wip wednesday.

...christmas knitting has (finally??!!) begun in earnest.

raveled here

tuesday unwrapped.

...I first read about tuesday unwrapped yesterday on emily's blog. and her simple suggestion to

share a moment that may have otherwise disappeared... Instead, stop. Notice. And be thankful.

spoke to me. and I thought about joining in, but it wasn't until this morning when I finally got back on my normal dark-early alarm schedule that I figured out my topic. so no, this isn't a post I triggered for today. it's what struck me as I was pouring my second cup of coffee and it was only 6:30 a.m.

I had 45 whole minutes to spend with my journal. I came to my journaling habit just five years ago (a few months before I started this blog - yes, you could say I'm trying to make up for much lost time by having an extremely well-documented second half of my life!) and it's one I love.

but this month, my journal suffered my push for daily blogging (an unsuccessful push at that since I missed  last friday - you probably didn't even notice did you? I didn't either, until saturday!) I was pushing the daily blogging to see if I could...and to see how it impacted my blogging. back to my focus battle from september, I wondered if posting more often would make my blog better. more on that later...

because what hit me full-on this morning was how much I missed the time with my journal. blank pages I can fill with whatever I want. free to cut and paste (with scissors and glue, not the cmd key on my keyboard). or write. or dream. or reflect. in a way I do not do here on my blog.

clearly this is another balance issue. I love having this blog. having a place to share and connect with others is important to me. but so is having a personal and private place to do my own thing.

so this morning, I stopped. noticed. and was thankful. for the time I had to write in my journal. for the time to work through yet another balance issue (and this evening, for the time to write about it here!)

looking forward to linking up with emily today and for the next few weeks.

currents.

listening - pandora's christmas station.

eating - thanksgiving leftovers; we didn't cook as much as we usually do, and sara took a shopping bag full back to school...but it still seems like we'll be eating this for another week.

drinking - pomegranate tea (from vanessa, for my birthday...love it!)

wearing - my uggs. first time this season. not sure how I feel about that!

reading - extremely loud and incredibly close...on my new kindle (woo hoo - thank you katie & sara!); the movie comes out christmas day and because I loved the book when I first read it, I felt I needed to re-read to be ready for the movie.

weather - the temperature dropped from the 60's to the low 40's today...and snow is forecast for tomorrow. yikes!

knitting - the collar on my vodka gimlet (aka "grey goose") - finally, the end is in sight. I started this sweater when it was summer and now it's going to snow!

wanting - to prep the pages for my december daily album (wow, this will be my 5th year of a daily journal!), but my scrapbook.com order hasn't arrived yet.

needing - to update my to-do list for everything I need to get done in the next three weeks.

enjoying - my house decorated for christmas. new this year is a little tree (seen in the background above) for my collection of bird ornaments.

looking forward - to both girls coming home on december 16th.

wondering - if my christmas knitting will really go better this year...I've planned, and I've tried to be realistic, but really, who knows??!!

sunday in the park.

...holly treed a squirrel.

(actually, she treed about four, but it was no fun taking photos after than first one!)

celebrating 50 years.

...together. their anniversary isn't til next month, but we celebrated yesterday. getting our three families and six grandchildren together isn't easy so we celebrate when we can (and technically we didn't manage six, since katie's spending the holiday in LA, but we did see her on facetime and I know my dad took a photo of her!)

the food was plentiful and delicious. two kinds of lasagna, caesar salad, garlic bread, tiramisu and gingerbread cake (no turkey or pumpkin pies in sight!)

 and there were decorations. little 50's and hearts spread on the tables and golden 50's streamers.

and smiles.

my mom and dad

and a group shot.


and a photo book, which I apparently forgot to photograph... oh well.

...it was a lovely party, I'm so glad we were able to get together to celebrate. happy anniversary (a few weeks early)!

real reason.

"There are things you do because they feel right & they may make no sense & they may make no money & it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other & to eat each other's cooking & say it was good."

