Thursday, April 29, 2010

Goody, Goodie

Oh, my....

For those of you who know about my pastry addiction (and those who didn't know now do), I've just gotten back from my absolute favorite bakery, Mirabelle. Nirvana for the taste buds.

It's a little pricey and the coffee is not Chocolate Fish (my favorite coffee shop - hey, even that has the word "chocolate" in it!), but the pastries are the most amazing things I've ever tried. They also have wonderful crepes & entrees, too. Everything is good there. Trust a fat chick to know where the good places are to eat.

Speaking of the fat chick, my pants have been getting a bit snug. I've got to face facts and get myself straightened out. The Diet starts Monday. Sigh...healthy food. At least I can knit to keep my mind off the no sugar-low fat-low carbs-no taste thing. It's good for me.

Uh-huh.

So, why is it that when we think about going on a diet we start eating more? It's like before you go swimming under water you take in and let out several deep breaths before you take that last big one in that you hold. It's survival instinct. I've been preparing myself for the long winter where food is scarce. February is the "starving month".

Except that there's a McDonald's right around the corner and at least half the ads on TV are for food of some kind.

My ancestors were able to survive and continue their line because of this ability to store fat for the lean times. Now I have to undo thousands of years of gene evolution and create an artificial starvation time. Not fun. But necessary for my survival in this modern time.

I will know it's bad when I start knitting "cupcakes".

Really bad when I try to eat them.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Compliments

I wore my Valentine's Day sweater (Knitty/com - "Hey Teach" pattern) to work for the first time yesterday - it was so much fun! When someone complimented on my sweater I was able to say, "Thank you. I made it myself." And then smile.

Wearing something that I made myself is a real treat, I must say. So many people do not make ANYTHING themselves - not even boil a pot of water - so when someone makes something by hand people go insane over it, especially when it turns out well. This wasn't the case for my mother's generation.

They were expected to make things. It was part of being a "good wife" for some lucky schmoe. My generation grew up on the cusp of the previous women throwing off the "good wife" expectations.

My mother doesn't knit. She always hated it, but she knew how to do electrical wiring and how to keep the house running.

Maybe my generation likes the handmade stuff so much because we don't HAVE to do it. There are no expectations for us to do the ironing with starch (HA! - as if!). I knit because I like to. I can go out whenever and buy socks or sweaters or hats, or whatever, but I get great satisfaction from doing it myself.

And compliments, too - they really make my day.

I can cook, too! :)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Dead Cat???



This is one of our cats, Missy. Missy is a sweet, older cat (who has dandruff, drools like a Saint Bernard, and is as dumb as a stump - but we like her anyway) we inherited from my Mom after she moved and is about the same age in cat years as Mom is in people years.

Missy hasn't moved from that spot all day. Not a twitch. I only noticed after one of the boys asked is the cat was still alive. Seriously hoping I wouldn't have to explain to my Mom that I killed her ancient cat, I went over and peered at the beast. No chest movement, not tail flicking - nothing.

Then I pet the cat. Several times. She woke up and looked at me like "what's your problem - I was sleeping here!". Talk about sleeping like the dead...

Monday, April 12, 2010

What's Going On?

Quickie update:

1. Had a cold from my trip to Idaho (went to visit my daughter). Terrible weather but pretty scenery when it wasn't snowing. Besides, how often do you see snow in the high desert?

Before & After:

(BTW - the picture on the right was taken at about 3:00 pm. Soon after, it got to be white-out conditions. The weather sure turns fast there.)


2. Dropped everything to make my daughter a new sweater so I could give it to her there. It didn't fit her and she didn't like it. (But at least I didn't have to finish the sleeves - it's now a short-sleeved carti, lol.)


3. Completed 2 (soon to be 3) hats. Two are chemo hats and the other is for my daughter. (If she doesn't like it then I'm not knitting for her anymore.)

I saw a thread on Ravelry (By Hand Yarn group) where they're knitting up tons of charity hats and blankets. I'm a big fan of community service, so please remember those who may need a cozy blanket or cheery chemo hat, etc. As mentioned in the thread, a hat is fast and usually only takes a single skein or yarn or less to complete (Premie hats are even smaller - about the size of your fist - and only use a tiny bit of yarn. A fun and fast way to use up left-overs.)

4. Need to borrow my friend Stephanie's ball winder to wind up my stuff from Tess' Yarn. The skeins are soooo big that a regular ball winder doesn't hold it all, and I hate to cut the yarn if I don't need to. Then I get to start my EZ Green Sweater KAL- and it's for meeeeeeeeee!

5. Reminder to self: Finish up all the bits & pieces of the last few projects you had Knitting ADHD with - weaving in a few ends here and there, adjusting a collar, and finishing the last few inches of border on that lace shawl (I just couldn't deal with it any more!). Buckle down and get to it.

Does this mean I don't have to do housework anymore? :)

Happy Knitting!