Friday Fun...

I listened to this 3x when a friend posted it on Facebook.

And I'm smiling as I listen while getting the link to share now. Enjoy!!

(although apparently I don't know how to make it fit the width of the blog).

Bailey says:

Can we puh-lease go back outside?

Confession...

I like TiVo. Really like my TiVo.

This isn't a surprise to me, but the fact has been elevated in my awareness by the fact that at the moment it's off limits due to the fact that the stairs to the basement (where my family room with the TV is) were replaced and today was first coat of the stain.

First coat... which essentially means I won't be able to go downstairs (remember - the location of beloved TiVo) until Tuesday. I did make sure I had all my work folders, laundry and other necessities upstairs before the staining. And I can't really consider TV and TiVo a necessity... but Friday nights I'm generally too exhausted to do anything but scrounge dinner and watch TiVo with Bailey.

So... I did muster enough energy to brave the nearby outdoor mall to get a wedding gift. And I blocked a shawl that's been sitting on my guest room bed for 3 months (it's a big, warm wool shawl... perfect timing, huh?) And got that same guest room bed ready for a house guest. And a few other uninteresting things.

Frankly... true confession - I miss my TiVo.

Happy Easter!!!

He is Risen... He is Risen Indeed.

This is one of my favorite refrains at church...

A few pictures from Easter dinner at my friends' are still on my camera, but instead of spring Easter pics from a dreary, rainy day.... here are some of my favorite shots I took at Filoli Gardens yesterday. It was a bit overcast, but a great few hours spent amongst the tulips and other garden vignettes.

Random...

I'm stealing this from Coggie as I'm still trying to get back into blogging, still not knitting and still looking for my cable for my camera...

1. How do you feel about the marshmallow Easter Peeps?

I don't have any feelings whatsoever... I think they taste awful, but they have become a kinda cute iconic symbol for easter baskets (not Easter with a capital E and an empty tomb, mind you - just the cultural mass consumption of sugar & egg hunts!) The Washington Post as a highly entertaining Peeps Diorama contest. Check this out and then google to find previous years!

2. Chickens are notoriously nervous creatures. When you are nervous, what is the best way to calm down?

Knitting always helps with any nervous physical energy... I pray. I remind myself that the situation rarely involves life or death circumstances. I think of 3 things I'm thankful for... And sometimes just allow myself a brief moment or two or ten to panic and then deal.

3. People say, "April showers bring May flowers." Do you enjoy Spring rains?

I do... although we tend to get rain for 2 months. Never any really good thunderstorms, just incessantly intermittent rain. I like the rain when I don't need to be out driving around in it, but I don't like the mud it leaves behind.

4. When I was randomly flipping through TV channels this week, I saw a show in which tattoo parlor employees received tattoos of a co-worker's face on their bodies. I can't imagine having a portrait of a colleague tattooed on me. But if someone forced you to receive a portrait tattoo (face only) of anyone, who would it be? Why?

Noone. If I were forced, it would be Bailey.

5. Would you rather have a tattoo (any kind) or a nose ring?

um. No.
6. Do you have any special plans for Easter?

Church in the morning, and then since I'm 3000 miles from family, I will go to my "local" family - as I do for almost all holidays! We'll eat a lot of great food, enjoy some good wine and play games.
7. Cadbury Eggs or Reese Eggs?

I love Reese cups, but Cadbury mini eggs are my easter candy treat.

8. What was the last thing/person you took a picture of?

The cutest puppy ever!

9. What book are you reading now, or what was the last one?

In the middle of Time Traveler's Wife for my book club... but I find it pretty annoying. I'm also reading The Cloister Walk and a fun mystery by Susan Wittig Albert (or is it Albert Wittig, or am I making up her name... ?).
10. What do you think is the most difficult task when it comes to Spring cleaning?

