Rafters
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Birthday
Wasn’t this nice? My sister stopped by for literally 5 minutes this morning on the way to the dentist, just to give me a hug and drop off three cupcakes. Wasn’t that nice of her?
We were saying that we couldn’t remember the last time she brought baked goods to the house–other than Italian bread–that wasn’t homemade. (My sister bakes a LOT of cookies!) I love cake and cupcakes, though–the more, the merrier–so these hit the spot. Thank you so much, Patty! You’re the best big sister!
Of course, it’s sad that they’re gone already … I’m already looking forward to Grandma Cake on Sunday when the family comes for dinner.
I got a skein of Briar Rose yarn from Mom and Dad. (Gosh, I don’t know how she does it–every year at Rhinebeck she manages to sneak something past me.) (Although, now that I think about it, I DO remember looking at this yarn and handing it to her … it’s all coming back to me!)
And, I know the picture is a lousy one for the yarn–I’ll do better tomorrow in daylight. It’s really a deep, foresty, green and brown, but you’d never know it from that picture.
Also pictured, a copy of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, which I’ve wanted for a while. A Borders bookstore gift card from my sister (dropped off with the cupcakes). And a DVD of Citizen Kane, which was quite a shock. I had mentioned recently that I’d never seen it, so Mom thoughtfully got me a copy. Of course, she didn’t realize that the reason I’d never seen it was because I was completely uninterested in it … but still, thoughtful, huh?
It’s been a rainy/drizzly day, so … no walk for Chappy. Mom and I went to Short Hills mall for the first time in a YEAR, mostly as someplace to go, and because I needed lipstick (grin). Chappy was very, very happy when we got home around 2:00, and we spent much of the rest of the afternoon on our chair in the dining room. I wanted to get some spinning done–it’s my Little Gem’s second birthday, you know–but never made it to the wheel. I’ll try to do that tonight. She should get to whirl and spin for her birthday, too, don’t you think?
Here’s an interesting little tidbit. We were talking about the weather forecast the other night and how unseasonal 66 degrees was (or was it? discussion ensued). I said something about thinking 66 is excellent, because of course, I was born in 1966, and then Mom commented about how she’s 66 … a nice juxtaposition, don’t you think?? But then it got better … Mom was born in 1942, and I just turned 42 today … what are the odds? The 42 and 66 thing happening like that? How cool is that, huh? And–better still–this same juxtaposition happened two years ago with my sister, when she turned 42 when Mom was 64 … only we didn’t realize until now…
Relief
How tired am I today? I pulled my knitting out at 8:00 and managed to struggle through three rows on my sleeve before putting it away and pulling out my book. Because, when I’m really tired, there’s nothing (other than sleep) that I’d rather do than read.
Because, um, no … even when tired, I can’t just sit and stare at the television. Unless I’m sick–but that’s different.
I’m tired, of course, because I stayed up watching the election returns last night. This is the drawback of being on the east coast–all the “live” stuff seems to happen late at night. Obama gave his victory speech at midnight, and while it was so, so worth staying up for … wasn’t it a great speech? But, I’ve been dragging all day.
Of course, I AM getting older, you know… I should really enjoy 41 while it lasts … Or maybe I’ll just go to bed…
Biding
Like lots of other people, I’m watching election returns tonight, but, how about a nice, knitting picture?
Sleeve #1 is now completely done, because not only is it knit, but all its ends are woven in. Sleeve #2 is making progress, and has all its ends (to date) woven in also.
You can also see that I’m using stitch markers to keep track of the increases. As much as I like the pretty, beaded stitch markers, these plastic “clip” ones are my go-to stitch markers because they’re just so darn versatile. I’m marking the increases as I make them, and I have “pending” increases lined up at the bottom, so that I know exactly how many I need to make–can’t lose count this way!
