This is the sock I started after I finished the $3. socks. I love the colors.
This is the pair of $3. socks I finished last evening for Mariah.Still not too sure about posting photos. This was really just luck.
Viki
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Trying to post a picture!
This is the sock I started after I finished the $3. socks. I love the colors. This is the pair of $3. socks I finished last evening for Mariah.
Socks at the ballet school
Last night while at the ballet school I finished the $3. socks. ( The yarn was in a $3. bin at the lys because of a lost label.) They fit Mariah so she was pleased.
Anyway I finished that pair and started another fall color pair(Trekking xxl color 161). The Artistic director stopped to chat, he liked the colors. He also reminisced about being a child in Scotland holding the skeins of yarn for his mother. He held his hands out and did the little rocking motion. After all those years he still had the rhythm down pat.
Every once in a while he stops to talk and lets loose with a little bit of his childhood in Scotland
Also a bamboo needle tip split on me last night. Bummer.
They are brand name ChiaGoo. I can't even remember which yarn shop I bought them at, but I do know they are at most a year old.
For those who are following the continuing saga of Mariah and the ballet teacher...things were better last night. Said teacher actually gave her corrections and said something positive. Such communication has been sorely lacking for the last 2 months. Keep your fingers crossed and wave a few pointy objects that attitudes on both sides continue to be more positive. Thanks!
In other news...frecklegirl sent me an invite to Ravelry.
I'm busy trying to figure out stuff. No I don't have tons of pictures taken. How do you all do that without the proper lighting and a tripod? I have written some stuff about me so far and that is it.
How do you "friend someone?"
Viki
Anyway I finished that pair and started another fall color pair(Trekking xxl color 161). The Artistic director stopped to chat, he liked the colors. He also reminisced about being a child in Scotland holding the skeins of yarn for his mother. He held his hands out and did the little rocking motion. After all those years he still had the rhythm down pat.
Every once in a while he stops to talk and lets loose with a little bit of his childhood in Scotland
Also a bamboo needle tip split on me last night. Bummer.
They are brand name ChiaGoo. I can't even remember which yarn shop I bought them at, but I do know they are at most a year old.
For those who are following the continuing saga of Mariah and the ballet teacher...things were better last night. Said teacher actually gave her corrections and said something positive. Such communication has been sorely lacking for the last 2 months. Keep your fingers crossed and wave a few pointy objects that attitudes on both sides continue to be more positive. Thanks!
In other news...frecklegirl sent me an invite to Ravelry.
I'm busy trying to figure out stuff. No I don't have tons of pictures taken. How do you all do that without the proper lighting and a tripod? I have written some stuff about me so far and that is it.
How do you "friend someone?"
Viki
Monday, October 29, 2007
323
That is how many people are ahead of me to get on Ravelry!
At the beginning of the weekend it was over 2000.
I'm starting to get more excited!
It is kind of like standing in line for a really popular rollercoster.
Finished a sock yesterday. Hopefully the mate to it today.
Yahooo! only 323 to go!
Viki
At the beginning of the weekend it was over 2000.
I'm starting to get more excited!
It is kind of like standing in line for a really popular rollercoster.
Finished a sock yesterday. Hopefully the mate to it today.
Yahooo! only 323 to go!
Viki
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Lunchtime at the preschool/MDO
This year when I did my meet & greet to go over the handbook and introduce myself I talked about Lunch. Everyone was very receptive. Lucky for me there had been an article in the local paper 2 days earlier about lunch and nutrition for school.
Almost all of my little ones(think 3 yr old) bring great lunches. I only have a few picky eaters in my class this year.
One little boy brings a round sectioned dish with a fish shaped lid every day. His lunches make me drool. His first lunch was Shrimp and fruit. He rarely has a sandwich. One of my favorites of his was noodles with beef and shrimp, homemade fruit salad(kiwi,pear and nectarine) and cherry tomatoes with steamed asparagus. Never tons of food, but just enough for him. His mother is Korean and says he is a picky eater!
Another little boy brings leftovers usually too. He calls tortellini, noodles. Usually packed plain with cut up chicken breast. Always has almonds and usually cheese chunks. His mom does use plastic baggies, but interestingly his mother labels everything in marker. He'll say, "does this say cheese?" Also if you can dip it in Ketchup this child will eat it. He loves to dip.
I have another child who lives on bottled yogurt smoothie drinks. One who will only eat apples(but not the skin) and applesauce. One who eats the inside of the peanut butter sandwich before eating the bread and also likes hard boiled eggs and raw cut up vegetables.
When I did my spiel I talked about small portions of what their child would eat. Not to pack an apple that was so big the child couldn't take a bite out of it. I told them about a mother I know that used to take an ice cube tray and fill each section with good food. When her child wanted to snack Mom would take the tray out of the fridge and the kid could eat Anything in the tray. By the end of the day she would have eaten lots of good growing food.
The regulations say that each lunch should have a protein, fruit and veg and milk and bread. It doesn't take in to account that some kids are allergic to milk. I told them this was a guideline, that I doubted that the lunch police were going to come knocking so to think outside the box.
Crackers and noodles instead of bread. Cheese or yogurt instead of milk. I asked them to cut up the fruit so their children would actually eat it.
The mom's have come through spectacularly! Makes me proud.
I of course do my part and bring a good lunch in one of my bento boxes. We have conversations at the lunch table about growing food and what we like to eat. If I have carrots everyone with carrots tells me they have carrots too. Lunch is fun in my class and that's the way I like it.
Viki
Almost all of my little ones(think 3 yr old) bring great lunches. I only have a few picky eaters in my class this year.
One little boy brings a round sectioned dish with a fish shaped lid every day. His lunches make me drool. His first lunch was Shrimp and fruit. He rarely has a sandwich. One of my favorites of his was noodles with beef and shrimp, homemade fruit salad(kiwi,pear and nectarine) and cherry tomatoes with steamed asparagus. Never tons of food, but just enough for him. His mother is Korean and says he is a picky eater!
Another little boy brings leftovers usually too. He calls tortellini, noodles. Usually packed plain with cut up chicken breast. Always has almonds and usually cheese chunks. His mom does use plastic baggies, but interestingly his mother labels everything in marker. He'll say, "does this say cheese?" Also if you can dip it in Ketchup this child will eat it. He loves to dip.
I have another child who lives on bottled yogurt smoothie drinks. One who will only eat apples(but not the skin) and applesauce. One who eats the inside of the peanut butter sandwich before eating the bread and also likes hard boiled eggs and raw cut up vegetables.
When I did my spiel I talked about small portions of what their child would eat. Not to pack an apple that was so big the child couldn't take a bite out of it. I told them about a mother I know that used to take an ice cube tray and fill each section with good food. When her child wanted to snack Mom would take the tray out of the fridge and the kid could eat Anything in the tray. By the end of the day she would have eaten lots of good growing food.
The regulations say that each lunch should have a protein, fruit and veg and milk and bread. It doesn't take in to account that some kids are allergic to milk. I told them this was a guideline, that I doubted that the lunch police were going to come knocking so to think outside the box.
Crackers and noodles instead of bread. Cheese or yogurt instead of milk. I asked them to cut up the fruit so their children would actually eat it.
The mom's have come through spectacularly! Makes me proud.
I of course do my part and bring a good lunch in one of my bento boxes. We have conversations at the lunch table about growing food and what we like to eat. If I have carrots everyone with carrots tells me they have carrots too. Lunch is fun in my class and that's the way I like it.
Viki
Friday, October 26, 2007
The suspense is killing me
Have you heard about Ravelry?
I was leery at first, as I am just not very techno.
I have friends who insist they will help me and say that I should start taking pictures of
my knitting projects and put them on a flicker account so that when my number is up and the folks from Ravelry send me my invitation I'll be ready to jump in with both feet.
If you are puzzled about Ravelry just as I am/was here is a link to check it out.
https://www.ravelry.com/account/login
There are now 2042 people ahead of me and I am mere days away from an invite.
I think I am excited.
The suspense is also killing me over ballet.
Yes we are having teacher trouble again. My dancer, after talking with her favorite teacher/mentor is trying to change her attitude. Unfortunately, she has to take the high
road because no one believes that the troublesome teacher will meet her half way or even part way. It is a shame that the 13 year old in this situation has to be the adult.
No matter what happens, I'm sure this will be a big growing experience for Mariah.
