Food Ruts

Do you ever find yourself in a food rut? I'm in one now. For months now, if I'm not hungry for anything else, I can easily work up an appetite for nachos. Yes, I know what you're saying. You're saying, well, being from the Tex-Mex capital of the world, what's the big deal about your craving nachos? But it's not really a craving. It's more like one of those things kids do: eat peanut butter sandwiches and only peanut butter sandwiches for like, 5 years. It's a rut, I tell you.

I was standing in the kitchen last night chopping up a fresh batch of salsa (it's so yummy with our homegrown tomatoes and bell peppers! I love having a farmer girl in da house!) to go on a plate of nachos and I came to the conclusion that, as a snack food/meal food, nachos have edged ahead of my all-time favorite, stove-popped popcorn. And I wondered, am I alone in this? This pointless introspection, this categorizing of my eating habits, this food rut-ness? Or are there others like me, standing in the kitchen late at night, preparing yet another plate of something they've eaten 3 times this week already?

What's your food rut?

Finished bags

Here are some pix of the bags I made, oh, back in April.

First the red one, since I made it first...and then the tan one, since I made it second...
And, then the innards of both, with copious thanks to my daughter for helping me choose fabric and put in the linings.

I think they turned out quite nicely. Of course, since I made them up as I went along, I guess I oughta know!

Christmas in July

My son came lugging this lumpy padded envelope in from the mail box and honestly, for some reason I thought to myself, "looks like trouble". Now is that a glass-half-empty attitude or what?? Well, regardless of what I thought, I was WRONG! It was a lovely surprise from my lovely friend Becky. All I did was mention on her blog that I was supremely jealous that she would be attending the Stitch N' Pitch at the Braves game. And now the girl's gone and sent me the goody bag! It's enough to change my outlook on incoming mail.

Naturally my son the Braves fanatic has claimed the bag, and I thought the lime green needles would be especially appreciated by my daughter, who adores lime green. Of course, like many knit junkies, we do share needles...

Thank you so much, dear friend, for making my day!! You rock!

Head for the hills!

Perhaps I stick my head in the sand, live in denial, whatever, but I pretty much avoid watching news shows on TV. Even the kids have figured out that TV news = bad news. Between the scary things in the back of my veggie drawer and the relentless recurrence with which everything in this house needs to be cleaned, I've ample opportunity for dread.

And lets not forget blogland (the land of blog?) wherein the unsuspecting inquiring mind can be led to something like Caffeinated Lip Balm. So help me. And Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap. No, really. Scary, ain't it? What will Stardollars coffee do to counter-act this blatant infringement on their turf? Think about it--if everyone's getting their caffeine buzz elsewhere, it could lead to vacant storefronts on every corner in America. Thousands of out-of-work barristas with no marketable job skills, forming their own special-interest groups, gathering for a Billion Barrista Bevy, tossing out sound-bites to news services ("the very structure of our society is eroding", "it's time to stop the insanity--we must bring back coffee", "if not in my generation, then for my children").

It's a scary world out there, people. Stick to tea.

Looks like a two cuppa day

Looks like a two cuppa day (that's English Breakfast, 2 lumps, with a dash of milk).

Late-ish last night I finished the roll-brim hat made with my lovely Knit Picks circulars (really, getting my first Knit Picks order was a sort of milestone for me, I don't know why), and it's entirely too small for a grown person's head. Unless that grown person has a freakishly small head--not that there's anything wrong with that.

So, instead of working toward some measurable and/or attainable goal this morning, I'm sitting at the computer finding all sorts of interesting websites:

* Captain Bob has this cool site all about education, natural learning, motivation and, of course, tall ships.

*Oh, how we all wish we had a Crazy Aunt Purl. It's nice to know that cat hair makes one loopy. I thought it was something hereditary and unavoidable---at least cat hair isn't hereditary!

*Could it be that punks will save me from my knitting errors? Stay tuned...

Time to put the kettle back on for the second cuppa...right after I shuffle out to the back yard in my pajamas and slippers and throw pool toys at the squirrel hanging upside down from the bird feeder. Again. Grrr...

Happy Birthday, Bill Watterson!

My First Knitpicks Order!

Wow, that was fast! My first ever order from Knitpicks arrived in 5 business days. Maybe that doesn't sound fast, but since shipping was only $2.49, I think that's quite expeditious! Oh, and I just love what I got---16" size 6 circs. I had knit a hat on 29" circs, but it was a pain, and I understood then why the pattern specifically stated 16"! So now, in addition to everything else I have on the needles I'm happily knitting a roll-brim hat for a local Seafarers Ministry. With my luxurious Knitpicks circs :)