Today would have been my grandfather’s 106th birthday. (And yes, I know, he probably wouldn’t actually have lived that long.) As it is, though, he didn’t live nearly long enough. He passed away in 1967 when I was about 10 months old.

Obviously, I didn’t have much of a chance to get to know him, but sadly, neither did my mother or my older sister, because he died of Alzheimer’s back before they even knew it was Alzheimer’s, and when Mom started dating Dad and met his family … well, according to Dad, his father was already not the man he had been.

Still. I’m glad that he and I overlapped, at least a little. I hope he and Susan are having a great time up in heaven, with my other grandparents, and our other dogs. (Of course I believe that dogs go to heaven!)

Speaking of Grandpa, I let him inspire my guest post today about communication over at Joyful Jubilant Learning, if you care to go read it.

So, what have I been doing today? The office was closed, which is always a plus for a holiday, and this morning, Mom and I went into town. Well, first, we went for coffee. Then I called (after calling home to ask Dad to look up the number) my hair salon to ask if my stylist was in today because I needed a little adjustment to my haircut. It was too long around my face, especially on the right side, and just needed some tweaking. They said to come by at 12:30. Which was fine, but … our other stop for the day was going to be the grocery store, and we couldn’t leave the milk in the car, so … we dawdled some time away by doing a little shopping instead.

After we got home a little after 1:00, I cut up some berries for dessert for Sunday, and threw together a Banana-Blueberry Bread (Blueberry Banana Bread?) to salvage the three, dying bananas in the fruit bowl. I sat with Chappy in our favorite chair and read for a while, and then I made tomato sauce for supper.

I really like homemade sauce SO much more than any sauce that comes out of a jar. No comparison. I have no objections to starting with canned tomatoes (much easier than trying to peel and dice them myself–especially since I don’t love lumpy sauce), but I like the actual sauce to be fresh. It’s so easy, too. Saute an onion and some garlic–maybe some pepper, celery or carrot, too. Brown some meat if you want to add it. Then add two big jars of crushed tomatoes, some basil, some oregano, salt-and-pepper. Maybe a little sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes. Or, another trick, a little baking soda to do the same thing. A splash of red wine is good, too. But, ultimately, it’s easy. The most strenuous part is cutting up the onion.

Actually, that IS the most difficult part. A couple years ago, my niece and I made a batch of French Onion Soup, and cutting up that many onions made my eyes tear dreadfully, and ever since then, they’re really sensitive to onions. Except for using contacts (which I don’t wear), I’ve tried all the tricks, but still … Even if my eyes don’t tear while chopping them, they’ll sting while stirring them as they begin to cook. One of these days I’m going to cave and buy a pair of those ridiculous onion goggles … (grin).

(And, no, sorry, I don’t have a picture of the tomato sauce.)

Tomorrow? I’ve got a birthday cake to bake for a certain, almost-8-year-old gentleman we all know. (You know, the furry one stretched out on my floor.) He also needs a bath, but first, Mom and I plan on taking him out in the morning for some coffe… er … some water and maybe a few bites of a cinnamon bun or something like that. He’ll enjoy that. His actual birthday is Tuesday, but we decided that the whole weekend should really revolve around him!

Remember last Fourth of July when one of my favorite independent bookstores burned down? Well, they just, finally, reopened a few weeks ago and then yesterday–the very start of Independence Day weekend–they got hit by lightning! What are the odds?

• Tags: Baking, Family, General • Permalink:106 // Add Comment »

And, yes, this instrument I was really able to play. Lessons for years in elementary and middle-school, though I stopped when I got to high school, where the only “band” to play for was the one that marched.

As further evidence that I really DO take good care of my things–does it surprise anybody that I have the original “How to care for your Flute” book from when my parents bought this for me when over 30 years ago?