Topics in this house lately have been positive attitudes, trying to see a situation from both sides, positive affirmations, trying your hardest even if you feel like you are going to fail.
These are deep subjects.
Mixed in with all this is the search for high school. I swear it is worse than applying for college.
The schools that are head hunting my 13 yr old are mostly not schools I want her to go to. Too far away or have bad reputations. They want her smart little head in their schools to up their test scores. What does the 13 yr old want...to be home schooled of course. Less pressure she thinks. I am almost inclined to agree. This is stressful to say the least.
The past few weeks have been so stressful that I have put down the FLAK sweater again!
http://www.bigskyknitting.com/FLAK/knitalong.html
Stress really messes with my knitting gauge. I have finished a pair of socks...the HP horcrux socks and almost finished the $3. socks. (I found sock yarn in a $3. bin at a yarn store because the label had come off and they tossed it in there...their loss my gain...this yarn is over $15. a ball. ) Although we'll see if they are too tight for anyone to wear. I have another ball of Autumn colors to knit up as soon as these are finished.
I think I'll go to the bookstore this morning. Crazy Aunt Purl's book is now in stores.
http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/ and looks to be really funny. Just what I need to relieve some stress. Perhaps Mariah can read it out loud to me while I knit on the FLAK this weekend.
What a plan!
Viki
I was leery at first, as I am just not very techno.
I have friends who insist they will help me and say that I should start taking pictures of
my knitting projects and put them on a flicker account so that when my number is up and the folks from Ravelry send me my invitation I'll be ready to jump in with both feet.
If you are puzzled about Ravelry just as I am/was here is a link to check it out.
https://www.ravelry.com/account/login
There are now 2042 people ahead of me and I am mere days away from an invite.
I think I am excited.
The suspense is also killing me over ballet.
Yes we are having teacher trouble again. My dancer, after talking with her favorite teacher/mentor is trying to change her attitude. Unfortunately, she has to take the high
road because no one believes that the troublesome teacher will meet her half way or even part way. It is a shame that the 13 year old in this situation has to be the adult.
No matter what happens, I'm sure this will be a big growing experience for Mariah.
Topics in this house lately have been positive attitudes, trying to see a situation from both sides, positive affirmations, trying your hardest even if you feel like you are going to fail.
These are deep subjects.
Mixed in with all this is the search for high school. I swear it is worse than applying for college.
The schools that are head hunting my 13 yr old are mostly not schools I want her to go to. Too far away or have bad reputations. They want her smart little head in their schools to up their test scores. What does the 13 yr old want...to be home schooled of course. Less pressure she thinks. I am almost inclined to agree. This is stressful to say the least.
The past few weeks have been so stressful that I have put down the FLAK sweater again!
http://www.bigskyknitting.com/FLAK/knitalong.html
Stress really messes with my knitting gauge. I have finished a pair of socks...the HP horcrux socks and almost finished the $3. socks. (I found sock yarn in a $3. bin at a yarn store because the label had come off and they tossed it in there...their loss my gain...this yarn is over $15. a ball. ) Although we'll see if they are too tight for anyone to wear. I have another ball of Autumn colors to knit up as soon as these are finished.
I think I'll go to the bookstore this morning. Crazy Aunt Purl's book is now in stores.
http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/ and looks to be really funny. Just what I need to relieve some stress. Perhaps Mariah can read it out loud to me while I knit on the FLAK this weekend.
What a plan!
Viki
Thursday, September 27, 2007
ATC's & Knitting
I've been hosting the monthly swaps on ATC_Connection on Yahoo, and while hosting does have it's ups and downs, the ups are outweighing the downs at this point. The first positive thing is that being host means I feel that I have to participate. Motivation! I have made more little art cards in the last month than I had in the previous 6. The next positive thing is that sometimes people send you goodies. The downside is of course people dropping out or not mailing things on time, which sets me back.
My dear friend Anita has sent me instructions on posting photographs on Blogger.
So perhaps when I have a bit of time to sit and figure things out I can post a few cards.
Speaking of Anita...It was so good to see her at Odd Tuesday! I feel like I never get to see Anita and she is such a fun person and has taught me a whole lot and she doesn't laugh at me...much.
Today while on break at work I finished the baby socks for my friend Amy's baby. She is due any time. This is Amy's 8Th child. She home schools all of them and her oldest girl dances with my youngest.
Knitting: Between Yarn Harlot and Anita I am itching for a Kauni sweater. Color work at it's easiest. 2 yarns, 2 colorways instant fair isle. You can check out one persons version at:http://www.purlwise.com/kauni_cardigan/index.html
However, I'd like to do this sweater instead:
http://astridsdutchobsessions.com/Scripts/infoview.asp?documentid=12
Beautiful!
Of course, I should pick up the FLAK sweater I started AGES ago and finish it up.
What is it about sleeves? The second one is just murder. The weather is getting a little cooler
maybe I'll pick it up this weekend while dreaming of the Ssssweater.
Viki
My dear friend Anita has sent me instructions on posting photographs on Blogger.
So perhaps when I have a bit of time to sit and figure things out I can post a few cards.
Speaking of Anita...It was so good to see her at Odd Tuesday! I feel like I never get to see Anita and she is such a fun person and has taught me a whole lot and she doesn't laugh at me...much.
Today while on break at work I finished the baby socks for my friend Amy's baby. She is due any time. This is Amy's 8Th child. She home schools all of them and her oldest girl dances with my youngest.
Knitting: Between Yarn Harlot and Anita I am itching for a Kauni sweater. Color work at it's easiest. 2 yarns, 2 colorways instant fair isle. You can check out one persons version at:http://www.purlwise.com/kauni_cardigan/index.html
However, I'd like to do this sweater instead:
http://astridsdutchobsessions.com/Scripts/infoview.asp?documentid=12
Beautiful!
Of course, I should pick up the FLAK sweater I started AGES ago and finish it up.
What is it about sleeves? The second one is just murder. The weather is getting a little cooler
maybe I'll pick it up this weekend while dreaming of the Ssssweater.
Viki
Thursday, August 23, 2007
New School Year & Life is busy
Whew, where did the year go. I haven't posted in forever.
Spring flew by and Summer did too.
Mariah did a Summer Dance intensive with the Louisville Ballet.
Her feet changed to 2 different sizes. Pointe shoes are expensive.
Grandaddy W. got to see her dance for the first time!
Now School has started for both girls.
This morning was a real B%#ch fest at the breakfast table.
Mariah is pushing to be home schooled.
Jordan will see that as proof that we love Mariah more if
I give in the home school idea. Several girls at the ballet are home schooled. I only know of two that
are not being home schooled for religious reasons. I'm not going into that on this blog!
What a can of worms.
Ballet started up again. New teachers this year.
Ms. Colleen Pratt, who is strict and old school but seems nice and so far
well liked, and Christy Corbet-Miller, who has a smile on her face, ALWAYS!
She is funny too! The engaging your stomach speech was great!(If you are engaged you
don't want to become unengaged.)
My first meetings of the school year start next Monday and MDO and Preschool the
following week. Then DH leaves for Korea on the 6th. Yuck.
I've been doing more Artist Trading Card's and I now am a co. mod. on the ATC_Connection group.
I've been enjoying it and if I can figure out how to put pictures on the blog I'll post a few pictures.
Anita wrote me directions, but I find it so hard to follow directions.
I still haven't finished my FLAK sweater. BUT I WILL. I swear I will. Lots of socks have been made.
DH signed me up for the sock of the month kits from: http://www.chameleoncolorworks.com/
Check them out. $17. a month for hand dyed yarn and a pattern.
Mariah has once again decided to try to be a Vegetarian. She caught an episode of "Man Vs. Wild"
that did her in. She hasn't eaten meat in a month.
She has been taking a salad and multi-grain crackers to school for lunch. With a few walnuts and dried
cherries thrown in, and of course water.
Speaking of Lunch!
Today, I was in the Dollar Tree up the street and they have one tier Hello Kitty Bento boxes! Several colors.
I only bought one, because I didn't know if it had a divider inside or not...it Does! I will go back tomorrow and buy a few more. They have little thermos bottles with Hello Kitty on them too. Don't know if I'll get one of those though. Now if they would get some little bottles for condiments, I'd be even happier.
Off to study those directions.
Viki
Spring flew by and Summer did too.
Mariah did a Summer Dance intensive with the Louisville Ballet.
Her feet changed to 2 different sizes. Pointe shoes are expensive.