So, here’s Chappy’s crate with its cushy mattress and chin-resting bumpers around the edges, but he also gets a towel to snuggle into. I had taken it out on Monday to wash, but forgot to give him one last night, so the poor boy slept without a blanket all last night. As soon as I realized, naturally, I grabbed one of his towels from the linen closet and tossed it into the crate.
And, just as naturally, when Chappy walked into his crate later, he immediately tossed it OUT. But I don’t think he’s exactly opposed to the idea of using this towel, huh?
So. The election. You U.S. people DID vote, right?
It’s looking very encouraging for Obama right now, and can I just say how pleased I am about that? He comes across as smart, calm, thoughtful, personable, even-tempered … and that’s just so refreshing (especially after the last 8 years). I respect John McCain and admire his years of service, but I abhor the campaign he ran–nasty, scattered, uneven–and even worse, I did not like his VP pick. I’m happy for Mr. McCain to continue to work in the Senate, I am grateful for all the work he’s done … but I want Obama to win. By a lot.
Without wanting to offend any of you Democrats out there (I’m a registered Independent, for the record), I confess that I’m a little worried about the thought of a Democratic President (yay!) with a House and a Senate that are ALSO both strongly Democratic (and with the House headed by Pelosi, a woman who scares me). The system has checks and balances built in for a reason, and while I like a lot of the things that the Democrats want to do, them running willy-nilly, unchecked is a frightening thought. My father is convinced that this means we’ll be a socialist country in four years, but, honestly, don’t ask me where he got that idea from. It won’t be THAT bad …but, still … worrying. But still–so happy this is looking so encouraging for Obama!
Now–for an interesting little juxtaposition. When there’s nothing “good” on television, Mom and I put in DVDs of tv shows on an ongoing, rotating basis. It takes us months to get through a single season of any series, because we’re only watching one episode every couple of weeks, and tonight–because we didn’t want to watch constant election returns–Quantum Leap was up. And tonight’s episode? Justice. The episode from 1965 when Sam leaps into a KKK member to prevent the lynching of a black man who is trying to get black men registered to vote. How incredibly appropriate. Not only is it an amazing episode, but it’s about not only voting RIGHTS for blacks, but about basic equality … And all this on the night when we elect (I hope) our first black President. Not just letting them vote, but … President. That’s huge. And that’s all pretty much in my lifetime. Okay, I wasn’t born until 1966, but still … Forty years ago, who would have expected that a black man would be in the running for (or the winner) President of the United States? That’s HUGE.
And, it will be so nice to have a President who can spontaneously use complete sentences (and pronounce “nuclear” correctly).
Get Out and Vote!
You’re hearing it all over, but it bears repeating. A lot.
If you are, like me, a United States citizen, and you haven’t done the Early thing …
GO VOTE TOMORROW.
November 4th, 2008.
It’s important. Vital, even. Think about what’s been going on in the world lately, in the country–no matter who you vote for, your vote has never been more important.
Think about how close the last two presidential elections have been. The 2000 election was decided by something like 536 people. It came down to that few people.
- Never, ever think that your vote is not important.
- Never, ever take the ability to vote for granted.
- Never, ever decide that voting is unimportant.
If you don’t vote, you cede the right to make any complaints whatsoever about the government.
How important is this election?
Well, Starbucks is willing to give away a cup of brewed coffee to every, single person in the United States that votes tomorrow. Considering they’re expecting record-breaking voter turnout, that’s a lot of coffee.
Go Vote!
Never underestimate the power of the people.
Oh, and I’m really sorry to hear about Barack Obama’s grandmother. Whether you plan to vote for the man or not, I’m so sorry that the one, remaining person who raised him passed away the day before the biggest day of his life. It doesn’t matter how many friends and loved ones you gain as you live your life, there’s a special bond between you and the people who taught you the alphabet, and how to tie your shoe laces. And to lose her the day before the election? Whether he wins or he loses, I’m sorry for both of them that she won’t be here to see it. So many times you hear about grandparents that manage to hang on until just after a family wedding or a graduation … It just saddens me that she missed election day by such a short margin. Terrible timing, poor woman.
