 You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in! |
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Just a Couple Years Off!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
I'm really happy with myself for basically being able to stick with my plans for the new year...for the most part, and as a result of that as well as because I've been feeling crummy for months now and have had a couple of nasty sinus infections in the past two months (that have had me on antibiotics 3 times already this year!)...
About a week and a half ago, I dropped dairy completely from my diet.
Not a stunner for some folks, I'm sure, but for me, it was a drastic change.
Partly, I think, it has been hard because my family roots, while firmly IN the vegetarian camp, have been in the Lacto-Ovo camp.
We drank milk. And.ATE.CHEESE. LOTS of cheese.
Of course, we were mostly a one-cheese family - white cheddar (extra sharp, please) from the only state in the union who really knows cheese (sorry Wisconsin, and NY) - VERMONT!
(ok..in a pinch, we ate New York's cheddar)
lolol
I have discovered that I'm a lot happier, and feel much better without dairy.
But I do miss my cheese.
OH. Btw. Please don't offer the suggestion of soy? I can't do that. Soy is as bad in my system as dairy apparently was.
(sigh)
Now. I'm not going back to vegetarianism completely at this point. I still like my turkey and my salmon (especially those).
But it's now been almost 2 weeks without dairy and it's safe to say - I'm such a nice person to be around now.
*wink*
OH. And I discovered on Friday that I can eat Mexican without cheese and it's STILL wonderful! (ok...a little hotter without the balancing properties of the cheese, but I like hot!)
(tippy-tappy-toes dance!)
About a week and a half ago, I dropped dairy completely from my diet.
Not a stunner for some folks, I'm sure, but for me, it was a drastic change.
Partly, I think, it has been hard because my family roots, while firmly IN the vegetarian camp, have been in the Lacto-Ovo camp.
We drank milk. And.ATE.CHEESE. LOTS of cheese.
Of course, we were mostly a one-cheese family - white cheddar (extra sharp, please) from the only state in the union who really knows cheese (sorry Wisconsin, and NY) - VERMONT!
(ok..in a pinch, we ate New York's cheddar)
lolol
I have discovered that I'm a lot happier, and feel much better without dairy.
But I do miss my cheese.
OH. Btw. Please don't offer the suggestion of soy? I can't do that. Soy is as bad in my system as dairy apparently was.
(sigh)
Now. I'm not going back to vegetarianism completely at this point. I still like my turkey and my salmon (especially those).
But it's now been almost 2 weeks without dairy and it's safe to say - I'm such a nice person to be around now.
*wink*
OH. And I discovered on Friday that I can eat Mexican without cheese and it's STILL wonderful! (ok...a little hotter without the balancing properties of the cheese, but I like hot!)
(tippy-tappy-toes dance!)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Cool Clear Water...
Long time no post...but if you're looking for philosophy today, it's probably not this one...
The other day I made one of my (far too infrequent, as I let this stuff pile up) trips to the recycling center that isn't far from my house. As I was tossing stuff into the correct railroad cars, carefully making sure what went where, I realized how many of the gallon-sized plastic water bottles I was pitching in. (sigh)
When I moved in to this new place about a year ago, I tried to install my Pur filter on the faucet. I tried valiantly. A friend tried, a plumber even tried (griping all the way, of course, since Pur filters are mostly plastic and plumbers do NOT like plastic!). I finally gave up, and decided that I would go back to bottled water (I absolutely cannot stand the taste of tap water anywhere in this community! And I drink a lot of water...)
But during Christmas shopping I'd noticed one of these:
I didn't pick it up then, I waited.
Last week, I was in the store again, picking up necessities, and suddenly LOOKED at my list...There amongst the toothpaste and coffee filters, was "Pur Pitcher."
"Well, don't you think you'd better?" I asked myself. After all, I'd pitched all those plastic bottles into the train car...shaking my head and being disgusted that I couldn't use the faucet-mount style anymore...
Hmmm...I don't know how much more economical it will be - it says to change the filter every 2 months. That's about the cost of the bottled water for one person like me.
But I surely hope it will help the landfill.
The other day I made one of my (far too infrequent, as I let this stuff pile up) trips to the recycling center that isn't far from my house. As I was tossing stuff into the correct railroad cars, carefully making sure what went where, I realized how many of the gallon-sized plastic water bottles I was pitching in. (sigh)
When I moved in to this new place about a year ago, I tried to install my Pur filter on the faucet. I tried valiantly. A friend tried, a plumber even tried (griping all the way, of course, since Pur filters are mostly plastic and plumbers do NOT like plastic!). I finally gave up, and decided that I would go back to bottled water (I absolutely cannot stand the taste of tap water anywhere in this community! And I drink a lot of water...)
But during Christmas shopping I'd noticed one of these:
I didn't pick it up then, I waited.
Last week, I was in the store again, picking up necessities, and suddenly LOOKED at my list...There amongst the toothpaste and coffee filters, was "Pur Pitcher."