Grandaddy W. got to see her dance for the first time!
Now School has started for both girls.
This morning was a real B%#ch fest at the breakfast table.
Mariah is pushing to be home schooled.
Jordan will see that as proof that we love Mariah more if
I give in the home school idea. Several girls at the ballet are home schooled. I only know of two that
are not being home schooled for religious reasons. I'm not going into that on this blog!
What a can of worms.
Ballet started up again. New teachers this year.
Ms. Colleen Pratt, who is strict and old school but seems nice and so far
well liked, and Christy Corbet-Miller, who has a smile on her face, ALWAYS!
She is funny too! The engaging your stomach speech was great!(If you are engaged you
don't want to become unengaged.)
My first meetings of the school year start next Monday and MDO and Preschool the
following week. Then DH leaves for Korea on the 6th. Yuck.
I've been doing more Artist Trading Card's and I now am a co. mod. on the ATC_Connection group.
I've been enjoying it and if I can figure out how to put pictures on the blog I'll post a few pictures.
Anita wrote me directions, but I find it so hard to follow directions.
I still haven't finished my FLAK sweater. BUT I WILL. I swear I will. Lots of socks have been made.
DH signed me up for the sock of the month kits from: http://www.chameleoncolorworks.com/
Check them out. $17. a month for hand dyed yarn and a pattern.
Mariah has once again decided to try to be a Vegetarian. She caught an episode of "Man Vs. Wild"
that did her in. She hasn't eaten meat in a month.
She has been taking a salad and multi-grain crackers to school for lunch. With a few walnuts and dried
cherries thrown in, and of course water.
Speaking of Lunch!
Today, I was in the Dollar Tree up the street and they have one tier Hello Kitty Bento boxes! Several colors.
I only bought one, because I didn't know if it had a divider inside or not...it Does! I will go back tomorrow and buy a few more. They have little thermos bottles with Hello Kitty on them too. Don't know if I'll get one of those though. Now if they would get some little bottles for condiments, I'd be even happier.
Off to study those directions.
Viki
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Long time no blog & Fiber Fest
It's been awhile. I lost my way on blogger and can finally find the breadcrumbs to find
my way back to this blog. Google had me running in circles.
Note to self...write down all your usernames!
April means The Fiber Event at Greencastle.
Friday(3/13/07) Cindy her daughter Andrea, Me and my daughter Mariah went to the Fiber event
at Greencastle IN. Cindy's husband Ted was nice enough to drive us there and back.
He drove, we knit and talked. Perfect.
Andrea was on a wheel hunt and actually did find what she wanted and bought it and brought it back home.
She was plying yarn before she went to bed Saturday morning!
The first place I went was to my favorite dyed silk fiber place. I think it is the Cripes of Greyside Farm.
She does a wonderful job with silk, tencel blends and merino. Yum.
After that everything was icing.
I played with spindles at Handspun by Stefania. So I visited with several of my favorite woods from the Bosworths. I realize I should have bought some sea silk from another vendor. Out in one of the barns
I spun on a few Jenson wheels! Be still my heart! Almost made me want to cancel my long overdue order from that other older wheel maker. (History: I ordered a wheel from the famous Alden Almos 5 years ago and
finished paying for it 3 yrs ago and I still don't have the wheel)
I Looked interestingly at an electric spinner at an Alpaca place too. Very simple and I have everything to build it myself sitting in my basement.
I really didn't end up with a lot. I held back. Mariah bought silk hankies and dye. She is excited!
I bought something special for her from Hooked on Felt (www.hookedonfelt.com). Suzanne was sitting outside knitting(really) and she had this whole huge display of felted hats. There was one Wizard looking hat, meaning it was tall, with dreads coming out the top, which weighted it down and made it not pointy looking. It was Fab. Suzanne asked her if she loved it, really loved it and then sold it to me for $20. A deal!
Great advertising for her, as everywhere we went everyone asked Mariah about the hat and she sent them to Suzanne!
I later went back and bought a hat form and a needle felting tool. I wish I'd bought the flower kit too, maybe I'll order it from her.
Anyway.
She felts with a needle on the form, rolls the hat off the form, puts it back on inside out and needles it some more and finishes it with a wet felting session. Beautiful.
I started and finished a felted hat in south sea island blue and a few fibers here and there from the "tropical skittles" roving I bought. It is cute. Not as thick as Mariah's hat but acceptable for a first hat. Jabbing those needles in to the wool and foam is cathartic in an interesting way.
Tonight was Odd Tuesday and it was a most pleasant evening. I really appreciate my friends!
Work starts up again tomorrow.
Viki
my way back to this blog. Google had me running in circles.
Note to self...write down all your usernames!
April means The Fiber Event at Greencastle.
Friday(3/13/07) Cindy her daughter Andrea, Me and my daughter Mariah went to the Fiber event
at Greencastle IN. Cindy's husband Ted was nice enough to drive us there and back.
He drove, we knit and talked. Perfect.
Andrea was on a wheel hunt and actually did find what she wanted and bought it and brought it back home.
She was plying yarn before she went to bed Saturday morning!
The first place I went was to my favorite dyed silk fiber place. I think it is the Cripes of Greyside Farm.
She does a wonderful job with silk, tencel blends and merino. Yum.
After that everything was icing.
I played with spindles at Handspun by Stefania. So I visited with several of my favorite woods from the Bosworths. I realize I should have bought some sea silk from another vendor. Out in one of the barns
I spun on a few Jenson wheels! Be still my heart! Almost made me want to cancel my long overdue order from that other older wheel maker. (History: I ordered a wheel from the famous Alden Almos 5 years ago and
finished paying for it 3 yrs ago and I still don't have the wheel)
I Looked interestingly at an electric spinner at an Alpaca place too. Very simple and I have everything to build it myself sitting in my basement.
I really didn't end up with a lot. I held back. Mariah bought silk hankies and dye. She is excited!
I bought something special for her from Hooked on Felt (www.hookedonfelt.com). Suzanne was sitting outside knitting(really) and she had this whole huge display of felted hats. There was one Wizard looking hat, meaning it was tall, with dreads coming out the top, which weighted it down and made it not pointy looking. It was Fab. Suzanne asked her if she loved it, really loved it and then sold it to me for $20. A deal!
Great advertising for her, as everywhere we went everyone asked Mariah about the hat and she sent them to Suzanne!
I later went back and bought a hat form and a needle felting tool. I wish I'd bought the flower kit too, maybe I'll order it from her.
Anyway.
She felts with a needle on the form, rolls the hat off the form, puts it back on inside out and needles it some more and finishes it with a wet felting session. Beautiful.
I started and finished a felted hat in south sea island blue and a few fibers here and there from the "tropical skittles" roving I bought. It is cute. Not as thick as Mariah's hat but acceptable for a first hat. Jabbing those needles in to the wool and foam is cathartic in an interesting way.
Tonight was Odd Tuesday and it was a most pleasant evening. I really appreciate my friends!
Work starts up again tomorrow.
Viki
Monday, February 05, 2007
"You say it's your Birthday...."
Happy Birthday to me!
I'd love to be able to tell you how much I've accomplished on this Birthday of mine, but
I'd be lying. I have had a nice relaxing day so far, I've only gone out to get a birthday lunch for
myself from pannara bread co. Yum. Even if the lettuce and tomato tried to freeze on the short
jaunt home!
Why have I not gone out exploring the yarn shops, craft stores and bookstores?
Because it is Freezing out there. The sun is shining brightly and it is 10 degrees F. not
factoring in the wind chill, and the wind is blowing a bit.
Just a bit North of Louisville, they closed
some schools because they didn't want the kids standing out in the cold getting frostbite.
I feel like I'm living in Alaska again. Of course, they never canceled school in AK because it was only
10 degrees outside. In Alaska, everyone had the clothing and outerwear to keep themselves from
freezing. Everyone wore a warm hat. I even had a face mask, bright red that I wore if I was going to be out
in the ice fog. Here in KY we are a little lax in the outerwear area. I had to talk my 13 yr old into wearing
socks with her clogs this morning!
Me, I'm layering with Wool. My socks are handknit almost felted to fit mohair and wool, my shoes leather.
Yesterday it was a bit warmer and Mariah and I went shopping. My brother gave me a gift card to the bookstore and I went and spent part of it on a really inspiring book called: "Kaleidoscope ideas + projects to Spark your Creativity" by Suzanne Simanaitis. She prints a Zine called the Artitude Zine.
http://www.artitudezine.com/
I also have ordered some back issues. A little present for myself.