And, I wonder if, since Hawaii has Early Voting, if she was able to cast a vote for her grandson before she died? How satisfying must that have been?
What are You Waiting for?
Go Vote!
Knitting Scholar Contest!
Hey, folks!
I’m having a contest over at Knitting Scholar, and you are all invited!
Now–the rules? You get entered if you post a link on your blog, and if someone says they came FROM your blog, you get extra chances to win, so–first, Spread the Word!
But, second–and this is just between you and me, okay?–If you say that you came from Chappysmom, I’ll give you MY chance to win. Because, of course, I’m not eligible to win my own contest, but because it’s YOU and we’re such good friends … if you enter the contest and say you heard about it HERE, I’ll automatically sign you up for two chances to win. THREE if you post a link on your own blog.
Really, I can’t be fairer than that, can I?
Go over to Knitting Scholar and enter to win! And then spread the word!
We Have a Winner!
SO much better. This color combination definitely works.
In fact, it worked so well, I’ve got the first sleeve completely finished. Except for weaving in ends, of course.
Now, let’s see, a few doggy things that came up in conversation yesterday. I just hope everybody finds their way here since I don’t have email addresses for everyone.
I cook for Chappy using a dogfood mix from Sojourner Farms. (Which, Anne, yes, is in Minnesota.) I’ve used this for both Chappy and Katy and have only good things to say about them. I use their traditional mix, which is oatmeal-based since I have no objection to my dog eating grains. (Some people avoid it.) The instructions are to simply add your own fresh, raw meat, vegetables, and water, and to soak it all overnight but I find the resulting mixture … unappetizing. So, what I do instead is combine the mix, the water, chicken, and yes, some veggies (or baby food!) in a big pot, bring it all to a boil, and then cover and turn off the heat. This cooks the chicken most of the way through so I’m not worrying about germs, and then I add raw beef cubes and put the whole thing in the fridge, so Chappy ends up with essentially porridge. Sometimes I’ll add extras like eggs, or oil, and he certainly gets bonuses in his food dish depending on what we eat. If there’s extra chicken after our supper but it’s not really enough for another meal for us, Chappy gets it.
Now, I know, a lot of dog owners think that commercial dog food is the only way to feed your dog, and I’m not going to try to convince anyone differently. My personal feeling, though? Commercial, all-in-one dog foods might be “scientifically formulated to meet your dog’s needs” but to me, it’s like my eating nothing but, say, breakfast bars ALL the time. Maybe on paper that would meet all my nutritional needs, and it would certainly keep me breathing and nourished–more or less–but there’s no comparison between subsisting on prepackaged meals and eating actual FRESH food. This is something on which most nutritionists agree … for humans. But, why should it be any different for dogs? I prefer to know how fresh Chappy’s food is, and exactly what he’s eating. The only thing we have kibble in the house for is the occasional treat (like when we fill his Buster Cube). And the Sojourner Farms food? Both he and Katy THRIVE on the stuff.
We also talked about dog treats (which must have been so exciting for the non-dog owners of the group), and tuna came up. I said that tuna brownies were one of the best training treats I ever tried and that I’d never found a dog that turned his nose up to it, and promised the recipe.
Tuna Brownies
Preheat oven to 250F.Put 1 large can/bag of tuna into a mixing bowl.
Mix in 2 eggs (include the shells–crushed VERY finely–if you want more calcium).
Mix in 1 1/2 cup flour (can use white, whole wheat, oat or rice flour)
Add 1 T garlic powder or crushed garlic.
Blend well, and spread about 1/4 inch thick on a large, greased cookie sheet.
Bake about 25- 30 minutes, or until golden. Cut into tiny squares while still warm.
Store in airtight container or freeze.
