Ta-daaa!

And there she is, blocked (washed and stretched), dried and ready to wear.  I can't wear it as the stole that it was supposed to be, I'm just too plus size I guess.  But then too, I'm not comfortable wearing stoles.  So I scarf her up and tie her around my neck and basically abuse her.  But she's a bit of sunshine in an extremely rainy winter.

craptastic.

I finished my really awesome scarf this past weekend, and I love it.  Took some really neat pictures too.  But, wouldn't you know it, the camera doesn't want to connect to my computer.  So they are stuck on the card. 

I'll see what I can do about this some time this week.

Is it Friday yet??

It's been a bad morning - just in general. The alarm goes off at 6:00, but I don't drag my butt out of bed until 6:30, so I don't have the time to do more than shower and dress, since I want to leave at 7:00. Step on the scale, and it says I've gained 3 pounds overnight. Frick and frack. I don't think so. I think the scale is grumpy because it is cold and it needs new batteries. But I don't have time to deal with that today. I'll move it to the warmer part of the house tonight. Shower, dress, where's my freaking jeans to wear today? Finally, into the car and the battery is dead. Seems that those magic headlights that turn themselves off had a bad day yesterday and drained the battery. Back upstairs - Honey? Can you jump me? Lift the hood to find that "someone" has put some ABC gum on the battery and there's a half eaten acorn someplace there shouldn't be - concerned now that some rodent is making my engine a toasty home. But, just a jump will do. Get the car started and back on my way to work - it's only 7:30, so I should be there in plenty of time. 100 minutes later (1 1/2 hours!) I'm finally at my desk. WTF?!?!?! Good thing my 9:00 meeting was pushed to Tuesday at 2:00. At least I have my breakfast with me. Get my coffee, my water, put the oatmeal in the microwave for 25 seconds!!!! Explode in the microwave. Crap. Now I've got to clean out the company microwave, my oatmeal is all down the side of the cup and hot like molten lava in my hand. Start working - at least the computer is behaving today, unlike yesterday. Well, maybe not so much. I have a ghost version of excel running in the background and it is killing my essbase. Which is critical to the report I need to have completed today. Ticket out to IT. Very friendly and helpful IT dude walks me through the fix and we are back up and running. Is it noon yet?

(Picture unrelated to very bad day....)

Ri'ffd

OOooooo, shiney.   Love love love, these new necklaces I made, based on the one my lil'sis was wearing one day.  And no, all the Christmas decorations aren't quite put away just yet.*  The first one is turquoise and lime green, with beads made of coral, resin, glass, howlite, amazonite, and even some turquoise.  I love the focal beads - the art glass one makes me smile and the huge chunky aqua cut glass is so cool.  And when I saw the "green cheese" howlite beads, I couldn't resist as I had given lil'sis such a time about her hunk of melted cheetos.  The seed bead are matt, pearlized, and glass in shades of green and turquoise.  Once I had the bead inventory, putting it together was a snap. 

The other necklace is in shades of grey, black, and purple.  I thought it was going to be purple, with black to make it pop, but instead, it ended up being more black with highlights of purple.  Of course, I thought lil'sis necklace was turquoise with brown, but further analysis revealed that it was brown, with turquoise highlights.  Guess I was fooled by my eyes.  Oh well.  The beads in this one are mostly glass, with some dyed agate and mountain jade and freshwater pearls.  The shards are blue goldite (maybe) and snowflake obsidian, while the seeds are matt, pealized and glossy glass in shades of black and purple.  And dang is it hard to photograph. 

I put both of these together Sunday afternoon, while listening to the football games in the background.  It really was a snap once I had the inventory put together, but that took a while.  I visited 3 or 4 Michaels, Beverly's and a bead specialty shop, 3 beads and a button.  3 Beads has a great selection of seed beads, but it looks like they are trying to limit their inventory exposure.  Since Michaels and Beverly's are both "craft" stores, they have similar but different inventory.  I got some of the nicer beads (real stone) at Beverly's, and the glass beads more at Michaels.  And what I thought I was going to use to start with, well, let's just say they are still in the bead bucket.   

*I may have to keep a couple of the stocking hangers out as they do make a great setup for displaying necklaces.  And I'll do my best to get the rest of Christmas put away this weekend.