"Well, don't you think you'd better?" I asked myself. After all, I'd pitched all those plastic bottles into the train car...shaking my head and being disgusted that I couldn't use the faucet-mount style anymore...
Hmmm...I don't know how much more economical it will be - it says to change the filter every 2 months. That's about the cost of the bottled water for one person like me.
But I surely hope it will help the landfill.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Feast of St. Brigid - 3rd Annual Blog Poetry Reading Day
Both Becky and Melanie brought the 3rd Annual Blog Poetry Reading to my attention this year, and I wanted to participate, but this time in this blog space, rather than Knitnana. I've been reading Plain Living: A Quaker Path To Simplicity by Catherine Whitmire and this poem appears in the chapter on Community. On further exploration I discovered quite a bit about the author (a contemporary of Jane Addams) that I was unaware of, as well as the full quote. It's always been one of my favorites:
Let us be patient with one another,
And even patient with ourselves.
We have a long, long way to go.
So let us hasten along the road,
The road of human tenderness and generosity.
Groping, we may find one another's hands in the dark.
.....Emily Greene Balch, 1955
I think it's an appropriate meditation for today, as well.
Let us be patient with one another,
And even patient with ourselves.
We have a long, long way to go.
So let us hasten along the road,
The road of human tenderness and generosity.
Groping, we may find one another's hands in the dark.
.....Emily Greene Balch, 1955
I think it's an appropriate meditation for today, as well.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
This Friday is EXTRA-Special!
It's National Wear Red Day.
In an effort to educate, the NHLBI began this campaign a few years ago. Wear red, Knit Red, learn about women's heart disease at WomenHeart, the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.
I had my heart attack in May 2000. Two months later, the stent they inserted to fix my blockage, closed up, and I had to have by-pass surgery. I spent a year unemployed (yup - that happens, too, when you're young and sick and working where they are extremely worried about the rising cost of health care). I found WomenHeart and trained in the first class of women's heart health community educators at Mayo Clinic.
Today? Well, I do my best to live life to the fullest. I sometimes feel as if I'm on borrowed time. That heart attack I had was a "Hollywood heart attack" - the kind you don't walk away from. I'm grateful to be here.
Be sure you take a moment - if you don't wear red on Friday, then at least take a moment and think of one thing you can change in your life to make you more heart healthy. Maybe the easiest thing is to add 10 minutes of movement to your life right now. Or eat one more vegetable each day.
The BEST thing you can do, is quit smoking if you do. And stay away from smokers, if you already are smoke-free yourself.
(I'm a former smoker - I know it's hard. If you're trying to quit, maybe try The Q - it's what did it for me!)
I'll show you the one piece of knitting I've done since my heart attack that I hold near my heart often - My Queen of Hearts shawl from Fiber Trends. Made of Knitpicks Merino Style it's a warm and visible reminder of how far I've come!
In an effort to educate, the NHLBI began this campaign a few years ago. Wear red, Knit Red, learn about women's heart disease at WomenHeart, the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.
I had my heart attack in May 2000. Two months later, the stent they inserted to fix my blockage, closed up, and I had to have by-pass surgery. I spent a year unemployed (yup - that happens, too, when you're young and sick and working where they are extremely worried about the rising cost of health care). I found WomenHeart and trained in the first class of women's heart health community educators at Mayo Clinic.
Today? Well, I do my best to live life to the fullest. I sometimes feel as if I'm on borrowed time. That heart attack I had was a "Hollywood heart attack" - the kind you don't walk away from. I'm grateful to be here.
Be sure you take a moment - if you don't wear red on Friday, then at least take a moment and think of one thing you can change in your life to make you more heart healthy. Maybe the easiest thing is to add 10 minutes of movement to your life right now. Or eat one more vegetable each day.
The BEST thing you can do, is quit smoking if you do. And stay away from smokers, if you already are smoke-free yourself.
(I'm a former smoker - I know it's hard. If you're trying to quit, maybe try The Q - it's what did it for me!)
I'll show you the one piece of knitting I've done since my heart attack that I hold near my heart often - My Queen of Hearts shawl from Fiber Trends. Made of Knitpicks Merino Style it's a warm and visible reminder of how far I've come!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Fascinating, Really!
86% Barack Obama
84% John Edwards
84% Hillary Clinton
80% Mike Gravel
80% Dennis Kucinich
80% Chris Dodd
77% Joe Biden
74% Bill Richardson
46% Rudy Giuliani
36% John McCain
29% Mitt Romney
27% Mike Huckabee
24% Tom Tancredo
18% Ron Paul
15% Fred Thompson
2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz
84% John Edwards
84% Hillary Clinton
80% Mike Gravel
80% Dennis Kucinich
80% Chris Dodd
77% Joe Biden
74% Bill Richardson
46% Rudy Giuliani
36% John McCain
29% Mitt Romney
27% Mike Huckabee
24% Tom Tancredo
18% Ron Paul
15% Fred Thompson
2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Getting Serious About Those Goals...
