Happy New Year!

 Dear Mom,

The Best is Yet to Come!
Happy New Year!

Love,
Kim

Tis The Season?

Dear Mom,

I hope I am not the only one who is this spaced out, ditsy, preoccupied. The Young Lady would say I am "riding the Struggle Bus".

• I just texted you with a message meant for My Hero. Like my SMART PHONE should have known who the message was meant for without me telling it.
• My Hero just hollered to let me know the tea kettle was ready. Manohman, it wasn't just whistling, it was ANGRY. 
• And then, after allowing that tea to steep in Big Brown Betty, I almost put a dog treat into my cup rather than a sugar cube. Thank goodness some part of my brain was paying attention.

I am quietly retreating to my Sweet Haven to knit something simple.  I dare not touch my loom.

Love, 

Kim

Happy Independence Day!

Dear Mom,

I firmly believe in celebrating our Independence, and remembering, with gratitude, the sacrifice, bravery, dedication, inspiration and FAITH of our Founding Fathers (and Mothers) as they drafted and printed that Declaration which "brought forth on this continent, a new nation". God Bless America,  land that I love!

Unfortunately, for Olive, this is the night that the sky is falling.

 Actually, it has been falling in little pieces all week.
Tonight will be bad. Tomorrow (after all those fireworks go on sale at clearance prices) will be worse.

We have the Thundershirt ready.
We have extra strength prescription meds from the veterinarian.

Even with these interventions a panting, trembling Olive will be glued to my side. We'll either need to build a blanket fort over the dining room table for shelter, or go to bed before sunset, turn on the tv for white noise, and hide under the covers. I'll have a flashlight and a good book.
Love,
Kim

Happy New Year

Dear Mom,

First this happened:

On December 4th, Olive had surgery on both elbows. We are now over halfway through her 8 weeks of restricted activity. We've become much too familiar with and very good at elbow surgeries and recoveries and pain pill schedules. I am happy to report that Olive is doing very well. She wore The Donut of Despair only until the sutures were removed. Had she needed it through Christmas I would have put red bows on it and disguised it as a wreath. I hope we never need that thing again (and according to the vets, there is no reason to think we will), but it was worth every penny and much friendlier than the Cone of Shame. We give the ProCollar two thumbs and four paws up.

Then this:

My Most Favorite Little Boy saw the moose and called it a Reindeer!

And then a WHOLE LOTTA this:

And then before I could get Christmas put away, there has been way too much of this:

My Hero brought it home (and by IT I don't mean the Lysol) and I took him to the doctor. Technically NotTheFlu, (no fever), and too late for Tamiflu,- and let me interrupt my story right here and say that pretty much you need to get into the doctor to get that Tamiflu prescription about 3 minutes after you start thinking that maybe you might be getting sick, because 48 hours later is too late- the physician's assistant reassured me that the rest of the family was probably safe since we'd been living with him and had all remained symptom free and Tamiflu is in such short supply that they don't prescribe it as a preventive for the people living with The Influenza. You do see where this is going, don't you? 

Fast forward 2 days. My Hero feels back to normal. 

I do not. Happy New Year.

I decide to make the most of it and indulge myself in a day in bed, with hot tea, and knitting, and books, and Downton Abbey on my iPad. It was almost a vacation.

I woke the next morning feeling really good. Patting myself on the back for kicking it to the curb, and toasting the power of Emergen-C with my fresh pot of tea that morning, I showered and dressed and had a pleasant day. Turns out this NotTheFlu bug is a tricky devil. I woke up in the middle of the night aching all over. I could feel my toe nails and my hair hurt. This next day in bed was not quite as fun as that first day. 

Yesterday I was well enough to round up the troops and finally get Christmas put away while there were still needles left on the tree. And then I needed a nap so I could fix dinner. And then another nap so I could  stay up for Downton Abbey.

The worst of it is behind me. I hope. And we've managed to keep NotTheFlu contained to just the two of us, although I am holding my breath on that one.

While convalescing, I read two very different books. Each inspiring and intimidating in their own way. The first- Bread & Wine is inspiring and amusing and scattered with recipes and realistic entertaining advice. I am not as free spirited as the author but I did like it that she admits to things like a dirty house and fights with her pants. The second book- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is good for inspiring a person to clear out the clutter, and was worth it for the folding clothes lesson, but it is not a book for making a person me feel good about her hobbies. Let's just say that reading Susan Branch's Happy New Year post did wonders for making me feel like I might be normal.  

I did go on a KonMari folding spree when I had the strength to get out of bed.  

Look at this drawer! 

