Organdy Cupcakes

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T09:21:00.001-06:00

Willow blanket 2, originally uploaded by OrgandyCupcakes.

The kitties and I are all snuggled up with a pile of books and some movies.

Willow clearly thinks I should find my own blanket!

"The world was made round so that we could not see too far ahead" --Baroness Karin Blixen

2010-12-31T09:06:00.002-06:00

Sometimes you just have to start where you are.

I do not wish to rehash the unexpected difficulties, trials, disappointments, and just plain hardships of the last 18 months. It is good that I did not see them coming because there is nothing I could have done ahead of time to stop them or change their course.

I have always been a cockeyed optomist. I still am.

I considered starting a new blog to go with the new life but...I don't know that it would be that helpful.

So.....big changes coming here.

I feel better already!!!!

Hey, Hit the Highway!

2009-05-08T12:08:00.006-05:00

Every April, quilters of Nebraska herald the coming of Spring by loading coolers with ice teas, sodas, juices, sandwiches, and other nibbly bits into our vehicles and heading out to see just how many quilt shops we can visit in a ten day period.

Mischief and mayhem reign as we covertly slip items into one another's shopping baskets, encourage our friends to built their fabric stash beyond several life expectancies, and add new favorite shops to our list. Welcome to the 11th Annual Nebraska Shop-Hop.

My darling mother and I have made this a mother-daughter tradition. We usually only travel on weekends and this year, one weekend was plenty of fun. I usually do the driving and she's my navigator. Um, yes, there are still places in Nebraska in which your onboard nav system will simply say, "Abandon hope, all ye who dare to enter here." This year, we reversed rolls. I did not get as many photos as I would have liked because a certain wee seventy year old was on my case to get back in the car! "Time's awastin', ya know!"

Our first day, a Saturday, we explored the Southeast corner of Nebraska. We visited two shops in Omaha, one in Plattsmouth, two in Auburn, and one in Falls City, the hometown of Larry the Cable Guy.

Here are some shots of the amazingly well stocked "Heavenly Treasures" of Falls City. The nice lady who owns this shop could not stand the idea of this vintage church being torn down so she rescued it and no doubt hides her stash from her husband here.

More to come!

The Darvocet & Green Jello Diet

2009-05-03T14:54:00.006-05:00

The view from a hospital bed is, to my mind, one of the strangest. It consists, mostly, of faces, both concerned and discerning, and of pseudo-cheery decor which doesn't quite hide the machines and instruments which hiss, whirrrrr, bleep, and tell all of your secrets.

It was from this bed I rediscovered two things, the first being that I'm really still no bigger than I was in high school. For some reason, I go around thinking of myself as taller and having a more commanding presence. There is nothing like a pre-surgical hospital gurney to knock you down to the very essence of who and what you are and how fragile and fleeting an earthly life really is. I felt positively tiny lying there, IV ready, and blankets from the warming oven pilled high to stop the shivering. Second, some people are family because we are born to them and they to us, and some are our family because we adopt one another along the way. I have always known that I am tremendously blessed in my family and circle of friends.

If you were to ask me how I am today, I would have to quote a well known financial speaker and adviser and say, "Better than I deserve!"

Yes, everything went even better than expected, in spite of a few unexpected complications, and I am mending. Ready to get back on the bicycle trails, ready to try out that new, lighter crossbow, and ready to adopt some more friends. I hope you will add to your circle this year.

Blessings to all of you. I'll be back really soon.

A little Quilt Along Progress

2009-03-22T13:58:00.005-05:00

I've been a little under the weather for the last several days. What better way to relax and heal than a little stitching? Two blocks are missing from the pic above. Until I started this project, I had no idea that a fat quarter does not necessarily contain a whole quarter yard of fabric. These quarters were only 17" x 20" instead of 18" x 22". That means that a company making fat quarters out of a standard 13.5 yard bolt of fabric can potentially get an extra three "quarters" out of the bolt. Seems a little ratty to me. Just sayin'!

Elizabeth's cutting directions use "everything but the squeal". There is nothing wrong with the cutting instructions, only the actual size of the quarters. Many other members of the group ran into the same problem. I have purchased another quarter of the brown but have not yet prewashed it and have moved onto the next fabric combinations.

Here is combination #2.

And the third, my favorite, so far...

Wouldn't this be great?