A Zine is short for Magazine. They are small independent publications. There are all kinds of Zines on all kinds of topics.
They are interesting. Refreshing. Some are all black and white, put together out of office printer pages.
Others are full color with inserts and even ads. All of them are passionate about the topic they cover.
I have a few zines on the shelf here and some are almost professionally done, meaning they go to a printer to be copied and bound. I have one that was done
by hand with inserts and is focused on one famous artist. It is wonderful.
I admire their creators greatly for their creativity and focus.
So I've been surfing the web looking at sites for Zines.
Reading, Knitting, and thinking about those words for those S cards that are due in 3 weeks.
Sensual, sibilant, silky, spiral, snake, serpent, sunset, silent, shhhh.
I'm warm and I'm pretty content, and that's pretty much wonderful.
Viki
I'd love to be able to tell you how much I've accomplished on this Birthday of mine, but
I'd be lying. I have had a nice relaxing day so far, I've only gone out to get a birthday lunch for
myself from pannara bread co. Yum. Even if the lettuce and tomato tried to freeze on the short
jaunt home!
Why have I not gone out exploring the yarn shops, craft stores and bookstores?
Because it is Freezing out there. The sun is shining brightly and it is 10 degrees F. not
factoring in the wind chill, and the wind is blowing a bit.
Just a bit North of Louisville, they closed
some schools because they didn't want the kids standing out in the cold getting frostbite.
I feel like I'm living in Alaska again. Of course, they never canceled school in AK because it was only
10 degrees outside. In Alaska, everyone had the clothing and outerwear to keep themselves from
freezing. Everyone wore a warm hat. I even had a face mask, bright red that I wore if I was going to be out
in the ice fog. Here in KY we are a little lax in the outerwear area. I had to talk my 13 yr old into wearing
socks with her clogs this morning!
Me, I'm layering with Wool. My socks are handknit almost felted to fit mohair and wool, my shoes leather.
Yesterday it was a bit warmer and Mariah and I went shopping. My brother gave me a gift card to the bookstore and I went and spent part of it on a really inspiring book called: "Kaleidoscope ideas + projects to Spark your Creativity" by Suzanne Simanaitis. She prints a Zine called the Artitude Zine.
http://www.artitudezine.com/
I also have ordered some back issues. A little present for myself.
A Zine is short for Magazine. They are small independent publications. There are all kinds of Zines on all kinds of topics.
They are interesting. Refreshing. Some are all black and white, put together out of office printer pages.
Others are full color with inserts and even ads. All of them are passionate about the topic they cover.
I have a few zines on the shelf here and some are almost professionally done, meaning they go to a printer to be copied and bound. I have one that was done
by hand with inserts and is focused on one famous artist. It is wonderful.
I admire their creators greatly for their creativity and focus.
So I've been surfing the web looking at sites for Zines.
Reading, Knitting, and thinking about those words for those S cards that are due in 3 weeks.
Sensual, sibilant, silky, spiral, snake, serpent, sunset, silent, shhhh.
I'm warm and I'm pretty content, and that's pretty much wonderful.
Viki
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Time for comfort
What a busy January we have had.
Finally the Lord of the Rings concert is over and Mariah doesn't have practice until 10 p.m. Just ballet 5 days a week. She has new point shoes and they hurt her feet, mostly because they are new.
We finally had a few flurries of snow and some cold temps. The wool socks are nice and comfy. I may have to bite the bullet and knit DH another pair.
Everyone sent their sick kids into the preschool last week, so I had a cold all weekend.
Jordan, my oldest, was sick with a UTI and Last night Mariah came down with strep throat.
She goes to the doctor today.
My DH is on call all week and he probably would like to stay at work, there may be fewer germs at the
hospital than at the house this week. Nah, not really. Hospitals are really germy.
In Art news, I finally finished my "I" cards and sent them to the hostess. I really had a hard time
getting into the groove for this project. I ended up with "ink blots" and they did turn out fine, if a bit
stark. They get the job done. Now I have 1 month to stress over the letter "S".
When I have time to look into techniques I get really excited about mixed media and collage, but I'm not impressed with my efforts. Everything is a learning experience though, so at least I'm growing and learning.
I actually spun some yarn on the old Louet last night. I am really hankering for a new wheel.
Keep your fingers crossed that Alden Almos gets my wheel done this Spring. I really can't afford another and
the one he is building is paid for, and has been for a few years. ( I ordered it almost 5 years ago)
I knit on the FLAK last week and finished an arm! I've picked up the stitches for the other arm but I've been so fuzzy in the head that I haven't knit on it yet. Cold meds will do that to you. My friend Anita, http://thefiberartist.blogspot.com/ has knit 3 FLAK sweaters in the last year. As well as many other sweaters, shawls and socks. The woman is amazing, she also knows how to put pictures on her blog.
I still have to figure that out!
Food: In the last week we have had a lot of easy or comfort type food. Chicken stew, Chicken soup, roast chicken, pasta, potatos cabbage and smoked salmon was the most unusual. The children wouldn't eat it of course.
Everytime I start cutting back on the meat some of us get sick and I go back to relying on old favorites that are heavy on the chicken. I don't believe that the lack of meat is what causes the illness, in fact, I Know it isn't the reason. I do know that most of my comfort foods are short on Veg and heavy on meat of some sort, usually chicken. I need to find some new comfort foods. If you have any ideas please let me know.
Viki
Finally the Lord of the Rings concert is over and Mariah doesn't have practice until 10 p.m. Just ballet 5 days a week. She has new point shoes and they hurt her feet, mostly because they are new.
We finally had a few flurries of snow and some cold temps. The wool socks are nice and comfy. I may have to bite the bullet and knit DH another pair.
Everyone sent their sick kids into the preschool last week, so I had a cold all weekend.
Jordan, my oldest, was sick with a UTI and Last night Mariah came down with strep throat.
She goes to the doctor today.
My DH is on call all week and he probably would like to stay at work, there may be fewer germs at the
hospital than at the house this week. Nah, not really. Hospitals are really germy.
In Art news, I finally finished my "I" cards and sent them to the hostess. I really had a hard time
getting into the groove for this project. I ended up with "ink blots" and they did turn out fine, if a bit
stark. They get the job done. Now I have 1 month to stress over the letter "S".
When I have time to look into techniques I get really excited about mixed media and collage, but I'm not impressed with my efforts. Everything is a learning experience though, so at least I'm growing and learning.
I actually spun some yarn on the old Louet last night. I am really hankering for a new wheel.
Keep your fingers crossed that Alden Almos gets my wheel done this Spring. I really can't afford another and
the one he is building is paid for, and has been for a few years. ( I ordered it almost 5 years ago)
I knit on the FLAK last week and finished an arm! I've picked up the stitches for the other arm but I've been so fuzzy in the head that I haven't knit on it yet. Cold meds will do that to you. My friend Anita, http://thefiberartist.blogspot.com/ has knit 3 FLAK sweaters in the last year. As well as many other sweaters, shawls and socks. The woman is amazing, she also knows how to put pictures on her blog.
I still have to figure that out!
Food: In the last week we have had a lot of easy or comfort type food. Chicken stew, Chicken soup, roast chicken, pasta, potatos cabbage and smoked salmon was the most unusual. The children wouldn't eat it of course.
Everytime I start cutting back on the meat some of us get sick and I go back to relying on old favorites that are heavy on the chicken. I don't believe that the lack of meat is what causes the illness, in fact, I Know it isn't the reason. I do know that most of my comfort foods are short on Veg and heavy on meat of some sort, usually chicken. I need to find some new comfort foods. If you have any ideas please let me know.
Viki
Saturday, January 06, 2007
The Letter "I"
The letter "I" is brought to you today, by me.
Last post I talked about ATC's and the Alphabet swap in which I'm participating.
I went to the group files and read about people's likes and dislikes and
realized that using a religious stamp to make a modern day Russian Icon, wasn't going to
cut it. I might offend someone, and I really don't want to do that! Seriously.
I consider myself spiritual and not really religious. Some of those paintings of Mary and the
baby are beautiful.
I thought about Icons in the news and ads of today. Every thing from Angelina J to coca-cola.
So I started searching for a modern day Icon on the web. A person that I could create a great bit of art around.
I almost settled on Einstein. I love that man. He was so out there, he used to get lost on his way home
from the college. The campus police routinely took him home when they found him wandering.
