This was an eventful, productive weekend for us.

Biggest event for me?  I finished Em's dress.

This is it, unhemmed and relaxing on a chair.  The material wasn't as difficult as I was afraid it would be and it came out very well.  She tried it on Saturday and it fit just about perfectly.  I made the alterations and did the hem and pressed it just a bit and now it is ready for her to take it off my hands.

I think she likes it.  (it's not as shiny as it looks but it does reflect the light in a pleasing manner).

I got a dress for myself from LandsEnd.  I love them.  Their clothes are comfortable and they last.  I ordered this dress on clearance for 20!  It was a bit big so I put in a couple tucks and now it fits perfectly and is so comfortable.  It's a bright pink color and perfect for a casual beach wedding (and will get worn after).

On Saturday, we took my niece Maggie to the russian market. 

 There's Pk standing in front of a portion of the smoked meats area.  The Eastern Europeans seem to really love their smoked meats. The actual counter is about 3 times that size in length.  And everywhere around you hear people ordering in (what I think is) Russian. 

 

We bought honey with crushed nuts but if you look at their label, it says Crushing Nuts.  I wonder how heavy these nuts are when they come out of the jar.

We also bought breads.  Oh my goodness.  Freshly baked bread has to be one of life's greatest pleasures.  It pleases all the senses.  It's warm to the touch, it smells amazing and of course it's delicious.  One loaf we bought, some "peasant bread" is heavy enough to use as a door stop but Pk insists it's wonderful.  He ate it with his sauerkraut and kielbasa on Saturday.  The kraut was a bit more shall we say, "pungent", than what we usually buy and the house smelled interesting all afternoon as it cooked in the crock pot.

We have not had a television in our house for over 10 years.  No one was watching it and I had the cable turned off and gave away the set.  This has not felt like a loss to us.  We can usually find our favorite shows online or we wait for them to come out on dvd or stream them.  (I am still waiting for Dr Who's season 7).

Well, as you may or may not be aware, next year is a World Cup Year.  Pk has watched most games through ESPN3 online a few days after they are played.  This is getting harder to do as more and more outlets have exclusive deals and the games are not as available online.  And while he is not a sports fanatic, he does enjoy watching soccer.

The solution was to call the cable provider and get cable sent into our home.  We thought we could avoid buying a television because there is a device called a Slingbox that the BestBuy employee assured us would allow us to bypass the television and watch tv on any wireless device in our home.

This is not true.  A tv is necessary.  Our next step was to go to the local Goodwill store and buy a small, used tv for 20 dollars.  This did not work becasue Slingbox only recognized HD tvs.  So, Mr Slingbox went back to the store and we bought a small television.

At first, we were automatically going to put it into the bedroom since that's where the other electronics live.  Then it dawned on me.  This is a TELEVISION and I don't want it in the bedroom.  Pk crawled under the house and hooked the cable up to the brand new television in the living room. 

He got to watch the English Premier League games and we have a Sports Package so he can get all kinds of games.  I sat there yesterday and flipped through channels and couldn't find a single thing worth my time so off it went.  No wonder we didn't miss it all those years.

I got my toes done so they're pretty and neat and I can show them off for the next week.  We have a new dress code at work and it's a bit restrictive (but not really draconian).  While they don't forbid open toed shoes, they discourage them.  And NO denim (I don't even think my denim skirt will pass).  But most disturbing for me is the NO VISIBLE TATTOOS.  Since the one on my ankle is covered up most of the time, it's the one on my wrist I have to worry about.  Most days I have long sleeves due to the frigidness of the a/c so it won't be a problem.  I haven't heard whether I'll have to cover it up with a bandage or some such but I'll be bringing it up in supervision tomorrow.  They're trying to create a 'professional environment' and I get it but it's a pain.  I like wearing jeans to work and always look neat even when wearing denim.  Now I'll have to go and purchase some work pants.

And now we're back at Monday morning.  Pk and I have 3 short weeks coming up.  We took off this Friday and Monday is Labor Day so that's two.  The week after that we took off the Friday before Em's wedding.  Three short weeks is good but today is still Monday and I have a busy one so it's off to the races for me!  Have a great day everyone!!

Two weeks ago, I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror at 6:30 (as you do) and decided my hair needed a cut right NOW.  No, it couldn't wait for the afterwork time when I could see the stylist.  I grabbed the scissors and cut about and inch and a half off the bottom.  Just whacked it off. 

I kind of liked it so I went and had the stylist adjust the other layers proportionately and now it looks good. 



See, adorable, right? It waves and curls and is bouncy.  I really like it. 

 That's my office mate's corner.  He is of the opinion that any flat surface could be a shelf and so it becomes a shelf.  He keep promises to clean it off but I'm not holding my breath.

The fabric came for Em's dress.  What you can't see in this photo is how silky it feels, like cool water running over your skin.  That very quality is what's going to make it hard to work with.  I have been reading up on silk charmeuse and I'm in for a challenge.  I have everything I need but was just absolutely exhausted both mentally and physically last night and couldn't face fussing with fussy fabric.

