Wasted calories

One unexpected change that has come with my aging body is that I can no longer eat anything that I want and maintain a healthy weight. Every calorie that crosses my lips must be considered for its nutritive value and pleasure factor. That's why the ice cream snack I had the other night was such a waste! A little background - the grocery store that I regularly shop at has discontinued selling our favorite 4 litre bucket of ice cream. Despite many dissatisfied customers, they have decided that our opinion isn't worth bringing it back. So I was forced to buy the other brand (which is more expensive). Upon bringing it home I thought I'd give it a try. Bad, bad, bad. Taste that is. I wasted my snack calories on substandard ice cream! And once it's down the gullet, there's no going back. At least, for me there's not. Now I will be in search of another brand of ice cream and will have to break my rule of only food shopping at one store.

Our one camping trip of the year takes place this weekend. Major packing up of gear. Major headache. But it's all worth it once we get there. We love our homeschool campout. As a knitter, the question becomes - what projects to take? how many to take? will I take enough? 

I had decided on three sock projects. One pair is 

just about finished - I just love this yarn! So instead of tucking it into the luggage to bring along, I had to keep on knitting. The foot will get finished at the campground and I should get to wear this luscious, glowing wooly gem. Unless the weather warms up, of course, which we're all hoping for. Then I'll just wear them to bed. (Chameleon Colorworks Footsie Yarn in Figgy Pudding Colourway; Roundabout pattern on the leg)

Revisiting those New Year's Resolutions

Experts say that to get anywhere with your plans you have to go over them regularly. My New Years Resolutions are on the wall right beside my desk. I DO look them over periodically. But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life I haven't assessed where I'm at with them. So here goes...

1. reread "The GI Diet Book". Not done, but I have been reading lots of other health/diet books. Does that count?

2. knit one charity hat per month. On track. I've been thinking, though, that in the summer I need to do TWO hats a month. These hats get given out in October. So November and December hats need to be done by then.

3. knit one Christmas gift per month. Well, that's a hard one. First - I haven't got a list. Second - birthdays come up during the year as well. So I have two Christmas gifts and one birthday gift done. I may rethink this resolution.

4. listen to the entire Bible. I think I'm on track here.

5. simplify the family meals and make more bulk meals. Simplifying I've done. Bulk meals, not so much. Make that - not at all. Maybe that will be a summer goal.

6. be more organized with my knitting projects. Check that off. My notebook is stuffed with notes, yarn samples and swatches.

7. learn one new knitting skill per month. Hmmm....I got the DVD's....watched one of them...I'm SURE I've learned stuff...

8. try one new alpaca yarn per month and become an expert on alpaca. The "becoming an expert" continues with reading. The "one new yarn a month" is scrapped. That was too ambitious.

9. make good use of the 4 month gym membership. Well, it turned out I only had a one month membership and after that one month I choose not to renew. I was getting stressed out trying to fit in going to the gym around all the other things I need to do when I'm out. And, no, I haven't been keeping up with the exercise at home. Whip me with a wet noodle to get me going.

10. have a relaxed Christmas. Still to come! I'm looking forward to this!

Now I want to add a #11 to the list. Get those photos organized and into albums. I'm caught up to year 2000. That's not caught up! That's way behind! This summer I MUST work on albums. 

Summer reading...a little early

I've just finished up two fiction dramas. Both had child abduction as a theme (I usually avoid reading books of this nature - my kids are too dear to me to even read about such possibilities), so I got them mixed up sometimes. One is a paperback and the other I listened to on my ipod.

Six Seconds by Rick Mofina is a suspense/mystery that had several plot lines 

coming together to create a page turning story.  Suffice to say that I put off bedtime last night to finish it, so it was a good read. I got this book from the library.

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline was an audible.com purchase. When this suspense story came to what I thought was the end, there was still 2 hours to go. Incredibly the plot took an unexpected turn and when on for the extra time.

I give both of these books two stars - great entertainment.

I have a new knitting trick I developed over the last number of socks I've knitted. When knitting the gusset of a sock you decrease every other row. I had been putting a plastic safety pin on the heel of the foot when decreasing and moving it to the base when knitting around. But what happens when your safety pin isn't handy? 

My new method is to turn up the cuff of the sock when decreasing and let it down on knitting around. No extra tools to have on hand - it's quick and efficient. Here's the trick used on the pair of socks I just finished - Opal Rendez-Vous, colour 2062.

Decrease row.                                                               

Knit around row.

Daughter sized hole

My daughter has gone on an exciting trip to another province to sing in a choir competition. This is a wonderful opportunity for her to experience new places and challenge herself. For me - not so great. When any of my children are away, I feel a gap that is the shape of the particular child. It doesn't last forever, but it does make for an uncomfortable feeling for a while. Fortunately she will be home soon. 

Latest book - Shackleton's Stowaway. Excellent! (three stars) It was so good, I'm reading it to my two youngest now along with a study of Antarctica. Great "boy reading". For them, I'm editing some language and objectionable content as we go. Those sailors were a little rough around the edges!