I may suggest an Einstein swap later.
Then I started to simplify. I found some great pictures of Ice on a medical symposium ad to my husband.
So I started googling Ice. I found myself searching for pictures of glaciers hidden in a box in my basement from our 3 years in Alaska. I just didn't feel the cards were good enough to send out.
I went even simpler. so "I" is for INK or INK Blot. I made ink blot cards today. Easy peasy.
Now to add letters and the word Ink or Ink blot. These just might make it into the swap mistress.
I've already picked my letter for the second half of the Alphabet swap. I have 2 months to come up with
something for the letter "S" All ideas are welcome.
Knitting Update:
One of the women I taught to knit in November finished a scarf for a family member in time for Christmas.
How cool is that?!
I haven't picked up my sweater that I put down in July, but I will soon. I have still been knitting socks like crazy. I also have been spinning some Merino wool that I have no idea what it will become, I don't often spin with a project in mind. I'm trying to perfect my point of contact spinning, but is hard with the old Louet S10.
Viki
Last post I talked about ATC's and the Alphabet swap in which I'm participating.
I went to the group files and read about people's likes and dislikes and
realized that using a religious stamp to make a modern day Russian Icon, wasn't going to
cut it. I might offend someone, and I really don't want to do that! Seriously.
I consider myself spiritual and not really religious. Some of those paintings of Mary and the
baby are beautiful.
I thought about Icons in the news and ads of today. Every thing from Angelina J to coca-cola.
So I started searching for a modern day Icon on the web. A person that I could create a great bit of art around.
I almost settled on Einstein. I love that man. He was so out there, he used to get lost on his way home
from the college. The campus police routinely took him home when they found him wandering.
I may suggest an Einstein swap later.
Then I started to simplify. I found some great pictures of Ice on a medical symposium ad to my husband.
So I started googling Ice. I found myself searching for pictures of glaciers hidden in a box in my basement from our 3 years in Alaska. I just didn't feel the cards were good enough to send out.
I went even simpler. so "I" is for INK or INK Blot. I made ink blot cards today. Easy peasy.
Now to add letters and the word Ink or Ink blot. These just might make it into the swap mistress.
I've already picked my letter for the second half of the Alphabet swap. I have 2 months to come up with
something for the letter "S" All ideas are welcome.
Knitting Update:
One of the women I taught to knit in November finished a scarf for a family member in time for Christmas.
How cool is that?!
I haven't picked up my sweater that I put down in July, but I will soon. I have still been knitting socks like crazy. I also have been spinning some Merino wool that I have no idea what it will become, I don't often spin with a project in mind. I'm trying to perfect my point of contact spinning, but is hard with the old Louet S10.
Viki
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
It's been awhile
Finally, a bit of time to just breathe.
Christmas has come and gone. The socks were all finished in time for gifting and everyone, even SIL, seemed extremely pleased.
My DD2 is in the midst of her first pair of socks. In the new year she would like to knit mittens. For a look at a huge amount of beautiful hand knit latvian mittens go to
http://habetrot.typepad.com/habetrot/
She has pictures and a link to the NATO site where there are over 500 mittens archived.
DD2 will not be making mittens so intricate, but these are inspiring.
I am in an ATC swap. An Alphabet swap, my letter is "I". I have brain stormed with the family over
"I" words that have interesting images that I can use to create cards. I need to make at least 13, but I'll probably make extra. The image I am concentrating on is this years Christmas stamp of Mary and Jesus.
I want to make a mini Icon ala the Russian icons only updated. I'm having trouble finding enough canceled stamps. You'd think they would be plentiful. I might have to resort to internet images instead.
In case you haven't heard of ATC's they are Artist Trading Cards. The cards are the size of baseball cards
2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches and must be traded not sold. A good explanation of these little bits of Art can be found at
http://www.cedarseed.com/air/atc.html
or do a google search.
There are a lot of groups online that you can join to trade cards. They have themed swaps. I have participated off and on for over a year. I'm picky about what swaps I join and time is an issue. Of course
sometimes I have something like writers block, I can't seem to do anything creative except knit.
To look at some interesting ATC's go look at a few blogs:
http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/
http://www.christinemmatcs.blogspot.com/
http://somanystars.blogspot.com/
and something similar
http://www.soulcollage.com/home/index.php
I hope everyone had a wonderful "Winter Celebration of choice"
Our choice is Christmas and it was a good day.
This week is for relaxing and recharging the creative juices.
Viki
Christmas has come and gone. The socks were all finished in time for gifting and everyone, even SIL, seemed extremely pleased.
My DD2 is in the midst of her first pair of socks. In the new year she would like to knit mittens. For a look at a huge amount of beautiful hand knit latvian mittens go to
http://habetrot.typepad.com/habetrot/
She has pictures and a link to the NATO site where there are over 500 mittens archived.
DD2 will not be making mittens so intricate, but these are inspiring.
I am in an ATC swap. An Alphabet swap, my letter is "I". I have brain stormed with the family over
"I" words that have interesting images that I can use to create cards. I need to make at least 13, but I'll probably make extra. The image I am concentrating on is this years Christmas stamp of Mary and Jesus.
I want to make a mini Icon ala the Russian icons only updated. I'm having trouble finding enough canceled stamps. You'd think they would be plentiful. I might have to resort to internet images instead.
In case you haven't heard of ATC's they are Artist Trading Cards. The cards are the size of baseball cards
2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches and must be traded not sold. A good explanation of these little bits of Art can be found at
http://www.cedarseed.com/air/atc.html
or do a google search.
There are a lot of groups online that you can join to trade cards. They have themed swaps. I have participated off and on for over a year. I'm picky about what swaps I join and time is an issue. Of course
sometimes I have something like writers block, I can't seem to do anything creative except knit.
To look at some interesting ATC's go look at a few blogs:
http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/
http://www.christinemmatcs.blogspot.com/
http://somanystars.blogspot.com/
and something similar
http://www.soulcollage.com/home/index.php
I hope everyone had a wonderful "Winter Celebration of choice"
Our choice is Christmas and it was a good day.
This week is for relaxing and recharging the creative juices.
Viki
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Knitting
I've been knitting up a storm lately.Mostly socks. Three pair in three weeks. Not bad. Not up to Yarn Harlots challenge of a sock a day, but respectable for knitting while waiting in car pool line and while Mariah dances.
I've also finished the Kid Silk Haze scarf for the Louisville Ballet silent auction that is to take place during the Gala on December 2nd. I'm pretty proud of that.
I've also been commissioned by another mom to make wristlets for her 2 daughters. She saw me wearing mine and asked and I said yes. I haven't given her a price yet.
Today there is no school but there is ballet class. Mariah is missing a shoe. Hopefully it will be found at the ballet center, if not I'll have to buy new. Thank goodness it isn't a pointe shoe that is missing!
Tomorrow will be different. Usually Thanksgiving is at Mom's house. She makes the Turkey and potatoes and rolls and I make the dressing/stuffing in the crock pot, the green bean casserole and what ever else she asks me to make. This year it is surprisingly at my brother and SIL's house. What will we do without the leftovers?I'm still making the stuffing and the greenbeans, I just have to transport it 40 minutes away to Indiana, instead of 2 blocks.
This will also be the first year in the last 20 that DH isn't making his cranberry salad from his mom's recipe. That is kind of sad.
Tonight I'm making a bean soup recipe from the Rachel Ray magazine. I made it a few weeks ago and it is really tasty. She calls it White bean, sausage and kale stew. The kids won't eat it but DH thinks it is fantastic.Just thinking about it is making me hungry.
Think I'll listen to a book and knit.
Keep me busy and away from food!
Viki
p.s. Found Mariah's shoe, in the mens dressing room in an open locker. Very strange.
She also got to do African dancing instead of modern today. Lots of fun, live music, drums!
I've also finished the Kid Silk Haze scarf for the Louisville Ballet silent auction that is to take place during the Gala on December 2nd. I'm pretty proud of that.
I've also been commissioned by another mom to make wristlets for her 2 daughters. She saw me wearing mine and asked and I said yes. I haven't given her a price yet.
Today there is no school but there is ballet class. Mariah is missing a shoe. Hopefully it will be found at the ballet center, if not I'll have to buy new. Thank goodness it isn't a pointe shoe that is missing!