2009-03-16T00:23:00.004-05:00

I found this long display counter while antiquing with my mom. Can't you just picture it with fabrics stashed on one side, yarn on the other, that nice long cutting surface, and room to layout and design... It's really long. Like maybe twenty feet or more. Eventually, I hope to finish my very pointy attic and move my craft explosions up there. I don't think this will fit through that tiny attic door so I guess I will have to build my own.

Sigh!

Happy 77th Birthday Daddy!!!

2009-03-15T10:07:00.004-05:00

Dad, Boulder Creek 1987, originally uploaded by OrgandyCupcakes.

My dad is a great man. He didn't run a large corporation or win an Olympic Medal. He wasn't the mayor of our small town or famous for anything but his easy laugh. To me, he has always been ten feet tall.

He taught me that upwardly-mobile often means downwardly-noble, that is is more important, to be a success as a human being than it is to succeed in your job. To always do an "honest day's work" and do it cheerfully.

When I was little, he used to take me swimming. I would watch while he swam the length of the pool and back, underwater, without coming up for air, and I wanted to be just like him.

He taught me that it is never too late to pursue a new interest. After retiring, from thirty-five years at his job, he learned to play a new instrument (he already played the trumpet). After a bout with cancer, he picked up another, the violin.

He began gardening a few years ago and has become an expert, sharing the fresh, healthy fruits of his labor with all of us.

I wish I had realized sooner what a great and understanding listener he is. I could have used that ear while I was in high school.

His hips bother him a little but he doesn't let that slow him down. This photo is 22 years old. It's hard to catch him with the camera - he moves too fast! But, he looks pretty much the same.

I love him so!

Time to catch up to the Quilt-A-Long

2009-03-14T16:52:00.007-05:00

Here are my fabric choices for the Quilt-A-Long over at Oh Fransson!

If the wee grey paw and the little grey head seem too far apart or oriented at an odd angle, it is because there are two kitties involved in the naughtiness, with promises of more help - every stitch of the way.

I've changed my mind about the Flea Market Fancy. I just might do a second quilt but the green seemed more springy (as opposed to summery).

Block Six - Magic Bunny

2009-03-13T08:35:00.005-05:00

A fussy cut from a garage sale find, two floursacks, and some stash scraps including a little plisse for texture.

Block Five - Garden Walk

2009-03-12T00:44:00.003-05:00

Block Five - Garden Walk, originally uploaded by OrgandyCupcakes.

Feed and Flour Sacks with other vintage fabrics and a few new scraps.

Block Four - Olivia!

2009-03-11T00:42:00.002-05:00

Block Four - Olivia!, originally uploaded by OrgandyCupcakes.

Featuring Olivia, three vintage fabrics, and a few repros.

Block Three - My Bike

2009-03-10T00:41:00.004-05:00

Block Three - My Bike, originally uploaded by OrgandyCupcakes.

One repro fabric, Heather Ross (from "lightning bugs"?) numerous feed and flour sacks, and some stash scraps.

I really did have that bike and I loved it! It was my tenth birthday present, resplendant with a sparkly, red "banana" seat, red paint, and red and white streamers on the handlebars. My best friend and I exchanged secret messages by hiding them inside the handlebars so the grip on the left side got a little loose.

Block Two - Marmalade Cat

2009-03-09T07:39:00.001-05:00

Block Two - Marmalade Cat, originally uploaded by OrgandyCupcakes.

Embroidery salvaged from a very tatty pillowcase, four repro fabrics, stash scraps, a 40's feedsack, swordfish from a friend's old shirt, and mermaids from old pj's.

I'm in!

2009-03-08T10:31:00.004-05:00

Block One - Blue Bird, originally uploaded by OrgandyCupcakes.

Just dropping in quickly to say I'm still alive.

For some reason, neither playing music nor knitting have held any interest for me,, since my treatment began. This is a big deal. Really big. I mean, if you know me, you know that music and knitting are normally a part of every day for me.

I have, however, been piecing quilt blocks. Piecing them in a fashion which really isn't usual for me, i.e. without much of a plan. I have to say that I am really happy with them. I think this will be a fun quilt. So many different fabrics and salvaged pieces of vintage linens and embroideries. Have you ever been home in bed, with a miserable cold (or something worse), and spent hours staring at the drapes or your bedclothes? This is the kind of quilt that gives you lots to look at, to soak in and enjoy, to soothe your frayed nerves. At least, that is my hope.

I kept thinking I needed to bring a little order to this obsession.

Et Voila. Elizabeth is holding a Quilt-A-Long! She has already shared so much good information. If you are new to quilting, you will find the posts soooo useful.