The New Year has gotten off to a rocky start, courtesy of one nasty sinus infection. I'm still making my way back from the almost 2 weeks of misery...but there is finally a kernel of hope! :)
Months and months ago, my good friend and fellow knitter, Pam and I were talking about CSAs...I'm only one person (with pets who don't eat vegies and fruits) and she's a family of three (hoping for 4 - please keep her in your thoughts and prayers, as she is a terrific mom!). We'd thought that between us, we could easily split a 1/2 share...with of course, me doing a lot of freezing and even perhaps some canning. Stop laughing. I used to do this all the time. I also used to have a fairly large garden (or the "tomato forest" as my DD used to call it!).
Well, Pam and I are finally discussing this at the RIGHT time of year (I hope!). She'll be calling tomorrow in hopes of securing us a spot on the list.
And once that's done? I'll be scouring Freecycle for canning jars! *wink*
In that spirit, I decided that part of my commitment to this has to be to "use it up" (as well as "put it by"). I've had some vegies in the crisper and on the "porch" - what else would you call a paneled-in staircase down to an unheated basement with shelves built-in at the top? So today, I started a beef stew/soup on the back of the stove...
Using up all the potatoes, carrots, and celery from Christmas dinner - did you know how long you can keep celery good if you wrap it in aluminum foil, and then wrap it again? (yes, two distinct wrappings of foil) and keep it in the crisper? Well, this celery was as crisp as the day I bought it - Christmas Eve! Tastes good, too! (I can't claim credit for this tip - it's a Martha Stewart recommendation - and it WORKS!
I'll plan to grow some herbs on the front steps this summer, but otherwise, the extent of my gardening is going to be restricted to this sort of plant -
I guess it's my "New Year's Cactus?" It can't make up it's mind what it is...Thanksgiving? Halloween? Christmas? Nah. This year, it's on a LATE schedule instead of early.
I'll post more ideas about my plans and goals as I go here...Let me know what you think, okay?
(((hugs)))
Months and months ago, my good friend and fellow knitter, Pam and I were talking about CSAs...I'm only one person (with pets who don't eat vegies and fruits) and she's a family of three (hoping for 4 - please keep her in your thoughts and prayers, as she is a terrific mom!). We'd thought that between us, we could easily split a 1/2 share...with of course, me doing a lot of freezing and even perhaps some canning. Stop laughing. I used to do this all the time. I also used to have a fairly large garden (or the "tomato forest" as my DD used to call it!).
Well, Pam and I are finally discussing this at the RIGHT time of year (I hope!). She'll be calling tomorrow in hopes of securing us a spot on the list.
And once that's done? I'll be scouring Freecycle for canning jars! *wink*
In that spirit, I decided that part of my commitment to this has to be to "use it up" (as well as "put it by"). I've had some vegies in the crisper and on the "porch" - what else would you call a paneled-in staircase down to an unheated basement with shelves built-in at the top? So today, I started a beef stew/soup on the back of the stove...
Using up all the potatoes, carrots, and celery from Christmas dinner - did you know how long you can keep celery good if you wrap it in aluminum foil, and then wrap it again? (yes, two distinct wrappings of foil) and keep it in the crisper? Well, this celery was as crisp as the day I bought it - Christmas Eve! Tastes good, too! (I can't claim credit for this tip - it's a Martha Stewart recommendation - and it WORKS!
I'll plan to grow some herbs on the front steps this summer, but otherwise, the extent of my gardening is going to be restricted to this sort of plant -
I guess it's my "New Year's Cactus?" It can't make up it's mind what it is...Thanksgiving? Halloween? Christmas? Nah. This year, it's on a LATE schedule instead of early.
I'll post more ideas about my plans and goals as I go here...Let me know what you think, okay?
(((hugs)))
Friday, December 28, 2007
Visioning My Own 2008 Plans...
It's funny. I have been working on my thoughts for this post for several days, reading what others are thinking about, reviewing where I stand on things, determining those things I think I need to change...
Changes like:
1. Reducing my carbon footprint, my environmental impact (see the banners above) - committing to a more environmentally friendly way to live...
2. Re-committing to Voluntary Simplicity - "less is more" philosophy - tightening up the financial portfolio, using what I have, making do, simplifying, streamlining, etc., etc...
3. Opening to Grace and using "Abundance Thinking" - I enjoyed reading this post: from Jocelyn - and thinking about my private spirituality and commitments...
4. Silencing the cacophony - because I was totally inspired by Pumpkinknitter's post about silence, not just one night a year (so much so that the cell phone and TV are going to be turned off a lot in 2008). I think by the end of the holiday season, all of us have our nerves on edge, it's just been too much of everything...
5. Of course, I've already committed to knitting for peace, and the events in Pakistan yesterday only made me that much more resolved to do so...
Still, there's this part of me that is nagging away, at the back of my brain. It's the part that says "yah, yah, yah...every year, you do this every year - and so does everyone else - just where do you think you'll be in 2 months with this process?"