On the knitting scene I'm challenging my patience and math. I began a baby blanket that I was anxious to make, but I wanted it larger than the pattern called for. So I cast on more stitches and thought that the pattern would work out. It's not working. The pattern calls for a plain centre with feather and fan edging added on. The edging numbers are not matching my centre square. So back to the table to refigure. At least all my knitting up to this point would not be in vain, as I could just decide to do a more simplified border on the edge of the garter stitch square.

Oh what a difference a voice makes

I have finished "The Appeal" by Robert Ludlum and enjoyed it very much. Shall I tell you where I finished the last two CD's? In the car...late at night...on my way to Abbotsford...to rescue my son and his broken down car. Truly an adventure of love, but the book made the trip much more enjoyable. Listening to professionally-made audio books makes you appreciate the amount of work that goes into them. This narrator had dozens of different characters to deal with and every one had a dialect or inflection of their own. No doubt he had to read the book a number of times and just keeping track of the changes boogles the mind. 

Audio books are probably worth the big bucks that goes along with them, but personally I appreciate the lower price of audible.com or the even lower price of the library.

A pen and paper book that is well worth reading is "I am Rembrandt's Daughter" by Lynn Cullen. While this is a fiction novel, most of the facts are historically true. The author used the technique of changing between time periods in alternating chapters, which took me a little while to keep straight. But it was a fascinating glimpse into life in the 1600's in Amsterdam/Europe and the life of a master painter, Rembrandt. A man out of step with his times, creating art from his heart rather than what was commercially desired. A man (apparently) of God, yet a man of weaknesses. We can all be used by God in whatever we do and four hundred years later, this man is still impacting people.

OTN I have a small puddle of colour that, hopefully, will shortly become a stunning, blocked shawl. That's the thing about circular needles and lots of stitches. It keeps you wondering until the project is finished. The yarn is Kureyon Sock Yarn and the pattern is the Gaia Shawl.

Oh what a difference the weather makes

It's amazing what a little sunshine can do for your spirits. Cold, snow and dull days going on and on tend to end up bringing you down. A clear, sunny day - especially if spent vigourously attacking the shrubbery - changes attitudes like no medication could. I'm happy that spring is here, needless to say.

I know that I have listened to a book in the 10 days or so since I last posted, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. And it went back to the library. So...no review. Right now I have "The Appeal" pumping through the ear buds. (the narrator of this audio book is excellent! He gives every speaker there own voice/accent - and there are a lot of different ones, it takes place in Mississippi) Also, "Knitting" by Anne Bartlett on the computer. Two totally different novels. While Grisham's book is interesting, it does tend to lose me in places. The problem with a book-on-tape when you read late at night, is that if you fall asleep, the book continues on! So you are faced with the problem of trying to figure out where you left off. That's happened to me with this book. Barlett's novel is more relational and homey. Different books for different moods.

Have I been knitting? Not so much. After the marathon baby blanket knit-in I wasn't prone to pick anything up for a bit. But now I'm continuing to work on the gorgeous Opal socks. I try to keep Opal for gift socks because it is so easy to care for. But these have to be for me! If I could manage to track another skein down, I'll make them again for someone else. The knitting has been so pleasureable. What does it say about my state of mind that I am so drawn to browns and beiges and greys these days? For wearing, at least. I love to look at the coloured yarn and even knit it up. But to put on my body? Give me some neutrals.

I'm chewing a lot of gum these days

One of the hazards of being a stay-at-home mom is that ....I'm home a lot. Which I like. Make that - love. But...I find that I constantly want to snack. So I decided that every time I feel like putting a little something in my mouth, I'll stick in some sugarless gum.

My jaws are getting sore.

Is anyone sick of Edward and Bella yet? After speed reading through the first Twilight book, I was ready for a break. But my daughter brought home the last 2 in the series of four, so even though I had sworn I wouldn't buy the second book - I did. Read that this week and am now half way into book four. These are "quick reads" from the library. $1 a day overdue fines! So my daughter and I are fighting for reading privileges as we hurry to the ending. (at least I hope it's the ending!)

Between book one and two I watched the movie. Give it a pass, unless you just have to see it. Very melodramatic and bad acting. After book two I was ready to give Bella a knock over the head with a two by four. I did not like that girl! How selfish was she?!! If she could come up with a plan to put anyone that loved her in danger she would do it, all to satisfy her own wants and desires. Book three I skipped over a lot. Let's get on with it! Now in book four there's not so much Bella and it's going much better. But I'll be glad when it's all over and I can get back to my life. (note: I've now finished and wasn't totally happy with the ending)

In the knitting realm I've been working feverishly on a baby blanket - garter stitch takes forever. But it came out nicely and I'm happy with it. The pattern will be a keeper. Of course, there are some socks on the needles, too. A loverly Opal yarn.