I have had a complete set of Denyse Schmidt's original "Flea Market Fancy" fat quarters, from her first line since, oh, probably the day they became available. I have jealously hoarded them and never found a project exciting enough to entice me to cut into them. I think now is the time. And I just bought a lovely red chinese latern/dragonfly fabric at Hancock Fabrics recently. I wasn't sure what I would use it for but I think it would be great for part of the backing. Maybe all of it, since it is a print, I don't think I want a different print below the strip of blocks and I have PLENTY of the lantern fabric. Pictures soon.

In the meantime, here's the first block of the scrappy, part courthouse steps, part log cabin, somewhat looney, quilt in progress.

I feel better already!

Lupron Neutron

2009-03-01T20:07:00.001-06:00

I'm thinking I should legally change my name to Lupron Neutron. If only I could harvest the radiant heat which seems to have engulfed me! I'm sure I could supply power to a small town.

I found a wonderful doctor. I did plenty of homework before my appointment with her and had studied all the options currently available. I'm happy to say that she discussed them fully without any prodding from me. So many physicians want to do the easiest procedure instead of the best and most appropriate.

We agreed on a course of treatment which will give me the best chance of the outcome I want. I am undergoing a series of Lupron injections to shrink the tumor. It should shrink between 35% to 50% making it far easier to remove surgically without nicking surrounding organs or having to take other stuff with it.

The side effects of the drug are, um, interesting to say the least. The most noticeable being hot flashes, which I will refer to as power surges from this sentence forward. They're weird. I had never had one before and now I have one or two per hour. I am a person who has always gotten cold easily. You would think that I would just be warm now but, not so. Instead it's a bit like having a fever with chills all the time.

I would like to thank everyone for all the concern and good wishes. I'm going to be fine. I'm just very uncomfortable at the moment but it won't last and I'll be back to my old, annoying self!

Ten Things You Might Already Know About Me

2009-01-26T08:36:00.003-06:00

My first name comes from a doll in a Beatrix Potter story, "The Tale of Two Bad Mice."

I began ballet lessons as an adult. I had foot surgery and needed to strengthen my foot and keep it flexible. It kept the rest of me strong and flexible too. I was the only one in class with discernable breasts and hips. The others all lived on bullion and hot tea. How sad!

I am an avid herb gardener. I'm good with fruit trees too. For some reason, vegetables scare me a little. I'm growing them anyway.

My first job, with a paycheck, was School Crossing Guard. It paid a dollar a day. Doing this job, on the windswept prairie, was pure misery in the winter. I never complained or quit. I bought savings bonds with my money and vowed never to allow myself to be that cold again.

I have always gotten along well with my parents, even as a teenager.

I learned American Sign Language as a child. I wouldn't say I'm all that fluent at this point because I have no one with whom I can converse. The little town I grew up in was very near a state school for the deaf and when I was very young, several of the school's students lived in that town. We played together in the summer. I, and other "hearing" children who attended the public school, drove our teachers crazy by signing to one another during class and study halls. They couldn't really punish us for talking, so they would move us so that we were no longer facing one another. All this came to a halt when Mrs Grell, our sixth grade teacher, moved to town. She was a hearing person raised by deaf parents. She not only understood our signing, she read lips too. Ouch!

When I write in my journal, I start in the back and end in the front. I have no idea why. Moleskine Cahier Notebooks are my favorite. When I was in elementary school, I stitched my own journals from scrap paper.

I work in the "carriage trade".

I learned to knit and hand sew before the age of three. I won't say I was immediately good at either of them.

I look like my paternal grandmother when she was younger.

THE DOUBTFUL GUEST:

2009-01-25T14:05:00.005-06:00

"When they answered the bell on that wild winter night,
there was no one expected - and no one in sight.
Then they saw something standing on top of an urn,
Whose peculiar appearance gave them quite a turn."
--Edward Gorey

For many months I have felt not quite myself but not horrible. Unable to put my finger on what was wrong. Last month, I bought new jeans and had to buy a size 6 instead of the usual 4. Berating myself and wondering how this could happen, I ramped up my workouts. Then I started feeling pain in my lower right quadrant. My appendix got the big snip in 1983 so that couldn't be the problem. I assumed I had strained my abs and eased off the resistance training a bit. It got worse instead of better.

Tuesday I had an ultrasound and found that I have a benign tumor in my abdomen, the size of a regulation softball. It's pressing on my spine, the nerves to my right leg, and various organs.