Now, my experience with these is that, if you leave them out at room temperature too long, they get moldy, so I recommend storing them in the refrigerator if they’re going to be around for more than a day or two–but that, if your dog has anything to say about it, they’ll be gone much, much faster!
My other favorite dog training treat? Quick, cheap, easy, and apparently delectible–hot dog jerky. Take one hot dog and slice it lengthwise into quarters. Slice each quarter into tiny pieces–something like 50 slices. (It’s been a while, so I don’t remember the quantity.) Spread all the slices out on a paper towel so that they are in a single layer (this is important) and then microwave for about five minutes until all the moisture is gone and they’re crisp.
You end up with something about 200 treats for the cost of a hot dog. They’re not greasy for your fingers, they don’t go bad, and–even though hot dogs aren’t exactly nutritionally optimal–the quantity that your dog will eat in one training session is still small. And they’re small enough to be easily swallowed so that they make great rewards without interrupting the “flow” of the training session. Chappy and Katy both loved these and worked hard to get clicks for them.
Although, the hot dog treats never came close to outranking the Tuna Brownies. Personally, though, I still prefer my brownies to be chocolate!
Rabid
So, I’m mad today.
You may not know that the state of New Jersey requires that all dogs get their rabies vaccination every three years. It’s mandated by law and a requirement to your dog being licensed.
My town offers a free Rabies Shot Clinic every year, and every three years since he was one, Chappy and I have attended. I even blogged about it when we went three years ago.
I was just finishing up my late breakfast at 10:00 when a bell went off inside my head … it’s the first Saturday of November! Isn’t today the Rabies Clinic? I ran upstairs to the computer, did a quick Google search and … yep. Today. 8:00 – 10:30. But … 10:30? I can just make that! I grabbed Chappy’s leash and my purse, hopped in the car and zipped over to Morris Ave … only to find signs saying 8:00 to 10:00.
I’d missed it by 20 minutes.
Now, it’s possible that the Neighbor News accidentally posted the wrong time. And, of course, it’s not like I had time to dawdle, looking for other websites to verify the time, but the fact remains that, for the first time ever, I did not receive a reminder in the mail about the rabies clinic. If I had, I would have been there bright and early at 8:00, just like every other time I’ve attended.
As it is, now–also for the first time ever–I’m going to have to take Chappy to the vet for his rabies shot. Which means that, in these troubled economic times, I’m going to have to PAY for it. Pay for the shot. Pay for the visit. I’m guessing that’s going to cost me about $50-$100 for the vet’s time and the vaccine. My dog is worth it, certainly, but in this instance it’s an expense that I should not have.
And all this after subjecting my carsick-tending dog to a rushed drive across town, 5 minutes after he’d eaten his breakfast.
And yes, I sent my town an email complaint. How could they NOT send me a postcard? They have every other year!
Chappy’s day didn’t get any better an hour later when I packed up the car and headed for Jessica’s.
For a change, I didn’t bring my spinning wheel. I mean, really, with the stressful (and unnecessary) dash across town, I only remembered to bring a snack about 10 minutes before I left! (For the record, instead of home-baked goods as usual, my snack this time was a bag of Pirate Booty I grabbed from the pantry.)
Oh–here’s a hilarious Proof-Reading-Gone-Wrong story. So funny.
Books Read in October
Here’s my list of books read in October:
1. Mrs Hudson and the Spirit’s Curse by Martin Davies (310 p.)
2. Mrs. Hudson and the Malabar Rose by Martin Davies (328 p.) Two “Sherlock Holmes” mysteries told from the POV of the maid, assistant to Mrs. Hudson who, it turns out, is smarter than the famous detective.
3. Sway by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman (181 p.) How little things can sway decisions…. interesting.