Chappy, however, is a music critic. I tooted a few notes (badly), and he BARKED at me. I think if he could have put his paws over his ears, he would have. I am SO insulted…

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See? I finished Section B of my Maplewing shawl last night. (And no, that shade of green is NOT accurate. One of these days I’ll try taking a picture of it in daylight and see if it’s any closer.)

I know, it just looks like a big blob, as lace shawls tend to do while being knit. On the plus side, since the needle is at the top, I can spread the bottom out to get an idea of what the lace really looks like … or, well, I can try. I’m not fooling myself, though. I know it’s only going to look like it should once it’s done and blocking. But at least progress is being made.

I’m very excited that, starting with section C, the rows get smaller with every one knit–that hasn’t been the case so far. The idea of being able to knit more than two rows a night is making me giddy.

So, since I AM going to be getting rid of bunches of magazines, knitting books, and cookbooks (not to mention all sorts of other books), one of the things I’ve been worrying about has been that most of them have at least ONE article/pattern/recipe that I’d like to hang on to. But, I don’t have a scanner at home, and judging by the one I have at work (and the Adobe scanning/pdf interface), scanning anything more than a page or two is a laborious process. but, still … it would be paperless, right?

So, I bought a new scanner today. Wanna see?

Yep. I’m tricky like that. That’s an 11″x14″ sheet of glare-resistant glass from the local framing shop. It cost me $10, and laid on top of a book or magazine, it keeps it flat and cuts down on glare. Then all I need to do is snap a picture–SO much faster than scanning it! And as long as the camera’s resolution is high enough, the text is definitely clear enough to read. If I had real, photographer’s lighting, I’d have it made.

But see what I get? Here’s the glossy cover of the latest Spin-Off magazine–the only glare is a little reflection from my window in the top left corner. It’s not perfect–since the magazine was lying flat in front of me, it’s got that perspective thing going on–the top is narrower than the bottom in the photo, but this was just a test of the system, and I’m encouraged.

I need to play with this idea a bit to figure out the best configuration. Use a tripod for the camera? Maybe with my handy-dandy remote to take the pictures? Prop the magazines/books on something so they’re straight in front of the camera lens, rather than lying flat? Can two pages be photographed together, or should I focus on just one at a time? What IS the best (available) lighting? Ideally, I’d have two, neutral lights on each side, but will have to make due with what I’ve got.

Encouraging, though, huh? And I can made a pdf from the photos in Adobe (though the test print of one on the black-and-white printer was less than ideal, since the background of the pages in the picture printed as gray). But, again, I’m fine-tuning, but you’ve got to admire the do-it-yourself-scanner, right?

I’m really tired tonight. I had to actually WORK today. (grin) The office internet was down almost all day, so I couldn’t amuse myself by checking in on my email or quick looks at Twitter or Ravelry. I hadn’t realized how much I actually use that as a way of taking a break or relaxing. I even took a shorter lunch because I had to leave a little early, and so  … well, tired! Of course that was even before my extra errands, like feeding the car, picking up my “scanner,” and getting my haircut.

Because, yes, my hair had a busy day, too. This was my first haircut since January and then colored it after supper. I think it’s in shock. My checkbook is, too. I don’t know about your salon, but the one I go to (after trying a multitude of hair-stylists before finding one I liked) prices their cuts according to the “level” of the stylist’s skill. Well, the woman I go to has been promoted since the last time I was there, so my cut cost $20 more than it did in January. (Sigh)

On the plus side, I found out that she and Chappy share the same birthday. And, interestingly, she and her three-years-younger sister have the same birthday, too! July 7th is a GOOD day for birthdays.

Okay, some links for you:

I thought this post at the QC Report was hilarious in a “God, what a bad date” kind of way. How can you not love a post that includes the line, “I’d love to go out with you again. You’re exactly the kind of woman my analyst has been hoping I’d meet.”

Much as the carving apart of books grieves me, you’ve got to be impressed when it’s done with as much artistry as these. Beautiful!

Did you know you can get a chance to win a Macbook Pro … just by Twittering about it?

