Down at the Farm

When Matthew and Josie came for their time with us, we had a hoe-down throw down here at the farm. It was a kick in the pants, getting our musician/actors makeup and wardrobe gathered, and we had a blast "shooting" our "muvee".

Matthew helped me put pictures and music together, and it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately our original version had many of the pictures in yesterday's post, plus more. It was so long, I couldn't post it or email it to anyone. That night working on it, we lost computer power, and much of our work, so after everyone went to bed, I set out to restore it. When I got to the hoe-down part, it was after midnight, and I was afraid I was going to wake everyone up. I was punchy, and I got so tickled at it, just cracked me up! Jim is suuuuuch a good sport. Don't you agree? He's always been so good about playing along and having fun. Down at the farm....He's the Hoot.....I'm the Nanni.

Dreamy Sweater Hiccups

I started this little sweater late Saturday night, after a fun night out with my girls to the Northern Lights for dinner and a movie. It was a belated birthday bash for Anni. We always have so much fun being together. Love 'em sooo much. Anywho....this pattern is really a different construction method than I've ever done before, so it's been interesting. I enjoyed watching it take shape and even dreamed about it Sunday night, (including a perfect name for it, which I'll share when it's finished.) By Monday night, the main body of it was being blocked on the dining table. It was real easy knitting, even manageable while reading subtitles, watching Hindi Bollywood movies. Maybe I need to put another one on to get my rhythm back. I've only torn the front panel piece to it out....oh......4 times now. I don't know what my problem is, but I keep messing up. I better get it figured out soon, because I plan on making 2 more from this pattern in different colors!

Red Frocks and White Pinnys

The girls were watching this 80's version of Alice in Wonderland this morning. It reminded me of one of our favorite pictures of Sarah when she was little. (I even took it to the hospital with me when I had Kate....the first time I had ever been away from Sarah overnight)

Our own little SARAH IN WONDERLAND.

See, she's wearing the little red shoes I talked about in this post.

Cioppino

There's a folk-lore that Cioppino came about when Italian fishermen would come in at the end of the day and pool their resources, a bit of this kind of fish and a bit of that, to make into a communal stew. They would tell one another to "chip in". When it came time to make dinner tonight....that's what I said to the freezer ..."chip in". So in went a bit of scallops, a bit of shrimp, a bit of crab, cod, and mussels. The birthday girl ate all of hers, and liked it, minus the mussels. She dearly loves clams in the shell, but not mussels. There was french bread to sop up with.
After dinner we gathered in the snug and watched Netflix Instant: Christmas Story, a different folk story, a movie from Finland about St. Nicholas. I loved the costumes, Ada's blue wool cape with embroidered braid trim, the Nordic knit scarves and sweaters, the grey mittens with white embroidery. The wood workshop was intriguing too, with it's old fashioned lathe and candlelight. It all fed into my winter nesting instinct, home-fires, candlelight, warmth of wood, and knitting, knitting, knitting. Last week I knit another fashionista scarf like Josie's for Tori, and a red ribbed scarf for our church Christmas outreach. Just getting warmed up........have to see what my yarn stash can "chip in".

Alias

Last night, I was kicked back, knitting, and we were watching old episodes of Alias from Netflix. As a spy, Sidney has so many different looks and is fluent in so many languages. Sure hope I'm never called into service as a double agent....I'm just too old for all of that action. There was a time (a whole lifetime ago, it seems like) when I dyed my hair. One time my boss introduced me to someone new at the clinic, adding "THIS week, she's a blonde....no telling next week..." Now , here I am with grey streaks stubbornly intent on pushing their way into my life, and I can't dye my hair anymore. Ever since I had chemo and did the whole Sinead O'Connor look, my scalp is severely allergic to hair colorings.
The whole language and culture thing is another story altogether! When we had been married about a year and a half, we went from California to Atlanta, GA for Christmas. With me being from the Northwest, Jim's step-father called me "the furener". Their Christmas dinner was very different than I was used to. At home, potato salad and iced tea were summer-time fare. I didn't know what salt pork was, and had thought Jim was joking when he said there was such a thing as BOILED peanuts. A year later, we were living in Savannah, GA, and the people were so warm and welcoming. We started going to a local church and became family with everyone there. I picked up quite a little Southern drawl, and so did Sarah, since she started talking there. She and I flew home to Oregon for Jen's wedding. Visiting in the car on the way home from the airport, my sister and mom, laughed their heads off at my inflections. I was baffled... "whats so funny?" I wasn't putting on...it had just become a part of me, but now here I was back in the NW, and I was "a furener"!
On post at Ft. Stewart, GA., we had neighbor wives from many different countries. One of my friends I did the most with was Turkish. She had a little girl Sarah's age and a baby boy. One week, the little guy was sick in the hospital, so the little girl came to stay with us. When Tasha's husband came to pick up Nuray, he had started back home with her, when I remembered something I wanted to ask him. I hollered across the cul-de-sac at him, "Schatzi!" He didn't turn around, so I yelled it again. He turned around and came back and I asked him the question. When Tasha came over the next day, she was cracking up. She was laughing sooo hard and called Jim "Honey"! What? How was I supposed to know Schatzi meant Sweetheart in German? That's all she had ever called him in front of me! I thought it was his name! When we went to Germany...I now knew that term...but made plenty other faux pas. Soooooo, You probably don't foresee the CIA calling me to join their ranks anytime soon. What you don't realize is "This Me" you see, is really a disguise......I'm actually smart, young, beautiful and skinny. Seriously, Schatzi.