Well. Touche. The skeptic that's back there at the back of my brain, also said I'd never quit smoking. But I did. It'll soon be 4 years, and I'm never going back - no, this time I can say "NEVERMORE." And know I mean that.
But I can say that even 2 months of making these changes, even if they don't last, will make a difference. I do believe that having ideals, making plans (or resolutions if you call them that), organizing, de-cluttering, reducing, reusing, recycling, trying to make my carbon footprint smaller, creating silence, and especially working for peace, making space for meditation - in the form of knitting, mostly - all of this affects my state of mind positively, and thus the state of mind of those around me.
It IS, as Margene says, all about the process...If we cycle thru these changes, succeeding and failing and succeeding again...the perpetual movement forward is what counts, the falling back just helps us regroup, to go forward again (BTW, I believe that theory is from Camus, if my memory serves).
At any rate, giving up is not an option. We must continue to strive.
Benazir Bhutto knew that, as surely as she had to know she was signing her death sentence when she returned to Pakistan. Still...we have to work for peace, for change, on a micro scale as well as a macro one...
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."—Margaret Mead
Changes like:
1. Reducing my carbon footprint, my environmental impact (see the banners above) - committing to a more environmentally friendly way to live...
2. Re-committing to Voluntary Simplicity - "less is more" philosophy - tightening up the financial portfolio, using what I have, making do, simplifying, streamlining, etc., etc...
3. Opening to Grace and using "Abundance Thinking" - I enjoyed reading this post: from Jocelyn - and thinking about my private spirituality and commitments...
4. Silencing the cacophony - because I was totally inspired by Pumpkinknitter's post about silence, not just one night a year (so much so that the cell phone and TV are going to be turned off a lot in 2008). I think by the end of the holiday season, all of us have our nerves on edge, it's just been too much of everything...
5. Of course, I've already committed to knitting for peace, and the events in Pakistan yesterday only made me that much more resolved to do so...
Still, there's this part of me that is nagging away, at the back of my brain. It's the part that says "yah, yah, yah...every year, you do this every year - and so does everyone else - just where do you think you'll be in 2 months with this process?"
Well. Touche. The skeptic that's back there at the back of my brain, also said I'd never quit smoking. But I did. It'll soon be 4 years, and I'm never going back - no, this time I can say "NEVERMORE." And know I mean that.
But I can say that even 2 months of making these changes, even if they don't last, will make a difference. I do believe that having ideals, making plans (or resolutions if you call them that), organizing, de-cluttering, reducing, reusing, recycling, trying to make my carbon footprint smaller, creating silence, and especially working for peace, making space for meditation - in the form of knitting, mostly - all of this affects my state of mind positively, and thus the state of mind of those around me.
It IS, as Margene says, all about the process...If we cycle thru these changes, succeeding and failing and succeeding again...the perpetual movement forward is what counts, the falling back just helps us regroup, to go forward again (BTW, I believe that theory is from Camus, if my memory serves).
At any rate, giving up is not an option. We must continue to strive.
Benazir Bhutto knew that, as surely as she had to know she was signing her death sentence when she returned to Pakistan. Still...we have to work for peace, for change, on a micro scale as well as a macro one...
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."—Margaret Mead
Monday, December 24, 2007
The Spirit of the Season
Very shortly now, it will be Christmas Eve. This is the season of light, when we strive to remember that we are all in this together, and that there is more to this than who can rack up the most of the newest gifts to show off.
Depending on your religious persuasion, it may also be a time when we recognize a critical moment in a belief system: the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Or perhaps you are celebrating the end of the long, dark season, recognizing that now we truly are turning again toward the light, and preparing for new beginnings, as Dave said so beautifully the other day.
Some of us are trying to work for peace in the new year, a new beginning in my mind.
My projects, both knitting and writing, will be focused on peace. I won't be abandoning my work, or my business, but my "ME" time will be centered on thinking, praying, meditating, knitting, being peace.
And this Christmas song serendipitously appeared on the radio today just as I was thinking some of this through, so I thought I'd include my favorite stanza here:
Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.
Because you know what? It truly ALL does begin with me (and with you).
I challenge you to think about how you will incorporate such peace work in your life in 2008.
(((hugs)))
Depending on your religious persuasion, it may also be a time when we recognize a critical moment in a belief system: the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Or perhaps you are celebrating the end of the long, dark season, recognizing that now we truly are turning again toward the light, and preparing for new beginnings, as Dave said so beautifully the other day.
Some of us are trying to work for peace in the new year, a new beginning in my mind.
My projects, both knitting and writing, will be focused on peace. I won't be abandoning my work, or my business, but my "ME" time will be centered on thinking, praying, meditating, knitting, being peace.
And this Christmas song serendipitously appeared on the radio today just as I was thinking some of this through, so I thought I'd include my favorite stanza here:
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.
Because you know what? It truly ALL does begin with me (and with you).
I challenge you to think about how you will incorporate such peace work in your life in 2008.