The week slides by...

Plans and schemes and dreams, and they all slide by.

This morning I ordered a pair of shoes on line - I've worn out all the shoes in my closet and my recent shopping experience has left me bereft of anything to wear upon my XL size feet. Added to that, I've been a bit of a klutz as of late, and don't feel comfortable wearing anything with a heel higher than 1". So. I'm not really a shoe girl - Imelda Marcos (and Michael Jordan admitting to over 500 pairs!) has nothing to fear from me. I prefer to spend money on other things. So it was with a bit of trepidation that I dropped some bucks on a pair of shoes on zappos. Free Shipping, ease of shopping (show me only shoes in my size, in the color I want, with the heel height I prefer...) it can only be a dream come true IF they actually fit. We'll see in about a week. If they do fit, I think I’m going to have to work a pair into the budget on a more regular basis.



When the "little" sis was here, she pointed me in the direction of some plus size active wear. So that went into an on-line shopping cart as well this morning. I’m hoping that will be here sooner than a week. In the unbelievable words of my mother, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!" I had a really emotional day yesterday and although I couldn't point my finger at any overwhelming one thing to make me mad, I had a whole ball of "irks" wadded up to equal one big mad. And tucked into that wad were several that have to do with my self image and my lack of follow-thru, particularly on the weight-loss/exercise front. I mean seriously, I have no excuses. I have the equipment, I have the time, I have the access, and I can get the instructors and the groceries. The only thing left is me. It’s not like I don’t know what to do. And this is something that I can control, independent of others. So check up on me from time to time and see how I’m doing.

 I’d appreciate it.

What a week(end)...

One storm after another rolled into the Bay Area this week, and it's still not done.  We have had rain every day since Saturday, there's snow on the tops of the surrounding hills, and the power was out for 40 hours straight. 

But, up in the hills, we are prepared.  We have a gas generator, so I had lights and refrigeration and even an oven that works.  We have a wood stove to warm the house, and because it was an "equipment failure" and not a "line down" we even had cable, internet and phone service.  The constant noise of the generator tho, wears on me.  I have had a headache for the past three days.  I drove in to work this morning and there was evidence of trees down and slides off the hills across all the roads.  Glad to be able to work from home in weeks like this.

Saturday I went to the Mission Santa Cruz for a bit of exploring and picture taking.  The Mission is on a hill top with nearly 360-degree views.  Unfortunately, the "mission" that is there is a 75% replica, as the original was destroyed in an earthquake and another, Gothic Revival style church had been built in its place.  There is a state park on the site, but the only building that remains from the original Mission site is actually housing for the native Ohlone Indian neophytes and contains 7 rooms for viewing.  As the building had been remodeled several times, they originally believed that it was army barracks until they began to remove the wood facade and found adobe bricks behind.  It's a lovely little spot, but completely surrounded on all sides by homes and small businesses. 

Oh, and while the power was out, and we weren't going anywhere, I managed to make a couple of loaves of Buttermilk White Bread from my go-to bread book Beard on Bread.  It claims to only make a loaf, but I managed to get two very nice loaves of sandwhich bread from it.  And let me tell you, fresh bread with real butter, fresh from the oven - it gets no better.

Whew! Glad that's done (mostly)

I love doing what I do for a living - it's not exciting, it's not rocket science, and it's not going to make me the most popular person at a party - but it can be intense sometimes, and it's logical, and it's something that I know how to do well - at least most of the time. And this past couple of weeks have been some of the more intense of the year. But now, it's over, it's done. And I get to coast for a couple of weeks until the next burst of activity.

Which means, I should be able to work on some of the things I want to work on, instead of the things I need to work on. I still have an outstanding Christmas IOU to my honey for some house socks and I'm down to where he actually needs to try it on so I know how much further to go. And then I have an IOU that's more than 10 years past due. Can I? Will I? I'd like to. We'll just have to see.

