethany</a> by the Berroco. I want her to always have a handmade sweater, and she is growing out of her stripes. Stripes is two years old and has served her well.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/16249482/005-3_medium2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/16249482/005-3_medium2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Bethany pattern is a bit problematic. I made a gauge swatch and got knitting. About 4 inches in, I realized that the sweater was coming out HUGE. 56" wide! I went down a size and started over. It only took 2 inches to figure out that it was still too big. I frogged it again and went down another size. I ended up using a size 7 needle and following the pattern size 6 for # of stitches and the 10/12 measurements for length. It is still too wide, but comes across as swingy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/69594000/CSA_1366_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/69594000/CSA_1366_medium2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I got the yarn at AC. Moore in a bag labeled "Cotton Mill Ends." I looked up the address on the bag and I believe the yarn is Patons Grace in the "Sky" colorway. It knit up very nicely and I think it shows off the moss stitch and lace patterns. I'll be hunting the mill ends bins again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/69593619/CSA_1379_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/69593619/CSA_1379_medium2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It took less than a month to make the sweater, which is a record for me. The first time she put it on, kiddo flatly said: "This makes me look fat." Boo. I waited a week and then told her I wanted a few "glamor shots" so I could post it on Ravelry. She was all for that and decided to "sell it." I think she likes it better now. I love it. I love her more.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/69593858/CSA_1381_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/69593858/CSA_1381_medium2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-6014632626737339542011-07-25T21:13:00.000-04:002011-07-25T21:13:14.525-04:00Holey Soap<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxrOwKOBrJuQfVaXmmqDwDoWeIDin92xBuez-_tJCOFSX3a-uFD1fIuHdTID-xIhOJzG92i52zj5zAVJxgb43EfSslBQ7htVgE1kS2etIqf0FMy6j-Por7zE18KM7S1tiuO2ZSCuCsrE/s1600/CSA+1360.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxrOwKOBrJuQfVaXmmqDwDoWeIDin92xBuez-_tJCOFSX3a-uFD1fIuHdTID-xIhOJzG92i52zj5zAVJxgb43EfSslBQ7htVgE1kS2etIqf0FMy6j-Por7zE18KM7S1tiuO2ZSCuCsrE/s400/CSA+1360.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A friend, "D.," won soap as a prize in the Animiguri KAL. She and her daughter are really sensitive to scents, so we agreed that instead of taking soap that is ready, I would make her a batch of unscented goats milk soap with a bit of Aloe. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Milk Soap gets really hot, so I had planned on using my tray molds so that it would have a large surface area to cool it. Except, the Basil Soap is still in there. Stuck. Really, really stuck. I decided to use PVC pipe instead of a box. I wanted it to look really good for her. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">PVC pipe is risky for milk soap because they do not vent heat. But, I have been successful before (maybe I was just lucky) so I decided to try it. I had already delayed more than a week waiting for the Basil Soap to break lose. Milk soap has a 6 week cure, so I didn't feel like I could delay any longer. D won her prize at the end of June, but won't get her soap till the end of August. That does not seem fair. Time to get soaping. There was another small problem. It was 88 degrees out. The house is air conditioned but somehow milk soap in air conditioning never quite works out for me. I decide to go ahead with the project.