(((hugs)))
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
A 2008 Project for Peace
Birdsong and I have been talking recently about wanting to make 2008 our year to knit and work for peace in whatever way we can. So what serendipity that she discovered this:
The TikkunTree Project
and blogged about it. As usual, Birdsong leads me to wondrous things (she and I are convinced we're sisters from different mothers...all across the country from each other - on the two coasts).
Besides the fact that I adore Peace Fleece yarns, I am very committed to the idea of and philosophy behind this project. I'm ordering my yarns, and getting the patterns ready. (Patterns & specifications are available on each link)
I firmly believe that knitting for peace is an effective means of being a change-agent in the world. As is creating art installations that address peace. I seldom speak of my religious leanings or beliefs on my blogs, but the idea of knitting in silence, meditating on peace and speaking out as the spirit moves, harkens back to my Universalist/Quaker/Congregationalist New England family roots. As such, it blends well with my study of Buddhism, and Taoist thought, as well as my feminist/womanist/goddess thealogy.
While I'll still participate in (and co-lead) Cloths for Crisis and Knit Red for Women's Heart Disease, this project will hold the majority of my charity knitting energy for the 2008 year.
If we can't find it in our hearts to live, eat, breathe, and pray PEACE, then we can't be surprised if it fails us. Anger and war, hatred and fear, begin in the hearts of each of us. Won't you join us? Take up your needles to help heal* the world?
* Tikkun is Hebrew for healing
The TikkunTree Project
and blogged about it. As usual, Birdsong leads me to wondrous things (she and I are convinced we're sisters from different mothers...all across the country from each other - on the two coasts).
Besides the fact that I adore Peace Fleece yarns, I am very committed to the idea of and philosophy behind this project. I'm ordering my yarns, and getting the patterns ready. (Patterns & specifications are available on each link)
I firmly believe that knitting for peace is an effective means of being a change-agent in the world. As is creating art installations that address peace. I seldom speak of my religious leanings or beliefs on my blogs, but the idea of knitting in silence, meditating on peace and speaking out as the spirit moves, harkens back to my Universalist/Quaker/Congregationalist New England family roots. As such, it blends well with my study of Buddhism, and Taoist thought, as well as my feminist/womanist/goddess thealogy.
While I'll still participate in (and co-lead) Cloths for Crisis and Knit Red for Women's Heart Disease, this project will hold the majority of my charity knitting energy for the 2008 year.
If we can't find it in our hearts to live, eat, breathe, and pray PEACE, then we can't be surprised if it fails us. Anger and war, hatred and fear, begin in the hearts of each of us. Won't you join us? Take up your needles to help heal* the world?
* Tikkun is Hebrew for healing
Grace! Nana's Newest Slip of a Bag!
A sassy, spirited little bag that you’ll grab again and again, especially when you need your hands free for other things! She’s a small backpack that holds more than you might think, with two interior pockets for tucking in a cell phone and such.
Here are two samples to get your own creative juices flowing:
Ears N Whiskers Grace:
Skulls and Roses Grace:
Named in honor of another of my aunts, Grace is available by custom order only. Please visit Nana Sadie Rose today!
Here are two samples to get your own creative juices flowing:
Ears N Whiskers Grace:
Skulls and Roses Grace:
Named in honor of another of my aunts, Grace is available by custom order only. Please visit Nana Sadie Rose today!
Monday, December 03, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
How About That?
Your Brain is Green |
 Of all the brain types, yours has the most balance. You are able to see all sides to most problems and are a good problem solver. You need time to work out your thoughts, but you don't get stuck in bad thinking patterns. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about the future, philosophy, and relationships (both personal and intellectual). |
Friday, November 23, 2007
Buy Nothing Day
Today is Buy Nothing Day, a day near and dear to most advocates of a simpler existence. I've posted about my thoughts on Knitnana, but I just added a link to an amazon.com book search on the subject of voluntary simplicity. You'll find it in my sidebar here, at the end of all those "Commitments" I've listed.
I am feeling more and more, that following the principles of Voluntary Simplicity is a fulfilling way to live. I tend (like most folks) to slip up on my path now and again (I'm completely addicted to collecting - yarn, fabric, books).
I've reduced my afflictions somewhat over the years. Now, in the checkout lines, when I see magazines I'd love to get (yes, I had a serious addiction to magazines!), I allow myself to pick one up and flip through it. I've seen so many by this point in my life, I can usually say, "Been here, done this." And I put it down. On the off chance that there really IS something new, I promise to go to the library and check it out there.
Which frankly, I seldom get to do - books are rarely a problem anymore, either - I moved one time too many! (Those boxes are heavy!) I do borrow books from the library rather than buy them now.
The only exception to my "no books or magazines" rule now, are those relating to knitting. And the magazines don't jump in my cart unless the patterns between their covers aren't trendy.
I constantly re-evaluate my level of "enough." It helps to have determined how many hours of my life I have to work to buy something. Your Money or Your Life helped me figure this part out. It's not what you think your hourly payrate is. *wink*
I am feeling more and more, that following the principles of Voluntary Simplicity is a fulfilling way to live. I tend (like most folks) to slip up on my path now and again (I'm completely addicted to collecting - yarn, fabric, books).