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Scanning // 4 Comments »

Here’s what I read in June:

1. The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde (374 p.)
2. Lost in a Good Book (A Thursday Next Novel) by Jasper Fforde (399 p.)
3. The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next Series) by Jasper Fforde (360 p.)
4. Something Rotten (Thursday Next Novels) by Jasper Fforde (393 p.)–Yes, well it’s FUN reading all of the Thursday Next books, one right after the other. Granted, I think the first one is still the funniest and best, but the second is nearly as good. The third is the weakest, in my opinion, but the fourth is a good comeback. And, regardless, they are ALL wacky, creative, and totally unlike anything else that’s out there.

5. The Unicorn Hunt: The Fifth Book of the House of Niccolo by Dorothy Dunnett (656 p.) The 5th Nicholas book, and a heart-breaker, as Nicholas tries to track down Gelis and find out whether her child is really his …

6. Archangel (Samaria, Book 1) by Sharon Shinn (390 p.) One of my long-time favorite books, part sci-fi, part romance, and purely wonderful.

7. The Tall Pine Polka by Lorna Landvik (440 p.) I like so many of Landvik’s books, but this is the one I go back to most often. Something about the Hollywood fairytale of Fenny being discovered and making a movie, alongside a delightful cast of characters … and I still want to know what’s in that Cup O’Delight!

8. A Place of My Own: The Architecture of Daydreams by Michael Pollan (301 p.) A charming book about the author building his own “hut” to use as an office when his son is born. Bits and tidbits about architecture and construction, and wholly entertaining. I don’t know what it is about this little mini-niche-genre, but I just love reading books like this.

9. Highland Laddie Gone by Sharon McCrumb (209 p.)
10. Paying the Piper by Sharon McCrumb (179 p.)
11. Windsor Knot by Sharon McCrumb (217 p.)–Light weight little mysteries with Elizabth MacPherson getting mixed up with murder investigations. The Highland Laddie book is a hoot, with the murder taking place at a Scottish Games weekend. (Love when they try to replace the ducks used in the herding competition with wild ducks. And the scene where the sheriff–who happens to be a Civil War reenactor–rides over the hill in his 1860s uniform to confront a bunch of scots in kilts is delightful.) I love the Windsor Knot, too, which has Elizabeth throwing together a wedding at the last minute to make herself eligible to go to the Queen’s garden party … and this was my first introduction to a “travelling gnome.” I’ve still never forgiven the author for killing off Cameron in later books.

12. Patriot Games by Tom Clancy (540 p.)
13. The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy (547 p.)
14. Clear and Present Danger (Jack Ryan) by Tom Clancy (688 p.)
15. The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy (914 p.)
16. Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy (990 p.)
17. Executive Orders by Tom Clancy–Yes, well, everybody needs a Jack Ryan fix once in a while, right? And yes, these ARE huge books and I read a lot of them, though I’ll confess to you that I mostly skim over the military battles–all that techno-babble military jargon pretty much goes over my head anyway. I stick to the spy stuff and the actual ’story’ parts. Really, for such door-stoppers, these are pretty quick reads, you know!

18. Spin Control by Amy King (119 p.) Another excellent, intermidiate book about spinning. (Review here.)

19. Knit it Together by Suzyn Jackson (144 p.) A look at social knitting in America–past and present. (Review here.)

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from June // 5 Comments »

Some random links to keep you all happy while I finish up section B on my shawl–which should be tonight!

One of the most adorable mother/daughter pictures I think I’ve ever seen. (Taken by the photographer Dad, too, to make it a full-on family effort.) Honestly, this picture is pure perfection.

This explains a lot about why customers always show up in groups.

Did you know that Bon Jovi recorded a song to help support the Iranian election protestors? Stand By Me, sung with Iranian Superstar Andy Madadian … the point of this song is to show support and to spread the word, so download it, link to it, spread it as far as you can!