Actually, the real truth is....that I really am not what I appear. To God, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and I can do all things through Christ. I'm thankful to have been called into His service. May I be a loyal agent, and always follow His plans.

Jen vs. Heidi

Praying for my sister Jen, who is gone to Sierra Leone and Liberia for 3 weeks. Praying for marriages there as she ministers to couples, and praying for an abundant rice harvest for the school in Liberia.

Last night, the little girls were here, and we watched a different version of the movie "Heidi". This one starred Jane Seymour, Patricia Neal, and Jason Robard. I thanked my hubby over and over for not having a mustache, as I got thoroughly grossed out by Jason Robard drinking his gruel out of his bowl and wearing that gruel thickly on his mustache. Nasty. It reminded me of Jen....no not the nasty part...the drinking out of the bowl part.

When we were little girls and I had just been reading "Heidi", Mom was in bed sick, and I was looking after my sisters. I insisted that Jen drink her milk out of her bowl. She was fussing about it, and adamant that no way was she doing that. She wanted her milk in a cup, period. I kept after her about it, and neither one of us would budge. I kept insisting..."But, Heidi did!" Bless Mom's heart, She had to leave her sick bed, and set us straight. Poor Jen, she won the argument, but she missed out on a literary inspired experience. She's making up for it as an adult, traveling around the world and dining in the manner of the local people, whatever that might be. Maybe even milk from a bowl.

Gravenstein Apple Socks

All of the variegated stripes and colors when we were peeling apples, reminded me of my favorite socks. They were the first pair I ever knitted for myself. The colors are soft and mellow. They fit better than any pair I have knitted since.

I wore them in my surgery, and to each of my chemo treatments.

I'm not superstitious, so they were not a good luck thing; just cozy and comforting. You'll be happy to know that, unlike sports figures... (Remember in a League of Their Own?); I actually wash mine in between wearings! They just get more soft and comfy each time. They don't make this yarn anymore, so they're irreplacable. Guess I'll have to make a pair of Braeburns or Granny Smiths instead.

Oh my, Miss Marple

Have you ever watched movies or read books with an accent or vernacular different from your own, and had it get in your head? Lately, I've been watching lots of British films/BBC TV programs. Jim is not a fan, but I love them. Hmmmm, Well now, that's just not quite right now, is it? You'd think he would; he's been reading books by an author who frequently uses the term "octagenarian", and Miss Marple fits that term perfectly. But as they say "don't let the knitting needles fool you!." In addition to that lovely pink mohair yarn, she's working with; She's quite the sleuth. I love her sensible, quiet ways, and her quirky, mishapen, felt gardening hat, support hose and old lady, tied, high heeled shoes. I love her quick wit, and analytical mind. Hmmm, well yes that's just as how it should be, isn't it? Hmmm, yes, .......quite.

Tuesday

This weekend was spent with cookie making sessions. Big sister measured, and mixed up the dough by herself. It was chilled overnight. Saturday they used all of the "Fall" cookie cutters, and rolled, patted, poked, cut and baked. Sunday afternoon, they decorated them with cream cheese icing and sprinkles.

I was so thrilled to find a "fall" version of this spatula in the $ bin at Rite-Aid. My cute spring and summer one had gotten broken. It's nice and thin. I hate a chunky spatch, bunching up my hot cookies when I'm takin' them off the sheet, don't you?

Sorry this is so dark. And there's no pix of the frosted ones.
Aren't those just the cutest little oak leaves?

My sis gave us the acorn and oak leaf cutters, as part of the packaging one year on Jim's birthday present cookies. :) Thanks Dot!

We are ec-stat-tic!

A week ago, we were smelling something noxious in the kitchen. We thought a little piece of plastic from a granola bar wrapper had drifted into the oven. The smell didn't dissipate, though, and a while later when helping with homework, there was an arcing sound and blue flames and

smoke coming from under the dishwasher. After cutting power, and some investigating, we thought our DW was fried. We ordered a new one, which was delivered yesterday, much to my chagrin. I hate big purchases. The repairman/installer, the store recommended, came today to install it, and discovered faulty wiring. He repaired IT, and VOILA! Our old machine still works fine!! YEAH! Jim called the store to tell them he was bringing the new one back, and they were really nice about it. Praise the Lord!

