Wishy-washy weather, yarn purchases, and knitters fatigue

Do you ever just get burned out on a project? I'm almost done with this blanket I've been working on! I've got one last panel to do....and I want to work on it about as much as I want to wear a miniskirt (which is to say, not at all). I mean, I'm so close to being finished it isn't funny, but I don't want to work on it.

Actually, what I want to do right now is go home and have a glass of wine, but that's not an option at this current moment.

The point that I'm trying to make is that I'm in a bit of a bind because I've got a scarf, two pairs of socks, a cowl, two shawls, a dress, a stocking, and a hat to make before Christmas and I'm still stuck on this blanket! I mean, really! Plus, I have a few tentative ideas for patterns rattling around (along with every thing else) that I'd like to test knit before I write them up.

I also have a necklace, two rosaries, and several pairs of earrings to get done.

I bought some yarn from knitpicks recently for the two shawls I've got planned, and I finally got the yarn for the bottom of the dress and the wings. The pattern calls for eyelash yarn, but they didn't have any, so I bought boa yarn instead, in a nice white color. It'll look good with the burgundy, and should have a nice effect for the wings.

The weather here refuses to make up it's mind. November 1st was frigid and windy. Since then, it has begun to warm up again. At this rate, I won't get to make use of my sweaters until I go to visit my dad. Of course, I'm still alternately freezing and roasting at work, so we see that nothing has changed there.

Anyway, that's what new, or on-going. I'll talk to you later.

Yours always,
Tara

Isn't it October?

Why is it so darn hot in this state! I mean, okay, I'm glad we don't get snow every winter and generally have fairly mild weather during the colder months, but it's October! It's not supposed to be hot enough to wear tank tops and shorts!

My friend who was going to model for me was unable to make it do to family business (which I totally understand) but I still took some photos of the jewelry I've made, as well as the St. Patrick Chaplet and the Pieta rosary which I finished earlier. The pictures, as far as I know thus far, turned out pretty well, lot of lovely natural light and some pretty decent backdrops. The weather was miserable and I was half way through taking pictures and sweating like a pig.

I like cooler weather. I like sweaters and cardigans and light jackets. I live for that! This is getting ridiculous.

In other news, I got part of my Halloween costume (which is actually useless since I will most likely be working that night) yesterday. The costume is supposed to be Grace O'Malley, the pirate queen of Ireland (my friends, if they read this, will be laughing at me, I assure you) and so requires a yellow chemise with a green over dress as would have been common for a woman of her status at the time. I got the idea for it from takebackhalloween.org which has a lot of really great ideas for home made costumes that aren't skimpy.

This has several positives. One: on the off chance I do actually get the chance to dress up for Halloween, my costume won't be revealing, and won't be flimsy and cheap. Two: Chemise have a myriad of uses, not the least of which is layers (which are brilliant when it gets colder) and really comfy nightgowns. Finally, three: It gives me an excuse to buy "period pieces". What can I say, I like really old clothes. Largely because they cover lots of skin.

Also on my agenda of things to figure out, I'd like to learn to pray the rosary in Irish Gaelic. This will most likely prove to be a tad bit difficult. There aren't a lot of audio files, I don't know anyone who speaks Gaelic (besides the Monsignor that is) and I haven't actually started learning the language yet. (One lullaby for my sister in no way counts). So, on top of the million other things I have, I want to do that as well.

I must have lost my mind.

Anyway, coming up Saturday is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi (which sounds interesting) and Sunday there's going to be a dinner in the square at the Cathedral. I'm looking forward to it a lot, which is a little out of character. I'm not really a social person, but at the same time, I think it'll be fun. Hopefully it will turn out well. I will definitely do a post on Saturday, because I missed last week (no complaints there, Little Bird, tiny though she is, is doing rather well) so barring a crisis, we will have a Saturdays with the Saints post.

See you tomorrow!

Yours always,
Tara

THe Approach of Autumn

It's September (not that anyone didn't already know that) and autumn is here! It is, technically, a little too early to start on Halloween decorating, not that that stops people. Almost every store is drenched in orange, brown, red, and yellow in one corner, and Orange, slime green, vibrant purples, and black. There's pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, leaves and creepy looking dead trees, empty fields and full grave-yards.

Now, I am a huge fan of Halloween. I love acting, love dressing up, and love an excuse to watch dorky kid movies (Scary Godmother! It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Spookable Pooh! The Nightmare Before Christmas!...good for two holidays, that one!) So Halloween, with costumes, candy, and a decent number of kiddie movies, is brilliant! This year, I won't be able to take part in my favorite tradition of passing out candy to trick-or-treaters. I love passing out candy to kids in costumes! So cute. Any way! Not the point!