I had to make a phone call to Child Protective Services regarding a client's child and I know the phone call will cause her no end of trouble (and she is not the reason for the call and has already taken steps to fix the problem) but I am a Mandated Reporter.  I have no choice but to report it when I learn that a child or elderly person has been abused in any way.  While I know it was the right thing to do, it wore me out mentally.  I am afraid I just eroded all the carefully built up trust she had and that makes me unbearably sad.

The physical exhaustion is the result of the perimenopause.  It wakes me up at odd hours and sometimes I can't get back to sleep.  I've been awake since about 3:30 this morning and I am tired.  I know this will pass and all in all, I am not faring too badly.  It's just annoying.  I have mild to medium power surges and don't feel the need to stick my body into a freezer.   I can deal with those but the sleeplessness will drive me nuts.  Fortunately it doesn't happen every night.  Tonight I'd like to go to bed and sleep peacefully all the way through. 

It's hard to believe it's August.  Our weather seems to be out of sync with the calendar.  Usually June is lovely (thus all the weddings) and July is hot and dry and August is very hot and humid as all get out.  This year, June was hot and humid and very very wet, July was hot and humid and very wet and August has been really pretty nice.  Nice enough to get outside a bit more.  We've not been on many picnics or meals by the river due to the heat/humidity.  This has brought increased mosquitos, also keeping us inside.  I'd like to have dinner outside tonight but the tiredness may preclude that.

I'll be spending most of my free time working on the dress and finishing some mitts for Pk's coworker and a baby sweater for an impending arrival at work.  Then I'll think about something for Pk for Christmas.  I got a lovely skein of yarn from Roxanne at Zen Yarn Garden yesterday in the mail.  I've really missed her yarn each month and this one is a Kandinsky-another one of my favorite artists.  I've promised Pk it can be socks for him since it's cashmere/merino but has nylon in it.  He deserves a bit of luxury and he really appreciates the socks I make.  He not only wears them but takes every opportunity to show them off.

I think it will keep me busy for a while.  Have a good weekend.

We had some of the most beautiful weather this past weekend (and I say this as I look outside at the very dark day (and it's only 7:45 AM) where it's raining. Again.).  Everything around here is green, green, green.  Usually by this time in the year, it's quite brown and crispy.  I know it's green because the blood tests I had done recently showed that my allergy markers were almost 700 (average is 30).  



bread and butter pickles



But it is gorgeous to look around and see everything still fresh looking and growing.  Especially the plants in the garden.  Our tomatoes are delicious and our cucumbers have been prolific so this weekend I took several of them and made some pickles.

   These are bread and butter pickles (made with white vinegar and apple cider vinegar and spices).  They are refrigerator pickles so after the hot brine is poured over the cukes, they are left to cool on the counter and then put in the fridge. 



garlic dill pickles



You are supposed to wait 2 weeks before eating them but I had to take a taste.  Oh my goodness! They are tangy and sweet and just a bit peppery.  The ones on the left are dill pickles.  They have fresh dill, garlic cloves and peppercorns in them.  I wish I had larger jars but these were the only jars I had at the time. 

It couldn't be any easier.  The jars look so pretty and the kitchen smelled wonderfully spicy. 

I did some knitting on Saturday and actually finished a few rows on my Ringwraith.  I am almost finished repeat 3 (of 16) and I love the color.  Only problem is that I cannot watch anything while working on it.  I can listen to a book and I need good light since the color is rather dark.  The yarn is soft and has a slight halo (it's part mohair) and I just love the way it feels to touch it. 

We ordered a guyaberra shirt for Pk to wear for Em's wedding and it came yesterday.  It fits perfectly and looks perfectly handsome on him.  El and I went shopping for a dress to wear and we found her a lovely floaty summer frock.  I didn't see anything that floated my boat so I will probably wear a dress I already own that I love.  It makes me feel good to wear (and I have a few options in terms of shawls) and it's comfortable and light.

I am waiting for the new pattern and material for Em's dress to arrive so I can get started.  She chose a silk charmeuse which I understand is a bit on the difficult side to work with.  It will be nice if the weather stays reasonable while I work on it.

The rain is coming down in buckets now.  I am SO glad it waited until I got into work.  On my way home Friday, the sky opened up and I got soaked even with an umbrella.  It was just raining so hard that roads flooded and it was impossible to do anything about it.  We had plans to go to the movies but instead just went home and put dry clothes on and lounged around.  That set the tone for most of the weekend.  We did what we had to do and the rest of the time, nada.  God, I love summer.  These long sunny days are perfect for either being productive and having fun or just lazing and relaxing.  But we can already start to see the difference in the light.  Summer is on the way out even though the calendar says we have a month left.

Before you know it, the countdown for the holidays will begin......

