Friday, February 17, 2017

Number 6

It's Friday morning and it's quiet here on the second floor of my building, down the hall, in the corner by the kitchen (or what used to be a kitchen.  Now it's just a room with vending machines and a sink and microwave).  Once in a while, I can hear the sounds of my fellow early risers down the hall laughing but usually, it's quiet enough to hear the clock on the wall tick.

The snowstorm never developed into much to talk about (although you wouldn't know it by the weather people).  I requested the day off in case of inclement weather.  To be fair, at 6 AM, the weather looked inclement.  It was snowing hard and so I decided to stay home.  By 11, the sun was out and all told, we got about an inch of snow.  Yea.  All that hype and just an inch.  I would like just one good snowstorm where you sit inside by the window and watch the sharp edges of the world disappear beneath the snow.   It feels like we usually get that kind of storm right around this time each year but not this weekend.  

The temps are supposed to be in the 60'sF.(15+ C).  Not a good chance for snow but a lovely opportunity to take some time outside.  Pk and I are planning a trip to "the woods".  We'll take the Quaker Bridge road through parts of the pinelands and end up at Batsto.  I'll pack some munchies and some drinks and we'll just get out of doors for the afternoon.  We can't take all of the small trails we used to in our older cars.  The new one may have "4 wheel on demand" but that is not the same. We're a bit more careful with the new car.

We can still get out where it's quiet and there are no other people around.  When we stop and get out of the car in the middle of the woods and there are no sounds.  It feels like you can breathe again and is such a calming, soul-affirming feeling.

I finished my "socks for needles" trade.  I sent off a pair of purple socks to Molly and she will send me a set of dpns that she has hand forged.  I can't wait to see them!  


I finished one sock from the Starry Night roving I bought in MD.  It didn't feel very soft as I was spinning it but the sock is soft to the touch but feels like it will last.  The material is mohair/merino/silk (I think)
 I love the colors and the fuzziness.  And of course, there is that thrill of knitting with your own handspun.  I work on them mostly at work in the knitting group on Thursdays because it's simple to pick up and put down and there's no real pattern to remember.  

At home, I wanted a bigger project so I gathered up the left over balls of yarn and other orphan balls and started a leftover blanket.  I am making up a modified Log Cabin pattern and so far, I like it.   It's definitely mindless enough but changing the colors keeps it a little interesting.  
 I know I have more half balls lying around, I just have to dig and find them.  For now, I have plenty to work with.  I haven't decided if I want to make one big afghan for the couch in the living room, or a series of small baby sized blankets.  Maybe both.....

Do you have folks in your friends/family who have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant?  I found a recipe that is tasty and just happens to be gluten free.  
 These are almond flour cakes with blackberry jam or chocolate ganache on top.  They're small and not too sweet and don't taste "off".  I found the recipe in the NYT.  I think the paper pays for itself in recipes.  I didn't have almond flour, so I ground up almonds on my own so they have a nice texture.  

I took 15 minutes and ordered our groceries this morning and will save lots of time this afternoon in the ShopRite.  We'll pick out our meats and veg and then drive around the side of the store and get the non perishables and be home early enough to have an evening together.  As long as we don't watch any press conferences, we'll have an enjoyable evening.  There's something profoundly disturbing about watching the leader of your country have a tantrum in front of the world.

So, I pay enough attention to be informed, but not so much that I get anxious and/or depressed.

Well, here's hoping we all have a good Friday.  I am having lunch with Emily (since she started working downtown, we try to get together once a month for lunch.). I like hearing about how much she likes her new job and how they think she "walks on water".  It's hard not to beam with pride.  I have some paperwork to do today but not too much.  

Happy Friday!

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Today

High: 64 °F (16.6C)

This is our forecast for today.  I took this from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the government's weather site.  They tend to be less dramatic than the local stations when it comes to predicting "winter events" and things. 

Today will be Spring-like (my office window is open at 7 AM because it's already too hot in here)

Image result for clip art snow
Thursday


Heavy Snow
and Breezy
then Chance
Snow
High: 32 °F

And there is tomorrow.




 Actually, overnight it's supposed to get colder and then rain/sleet/snow will fall turning to all snow by morning and snowing most of the day.  The estimates are 5-8 inches.


(I hear the laughter.  I know that is not a great deal of snow.  But, here, our public transportation tends to get bent out of shape with any snowfall)


I decided to err on the side of caution and have requested tomorrow off.  At the very least, I will be able to sleep in and watch the snow from my living room with some hot drink and some knitting.  If all of the forecasts are wrong, then I will get up and go to work and save the day.  By requesting it ahead of time, I avoid the dreaded "occurrence" which counts against me.
 

This week is the first week that I've felt like myself again.  The infection I got around New Year's really knocked my feet out from under me.  I had no energy and felt like I was lugging my exhausted body around day after day.  And then I suddenly realized on Monday that I felt ok.  No.  Better than ok.  I felt good.  I was relieved.  After a month, I was sure that infection was going to hang around forever.


We made donuts filled with pastry cream and iced with chocolate over the weekend.  It was fun and tasty and a learning experience.  I learned that I can rise dough using my microwave oven so making bread in the cold of winter isn't so frustrating when the kitchen is too cold to get a good rise.


We got a new Secretary of Education yesterday.  Should it concern me that she herself has never attended a public school?  Nor have her children?  She admittedly knows nothing about education (has never held a job in the field).  It does bother me.  I am grateful my children are no longer school aged but I cringe inside for the children in my neighborhood.


Did you see the photos of the ice shelf in Antarctica that has a crack that has grown 17 MILES in two months?  If it continues, it will break off into an ice berg the size of Delaware.  That seems insane to me.  So, let's all ignore the scientists who tell us that Climate Change is a real thing and go back to using coal to fuel our plants.......(something our new President has actually proposed).  The world is going to hell in a handbasket.


I'm going to go and see how much work I can get done today so that if I am off tomorrow, it won't be such a mess on Friday.


Happy Hump Day!




Happy Sunday!  I am sitting here working on my sweater made with the cashmere yarn my husband gave me for my birthday last year. I’m further...