The point is, my favorite season swiftly approaches. The annual torrential down-pour we get every winter hasn't started, the humidity has blessedly retreated. (This fact can make even hardened atheist praise God). The weather cools off and I can wear long sleeves, cardigans, sweaters, and leggings without risking heat stroke.

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the beginning of the Christmas season (which, in my mind, officially begins at the end of the Thanksgiving Day parade because that's when my mother would permit Christmas carols and movies to be dusted off and brought out for our enjoyment.) all come in autumn. 

Also accompanying autumn is Christmas shopping, frantic knitting, school (SCHOOL! *sobbing*) and an over abundance of sweets that demand to be tasted.

I love food. And the foods that are best for the colder months, soups, stews, roasts, heavy pastas, and almost anything with pumpkins or potatoes are my favorites. This is why I fight year round to maintain my (fairly) slim figure. I've already mentioned my great love of Irish food, which tends, as a general rule, to be hot, heavy on potatoes, and made with (really yummy) cheap cuts of meat. Although I may argue that last point on the basis of the price of stew meat the last time I went to the store.

My point is, autumn is here! (basically) and there's a lot to love about the wonderful season we find ourselves in. There's also the impending birth of my sister, the birthdays of both my parents (within a week of each other) and plenty of time to bake as many desserts with pumpkin as I can stand.

This has been an ode to autumn from your friendly neighborhood blogger. Regular posting will resume tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.

Yours always,
Tara Hills

Snakes, Roses, Stars, and lot's of bread

 

Hiss! I'll bite you!

So, I'm trying something a little different with my pictures today. Bear with me, dear readers.


It's day 4 with no AC and a balmy 89*F, when last I checked the thermostat. We have all the doors thrown open and with that comes the risk of snakes. Which, wouldn't be a huge problem, except that we are in South Georgia, dear readers, and the last time we had a snake in the building it was a juvenile water moccasin. Not what you want to find in your place of employment, I assure you.


On a more pleasant note, I got a new rosary today.

Much better than the last one I bought, I don't feel like this one will break apart in my hands. The beads are wood, with little swirls carved into the sides (they're supposed to look like roses) and the entire thing smells like roses....or rather, like rose water. I've never found roses to be very fragrant, but if distilled in water there is a very distinctive scent. The weight of it is nice, and while it's certainly not my favorite rosary ever, I think it'll do nicely for everyday use.

I finally finished my hat. The pattern is called the Star of County Down and it took me two days of sporadic knitting to finish it. It didn't turn out exactly like the pictures. There's supposed to be small "holes" all around the outside edges, in between the points of the star. The holes are actually there, but for some reason you can't tell. I wet blocked it last night (on a dinner plate, as per their instructions) and wore it part of today (since I can't wear hats at work).

And yes, I did giggle like an idiot when The Star of County Down started playing on my iPod.

I love "Celtic" music. The High Kings, The Dubliners, The Young Dubliners, The Bollox, Gaelic Storm, you name it. I even like Dropkick Murphys, which has a bad habit of being unintelligible.

I did some baking this morning before work, as well as scratch making some mashed potatoes to make boxty with tomorrow.

And mash! two, three, four!

First off, let's give a round of applause to everyone who came before who had to cook. Scratch made mashed potatoes are brilliant....except when you have to mash them with an old potato masher such as the one seen here.

Great upper body work out though! Burn off the calories of those potatoes before you even get the chance to eat them! Of course we have a food processor.....somewhere. It was given to my granma by my mom and has never once been taken out of the box. I however have no idea where it is, and did not feel like trying to find it when the more *ahem* traditional tool was right there.

The entire point of making mashed potatoes from scratch, after all, was the clumpy texture that instant potatoes just don't have.

I'm pleased to report that, though I lack stamina and upper-body strength, I did manage to successfully mash the potatoes into the absolutely perfect looking product you see to the right!

Totally worth the extra effort! Nothing beats scratch made mashed potatoes, though I fully admit that I have no problem using instant and will continue to do so most of the time because, as much as I love scratch made potatoes they are incredible time consuming.

Of course, adding to the amount of time it took was the fact that I was also up to my wrists with a loaf of Old-fashioned Spiced Gingerbread and a loaf of Classic Irish Soda Bread.






In the mix



Getting hot in here

 



Ta-da!