So. Good news, actually Great News: not cancer and not embedded in any organ. Mediocre news: It will have to come out.

And I want it out. It's an univited guest making the rest of me uncomfortable and anemic. It's very weird to think there is something inside that size and I only just became aware of it!

Don't know the schedule for this yet but posts may continue to be scant for a little while.

The Cheerful Cherub

2008-12-25T05:33:00.000-06:00

By Rebecca McCann

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day..."

2008-12-22T04:06:00.004-06:00

This Christmas Carol is based on the poem "Christmas Bells" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, during the American Civil War.

Longfellow had just lost his wife in a house fire and his son had been severely wounded in battle. When he stepped outside, on Christmas morning, to the sound of bells chiming, he was anguished. The world was not at peace. How could anyone ring those bells? Then he worked out his pain on paper. It's worth reading. A poem of hurt and dispair but also a poem of understanding and hope.

And isn't hope what Christmas is about?

If you would like to hear a very stirring rendition, go here.

Photo: Public Domain

"Had I But One Penny in the World, Thou Shouldst Have It for Gingerbread." --Wm. Shakespeare

2008-12-21T05:00:00.001-06:00

I don't like crunchy cookies. I like them soft.

These gingersnaps are a family favorite but they don't snap so maybe we should call them Ginger Squishes or something along that line.

The secret is the cane sugar and the margarine. The one and only time I will use margarine is when I am making these cookies. If you substitute butter, they will be harder cookies. I recommend Parkay Margarine. If you use another brand, make sure you are not using one which consists largely of water or you will have a mess on your hands. Likewise, if you buy a "brown" sugar instead of true cane sugar, you will not get the best results. Many cheap brands of brown sugar are simply beet sugar with molasses. The taste is very bland in comparison. True cane sugar is tastier and safer for those of us on a gluten-free diet.

SOFT GINGERSNAPS 375F cookie sheets 12-15min. approx 3 dozen

1 cup light or dark cane sugar (C&H Brown Sugar)

3/4 cup Parkay margarine

1 egg

1/4 cup Brer Rabbit Gold Label Molasses

2 1/2 cups flour ( for GF cookies use 2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill

Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour sifted with 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

some white sugar in a bowl, custard cup, or shallow mug

Cream the cane sugar and the margarine together.

Add the egg and mix well.

Add the molasses and mix well.

Stir the dry ingredients (except for the white sugar) together in a separate bowl and then mix into the wet ingredients a little at a time.

Chill the dough for at least one hour.

Roll into balls, roll the balls in white sugar, and bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees F.

You can really impress your guests by serving these, hot out of the oven, with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Dreaming of a Christmas White

2008-12-18T18:36:00.002-06:00

Halcyon Days

2008-12-10T12:43:00.003-06:00

The fourteen days preceeding the winter solstice are referred to as Halcyon Days. In ancient times, the belief was that this bird, a kingfisher, nested on the sea, which it calmed in order to lay its eggs on a floating nest. For this reason, the ancients expected the weather to be calm around the winter solstice. Ultimately, the term "halcyon" came to mean calmness or peacefulness.

I mentioned previously that I'm not all that fond of winter. Still, I think these last, short days of the year are a wonderful time to reflect and look forward to lengthening days and more sunshine. I am a Christian, but I observe the solstice as well. I see no conflict here. Rather, it is another way of marking time and remembering to be grateful for all the wonderful gifts we have in the natural world.

photo licenced by david meeker

C is for Cookie

2008-11-29T04:08:00.007-06:00

Learning to obtain, cook, bake, and eat gluten-free is a real challenge. It is expecially tough for someone like me, who loves to bake. Tough, I guess, because the end product often seems inferior, no matter how much effort goes into it.

I learned very quickly that prepared gluten-free food is at best, tasteless, and often the texture is even worse.

For the first few months of this odyssey, I vacillated from avoiding the grocery store completely and just not eating much, to wandering around the local grocery, slobbering like Pavlov's Dog, as I examined one forbidden item after another. I will say that no matter how great the temptation to cheat, it usually didn't happen. The effects of eating wheat or wheat gluten are immediate and not something one discusses in polite company. It just isn't worth the very real pain it causes.

I tried one recommended item after another and ended up wondering just how long it had been since the well-meaning, fellow Celiac had tasted "real food". Store-bought GF sandwich bread: 1/2 the size, 4 times the price, and tastes only slightly better than soggy cardboard. GF frozen waffles: tasteless and gritty. I could write a whole lament here but that would not be helpful.