This weekend was mostly spent working, but I did manage to do something new to me: I made Salted Caramels. I was fascinated at how it seemed that the sugar mixture went from this cloudy white grainy fluid, to a clear smooth bubbly syrup, and then in a blink of an eye went from pale golden to a true caramel color. Be sure to use the larger pot when you are boiling the sugar as the introduction of the cream/butter mixture to the hot syrup causes foaming that could be quite hurtful. If you think you want to "salt" the tops, do it shortly after you pour the caramel into the pan or it won't integrate into the top. I brought most of them in to work today - they don't need to be in easy reach of my hands at home - and the tin is very nearly empty.

And last week, in the middle of all the hullabaloo, my honey and I went to Sur La Table and took a class on basic knife skills. The instructor, Nikki, was a hoot and a half, knowledgeable and willing to share her enthusiasm with us. We learned the easy way to dice an onion, how to segment a citrus fruit, and how to make a garlic paste, as well as some of the usual julie-ann (like the green bean!) matchstick and dice cuts. We also splurged (another Christmas IOU) on a set of awesome knives - Wuesthof - Classics. We're both infatuated with them and keep trying to figure out a way to get more veggies into dinner - just so we can use the knives. I broke down some stew beef into user friendly bite size pieces and it was a dream. And those caramels - don't even think about using one of your p-o-c knives to cut them down to bite size pieces.  One more thing off my wish list....

New Crafty Crap...

So, as I believe I have said earlier, I dig in my heels and fight the urge to get into new creative endeavors. But eventually, I cave. And when I cave, I go deep.

I really just started with the beading here in the past month or so. I finally found the books that made sense to me: Bead Simple: 150 Designs for Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, and More as well as Teach Yourself VISUALLY Jewelry Making & Beading. Bead Simple gave me visual inspiration, while the Teach Yourself book gave me the detailed how-in-the-world-do-you-do-that directions. It's a learning process for sure, but in all things, practice makes better. I'd love to hear from my sisters regarding what they think could be improved upon as they were recipients of my Christmas gifting.
And no matter how many times I tell myself, I'm not going overboard with this (whatever it is!), I still end up with a pile of tools and supplies and then there is the storage part of it. Yikes. Fortunately, most of the supplies needed for jewelry beading are small and compact, and for a while I was storing them in a small art box I had found some time ago. Recently though, I've had to expand into the art tackle box that I originally bought for paper crafting, only to overflow in a hurry.

Beads are "ooo-shiney" and I always think, hmmm, potential. I'm only buying beads on a by-project basis right now, but the excess is starting to add up. I'm finding that in the future, I'm going to want to get bigger beads to make more of statement pieces. There's some jewelry that I've admired from afar that I think, maybe, just maybe, I can riff on that.

Christmas Cookies

(unrelated picture)

This past Christmas, Chris and I made a handful of cookies out of Martha Stewart's Cookies Book. We ended up making:

• Snickerdoodles: These cookies didn't spread as much as I expected, and were soft and quite tasty.
• Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread: If I make these again, I'll definitely up the level of zest and probably add some extract as well. The citrus portion was sadly lacking. Also, roll the cornmeal prior to chilling so that it sticks. Still, I'm not throwing them away.
• Rosemary Butter Cookies: If you are looking for a cookie fix, this isn't it. If you have a tea tray, these will make an interesting counterpoint to the sweet cookies. Skip the egg wash and sanding sugar.
• Chocolate Crackles: Rich, chocolate, puffs of cookie, covered in powdered sugar. Num. We used Guittard French Vanilla Chocolate instead of the bittersweet, and I am glad. I can't imagine if we had used the bittersweet.
• Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies: Slap-your-mama delicious! Oh my. These are the cookies that Chris and I both lusted after and secretly ate behind each other's backs. They are rich and chewy and mmmm good.

I still have a load of cookies, and I think I'll deliver a batch to work tomorrow. Just to get them out of my house. Too bad there's no gingerbread left!

2009 - the year in review

What a year.

I got to visit with nearly all of my near relatives this year - Mom & Dad came for a visit and Christine did too. I went to Texas to see Kim and visit with her kids, and Aunt Doris too. Mark's brothers (and thier wives) came out to visit us, after we spent a weekend in Georgia. And 25 years later, we still stay in touch with high school friends.

We lost some loved ones ~ they will be missed.

