More reorganization, Yarn and Space!..

Wow, I have so many things from my crafting that I can sell on Ebay! I won't start listing them for quite a while yet, but I will have room when the things are gone.
I actually found two additional drawers I can use to store yarn just by rearranging a few things.
I found them just in time.

I received two glorious half-pound skeins from Lynnie already. One is 'Peony Sky Rainbow', one is 'Jo's Garden' and I'll be getting 6 more skeins in 'Lynnabelle' . It wil be the very first sweater i've knit for myself. I'm still deciding on the pattern.. I want it to be very special.
I knit a sweater for a boyfriend in Japan many many years ago... Since the instructions were in Japanese and it was the first time I'd ever purled, I think it turned out well.. If his arms had only been a few feet longer, it would have fit him just fine!.

(images of the yarn I bought, available at the COLORJOY SHOP ) Just click on the images if you want a larger view, or just a little color therapy :-}

You.. light up my liiiife....

Ok, I really want to get some of this!
If I'm going to be out in public, I want to have something going on that gets e noticed, to avoid getting run over or blocked in the grocery aisles.... I think this may just be the ticket! I won't just be a fat lady in a wheelchair, I'll be the one with the glowing head!
Thanks to IMPROBABLE.COM for the info on:

SELF-GLOWING HAIR GEL

restructuring the Hermit-age

I've been a hermit for the past few years. Now that I have the van equipped, I hope to expand my horizon a bit. My most recent solo excursion had some flaws. The loooong incline to the hospital doors wrenched my stomach muscles badly (they have been damaged in a series of surgeries) and that meant I couldn't do much in the way of house or Ebay work for a week. Add in two travel sessions for the holidays and I'm only now recovering. Obviously balance here is important :-}
Oscar and I have been building a second income from buying used books and re-selling them on Ebay. Because of my increased activity and his increased arthritis, that isn't going to work this year, particularly if I want to travel in the van to do things like grocery shopping or visiting friends, or swimming, or going for blood tests and doc appointments on my own.
So, we've taken some time off from Ebay this month. With Oscar having a few three day weekends, we plan to restructure our lives quite a bit. I will reorganize my work room / studio to accommodate the remaining Ebay books, and any other items (easy to package and ship) that I might sell in the future. I won't stop selling completely, just have fewer auctions per week, and transition to those items which can be shipped from our own mailbox, or via Priority (the Post office will pick up Priority packages for shipment, but not media mail)
We will also make the house as wheelchair accessible as possible by removing the books from the living area. I hope we can also find a rolling stool I can use in the kitchen, as the quarters are too cramped there for the chair.
Oscar will also be studying in the next few weeks, to help get a new job (within the same company).
If I am going to write (another possible source of income) I need my workspace (currently I write in the living room on my laptop) to be as neat and organized as possible, so this is also a goal for this weekend, and will be assisted by getting the books out of the living room. This includes writing knitting patterns, as well as whatever else I think I can sell.

My personal goal is to make my financial contribution to the household on my own by the end of the year. This will hopefully provide Oscar with the extra time and energy he could use to pursue his education, maybe a hobby or three, or just increase our level of socializing with friends (which we both are missing).

I hope Oscar can also make progress in his office. I know its been bothering him a great deal to have things so disorganized in there. He deserves a calm, soothing workplace.

We have already made some wonderful sweeping changes this month. My new stove is dead easy for me to work from a seated position, and the dish washer means I can spend my time cooking healthy meals for us several times a week, instead of cooking once and cleaning for 5 days. I didn't realize how much I missed cooking until it became possible again.

Anyway, what better time than a time of new beginnings to set up a new framework for our lives?
(first image is of Moonie playing in the living room curtains, this is of Pulmonaria in my snowy garden last spring)

Sunshine Orange Shortbread

A new family favorite, designed just this year. Great for remembering the sun is coming back.

Sunshine Orange Shortbread Cookies

* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/4 cup sugar (granulated, brown or confectioners, depending on the texture desired)
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/8th teaspoon salt
* zest of one orange, 2 if the oranges are small

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar, add the orange zest.. Slowly add the flour and salt, mixing well. The dough turns a lovely shade of yellow.
3. Press dough into the bottom of a pie plate (I like to use pyrex or glass, as it cooks more evenly), making the edges slightly thicker than the middle. Score into 8 pieces for later cutting, prick all over with a fork (about an inch or 2 apart). I also like to draw sun designs. Its a great opportunity to turn food into art :-}
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until light brown at the edges. You will begin to smell it when it's close to done. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cut along score lines. Don't try to remove any slices until almost completely cool or the cookies will crumble.
***note: do not double recipe, just make successive batches.

