Last week's WW showed the cap in progress on 4 knitting needles.
Wordless Wednesday
February 10, 2010
February 9, 2010
Prepare to smile ...
Hubby and I ordered a selection of meats from Omaha Steaks for the first time recently and this particular package really cracked us up ...
I honestly don't know why we find that so funny ... guess you had to be there!
By the way, we had a couple of the hot dogs for dinner during the Super Bowl and they were really good!
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| prepare to smile |
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| hey, it's wienies |
By the way, we had a couple of the hot dogs for dinner during the Super Bowl and they were really good!
February 8, 2010
Happy Birthday, Dad!
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Daaaaaaaaaaaad
Happy birthday to you!
Hope it's wonderful!
Love you bunches!!!
February 7, 2010
Ain't No Mattress High Enough
Heaven knows, we love our four-legged babies!
Our Yorkies have little stairs so they can get up on our bed. We got a new mattress in November and it's about 5 inches higher than our old one. The little guy, Miles, has had some trouble making that last vertical leap up on to the mattress from the top step. And he's freaked himself out because a few times he's hit the side of the mattress and then the floor. He paces around the bottom of the steps, trying to work up the courage to go for it. It's exhausting!
So Hubby decided to make a small platform to raise the steps up a little. As his lovely assistant, I handed him the drill and screwdriver and took photos. :-)
He bought 4" fence posts and sanded them ...
And sprayed black rubber coating on the bottom so they won't slip or skid on the tile floor.
And spray painted them to match our bedroom furniture ...
He even spray painted the clips and screws he used to attach the stairs to the posts ...
Here is Miles checking out the stairs without the cover on ...
The frame lined up on the posts ...
Attached with conduit clips and screws ...
All put together ...
With the cover on ...
Ready to go next to the bed ...
Coming soon to a theater near you ... "Dog Stairs: The Movie."
And that is enough silliness for one day!!!
Our Yorkies have little stairs so they can get up on our bed. We got a new mattress in November and it's about 5 inches higher than our old one. The little guy, Miles, has had some trouble making that last vertical leap up on to the mattress from the top step. And he's freaked himself out because a few times he's hit the side of the mattress and then the floor. He paces around the bottom of the steps, trying to work up the courage to go for it. It's exhausting!
So Hubby decided to make a small platform to raise the steps up a little. As his lovely assistant, I handed him the drill and screwdriver and took photos. :-)
He bought 4" fence posts and sanded them ...
And sprayed black rubber coating on the bottom so they won't slip or skid on the tile floor.
And spray painted them to match our bedroom furniture ...
He even spray painted the clips and screws he used to attach the stairs to the posts ...
Here is Miles checking out the stairs without the cover on ...
The frame lined up on the posts ...
Attached with conduit clips and screws ...
All put together ...
With the cover on ...
Ready to go next to the bed ...
Coming soon to a theater near you ... "Dog Stairs: The Movie."
And that is enough silliness for one day!!!
February 4, 2010
Yarn Ball Heaven
Thanks to birthday cash received, I was able to feed my gadget addiction and add another lovely book to my knitting bookshelf. (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)
The Yarn Ball Winder from KnitPicks.com, is by far one of the most practical, handy gadgets for knitting. And at $19.99, it is a supreme bargain! Oh, and FYI ... it could not be easier to use.
The yellow yarn pictured is left over from the horsie baby blanket. Even though it was a pull skein, I find that they often will knot up the closer you get to the end and rolling the skeins into a ball eliminates that from happening while you're knitting.
I wound all of the yarn for my funky footsies class this morning in about 20 minutes. It would have taken sooooooo much longer by hand. I needed to split one of the 2-ounce balls of fun fur into two separate balls since BIL and I are sharing a skein. I wound the entire skein into a ball, then rewound the ball to half-size, weighing the loose end on my kitchen scale. Worked like a dream! (I'll be right there, honey; I'm in the kitchen weighing my balls!)
The book I ordered from KnitPicks.com is "One Ball Knits: Purses." There are some very, very cute little bags in this book. And I love that they're single skein projects. I'm going to be looking for some cool purse handles to use.