 

 

 The Gingerbread is brilliant. Well, I say that, I haven't actually been able to cut into any of my new creations (which sucks) because they hadn't finished cooling when I left. So they're all sitting on the counter, wrapped in clean dish towels.  Based off the batter (and yes, I did lick the beaters like a small child) the gingerbread is really good, but also really heavy on the ginger. I just followed the recipe.


Dry ingredients first



Hot hot hot!



tad to dark on top, but still perfect!

The Soda bread looks really good to. My mom gave me a bag of the stone-ground whole wheat flour, so I didn't have to buy it. Apparently it's been taking up space in her cabinet for a while now. It only took 30 minutes to bake, so I might try baking a loaf every few days if it's good. I  bet it'd go really well with the recipe I have for Beef and Guinness stew I have. Last time I made the stew it was a little greasy from where I didn't drain the meat well enough, but this time I'll be better prepared. Of course, I have to cut the recipe in third because of how much is makes! But I'm sure it'll be great. 

I've decided to go to morning mass tomorrow because I have so much to get done. I'm going over to my mom's to make egg-rolls, and I'll take the stuff for the boxty so I can get those done to. When I get home I've got cleaning to do, and then I'm going to wash two of my new pint jars and make Onion marmalade. Unlike the stew recipe, which makes enough to feed a small army, the marmalade recipe makes enough for two little jars, which are then stored in the fridge. If I like it, I can always multiply the recipe and make a proper batch to be stored on the shelf until opened.

Anyway, I'm back to baby knitting, so I'd best get to it. A quick break for dinner, and then to work!

I'll talk to ya'll tomorrow!
Yours always,
Tara



Our Lady Star of the Sea chaplet and day 3 with no AC

I got the center and the crucifix for the Our Lady Star of the Sea chaplet I wanted to make today. It did indeed turn out to be a chaplet, and not a rosary, though it was sort of up in the air for a while, but given how long it would have been, judging off ten of the pearls strung together, it would have been highly impractical as a rosary.

The crucifix and center are both bronze, the chain and pins are iron that's been treated to look like bronze. It's not an exact match, but it's close enough. The 12 beads of the main section are fresh-water pearls, and the three beads connecting the center and the crucifix are mother-of-pearl. It's all nice and appropriately nautical, so I'm happy with it, even if I do think the mother-of-pearl beads might be a bit big. Besides, I kind of like the way it looks. Now I have to figure out who it's for.

Sometimes, I make things, just to make them, and I don't know who it's for or if it's for any one at all! Sometimes, the item becomes mine, sometimes, I figure out who the owner is, and sometimes I'm left with a funny feeling that it isn't mine.....but I don't know who it's for. Very frustrating. 

I'm still knitting away at my hat. I've got about 15 rows or so left, so I should be able to finish it before I leave tonight. Then tomorrow it's back to booties and mittens. *sigh*

In the spirit of today's episode of Mother Angelica Classics (yes, I have been watching Mother Angelica, and I LOVE her!) I have decided to treat my current frustration (i.e. knitting the same three baby patterns over and over) as a gift towards sanctification. This is not nearly as spiritual as it sounds, and is based primarily off the fact that if I don't think of it in those terms, I'll be tempted to strangle Shawna with the yarn!

Hey, I never said I was a good Christian, just that I'm trying my best.

It's really cool though, because I didn't even know we got EWTN at the house! I mean, I listen to the radio all the time on my computer, but we actually get the tv channel and it's kind of nice! I sat and worked on my hat for an hour earlier while watching Mother Angelica. Very enjoyable.

Friday promises to be busy. I plan on making Vietnamese egg rolls, going to mid-day mass, and making boxty and ginger-bread. Oh! and soda bread. I might do the soda bread and ginger bread tomorrow, along with the mashed potatoes for the boxty. Oh! And onion marmalade! I have a fantastic cook book of Irish recipes.

Buy it! I promise it's good!

 

I have no idea who David Bowers is, but I will forever adore him for writing this cookbook. It has the best recipe for shepherd's pie ever! And that's coming from me! I love shepherd's pie! It's like the ultimate comfort food (tied with Granma's spaghetti) and I could literally eat it every day of the week with no guilt. The first time I made the recipe from this book, I was sick with a small cold. First bite was pure heaven!

 

I pretty much just want to make every recipe in this cook book.

 

Except the oysters. I'm not very fond of oysters.