And seriously would you look at that empty space! That is an empty space in. my. top. drawer! The beauty of this method- the author has named it the KonMari method, a combination of her first and last names- is that I can see all my shirts and can take any one without disturbing the others.  

Such was my inspiration that I went on to do the sweaters in my closet.

Disclaimer: I did this on Friday. I spent Saturday and Sunday in my pajamas, basically, and Today is the first day I've needed anything out of the closet or that drawer. So far the system is working, but it has not really been tested yet. 

So what next? I've been working on a new hat pattern. It was moving along but body aches and charted fair isle are not good partners. I started this cardigan, but I know I am sick when I don't feel like knitting, and that is sort of what happened yesterday. 

Simplifying to make room for Happy Pursuits is my theme for 2015. With that in mind, this is the next book to have found me. 

I'm not far in and already know that I won't be taking anything even close to this extreme, but the author is funny and I have a feeling I can learn some valuable lessons. At the very least, her experiment is an interesting one to read about.

Be warm, be well. 

Love,

Kim

The Irony

Dear Mom,
My dining room.

The clutter mocks me.

Love,
Kim

Happy Halloween

Dear Mom,
Last night, My Hero and our Young Lady teamed up again this year to carve pumpkins. Needless to say, they are pretty pleased with their efforts!

They loved the Minions from Despicable Me 2 and have been planning their pumpkins for weeks.
Love,
Kim

A Few of My Favorite Things

brown paper packages tied up with string...
these are a few of my favorite things

Dear Mom,

I love these quiet days after Christmas.
The reward for surviving all the preparation and frenzy of the weeks before.
And a well-timed snow storm gave us an extra day and a very good excuse to stay home and relax.

On Christmas morning, we had waffles made from scratch. Far more delicious and more filling than the Bisquick waffles that are so easy to make.



Olive has been entertained  obsessed distracted  occupied by the squirrels on the bird feeder. Back and forth from the window to the back door. Desperately wanting to get those varmints when she is on the inside, then sloooowwwlly stalking them when she gets outside. Sneaking up on them, getting with in a few feet of them..... and then freezing in place. Waiting for them to make the next move. Or maybe giving them a chance to escape, because maybe she knows she really doesn't want to catch one!

The Amaryllis is just beginning to bloom. 

It almost looks artificial.

And a gift opening itself after all the other gifts have been opened.

This photo was taken through a window blurred by melting snow-

the cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and squirrels are striking in their beauty.

Like Olive, I can't help but stop everything to watch them.

Love,

Kim

Worth Reading!

Dear Mom,
I want to shout a great big AMEN! to this post! 
Love,
Kim

Giving Thanks

Dear Mom,
The next few days will probably be too busy with pies baking, turkey roasting, and everyone home, so I am seizing what may be my last quiet moment to share a deliciously simple recipe.
This one came from our favorite, and now, very sadly, closed, gift and tea room, Helio's.
Helio's was the scene of countless birthday lunches, just because lunches, and the traditional day after Thanksgiving mother/sister lunch. It is the place my Young Lady called "The Tea Party Store". It was a place filled with the sound of happy female chatter and laughter. And many good memories.

Helio's was the place where, for us, everyone knew our names.

Here we are celebrating her 10th birthday!

The basic menu never changed - which is a good thing, because I walked in knowing what I would be eating- my chicken salad croissant lunch and hot, spiced tea was all part of my Helio's experience! But the desserts did vary, with special offerings during the holidays. This recipe is one of those holiday offerings, which they also graciously shared with their customers.

Pumpkin Spice Crunch

from Helio's Tea Room

Carmel, IN

1 (30 oz) can Pumpkin pie filling

1 (130z) can sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 box spice cake mix

2 sticks of butter, melted ( I used Smart Balance butter blend)

Combine the first 3 ingredients and spread into a greased 9X13 pan. 

Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top and drizzle this with the melted butter.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Kim

Happy Halloween

Dear Mom, 

When you are just a puppy, 

this :  

  

is VERY SCARY

  

Love,
Kim

Best Halloween Decoration, ever

Dear Mom,
I drive past this house on my way to and from the yarn shop.
I love their Halloween decorations!

Love,
Kim

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dear Mom,

Happy Valentine's Day!

It is out of character for me to say this, but the snow this morning is cheerful!  Probably because it is just a little snow, in the middle of February and we are nearing the end of winter, and things have been looking very dreary and muddy out there for so long.

Have a Heart Warming Day!

Love,
Kim

Ready or Not....here it comes.

Dear Mom,
The tree is up and decorated.
Pine needles litter the floor and Mr. Dyson has ingested his fill.
Gifts are not wrapped. Some gifts haven't even been purchased and others still wait for me to finish (or start) them.
It only occurred to me last night that I hadn't even given a thought to holiday baking.

