Saturday, December 15, 2007

I've Got the Power


For now anyway. We lost our power at about 5 a.m. Wednesday. The reason that I knew this is because the stupid janitor at the elementary school we back up to was running the snow blower at 4:30 a.m. Always the optimist, I figured that it wouldn't be long before it was restored. However, it was around 11 p.m. when it came back on. So, I took the day off and watched the temperature drop. Once it dropped about 10 degrees, I built a fire. Without power and very little sunlight, there's not much to do. But, I had my trusty Beagle and wiggly Basset to snuggle with.
I managed to finish the Corporate Camouflage shawl. I really like it. It was an easy knit. I'm thinking of making another. Maybe with some of my hand spun yarn.

I joined the Spunky Eclectic Fiber club, so I will be getting fiber to spin in January. Hopefully, I will get the spindle I want for Christmas. I also got the pencil roving I bought from Etsy. in the mail.

I'm back to working on the KP&S Top-Down Cardigan. The weather is perfect for a nice thick cardigan. I'm going to make French Onion Soup for dinner tonight.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Ice, Ice, Baby


The ice storm hit. Thankfully, we still have our power. It's days like this that I'm glad that I work from home. Since the weather was so crappy, I've just been puttering around the house. We recently made an extra tray of chicken enchiladas just for this occasion. Piddles has had an awful time trying to get around in the ice. She's already uncoordinated. The ice has just kicked it up another notch. Precious and comical.


In my surfing around the Internet recently, I've located the Menu For Hope charity. Food bloggers have put together prize packages and for each $10 you donate you get a raffle ticket for the prize of your choice. I realize my very small readership isn't much interested in cooking, but the prizes are fabulous. I won't tell you what I've bid on, because I intend to win it.


United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, they give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 56 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People. Check it out.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Poor Little Kitten

I went to Whole Foods yesterday to get supplies to make a seafood gumbo. Now that the weather has turned cold, I've been taking out the hand knits to wear. Instead of a coat, I was sporting one of my heavier sweaters. I was also wearing the hand made fingerless mittens I'd just finished. So new that I hadn't even snapped a picture yet. Well, I took them off in the produce section somewhere. I remembered I'd left them about two blocks away from the store. But, alas. They were gone. Always the optimist, I've called a couple of times to see if they were returned. I hope you enjoy them, whoever you are. But, you can bet that I'll be checking out every one's mittens for a while.
It's a great pattern and they knit up quickly. I've already cast on for another pair. I'm using some of the yarn I used for the green Hyde Park sweater. I like them out of Noro Kureyon better. The first ones I made used some Kureyon with a lovely reddish colourway.
Ravelry has tempted me to cast on for a bunch of projects. Aside from the mitts, I've cast on for this hat. I'd better get back to the thick top down sweater now that it's cold. I'd really like to wear that instead of a coat.
I think I've got most of my Christmas presents. I'll have to run to a couple of stores in a couple of days when the weather gets better. Plus, I found a 30% coupon for Border's. Gotta love that. I feel a CD or a book coming my way very soon. Part of the fun of Christmas shopping is buying yourself a present or two. Over the weekend I bought some pencil roving from Etsy. If all goes well, I'll receive a groovy hand spindle for Christmas and try (again) to learn to spin. I figure I'll learn on a hand spindle and then move on to a wheel, if all goes well.
We attempted to make gnocchi over the weekend. What an unbelievable mess. It left the kitchen such a wreck I wondered if it would ever get clean again. I think we're going to try again soon now that the dust has settled.
Now that there is snow on the ground, the birds are using the bird feeder I have attached to my office window. This provides the cats endless entertainment, and I've enjoyed looking at the pretty birds while I clack away on my computer.
It's been a busy two weeks. Out to dinner at a glamorous French restaurant and a trip to the salon for a cut and color being some of the highlights.