 

Anyway! Wow, that was off-subject. Sorry. I just really love to cook. I'll try to post pictures of my dishes, but I make no promises as to the quality of those photos. I'm not a photographer.

 

It's day three with no AC at work, but today I've got a fan, so it's not quiet as miserable. It'll probably be November before they get it fixed, and then the heater will go out! Ah well, such is life.

 

I might be back on again later this evening, but I don't know yet. Until later!

 

Yours always,

Tara



Minor Disappointments

So, L was unable to go with me this afternoon to mass. Her baby wasn't feeling to hot, so she asked if she could go with me Sunday instead. This means that Sunday, I will once more brave the crowds at the Cathedral instead of trying the (slightly) smaller parish of the priest who's working with me.

Well, I hope he is, anyway. Still haven't heard from the deacon, so, in keeping with what I was told Tuesday, I'm going to email the priest. If he doesn't get back to me by Wednesday, I'll be making phone calls again.

Is it obvious how frustrating I find this to be, dear readers?

I also stopped by the store with the Catholic books and such. The only problem is how small a selection they have and how little of it is would be useful to me right now. After I've been confirmed (assuming that's what happens) then it might be good, but right now, most of it would go over my head. Oh well.

Both yesterday and today I have completely ignored my usual rule about cutting back on soda. Yesterday was because I needed quarters for parking, and today because, so far, I just wanted a coke. After I finish this one, I'm back to tea and kool-aid.

The bottom just fell out with a resounding CRACK! I mean, really! I'm hoping it clears up within the next ten minutes, because I have to go out and would rather not drive in that sort of weather. No because I don't like driving in the rain, but because I don't like the way other people drive in the rain.

It's like a little in-climate weather and suddenly no one can remember how to drive and frankly it's annoying.

I don't mind them being cautious, but there's a difference between caution and stupidity.

Anyway, I'll chat with you later, my dears.
Yours always,
Tara

I think I need more beads, don't you?

It's Saturday morning and I'm already at work. It's going to be a long, dull day. With any luck, I'll finish my first sock, and be able to move swiftly into working on the next one.

I'm also hoping some of my books will arrive. We've already discussed how impatient I can be.

I need to get some white cloisonne beads for a rosary I've got planned. I also need to get the center piece and the crucifix while I'm at it.

Which reminds me, I'm making a St. Dymphna chaplet for my sister. She's been struggling with depression for several years now. I wish I could be there to help her more, but she lives in Maryland, and I do not. I was thinking that the chaplet might help, if only by serving as a reminder that some one loves her. I've got the beads all ready, I just need to get the medal and possibly a center piece. Does any one have any suggestions?

The weather has started to cool off here, for which I am incredibly grateful. I'm not a fan of extreme temperatures, which makes summer and winter both fairly miserable. Thankfully, autumn is coming up soon, and it'll be cool enough for sweaters with out being cold enough for three sweater (people up North are laughing at me, I'm sure) and there will be pumpkin flavored everything! I love autumn.

Spring is good too, of course, but autumn is coming up, and spring is a ways off.

I'm honestly a bit nervous about meeting with the priest on Tuesday. I know I shouldn't be, logically, but meeting new people isn't really my forte. I mean, you should have seen me the one time I went to a counselor about the tension between my mother and I! I was fidgeting like Batty from Fern Gully! Well, okay, maybe not that bad, but still!

About lunch time I'll post today's randomly generated saint. You'll have to let me know what you think of it, dear readers.

Anyway, until then I remain,
Sincerely yours,
Tara

Out and about

So, I didn't make it to mass this morning. My mom and I had already planned on going to Whole Foods today, but we didn't decide on a time until last night. I might have been able to make mass, and then go, but I didn't want to risk it.

It was nice though, just to spend time with my mom. Little Bird is apparently quite active, so Mom was grumbling a bit (I would be to, though, if I had tiny limbs digging into my internal organs), but on the whole, she was good. Apparently she tires out easier with this pregnancy than when she had my brothers or I. It's because of her age, but she doesn't like hearing that.

I've got some laundry and such still left to do, as well as prepping for work tomorrow. I always struggle to accomplish anything on days like today though. The weather is so nasty and wet and all I want to do is sleep. It's a bit of a pain, honestly.

I've been waiting for my packages to arrive. I've got three books and some yarn coming. I'm so excited! Especially since the yarn is for the socks I was wanting to make. I usually have pretty good luck with shipping times, so I might get something tomorrow. I won't know until I get home from work, but I might get something.