And this one is giving me no help at all.

Love,
Kim

Easter Eggs

Dear Mom,
We tie dyed our Easter Eggs again this year, and before they are all gobbled up I took a picture to show you how 6 neckties from the Goodwill and a couple of rejects from My Hero's closet,a little vinegar and simmering water decorated our eggs. I love the way these eggs turn out and may never color eggs with food dye again. Plus it is exciting to unwrap them and see how the patterns and colors transferred to the eggs. In the photo above, I placed each egg on top of a scrap of silk from the necktie that produced the egg design.
This one is my favorite-

But this one is pretty good, too-

I linked to the how-to for this last Easter, but I'll review here.

You need silk neckties, an old t-shirt you can cut up (or two depending on how many eggs you are gonna dye), uncooked eggs, a little vinegar, some rubber bands and a big pot of water.

Neckties must be 100% silk. The brighter and wilder the print, the better (in my opinion.) Goodwill neckties at $1.99 each are perfect for this project.

Cut open the neckties, discarding everything but the silk part of the tie. Cut the tie into pieces that are big enough to wrap around an egg. You can get several eggs out of one necktie. Wrap eggs in the silk with the right side (bright patterned side) of the silk against the egg. Cut a square out of the old t-shirt that is big enough to go around the silk-wrapped egg and wrap the egg in it. Secure the t-shirt closed with a rubber band. 

Once you've covered all the eggs you want to tie dye, place them carefully into a big pot of water. The water just needs to cover the eggs, but the pot needs to be big enough to let the eggs move around a little. Add 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar to the water. We dyed 24 eggs and I used about 1/4 cup vinegar. Slowly bring the water to a boil and let the eggs simmer for 25 minutes. Once cooked, lay the eggs out on a flat surface to cool. When they are cooled off, you can open up the wrappings and find your pretty eggs!

Hope you had a Happy (if rainy) Easter. One of the first dentists I worked for, who was a big time golfer, always said "If it rains on Easter Sunday, it will rain on the next seven Sundays". We'll see if it is true this year.

Love,

Kim

Happy Valentine's Day

Dear Mom,

Happy Valentine's Day

Love,

Kim

Now That it's Over

Dear Mom,
With only wrapping paper shrapnel littering the house and the much anticipated Un-Decorating that remains of Christmas 2010, I can reveal some of the gift knitting I've been keeping secret now that the gifts have been opened.
I now realize that I neglected to photograph everything, like some texting gloves and the Marksmans mitts I knit for the hunter in the family. But I did take a picture of this hat, modeled reluctantly by the Young Lady.

This is the Inishmore Hat I made for a nephew. It used about 1 skein of Lamb's Pride worsted and I want to make another for My Hero. I have my eye on a skein of mossy green Donegal tweed in the stash.

I gave you one of these silly Kleenex cosies. I don't know why I am so charmed by this little dude, but it took a tiny amount of time and yarn and I want one for myself.

I am most proud of this sweater, though.

This is my latest design, Primrose. Elle is modeling Primrose with the skirt (Violette) and scarf I gave you last year.

Primrose is knit from the top down, in the round, with modified boat neck, and blousy full sleeves. She is a nice compliment to Violette's fitted silhouette. The sleeve cuffs and body are finished with a garter stitch border that mirror the neckline. I used Knitpicks Gloss yarn- it was a dream to work with.

My goal is to get the patterns for both Primrose and Violette polished up and available before the end of January.

I feel like my after Christmas knitting list (which is mostly selfish knitting) is almost as long as my Christmas knit list. I still need to make some fingerless mitts for myself and finish projects already started. In the Village Yarn shop, I was inspired to use leftover fingering weight yarns to make this scarf. I did some desperately needed stash purging and re-organization last week and made some scarf  kits for myself. I finished this narrow scarf in the wee hours of this morning.

It is about 3 inches wide and 60 inches long. Just right for wearing like this:

And you know what the REALLY good thing about this pattern and its use of leftovers? Chances are pretty good that there is a sweater made out of one of those yarns and the scarf is guaranteed to go with something.  See what I mean?

After re-organizing my yarn stash and finding yarn I forgot I had, I faced the cold hard truth of my yarn gluttony. I have more than enough to knit myself well into next year and vow to clear much of it ( notice I am being realistic here and not saying ALL of it) off my shelves before bringing any new yarn home. I failed on last years Sock-a-Week resolution, so there is still plenty of sock yarn waiting for me, too. Maybe a more realistic goal this year would be a pair of socks each month. Maybe I should pick a sock yarn and put it in a brown paper bag, assign a month to each bag and surprise myself. Yeah. I think that is exactly what I am going to do. So maybe this year it will be a scarf and a pair of socks each month along with the big projects I would like to work on too. Sounds like a plan.