(image from freefoto.com)

rough holiday

This time of year can be difficult.
In the past few weeks:
-The husband of one of my oldest friends, accused of murdering her and thier son Joshua (by burning the house down around them), had the charges dismissed against him. The prosecutors will appeal.
-Another old friend, (one I'd known for 2 decades) died after a 6 month battle with lung cancer, before I even knew she was ill.
-Another friend from the same group of people has had her 5 year battle with cancer renewed. the pills aren't working, the tumors are growing, she's on chemo again. At least I have the blessing of knowing, and can knit something tangible to hug her with.

I know many people have worse situations, and there are many many blessings in my life I could count right now, but I feel its also important to honor the grief I feel, not shove it under some slick candy coating.
When the time comes to count blessings I'll be right there with fingers and toes ready for action, but for now, I need to grieve.

Loss

I learned of the loss of a friend yesterday.
She and I had known each other since the '80s. We met through the Great Lakes Free Net and shared an interest in holistic health, the Earth as Mother, and the Mad Dogs who met Tuesday nights.
I presided at her handfasting, knew her son, Steven ({{{{Steven}}}}} and we shared many wonderful times over the past few decades, but we had completely lost touch this past year or 2. I was too involved in the changes my life was going through to even find out how she was. When I heard, my first guilty, agonized thought was the same as most people would have in that situation. "I didn't even know she was sick."
She died of lung cancer 6 months after being diagnosed. She wasn't a smoker, and lived one of the healthiest lifestyles I've ever encountered. She was fiercely dedicated to her friends, had a wickedly luscious sense of humor and the laugh to go with it. The world is less without her.

Please, in her honor, call an old friend today, and reconnect.

Whew! and Yule and Goddess Quilt Blocks

I can't believe its been most of a week since I've posted. I had some lingering effects from the adventure at Ikea. I just don't have the energy I used to. Ah well, I can work on building it back up again.
The less I walk, the better. It's like healing a broken bone all the time when I walk more than a few steps, I guess it's no wonder I get tired. I am also fighting a chest cold.
I am proud of what I did today, though. I drove the van and used the chair to go get some blood tests done (my yearly tests for diabetes and thyroid levels).
Its a long uphill (well, slight incline) climb from the parking lot to the door of the hospital, and I was flagging by the time I reached the overhang of the entrance. There was a volunteer there, who helped me get the rest of the way and through the door bless her :-}
A month ago I couldn't have made it up the incline at all, so I am getting stronger. I have small 5-pound weights I use, its good to know they are making a difference.
We'll be celebrating Yule day after tomorrow. We've purchased the groceries for the meal I'm going to cook. I tried to find yellow beets and Yukon gold potatoes and failed, but the rest worked out pretty well :-}
I will be making duck breasts with pomegranate orange sauce, some "Lights" Chard (the kind with the yellow and orange stems) with bacon and onion seasoning, roasted red beets, some yellow and orange peppers, glazed carrots, some garlic roasted red potatoes and we'll have lemon bars for dessert.
Yule is a celebration of light returning, which is an important concept for those of us with S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). We know we have 1/2 the winter to go, but the light will be growing in duration and strength each day from this week forward.
I also like it because we exchange gifts 4 whole days earlier than the Christians :-}
The images below are of some Goddesses I created and or adapted for quilt blocks last year. I don't seem to have taken pictures of the sun quilt blocks I designed, which is what I was looking for :-} Ah well, these will do well enough! I won't be quilting until we move, or remodel the house extensively, so its nice to have these images of past work.

Red and Green Knittings

Made from Lynn's Color Joy Sassy Summer Handbag and Fast Florida Footies Patterns, respectively.