I did some traveling, solo and with family - Napa, Big Sur, Point Lobos, Ana Nuevo, Sequoia, Las Vegas, Georgia, Texas... And was highly entertained by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Toby Kieth, and AC/DC, as well as a raft of stand up comedians.

I worked for three different companies, and Mark is semi-retired now.

Creatively, it was mostly yarn this past year, but I have begun playing with beads and wire recently. I try to avoid new crafts as best I can as I don't really need the tools and stash that seem to accompany them. And then, once the "craze" has passed, that's when I seem to find the class or the inspiration.

It all sounds good, but it seems that the sad outweighs the glad. We'll be glad to see the end of the "naughts".

I've got big plans for 2010 ~ but I do every new year. Wish me luck!

Linens and Other Things

Still working on getting "to done", as I sit here in the waning sunlight, listening to the sound of a chainsaw outside my living room window. It's getting later in the afternoon, but the weather is just beautiful today - probably in the upper 60's, lower 70's or so. I can hear the frogs chirping in my potted plants.

This morning I managed to clean out my 1/2 bath - I figured I'd start small, with something that doesn't appear to need that much work anyway. I've only got one day and I'd like to make sure I actually get something accomplished today. Mostly, I use the 1/2 bath as a linen closet for my tablescapes. I emptied out all of my drawers and cabinets and laid down new liner - it's a black and white tole print. Very sweet. As I was cleaning, I could see mouse sign - fortunately for the little rodents they didn't decide to nest in my linens. I don't think they've been there for a while, but you know I'll be keeping a closer eye on things.

I managed to get all of my linens refolded and took some pix along the way. I don't know what it is about the vintage prints, but I just love them - the more color the better. Or throw in some hand embroidery and I'm all gushy. I love the way the embroiderer on this one used a variegated pink in all of her perfect lazy daisies. And then, don't get me started on checks. Evidently, I have a thing for them. (I think I'm missing one or two in this picture!)

I need to remember that I have quite a few pieces of copper tucked into a cupboard - they would make great vases for flowers once in a while.

I boxed up a whole bunch of rejects - ready for donation to Goodwill or the like. I'll make sure they get out of the house this week - or maybe next weekend. And then I can look for additions to my collection - wahoo!!

Check one thing off my list!

Cookies

I've been playing with Photoshop a bit today - trying to get back into the swing of things regarding my photos. I love my camera. and I love my new software. It's just a bit of a learning curve for now, getting everything to work the way I want it to. I need to figure out if I import all my photos into the gallery - do they stay where I saved them, or does a second copy get saved in another directory?

But in between times, I smell cinnamon and butterscotch and oatmeal baking. Cooling on the racks, maybe, before I have one "to taste". Baking cookies has always made me happy. I like that we each have a favorite - these are Mark's. And I say we each have a favorite - mine just happens to be whatever is fresh out of the oven.

I've given up on the "thrifty" version - where you make twice as much dough as the recipe calls for, and only use the original amount of the "expensive" ingredient - like chocolate chips. Remember that? Kinda like "stretched" juice - one can of frozen condensed makes a whole jug full of juice - just add that much water - no matter what the size of the can or the jug. Yeah, I remember the first time I read the directions on the side of the can. No wonder everyone else had better juice than we did. Ah well.

But in the mean time, we learn. And things get better.

Love you much.

A New Day, A New Dawn, A New Year

It's finished, it's done, it's ready to be wrapped and gone! Just like 2008. Although 2008 "The Year of Bad Money" was in some aspects better than 2007 "The Year of Coulda Been Worse", in other ways, it was just plain ugly. Here's hoping that 2009 is better in all ways.

The picture is from a few months ago when I sent the quilt to my friendly machine quilter. We met up, and picked some threads and a pattern and a few short months later, the fabric became a quilt and not just a quilt top. I finally applied the binding last weekend and finished the last bit of hand sewing last night. Just in time for it to be a FO (Finished Object) for 2008. My MIL has been having issues lately and the hope is that this will warm her heart as well as her toes and maybe perk her up a bit.

I'm going to call 2009 "The Year of the Done". I have some projects that have been languishing for years, quite literally, and at least one that's a decade or more old, let alone the IOU's from T-Day Christmas. I'm not going to list them all, but you know I do have a list. Now, just because I want to finish things, doesn't mean that I am going to not start anything new. I just plan on finishing at least two projects before I start something new.

