I’ve started another boheme sweater. Same Patons Rio cotton yarn. This time I’m making a feather and fan variation.
a birth day book for the birthday girl
A few weeks before my daughter’s birthday she put three stacks of 8 1/2 x 11 paper — stapled journal style — on my desk. Two were 24 pages and one was 10 pages. “Mom, these are books for you to make for my birthday.” It wasn’t really a request, and it was too sweet to be a demand, but the message was clear. I tried hard to come up with something meaningful, but lets face it, there were a lot of pages to fill!
The day before her birthday she started asking all sorts of questions about the day she was born. When did I start labor? How long was I at the hospital? What exact time was she born? All those questions gave me an idea.
I wrote down the story of her birth when she was four weeks old. At one point I was planning to post it to the blog, which was the “mommy blog” trend at the time. However, it seemed too personal to share for some reason. Yes, I know that must sound odd from someone who has been sharing her life online since 2003.
The book turned out to be much smaller than she had requested — eight 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 pages. She was surprised when she saw it. I had hoped that she would read it immediately and we’d have a special mother/daughter bonding moment, but that was not the case. You see, we also gave her the game Brave. She was infinitely more interested in Merida and her mother than our story. Also, I think she was disappointed that my book had no pictures.
Oh, well. I’m sure she’ll read it eventually. In the meantime, I’ve still got those blank pages on my desk. Now that the pressure is off, maybe I’ll come up with a way to fill them. After I help Merida up and over the waterfall, of course. Seems I’m the only one in the house who can get her to do a triple jump.
playing around with crochet and paper
I’ve been thinking a lot about binding journals with crochet. This was my first attempt. I have a few other ideas in my head. Paper is from recycled grocery bags.
reading: nora ephron
When I read that Nora Ephron passed away, I literally gasped out loud. I surprised myself, because I wouldn’t say I was an avid fan of hers. All I really knew about her work was Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got Mail. I spent that morning reading stories about her life and her writing, and when I came across this quote, I knew I had to learn more this woman.
Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women.
That afternoon I downloaded I Feel Bad About My Neck and I Remember Nothing from the library. I breezed through them quickly, and was stunned that I had fallen in love with her style of writing more than her stories. Don’t get me wrong. Her stories are good, but how she tells them is even better. Her sharp wit and humor will make you laugh out loud.
I checked out Heartburn next and I can’t believe such a short book could be filled with so much emotion. How could someone tell the devastating story about discovering her husband’s affair while seven months pregnant with their second child and still make me laugh? She even manages to share some of her favorite recipes, like she’s chatting with you over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
The woman in Heartburn, Rachel, is a cookbook writer. Her love of cooking and how it relates to our emotions almost makes food itself a supporting character in the story. It’s a hint of Julie & Julia 25 years before the movie.
Nothing like mashed potatoes when you’re feeling blue. Nothing like getting into bed with a bowl of hot mashed potatoes already loaded with butter, and methodically adding a thin cold slice of butter to every forkful. The problem with mashed potatoes, though, is that they require almost as much hard work as crisp potatoes, and when you’re feeling blue the last thing you feel like is hard work. Of course, you can always get someone to make the mashed potatoes for you, but let’s face it: the reason you’re blue is that there isn’t anyone to make them for you. As a result, most people do not have nearly enough mashed potatoes in their lives, and when they do, it’s almost always at the wrong time.
Ephron doesn’t tell a story, she tells you a story. And she does it brilliantly. I’m looking forward to reading Scribble Scribble and learning even more about the woman who said, “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
Nora Ephron’s speech at Wellesley College’s commencement in 1996 and her obituary in the New York Times.
second scrappy crochet scarf
I’ve started another scrappy crochet scarf, with colors inspired by my current landscape: brown, yellow and faded green.
It’s been a rough summer. Cornfields have been dry for a few weeks and the grass has been a lost cause since the major heat wave in July. Fields filled with soybeans look great from a distance, but when you get up close, they’re withered and wilting.
I took this picture last week because I couldn’t believe that the playground was so incredibly dry. The colors have stuck in my mind, and I found myself pulling similar shades out of my scrap bin the other day. I’m curious to see how they look together.
website notes: If you clicked the playground picture, you’ll find that I’ve been playing around with tumblr. I like it to keep track of little bits of inspiration. I’ve also decluttered the main navigation and sidebar. You’ll find links to my tumblr and flickr there as well. If you have a creative space on either, let me know. I’d love to check your stuff out!
first day of first grade
Tuesday was back to school for us. I’m not sure how it’s possible that my baby is now a first grader. Last Spring we started walking home in the afternoons and this year we’ve added morning walks. I love watching her skip down the sidewalk bubbling with excitement. I hope she never loses her enthusiasm for learning.