I've reduced my afflictions somewhat over the years. Now, in the checkout lines, when I see magazines I'd love to get (yes, I had a serious addiction to magazines!), I allow myself to pick one up and flip through it. I've seen so many by this point in my life, I can usually say, "Been here, done this." And I put it down. On the off chance that there really IS something new, I promise to go to the library and check it out there.
Which frankly, I seldom get to do - books are rarely a problem anymore, either - I moved one time too many! (Those boxes are heavy!) I do borrow books from the library rather than buy them now.
The only exception to my "no books or magazines" rule now, are those relating to knitting. And the magazines don't jump in my cart unless the patterns between their covers aren't trendy.
I constantly re-evaluate my level of "enough." It helps to have determined how many hours of my life I have to work to buy something. Your Money or Your Life helped me figure this part out. It's not what you think your hourly payrate is. *wink*
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Making Lemonade?
If you're like me, nowadays you almost hate to turn on the news. There's so much that puts me in a depressed state so quickly....And I'm determined to keep my mood as upbeat as humanly possible. Things are downright scary: unrest all over, war, struggle, toys recalled, fuel prices rising, the market see-sawing, the dollar losing strength against foreign currencies, oil spills, global warming, the demise of the polar bear?
Still, it's all got me to thinking of the old "saw" that I grew up with (as I had a Depression Era Mom) - "Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without!" My mom was the ultimate tightwad...by virtue of necessity.
I especially got to thinking in those terms today...I'd done laundry and washed this lovely acrylic blanket (I do like these, because as someone with fibromyalgia, they're so warm and so lightweight - anything heavy actually HURTS!). It's soft, it's warm...but it makes me completely crazy. The ribbon trim frays every single time I wash it and the fraying comes off in long nylon threads. JUST TRY to break them! You can't without cutting yourself. So today, when this one came out of the dryer, I spent awhile cutting off the threads. But what was worse, the ribbon had completely detached itself on one side. So...in true "tightwad" behavior, I mended!
Does ANYONE do this sort of thing anymore?
And that got me to thinking of finally organizing all my recycling - which is now in the back of my Forester waiting for the trip chaining I've been trying to do religiously, for more than a year.
I didn't take a photo of the recycling. *wink*
Mom also taught me to make lemonade. Especially when you're being handed lemons. Lemonade isn't just something inexpensive to drink. It makes me smile. It reminds me of the good things...
And I guess that's what we need to be doing more of right now. The good, simple things...
:)
Still, it's all got me to thinking of the old "saw" that I grew up with (as I had a Depression Era Mom) - "Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without!" My mom was the ultimate tightwad...by virtue of necessity.
I especially got to thinking in those terms today...I'd done laundry and washed this lovely acrylic blanket (I do like these, because as someone with fibromyalgia, they're so warm and so lightweight - anything heavy actually HURTS!). It's soft, it's warm...but it makes me completely crazy. The ribbon trim frays every single time I wash it and the fraying comes off in long nylon threads. JUST TRY to break them! You can't without cutting yourself. So today, when this one came out of the dryer, I spent awhile cutting off the threads. But what was worse, the ribbon had completely detached itself on one side. So...in true "tightwad" behavior, I mended!
Does ANYONE do this sort of thing anymore?And that got me to thinking of finally organizing all my recycling - which is now in the back of my Forester waiting for the trip chaining I've been trying to do religiously, for more than a year.
I didn't take a photo of the recycling. *wink*
Mom also taught me to make lemonade. Especially when you're being handed lemons. Lemonade isn't just something inexpensive to drink. It makes me smile. It reminds me of the good things...
And I guess that's what we need to be doing more of right now. The good, simple things...
:)
Sunday, November 04, 2007
One of Those Days...
I've had one of those days where things don't want to go smoothly, and if it can happen it will - the rotten things - family misunderstandings, kitty squabbles, a broken camera, a sensitivity to the change of seasons that leads to physical discomfort and general tiredness, having to do things at least 3 times to get them right...If I didn't know better, I'd say there was a time change in there somewhere (ooops! Wait, there was!)
*wink*
I did get something accomplished, which is always a huge thing in Nana Sadie Rose-dom:
I sometimes get asked about the claim that every Nana Sadie Rose bag is an original and I thought I'd show you an example of that. The bags above (ignore, if you can, the middle one) on the right and left of the photo, are the same exterior fabric. (It's a batik that is almost completely gone...out of print, sadly.) But you'll notice that the bags don't look anything alike. I'm careful in my creations, making sure that there is variation in every bag, so no two are the same, yet so many people love the same exterior fabrics, that I can't just make ONE of each! (Another case in point is Michelle Meow - the pink fabric with the Siamese cat in Paris - an outstanding print that almost everyone loves!)