4. Good Night, Mr. Holmes by Carole Nelson Douglas (408 p.)
5. Irene at Large (now known as Soul of Steel) by Carole Nelson Douglas (379 p.)
6. Irene’s Last Waltz (now known as Another Scandal in Bohemia) by Carole Nelson Douglas (480 p.)
7. Castle Rouge by Carole Nelson Douglas (456 p.)
8. Femme Fatale by Carole Nelson Douglas (426 p.)
9. Spider Dance by Carole Nelson Douglas (472 p.) From one set of Sherlock Holmes mysteries to another–longtime favorites of mine, this series follows Irene Adler, opera singer, and the only woman ever to outwit Sherlock Holmes. There are a few entries in the series that I like less than others. (Really, I can do without Jack the Ripper.) But, still, highly enjoyable series.
10. Strip and Knit by Mark Hordyszynski (95 p.) Knitting with strips of fabric. Review is here.
11. Knitter’s Guide to Combining Yarns by Kathleen and Nick Greco (104 p.)
12. Cables: Volume One by Janet Szabo (228 p.) Fantastic resource for knitting cables. Really great. Review of book is here.
13. Alterknits Felt by Leigh Radford (133 p.) Patterns for felted knits–clever, original. Review of book is here.
14. Continuous Cables by Melissa Leapman (189 p.) Some really nice cabled sweater patterns. Review of book is here.
15. Color Style by Pam Allen and Ann Budd (141 p.) Book of color sweater patterns. Very nice–one of the best in the “Style” series. Review of book is here.
16. Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman (282 p.) A really unique book about freelance writing–it covers a lot of stuff I haven’t seen anywhere else.
17. Angelica by Sharon Shinn (485 p.) From her “Samaria” series, this tells the story of Susannah, an Edori selected to become Angelica, during a time when Samaria is under mysterious attack. Love, love, love this series.
18. In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan (201 p.) A fascinating look at what and why we eat what we eat, and how important it is to get back to basics. I’m all for that!
19. It Itches: A Stash of Knitting Cartoons (111 p.) Adorable cartoons, very funny–even if you don’t knit. Review is here.
20. Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters (274 p.)
21. Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters (360 p.) Two books with Jacqueline Kirby as the main character–one that I really enjoy. She’s feisty and resourceful and darned entertaining. Here, she heads off to a Romance Writers convention and immerses herself in schlock, and then decides to write one herself. In the second book, she’s a best-selling author, angling to write the sequel to a longtime favorite book of hers, whose author disappeared mysteriously.
22. Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers (261 p.) Lord Peter Wimsey meets Harriet Vane–who’s on trial for her life for having killed her lover.
23. Boutique Knits by Laura Irwin A pattern book of stylish accessory patterns. Review is here.
24. Marion’s Wall by Jack Finney (136 p.) So, suppose you came across a lipstick-scrawled message from 1926 buried under layers of wallpaper? And that suddenly, you started seeing the long-deceased starlet herself … and she wanted to continue the career that was cut short?
25. Woodrow Wilson Dime by Jack Finney (115 p.) My least favorite from this book of 3 volumes, but I figured I’d give it a try again–still my least favorite. An alternate universe where our hero finds himself successful and married to an old flame rather than to his boring real life … but I still find him unlikeable. All he wants is what he doesn’t have, regardless of where he is, and he whines…
26. Night People by Jack Finney (167 p.) This short novel has one of my favorite endings of any book–just for the sheer creativity of it. Two couples start wandering around in the middle of the night, enjoying the “differentness” of the familiar world, but run afoul of a disgruntled policeman, and things go badly wrong…
27. The Lark and the Wren by Mercedes Lackey (488 p.) Fantasy book about a neglected girl who runs away to follow her dream of becoming a bard…
28. The Robin & the Kestrel (Bardic Voices, Book 2) by Mercedes Lackey (488 p.) Second “free bard” book–this time about stuttering Kestrel and gypsy Robin, investigating church abuses.
29. Knitting Art by Karen Searle (160 p.) An Art Book with knitting as a medium. Review is here.
30. Teach Yourself Visually Knitting Design by Sharon Turner (292 p.) Review is here.
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