On a crafty note: I finished the green scrappy scarf and I’m ready to start another one. I also need to cast on a second Boheme. It will be the same yarn so I’ll have to mix up the pattern a bit to keep it interesting.
“don’t worry. it’s summer.”
Yesterday I was sitting in my friend’s backyard when her husband got home from work. I couldn’t believe it was so late. I apologized and started to gather my things and she said, “Don’t worry. It’s summer.”
A wave of relief washed over me, and not just because I felt bad for staying over so late. There are a lot of things I had hoped to do this summer and it already feels like it’s over. Although there are still a few weeks until Labor Day, we are in our last days of summer vacation. Starting next Tuesday, it’s back to packing lunches, leaving the house early, and homework.
I have a pile of projects on my sewing table that haven’t been touched since June. I have ideas scribbled in my journal that haven’t made it past the page. I’m definitely excited to get part of my day back to work on these things, but can’t help but wonder where the past ten weeks have gone.
Yesterday afternoon, I decided not to worry about it, though. It is summer after all. And we’ve enjoyed every bit of it.
csa bags 7, 8, 9: leafy green pesto recipe
week 7: potatoes, carrots, summer squash, cucumbers, kale, lemon basil
week 8: potatoes, beets, cucumbers, summer squash, parsley
week 9: potatoes, carrots, cucumber, summer squash, kale, tomato, eggplant
One of the things I wasn’t expecting when joining a CSA was the enormous amount of greens I’d be receiving each week. In addition to chard, kale, spinach, bok choy, cabbage and lettuce, there are the greens that come with beets and turnips. I didn’t know you could eat them. They’re usually removed by the time they reach the grocery store.
Luckily, my daughter loves pesto. As long as it’s green with garlic, lemon juice and nuts, she’s happy. I’ve made it with broccoli, asparagus and all kinds of leafy greens. She never fails to eat it up, especially if it’s tossed with cheese tortellini (her favorite!).
When I found my crisper filled with greens that needed to be used up soon, I threw this together and it turned out so good. Try mixing it up with different ingredients. Enjoy!
Leafy Green Pesto
1 bunch kale, blanched
1 bunch beet greens,* blanched
1 cup almonds, blanched
1/2 cup fresh italian parsley
grated peel and juice from one lemon
1-2 cloves of garlic
sea salt to taste
olive oil optional
Whiz ingredients together in a food processor until mixed thoroughly. Add small amounts of water or olive oil if necessary.
Toss it with white beans, chick peas or pasta. Use it as a dip. Try not to eat it by the spoonful. Don’t forget to top it off with a little grated parmesan cheese. Yum!
*I used the greens from candy-striped beets (Chioggia beets). Red beet greens are too messy for me and go straight into smoothies.
Tips
- I blanch all green veggies, especially broccoli and asparagus, when making pesto. The only exceptions are herbs and spinach. Give them a whirl in the salad spinner to drain excess water.
- Don’t spend extra for blanched almonds. Buy raw with the skins on and drop them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Pinch between your fingers and the skins pop right off!
- Bread and bagel bags are the perfect size for storing long, leafy greens.
scrappy crochet scarf
I’ve been sorting my odds and ends of yarn by color. I have this idea that a woven pattern might tie the different hues together with a subtle color change rather than stripey.
My first one is made up of greens and browns. The greens are blending nicely, but the brown is pretty dominant. I don’t want to rip this out and start over, so I’ll probably repeat the brown every five rows to keep some sort of balance.
I’ve left the ends hanging. Not sure if I like the fringe look or not. It needs to be a little wider before I can decide.
Are you working on a scrappy project? Share in the comments!
ch-ch-ch-cherries: making some jam, freezing for winter
Last weekend our local grocery store was selling bing cherries by the lug. I think it worked out to $1.98 a pound. We LOVE cherries around here and I jumped at the chance to get so many at such a great price.
After giving them a good wash, my daughter worked hard at removing all of the stems. I love that she’s old enough to be kitchen labor! I pitted and froze two cookie sheets worth, which filled a one gallon freezer bag. Then I pitted and chopped up four cups and made low-sugar jam. I tried to get away with no-sugar jam, but my family looked at me like I had three heads.
The rest? All gone. In our bellies. They were so incredibly tasty. Yay for cherry season!
notes: I used pectin made especially for low-sugar jam and followed the recipe on the label. I used these freezer jars instead of canning in a hot water bath. I also use this olive/cherry pitter because I’ve never been able to master the paper clip method. (all links except that last one take you to amazon.com)
