Making Changes to My Space

Nana Sadie's Place has been, mostly, here, and to a small amount of space, in my home. It was primarily the sewing studio, which remains pretty much intact and one day, I'll get it straightened up enough to take more recent photos of it.

But more recently, I've been working on shifting things to the upstairs of my home, into my bedroom. Since the shoulder replacement, the bed and I have parted company. That left a huge open space that could be better used as craft room space. So that's what I've been doing. How about a little taste of it? Via video?

Crochet? Really?

So who knew that someone who goes by the moniker of "Knitnana" would succumb to the crochet bug? Heh.

But that I did. And have made two "giant" granny squares (18" square or thereabouts) for two of my three furry feline friends. I have one more planned. These are "Blankets of Jo" in honor of Jo McLaughlin mother of Ming, Tao, Fu, Wilbey, and Morpheus. She passed away a few weeks ago, suddenly. We all were torn apart with the shock of it, and some of us decided to try to emulate her "Blankets of Fu" magical bits of yarn and Fu fur that every kitty who received one instantly adored.

As I've always known, working yarn into some creation is helpful in dealing with grief, and so, out came yarn and a crochet hook. And these are the results:

Once Upon A Time...

Most of us were caught in the so-called "Sandwich Generation" and some of us still are. That meant we were taking care of, usually, teenage kids and also aging parents at the same time. The squeeze in the middle was us. And it usually meant that we short-changed ourselves on our own care, especially if we were also working adults. What was left to cut but our own time? And yet, being called on to aid everyone else and forgetting or putting ourselves last usually took it's toll.

Somehow, I thought I'd left that behind. My mom died 22 years ago this month. My daughter is just beginning her 40s (and her own turn in the Sandwich Generation, I suppose). But there was a surprise for me, and one I'm really very honored to have sprung on me. When my brother-in-law died last fall after a long battle with cancer, it suddenly fell to me to be the one to help my older sister with her own health issues through the struggles of widowhood and all that entails. She lives several hours away from me, so that means a weekend every month or so on her home turf. She will be moving here, but in the interim must divest herself of 40-ish years of lifelong accumulations as well as the home they loved. She has picked out her new place here, which is exciting, too!

Last night, as she wrangled with yet another pitfall of widowhood (it's always about the paperwork, doncha know?), I said, "Well, this is a learning experience." And she replied, "Like I'll ever need it again."

I agreed that I hoped she wouldn't. But reminded her that it's entirely possible that I might - not the widowhood part, I'd have to marry first and that's not in the cards (no matter what my tarot says!) - but knowing what the differing agencies/retirement plans/IRS rules say will help this elder accountant in the future as I come in contact with folks in need. I work for a disability organization after all, and who knows who might need some kernel of information I gather along my own life path?

She worried last night that she was keeping me up and I was tired having fought a bad tummy bug over the weekend. I was tired. But as I reminded myself and her there's nothing I'd rather do than help her, so I made the effort to take a few minutes with the tarot, incense, and candles, lighting my own path of meditation and introspection before heading off to dreamland. After all, slowing down like that helps me drift off to sleep that much easier!

So I'll close up here with a photo of the sweet traveler's notebook I'm using to track everything she and I are doing for her. She loves her flowers, so this was the perfect book to use for my beloved "Big Sis."

Serendipity

Life can sometimes offer up surprises, sometimes not happy ones, but then others can be full of delight! Saturday provided a couple of the latter, with a routine trip across town to my client's to drop off the updated bookkeeping file. Suddenly, a portion of road I travel often was the site of a roadside "sale." I put quotes around this because once I'd turned around and pulled up in front, I learned it was a GIVE-AWAY!

Nana was able to pick up for free a bedside table with drawer and shelf beneath that was the perfect size to hold my new serger. The drawer became home to the bits and bobs of equipment that help to keep the serger in good running condition, and the shelf will hold cones of thread. It was in excellent condition with only surface blemishes that could be sanded out easily enough (tho' I'll probably leave it all alone).

But even better, because it wasn't anything I'd been looking for, was this:

I've always wanted a goddess for the front door, specifically Hecate, guardian of entrances...The little black long-haired kitty seems to approve.

And while the addition of things to my life doesn't quite meet with my "simplicity" for the year? They're filling a spot in my life. The serger needed it's own dedicated space, and I couldn't have paid for one better that had everything this one did. The statue is something I've often fantasized about having in my life, but could never afford, so it wasn't even on a wishlist. I truly believe that this might even have been hand-cast, and since I'm in an artist enclave of sorts where I live, I'm not totally surprised to find it on the side of the road. But I'm absolutely delighted that it entered my life on the basis in which it did.

I'm hoping I can dedicate a bit of myself out here once again and maybe let the blog come back to life. Knitnana, I fear, has posted her last, as I can't see myself posting without The Meezer to assist. The boys are rambunctious and definitely not the sort to grace that space, but here, freewheeling will abound. We'll be Tonk, and Moji (Sock kitty), Nana, and sewing, knitting, papercrafting, space making, thought-provoking...right here, periodically.

Do drop by now and again, won't you?