The Yarn Ball Winder from KnitPicks.com, is by far one of the most practical, handy gadgets for knitting. And at $19.99, it is a supreme bargain! Oh, and FYI ... it could not be easier to use.
The yellow yarn pictured is left over from the horsie baby blanket. Even though it was a pull skein, I find that they often will knot up the closer you get to the end and rolling the skeins into a ball eliminates that from happening while you're knitting.
I wound all of the yarn for my funky footsies class this morning in about 20 minutes. It would have taken sooooooo much longer by hand. I needed to split one of the 2-ounce balls of fun fur into two separate balls since BIL and I are sharing a skein. I wound the entire skein into a ball, then rewound the ball to half-size, weighing the loose end on my kitchen scale. Worked like a dream! (I'll be right there, honey; I'm in the kitchen weighing my balls!)
The book I ordered from KnitPicks.com is "One Ball Knits: Purses." There are some very, very cute little bags in this book. And I love that they're single skein projects. I'm going to be looking for some cool purse handles to use.
February 1, 2010
Field Trip to a LYS
If you read knitting mags, you know that LYS stands for Local Yarn Shop. Saturday morning, BIL took me to his favorite LYS, Arizona Knitting and Needlepoint.
It looks so tiny from the outside, but they have stacked it to the rafters with beautiful yarn, accessories, books, buttons and amazing finished objects to drool over.
We have signed up for a class that teaches sock knitting on big needles so you can learn the process and construction without struggling with the smaller needles. They're usually made on tiny needles, i.e., size 1, 2, 3 ... these socks called "funky footsies" are made on size 13 double pointed needles (dpns). With bulky yarn! They are going to be so cozy and comfortable. I'm making this first pair for myself and ... well, then we'll just see how it goes.
This photo of the "funky footsies" is from Arizona Knitting's website where you can see some of their exciting classes and projects. http://www.arizonaknittingandneedlepoint.com/
The Brown Sheep Company yarn I bought for mine is in a color called Forest Floor with primarily greens, purples, blues and browns. Then I am adding a little green/blue and purple/blue fun fur that will go around the top of the sock. I am so looking forward to this class!
It looks so tiny from the outside, but they have stacked it to the rafters with beautiful yarn, accessories, books, buttons and amazing finished objects to drool over.
We have signed up for a class that teaches sock knitting on big needles so you can learn the process and construction without struggling with the smaller needles. They're usually made on tiny needles, i.e., size 1, 2, 3 ... these socks called "funky footsies" are made on size 13 double pointed needles (dpns). With bulky yarn! They are going to be so cozy and comfortable. I'm making this first pair for myself and ... well, then we'll just see how it goes.
This photo of the "funky footsies" is from Arizona Knitting's website where you can see some of their exciting classes and projects. http://www.arizonaknittingandneedlepoint.com/
The Brown Sheep Company yarn I bought for mine is in a color called Forest Floor with primarily greens, purples, blues and browns. Then I am adding a little green/blue and purple/blue fun fur that will go around the top of the sock. I am so looking forward to this class!
January 29, 2010
Reading "The Broken Window"
Can you say Data Mining? This book was very scary in a today's real world kind of way.Written by Jeffery Deaver, this is another Lincoln Rhyme / Amelia Sachs murder mystery. (Remember "The Bone Collector" that was made into a movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie?) The paperback edition was released in May 2009 and I picked it up at the used book store.
The basic premise of the story is that someone is killing people, then planting evidence that very strongly convicts other people of the murders. The killer is able to go into any type of record out there and make changes ... you failed a drug test you didn't take ... you have an outstanding warrant when you really don't ... you've missed making your car payments when you really haven't. But the records are what the authorities believe and proving anything different is pretty much impossible.
He is also able to view your records to see what kind of evidence to plant. You bought a rope at Home Depot ... you belong to a certain gym ... you frequent a specific Starbucks. Even paying cash for your transactions doesn't mean you aren't being tracked.
There really are companies out there that specialize in data mining, selling the information to people who want to sell you something or figure out where you're at in life ... buying a house ... having a baby ... being promoted in your job.