Aren’t these the niftiest collection of keyboards you’ve ever seen? I particularly like the one from old, round typewriter keys.

My good, shepherdess friend Susan was written up in Cape Cod Life magazine–a magazine that we just happen to have floating around the office, so I was able to see it in person.

And then. One other thing. It kind of breaks my heart, but I need to get rid of, well, a lot of my books. Like, I’m shooting for half (though I don’t know if that’s actually possible). I’m VERY attached to my library. I’ve shown you pictures, remember?

At most recent count, I have 3,052 books–although there are a handful I haven’t logged into my database yet. But still … three thousand books. There are books I can’t bear to part with, books I love, but … there are still some I really don’t need to have any more. And there are some I can live without (though I’m convinced I’m going to need every single one of them just days after they leave my possession).

Among these books are some knitting books (sniff), some cookbooks, some magazines … Have I told you that I have just about every Vogue Knitting going back to something like 1988? Not to mention that I’ve got a wide variety of books because I have a wide variety of interests. I was thinking about assembling some of these dearly loved books into lots and offering them for sale for something like $30-$50 a shot, here on the blog. Is this something you folks would be interested in? You’d promise to give them good homes, right? Or should I just call a local used bookstore and ask what he’d offer me for the lot? (sniffle)

(And, yes, this prospect makes me very, very sad. I absolutely hate giving up books…)

• Tags: General, Reading • Permalink:Random // 9 Comments »

Today’s mission, if you’re willing to accept it:

Watch episode 1.5 of CHUCK!

Chuck vs the Sizzling Shrimp

To make their cover more convincing, Chuck and Sarah have a “Night with Morgan” and stumble across a Chinese spy working undercover at a local restaurant. It must be time for Chuck’s first official stakeout–but, don’t worry, he’ll bring a mix tape to help pass the time!

Since Chuck isn’t slated to come back for Season 3 until March, that gives just enough time for everyone to watch all 35 existing episodes, one week at a time, to be all set and ready for Season 3. If you don’t have (or can’t beg, borrow, steal, or rent) the Season 1 DVD, you can watch season 1 at the WB.com. And … not only should you watch … but if you Twitter, join in and tweet about it to all your friends.

• Tags: General • Permalink:Chuck Me Mondays-5 // Add Comment »

First, there was granola. In this case, homemade granola. The batch I made last week was so tasty, I was inspired to make more.

Mom and I stopped at Whole Foods yesterday–and, say what you will about their prices, their coffee is actually pretty cheap. $10 for pound and a half of good coffee beans can’t be beat. So, while there for coffee, I browsed my way down the bulk goods aisle and brought home a bunch of goodies. What you see here is a combination of oats, almonds, soy nuts, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), dried cranberries, coconut, and a sprinking of flax seeds and wheat germ for good measure. Mixed together with 1/4 cup each of honey and vegetable oil and then cooked in the crockpot for about 3 hours.

Love.

What do you like in YOUR granola??

It’s pretty, too–all those golden-y shades of brown with hints of red (cranberries) and green (pepitas).

I’m really enjoying making my own granola, and have cooked some into my morning oatmeal every day for a week. Not to mention just standing there, nibbling on it. About the only fault with this recipe is that, since you need to periodically stir it in the crockpot to keep it from burning, any “clumps” get broken up, so it gets a little messy to eat with your hands. (Luckily, Chappy likes oatmeal and helps keep the kitchen floors clean.) Seriously yummy, though.

I turned the rest of last week’s granola into bread (recipe courtesy of the 5-minute Artisan bread book). I’ve only had one, tiny piece so far, but … yum! And it turns out that, much as I love cherries, I prefer my dried cherries to be baked into something. Just “straight” in a batch of granola isn’t my preference. In this bread, though? Fabulous.