I have some quite large projects in mind - large projects that will require a good block of time, and large projects that can handle bits of time here and there. And then I have smaller projects to do too. I have projects for me and projects for others. I have things I want to do, that haven't even been started yet. I have creative projects, home projects, and personal projects. I'd like to get at least 3 major WIP (Work in Process) projects completed this year and as many of the smaller WIP's off the list as I can. And I'd like to start and complete 2 major projects. The smaller projects that I want to start, and finish, will depend on the smaller WIP's that get done.

So there. Now my main goal is public. Out there for your inspection, comment, and follow up. Hold me accountable, because you never know, one of the projects might be for you.

Merry Merry Christmas

This was my drive early last week... It's been raining since then, but it still feels like winter.

Wishing you and yours, the same thing too.

Sunday Afternoon

The smell of chi tea rises to mingle with the yeast of bread, waiting to proof. Head down, the needle slips between the stitches, first one side then the other. A rhythm is set up, a gentle tug brings the pieces together. Side by side, snug, the pieces begin to form a whole. It's not done, by no means, but it is coming together. After three years of forming the fabric, taking the time to put it together is an act of patience. I want it done now. But it will be done in it's own time. I've got to put it aside, again, and work on things promised.

The sounds of football fill the living room, while songs of Christmas fill my head. Rain falls. Sunday evening moves into the work week.

Two Things

My Eyes! My Eyes are burning! This weekend I attempted to make some eyes out of sculpey clay for some Christmas projects I am working on. This is my absolute first time working with the stuff and it seems to be pretty forgiving. But. User error indicated that I am not very good at following directions or even pictures. My eyes were lopsided, fingerprinted, and not even as cute as the pictures showed. Regardless, I baked them for the time/temp indicated on the side of the clay and my "translucent" clay burned. Underneath the black is the translucent clay - now an interesting shade of burnt. I think I am sticking to button eyes.

It rained this weekend. It was the first rain of the 2008-2009 rainy season. We picked up all of .85" in 24 hours. Now, it probably won't rain again for the next three weeks or so. It hasn't rained since April 23 - and we received nearly 40" of rain in the last rainy season. Saturday afternoon I kept looking out the window - alternately seeing misty rain in the sunshine, or, the flutter of freshly hatched semi-transparent wings on the ba-jillion bugs... Ugh.

I'm bored...

So I'll leave you with something pretty to look at while I go turn on the "get cleaning" music and dance around the house. For me, "Get Cleaning Music" = the B-52's, Dire Straits, Spiller, C+C Music Factory & Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Who do you listen to when you've got to get moving?

Love you later!

David Bruce Winery

This past weekend we went for a very short drive up our mountains to one of our favorite wineries - David Bruce Winery.
It was just a quick trip with a purpose - to pay back my BIL. When he visits Hawaii (quite frequently!) we sends me bags of Kona Coffee. And not just a couple, but more than enough to keep my habit satiated.

But you can't go to a winery without tasting, even if you know what you want to buy. So we tasted. Or, rather, I tasted, he sniffed. They were pouring four different wines last weekend -

1. 1. 2002 Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido - a vineyard wine made with grapes from only the Bien Nacido vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley. This was by far the best wine we tasted this afternoon. It was fruity with just a hit of tannins to keep it from being too soft.
   2. 2005 Sangiovese, Paso Robles - Paso Robles is a beautiful section of California between here and Los Angeles. It's a straight shot down Highway 101 into the valley and has some great wines and vineyards in the local. Unfortunately, I don't appreciate Sangiovese. It's spicy and seems to be watered down when I taste it.
   3. 2005 Petite Sirah Central Coast - Sunset Magazine named this a "food friendly wine", and I can see that. It's a very mild wine that will not overpower most anything you could throw at it, and has a sweet red-fruit flavor that most people will like. I personally prefer a Merlot for that - it's just got a bit more body to it than the Petite Sirah.
   4. and another 2005 Pinot Noir - I don't remember if it was the Sonoma Coast or the Central Coast, but it was not as good as the Bien Nacido Pinot Noir. It was a bit weak and watery and not really what I was looking for.