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| jeffery deaver |
The reason Lincoln Rhyme becomes involved in these murders is his cousin, Arthur Rhyme, is being convicted for one of them. This was a very good book and, frankly, I find myself thinking about it as I'm out running errands, leaving a trail of information.
http://www.jefferydeaver.com/
January 28, 2010
The White House Cook Book - An Antique Cookbook
I love antiques, I love cooking and I love books -- so what could be better than an antique cookbook!
I don't know who owned it, but it is very yellowed and obviously used. There are a number of handwritten notes on the pages as well as inserted between the pages, along with newspaper clippings of recipes and a few Champion Dog Series collector cards - #9 Mastiff and #17 Great Dane.
It contains 590 pages of fascinating information including:
Page iv - Note from the Publisher (last paragraph) -- Convenience has been studied in the make-up of the book. The type is large and plain; it is sewed by patent flexible process, so that when opened it will not close of itself, and it is bound in enameled cloth adapted for use in the kitchen.
Page 37 - Recipe for Squirrel Soup.
Page 147 - To Cure Ham and Bacon with a notation in parentheses (A Prize Recipe).
Newspaper clipping for Lady Baltimore Cake by Mrs. Janet McKenzie Hill, Editor of the Boston Cooking School Magazine.
Page 158 - How to prepare Herbs for Winter.
Beginning on Page 168 - An entire section on how to make Catsup -- tomato, walnut, oyster, mushroom, gooseberry, cucumber, currant, apple, celery and spiced vinegar.
How to make all variety of Pickles.
A handwritten recipe on a piece of note paper for Molasses Candy.
Page 208 - How to make Butter.
A hand-drawn design for a Card Case (for calling cards?).
Page 226 - General directions for making Bread.
Page 229 - How to make Unrivaled Yeast.
Page 240 - Parker House Rolls. Oven temperature is "Bake in a rather quick oven."
Page 259 - How to make Crackers.
There are pages of photos throughout the book that include the Presidents' Wives (previous photo) as well as demonstrative photos like "Icing the Cakes" on Page 270.
Page 271 - Plain Chocolate Icing was an obvious favorite with a penciled X by it.
Handwritten recipe for Cucumber Pickles by Mary Roll.
Page 281 - Recipe for Snow Cake (Delicious.) "This is a genuine Scotch recipe."
Page 296 - Sponge Drops in the Cake Section. Measurements are by Teacup and Coffee Cup and instructions read to"Bake instantly in a very quick oven."
An old Sears, Roebuck envelope advertisement to order a Free Sample Book. It reads "Don't pay retail prices for clothing" and takes a 2-cent stamp.
Many recipes called for "Butter the size of a walnut" or "Butter the size of an egg."
Page 423 - Deep Red Coloring for Fruit, etc. [Take twenty grains of cochineal and fifteen grains of cream of tartar finely powdered; add to them a piece of alum the size of a cherry stone and boil them with a gill of soft water in an earthen vessel, slowly, for half an hour. Then strain it through muslin, and keep it tightly corked in a phial. If a little alcohol is added it will keep any length of time.]
Page 437 - The Healing Properties of Tea and Coffee. [The medical properties of these two beverages are considerable. Tea is used advantageously in inflammatory diseases and as a cure for the headache. Coffee is supposed to act as a preventive of gravel and gout, and to its influence is ascribed the rarity of those diseases in France and Turkey. Both tea and coffee powerfully counteract the effects of opium and intoxicating liquors; though, when taken in excess, and without nourishing food, they themselves produce, temporarily at least, some of the more disagreeable consequences incident to the use of ardent spirits. In general, however, none but persons possessing great mobility of the nervous system, or enfeebled or effeminate constitutions, are injuriously affected by the moderate use of tea and coffee in connection with food.]
How to make Wine and Beer.
Weekly Menus for each month of the year including holidays and special days like Washington's Birthday.
Special Menus including a State Dinner at the White House; Mrs. Cleveland's Wedding Lunch - June 4, 1888; General Grant's Birthday Dinner; and a Buffet for 1,000 People.
Remedies and Cures for the Sick including Beefsteak and mutton chops if he is very sick; Draughts for the feet; and Cure for ringworm.