~ storypeople

three kinds of cranberries, the macy's parade on dvr, 3 laps in the park, I'll make the turkey if you'll make the sides. making thanksgiving with you, sara, is the highlight of my holiday! xxoo - m.

wednesday lunch.

me, my dad, my mom and karen

...part 2 of the thanksgiving lunch-along tradition. and the 4th (yes, I typed that right - fourth!) lunch I've shared with my parents over the past week. today's tradition started as wednesday golf followed by the family "everything but turkey" buffet at the club about 15 years ago. marc is the only one still playing golf and we no longer belong to that club...but I've held tight to the tradition of spending this day before thanksgiving with my parents.

we still finish up my holiday grocery shopping at harry's (now whole foods). and a few years ago we added a visit to barnes & noble so he could shop for a birthday book.

I don't remember when we started having lunch at the village tavern - must have been a few years ago, because katie remembers those lunches. "aw, you're going to have crab dip?" yes indeed. their maryland crab dip is a highlight. and last year they started half price wine by the glass. this is definitely a tradition we're keeping!

10 things for which I'm thankful.

...limiting this list to 10 things is hard. but this morning, these are the ones that are top of mind.

me, my dad and my mom at macaroni grill...after lunch and before shopping (see #8)

1. a family who loves me. unconditionally.

2. my health. as I walked dark early with vanessa, and then again with holly, I am especially grateful I actually enjoy those daily walks.

3. I'm surrounded by friends, in person and on-line. we make each other laugh, and cry. we listen. we share. we play. we are there for each other.

4. sara's coming home tomorrow.

5. skype with katie. we have her first knitting lesson scheduled for tonight and I expect to share a champagne toast with her on thursday.

6. holly. she is the best four-legged company I could ask for. (and some days, she's the best company period :-)

7. we have plenty. our holiday challenge is one of "too much", not "too little".

8. holiday traditions. the photo above was taken at lunch yesterday. for about ten years, my parents have been coming to see us for thanksgiving (my sister, my brother and I all live within about 20 miles of each other; my parents stay with my sister and the rest of us take turns entertaining them). lunch and shopping is our monday tradition. (and our wednesday tradition.... that might be tomorrow's blog post!)

9. time to do the things I love. knit. study. take photographs. blog.

10. my knitting students. they are fun and inspiring and when a lightbulb goes off for them, it's just the best! I can't imagine anything else I'd rather get paid to do than teach them!

thank you, carole, for another wonderful prompt!

he gets it.

...this message was waiting for me when I got home from knitting yesterday (a few hours later than usual because the girls made a wonderful birthday party for me!)

so this is what he'll see when he comes home tonight.

sunday in the park.

...it was quiet enough to hear the water tumbling over the rocks. and reflect on my thoughts. as we walked two laps in the damp morning mist.

I love you because.

...so, today is my anniversary. 28 years if you're counting (and of course, I'm counting!) marc is still impossible to shop for. and I spent all my creative energy on last year's photo. truly, I had nothing new to offer.

until kal published her love you because kit. thank you, kal!

this is perfect. I downloaded everything, resized the dry-erase pdf file to 8x10 (I had to crop it a bit, but it turned out fine), printed it (at costco), put it into a frame (from target), added a message...and whew! done!

I wasn't sure what my first message was going to be until late yesterday - when marc texted that he had landed in las vegas and would be home very early this morning. nearly 24 hours ahead of schedule.

this is the actual framed print, sitting on the kitchen counter. I used an 11x14 frame with an 8x10 mat. decided the whitespace around the print would be good for writing, too!

I'm including four dry-erase pens with the gift. planning to have the framed print sit on our kitchen counter so we remember to leave each other messages like this one. reminding each other about all the things we love...big, little, everyday things...that make a marriage...and make a marriage last.

... and just for fun, another photo from the archives. this one from our wedding. november 19, 1983 seems like a very long time ago!

love you, marc. only you.

the birthday.

...first, many thanks to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes and support for my fifty for 50. I'm excited about it and I think it should be great fun to share all about it here.

so yesterday was my 49th birthday. and the first one ever that I spent without a family at home to steer my direction for the day. I thought it was going to be weird or sad, but it was actually pretty great. yep, I'm 49 years old and I'm finally learning how to live on my own (not that I do, or want to permanently, but every now and then - as long as I have holly! - I love it!)