Tonight, we watched the last disk in the Holocaust series from Netflix. As always....very sobering subject matter. As far as movies go; some of the acting was really lame, (mostly the young actors) but some of the veteran actors did very well. A talented, young, pretty, Meryl Streep was in it.

In her PJ days......pre-Julia. :)

Labor Day.......

In the movie Groundhog Day, a reporter wakes up repeating the same day
over
and over
again....

A.

B.


C.

Groundhog Day ? labor day?

Do you feel like you're waking to the same day (shower curtain) over and over?

A. Sarah started it all. She got this cute curtain, and we all just fell in love with it's cheery zinnias full of color! What a happy way to start the day! We asked permission and Sarah was gracious.......

B. Kate got one too. Something colorful and fun for the kiddo's bath.

C. I got one too. Except, i was afraid i'd made a big mistake. It just didn't look right in my bathroom. We'd had a really serene "zen" like look in there with only white and light natural accents, and now

POW!

..................... ZIP!

.................... BOOM!

.................... BAH!

So i got little colored paper lanterns to go along side the white one, and put out all of Anna's cosmetic stuff that went well, trying to balance the color in the room better. It still didn't look right to me, until our white bathmat unraveled, and i had to get new.


Voila! A new orange mat, "made it work"....finally! I guess it was just like people...it needed to be well grounded. And i needed time to get comfortable with it.

How did you spend your labor day? We actually got quite a few little household projects done.

1. a towel hook in the kitchen
2. a lock on a bedroom door
3. a rug replaced in the library
4. laundry
5. a computer desk drawer repaired
6. general cleaning
7. a sense of accomplishment

Julie & Julia and blogging

Where have i been? Even though other bloggers have been talking about reading the book Julie & Julia for quite awhile....i didn't pick up on that it was about blogging! It wasn't until my sister saw the movie and mentioned it to me (right before seeing it myself) that i found out.

(Theatrical poster)

The questions presented both by my sister, and the movie, have been asked by myself repeatedly, since the beginning of this little blogging adventure a few months ago. "Is anyone out there?" Is anything i have to share of any significance to anyone else?

I guess it all depends on why a person begins a blog, as to whether that's important or not. If it's purpose is a personal diary of events, for personal reflection and recollection, then it may not matter if anyone else reads it or not.

At first, i tried to tell myself it didn't matter if anyone read "me".....but as i thought about it more, i realized....it did matter.... a lot. One of the reasons i started my blog was it felt like my world was getting smaller and smaller, and along with it....my circle of influence....

i remembered what a ray of sunshine it was for me to read my favorite blogs, when i was "housebound" with cancer and treatments. Now, i wanted to be that "visit with a friend", to someone else who might be needing a bright spot in their day too. That's the reason it may seem like a pollyanna blog, or like i lead a charmed life. This is not to say there may never be a rant show up here, but for the most part, i feel like we all deal with enough negative junk and ugly stuff on a daily basis, so try to take time to make this a pleasant retreat. (Even if it means shoving dirty dishes aside to click a shot!)

The movie dealt with Julie becoming self absorbed in pursuing her goal with the blog. Basically, her husband pointed out that her readers in blogland were going to survive, even if her blog didn't. Blogging does take time and thought, and i can see where it could become an issue - it's to be ABOUT my life--not BE my life.

On that note, i must add...it's a creative outlet that i'm loving, and will blog to my little heart's content....even if nobody reads....but i secretly hope you do :)

Hand in glove..lookin to be loved

Weeding the corn yesterday morning, I backed up and felt a hand on my shoulder, and saw it out of the corner of my eye. My first reaction and thought was " get your hands off me, get your hands off me...." (remember the line from Crossing Delancey?!)


It was Garden Lady.

This is how she looked in all of her splendor last year........

This year she's ashamed to show her face.....she needs some new glad rags, BAD.

Random Wednesday

Any similarities to the movie "Regarding Henry" are COMPLETLY coincidental!

Good Bye Dear Friend.

Our old Public Library buiding.

There was something so warm and homey about it.

Many, many, memories.

Our friend George, was even born there, when it was a hospital,

YEARS AND YEARS AGO, ha!

(I can say that cuz, we're near the same age)

The building has been replaced with this new one:



There are glass panels separating the kids section.

They have grass imbedded in them to represent the grass seed industry in our ,local economy.

There is a nice comfy reading area at the far end of the main section.

On the Homefront:

Another attempt at putting the Gleaning to good use. There was a lot of lettuce this past week. I fixed Thai shrimp lettuce wraps with dipping sauce for dinner. Wasn't sure how they would go over with everyone, but they really liked them!