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96koYXBo-EE26_uTbcCqFC-8mJIFit_8_f7-dMQtU9lEMd7qOIsperbqJ3PlYZmQkh4mLc6ipYEc62YJuJzvQ9s0rklpl0QH6X5x7vdwXM09PTC6L85DP_ZWDOPrC4SM2Hz0uespyfXo/s1600/CSA+1361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The batch traced well and poured smoothly into the mold. Then all hell broke lose. The pipes started steaming. One looked like it was curdling and foaming up. I put them out on the porch and prayed.. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEPrxQa_JHQR28Jwg1fuDUR8dRRtZ_fvfZpjT5EhNMtiUh5F6UmBUc66X93oKcFP8iFZS_tWytXghvSZinWdFDjn_EfdT3tBF8O0sNzf9cobQwxsnx2TwrP3sm0M0-1Vuo8Q20dM23rQ/s1600/CSA+1363.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEPrxQa_JHQR28Jwg1fuDUR8dRRtZ_fvfZpjT5EhNMtiUh5F6UmBUc66X93oKcFP8iFZS_tWytXghvSZinWdFDjn_EfdT3tBF8O0sNzf9cobQwxsnx2TwrP3sm0M0-1Vuo8Q20dM23rQ/s400/CSA+1363.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The next morning the oil that had been floating at the top of the soap was gone. Still, I fully expected that when I finally got to get it out of the mold, oil would pour out. A week later, with the help of the freezer, I was able to break it free of the mold. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It is holey and clearly shows signs or heat stress, but no oil leaked out. I think that it sort of did it's own hot process soap thing. One tunnel went straight through 5 or 6 bars. It is dead center in the circle, which makes sense because that would have been the hottest part of the soap. I decided that the hole would make it the perfect "Soap on a Rope." </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGegdVH_jhkngnH7tZu9cFayQPkZ5B_7XNeNidZk1NklqSRpvzcwHMnC2YITXyrT579sdscwmbmMP5tTq2213ZUyK-We4UuTlq-3JOLE2PhEkYrz6nR3X_XZy7JsptH1tXOIFNI0eF-w/s1600/CSA+1362.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGegdVH_jhkngnH7tZu9cFayQPkZ5B_7XNeNidZk1NklqSRpvzcwHMnC2YITXyrT579sdscwmbmMP5tTq2213ZUyK-We4UuTlq-3JOLE2PhEkYrz6nR3X_XZy7JsptH1tXOIFNI0eF-w/s640/CSA+1362.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The cool thing is that even though it is unscented, it still smells good. It is a clean, soapy, sweet smell. It is not the perfect batch I had hoped for, but I'm still pretty happy with it.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96koYXBo-EE26_uTbcCqFC-8mJIFit_8_f7-dMQtU9lEMd7qOIsperbqJ3PlYZmQkh4mLc6ipYEc62YJuJzvQ9s0rklpl0QH6X5x7vdwXM09PTC6L85DP_ZWDOPrC4SM2Hz0uespyfXo/s1600/CSA+1361.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96koYXBo-EE26_uTbcCqFC-8mJIFit_8_f7-dMQtU9lEMd7qOIsperbqJ3PlYZmQkh4mLc6ipYEc62YJuJzvQ9s0rklpl0QH6X5x7vdwXM09PTC6L85DP_ZWDOPrC4SM2Hz0uespyfXo/s400/CSA+1361.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-8800189657746170392011-07-06T21:22:00.001-04:002011-07-06T21:26:06.299-04:00Farm Update<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_rcqJ2Mr9yKSi5dUaiArINgfKxiP5a_1Py3HkVpxLoq-ugVjvW14tJEI5jNQp9ocu2LhdP1WIFYFmtp5Nd2yulnqhi7M8xW8F7nEZCOgJN3HsufCNe24p7mX47Bs3Y0zkWHyt79f6bk/s1600/CSA+1358.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_rcqJ2Mr9yKSi5dUaiArINgfKxiP5a_1Py3HkVpxLoq-ugVjvW14tJEI5jNQp9ocu2LhdP1WIFYFmtp5Nd2yulnqhi7M8xW8F7nEZCOgJN3HsufCNe24p7mX47Bs3Y0zkWHyt79f6bk/s400/CSA+1358.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There are two yellow squash on the counter. I gave another two away to the neighbor. There are yet another two ready to be picked on the plant. I really want to put them into tomato sauce, but it is too hot for that. Summer irony.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Basil Lavender soap is stuck in the mold. I really don't like being patient. On the up side, it is green!.