I started the day with a walk with vanessa (and holly) in the park. two laps. we hadn't done that since august and it was delightful to feel the crisp air, see the season and catch up.

my parents are visiting for thanksgiving and they took me (and holly) to lunch at nine in roswell. we had a great meal on the porch (highly recommend the grilled pimento cheese!) and then a photo. I've written about how special it is to spend birthdays with my mom and dad. we think the last time we shared my birthday was when I turned 21. two days before my wedding. wow!

polly, mary & holly, roy

lunch was wonderful and then it was off to martha's for cupcakes and coffee.


next a quick stop at the shop for some knitting (finally!) and more coffee. and finally home. I got holly settled (one quick walk, she inhaled her dinner and then zonked on her bed - whew! birthdays are hard work!) and started my birthday for one. gifts, cards, chocolate cake, red wine and a candle. that's all it takes!


... then I talked to sara. and made a wish and cut the cake. and had an extra bite (that's what having my own cake is all about, right?)


... then I skyped with katie. (and ate the cake and drank the wine). enjoyed all the cards and the emails and the facebook and text messages. and went to bed.

tired. happy. loved. blessed. grateful.

thank you all so much!

fifty for 50.

...today marks the beginning of my 50th year. (not to confuse, and not to embarrass my parents who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary next month :-), my 50th birthday isn't til 2012 - this is my 50th year. and being one who loves to-do lists, I decided to make a big one for this year.

things to accomplish once and done.
1. grow my hair to wear a pony tail.
2. knit through my WIP's.
3. read mansfield park (and then I've read all of jane austen's novels).
4. make pesto with my own homegrown basil.
5. knit ten projects from my stash.
6. finish the superhero photo treasure hunts.
7. clean out the guest room.
8. finish the poppies needlepoint canvas (that I started months ago).
9. sort through the books on my bookshelves and donate the ones I no longer need.
10. organize all the pre-2003 photos.

things to set me on a good course for the next fifty years.
1. take a photo a day.
2. have a physical.
3. and a mammogram.
4. and an eye exam.
5. schedule a colonoscopy.
6. start a strength training routine.
7. keep walking 15 miles a week.
8. and 12 new (to me) healthy recipes.
9. get a manicure (and keep it up).
10. participate in one little word for 2012.

things to do because they're good.
1. celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary.
2. and my dad's 75th birthday.
3. and sara's 21's birthday.
4. (with karen) raise another $2,500 for the atlanta 2-day walk (and walk for the 6th time).
5. knit 12 hats for charity.
6. revitalize the church's prayer shawl group.
7. practice 50 random acts of kindness.
8. investigate volunteering at a senior center with holly.

or because I'll learn something.
1. teach katie to knit.
2. bake bread with sara.
3. make a photobook.
4. knit fair isle with two hands.
5. read power of a praying woman.
6. read mere christianity.
7. figure out "what's twitter?"
8. identify 12 trees at the park.
9. learn three new needlepoint stitches.
10. master oatmeal cookies.
11. take a monthly self portrait photo.
11. take a class.
13. try yoga.

or because they're fun.

1. re-read all seven harry potter books.

2. bake 12 new (to me) quick breads.

3. host a card-making party.
4. complete four more needlepoint projects.
5. celebrate my 1,000th blog post.

or just because I want to.
1. get four regular students in my saturday afternoon lace class.
2. take a trip to visit a friend.

then 49. document my progress and 50. plan a celebration for next year's birthday!

thank you in advance to everyone who will play a part in helping me accomplish all of this, including everyone who cheers from the sidelines!!

here's to a wonderful year!

come full circle.

10 ways to use fresh cranberries.

...I'm a huge fan of cranberries, especially fresh ones and especially for cooking, so carole's topic for today will be fun!

my favorite two ways to use fresh cranberries - cranberry relish and cranberry conserve (recipes blogged here)

1 & 2. cranberry relish and cranberry conserve (pictured) are stars at our thanksgiving table.

3. warmed cranberry brie (leftover conserve used in place of whole berry sauce) is my standard hors d'oeuvre for the holidays.

4. cranberry oatmeal bread. I made this for bible study last week and it was delicious, especially served with pumpkin cream cheese (I used this recipe, but substituted leftover roasted butternut squash for the pumpkin - highly recommend!)....and an added bonus - there's a second loaf in my freezer!

5. ina's cranberry harvest muffins. it's worth getting the figs, but I substitute pecans or walnuts for the hazlenuts.