Tomorrow will be different. Usually Thanksgiving is at Mom's house. She makes the Turkey and potatoes and rolls and I make the dressing/stuffing in the crock pot, the green bean casserole and what ever else she asks me to make. This year it is surprisingly at my brother and SIL's house. What will we do without the leftovers?I'm still making the stuffing and the greenbeans, I just have to transport it 40 minutes away to Indiana, instead of 2 blocks.
This will also be the first year in the last 20 that DH isn't making his cranberry salad from his mom's recipe. That is kind of sad.
Tonight I'm making a bean soup recipe from the Rachel Ray magazine. I made it a few weeks ago and it is really tasty. She calls it White bean, sausage and kale stew. The kids won't eat it but DH thinks it is fantastic.Just thinking about it is making me hungry.
Think I'll listen to a book and knit.
Keep me busy and away from food!
Viki
p.s. Found Mariah's shoe, in the mens dressing room in an open locker. Very strange.
She also got to do African dancing instead of modern today. Lots of fun, live music, drums!
Friday, November 03, 2006
I teach, I'm a teacher.
I don't teach grade school or middle school or highschool or even college.
But I teach.
It seems I teach at every opportunity. I just can't help myself I pass information along.
At ballet, in the bookstore, at the grocery.
I teach 3 year olds. They are usually such fun. The potty training is getting to me this year though.
One of the other teachers is calling me "pee pee head". That's enough about that. Yuck.
The last few weeks I have been teaching knitting.
Okay so the women I've been teaching techniques to already know the basic stitches.
They are ready to learn to do more than furry scarves and felted bags.
The last few weeks have been very SOCK oriented.
Try teaching someone how to turn a heel when their primary language is not English.
It is difficult at the best of times. Plus her pattern really sucked. So I found her a pattern that
explained the magic of turning the heel in a way that almost anyone could understand.
I met with a few other teachers from the preschool on Monday of this week. Boy the strokes were
wonderful. They think I am super intelligent. I fixed many mistakes. Picked up stitches and explained how to read your knitting. They want to do this a few Monday evenings a month so they can pick my brain.
Today I am meeting with one of those women to teach her how to knit a Worsted Weight boot sock.
She is so excited. She has doubts about her ability to knit a sock, let alone a pair before Christmas.
She wants to surprise her husband with socks though so I will do my best to help her. It also helps that she
teaches right across the hall from me and I'll be able to boost her confidence on a regular basis.
I have to tell you that a hand knit sock is special. They are warm and wonderful. They have no seams to bother your toes. A hand knit pair of socks knit just for you is a gift of love. After all that work, you give the sock to someone and they Walk on them and Wear Them Out. IF you give a special pair of socks like this to someone you must really love them, or they must be paying you dearly.
I usually make socks out of fine sock yarn on size 1 or maybe 2 needles. Knitting a Worsted Weight pair is FAST. Almost instant gratification. I also make both socks at the same time. Yes it takes twice as many needles, but when you are done, you are done.
By the way, one of the best descriptions I have read for turning a heel is in Yarn Harlot's book "Knitting Rules!"
If you don't know of the Yarn Harlot her real name is Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and she has a blog.
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/ and has written 3 books with another on the way. She is a riot. If you have a lot of time, read her blog from the beginning, you'll be rolling.
In case you are interested in knitting socks there are many many free patterns on the web.
Here are a few:
http://spinfree.tripod.com/socks/
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/socks.php
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTthuja.html
http://mary4169.tripod.com/Easy_Worsted_Socks.pdf
http://tiajudy.com/putmeon.htm
Most of these are patterns for worsted weight yarn. They knit up quick.
I'm off to knit on my Wildfoote yarn socks, on size 1 needles, they are not quick, but they are beautiful and will wear like iron.
Viki
I don't teach grade school or middle school or highschool or even college.
But I teach.
It seems I teach at every opportunity. I just can't help myself I pass information along.
At ballet, in the bookstore, at the grocery.
I teach 3 year olds. They are usually such fun. The potty training is getting to me this year though.
One of the other teachers is calling me "pee pee head". That's enough about that. Yuck.
The last few weeks I have been teaching knitting.
Okay so the women I've been teaching techniques to already know the basic stitches.
They are ready to learn to do more than furry scarves and felted bags.
The last few weeks have been very SOCK oriented.
Try teaching someone how to turn a heel when their primary language is not English.
It is difficult at the best of times. Plus her pattern really sucked. So I found her a pattern that
explained the magic of turning the heel in a way that almost anyone could understand.
I met with a few other teachers from the preschool on Monday of this week. Boy the strokes were
wonderful. They think I am super intelligent. I fixed many mistakes. Picked up stitches and explained how to read your knitting. They want to do this a few Monday evenings a month so they can pick my brain.
Today I am meeting with one of those women to teach her how to knit a Worsted Weight boot sock.
She is so excited. She has doubts about her ability to knit a sock, let alone a pair before Christmas.
She wants to surprise her husband with socks though so I will do my best to help her. It also helps that she
teaches right across the hall from me and I'll be able to boost her confidence on a regular basis.
I have to tell you that a hand knit sock is special. They are warm and wonderful. They have no seams to bother your toes. A hand knit pair of socks knit just for you is a gift of love. After all that work, you give the sock to someone and they Walk on them and Wear Them Out. IF you give a special pair of socks like this to someone you must really love them, or they must be paying you dearly.
I usually make socks out of fine sock yarn on size 1 or maybe 2 needles. Knitting a Worsted Weight pair is FAST. Almost instant gratification. I also make both socks at the same time. Yes it takes twice as many needles, but when you are done, you are done.
By the way, one of the best descriptions I have read for turning a heel is in Yarn Harlot's book "Knitting Rules!"
If you don't know of the Yarn Harlot her real name is Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and she has a blog.
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/ and has written 3 books with another on the way. She is a riot. If you have a lot of time, read her blog from the beginning, you'll be rolling.
In case you are interested in knitting socks there are many many free patterns on the web.
Here are a few:
http://spinfree.tripod.com/socks/
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/socks.php
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTthuja.html
http://mary4169.tripod.com/Easy_Worsted_Socks.pdf
http://tiajudy.com/putmeon.htm
Most of these are patterns for worsted weight yarn. They knit up quick.
I'm off to knit on my Wildfoote yarn socks, on size 1 needles, they are not quick, but they are beautiful and will wear like iron.
Viki
Friday, October 13, 2006
The Lunchbox/Bento Obsession
Okay, I'm a nut. Maybe I'm just a foodie. I love to look at pictures of food and all these creative people getting up at the crack of dawn to make beautiful healthy food for their children is really very inspiring.
Run your fingers over to http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ and go to the archives and start reading.
I can't wait for her cook book to come out and I'm not even Vegan. What I find unique about Jennifershmoo's site is that her young son rates his lunch. Jennifer lets us know what he ate and what he liked. I like that. I like that such a young child will try so many different kinds of food too! My hat is off to Jennifershmoo!
I teach 3 yr olds. I always repack whatever they don't eat so their mom's will know if they like their lunch or not. Some mom's would rather I just dumped the leftovers, but I feel responsible for letting them know if their kid is eating or not.
Personally I wish there were more information out there about food and behavior.
My oldest is now 18, but she is still allergic to peanuts and soy products. When she was small if she ate peas she would become a whiney mess within 10 minutes. I have taught kids who after lunch are dazed, they walk around as if they are in a fog, they don't listen and sometimes have mood swings. Were they just tired or did they have a reaction to what they ate for lunch? I'd like to know.
Back to the web, I'm busy searching for a pumpkin cookie/granola bar/protein bar that doesn't have peanut or soy in it. I'd like the oldest to be able to eat it too.
Viki
Run your fingers over to http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ and go to the archives and start reading.
I can't wait for her cook book to come out and I'm not even Vegan. What I find unique about Jennifershmoo's site is that her young son rates his lunch. Jennifer lets us know what he ate and what he liked. I like that. I like that such a young child will try so many different kinds of food too! My hat is off to Jennifershmoo!
I teach 3 yr olds. I always repack whatever they don't eat so their mom's will know if they like their lunch or not. Some mom's would rather I just dumped the leftovers, but I feel responsible for letting them know if their kid is eating or not.
Personally I wish there were more information out there about food and behavior.
My oldest is now 18, but she is still allergic to peanuts and soy products. When she was small if she ate peas she would become a whiney mess within 10 minutes. I have taught kids who after lunch are dazed, they walk around as if they are in a fog, they don't listen and sometimes have mood swings. Were they just tired or did they have a reaction to what they ate for lunch? I'd like to know.
