Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Wordless Wednesday

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Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Magic Day and Wishful Thinking


Once upon a time, in the land of make believe and wishful thinking, there was a woman who believed in Magic Day. She was sure there was a special day where she would get all of her housework done by crinkling her nose. She was certain she could lose weight just by buying diet books and joining a club whether or not she actually did any thing else. She loved books and believed just by having them around her might make her smarter even if she didn't read them. "Osmosis works" seemed to be her motto.

Well in fact, her stack of books on clutter-busting and speed-cleaning had only added to the clutter and the need to dust more things. Purchasing a diet book and then reading it while enjoying a latte and a chocolate pastry (fantastic as they were) will not help the cause of losing her extra fairy pounds. Even her wonderful knitting and cookbooks seemed to be more about dreaming than living in reality.

So, how does this fairytale end? I've been trying to figure this one out for decades. I'm trying to get it through my, I mean...er...uh...her head that there is no Magic Day. This is it. One day at a time. (Hello Valerie Bertenelli.) So, this procrastination fairy needs a good swift kick in the heinie to get her started just like a horse. Wish me luck, she's one tough cookie. Mmm, cookies. Oh, man this is gonna be hard.

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Sunday, February 25, 2007

And the Oscar goes to...

Well, I don't know yet but I'll be watching tonight. The Oscars are a bit of a holiday in our house believe it or not. In years past, I've invited people over for a little party. I serve food inspired by each movie and usually try to have people dress either as a character or in the spirit of the movie or just get gussied up a bit. I would have had Kentucky Fried Chicken for "Little Miss Sunshine"(they ate it in one of the first scenes), English Breakfast tea with scones for "The Queen", potatoes for "The Departed" (Irish mafia), rice balls for "Letters from Iwo Jima" and some sort of mixed vegetable or casserole for "Babel"(lots of different stories coming together), but for various reasons it just didn't happen this year. Well, the Hollywood Holy Day is here and the hour is almost nigh. Happy Oscar everyone!

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Friday, February 23, 2007

FO and Knitter Conversations


I have an actual FO* in my possesstion. The sweater for Buttons was found in this book, but I used different yarn in a different gauge and fused two patterns together to come up with this (with help from some knitting buddies). So, much like many of my meals, I don't think I could make this sweater again exactly the same way. I also realized when I put it on Buttons I need to redo the neck and since I haven't actually done that yet, I guess it's still a UFO**. (Buttons has a large melon and I actually cut the neck to make it fit.)

I went to a knitting group last night and laughed so hard. I wonder if non-knitters (The Yarn Harlot calls them Muggles) think that knitters just sit around and talk about needles and wool when they get together. Well, I think we talked a bit about patterns, needles and yarn, but the conversations were all over the board and if you were there last night at our local bookstore, I aplogize if our laughter or our crazy topics interrupted your quiet time.

Thanks to Marsha, we broached the subject of scrotum and banned books. One of the knitters misheard one of the conversations of the evening and thought we were talking about dog condoms ?!? We discussed the coverage (or lack thereof) of wearing a thong under the gear to teach an aerobics class just in case the seam rips on your bum. Teaching children about body parts was discussed and one of our knitters told us that when she was born, her older brothers watched one of her diaper changes and the younger brother said "where did her wee-wee go" and the older brother came back with "Stupid, she's a baby...it hasn't grown in yet".

One of the husbands suggested we do a podcast of our knitting group because we have such a good time, but I don't think we'd be willing to be quite that public about our tales. However, if you knit, I highly suggest forming a group. If you don't knit, start. And then form a group. We haven't known each other for too long, but we've shared stories of joy, sadness and sometimes we even talk about knitting. I feel lucky to belong to this group of women.

*FO: Finished Object.
**UFO: Unfinished Object

(The picture of Buttons is just a little bonus. She loves to paint and just in case you couldn't tell, that's a butterfly she's painting.)

Tales of the weigh-in to come later...

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Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Wordless Wednesday

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Tuesday, February 20, 2007

SP10 Questionnaire

Well, my last Secret Pal (9) went so well that I've decided to do Secret Pal 10 (SP10). Kathy from bread_and_circulars was my spoiler from SP9 and now I'm truly spoiled for my next spoiler! Robin from Yarn Crawl was my spoilee and she was a whole lotta fun to spoil. So, if you want to participate, you need to have a blog, be a knitter or crocheter, be willing to spend $60 on someone you've never met and post 4 times per month and one of those posts needs to be related to crocheting, knitting or fiber. Without further ado, I present my SP10 questionnaire (many of the answers were taken straight from my SP9 questionnaire) ...