All of it. With the tendonitis in my wrist, my already poor house-cleaning has completely gone out the (dirty) window. With house guests in a couple of weeks (and some dust/dirt-generating work by a contractor today & Monday), I've just decided to have a someone come do a thorough cleaning for me next week (a good use of tax refund money!).

11. How many pairs of flip-flops do you own?

Ummm... quite a few. I'll guess nine pair, but most are 'nice' flip-flop-style sandals, not the rubber flip-flops you put on for the beach.

12. Which color makes you happiest?

Right now... any bright colors in all the spring flowers appearing!

Hungry?

Can it really be the end of March already? How did that happen???

Oh yeah, business trips to Delhi, Beijing, NY and now I'm with family in Florida...

I think there are some photos on my camera that I was going to post, but forgot the cable.

But I've been meaning to post about a few food blogs I've started reading, and when I discovered an old post on one about 5 meals, 17 servings from one chicken... it seemed absolutely worth sharing! Oh, and it was only $26. The bloggers write a blog called Cheap, Healthy, Good. It's a more recently blog-discovery so I've only been reading it for a few days, but absolutely worth checking out.

Two other food favorites that feed my bloglines are well known Smitten Kitchen and Our Best Bites. But the one that I've "known" the longest, and liked so much that I bought her cookbook for myself and 3 friends, is A Year of Slow Cooking - a year's journey of daily use of her crockpots.

Now... off to order chinese for dinner!

-JavaNut

P.S. Anyone watch the pilot of Jamie Oliver's show about changing the food served in schools? I don't remember the name, but I couldn't stop watching and thinking how grateful I was I didn't have to eat in a school cafeteria. And that I don't have to work with women so stubborn and resistant to change. Good luck, Jamie!

2010 Goals...

Well, progress with my 2010 goals leave a bit to be desired... sigh. Starting with not even setting them! Somehow, that just makes me laugh, which I suppose is the best response, really.

So today I'll start with knitting goals. Although sadly, the knitting is on hold because of tendonitis. After 18 months of not knitting when I had tendonitis 5 years ago, I'm taking this seriously and have been wearing a brace for the past 2.5 weeks. This time it's my left thumb/wrist, but still incredibly inconvenient.

But optimistically, let's talk knitting!

Although not my entire 'to-do' list of knitting projects, the 3 knitting goals for the year are:

Goal #1 - Ten Shawls for 2010

This is a Ravelry group to start/complete, well, 10 shawls. Different meterage requirements and prizes each month for the FOs. I've got 3 completed...

Upstairs. A boring name, but made with Malabrigo Lace which is an absolute favorite!!

Multnomah

I made most of this during the women's retreat last month and gave it to my friend L who joined me there as a memory/prayer shawl. This was made with yarn from 3 Irish Girls Adorn sock yarn.

And this doesn't count toward the challenge since it's a scarf, but it was still a lace 2010 project and I loved the knit stitch.

I've made a third for the challenge, but haven't taken any pics yet...

Goal #2 - Sweaters!

Not sure how many I'll get thru, but I want to knit sweaters. I made 3 last year... I still need to tack the collar down on one of them. I loved knitting it because it was an unusual construction - knit on the bias, but not sure how much I'll wear it other than cool mornings when I take Bailey out for a walk. The second one - love the sweater, but not on me. The third one, I wear all the time.

So for 2010, I'm hoping to get some of these done. Patterns are queued and yarn is waiting (Ravelry links):

Shalom

Silver Belle

Angelina Vintage Jacket

Hoodie with Cables

Fence Vest (two of these in the queue...)

Pembroke Vest (obviously not for me)

Goal #3 - Alan Dart

I recently discovered Alan Dart patterns and although I've always avoided knitting toys, his are amazing. I want to knit his Christmas Wishes Nativity set and I also have the patterns for Circus Mice and Harvest Mice.

So hopefully the tendonitis won't keep me from then needles for long and I'll get to some of these projects soon.

Bailey says:

I've found a new favorite place while Momma works (smart puppy!)