Love,

Kim

An Animal Lover's Must See

Dear Mom,
I know I've already posted today, but I was just sent this and had to share it.

I love the voices they've given these animals. Very clever.
Love,
Kim

Snow Day

Dear Mom,

I've taken advantage of this snow day with the kids home to use my baker's helper (aka The Young Lady) and do some scone baking. We popped out 70 scones this morning. Yes. sev-en-teeee. Thank goodness for my convection oven. We made every variety we could think of and had the ingredients for: blueberry lemon, cranberry orange, butterscotch, chocolate chop, chocolate cherry, and cinnamon raisin. We made a small last batch with a butterscotch and chocolate chip combo that will stay here at home.

About half of the baskets have been delivered. When I had the brainstorm to do this today, I thought it would be the perfect day to catch everyone at home. Not so. For me days like this are the perfect excuse NOT to leave, but I obviously have neighbors with important things to do, 4-wheel drive vehicles and/or more courage than I have.

We put up our Christmas tree over the weekend. So far, except for one appealing ornament, Patsy has left the tree alone. I had visions of her dragging the tree OUT the dog door much like she has dragged sticks IN. The ornament in question has been relocated to a higher branch.

 Our string of lights is plugged into an extension cord that has an on/off switch. Instead of bending over to plug the cord in I can just tap the switch with my foot. Patsy witnessed me tapping the lights on to water the tree early Sunday morning. After emptying my watering can, I tapped the lights off. Patsy looked at the red button and used her big paw to tap the lights back on. I am considering teaching Miss Smarty Paws two new commands: Lights On! and Lights Off !

I somehow managed to get ahead and actually finish the important Christmas knitting. Now I'll have time to do some of those fun smaller Christmas knitting projects that I've been thinking about, but didn't dare hope to have the time for.

Like these- I really like this one.And this cute thing. And maybe some of these, and definitely some more fingerless mitts.
Love,
Kim

Scones

Dear Mom,
Every year I agonize over what sort of baked goods to give my neighbors for Christmas. I can knit under pressure but cooking and baking under pressure doesn't work for me. Plus I am surrounded by good cooks. I cannot compete with their delicious cookies, candies and that mouth-watering spiced pumpkin nut bread that Michelle brings over every year. (There might be a cul-de-sac riot if Michelle did not make that bread.)
Finding the right recipe that is tasty/easy/holiday-ish but not a duplicate of what my neighbors are already baking has been my annual challenge. I even pressure myself further by feeling that I should have a "signature holiday treat" for my neighbors.

A few weeks ago I stumbled across this recipe for "Super Simple Scones" in the Harvest Kitchen Gooseberry Patch Cookbook. I have grown to love these cookbooks. They are full of recipe winners and completely support your theory that any cookbook that tells the name of the person contributing the recipe is bound to be filled with only the best recipes. Nobody wants their name associated with a bad recipe.
The Young Lady and I have given this recipe several test drives. We've made several variations and can think of more to try. We haven't had a bad scone yet.
This year my neighbors will be receiving a cloth-lined basket filled with a variety of scones. And if all goes as well as I hope it will, this may become our annual gift.

Super Simple Scones
makes 8

1 1/2 cups biscuit baking mix ( We used Bisquick)
3/4 c. whipping cream

Optional ingredients: orange zest, lemon zest, dried fruit, chocolate chips, cinnamon, etc.

That's it! Can you believe it!?

Place biscuit mix in a bowl and slowly stir in cream. Turn mixture our onto a floured surface and  knead in optional ingredients. Roll and shape into an 8- inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet ( I always use a silpat) at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

So far, my favorite combination of optional ingredients is the zest of 1 lemon and 6 oz dried blueberries.  The chocolate chip scones were gobbled up quickly and I was afraid there might be a fight over the butterscotch chip scones. We've also made cinnamon raisin scones, cranberry scones and a cranberry/orange zest combination.
The recipe is easily doubled. In fact, I think we've doubled it every time and divided the dough so we could make several combinations with one batch.

Love,
Kim

Easter Eggs

Dear Mom,
I decided to try coloring Easter Eggs this way, and I love the way they turned out. I bought some silk neckties at the Goodwill store for a $1.99 each, cut them up, followed the instructions and TA DA! pretty eggs. I almost think the uglier the tie, the better the egg. Makes me want to try some more, but there is no way my family and I can eat that many hard boiled eggs.

Love,
Kim