OOOPS

Out Sick Again,  Seriously   seriously again and seriously ill ..........................Knit ON For ME! 

Eye Candy Friday ala Easter

Knit On!!!

Contemplative Thursday Musings

Remembering: All the reasons I am annoyed with THomas right now, first he snapped at me over being under the weather first thing yesterday morning, then he is very remiss about getting the mail from the stand alone set of boxes at the end of the hill by our apartment so they took it all back to the post office, and thirdly he told me he could pick it up Friday because he chose to take Friday off. Then this mornings' comment was I better call the doctor because he isn't putting up with me being sick like a few month's ago. So go to work and then you won't have too.


Blowing: my nose. And trying hard not to swallow because my throat is that SORE>


Reading: A cowboy cozy by RaeAnne Thayne book 5 in the Cold Water Creek Series


Celebrating:the arrival of our brand new water cooler from Poland Spring, hopefully no more lugging cases of water bottle for Tom or tons of empties!


Watching: Y & R and looking forward to the Dove Keepers


Listening: rain pelting the living room window


Knitting: Three different shawls, one with cables, one circular, one with a mesh body, a table runner (still) and thinking about some animals for my grandchildren


Planning: Easter dinner. Pot Roast at daughter's request, mashed potato, carrots, mushrooms onions and lemon meringue pie, maybe apple's foster too for my husband and son in law


Learning: to be grateful for what I have and to stop acting impulsively.


Wondering: When we will be able to go to Alabama to see Debb and if we can afford to go to the shore too, its been several years.


Seeking: Restock for my stash, wish I had a better on-hand supply of fingering weight solids for stuffies and other odds and ends.


Anything going on by you?




Knit On~

Wednesdays are for Knitting

Little back story----my family is part Irish---and it stands out, we all look Irish and so do my children. My mother's maiden name is Mulholland, it is a town in Ireland --just like my dad's name was Schweer and there is a town of said name in Germany.  My youngest Jeanne has truly embraced her Irish culture and has been to Ireland (lucky girl) twice, once when she graduated college and then on her honeymoon.  Turns out her Hubby is also of Irish descent. Where else would they go.  

A souvenir Jeannie came home with from the first trip was an Irish Aran Fisherman's cardigan ----so when Maisie was born last year the day before St. Patrick's Day I decided for her first birthday Grandma would knit her her own Fisherman's Cardigan BUT I hate cables.  I challenged myself to learn how to do them and how to love them.  I started with her Valentine's hat and the cabled heart.  Then in total secret I moved on to the cardigan, I did not even tell Tom because if I failed it would be my own failure, without solicitous feelings or lectures on you can do it.  I did do it, I achieved an entire cardigan in cables and bobbles.  I made an 18 month size I used a lovely Aran yarn and Maisie got to model it on Sunday. 

I am quite proud of my achievement, and am on my third large cable project of the year, 

KNIT ON! 

Ten favorite Cheeses

Ten on Tuesday's meme today is about 10 favorite cheeses.  Cheese and I have a love/ hate relationship, when I was a child I only liked America---and that I only like alone or in a grilled cheese sandwich.  I have never enjoyed cold cheese on a sandwich with two minor exceptions---I enjoy provolone on an Italian sub, and I like mozzerella on chicken or ham sandwiches with roasted red peppers.

I do love cheese now, but Tom is limited as to which he can eat, he can't eat aged cheese as it is very high in tyramine levels---which means increased prostrate growth and ER trips for a catheter, its easier to avoid cheese.

Some of our favorites have included:

1. Swiss---nutty and an absolute favorite snacking cheese
2. Wispride Spreadable Cheddar---I prefer it without the wine and do still snack on this a few times a week
3. Homemade ricotta  super easy to make and the best there is
4. Mozzarella---even though buffalo is the best even the plain old everyday solid block can taste pretty good
5. Romano/Parmesan   who could think of pasta without it.
6. Muenster--I have always enjoyed this especially over a burger
7. Ricotta Salata---just a great snacking cheese.
8. Cream Cheese----you can make it savory, you can make it sweet----how versatile can you get.
9. Cheddar---a staple I miss since its usually aged although we do sneak in some jack cheeses into our diet,they aren't aged as long
10. Feta---but only cold, I don't like it in cooked foods like omelets. But give me a Greek salad, or fish taco's and yummmmmmo!

A cheese I can't stand is Asiago----it just doesn't taste right to me, but Tom has always loved it and before we knew he shouldn't eat it he put it in everything well I finally had to speak up because I just wasn't enjoying anything he cooked.  For him it is goat cheese---which I enjoy a lot. He doesn't care for the tang!

And this ends  our tour through Cheeseville today.

Knit On!!!