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love soft wool, merino and alpaca. I also enjoy working with cotton blends. I'm interested in unique fibers like bamboo and silk blends as well. I'm not a big fan of acrylic unless it's added to something else to make it washable, or soft. I used to work in a yarn store and I confess, I'm a bit of a yarn snob.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a Lantern Moon "wrap" for my straight needles, a case with zippered pouches for circulars and dpn's, along with the hard cover case that came with my Denise needles.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? My husband bought lessons for me approximately 4 years ago and I knit with my teacher and several others twice a month. I guess I'd put myself in the advanced beginner, beginning intermediate category. I have much to learn.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes! I will be happy to share that information upon request, Secret Pal.

5. What's your favorite scent? I love lavender but I also enjoy vanilla, lemon verbena, cinnamon. However, when it comes to flowery I'm not such a fan unless it's a really good quality jasmine or lilac.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Does a knitter like yarn? Uh, yes I have a sweet tooth and I go crazy for good quality chocolates like Knipschild or Belgian confections of any sort. However, I'm pretty darn happy with a Hershey bar too.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I don't spin and for right now, it doesn't interest me to do it. I love to take photos and I'm hoping to get back into doing some simple scrapbooks as well.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Oh, music, music, music! Yes, I am MP3 capable. I really love world music especially (but not limited to) African and Cuban music. I'm always looking for Chinese music as well. My taste varies, but I like anything from Erasure to Joan Armatrading, REM to Ella Fitzgerald, Abba to Indigo Girls, The Beatles to the Doors, movie soundtracks to Broadway soundtracks. I'm not too into country, although I think Patsy Cline is a goddess and rap ain't my thang although there have been some songs that I enjoy. I enjoy classical and opera, but unfortunately not very knowledgeable about either.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I tend to stick to cool colors like blues, greens, purples and pinks for my wardrobe. I also like most reds as well. Although I enjoy them, extreme muted tones never look good on me (not that my knitting is all about me) but I would be willing to try them. I guess I'd say nothing too over the top for me like bright orange or super uggo green. The main floor of my home is done in butter yellow with sage green and has a little bit of red thrown in for good measure. My bedroom is a deep shade of lavender.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Hubby, daughter "Buttons" and our fluffy grey cat "Dee Dee".

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? It depends on my mood and concentration level. For mindless knitting, I go for scarves and washcloths. A little more fun is hats and felted handbags. I really liked knitting the stocking for Buttons along with a recent sweater for her.

13. What are you knitting right now? My first pair of socks (toe-up), a felted hat, a Wallaby sweater for Buttons, a sleeveless shell for me, a washcloth, and probably 3 other things I can't remember.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes, please!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I like the versatility of circular, however, the Lantern Moon straight needles make me a bit weak in the knees. I love my set of Denise Needles, but in general bamboo are my favorite. Iused Addi Turbos (Size 9, 16") on Buttons' stocking and really enjoyed working with them.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No, but there's always hope, right?

17. How old is your oldest UFO? Maybe 2 and a half years?

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Trying to simplify, but I just love knitting books and cook books. Recipes for yarn and food. I also enjoy Christmas ornaments, especially miniature knit items for the tree.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I'm interested in "Scarf Style" and "The Purl Stitch" and any book by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I would love a subscription to Interweave as well. I'm on a "stash diet" right now, so I'm not allowed to purchase yarn, but may receive it as a gift. (Ah, loopholes.) As far as needles go, Lantern Moon straight needles in a size 7 (short) would be a luxurious way to make washcloths. 16" Addi Turbos in any size between 5 and 15 (except 9) would be a lovely way to make a hat.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd love to get better at finishing. I come to the end and then just seize up and hope I somehow figure it out through osmosis.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Gosh, I guess I am a sock knitter. However, I don't know my measurements. I'm around a size 7 1/2 shoe and the width of my foot is probably a bit above average.

23. When is your birthday? Late November.

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Sunday, February 18, 2007

Happy New Year!



















Today begins the year of the pig! We're celebrating at a huge party our adoption agency gives every year and many of the families who traveled to China with us will be there. Here's a picture from last year's celebration. (This is one of my favorite pics of Buttons.) I did a little search and found some recipes here and some information here and here. Buttons is a big fan of this book and when we started to talk about "CNY" she exclaimed joyfully "I eat dumplings"! Gosh, hope they have dumplings at the party.

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Friday, February 16, 2007

Good News, Not So Good News

First, thank you for the wonderful comments on my previous post. I felt very unsure of myself in the moment trying to think on my feet and it was wonderful to hear such good things.

In Good News...