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKk7KFjWWH-5UEUpjZR30pwIFnNzF2d_VosYqGg20hC8X8FKlFpTsHVDY6iL511nzbDVbpDBqlp3M1L7kMtcDEtfcUTYXdMlF6ZYtCPsxVQREkD3Bzg8rBQzy_PTsfEIozDdCZtUn_YCc/s1600/CSA+1359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKk7KFjWWH-5UEUpjZR30pwIFnNzF2d_VosYqGg20hC8X8FKlFpTsHVDY6iL511nzbDVbpDBqlp3M1L7kMtcDEtfcUTYXdMlF6ZYtCPsxVQREkD3Bzg8rBQzy_PTsfEIozDdCZtUn_YCc/s400/CSA+1359.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm making a sweater for the kiddo. Sweaters take me forever, but I'm making progress.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYudn8FjzPI45CeVUBfIMruNIcsTYKHOvKLzJ20_8cHZQROdvCXMtX6KhdWNN6YD30gPCQ6J4JTPDKE12RuD_nVRRUyUiVf2ES2_7LOf4vQE7wIPWUef8z8TSVIaGrvOr41APn0q3uvs/s1600/CSA+1258.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYudn8FjzPI45CeVUBfIMruNIcsTYKHOvKLzJ20_8cHZQROdvCXMtX6KhdWNN6YD30gPCQ6J4JTPDKE12RuD_nVRRUyUiVf2ES2_7LOf4vQE7wIPWUef8z8TSVIaGrvOr41APn0q3uvs/s400/CSA+1258.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I got a kick spindle. It is really cool and I suck really bad at it. More on that someday.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My piggie won a prize in the KAL! I got to pick a pattern. I chose <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/girasole">Girasole</a>. I have to finish a few things first and then I am ALL OVER that pattern. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8LkR7JwJGeEeINf-A2NnCXBARS_e1B5x4Q30X6DR7gJ_YrOP23YRxG6qA3A2LuysfOXBi01EmBdjDcJEfHPb1ScQbhWsrn7zOUe3fGrhoRGJtc17tysFH7WFSFgCIv8fnzq22Tlg_hw/s1600/CSA+1334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8LkR7JwJGeEeINf-A2NnCXBARS_e1B5x4Q30X6DR7gJ_YrOP23YRxG6qA3A2LuysfOXBi01EmBdjDcJEfHPb1ScQbhWsrn7zOUe3fGrhoRGJtc17tysFH7WFSFgCIv8fnzq22Tlg_hw/s400/CSA+1334.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Do you think I can make up a purse pattern? I want to make the </span><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lucy-bag" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Lucy Bag</a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> but the pattern is only available for sale at yarn stores. First off, I am too cheap to buy it when there are thousands of wonderful free patterns. Second, I try to stay out of yarn stores. I love them, but it's not in the budget at the moment. I was thinking that I could modif</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">y </span><a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter03/PATTfrenchmarket.html" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Knitty's French Market Basket</a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">. I love that pattern. Make it narrower, deeper, and one handle a lot shorter. I can do that. I think. Someday.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-28910741229108978502011-07-05T22:04:00.000-04:002011-07-05T22:04:21.540-04:00The Spa at Bird in Hand<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1x2DLiG-wpgB6Ct3tuhXQE8tjDppNa3hK0jfOew2YPLBZgOt6N-fvqrlx2e9UZ0KKpMOfX485HoFXu8edslxZVUdRo7kYG6awwkQrwhZBJ700fKw55F8PsESQ8-sCcBX4_DK9wD84do/s1600/CSA+1351.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1x2DLiG-wpgB6Ct3tuhXQE8tjDppNa3hK0jfOew2YPLBZgOt6N-fvqrlx2e9UZ0KKpMOfX485HoFXu8edslxZVUdRo7kYG6awwkQrwhZBJ700fKw55F8PsESQ8-sCcBX4_DK9wD84do/s400/CSA+1351.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXjOm1BvmibvlS2GnpzoenlXB0InDKkwqk8Mt3zYBqw7noX5BY48HuCmoXe0LPdCEhHbCdR1RjaEGahsnxVBsWJO63jOapIWncRhdqLlaudpxKyvC3JsoFYboDlyvFFFpLCKTsr9Gj4o/s1600/CSA+1352.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXjOm1BvmibvlS2GnpzoenlXB0InDKkwqk8Mt3zYBqw7noX5BY48HuCmoXe0LPdCEhHbCdR1RjaEGahsnxVBsWJO63jOapIWncRhdqLlaudpxKyvC3JsoFYboDlyvFFFpLCKTsr9Gj4o/s200/CSA+1352.jpg" width="150" /></a>We opened a spa. Well, Sweet Pea did. The <i>Hoo La La Spa</i>. And, no I did not make a spelling error. It's on the sign. I wish you could read it better. I swear that is what it says.