Back to the web, I'm busy searching for a pumpkin cookie/granola bar/protein bar that doesn't have peanut or soy in it. I'd like the oldest to be able to eat it too.
Viki
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Grief and a yardsale
On one of the lists that I am on we have been talking about grief.
We are a fiber group but we don't discourage off topic discussions.
When my dad passed away from pancreatic cancer I thought I'd grieved over the 11 months mom helped him live with that horrible cancer.
I was strong for my mom.
I had a wonderful dream where my dad came to say goodbye to me and he told me he was okay.
Several months later at the funeral for another family member, one I was not very close too, I broke down. I finally really cried. I didn't have to be strong. I didn't have to be angry.
My dad died over 8 years ago.
My mom had a yard sale this weekend.
How does this relate?
Well, she opened the closet downstairs where she had stored a lot of his clothing.
She was surprised.
She thought she had given most of his clothing away.
(His cowboy boots to a bookfair display and some of his suits to Seminary students. Other shoes to DAV.)
Today, she sold some of dads clothing at the yard sale and it was okay.
It was strange to look upon his cowboy hat sitting in the sun with a price tag on it and feel okay.
The sun was bright.
The air crisp.
The hat brought warm feelings and memories of Dad and DD1 both in their cowboy hats.
Dad with a grin on his face.
The hat didn't sell.
We put it back inside the house, mom will hang on to it a bit longer, and that's okay.
Viki
We are a fiber group but we don't discourage off topic discussions.
When my dad passed away from pancreatic cancer I thought I'd grieved over the 11 months mom helped him live with that horrible cancer.
I was strong for my mom.
I had a wonderful dream where my dad came to say goodbye to me and he told me he was okay.
Several months later at the funeral for another family member, one I was not very close too, I broke down. I finally really cried. I didn't have to be strong. I didn't have to be angry.
My dad died over 8 years ago.
My mom had a yard sale this weekend.
How does this relate?
Well, she opened the closet downstairs where she had stored a lot of his clothing.
She was surprised.
She thought she had given most of his clothing away.
(His cowboy boots to a bookfair display and some of his suits to Seminary students. Other shoes to DAV.)
Today, she sold some of dads clothing at the yard sale and it was okay.
It was strange to look upon his cowboy hat sitting in the sun with a price tag on it and feel okay.
The sun was bright.
The air crisp.
The hat brought warm feelings and memories of Dad and DD1 both in their cowboy hats.
Dad with a grin on his face.
The hat didn't sell.
We put it back inside the house, mom will hang on to it a bit longer, and that's okay.
Viki
Monday, September 25, 2006
Sleep and the lack there of
Sleep, it is precious.
I'm not worth a lot with out sleep.
When I was young it was different, the lack of sleep put creativity on overdrive for me.
Then I had children and most of my creativity dribbled out my ears.
See, like most mom's I have a sense of hearing that is extreme!
When my children were babies, I could hear them turn over and sigh in their sleep from 2 rooms away.
Even now the slightest sound has me out of bed.
I've lost count of the number of times that the phone has rang in the middle of the night and I wake to find myself down the hall and around the corner answering it before I am even awake.
This extreme sense of hearing was great when DD1 was in her sneak out of the house phase.
I could hear her window open or the back door close over the white noise of the fan in the hall and the air cleaner next to the bed.
I wake when I hear DD2's door open so she can go across the hall to the bathroom. IF she listens to a book as she is falling asleep, then I listen to the same book.
All of this is just the build up to the lack of the most precious commodity in my world...Sleep.
DD1 now works at UPS and comes in at odd hours in the early morning 5 or so days a week.
I wake as the key enters the door. Heck sometimes I wake as the car pulls up to the house.
I almost always get up to say hi and this does not endear me to her.
She almost always stays up for at least an hour or 2 because she is too keyed up to go to sleep right away.
(mountain dew is the real reason) I can hear the TV even if it is almost silent and my door is closed and the white noise is on. I can hear her type on the computer in the kitchen, go to the bathroom or let the dog out the back door. Can no one other than I shut a door silently?
Last night she got in at 2 and finally went to bed at around 4. Every time I started to doze off, my extreme ears caught a noise and I was wide awake again. At 4 the dog came in my room, even he was disgusted.
I pet his fuzzy head and then he lay down and groaned before he went to sleep. I finally dozed off sometime after 4:30 and the alarm rang at 5:45. Don't ask if I accomplished much today.
It is almost 10 pm and DD1 is visiting a friend and I'm ready for bed.
Keep your fingers crossed and wave pointy objects so that when she gets home (and it better be early)
that she goes right to bed and I can sleep most of the night.
Viki
I'm not worth a lot with out sleep.
When I was young it was different, the lack of sleep put creativity on overdrive for me.
Then I had children and most of my creativity dribbled out my ears.
See, like most mom's I have a sense of hearing that is extreme!
When my children were babies, I could hear them turn over and sigh in their sleep from 2 rooms away.
Even now the slightest sound has me out of bed.
I've lost count of the number of times that the phone has rang in the middle of the night and I wake to find myself down the hall and around the corner answering it before I am even awake.
This extreme sense of hearing was great when DD1 was in her sneak out of the house phase.
I could hear her window open or the back door close over the white noise of the fan in the hall and the air cleaner next to the bed.
I wake when I hear DD2's door open so she can go across the hall to the bathroom. IF she listens to a book as she is falling asleep, then I listen to the same book.
All of this is just the build up to the lack of the most precious commodity in my world...Sleep.
DD1 now works at UPS and comes in at odd hours in the early morning 5 or so days a week.
I wake as the key enters the door. Heck sometimes I wake as the car pulls up to the house.
I almost always get up to say hi and this does not endear me to her.
She almost always stays up for at least an hour or 2 because she is too keyed up to go to sleep right away.
(mountain dew is the real reason) I can hear the TV even if it is almost silent and my door is closed and the white noise is on. I can hear her type on the computer in the kitchen, go to the bathroom or let the dog out the back door. Can no one other than I shut a door silently?
Last night she got in at 2 and finally went to bed at around 4. Every time I started to doze off, my extreme ears caught a noise and I was wide awake again. At 4 the dog came in my room, even he was disgusted.
I pet his fuzzy head and then he lay down and groaned before he went to sleep. I finally dozed off sometime after 4:30 and the alarm rang at 5:45. Don't ask if I accomplished much today.
It is almost 10 pm and DD1 is visiting a friend and I'm ready for bed.
Keep your fingers crossed and wave pointy objects so that when she gets home (and it better be early)
that she goes right to bed and I can sleep most of the night.
Viki
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Do you Bento?
A few weeks ago I was blog hopping and ended up on a blog that had a positive review of an Americanized verson of the Japanese Bento box. It is called a Laptop lunch box. http://www.laptoplunches.com/ This is a very cool site with nutrition information and expensive but very cool lunchboxes. The company was started by a few mom's who found that the average school age child throws away over 50 pounds of paper and plastic and left over food every year. The boxes and containers are lead free.
I then googled "Japanese lunchbox", "Bento", and "Obento" I've been sifting through the sites. I am finding it highly entertaining. Perhaps I am easily entertained. There is a whole culture of Bento and it isn't just in Japan. The cartoons we import from Japan have brought bento to the world.
It is said that when your family member opens their bento/lunchbox they will feel the love from the mother who packed/made the food. So mothers try very hard to make the food look and taste wonderful. (is it just me or do we think this way about the stuff we knit for our family too?) Sometimes they seem to compete. It is a status thing for their kids.
On Ebay you can find cute Bento boxes, little bottles for condiments and little molds for rice. In Japan there are monthly magazines devoted to making Bento for your kids, calendars with pictures of bento boxes packed with tasty food.
There are blogs devoted to fans of Bento. One Japanese American mom takes a picture of her kids boxes after she cooks and fills them every morning. How do you use your camera phone?
Here are some of my favorite sites to check out.
Learn about the culture and pack a virtual box at:
http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/bento/top.html
This girl has explained things really well, has great links and
pictures of her bento box collection. Please check out her links.
http://www.airandangels.com/bentobox/
I am now trying to get DD2, who is still in school, to get interested in Bento. Why? Because it seems healthier than most american options for a boxed lunch. I have always utilized leftovers for DH and I, but the kids never seemed to want to deal with leftovers. Leftovers aren't cool.