Health Suggestions including How Colds are Caught; for Toothache; and Asthma.
Miscellaneous recipes To clean kid gloves; Paper-hangers' paste; Postage stamp mucilage.
Facts Worth Knowing such as To clean marble busts and To freshen gilt frames.
Toilet Recipes, Items including Lavender water; Hair invigorator, Phalon's instantaneous hair dye; Pearl smelling salts; and antidote for poisons.
How to make dyes in all colors for a variety of fabrics.
Table Etiquette including Dinner giving [We gather around our board agreeable persons, and they pay us and our dinner the courtesy of dressing for the occasion, and this reunion should be a time of profit as well as pleasure.] ; and A family dinner [This sensible meal, well cooked and neatly served, is pleasing to almost any one, and is within the means of any housekeeper in ordinary circumstances.]
Handwritten recipes and notes in the book include Burnt Carmel Cake; Horse colic; Washing fluid; Throat gargle; Little Sage Tea [A pinch of Borax and a little honey is good for Baby's sore mouth]; Cod oil and vinegar is good to take rust from cloth; and Black Chocolate Cake (requested).
This beautiful cookbook is an absolute treasure in my collection. I doubt if I'll be doing much actual cooking from it, but it is fascinating to read! Thanks again to my Baby Sister!
I have around 200 cookbooks in my collection but I think the oldest is one I received as a gift from my Youngest Sister a few years ago. The original copyright was in 1887; my copy of "The White House Cook Book" was published by The Saalfield Publishing Company in 1907, made by The Werner Company in Akron, Ohio. It was written by Hugo Zieman, Steward of the White House, and Mrs. F. L. Gillette.
I don't know who owned it, but it is very yellowed and obviously used. There are a number of handwritten notes on the pages as well as inserted between the pages, along with newspaper clippings of recipes and a few Champion Dog Series collector cards - #9 Mastiff and #17 Great Dane.
It contains 590 pages of fascinating information including:
Page iv - Note from the Publisher (last paragraph) -- Convenience has been studied in the make-up of the book. The type is large and plain; it is sewed by patent flexible process, so that when opened it will not close of itself, and it is bound in enameled cloth adapted for use in the kitchen.
Page 37 - Recipe for Squirrel Soup.
Page 147 - To Cure Ham and Bacon with a notation in parentheses (A Prize Recipe).
Newspaper clipping for Lady Baltimore Cake by Mrs. Janet McKenzie Hill, Editor of the Boston Cooking School Magazine.
Page 158 - How to prepare Herbs for Winter.
Beginning on Page 168 - An entire section on how to make Catsup -- tomato, walnut, oyster, mushroom, gooseberry, cucumber, currant, apple, celery and spiced vinegar.
How to make all variety of Pickles.
A handwritten recipe on a piece of note paper for Molasses Candy.
Page 208 - How to make Butter.
A hand-drawn design for a Card Case (for calling cards?).
Page 226 - General directions for making Bread.
Page 229 - How to make Unrivaled Yeast.
Page 240 - Parker House Rolls. Oven temperature is "Bake in a rather quick oven."
Page 259 - How to make Crackers.
There are pages of photos throughout the book that include the Presidents' Wives (previous photo) as well as demonstrative photos like "Icing the Cakes" on Page 270.
Page 271 - Plain Chocolate Icing was an obvious favorite with a penciled X by it.
Handwritten recipe for Cucumber Pickles by Mary Roll.
Page 281 - Recipe for Snow Cake (Delicious.) "This is a genuine Scotch recipe."
Page 296 - Sponge Drops in the Cake Section. Measurements are by Teacup and Coffee Cup and instructions read to"Bake instantly in a very quick oven."
An old Sears, Roebuck envelope advertisement to order a Free Sample Book. It reads "Don't pay retail prices for clothing" and takes a 2-cent stamp.
Many recipes called for "Butter the size of a walnut" or "Butter the size of an egg."
Page 423 - Deep Red Coloring for Fruit, etc. [Take twenty grains of cochineal and fifteen grains of cream of tartar finely powdered; add to them a piece of alum the size of a cherry stone and boil them with a gill of soft water in an earthen vessel, slowly, for half an hour. Then strain it through muslin, and keep it tightly corked in a phial. If a little alcohol is added it will keep any length of time.]