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: right;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0061915254&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>She was inspired by the book: <u>Fancy Nancy ~ Ohh La La! It's Beauty Day!</u><i> </i>by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser. She and her Daddy did a great job transforming the porch.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She offers facials, manicures, pedicures, make up and hair styling.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She decided against the mashed banana facial treatment. (Phew!) She wanted to know why, in the book, there were pickles on the mom's eyes. I told it was okay to skip the cucumbers. Thank goodness we don't have pickles! She used my <i>Oil of Olay</i> and did a nice massage. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47IFSYDNFC5IqUJu6RI1qcY3LRY9TQmvHQ1EXWHkVhW8V04Vub8HlbtCQ5baItJXf-vf57YoLwFPp2tiJRpKmsOTq4dXJ0v-zhUluROeUT3zMdo1GjKIpBf2QIYxgdVqAIJtMiCReQ_U/s1600/CSA+1353.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47IFSYDNFC5IqUJu6RI1qcY3LRY9TQmvHQ1EXWHkVhW8V04Vub8HlbtCQ5baItJXf-vf57YoLwFPp2tiJRpKmsOTq4dXJ0v-zhUluROeUT3zMdo1GjKIpBf2QIYxgdVqAIJtMiCReQ_U/s400/CSA+1353.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She did my manicure. My nails look pretty in pink! </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr7Vkg_d7qhEWMnHZDkVqXZ96-gQA7J3PbjcUpNsWkd5w-PDGw63h6n7pqo_cxYeXMqsy6S3h9SbG6JjCmzawh33oYOkuIDlhWAbgt4HMPE4mwF5iOnGE9J2gacXpfpVVhB_IoS-OX08/s1600/CSA+1348.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr7Vkg_d7qhEWMnHZDkVqXZ96-gQA7J3PbjcUpNsWkd5w-PDGw63h6n7pqo_cxYeXMqsy6S3h9SbG6JjCmzawh33oYOkuIDlhWAbgt4HMPE4mwF5iOnGE9J2gacXpfpVVhB_IoS-OX08/s400/CSA+1348.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Then it was time for a foot soak. She played "relaxing" music on her keyboard. After the soak, she got to pick out a bright pink for my toe nails.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrEfIsPh98BEOF6hOjcCPU_qTVuqWBeNdtBSnFCwJ74QCBTTOK9kfnhaiukBXm02hzwxzUJEe-OBkqEqYeWLlRE9E9CW3lZ_wHJbrAK7I2mOKRftaskMOnqRMoBRwqYvc9JIFG8CaRGo/s1600/CSA+1355.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrEfIsPh98BEOF6hOjcCPU_qTVuqWBeNdtBSnFCwJ74QCBTTOK9kfnhaiukBXm02hzwxzUJEe-OBkqEqYeWLlRE9E9CW3lZ_wHJbrAK7I2mOKRftaskMOnqRMoBRwqYvc9JIFG8CaRGo/s400/CSA+1355.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She did my make up in sparkles, No pictures here. Never will be. Then, she brushed out and styled my hair while I looked at fancy magazines, which happened to be <i>Quilters Newsletter</i> from May 2004.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr7Vkg_d7qhEWMnHZDkVqXZ96-gQA7J3PbjcUpNsWkd5w-PDGw63h6n7pqo_cxYeXMqsy6S3h9SbG6JjCmzawh33oYOkuIDlhWAbgt4HMPE4mwF5iOnGE9J2gacXpfpVVhB_IoS-OX08/s1600/CSA+1348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBANyaXHdUFrBRslAMV31QZ0S4HPgLY1X5JgVhOACxJSkE-p5nkrNbuN8B7GVK3y35oQDNASpXHfmB5v6tmWlkbxurMUssyVj5b9OfDt6yoNV4sC61vPpiEB_kh9WO8rI00P5yJy0wRE/s1600/CSA+1349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmLsZZ5szsbLlxdDagIQN8p5O6zP4oR9v_qtr2RH8drdG_6sB9g5dnU7fg7uOWwu3aryoMTv0Wlsc24LG92sE1xOkXwZcXw_kPrynD-pWHRbeWYusvW_QyHB7MP04LWxY8BKxpw7NlJw/s1600/CSA+1356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmLsZZ5szsbLlxdDagIQN8p5O6zP4oR9v_qtr2RH8drdG_6sB9g5dnU7fg7uOWwu3aryoMTv0Wlsc24LG92sE1xOkXwZcXw_kPrynD-pWHRbeWYusvW_QyHB7MP04LWxY8BKxpw7NlJw/s640/CSA+1356.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hours are by appointment only. Book yours today!