Weekending

Yeah for us, we actually did something----Saturday was the usual bust, Tom had to work and I had to wait until the maintenance people cleaned up the snow before I could go anywhere----then I just came home and knitted the afternoon away---some Star Trek Next Generation in the evening and that was our Saturday, but Sunday---oh what a Sunday

We spent it with Maisie.   We were excited all the way there, couldn't stop smiling the whole time we were with her and are still smiling now. She is just incredible.  She can operate her mother's smart phone---looking for her song, she knows what the TV remote is for, she has ways of letting you know everything she wants.  IF she says mamama over and over it usually means she wants something, cheerios, picked up whatever, if she says dadada da over and over she is content things are status quo, if she says baby she means baby,  If she doesn't want something she shakes her head no vigorously and if she is done with whatever she shakes her arms up and down,  She waves hello and good bye, she can hold up one finger for one, she knows where her nose is, she does so big and she smacks the side of head and holds her hand there for OH MY GOODNESS,  Do I sound anything like a doting grandmother.  This kid has me gobsmacked.  

 In the sweater GIGI knit her

 in the 2nd bunny hat, still too big! 

KNIT ON~~

Eye Candy Friday----It is Spring and Easter is Coming!

I didn't post yesterday---sorry

I am dealing with a disappointing result in a current knitting project

More next week on that one

KNIT ON!!! 

Knits on Wednesday

 we have a couple of bunny nuggets! 

 we have Boo Knits Mustard Seed 

 and Clue One of Cha Feel by Helen Bingham

and I am  on the 2nd repeat of 5 of Chart 2  on The Noro Lace Circular Shawl which I am making in Queensland Llama Lace. 

I think it's time to start something else!!

KNIT ON !!

Ten on Tuesday

what would I do if I found a pot of gold!!! 

• Tom would retire, no more hearing how much he hates his job
• we would buy a small house nearer to the ocean so he could fish, and so we wouldn't have upstairs neighbors 
• we would pay off our debt and our children's school loans
• we would save someone who is in foreclosure from loosing their home, we went through this and it sucks and if we could spare someone we would
• I would go to the Mayo Clinic and get new hips, new knees, fix my hernia and so whatever else it takes to get around better. 
• then we would travel a bit, maybe Ireland, Scotland, and Holland
• I would buy Tom a fishing boat and all he needs to go with it.
• I would buy some quivit!
• Having lost too many family members to Cystic Fibrosis (65 roses) I would give them lots and lots of gold to help those who have to deal with it now. 

Tom brought me home daffodils last night, a ST. Pat's tradition for us, and a friend sent me an Alex and Ani Claddagh bracelet I have been coveting. I wound up spending most of yesterday (after a delightful brunch with Ria) in bed with the worst sinus headache ever, and still managed to go to bed at 9:30 and actually sleep. If Tom hadn't called at 4 o'clock to say he was coming home I might have slept right through,

We skyped with Miss Maisie who was very very excited to see us on the computer screen and was quite vocal, she truly knew it was her special day!  This is a year ago and this is today----she already is our pot of gold!!   KNIT ON! 

Happy First Birthday Maisie Ann

how is it even possible that Gigi's littlest angel is one already!!!

Hope your day is totally special Princess!!! 

KNIT ON! 

St. Patrick's Day Eye Candy Friday

KNIT ON!

THursday Thoughts

Noisy neighbor is home today---and right now she is laughing hysterically on the phone, sounds like she is right here in the room with me. 

I told you yesterday that I would talk about our visit with Maisie on Tuesday.  Visit #11 since she was born 51 weeks ago. 

Jeannie and Johnny like any first time parents are struggling with their jobs and raising an ever changing little girl.  Maisie was diagnosed at birth with hip displasia and has been in a brace basically all of her life.  She has learned to sit up, crawl, stand do all of things babies do despite this rigid hard plastic brace that swaddles her hips and upper legs. But recently it really inhibits her sleep, she will be out like a light, and want to turn over and the brace inhibits her, so sleeplessness has been ocurring, then coupled with the tummy bug she picked up at day care and cutting her upper teeth she has been miserable. 