I think we can do better than a PB&J sandwich, bag of chips, and fruit rollup. Not that my kids ever took that combination to school. (preschool/MDO started yesterday and lots of my 3 yr olds had just that lunch in their lunchbox.) Sometimes DD2 will go years with the same lunch, day after day after day. She is toying with the idea of being a vegitarian though and perhaps this bento idea will get her to eat a varity of healthy foods.
Also, we run around so much with Ballet 5 days a week it seems impossible to feed her right sometimes. A lunchbox full of interesting food to eat on the way home from ballet might be just the ticket. I wonder how she'd feel about chopsticks?
If I were homeschooling I'd probably do a whole exploration of bento as a cultural lesson. In fact I might just recommend it to some of my friends who homeschool! They may just be busier than I am.
Viki
I then googled "Japanese lunchbox", "Bento", and "Obento" I've been sifting through the sites. I am finding it highly entertaining. Perhaps I am easily entertained. There is a whole culture of Bento and it isn't just in Japan. The cartoons we import from Japan have brought bento to the world.
It is said that when your family member opens their bento/lunchbox they will feel the love from the mother who packed/made the food. So mothers try very hard to make the food look and taste wonderful. (is it just me or do we think this way about the stuff we knit for our family too?) Sometimes they seem to compete. It is a status thing for their kids.
On Ebay you can find cute Bento boxes, little bottles for condiments and little molds for rice. In Japan there are monthly magazines devoted to making Bento for your kids, calendars with pictures of bento boxes packed with tasty food.
There are blogs devoted to fans of Bento. One Japanese American mom takes a picture of her kids boxes after she cooks and fills them every morning. How do you use your camera phone?
Here are some of my favorite sites to check out.
Learn about the culture and pack a virtual box at:
http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/bento/top.html
This girl has explained things really well, has great links and
pictures of her bento box collection. Please check out her links.
http://www.airandangels.com/bentobox/
I am now trying to get DD2, who is still in school, to get interested in Bento. Why? Because it seems healthier than most american options for a boxed lunch. I have always utilized leftovers for DH and I, but the kids never seemed to want to deal with leftovers. Leftovers aren't cool.
I think we can do better than a PB&J sandwich, bag of chips, and fruit rollup. Not that my kids ever took that combination to school. (preschool/MDO started yesterday and lots of my 3 yr olds had just that lunch in their lunchbox.) Sometimes DD2 will go years with the same lunch, day after day after day. She is toying with the idea of being a vegitarian though and perhaps this bento idea will get her to eat a varity of healthy foods.
Also, we run around so much with Ballet 5 days a week it seems impossible to feed her right sometimes. A lunchbox full of interesting food to eat on the way home from ballet might be just the ticket. I wonder how she'd feel about chopsticks?
If I were homeschooling I'd probably do a whole exploration of bento as a cultural lesson. In fact I might just recommend it to some of my friends who homeschool! They may just be busier than I am.
Viki
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
What's in your Attic?
Last weekend my DH and I spent a significant amount of time crawling around in my mother's attic. We brought down boxes that had been stored in the attic since 1971. We found junk, trash, and assorted treasures. The garbage collectors took a lot away Monday morning. Some is going to a yard sale and a few things will be carefully washed and hopefully preserved.
Things like my mother's wedding dress and several formals from her college days.
Linens from my grandmother's house,
And the spinning wheel that used to sit in front of the fireplace when I was a child. I can remember dreaming about using that wheel. When we brought the pieces down from the attic, yes pieces, it didn't look like much.
I brought it home after finding the drive wheel in a closet and set about cleaning it with lemon oil. It cleans up very nicely. After getting the rust off the wheel even turns freely with just a bit of wobble. It is missing the footman and flyer, but those are replaceble. It has a name on the hub: Alfred Andresen and Co. Misseapolis Minn.
Evidently this was a mail order company. I've sent an inquirey to the Spinning Wheel Sleuth as their last issue has an article with pictures about this company.
More about the wheel as I learn more about it.
Viki
Things like my mother's wedding dress and several formals from her college days.
Linens from my grandmother's house,
And the spinning wheel that used to sit in front of the fireplace when I was a child. I can remember dreaming about using that wheel. When we brought the pieces down from the attic, yes pieces, it didn't look like much.
I brought it home after finding the drive wheel in a closet and set about cleaning it with lemon oil. It cleans up very nicely. After getting the rust off the wheel even turns freely with just a bit of wobble. It is missing the footman and flyer, but those are replaceble. It has a name on the hub: Alfred Andresen and Co. Misseapolis Minn.
Evidently this was a mail order company. I've sent an inquirey to the Spinning Wheel Sleuth as their last issue has an article with pictures about this company.
More about the wheel as I learn more about it.
Viki
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Me and my Bosworth Book Charkha
I know I was going to talk about bento next, but I had a very pleasant experience and I just have to tell of my lastest adventure with my little Bosworth book charkha
As I've said before, my DD2 takes ballet 5 days a week and with the price of gas I usually take her and stay at the studio doing something fiberish. Lately I have been spinning cotton on my book Charkha.
Last night I was spinning away when this elderly gentleman from India saw me and did a double take, his look was incredulous. He immediately sat down for a chat.
We spoke of Gandhi and spinning as meditation and protest. We spoke of the feel of hand spun hand woven or knit cloth in comparison to factory made cloth. We talked of the Love that is put into making something for someone. He asked me Why I spin. I told him about how relaxing I find it and how I feel productive at the same time. I told him I find it meditative.
I told him that there are at least 3 others in the Louisville area that spin cotton on a charkha just like mine. I pointed out the number stamped into my charkha (364) and told him that there were many more people spinning cotton on charkhas in the USA and elsewhere.
He told me about his wife who was watching their grandchild dance and brought her over to meet me. He told me how gifted I am to have my own mother just a few blocks away, that it was a blessing for my children to be so close to her. He said that he and his wife will be returning to India next Saturday.
His wife told me about the bazaars in India and the artists and crafts people. She told me of her carpal tunnel and how she can no longer knit, but she is doing yoga exercises everyday in the hope that her wrists will improve.
I showed her the shawl I am knitting and she stroked it and admired the fine yarn and the beautiful colors and pattern.
Then they sat back and watched as several children came to see what I was doing and I explained and a few even helped by turning the wheel while I drafted the fiber and the children were so "into" what we were doing. The Indian couple just sat and smiled.
It was truly a wonderful evening and I know that even as I am telling every one about my adventure, that next week when they get back to their home, I will be a topic of conversation. Me and my book Charkha.
If you would like to see what my charkha looks like to to http://www.journeywheel.com/
and take a look. It is a beautifully crafted machine.
Viki
As I've said before, my DD2 takes ballet 5 days a week and with the price of gas I usually take her and stay at the studio doing something fiberish. Lately I have been spinning cotton on my book Charkha.
Last night I was spinning away when this elderly gentleman from India saw me and did a double take, his look was incredulous. He immediately sat down for a chat.
We spoke of Gandhi and spinning as meditation and protest. We spoke of the feel of hand spun hand woven or knit cloth in comparison to factory made cloth. We talked of the Love that is put into making something for someone. He asked me Why I spin. I told him about how relaxing I find it and how I feel productive at the same time. I told him I find it meditative.
I told him that there are at least 3 others in the Louisville area that spin cotton on a charkha just like mine. I pointed out the number stamped into my charkha (364) and told him that there were many more people spinning cotton on charkhas in the USA and elsewhere.
He told me about his wife who was watching their grandchild dance and brought her over to meet me. He told me how gifted I am to have my own mother just a few blocks away, that it was a blessing for my children to be so close to her. He said that he and his wife will be returning to India next Saturday.
His wife told me about the bazaars in India and the artists and crafts people. She told me of her carpal tunnel and how she can no longer knit, but she is doing yoga exercises everyday in the hope that her wrists will improve.
I showed her the shawl I am knitting and she stroked it and admired the fine yarn and the beautiful colors and pattern.
Then they sat back and watched as several children came to see what I was doing and I explained and a few even helped by turning the wheel while I drafted the fiber and the children were so "into" what we were doing. The Indian couple just sat and smiled.
It was truly a wonderful evening and I know that even as I am telling every one about my adventure, that next week when they get back to their home, I will be a topic of conversation. Me and my book Charkha.
If you would like to see what my charkha looks like to to http://www.journeywheel.com/
and take a look. It is a beautifully crafted machine.
Viki
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