I decided to get a little creative in the kitchen tonight, too. Below is a photo of the results...I'll get it right before long!
A Roasted Sweet Potato & Apple dish, first I sprayed the pan with olive oil spray, then I chopped up the main ingredients, tossed on a handful of chopped walnuts, sprinkled on the Pumpkin Pie spice and grated fresh ginger over the top. Then a touch of sugar, a couple of dots of margarine and about 1/4 cup of water...spray again with the olive oil spray...
I baked it in the toaster/convection oven for about an hour (at first, uncovered, then I put the "broiler" pan that came with the T.O. upside down over it to protect it). (The instructions say NOT to use aluminum foil! So I haven't found a good alternative yet)
I'll play around with it again, but I think it's good. It could use a bit more of spices...I know, "sprinkles" doesn't convey how much I used, but "to taste" isn't much better, now, is it? lolol
*wink*
I did get something accomplished, which is always a huge thing in Nana Sadie Rose-dom:
I sometimes get asked about the claim that every Nana Sadie Rose bag is an original and I thought I'd show you an example of that. The bags above (ignore, if you can, the middle one) on the right and left of the photo, are the same exterior fabric. (It's a batik that is almost completely gone...out of print, sadly.) But you'll notice that the bags don't look anything alike. I'm careful in my creations, making sure that there is variation in every bag, so no two are the same, yet so many people love the same exterior fabrics, that I can't just make ONE of each! (Another case in point is Michelle Meow - the pink fabric with the Siamese cat in Paris - an outstanding print that almost everyone loves!)
I decided to get a little creative in the kitchen tonight, too. Below is a photo of the results...I'll get it right before long!
A Roasted Sweet Potato & Apple dish, first I sprayed the pan with olive oil spray, then I chopped up the main ingredients, tossed on a handful of chopped walnuts, sprinkled on the Pumpkin Pie spice and grated fresh ginger over the top. Then a touch of sugar, a couple of dots of margarine and about 1/4 cup of water...spray again with the olive oil spray...I baked it in the toaster/convection oven for about an hour (at first, uncovered, then I put the "broiler" pan that came with the T.O. upside down over it to protect it). (The instructions say NOT to use aluminum foil! So I haven't found a good alternative yet)
I'll play around with it again, but I think it's good. It could use a bit more of spices...I know, "sprinkles" doesn't convey how much I used, but "to taste" isn't much better, now, is it? lolol
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Yes, It's Fall!
But you know, the weather just hasn't cooperated around here...we've still been enduring temperatures in the 80s, the leaves are mostly dropping, not so much changing colors. There are pumpkins and chrysanthemums (even on my porch!), but when it's so warm, they don't last very long...
I worry about how warm it's been, the fact that our water levels are down 10 inches or more, and then I think about what we're doing to our earth. My three grandsons are back in town and it just makes me think about the world we're leaving their generation.
I'm trying to conserve: water, energy. I recycle as much as I can...I try very hard to keep my own carbon footprint as small as possible.
I'm enviously listening to my BIL go on about his Prius and the amazing mileage he gets...and wishing I dared try to get one. Would I really be able to stash all my craft show gear into one? Or could I justify renting an SUV just for weekend shows?
Then I begin to remember that originally when I started this business, I didn't want to do shows, I wanted to just make bags and sell them online. This business of mine has morphed into something I didn't plan. The shows, the orders. I'm certainly not complaining, but when I think about how I envisioned it before it blossomed, well, this is very different! :)
And then I think, would I want to give up the shows? Meeting my customers, talking with them, seeing them over and over at other shows? I've made friends over the past 3 years. Not just customers! Friends! No. I do enjoy our shows!
Odd how one thought leads to another. Is this a "long thought?" I remember reading Alix Kates Shulman, Drinking The Rain, and her stumbling upon an essay of P.D. Ouspensky who wrote "Think long thoughts. Each of our thoughts is too short. Until you have experience from your own observation of the difference between long and short thoughts, this idea will mean nothing to you."
I'm unsure of just what a long thought might be. A chain of thoughts, one leading to another I understand. I think that's just what I've done above. But does a long thought actually mean teasing out the nuances of a single thought? Or is it thought-chaining?
Fall is my favorite time of year for this type of intellectual discussion inside myself - tho' now I seem to be inviting you in to listen. Don't feel you have to participate, but if you'd like to, please do.
I worry about how warm it's been, the fact that our water levels are down 10 inches or more, and then I think about what we're doing to our earth. My three grandsons are back in town and it just makes me think about the world we're leaving their generation.
I'm trying to conserve: water, energy. I recycle as much as I can...I try very hard to keep my own carbon footprint as small as possible.
I'm enviously listening to my BIL go on about his Prius and the amazing mileage he gets...and wishing I dared try to get one. Would I really be able to stash all my craft show gear into one? Or could I justify renting an SUV just for weekend shows?
