A little snow goes a long way

It started about an hour ago. I was carrying out recycling and trash (and organizing the too-many-cans-without-lids situation back there, grr) which led to the kids coming out to enjoy the beginning of the snow.

We're not supposed to get more than 3-5 inches, but there's just something magical about snow when you don't live in Alaska. Or Minnesota.

Or you have young spirits and beings around to remind you. Snow is special.



Here the kids were playing a game where you stood in front of the swing and waited to be kicked in the butt.

There's something so powerful here, for me, in the holding.

I think I like these pods best of all in the winter.



My knits in action. (Who is that tired looking woman wearing my hat?!)



I hope something is giving you the lift you need this moment. And that you are in a place to receive it with wonder and grace. (If not, I urge you to go outside. Nature is truly a giving force.)

It's a good thing I don't drink

I've been crunching numbers again. It's good to do. Though it is painful.

Since mid-September, when we resumed normal income (Cap doesn't get paid from the university over the summer), I've pulled $3,665 out of our savings account to cover various expenses. I just put $700 back. $2,965 to go. How much of that over expenditure was in yarn and books? I don't know...yet.

Meatballs and rice chex

I always liked Disney's Lady and the Tramp. I think we had it in book form, when I was a kid. I may have seen the movie just once. My favorite part was when Lady and the Tramp share a plate of spaghetti and have their surprising and sweet kiss.

Fast forward to now. Karen has a cookbook from her childhood from which she has adapted the "Lady and the Tramp's Spaghetti and Meatballs". Honestly. And the meatballs kick ass.

Karen's Meatballs
(makes about 3 doz. good size meatballs)

2 lbs. ground meat of your choice (we always use dark turkey)
2 eggs (happy, organic ones as GF Goddess always says)
1 cup GF bread crumbs (I crumble Trader Joe's GF French rolls---these freeze well and defrost in a couple of hours sitting out on the counter.)
1 cup tomato sauce (last night I used Newman's marinara)
2 tsp GF onion flakes
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400º or so (I find 400º in my oven burns the bottoms so I usually go a bit lower and bake a bit longer.)

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (this is just for easier clean up.)

Mix all ingredients in a medium to large mixing bowl. Take a spoonful of mixture, form a ball in hands and place on baking sheet.

Bake at 400º for 20 minutes (larger meatballs may need more time---when you think they're done, check one to make sure it is cooked all the way through---beware of over-baking which will produce dry meatballs.)

If desired, remove from baking sheets, place in shallow pan on stove and pour more tomato sauce over the meatballs and heat gently.

Serve alone, with pasta, in a sub, etc.

They are as yummy as they look.

Speaking of yumminess, this bowl just makes me happy every time I pull it out of the cabinet.

I associate (Corn) Chex with Barbra. That's what I eat for breakfast when I stay with her. Unless she makes me poached eggs or presents me with salami. I bought my first box of Rice Chex yesterday. As I'd heard, it is now gluten-free (there are still old non-GF boxes left on shelves so buy carefully).

I added some pecans, shredded coconut, banana, and vanilla hemp milk and had me a satisfying breakfast.

New pink hat

It's a smidge big. If I knew someone with a big old head (like me) who liked pink (like me), I would consider passing this along. It's such a quick knit and I have another skein of the yarn (the size large took less than a skein).

But, I don't. So I think it's mine. Which is, truly, fine.

Thorpe for me

The baby blanket is taking awhile. I am not a knitting machine. And, truth be told, I need small things here and there, for me, right now. So I started a hat for myself. I don't have a go-to hat for this chilly winter we're having. One is too big, one is too small, and one is really not a winter hat. (photo by Sag)

The knitting is therapeutic. Once the increases are done to shape the top of the hat, it's knit, knit, knit, and knit, over and over again. I love the color of the yarn as it's knitting up. I didn't love it in skein form, but it was on sale and I knew it would work for this hat, so I bought it back before Christmas.

My background music for a few minutes was Gem reading aloud, Finklehopper Frog, an old book he pulled out to read while putting away a stack of books. The kids seem no worse for the wear after getting their chicken pox vaccinations.

Creature creations

The kids sewed and stuffed some creature creations yesterday.

Sag was inspired by Gem. He cut the felt himself, to his design. Once he was done, he realized he hadn't doubled the fabric and freaked out (this is his way---completely absorbed in the moment and then full of angst/regret at his lack of total forethought).