I had a good time tasting, but picked only the Bien Nacido from the tasting to forward on to the BIL. He also received some Pinot Noirs from the Russian River and the Sonoma Coast. To your health!

LA Sunday - Huntington Gardens 3 of 3

After the Japanese portion of the Garden, we went to the recently installed Chinese Garden, also known as the "Garden of Flowing Fragrance". As this garden has only recently begun, the bones of the garden are found in the architecture, as opposed to the plantings. Therefore, not much fragrance flowing just yet. From the Japanese Garden, you enter the Chinese Garden into a walled courtyard, with chrysanthemum imagery in the windows and lotus on the end caps of the roof tiles.

The floor of the courtyard, "Plantain Court", is an amazing job of interlocking panels of stone - round white rocks tipped on the side to make the inner medallions with black rocks in linear fashion to make the borders. Something to remember, if I ever have a courtyard garden. It might be difficult to sweep up and be hard on bare feet tho. Mmmm. Keep thinking then.

The centerpiece of the garden is the "Lake of Reflected Fragrance", not quite balanced as of our visit. But there are vistas from every vantage point. The lake is actually located on a piece of land which naturally collects water during the rain, however, we haven't had rain for quite some time. The limestone rocks surrounding the lake are supposed to represent the craggy mountains in Chinese paintings.

Passing through the "Corridor of Water & Clouds" was a joy. The "Wall of Water & Clouds" was topped with more of the roofing tiles from the entry wall, waving across the top in an echo of either a wave or the far mountain peaks. Each of the windows to the far side had a different pattern of fretwork installed and the zig-zag path lead us to the next place of beauty.

The "Love for the Lotus" pavilion is an intricate piece of architecture, with more to "find and seek" than I can imagine. There is fretwork and carving and views and and and...

Unfortunately, by this time, the docents of the garden were starting to herd visitors toward the entrance/exit of the garden, so we were not able to make it all the way around the Lake. One of the views, so exquisitely framed, was the "Pavilion of Three Friends" where bamboo, pine & plum share a grove.

At the exit we were greeted by this Chinese "Lion Dog". All in all, the Huntington Gardens and Library are worth several repeat visits. If you are ever in the LA area, make the trip to Pasadena to go. We arrived in the afternoon, and were only able to visit three of the FOURTEEN!!!! different gardens, let alone any of the art or library exhibits. I hear tale that the Children's Garden is awesome and the Conservatory has quite a collection of the odd and unique plants.

I had a blast on my trip to LA, not only because of the things we saw, but because of the people I was with. It was good to have a girly weekend, and to take a solo trip. I think that all women should feel comfortable and have the opportunity to take trips alone. There's a sense of - power? accomplishment? satisfaction? some of all, but not in a bad way - in fending for yourself, taking the time to stop when you want to, to not worry about anyone else's schedule, and taking a trip by yourself. Do it.

Oops! Or Where did the time go??

Time got away from me, and now I need to finish up my trip to LA. But I have to interrupt the regularly scheduled programming for a couple of notes:

1) My yarn projects for Christmas are officially complete! Wahoo!!! I have some things that I may do, but they are completely optional. I'm so very pleased with myself. Sorry, gotta gloat about getting something done anyway! I'd show you pictures, but then you wouldn't be surprised.

2) The quilt for my MIL is at the quilters. Yippee!! The thing is huge, it just kept growing on me. The woman said she'd try and work it in ahead of some of the others in her queue - since MIL is now in the nursing home - and I should have it before Thanksgiving. I can't wait to see it quilted. I'll have to add the binding once I get it back. I have some fabric that's going to look like Fruit Stripe Gum wrapped around the edges.

and 3) I know that Craig Ferguson comes on really really late at night. But I appreciate him even more than David Letterman or Jay Leno, so sometimes I will record the show just to see what in the heck he's got going on. If you don't know, this past year (or maybe 2 now?) he became a US citizen and is very interested in the political process. I watched the other night, I just had to share his opening monologue with you. I don't know how to embed YouTube just yet, but one day I'll figure it out. So click the link: Craig Ferguson Political Rant It's not an ugly rant, just one that makes a lot of valid points. And then click this link... Craig Ferguson Part 2