2017 One-Word: Simplify

So it is that I've finally gotten around to writing up the One-Word I'll be using to remind me of the changes I'd like to make this year. Since I started the One-Word journey, I've considered every year whether to choose "Simplify" or "Simple." I've always moved away from it to something else: Ahimsa (non-harming, specifically towards myself), Joy, Santosa (contentment or "enough"), and finally, Change & Sparkle.

But after the year that 2016 turned out to be, and the nasty political race that was completely pervasive to everything we did, I decided the only choice was "Simplify."

It's a huge component of voluntary simplicity, which, if you've known me long, you know is a philosophy (and movement) I've struggled with - one that is intrinsically part of my mindset, but clashes with how I live my daily life. Getting clear on that is really important, I think, now that I'm entering my 6th decade of life.

So I keep coming back to this quote from Marion Nestle (which used to be up in the header to this blog, but because of the changes I was forced to make, has been "disappeared" and I can't figure out how to put it up there any longer - ah, Blogger, you have always made me nuts).

"Get organized. Eat less. Eat better. Move more. Get political." Marion Nestle

(That last one, I've got down pat.*wink*)

A Busy Year for Knitting

The first thing I'd like to admit is that without anything other than work to compromise my available time, I managed to knit a lot this year. Then, I'll own up to the fact that, while there are a few LONG-on the needles pieces here, if it hadn't been for my Crafty Albatross group (pay $5 to get in, $5 every time you MISS a deadline for finishing a project) I probably would still have those long on the needles projects still ON the needles! I managed to complete all 5 projects by the deadline, but failed to win the kitty. That's okay, there's always 2017! Yes, we're doing it again...

I had some incentives other than money, too. In the summer our neighbor to the west, West Virginia experienced incredible flooding which caused many many people to lose everything they had. In conjunction with the Charity Knitting group on Ravelry, a good many hats were sent their way so they wouldn't be cold this winter. Also, a local Palliative Care Center was in need of shawls for their patients: I knit two, and have two more waiting for when Christmas knitting/gift knitting is finally finished. I also have a friend battling cancer, so there was another shawl...

Gifts were a big incentive this year, too. My Big Sis informed me in September that she had no more socks without holes. Why she waited till then, I've no idea, but that meant socks for her birthday in October (and that was a push!) - which meant that sis-in-law would have to have something handknit for Christmas, and on it goes...And of course, it was the biennial year for making the grandkids hats for Christmas. So there was a lot of knitting for gifting.

I went to Alexandria by train in February to take a class with Franklin Habit on color, and that meant I needed mitts and a cowl to match.

Anyway, there are other things down below, mostly socks and a couple of mitts.

I made six hats for the victims of West Virginia flooding:

Three shawls for the local palliative care center and a friend undergoing chemotherapy:

Two shawls for me!

Three pairs of mitts:

A cowl (which matches the first set of mitts above)

A project that's been on the needles since 2008!

A weaving project using the Zoom Loom:

All in all, it was a very busy year for knitting (weaving). Will I weave anymore? Stay tuned!!

I'll Just Leave This Right Here

Knit One from Sky Machine on Vimeo.

And I'll try to stop in again soon!

It's Been Awhile!

But I'm still here, and the biggest news is: I've changed to a completely plant-based diet!

You should start to see a few recipes I've tried very soon. And detail on the why and how come this long-time part-vegetarian, part pesca-gal has finally jumped ship and eliminated all the animal products from her diet that she can think of...(oh, well, I still eat honey, but not a lot of it, because I love the bees and the bees should use their honey if it helps them survive).

I don't really get the notion of honey being a problem, anyway...maybe someone can explain it to me?

Mindblowing...

THIS is staggering. Watch. Learn. We need change. REAL change.

Because I LOVE the Idea of these Vegan Omelets without Soy!

I wanted to mark my place for this post from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen!

Culling 100 Things

No, I haven't forgotten! I'm doing this much more slowly than I'd wanted to, but my goal is still 100 things gone by Dec. 31, 2012.
I dragged this broken wicker rocker to the curb Wednesday morning, and it went along with my usual trash and recycling. I wasn't sad to see it go. It's been taking up precious basement real estate long enough.
Monday is a holiday for me. My next plan is the linen closet!

This is Exciting!

Real Food This is inspiring!

The Reverse 100-Thing Challenge

The Reverse 100-Thing Challenge is something I can do. I can't go the other way (live with 100 things) until I get rid of many 100s of things... So here I am, signing up. Join me?

Meatless Mondays, World Vegetarian Day, & Vegetarian Awareness Month!

World Vegetarian Day is today! That link will take you to their website where you can take the pledge to try vegetarianism for a day, a week, or the whole month! Since I've been doing Meatless Mondays for a long time now, I've pledged to move along the continuum to vegetarian for a week, with a goal to having at least a couple of vegan days this week. I've been reading The Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougall and I've really taken with the science. I hope I'll be able to make that change, even tho' it's pretty severe in my mind. Still, it makes good sense.

So what will you pledge to do?

When Life Hands You Lemons...

Make Lemonade. What a roll model she is!

Disasters As Motivators...