Page 437 - The Healing Properties of Tea and Coffee. [The medical properties of these two beverages are considerable. Tea is used advantageously in inflammatory diseases and as a cure for the headache. Coffee is supposed to act as a preventive of gravel and gout, and to its influence is ascribed the rarity of those diseases in France and Turkey. Both tea and coffee powerfully counteract the effects of opium and intoxicating liquors; though, when taken in excess, and without nourishing food, they themselves produce, temporarily at least, some of the more disagreeable consequences incident to the use of ardent spirits. In general, however, none but persons possessing great mobility of the nervous system, or enfeebled or effeminate constitutions, are injuriously affected by the moderate use of tea and coffee in connection with food.]
How to make Wine and Beer.
Weekly Menus for each month of the year including holidays and special days like Washington's Birthday.
Special Menus including a State Dinner at the White House; Mrs. Cleveland's Wedding Lunch - June 4, 1888; General Grant's Birthday Dinner; and a Buffet for 1,000 People.
Remedies and Cures for the Sick including Beefsteak and mutton chops if he is very sick; Draughts for the feet; and Cure for ringworm.
Health Suggestions including How Colds are Caught; for Toothache; and Asthma.
Miscellaneous recipes To clean kid gloves; Paper-hangers' paste; Postage stamp mucilage.
Facts Worth Knowing such as To clean marble busts and To freshen gilt frames.
Toilet Recipes, Items including Lavender water; Hair invigorator, Phalon's instantaneous hair dye; Pearl smelling salts; and antidote for poisons.
How to make dyes in all colors for a variety of fabrics.
Table Etiquette including Dinner giving [We gather around our board agreeable persons, and they pay us and our dinner the courtesy of dressing for the occasion, and this reunion should be a time of profit as well as pleasure.] ; and A family dinner [This sensible meal, well cooked and neatly served, is pleasing to almost any one, and is within the means of any housekeeper in ordinary circumstances.]
Handwritten recipes and notes in the book include Burnt Carmel Cake; Horse colic; Washing fluid; Throat gargle; Little Sage Tea [A pinch of Borax and a little honey is good for Baby's sore mouth]; Cod oil and vinegar is good to take rust from cloth; and Black Chocolate Cake (requested).
This beautiful cookbook is an absolute treasure in my collection. I doubt if I'll be doing much actual cooking from it, but it is fascinating to read! Thanks again to my Baby Sister!
January 27, 2010
MY Personal Perfect Diet and Exercise Plan
While the actual words "diet" and "exercise" were not in my New Year's resolutions, that doesn't mean I don't climb gracelessly up the splintered side of that ugly old wagon every January. *sigh*In my Christmas stocking (Santa looked suspiciously like my Youngest Daughter), was a jump rope. Huh... It's a lot harder than I remember and not nearly as much fun as it used to be!
YD has also recently challenged me to be her workout buddy. We don't work out together, but text each other before and/or after we've worked out, telling what we've accomplished and giving praise and encouragement. She is doing a Boot Camp DVD - show off!
I love to walk outside -- hubby and I take the dogs on walks after dinner -- but when the weather is in the "face of the sun" temps or raining steadily like it has been lately, I get on the treadmill. I like to walk while watching Regis & Kelly, Martha, Oprah or anything that makes me forget what I'm doing. I also try to do sit ups and some free weights.
Living in the land of sleeveless shirts most of the year, getting rid of the batwings would be good. I remember hearing about a woman who called them "Hi Helens" because she had a neighbor named Helen who would raise her arm and vigorously wave, calling out "Hi."
So after many years of intense research and personal trial, I've developed the precise plan that works for me. I've found that I can't eat while on the treadmill so...
- Wake up.
- Cup of coffee with fat free half & half.
- Bowl of healthy cereal with skim milk.
- Get on treadmill.
- Walk until lunchtime.
- Have a healthy lunch.
- Get back on treadmill.
- Walk until dinnertime.
- Have a healthy dinner.
- Shower (ewwwww).
- Pass out from exhaustion.
- Repeat.
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