August 5.  Today Kathryn Margaret, my baby, is 24 years old.  She has grown into such a lovely young woman.  Kate has a charm that draws people to her and she lights up a room when she smiles.  She is smart and funny and endlessly creative.  Can you tell I'm proud of her? so

Happy Birthday Katie baby!!!

Patrick had a bbq for her yesterday and we spent the afternoon at his mother's house eating good food and laughing.  Instead of socks, I made Kate these

mitts.  They are Christina's Mitts.  A simple pattern.  I changed the edging (which was originally 3 rows of purl stitches which rolled) to a few rows of 2x2 ribbing.  I like it so much better.  I'm making a pair for one of Pk's favorite coworkers next.  We also ordered her some cones of angora and cashmere for her loom.  She needed large quantities of yarn to weave with so I headed for Colourmart and found some lovely tourquoise and another blue color.  She'll put them to good use.

And here are three red things.

First, a red potato shaped like a heart.  Pk asked for kielbasa and eggs for breakfast and I added some fried potatos.  The weather was a bit cooler so standing over a hot stove wasn't too bad.  I pulled the potatos out of the bag and went to wash them and found this one.  A little extra love in the breakfast.

Next, red socks.  Two finished objects in one weekend.  I have been working on these red socks for a very long time if you count their previous incarnation as Bayerische socks.  I had one and a third done and decided I didn't like them.  I ripped them out and found a pattern I did like.  Simple Lace Socks.  It's easy and looks amazing on my feet.  And I love the bright red color.  They're made with Shibui sock yarn.  I like the way it holds up and how easy it is to knit with.  The stitch definition is great.  I think this could become one of my favorites.

And last but not least, two Jersey Beefsteak tomatos from out garden.  We ate these on Saturday night with dinner and I don't think I've had such tasty tomatos since the last time we had a garden years ago.  They are sweet and slightly tart with a firm texture.  I absolutely love tomatos but they don't love me back so I limit my intake of them.  Usually, that is not a problem but with these I had to hold myself back. 

I was going to make pickles this weekend but didn't get around to it.  The past week had felt stressful and I needed some down time.  We have a counter full of cukes just waiting to be added to a bath of brine and seasonings.  I think maybe one night this week while I'm cooking dinner, I'll chop them up and put them into the glass jars and then brine them.  It's been years since I last made pickles and I can't remember if they came out well.

Today is supposed to be a gorgeous summer day and then the rain returns for the rest of the week.  I can't wait to get home and spend some time outside.  Pk is going to play in the garage and I think I may spin outside.  Gotta take advantage of the sunshine while we have it.

Sunny days to you all!

"All situations teach you, and often it's the tough ones that teach you best."




~Pema Chödrön

Ah, the all important thought for the day.  This one is so appropriate for today.  Let me recap the last 24 hours for you.

 

Not a bad day at work yesterday, although to be truthful, I didn't get much work done.  I figured out how to use the ShopRite "order your groceries and pick them up at the store" feature (which took an embarassing amount of time).  I finalized it this morning and we'll pick the food up (and pick out our meat products-I wanted to pick out my own) this afternoon after work.

 

Pk and I had dinner with Jim's folks, Jim and Terry.  We met with the caterer who we engaged to provide the food/service for Em and Jim's wedding in September.  They want BBQ styled food and we got them everything they wanted plus some more.  It sounds like it will be delicious.

 

I am making potato salad and providing a cheesecake (Jim asked for this and the caterer will bring other small finger food type deserts).  Why am I making potato salad?  Because I happen to make the BEST POTATO SALAD IN THE WORLD.  At least Em thinks so and that's what counts.  The caterer will transport it all down to the shore for me as long as I get it to her before the Friday before the wedding.

 

I called Em later last night and after some hemming and hawing, she admitted that while she really likes the dress, it didn't make her feel like it was a Wedding Dress.  She didn't want to ask so I offered to make a different dress for her.  So the search is on for the perfect pattern and material.  She has about 2 weeks to find/purchase everything because I need the rest of the time to sew and finish another dress.  As soon as she makes her final decision, I'll show you the dress that was not meant to be.  With some minor alterations, it will make a nice special occasion dress for her.

 

I tried to make a reservation at one of the only hotels with vacancies close to where we want to be for Friday and Saturday nights but was told that there was a 3 night stay (at 165 dollars a night).  We really only need one night but were going to take two and go down on Friday night but I'm not sure now.  I don't want to pay another almost 200 dollars for a motel when we had no plans to be there.  And I don't want to burn another vacation day since we want to save time to hit the west coast next spring (if Pk gets a bonus like usual) and the holidays will be here before you know it.....

 

I'll search some more today but am not feeling positive about it.  I took some Benadryl (antihistamine) last night for all the loose congestion in my head (damn allergies).  As usual, it worked like a charm but I am paying for that by swimming through fog this morning.  I know it will wear off soon but woohwee it's tough. Fortunately, it's a light day. 

 

I know what I will be doing for the next few weeks.  You?