Bread and granola aren’t the only things I baked this weekend, though. I put together a cake, too. I was really in the mood for carrot cake, but we didn’t have everything necessary, so … I kind of made up a recipe with pureed, baby food carrots, apple butter, brown sugar, spices and a dash of lemon juice. I have no idea (yet) how it tastes, but it looks good!

(Although, you can tell in that picture that neat frosting isn’t really one of my priorities when finishing a cake, huh? It’s all about the taste.)

Not only did Mom and I stop at the Whole Foods yesterday (a rare treat, you understand), but look who we saw at the Madison library? Yep, Jessica was giving a spinning demonstration. This was the first time I got to see her since her surgery, and it was nice to chat for a bit and watch the wide-eyed kids come up and try to figure out what on earth she was doing (grin).

Though, the wide-eyed looks she was getting were NOTHING compared to this person. Fun and playful, yes, but kind of intimidatingly weird to the small-fry, huh?

Oh, and for the record, no, I have NOT yet started knitting the Gray Cardigan I swatched for weeks ago for two reasons. One, I needed to get my shawl to certain (undefined) percentage-done before I could mentally add in another project, and Two, I’m still trying to figure out what to do with my gauge. I ordered some KnitPicks wooden needles in size 3 the other day, and will try those when they come. Because, honestly, it doesn’t matter how I hold my yarn, how I tension my fingers, how big or little I make my stitches, I just can’t seem to get my gauge under control–it is just way, way too relaxed. Sigh…

On the plus side, that’s two sunny days in a row. Even if there are still clouds up there, that’s a huge improvement.

The thunderstorm that rolled through last night even missed us, though I’m pretty sure Chappy heard it. He certainly acted like he had! The other night, he started woofing at the thunder, which I told him is NOT acceptible behavior … especially since that would probably escalate into full-blown barking at every storm which would REALLY not be acceptible! But, still … two sunny days in a row!

Hey, can you draw a giraffe?

Now, about that whole spinning thing … my Little Gem DOES seem to be sulking in the corner a bit, even if she IS getting a chance to bask in the sun. But what I really need to do? Get that quilt piled in the corner finished ASAP … while I still have a corner to stash it in!

• Tags: Baking, Friends • Permalink:Granola // 1 Comment »

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Strum // 3 Comments »

It’s the weirdest thing … the sky was this bizarre color. Like, a kind of BLUE. Not gray, like nature intended.

It’s just not natural.

Hey, Chappy has a store! Okay, it’s not really MY Chappy, but still.

I’m still dumbfounded at Michael Jackson’s death. So sad about Farrah Fawcett (who really deserved to have some more time of the media’s undivided attention), but her death wasn’t a surprise. But Michael Jackson? Wow.

Now, I’ll admit, I wasn’t a big fan. Thriller was HUGE when I was in high school, but I was busy listening to the Beatles, but there’s no way you can miss that kind of impact. His influence on pop and culture was enormous, and his sudden death at 50 years old? Just really shocking.

And, actually, I took that picture weeks ago, I just hadn’t gotten around to using it yet. But it’s still true that we had sunshine today for the first time in weeks. Talk about shocking.

• Tags: General • Permalink:It’s Just Not Natural // 3 Comments »

Did you know that the state of New Jersey is 345 years old today?

It was on June 24, 1664 that King Charles II’s brother James, the Duke of York, signed the Royal Grant establishing the English colony known as New Jersey.

Thanks, James!

Susan posted yesterday about the eBook we put together for her birthday–a cookbook meant to be sold as an eBook to help support the farm. I can’t wait until she gets the links up so you all can see it. It’s got some great recipes in it, and it looks fabulous (if I do say so myself).

If you haven’t donated to Claudia’s annual MS ride, this week is your last chance–don’t let it slip by! Just $10 gives you a chance to win one of many, many fabulous prizes.

And, oh my, how embarrassing. This group, devoted to making English the official U.S. language had a … well … look at the picture. You’d think that they, of all people, would know HOW to use the language, huh?

• Tags: General • Permalink:345 years // Add Comment »