6. sugared cranberries. a special treat for the season. as pretty to look at as to eat!

7. in crystal dishes to decorate the mantel.

8. with white votives in a shallow bowl for a pretty centerpiece.

9. strung (with white popcorn?!) and hung on the tree.

10. eaten plain. they're really tart, so I can only eat a couple at a time (and yes, I know this is weird - marc and sara both gave me a hard time about snacking straight from the bowl), but they're crunchy and deliver that wonderful cranberry taste without anything extra.

more (early) signs of the season.

...two of my favorites are out today!

I admit I tried the holly station for a few songs, but I held off on the biscotti. isn't that new packaging cute?!

sunday in the park.

...I was again reminded how grateful I am to all who serve this country to ensure my freedom. I send my heartfelt gratitude to them and their loved ones for all they've sacrificed. thank you!

knitting memories.

...my profile on ravelry says I've been knitting for about 35 years. as best I can remember, my grandma (on my mother's side) taught me to knit when I was 13. I don't remember my first project, but I'm pretty sure one of the early ones was an earwarmer for my dad (we lived in wyoming and it was around 1975 - earwarmers were cool). I remember telling him not to look at what I was doing...and him telling me the only reason he was looking was because I'd told him not to.

I don't remember much more knitting til I was in college. marc's mom is a knitter and his sisters were catching on then. I remember trips to yarn stores in new haven (so much yarn!) and sharing patterns and project ideas. I tell people that I really became a knitter then. about 30 years ago.

but honestly, a lot of the years between then and say late 2007 (when I joined ravelry and started to record my knitting projects)... it was a blur. I remember buying yarn and knitting certain projects. but not much else.

so it was a great surprise when I was going through the photos to find that great shot of sara's first birthday to find this one. from thanksgiving 1984.

(back) steve, my dad, karen; (front) marc, my mom, me

marc and karen are both wearing sweaters I knit. and I think karen's is the first project I knit with yarn from cast-on cottage (different owner, much different store back then!).

and then this past week when I was dusting, I noticed the knitting in this photo collage (made by marc in 1992).

let me show you a few of those photos up close

(fun photo from georgia tech's famous 1991 season closing game on the left) and on the right, a pregnant me (circa 1986) knitting a blanket for soon-to-be-born katie

knitting on the couch and wearing a sweater I'd made - not sure the year

circa 1983/4 - I knit the sweater I'm wearing. no published pattern, but the woman who owned my LYS wrote me directions. (I'm curious who took the photo, because this was just after we were married and it was just the two of us living in the condo!)

...now if I can just piece together what happened from then to 2007 - just 15 years! - I'll be set!

birthday dinner part 2.

...it's hard to believe it was just a week ago that sara was home for her birthday and we made that delicious dinner. it's also hard to believe I still don't have a photo of sara wearing the scarf I knit her, but that's a different story :-) tonight it was about delivering the two gifts that didn't arrive on time (free shipping is great...you get what you pay for - but as long as it gives me an excuse to see her, I'm not complaining!)...and pizza.

yes pizza. at varasano's. thin crust (famous crust) and delicious.

of course I started with wine. that crios de susana balbo malbec. it was good. and just what I needed after the 90 minute drive downtown (yikes! even on a holiday, friday traffic was awful).

we shared the antipasta and caesar salad to start.

and then had two pizzas. this is the nana's house special. sara liked it best.

the photo of the fontina mushroom didn't turn out. but that pizza was my favorite (and I'm looking forward to the leftovers I now have in my refrigerator).

sadly, the dessert menu didn't excite and the coffee was a bit blah.

but we got a good photo before we left.

and I got to see a few more smiles when sara opened her gifts.

extended birthdays are good!

cooking light.

...I've tried to make eating healthy a way of life, but honestly, my cooking isn't always in line with that goal. lately it seems to be a lot of baking - a mix of "healthy" and "yummmm, that's delicious" (and it should be because there's a LOT of butter in it!)

really, it seems like it's a lot easier not to cook. I can just cut up vegetables or make a salad or a wrap. but when the weather turns chilly like it has this week, I feel the urge to cook - to turn on the stove and the oven, to stir, to smell cooking, and to eat something hot. sara's birthday dinner was a great segue into fall cooking...and last night I transformed the leftovers into real food.

yes, I cooked!

the chicken became chicken broccoli casserole.