So I cut the second piece for him.

Then, I encouraged him to let me sew it. I sensed he would be frustrated later (at a less than satisfactory sewing job), potentially ruining the experience for him. I explained that practicing his sewing would make more sense on a bigger piece (his creature measures about 3 1/2 inches tall).

After sewing was complete, he opted to draw its face, rather than sew. I think he might have abandoned the plan to give it wings.

Gem drew his design on paper. He then asked me to cut the fabric for him. I suggested giving it more of a paw and then drawing the fingers in, but he stuck to his idea and its waving hand came out great.

I double threaded the needle for him and then he sewed the creature up. Originally, he wanted the doll turned inside out, making the seam invisible. This proved seemingly impossible with the arm, which is very skinny.

Getting the stuffing into the hand turned out to be impossible, as well. He was flexible where he needed to be (where he could be?) at every turn. (I learned a lesson and stuffed the feathers on top of Sag's creature's head as I sewed.)

Gem tried something new and drew his creature's face on, rather than sew.

Malabrigo "Toast"

What a quick knit. I should have blocked them before modeling, but I'm a gal who just can't wait. I will block them tonight.

The yarn: Malabrigo worsted (100% merino wool) in Vermilion...less than one skein

The pattern: Toast

The actual color is much redder. They are cozy. I love them.

A moment with a muffin

Imagine. A warm, days old, homemade, GFCF, banana chocolate chip muffin with a dollop of melty peanut butter. (The picture really doesn't do it justice.)

There is so much goodness, nourishment, and joy in the smallest of moments. Gustatory or otherwise.

I heart the library

We went to the library last week after we had lunch with my mom and dad. This is the list of the titles we borrowed. No time for authors at the moment. This is simply a glimpse.

I really love going to the library.

Abel's Island

The Real Thief

Brrr!

A Baby Sister for Frances

The Inside-Outside Book of Washington, D.C.

The Friends

A Big Cheese for the White House

The Uncertain Path

Grandmother Winter

It Happened in the White House

Home Schooling on a Shoestring

The Rising Force

Peanuts Every Sunday

Like a Windy Day

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Empire Strikes Back

Read Me a Story

Inside the Worlds of Star Wars, Episode 1

The Homeschooling Book of Answers

I Have a Dream: The Story Behind MLK Jr.'s Most Famous Speech

Star wars, Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (dvd)

It's So Amazing: A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families

What Presidents Are Made Of

The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook

Bedtime for Frances

Arrested Development Season 3 (dvd)

Wonder Pets! Save the Beetles (dvd)

Eve of the Emperor Penguin (Magic Treehouse series)

Hellboy II (dvd)

There are some themes. I always feel a bit sheepish, but I take full advantage of the highlighted books in their special display areas. I'm always kind of surprised that other people haven't simply plucked them off the shelves for themselves. (This month in our Children's library: MLK, Presidents, and Winter.)

Stephen, maybe you can enlighten me. Is it okay to borrow those books or should I be leaving them for others? (I don't take every single one...just the ones that appeal to me.)

Recipe for self-care

A scalding shower. (Not for everyone I know, but trust me, for those of us who like a hot shower, an extra hot one feels really good :-)

Starting a pair of arm warmers for myself. I'm a 3/4 sleeve kind of gal, even in winter, and have been wanting to knit myself a pair for far too long. I dove into the stash and came up with a skein of Malabrigo worsted in "Vermilion". This is the yarn I used to knit Julia's scarf last spring.

The pattern is Toast and is quite straightforward. I'm hoping to be wearing these babies by week's end. (The baby blanket is coming along slowly. The baby will arrive before it is ready. So it goes.)

Winter solstice at my back

I can already feel it. The light increasing ever so gradually.

I just reserved a bunch of Deborah Madison's cookbooks, a collection of poems edited by Billy Collins, and Cokie Roberts' book on "founding mothers" from the library.

Off to bake some banana choco chip muffins for our day out.

Dexter and Buster

I've been watching Season 3 of Dexter on Showtime On Demand. Michael C. Hall and Jimmy Smits are a riveting team.

I've also been enjoying Arrested Development again. We watched some episodes of Season 1 with Karen and Brent while we were in MA and I picked up Season 3 from the library yesterday and we watched a bunch of episodes last night. Funny, funny stuff.