Checks and balances

I had a marvelous Monday. We spent much of the day with Lynnie, and had a blast! I was able to use my wheelchair in Ikea with almost no problem, and I didn't even get tired until just as we left. Oscar did push half the time, but the remainder of the time was still the longest I had been self-wheeling ever! We also had a wonderful meal at Lai Thai in Canton (michigan), The Owner always makes us feel at home :-}

I am paying for yesterday by feeling sore & tired today, but it was worth it. I mostly knit red and green things. When I tried to stand and do stuff it was like energy leaked right out the soles of my feet, so I sat down again before much was accomplished. Still, a good night's sleep and I should be better tomorrow.

Socks of Spring in Winter

Lynn has her Hand Dyed socks up in her SHOP Now!
During the dull grey days of winter, they're bound to put a little "Spring" in your step!
They are angora blend and merino blend in gorgeous colors. The url is http://www.colorjoy.com/shop/. I've chosen images of a few of my favorites to share with you.

Happy 2nd Birthday to me, happy 2nd birthday to me...

What a neat day! I didn’t know it, but today decided to be a second birthday. I got a lovely box of pressies from Lynx, and also a present (a second one from her this year!) from my Mom in law Liz. Both for my birthday!
So I added chocolate and cinnamon to my coffee and decided to celebrate all day, what the heck? There's no law against having as many birthdays a year as you want, eh?

Also, I received an early Yule present from Oscar. We picked out new silverware and dishes :-}
I've attached images of our choices. A few months ago we went 'window' shopping on the Corelle site, and decided we really like Del Norte. It was out of our price range. Then yesterday Oscar discovered that cooking.com had it on sale, AND we found a 16% off coupon AND by paying with paypal, shipping was free, so we got the $90 set for around $50! (BONUS!!) The Oneida silverware was on sale too, and matched the China perfectly :-} We love blue, especially cobalt blue :-}
And with a new dishwasher, it will be easy to start using real plates again. We’d switched to plastic and paper because of the difficulty of keeping up with dish washing. It hurt our Pagan environmentalist souls to do so, and we feel MUCH better with real re-usable stuff on its way to us.

Mossy Rock scarf

This is the scarf I'm making for a neighbor, out of Di Ve in a green/blue/gold colorway with my adapted feather and fan pattern (I'm calling my version mossy rock) One photo to show the texture, the second to show the color changes and the bottom, spread a bit so you can see the lace part.

Busy Happy Tiring day

Oscar brought in the dishwasher, and I've done three loads today, with almost no time spent on my feet! a real blessing.

I packaged all my paid ebay auctions and they are ready for Oscar to load into the car.
And I'm using my adapted Old Shale / Feathers and Fans pattern to make a scarf for a neighbor in some of that Luscious Di Ve yarn I mentioned a few weeks back. (I'll take a pic later this week) My adaptation is more sculptured and less lacy than the standard pattern, and shows off color changes on long color-run yarns well. Next I'll start another neighbor scarf, also in Di Ve, but in a more masculine design (yet to be determined).

Tomorrow will be all about putting up ebay auctions to end the weekend of Dec 16-17th. It will probably be our last week of auctions for the year. The tail end of December and beginning of January are mostly dead for used books on ebay :-} We have some non-book items to put up, but Oscar says I deserve a vacation, bless him :-}

Big Fat Bandit

We have a huge VERY well-fed raccoon in the back yard today. I grew up where we were surrounded by wildlife and I miss it. Here in Ypsilanti (a city near Detroit) the sightings have been few and far between. I spotted an opossum a few years back, and the first summer we were here, a red-tailed hawk stooped and enjoyed a meal of pigeon in the back yard. The raccoon is the first 'wild' life I've seen in a long time except for my usual bird pals. I enjoyed watching him waddle around the back yard :-} Oscar isn't as pleased, being the more sensible of the two of us where critters are concerned.