Also, is anyone else freaking out over the trailer for the upcoming Hobbit movie, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies? I'm so excited! And vaguely terrified! I'm not ready for my favorite characters to die/be injured/be emotionally damaged! And, dear readers, I know exactly which ones will kick the bucket.

Well, possibly. There was a rumor floating around that one of them might be spared. I doubt it, but I wouldn't mind at all.

Tomorrow I'll have more to say, I'm sure. Oh! And tomorrow I'm going to do a post about a randomly generated saint! I love history, and the stories of the saints, so it should be lots of fun!

Yours always,
Tara

Because no one needs to find the right room

Oh I love my job.

You might have caught the sarcasm there.

Here's the thing though, if you're going to have me sit at the front desk, the least you can do is actually let me know there's something going on, and what room it will be in, that way, I don't have to hunt some one down (after everybody else has left!) in order to find out the answer to this person's question! It's not rocket science by any means!

This, of course, is not the first time this has happened, but these classes are generally held before everyone leaves, so I don't have to spend 15 minutes looking for some one!

The good news is that I did get to listen to Catholic Answers Live tonight. I also bought some yarn. I'll probably need to buy a second skein of it, so I can make socks, but it's this really nice yellow ochre with a little orange and khaki subtly mixed in. I've got an awesome pattern off of Ravelry that has a nice cable pattern.

I'm really excited about the Irish Ale socks that I'm planning on. I bought the yarn from knitpicks, so as soon as it comes in, I'll be ready to go. I'm nervous too though. I've been knitting ten years and never made socks. It's not all that surprising though. It's not like I had any one to teach me how to do it. My mother, bless her heart, can't knit or crochet. Counting stitches causes her blood-pressure to rise.

I crochet a little, but it's been a long time. I need to start again though. I have my heart set on this sweater I saw. I've got the pattern, and hopefully enough yarn (I think they discontinued the color) to make it, so maybe.....I'm shooting to finish it by St. Pat's, but considering I haven't even started.....

I also have a flurry of knitting to do in preparation for Little Bird's (I call my sister 'Little Bird') birth, and the fast approaching holiday season. Socks, socks for everyone. Well, not every one.

Just the men.

If they're going to make my life harder than it has to be by answering my yearly question (What do you want for Christmas?) with the standard male "I don't know." Then they get socks!

Plain, ordinary, dull (except the littlest, he get's neons)no-nonsense socks! I can get a little more creative with Dad's, he will appreciate cables or more vibrant colors (still staying with a neutral color palette). But Step-daddy is very much Mr. Old-timey cowboy. Grey socks (black are for Sundays or other dressy occasions) no fun stitches, and thick.

This is the man I nearly poured hot coffee on because he had the nerve to look at a fresh, full pot of coffee that I had just made and say "Is this plain? I don't want the froo-froo stuff." (This when he and my mother were just dating.) You are in mine and my mother's house, you will drink what we have and damn well say "Thank you" after!

I, thankfully, no longer live at home with them, but the man does still get on my nerves with his cow boy thing. He's good with the boys though, and if he and my mother can stop butting heads for two minutes, he might be a good husband. He's going to spoil Little Bird though, I just know it. Mom's already told him that she'll jerk a knot in his tail if he turns their daughter into a brat.

Picture! A 6'3" tall man (skinny as a bean pole, though) with grey hair, shaking in his cowboy boots as his 5'1" tall curly brunette wife (Pregnant!) tells him in no-uncertain terms that he will not spoil their child to ruin. Just thinking about it makes me snicker.

I'm still amazed that my mother has taken the news that I'm considering converting so well. I can't help but wonder if maybe Granma tipped her off. Of course, she knew I had been attending Mass, so maybe that tipped her off enough. Either way, still incredibly thankful that the conversation went well.

The best news I've had thus far, though, is the slightly cooler temperatures that we can expect. I'm not big on hot and humid, and I hate cold and wet. What I really need is some place where the temperature stays between 60-80F all year round. Maybe a few days a little colder, maybe a few days a little warmer, but for the most part it stays right in that comfortable range where I can wear longer sleeves, and pants all the time without dying from the heat.

It's not so bad in the mid-west where my dad lives, where it's hot, but not as humid, because then your clothes don't glue themselves to your body within 2 minutes of walking out your door. Here? Even people like me who do *NOT* like wearing shorts or skirts without leggings underneath are forced to ditch layers or DIE!

So the temperature drop into the 80s is well worth the impending showers.

I have nothing planned for the next two weeks besides work anyhow.

Yours always,
Tara