One last thing

On a fellow Hunterite's blog there was mention of the alma mater being mentioned in the paper today. You can find it here.

About 90% "weeded out"? Okay, first of all, what a terrible turn of phrase to use when talking about children. Second of all, how the heck did I get through?

Now I'm really off to think about dinner. Sigh...this is the challenge of the computer for me...losing track of time and earthly responsibilities.

My lists for '09

The irony is not lost on me. I announce that I won't be posting so much for awhile and then proceed to post every day.

Tomorrow we're heading into Manhattan to see Dan Zanes and Friends and then, hopefully, a date afternoon for Cap and me. So, I should not be posting tomorrow!

I have made reading and knitting lists for 2009. In part to motivate me, in part to organize me. I realized when the lists were quickly done (my goal was 12 fiction books, 12 non-fiction books, and 12 knitting projects mostly for me for the year) that I already had many of the books and most of the yarn (um, okay, I probably have all the yarn) that I needed to meet my goal.

This illuminated the facts that: I have not made the time I needed to do some of the things I've wanted to do for awhile, and, I could save our family some serious cash by not buying any books or yarn this year.

(So, yes, as I mentioned in a previous post, I have already bought two new books. One was on my list, the other wasn't. But, it is now.) No beating myself up, though, I hope to do better with the 362 days left in '09.

Non-Fiction Books
• The Omnivore's Dilemma
• In Defense of Food
• The Geography of Bliss
• Stiff
• Math Power
• Suburban Safari
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
• A People's History of the United States
• Strangers From A Different Shore
• Are You Somebody?
• The Year of Magical Thinking
• The Introvert Advantage
• Instead of Education
• Final Exam

I'll share the other lists soon. To dinner prep I must be off.

By the way, I am very open to recommendations of titles to add to my list, personal reviews of any of the books mentioned, etc.

Oshougatsu

...is New Year's Day in Japan where a number of traditions and rituals are practiced to welcome the new year with lots of hope and wishes for a good one. My family of origin makes it a point to get together on New Year's Day to feast and play together.

I didn't take many pictures. I was busy savoring the flavors, nestling with family, and giving shoulder rubs. But, look at these two shots!

Home again

Today is our first day with no commitments to anyone other than ourselves in a long time. Tome for some breath. It was sunny and beautiful out (still quite nippy.)

But, before we went out, there was a bloody nose, reading in pajamas, gazing at gifts of the season, and, drawing.






I've already broken a New Year's resolution and bought two books. Unexpected circumstances led to the kids and me being in our utterly lovable independent book store for a long period of browsing this morning.

I happened to find two books I've been wanting to read for awhile, both now in paperback, so I went for it. The Geography of Bliss and Final Exam are the books. I am presently in the middle of Breaking Dawn, the final book of the Twilight series. I'm seriously loving it. And to finally answer your question, Julie, as soon as I determined it was not under the tree for me, I ordered it for myself :-)

Baba and Jiji

My parents are here today. Dad and I talked finances and then he was put to work translating a research document into Japanese. Baba was kept busy with Scrabble and learning about the Uglyverse.

We're off to lunch!

New year's night

X-mas '08

So long 2008

To my faithful, I am sorry for the dry spell. We were away in MA (during which time I spent very little time online) and it's been very busy since our return. With no let up in sight.

Tomorrow we'll be in Manhattan celebrating Oshougatsu (Japanese New Year) with my side of the family.

Friday my dad will visit us. Some money talk followed by grandpa-grandsons bonding time.

Sunday we have a Dan Zanes and Friends holiday concert in Manhattan which will be followed by a date for Cap and me while my mom watches the kids.

On Monday, we'll be starting our new schedule. The kids start a new swim session, and Cap and I have some restructuring plans brewing around our life, homeschooling, and how we spend our time, which will begin playing out next week.

More info is forthcoming.

But, probably, I will not be posting every day or multiple times a day, for awhile. Blogging has been a fun, creative, and rewarding process for me, and I am not intending to give it up. However, it does take up a lot of my time, and I am definitely looking at spending my time in some new and different ways right now.

In order to do this, my screen time, both on the computer and in front of the tv, are going to have to give. Significantly.

For the moment, I have to go. My eyes are drooping. I will welcome 2009 in my dreams.

Happy new year.