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-1498863234331086062011-07-02T22:11:00.000-04:002011-07-02T22:11:32.021-04:00Basil Oil<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsonsqE0aXNV6Szn3qUnLMKFE-fcwy-ImxHpZz6cL9aPmH4Qw04JNBC9ggqHe4lTrtidxkcz8GDNrclH7TNvVKtxk2A4Oc-Av4Jps-kzaP2ig-BpLPpWFs7aOxXGDIBI_6C0VMmnKFu0/s1600/CSA+1347.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsonsqE0aXNV6Szn3qUnLMKFE-fcwy-ImxHpZz6cL9aPmH4Qw04JNBC9ggqHe4lTrtidxkcz8GDNrclH7TNvVKtxk2A4Oc-Av4Jps-kzaP2ig-BpLPpWFs7aOxXGDIBI_6C0VMmnKFu0/s400/CSA+1347.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have been thinking about making basil soap this summer. But first I had to somehow infuse basil into oil. I looked up a few recipes. I followed the one from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/basil-oil-10000000635699/">My Recipes</a> in the hopes that heating the oil will help it infuse more. I also let it sit overnight before straining. I had been worried that I would not have a cup and half of basil leaves. As it turns out, I had about 4.5 cups so I made a triple batch. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It worked! Now, let's see if it works in soap...</span> <div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYimehYNMvvzMXw4XIfbfeOO0QZTGSR-oVE2k-LPQVTBgMDnq6HnT2jB1eNVF87FbHhPDqtVxESHiiPmgoqHyNaQcNKxh-DL4iAoBbjIYbgjc1baajD4wzNxfvWwMpQRgxo5Y53YQq8ik/s1600/CSA+1342.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYimehYNMvvzMXw4XIfbfeOO0QZTGSR-oVE2k-LPQVTBgMDnq6HnT2jB1eNVF87FbHhPDqtVxESHiiPmgoqHyNaQcNKxh-DL4iAoBbjIYbgjc1baajD4wzNxfvWwMpQRgxo5Y53YQq8ik/s640/CSA+1342.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I could not find my produce basket...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulLHzVEpJNHn8i7VDnRVTGtF8qfGjuOSRyEQlmSnI3Y8-Li9elmdaplifEj1HHxDbDnIZrVwbz6_HQ12v5A2k5ECKOptIxtlV4H6nt8jlajgqzN1QLDJFd2PeN0wpyLL3s0j5lJpcGPc/s1600/CSA+1343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulLHzVEpJNHn8i7VDnRVTGtF8qfGjuOSRyEQlmSnI3Y8-Li9elmdaplifEj1HHxDbDnIZrVwbz6_HQ12v5A2k5ECKOptIxtlV4H6nt8jlajgqzN1QLDJFd2PeN0wpyLL3s0j5lJpcGPc/s640/CSA+1343.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It filled the blender!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEpVDTPKiktORIJltkFsN5rfvhVpjDjkgZQycsCNOkCnONayHfiTztNZgfCKPXaTLU8JaJbOub7ltMhArnJfwgXOaj1dQN_1aUCmdfV22WIyvCOnxzcgWgFdZ-JmL0FOPrYVv0LW95es/s1600/CSA+1345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEpVDTPKiktORIJltkFsN5rfvhVpjDjkgZQycsCNOkCnONayHfiTztNZgfCKPXaTLU8JaJbOub7ltMhArnJfwgXOaj1dQN_1aUCmdfV22WIyvCOnxzcgWgFdZ-JmL0FOPrYVv0LW95es/s400/CSA+1345.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The leaves left behind. That's a coffee filter under there.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwwji7UemFVuqYBwM4EVaQrLvhVCbx-I14j5NtmrfNaJhs1YRY3dCp0fLbdPbjhyACYS5IyMdyCADPdQdo2PESzm5GhszcmUqGDQ9o3lf1pN-rneuuYUuqtP1_sOA2-wrxyMJ9SX2-6o/s1600/CSA+1346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwwji7UemFVuqYBwM4EVaQrLvhVCbx-I14j5NtmrfNaJhs1YRY3dCp0fLbdPbjhyACYS5IyMdyCADPdQdo2PESzm5GhszcmUqGDQ9o3lf1pN-rneuuYUuqtP1_sOA2-wrxyMJ9SX2-6o/s400/CSA+1346.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green!</td></tr>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448634328797362513.post-21892687382082126302011-06-27T07:27:00.000-04:002011-06-27T07:27:57.954-04:00Juggling Pigs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/66687744/CSA_1329_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://images4.ravelrycache.com/uploads/Sarajewel/66687744/CSA_1329_medium2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What is the deal with the mandatory present for your child anytime you go away? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYrUsBHJY3QFkpp3KgsshjIEVQ_LKyI7mr9zzaxm6Pz08YHjkogeQrB0qhKb-EIkId31qDFexmTpbxy_63HRUQQCQp0orRcqmctXGMU2zfDpc4C3-Z0c0yB8KxbPzppTFtCTB_YIVVgM/s1600/CSA+1336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I traveled to Houston for work last week. I did not buy the kid a present while I was there. She is with Grandma this week,so she does not know that yet. When I went to Vegas for work last fall, she asked for a Barbie doll. I was limited in where I could go, but I looked hard for a Barbie-type doll. I struck out. I wound up buying her a Stewardess doll in the airport.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I flew to Houston on Wednesday and back home on Friday. The hotel was not in a location where I could walk to shopping and honestly after spending the day with 200+ people, I really don't want to go shopping. One of my peers did and said really all she found were things that she could purchase at home. She probably wound up picking up something for her kids at the airport. I thought that was my plan too. I knew I was going to have a 2+ hour layover in Atlanta so I held off, thinking I could pick up something for Sweet Pea then. Then thunderstorms hit Atlanta. My plane circled around for almost an hour before diverting to Montgomery, AL to refuel. Then, we sat on the ground in Montgomery for almost 3 hours. Good news: my flight to Syracuse was also delayed almost four hours. Bad news: after 10pm, everything in the airport is closed. I got home at 3:30 am. No present.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Then next day once I finally came to, a friend put up a reminder post that there were only 5 days left in the amigurumi challenge. She posted pics of cute, fluffy, mini creatures. She also posted a link for 3 pages of projects that you could make with 50 yards or less of yarn. I clicked the link.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXY0wIBmP_F1NN64EmmcKlbg_yt3gcENAjDKdPHRLAuo2IFwovBGwRSBwL5SoOJe8ydd5xjBe5gaXnafgumIplOXPQOWLp54UWLkuJvO1ss3E3AXNP97kUD_uUlKfg5IMztbwAbcwTd7Y/s1600/CSA+1341.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXY0wIBmP_F1NN64EmmcKlbg_yt3gcENAjDKdPHRLAuo2IFwovBGwRSBwL5SoOJe8ydd5xjBe5gaXnafgumIplOXPQOWLp54UWLkuJvO1ss3E3AXNP97kUD_uUlKfg5IMztbwAbcwTd7Y/s640/CSA+1341.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I ended up making a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/juggling-pigs">Juggling Pig.</a> After about row 17, the pattern becomes a bit confusing. I didn't purl anything or turn and just followed the decreases. I picked up 5 stitches and decreased on the first and last two stitches of the front side to make the pointy ears. I did slip stitch crochet to make the curly tails. The snout is over-stitching. The yarn is the pink yarn that kiddo and I Kool-aid died over Christmas break. They are stuffed with white northern beans.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZFGIxAY0sYFR7urnnaYbMuoNtXoXFNCsCyOo4hmc9xe44o6xpVYyng_TNHJ_iFTWLKNVKFuQui12Tzt-BpPea8GLOUbfP0fMtEIZf3nZWsgpXd7meqjOCIfX4NPN3l5xoRwM00sTZkA/s1600/CSA+1334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZFGIxAY0sYFR7urnnaYbMuoNtXoXFNCsCyOo4hmc9xe44o6xpVYyng_TNHJ_iFTWLKNVKFuQui12Tzt-BpPea8GLOUbfP0fMtEIZf3nZWsgpXd7meqjOCIfX4NPN3l5xoRwM00sTZkA/s400/CSA+1334.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I think that these little guys are cooler than almost anything I could buy in an airport. Learning how to juggle with the kid will be a new adventure.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTd5XKB5kUiT5ebOeB1DW_Y3dhq1eECe8iGFqTKQGr2F3gxUcoAFjrB3MWjrmmve7toUcNid8SuOLjVAl_-f9ko4yxJwrwYv5_IxTYwatKj2_J2j-y8DG9vvEE8QgOm5XQ7KxHyUMbSKI/s1600/CSA+1335.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTd5XKB5kUiT5ebOeB1DW_Y3dhq1eECe8iGFqTKQGr2F3gxUcoAFjrB3MWjrmmve7toUcNid8SuOLjVAl_-f9ko4yxJwrwYv5_IxTYwatKj2_J2j-y8DG9vvEE8QgOm5XQ7KxHyUMbSKI/s400/CSA+1335.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2