Oscar's Continental Blue Malabrigo Socks

I finished the first of a pair of bed socks for Oscar. I used Malabrigo (kettle-dyed) merino wool in Continental Blue. I knit them using #6 DPNs with Lynn's Colorjoy First Time Toe-Up Sock pattern. I've used this pattern so many times for so many different feet, and yarns and gauges. I like it because its so adaptable and easy. :-} The wool I used is butter-soft... With luck I can get his second sock out of the rest of this skein (with maybe a bit from the second skein) and have enough yarn for me to have a pair of footies to match :-}

Wool Wallowing

Oh I had such a lovely day!
Oscar and I drove up to meet Lynnie in Lansing today. We met at Thread Bear. I was wise and arrived only an hour before closing so I didn't have time to get into TOO much trouble. Actually I did pretty well! Out of all the yarn I bought, only one kind was for me, three kinds were for Oscar (for soft warm bed socks) and two kinds were for scarves in thanks to Jim and Sharon who helped me find Kit (who wasn't actually missing as it turned out, read blog a few weeks ago if you want details). You can see a photo of the yarn selected below. I guess I was in a blue mood :-}
The shop was an utter delight. The owners (Rob and Matt) approached me individually to ask if I'd noticed any difficult spots to navigate in my wheelchair, stressing it was a priority for them that their shop be completely accessible. Honestly, I found only one minor place where I had any difficulty at all and it was easy to circumnavigate and get where I wanted to go anyway. It was a joy.
After the wool wallowing, Lynnie took us to a Japanese restaurant, San Su, where I indulged my taste for Age Dashi Tofu and Uni Sushi... Yum!
We had a wonderful time talking yarn and pattern and class business, and Oscar patiently
listened.
On the drive home, Oscar and I had a nice long chat about all sorts of things... Lovely.

Cat worship and a new recipe

Oscar has high blood pressure, so we've been reducing salt. It seems to be working.

We both love a (very occasional) treat of saurkraut and sausage with potatoes, but everything about it is worth 4 days ration of salt, so I made this recipe as a replacement.
First I took our favorite brand of saurkraut (Silver Floss) and rinsed it very very well. Then I added about 1/8th-1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to it. Rinsing the salt rinses off too much of the sour.

I used some 'hash brown" frozen mix (no salt, just potatoes, onion and peppers) and mixed them up with a little olive oil and some garlic before layering the potatoes in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Then I grilled off some lean boneless pork chops in our grillerator (which gets rid of any excess fat) and layered the pork over the potatoes. Then I smothered everything with the saurkraut and popped it in the oven on low heat for about an hour.
It came out pretty good!
(images below, a common sight in our home, Oscar being worshiped by Basil and returning the favor :-}

Friends of Pine Ridge and Happiness Knot Work

Here's an image of my first complicated cable pattern, taken from "Viking Patterns to Knit" by Lavold. I am still finishing the scarf/shawl.. Its made of Big Kuryon, and intended to be sent to the Friend's of Pine Ridge Reservation as a Christmas Gift for an Elder

Friends of Pine Ridge is one of my favorite places to give. They have all sorts of drives throughout the year, and it feels good that something I no longer have room or use for is going to someone who will really value it. Here's a list of their current drives with links (which can also be found on the home page.)
In addition to the drives below, they always welcome quilting and sewing supplies for the Kateri Circle Sewing Group and the new Red Shirt School Sewing Circle. I will be sending some stuff their way this month or next, as I clear some of my quilting supplies. I no longer use them much, so I am ecstatic that someone can make good use of them.

Christmas Gift Wrapping Supplies for the Cangleska Battered Women's Shelter

Books for a Reservation Elementary School - Little Wound School

Books for a Reservation Elementary School - Our Lady of Lourdes School

Books for a Reservation Elementary School - Red Shirt School

Books for a Reservation High School - Little Wound School

Books for a Reservation High School- Red Cloud High School

Books for a Reservation K-12 School - Crazy Horse School

Books for Head Start

Books for Oglala Lakota College Library

Books for Partnership for Housing

Books for the Kiyuksa O'Tipi Reintegration Center

Books for the Oyate Teca Project

Books for the Re-Member Beds Project

Christmas Gifts for Children

Christmas Gifts for Elders

FoPRR Beds Project

Magazine Subscriptions for Oglala Lakota College Library

Magazine Subscriptions for the Kiyuksa O'Tipi Reintegration Center

Music CDs for the Oglala Lakota College Library

Propane Project

School Supplies for American Horse School

School Supplies for Little Wound Elementary School

School Supplies for Oglala Lakota College

School Supplies for Our Lady of Lourdes School

School Supplies for Red Shirt School

School Supplies for the Children at the Cangleska Battered Women's Shelter

School Supplies for the Oyate Teca Project Youth Center

Support the Oglala Lakota College

Winter Blankets for Children, Elders and Families