We have a computer (thanks Hubby!).
We didn't lose info from computer.
Hubby's brother is visiting this weekend and joining us for our annual Chinese New Year celebration.
Buttons and I have just been having a great time together and it just feels like she truly enjoys having me for her Mama. (That feels good, especially when she needs a 'time out'.)
Buttons' sweater has been completed.

In Not So Good News...

Found out my mom was in the hospital overnight for chest pains and she didn't call me. (She's ok and promised to call next time she was admitted to a hospital, right mom?)
I have fallen off the wagon ever since returning from CA with my Future M.I.L.F. plan and couldn't even bear to look at the scales. (Help please!)
The neck on the sweater for Buttons needs to be redone to be a bit bigger as my girl has a mighty big noggin'.

That's it for now. I didn't have anything cohesive to say, but I missed blogging, so I had to put down something. The picture represents 3 things I love. Hubby & Buttons and then food. I must work on a healthy love for the lover that feels so good and then weighs so bad. Have a great weekend and send some good appetite suppressant mojo my way, would ja?

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Saturday, February 10, 2007

Already?

Well, thanks to this book we began the birds and bees discussion today. Buttons pulled it off the library shelves and it looked innocent enough, but it's all about animals and their reproducing behaviors. So, when I showed her the pregnant sea horse father, the explainin' began. I thought this would begin a bit later, so I stumbled a bit to find the right words. We also have the extra adoption piece that I thought needed to be discussed while we were on the subject. (We've talked about her birth in China and the fact that we went to China to bring her home, but this conversation went a bit further.)

This is an approximation of how the discussion went...

Me: Actually Buttons, babies usually grow in the mama's belly. Er, uh, it's called a womb actually. Can you say womb?

Buttons: "Ellie" (a friend who's pregnant with her 2nd) has a baby in her belly too!

Me: Yes, that's right. She's going to have a little boy or girl.

Buttons: A boy! Buttons wants baby in her sto...er...uh...stomach too!!!

Me: Well, you'll have to wait until you get older for that.

Hubby: (In next room) Not until you're out of high school!

Me: So, uh, um...Buttons you grew inside of another woman's belly, not Mama's.

Buttons looks under my shirt.

Me: Some mothers can't have babies grow in their tummies. The woman who gave birth to you couldn't take care of you, so your Baba and I became your parents and we'll always take care of you and be your Mama and Baba.

Hubby: (Now in the room with us) We are your parents for always and we love each other very much.

Buttons hugs us both very tightly.

She talks very frequently throughout the evening about wanting to have a baby in her belly.

Now that I'm posting, I think of various things I wanted to get across to her. The woman who carried her loved her very much too. (How could she not?) Although I would have loved to carry her inside of me for 9 months, I know she would have been a different person and I love her for everything she is. I want her to know if she decides to have a child someday, that she should at least consider adoption because man, it's an awesome and wonderful gift.

Yeah, I know this is a conversation we'll be having again and again. There will be questions and sometimes I'll even have answers. There will be tough discussions and painful feelings. I'm certain that we'll be talking about this together for the rest of our lives. I just didn't realize it would start this evening before she's even two and a half years old. Big step. Big breath.

The weigh-in? Yeah, I'm stable after going to California. Oh well.

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Thursday, February 08, 2007

Oh Fudge

Only we didn't say fudge. Our home computer is dead and we're about ready to take it to the field. Hubby is very good at fixing these things, but to no avail. I'm currently on his work laptop to post and say I'm not sure when I'll be back to posting. I'm sure it will be a few days. What did we ever do before these things? I guess I will be knitting more and maybe even (gasp) housework! Well, I'll return when I'm able. Till then, I may have to rent Office Space or 2001: A Space Odyssey or any other movie where computers are the enemy and they get what's coming to them.

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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Wordless Wednesday

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Friday, February 02, 2007

Long Distance Friday Non Weigh-In

How's that for a title? I don't have a scale here, but I'm guessing I'm probably hovering a net gain/loss of zero. I'm walking around like crazy, not snacking too much, but on vacation in a place I used to call home, I definitely want to have a little bit of all my favorite foods. Oh, shall I name them? I'll give a small sampling to all you foodies out there. Churro's, fish tacos, seafood, the pesto/basil/arugula/cheese sandwich and chocolate roule from Bread & Cie, mexican food and then there's the $12 margaritas I had last night that made me quite happy and made Hubby laugh. Buttons and I were pretty much on the same level, laughing with each other for no reason at all. Yes, we've walked on the beach, toured the San Diego Zoo and Disneyland, but the food has been a delight. I am realizing on this trip how closely I associate food and feelings. Oh yes, I was aware that they were related, but I had no idea they were conjoined twins. Mental note: Find new ways to make memories other than food related.

Hope all the other future MILF's are doing well. I shall go read their blogs now...

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