I used this recipe, except*

the butternut squash became a salad.

I used this recipe for the dressing, but omitted the shallots

I tossed the (leftover) roasted squash with toasted walnuts and served alongside mixed baby greens, tossed with the dressing and just a few tablespoons of grated parmesan (no cranberries!)

and marc and I sat at the table - with a glass of pinot noir that the wine lady at whole foods said was delicious (and she was right!) - and ate. and talked. it was wonderful.

that's my plate in front...with the bread :-)

I said it to marc last night, but I want to say it again to all of you who will hold me accountable! - it wasn't hard and I need to do it more often!

*here's what I changed for the casserole:
1. steamed three heads of broccoli in the microwave and then chopped very coarsely;
2. added a scant 1/2 c low-fat mayonnaise plus a scant 1/2 c fat-free greek yogurt (less mayonnaise and greek yogurt substituted for the sour cream);
3. omitted the worcestershire sauce (because I forgot it!);
4. 1/2 c grated parmesan, all added to the casserole (none on top); and
5. added more pepper, more salt and about another 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the dish before I baked it. (I wonder if this would've been necessary if I would've remembered to add the worcestershire?)

a colorful canopy.

10 ways to beat a cold.

...this one is especially timely around here. marc, sara and I have all been bitten by the cold bug this season. and technically carole's topic is how to care for yourself when you have a cold, but I think taking good care helps you beat it, so here goes:

1. hot tea. I am a confirmed coffee drinker. the first sign I'm not feeling well is that I don't like to even think about coffee. hot tea, however, is soothing and hydrating. something with chai is especially nice with a bit of milk. (and my special M mug always makes me smile!)

2. juice, water (and more tea). I heard recently that drinking lots of fluids helps to flush out the germs. that might be true because the extra liquids do make me feel better.

3. zinc and vitamin C lozenges. start sucking these at the first itty bitty sign of a cold or sore throat. they might even keep you from getting sick.

4. chicken soup. more liquid, and this one with some protein and flavor and proven benefits for fighting a cold. 

5. rest. early to bed, no alarm and a few naps during the day. (I guess it goes without saying you should stay home when you're sick!)

6. workout. this one's tricky, but sometimes working up a sweat helps me feel more like my (well) self.

7. cozy up with a book and a blanket.

8. tissues with lotion. lots of boxes!

9. sweatpants, sweatshirt and slippers.

10. and then, a long hot shower and real clothes. spending too much time in my sweats starts to make me feel worse!

my new view.

click the photo to see notes in flickr

...I've been a fan of shanna murray's decals for ages, so I was thrilled to get one on my stocking last christmas. I'd planned to put it on this wall behind my desk to frame an inspiration board. but when I got serious about putting it up (say april?) marc started talking about installing something above the granite countertops ... and I got worried about committing my precious decal to a wall that might not be a commitment.

so I thought about less permanent solutions. a blackboard came first, but I couldn't find a frame to match the decor (I even tried paint, but that was a mess!) and then I figured out the frame idea. it took a few more months for a 50% off framing coupon (and for me to get the nerve to do it!). finally last month, I did. I took a few deep breaths and adhered the decal to a huge piece of brown paper. (kudos to shanna - it was easy!). then I took that paper to dick blick and had it framed.  a few weeks later... my inspiration "board".

I'm using magic tape right now to adhere the various pieces of paper. but I think it would be cool to get masking tape - in colors (or stripes??!) like the japanese washi tape.

but most of all, I'm glad to finally have reminders of what's important right now right in front of me!

sunday in the park.

...I saw a few pretty bits of red still hanging on to their branches.

the birthday dinner.