To complicate matters even more--John was asked to go on his first business trip ever, oh he could turn it down but you know how that goes, they remember those things, so They decided he should go and he left Sunday afternoon.  Well Maisie isn't happy and now no one is happy.  Mama gets no sleep, everytime she lies her down she cries hysterically to the point of throwing up. Jeannie on occasion can work from home and she tried Monday but Maisie wasn't having it, after the second sleepless night she asked us Tuesday to come help (I know she did this because she knew her dad was home--with my mobility issues I am no help whatsoever.) So we flew up to Poughkeepsie.  Tom carried Maisie around everywhere (she adores him) they laughed and played, Jeannie got some of her work done, and a nap, while we kept the little manipulator busy.  She is too smart and knows what she wants and when she wants it. But we love her to pieces.And before we left Jeannie found Maisie had cut an upper tooth through, that makes 3 total.   Around 5:30 one of her friends came over to keep her company so we headed home. For the first time ever she cried when we left and came crawling over to me at record breaking speed shaking her head no----to much seperation anxiety in her little life,   

Yesterday she got Maisie up--took her to day care and went to the doctors herself, Jeannie has a middle ear infection, and then she went to work.  Sure enough around 2 she gets a call Maisie threw up you have to come get her---it takes 45 minutes to get there. So another afternoon and evening of restlessness, and unhappiness. John is due home tomorrow, I am hoping Maisie is going through a growth spurt and her regular routines return as soon as her life settles down.  98% of the time she is happy and infectious but when she gets crabby watch out. 

And we were in such a hurry to get there I grabbed the knitting I never even touched and forgot the camera. 

KNIT ON!!!

knitting belongs to wednesday

and sprinkled through many other posts too, but I finally got off my lazy patoot and took some pictures of the things I have been making--the super secret one will be unveiled in 2 weeks. 

 Maisie's st pat's hat

 the Final Straw

 Charity Hats above and below 

Pradera Wrap, one of my faves of the new year. 

On the needles now is the Noro lace Circular Shawl, I am almost done with the first repeat of Chart 2 ---I think there are 4 on an increasingly huge number of stitches.

Also the last 5 rows of Mustard Seed should get done today.  I was hoping to finish it last night but my Granddaughter needed Pops and Gigi to come play with her yesterday so we ran!!!

I started Cha Feel, but haven't gone further then the first cable, I just have too many irons in the fire and I love to switch out my knitting

Yesterday on the way to Poughkeepsie I resurrected the table runner I started in January, I will have to find time for that too! 

More tomorrow about Maisie and other things happening here in my world

KNIT ON!!! 

Weekending

It seems silly to keep using this topic on Monday's since we never do anything different.  For most folks weekending starts on Friday Night, in our case that meant Domino's pizza---Thomas had not worked all week until Friday and he was hurting big time so had no desire to cook. That is fine, once in a blue moon pizza from there is doable and inexpensive.  He can only eat white pizza and he likes theirs, I like sausage but had onions and real tomato sauce on my little one.  It left me with two slices for lunch on Saturday

Saturday he worked again, again no problem, I had moved the living room furniture around on Friday so all the junk had gotten thrown in the bedroom, I tackled that on Saturday---unfortunately in the process I fell and hurt my already bad knee once again and my abdominal muscles went into one of those super deep cramps I get. That wasn't pleasant but I sat and relaxed in the afternoon, started the Noro Lace Circular Shawl in Queensland Llama Lace and in the evening after a turkey sandwich and some chips started a Mystery Shawl by Helen Bingham called Cha Feel. This is from stashed Elann Devon yarn and involves more cables. 2015 seems to be turning out to be the year of the cable. Noisy neighbor was very quiet this weekend and we truly relished in it. 

Sunday we were up and at it fairly early even with the time change, we did go to Westside for breakfast and lingered there for a while.  When we got home I settled in for a nice day of tea drinking, knitting, sitting out in the sun and eventually watching Dustin Johnson win the Cadillac/Trump-Doral golf tournament.  Tom made beef stock from marrow bones and veal bones and then using that made the absolute best pot roast, onions and carrots I ever had.  Growing up we both always had pot roast with potato in it, but I wanted that crazy good gravy over mashed potato and tonight we will be having hot open faced sandwiches. I am drooling already, when he feels like cooking that man shines. 
But this is what I was left with:

I am on a bit of a personal journey at the moment, who knows how long it will last. I read something recently that really stuck with me---Depression  is about living in the past, Anxiety is about living in the future and Contentment is about living in the day.   I am so guilty of the first two and a total failure at the last but I am going to try. I am also making some small dietary changes and I have to stop procrastinating about the doctor---our medicaid comes up for renewal soon and there is no guarantee we will get it again, so I have about 7 weeks to get things done or started or what have you and this includes the doctor, a surgeon, an osteo arthritis MD, a dentist and an eye doctor---now to just pick up the Da** phone. 

That is the end of my rant today---except maybe to say that sometimes when I read about the exciting weekends others have I do get a little jealous, but I guess we all have to learn to accept our limitations. 

KNIT ON! 

another pre St Pat's Day Friday

KNIT ON!!!

thursday doings

Watching ...NJ12 news  it is on a loop so it gets crazy---I would prefer silence but tom is home because of the snow

Reading ...Rae Anne thayne's Cold Creek Series, on book 2 of many,,,,,

Knitting ...same old same old, maybe I will break down and cast on something new 

Dreading ....Tom's lack of a paycheck this week---but this too shall pass

Listening to... plows working on the driveway

Thinking about ...how I have to start the taxes soon.