Like a lot of folks in my region this week, I was blindsided by the storm Friday night that laid waste the countryside and dealt power companies a body blow that's still being healed...My power was off from Friday night thru yesterday at 4pm. That's a very long time for a house that's sealed to within an inch of it's life in the midst of a heatwave. It was still 81 degrees inside this morning after running the AC for 15 hours.

And that means the refrigerator and the freezer contents are lining the landfill. Along with many other folks, I lost everything. The loss hurts financially most of all.

But there IS a silver lining to that: I was able to do a decent cleaning of the fridge without a fuss. And I'm now rethinking how I want to stock that fridge.

I've spent a lot of time here sharing recipes and sharing thoughts about food. I've learned a lot over the months, and one thing I've learned especially is that the lower on the food chain one eats, the healthier we are. I've also learned that real food, whole food, is the best choice.

And I particularly like the quote from Michael Pollan, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." It keeps things pretty darn simple. So thinking about what's going back in my freezer is probably going to be based on that. I'll try to keep you posted.

So Much Vitriol

If you listen, these days, you'll hear it everywhere. But especially in the political arena. It's disheartening and I'm very aware of it, spending probably way too much time on it. Except I've been raised to believe that if it's ignored, and what you loathe, despise, and fear comes to pass, you have only yourself to blame for not getting involved... I'm way behind on blog-reading, and I'm going to try very hard to make myself catch up. Particularly here: on Dominique's blog. She's involved, yet with her, I can step back and breathe quietly and let peace wash over me. A very healthy thing to do!

Small Craft Business Showcase

For several months now I've wondered just what direction I wanted this blog to move in. I've finally pretty much decided. The essays expressing concern for environmental degradation, the mostly vegetarian recipes, the "make-do" philosophy? Well, they'll still find their way into my posts every so often. I enjoy doing them. And they reflect a side of me that doesn't get much expression anywhere else...

But I think I'd like also to begin to share a passion near and dear to my heart: small business crafters. You know I own a small craft business, myself. But I'm also a "patroness" of the independent creators of fun, funky, fresh, and fabulous handmade wonders so often found on etsy and at craft shows around my mid-Atlantic area and on my (somewhat limited) travels.

So. Tonight I'll share a crafter I first became aware of when my niece gave me a delightful pin at Christmas: Half Baked Ideas Jewelry by Stephen Dalton.

The pin she gave me is the one on the left. The pink and gold "cheetah" print is totally my idea of fun and fab. My niece told me that she'd been at a craft show and found this gentleman's booth, and thought his story meshed with my own life in a really rather neat way.

My niece indicated that Mr. Dalton has a disability, and for those of you who don't know, I work in the disability field. And that's how I came in contact with Mr. Dalton's work again this week: I was attending an Independent Living Conference in Richmond, Virginia, and among all the various vendors of durable medical equipment, health agencies and services, and supplies available to offer us really good information and helpful assistance in working with our consumers, Mr. Dalton was there, showcasing his wonderful art.

I zeroed in on his booth right away (I've done a ton of craft shows in my life, and I know a great booth and fun spot when I see it!). This week, I added two other pieces to my collection of Half-Baked Ideas Jewelry. The Siamese Cat, and the purple heart earrings. Those readers of my knitting blog know that I have two Siamese/Tonkinese cats, that purple is my favorite color, and that hearts have special meaning to me, as well - I'm a heart attack and by-pass survivor, yes, I'm a person with a disability, myself.

If you have an opportunity to visit Half-Baked Ideas over on etsy, enjoy the visit. These are really fun pieces of jewelry, with great attention to detail. They are lightweight (a big issue with me). They are pretty, funky, fun!

And remember, whenever you support an independent crafter? You're purchasing something that is made by ONE very creative person, not a factory, and you're making it possible for someone to live according to their values and making a big difference in that person's life.

Not to mention? Getting some really neat stuff in the bargain!

Earth Day in Grandin Village!

Yesterday was the annual Earth Day Celebration in Grandin Village, so of course, I went. I had agreed to assist in a yoga demo, and of course, the Farmer's Market opened yesterday, too!

They always have tons of informational booths (lots on the Greenways, various community organizations, some on religious communities, as well as peace groups, environmental groups and such, so there's so much to check out and lots for kids to do, too!). And there are crafters, too, where I did a bit of shopping, hoping to continue to support local businesses, especially craft businesses. But the first spot to hit was the Farmers Market where I picked up two bunches of Swiss Chard:

I brought it right home, and made it up, because there's nothing better than fresh chard

I chopped the rainbow stems up fine and added in three cloves of garlic to some olive oil:

And after they'd cooked a bit, I finally put the torn leaves of chard in on top and let it steam for a bit...and then sauteed it.

With a bit of fresh cracked pepper and a touch of salt along with red wine vinegar, it was just melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. And since I used only 2 tsps of olive oil? It was only 2 Weight Watchers Points Plus!! YUM...and the season's just started! Whoohoo!

This Sounds Delish!

Kale Apple Curry is going on the menu at my house, and it's not waiting till Meatless Monday, either!
*wink*