...there are many great things about sara going to georgia tech, but when it's her birthday, the best thing is that she's just 45 minutes away and can come home for dinner (and stay the weekend because tech has a bye this week!)

she loves to cook and I love to cook with her - so we enjoyed fixing dinner together. I bought the chicken at costco (seriously, I know ina has a tried-and-true recipe, but this one is way easier, and less expensive - and delicious!) and we added salad with roasted cherry tomatoes and a red wine vinaigrette, roasted brussels sprouts and butternut squash macaroni and cheese (I'd been wanting to try this myself since sara posted the recipe a few weeks ago...but a big pan of mac and cheese is too much for me to eat by myself!)

the table does look much more inviting covered with food than with yarn and knitting!

we joked about this being good practice for the thanksgiving meal we'll be preparing in a few weeks. again, for just three. it's kind of hard to cook a really good meal for just three people. so it's a good thing we all like leftovers!

sara didn't request anything special for dessert, and while I suspect she was secretly hoping for cheesecake, I decided to recreate our favorite bistro vg dessert. by ordering three browned butter tarts from the bakery that makes their desserts. I requested three different flavors, one with figs if possible.

and oh my, they did not disappoint.

fig, cranberry and blackberry browned butter tarts

make a wish!

and enjoy....happy birthday, dear sara, happy birthday to you!!!

couldn't resist the close-up shot - and yes, it tastes just as good as it looks!

happy birthday sara!

...happy birthday sara! love this photo of you and that huge smile - you were a happy baby who grew into a fun little girl who grew up to be beautiful woman. I hope today brings you plenty to smile about...birthday wishes, shared laughter with your friends, cake, and maybe even a bit of sunshine.

love you! xxoo - m.

p.s. yes, I knit that sweater!

another bout of startitis.

...my last bout of (documented? :-) startitis was at the end of august. followed two weeks later by a commitment to stop setting unrealistic knitting goals. followed two weeks later by a set of what I thought would be reasonable goals for the month of october. the good news is that I think I did well by those goals. I met all of them except starting katie's birthday sweater. But that's because she won't be home for thanksgiving after all and my first try-on opportunity will be december 16. (YAY! and believe me, I'll be ready by then!)

I even managed to squeeze in a totally unplanned hat, the beginning of a new lace shawl and finishing the body on my grey goose.

so I started four projects this week. and purchased yarn for two more.

and I was feeling good about it all except that marc finally complained about my knitting taking over another room of the house. an important one. especially with sara coming home for a birthday dinner tomorrow.

yes, from any angle it's a mess! and even I knew it was bad when I couldn't find the remote for the tv this morning. I am happy to say that I've since organized that mess and moved it to the counter so the table is cleared for eating. and tomorrow I'll get the extra yarn and stack of patterns and my needles moved back to my yarn room. [I haven't figured out a good way to keep six in-process projects neatly in sight while I work on them. as a start, I ordered another project basket. maybe I can keep the traveling projects in one and the at home projects in another? welcome better ideas!]

so those four new projects? here they are!

raveled here

the rocky coast cardigan from coastal knits. I was impressed I managed to hold off starting this one til I finished those october projects. swatching doesn't count! last night I finished the raglan increases, tried it on and had my sister take a picture. today I've worked a few inches of the body. love working a sweater on size 10-1/2 needles for a change!

raveled here

gyllis, the latest release from stephen west (happily not colorwork meaning only a few ends to weave in!). I love lace in worsted weight and the shape of this shawl won me over the first day I saw it. the pattern was only available as a kit through an LA-based yarn store til november 1. I admit I stalked the pattern page for about seven hours on tuesday til it was released. I'm using a llama/mulberry silk blend in a gorgeous holiday red to knit this. a shawl on size 8's goes quickly too!

this is the next pattern I'm suggesting for my saturday shawl class, so I need to finish it this month for sure.

raveled here

leg warmers in a pretty gray alpaca. katie found a photo of these on pinterest and made me feel like a rockstar when I said I could knit them for her. I started these on monday and it felt good to be knitting 1x1 ribbing in the round on size 2 needles. reminded me of my 2011 sock obsession I guess. but now I'm looking forward to starting the lace (just a few more rounds of ribbing to go).

raveled here

and finally, the biggest project. a jared flood pattern (umaro) knit in rowan big wool. 14 balls. like I said, it's "big". thank goodness for size 15 needles!

...and while I'm still running high on startitis, it seems like the best time to document what I plan to accomplish for november:

finish grey goose (another 500? yds)
finish rocky coast (another 750? yds)
finish gyllis (500 yds)
start katie's vitamin d (tbd)
start catkin (tbd)
knit a hat for charity (200 yds)
~2,000 yds...should be a challenge, but doable if I stay focused!