Celebrating ...Maisie will be one on the 16th and Tom and I met 45 years ago on the 20th.

Planning ...knitting projects

Itching to ..take a warm weather destination vacation

Drinking ...a lovely cup of Earl Grey and a glass of cold water.

Needing to ...make a doctor appointment 

Organizing ...absolutely nothing---the move has helped keep things in check for now.

Inspired by ...my daily visits to Ravelry just to see what others are knitting. 

Delighted by ...Tom's ability to cook wonderful meals even if he does not always enjoy what he makes. 

KNIT ON! 

WORKS IN PROGRESS WEDNESDAY

And knitting has been going on, I am still working on The Final Straw and I started Boo Knit's Mustard seed.  I must admit that earlier in the week the yarn I am using for Boo's was being knit into a shawl called Sandalo but it kept nagging me that it wanted to be Mustard Seed.   this is a direct quote from Monday's post.  Nothing has changed, a little further on both, a quick st. pat hat made for Maisie but nothing stellar accomplished. 

having Tom home 5 of the last 6 days throws off my entire schedule, add snow, ice, his head cold, his bad mood, his aches and pains and I tend to nap (escape_) more then knit. 

I did take him to a new to us place for breakfast this morning===the Potbelly that I went to with Ria last week and he LOVED the omelot he had, said it was the best he has had in years.  This bodes well, then we came home and he left to do laundry===once again the bad mood returned. 

Well while it is generally quiet I will knit---maybe some tea too, just to feel a bit normal!

KNIT ON! 

10 Fictional Characters I would Invite to Dinner

It probably will not surprise you but most of my characters will be from Knitting Fiction that I am sorely addicted too.

1. Pat Canady and her daughter Molly  from Hope Ramsay's Last Chance Knit  & Stitch
2. Nell from Sally Goldenbaums Seaside Knitters Series
3. Kelly from Maggie Sefton's Knitting Series
4. Chloe Hobbs from Barbara Bretton's Sugar Maple Series
5. Maggie from Anne Canadeo's Black Sheep Mysteries
6. Lydia from the Blossom Street Series by Debbie Macomber and to add a wee bit of diversity to the table
7. Skye O'Malley---the lady pirate of Bertrice Small's O'Malley Series
8. Olivia Wallace in the Sheila Robert's Icicle Falls Series
9. Molly Pink from Betty Hechtman Crocheting Series about the Tarzana Hookers
10. Queen Elizabeth the First also from Bertrice Small's O Malley Series

Would you like to come too?

KNIT ON!

and Ria---you can take the girl out of Jersey but you can't take Jersey out of the girl ask my two and your one transplanted daughters!

Weekending

I truly wish I had something exciting to tell, something that yells, this is why I read Grace's blog but alas it is same old same old.  Tom had been home Friday---we are facing a time of slow down again---15,000 different reasons, no one is in the stores buying, bad weather in the south stops production and shipping, on and on. So not only Friday but today tomorrow and Wednesday, he is suffering from a really nasty head cold so it maybe a good thing.  Saturday he had worked and I was left with the task of amusing myself on a day without soap stories.  I broke down and watched Frozen---I smiled from beginning to end, I love it and it was based on my favorite of my Lenox Legendary Princess' the SNOW QUEEN, this had escaped me prior to watching it. Thomas made his excellent fish tacos for dinner that night. 

Our usual Sunday of Golf was very messed up because of all the rain at the Honda Classic in Florida but we watched some and other inane programs.  We had been up late Saturday night dealing with the noisy neighbor and up early again for the same reason. This week is rent week so a nicely, strongly worded letter will be included reminding the management of the clause that says the upstairs apartments MUST be carpeted before the rentee moves in, which this one has obviously not done. Culinary delights for Sunday involved spaghetti and meatballs for me (he can't eat tomato any longer) and a calzone for him, that he made himself.  Of course with this cold he hasn't been able to taste a thing. 

And knitting has been going on, I am still working on The Final Straw and I started Boo Knit's Mustard seed.  I must admit that earlier in the week the yarn I am using for Boo's was being knit into a shawl called Sandalo but it kept nagging me that it wanted to be Mustard Seed. Tom keeps asking me when I am going to start the big Noro circle, soon Tom very soon. 

this is knit by Chrissieknits.wordpress.com

So our weekend ended not much differently then any other, we are okay right now as  long as this work shortage stays temporary but if it goes on too long the problems of a year and two ago will return. I pray that does not happen. 

I  miss my children and grandchildren and sometimes we wonder why we stay in New Jersey, but it is all we know. 

Knit on!!!