Moving backwards

I've done a lot of reading this summer. So many books, in fact, that I'm having a hard time remembering them all. So I'll begin with the most recent - that my brain can handle.

A new author to me is Maeve Binchy. She's written many books and fortunately, the library has most of them. So it may be a Binchy binge for the next while. "Quentins" was a delightful read - a look into the lives of a number of interesting people, the morals of some being questionable. But for the most part, the consequences of poor decisions come through loud and clear. It's written in the tone of the Jan Karon/Father Tim novels (which I love, by the way). Set in Ireland, this story made me want to visit that country even more.

Another "Hats for the Homeless" project down - 6 to go. (I may have to revise that New Year's goal - too many other "must knits" seem to come along). Again, I used Paton's Classic Merino Wool. I can get it for a really good price at Michaels with a 40 or 50% off coupon. Wool is lovely to work with and warm for winter. The basics of the Classic WWII watchcap pattern have been memorized, so the stitch pattern is the only thing that has to be concentrated on.

Smooth, creamy goodness

My latest nutrition find is kefir. My husband calls it rotten milk. The kids won't go near it. But I can't get enough of it. The store-bought kefir is OK. What I make myself is so much better. And it's one of the easiest traditional foods you can make. Truth be told, getting back to eating traditionally is a lot of work. Making everything from scratch takes time. But to make kefir you merely stir some culture into the milk, sit it on the counter for 12-24 hours (or longer) and you get a smooth, sour drink that doesn't taste anything like sour milk. I promise. I mix mine with a little yogurt or juice concentrate or, my favorite, a smidge of real maple syrup. Yummy!

I've spent the last number of hot weeks knitting on a project that normally I wouldn't choose for the summer - a moderne baby blanket.

However, it is a gift for a young lad in our church who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer. So sad. I hope that this blanket will remind him of how much he is being prayed for. I made it out of Vanna's Choice yarn from Michaels so that it

will be fully washable. My youngest son gave it the cuddle test and it passed with flying colours.

On the weekend I made a classic WWII watchcap. Apparently a million of these were made during the war and sent over to the troops. I like a little history with my knitting. The pattern comes with a few variations, so I may be making these for a while. They will go to our "Hats for the Homeless" program at church. Made out of Paton's Classic Wool on size 4.5 mm needles.

Is God stupid?

I don't think so... listen below to what the underground wellness guy has to say.

This guy is great. I follow his podcast and recently came across some youtube videos. I'm deep into nutrition research right now and feel like something finally makes sense. In past posts I've talked about the traditional diet as espoused by Weston Price and Sally Fallon. My knowledge base continues to grow - it's fascinating stuff to someone who has always been interested in nutrition.

Am I knitting? You bet! Miles and miles of garter stitch. On the needles is a blanket for a family that is going through a tough time with cancer in the 11 yo son and the father. So all other projects have been put on hold till that is done. And a power outage fried my hard drive the other day, so pictures will have to be another day.