Then I begin to remember that originally when I started this business, I didn't want to do shows, I wanted to just make bags and sell them online. This business of mine has morphed into something I didn't plan. The shows, the orders. I'm certainly not complaining, but when I think about how I envisioned it before it blossomed, well, this is very different! :)
And then I think, would I want to give up the shows? Meeting my customers, talking with them, seeing them over and over at other shows? I've made friends over the past 3 years. Not just customers! Friends! No. I do enjoy our shows!
Odd how one thought leads to another. Is this a "long thought?" I remember reading Alix Kates Shulman, Drinking The Rain, and her stumbling upon an essay of P.D. Ouspensky who wrote "Think long thoughts. Each of our thoughts is too short. Until you have experience from your own observation of the difference between long and short thoughts, this idea will mean nothing to you."
I'm unsure of just what a long thought might be. A chain of thoughts, one leading to another I understand. I think that's just what I've done above. But does a long thought actually mean teasing out the nuances of a single thought? Or is it thought-chaining?
Fall is my favorite time of year for this type of intellectual discussion inside myself - tho' now I seem to be inviting you in to listen. Don't feel you have to participate, but if you'd like to, please do.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
It's Been Awhile!
It's Autumn. No question. The tempo picks up around here more than at any other time of year. I see a downturn in participation online in groups and blogs because so many folks are back in school (students, teachers & librarians), but parents are busier keeping the kids activities together along with their own.
I've always loved fall. I can remember the excitement of going back to school, but I love the crisp air as temperatures drop, the crunch of dried leaves underfoot. People start baking again (I think apples, pumpkin, and cinnamon are some of my favorite food smells...).
Knitters start working with wool again. Of course, some of us never stop, but new projects are just itching to get started! I start making Nana Sadie Rose bags with a vengeance - partly due to the September cat show, but also with an eye to the Christmas craft shows and gift orders I begin to receive...
Mostly I like this:
The sunsets of Autumn. As I drove home tonight, this was what I was driving into! It was so gorgeous, that I pulled off, rolled down the window, and took this shot.
It's a time of purples, russets, golds, black...some of my favorite colors. Hmmm...wonder what I have in stash that would work up into some cool bags for fall?
(((hugs)))
I've always loved fall. I can remember the excitement of going back to school, but I love the crisp air as temperatures drop, the crunch of dried leaves underfoot. People start baking again (I think apples, pumpkin, and cinnamon are some of my favorite food smells...).
Knitters start working with wool again. Of course, some of us never stop, but new projects are just itching to get started! I start making Nana Sadie Rose bags with a vengeance - partly due to the September cat show, but also with an eye to the Christmas craft shows and gift orders I begin to receive...
Mostly I like this:
The sunsets of Autumn. As I drove home tonight, this was what I was driving into! It was so gorgeous, that I pulled off, rolled down the window, and took this shot.
It's a time of purples, russets, golds, black...some of my favorite colors. Hmmm...wonder what I have in stash that would work up into some cool bags for fall?
(((hugs)))
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Eating Local & Updating The Kitchen...
My fall gift to myself is the toaster oven you see in the background below. I wanted one that was an Oster, as I'd heard good things from my big sister about hers. When I got to Tar-Jay, they only had the stainless steel and I despise cleaning stainless...I kept looking to see that I really had what I wanted and suddenly realized that there was a red one. RED? Really?
So here you go. I have a vegetable theme in my kitchen - colors of black, white, green, yellow and - ta da - RED! So it was delightful to find this! And it works so well (so far, anyway...).
In that shot you can also see the local produce I found on my farmer's market run on Saturday - the October beans are already in the freezer, one of the eggplants is in a vegetable stew in my crockpot crock in the fridge (to cook tomorrow), honey from a local farmer (goes well with the Bee Shawl I hope to knit someday soon), the rosemary sourdough from On The Rise bakery here in Roanoke (sorry, they don't have a website), and locally grown tomatoes, too...
I've been spending some of my "vacation" time, while the Bernina is undergoing annual maintenance, working to get a bit more settled in this new place (that I've been living in since March!!). I finally got a bit of the kitchen done, tho' there's enough left to do, that I won't share photos, yet.
I hope you're enjoying the harvest season!
So here you go. I have a vegetable theme in my kitchen - colors of black, white, green, yellow and - ta da - RED! So it was delightful to find this! And it works so well (so far, anyway...).
In that shot you can also see the local produce I found on my farmer's market run on Saturday - the October beans are already in the freezer, one of the eggplants is in a vegetable stew in my crockpot crock in the fridge (to cook tomorrow), honey from a local farmer (goes well with the Bee Shawl I hope to knit someday soon), the rosemary sourdough from On The Rise bakery here in Roanoke (sorry, they don't have a website), and locally grown tomatoes, too...
I've been spending some of my "vacation" time, while the Bernina is undergoing annual maintenance, working to get a bit more settled in this new place (that I've been living in since March!!). I finally got a bit of the kitchen done, tho' there's enough left to do, that I won't share photos, yet.
I hope you're enjoying the harvest season!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
This is soooooo true!
| You Are Midnight |
 You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends. |
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