I wanted food I could feed to family and friends without them noticing that the food was different.

I have found that it is best to plan ahead and cook and bake at home. I rely on the wonderful Gluten-Free Gourmet series of cookbooks by Bette Hagman and some great blogs like Gluten-Free Girl and Jennifer Ate. Why? Because the ingredients, and therefore mistakes, are expensive.

There are three items I find enormously helpful:

Bob's Red Mill GF All-Purpose Flour This flour can be substituted successfully in a large number of my old recipes for muffins, fruit breads, and cookies. There is no need to look up conversions. If the recipe calls for 1 cup, 1 cup of this flour is fine. I do add a little xanthan gum, especially for cookies.

Bob's Red Mill GF Pancake Mix Yes, pancakes. It won't do to mix up too much of this the first time. The pancakes are slightly heavy and very filling. But they're good.

Cherrybrook Kitchen's "Gluten-Free Dreams" Sugar Cookie Mix I've saved my favorite for last. This mix is so yummy there is just no point in making sugar cookies from scratch. I do take liberties with this mix. By substituting Almond Extract for Vanilla Extract, they can be made to taste like spritz cookies. Add 1/4 tsp. of cream of tartar and roll them in ground cinnamon before baking and you have Snickerdoodles. If I am going to a function like a baby shower or a wedding reception, I smuggle some of these cookies in so that I can have dessert too. My next mad scientist project for this mix will be melting chocolate (the safe kind) and dipping the cookies half way into the chocolate.

All of these items can be ordered directly from the manufacturers' websites. I often get them at Super Target. If you cannot find them, amazon.com carries all of them, at a lower price, and will charge you even less if you set up "subscriptions" based on how much you will need in a 3,6, or 9 month period. If you set up these subbscriptions with Amazon, the shipping on these items is FREE.

For a little extra encouragement, go here.

New York, 3 October 1789

2008-11-27T05:30:00.003-06:00

"By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Geo: Washington"

Just in case you've never had the priviledge of reading it.....

Nebraska November

2008-11-25T18:23:00.004-06:00

Just some images of late fall.

Happiness List

2008-11-24T05:45:00.003-06:00

1) Finding ways to use local honey instead of sugar. In cookies, applesauce, tea.....

2) Minnetonka Moccasins. Nerdy? Maybe, but I have loved them since childhood when they could be found in every souvenir shop from Mitchell, South Dakota to Donner Pass, Idaho.

3) Puppy sitting. For the record, he hates the sissy jacket.

4) Finding a Gluten-Free pie crust recipe to swear by instead of at. We all owe you, Shauna, for sooooo many things.

5) A naughty kitten who loves to "model" fabric and yarn.

Get out of town!

2008-11-23T08:58:00.007-06:00

I like to take mini-vacations. There are so many interesting sites not far away. I think this is probably true of most cities. I can usually find something worth exploring within an hour's driving distance.

I have been watching my friends' home, and animals, about twenty-five miles south of Omaha. Ten miles south of her home is the frontier town of Plattsmouth. There is so much history there. I visit there regularly and still have not see all of it. An important site on the Lewis and Clark Trail, Plattsmouth boasts a wonderful Main Street. It's original buildings house an old fashioned hardware store, an amazing quilt shop, a wine shop which stocks local vintners' wares, a restaurant called "Mom's" which serves up comfort food and a quaint atmosphere, and much more.

Just two blocks east of Mom's, near the Burlington Rail Lines, I found the Cook Cabin. Del Hervey, a member of the Cass County historical society, was just locking the cabin and a restored caboose, for the winter, when I arrived. I didn't want to bother him and thought I'd just snap a few pics before heading toward the toll bridge to get some pictures of the river. But Del, in spite of the chilly weather, was enthusiastic about showing me around.

The cabin was built by German settlers, Joseph and Mary Cook (originally Koch) in 1868. It was their second home. The first was even smaller. The main floor is roughly the size of my guest bedroom but the Cooks raised eleven children to adulthood under this roof. Diaries and letters from family members indicate children slept downstairs until they were walking and "trained" and then moved upstairs, to the sleeping loft, with their older brothers and sisters.

The Cook family was on friendly terms with the Native Americans who also lived in the area. They did find it a little odd when their neighbors entered without knocking and helped themselves to whatever food was on the table.

The cabin was moved from its' original site, five miles away, to the edge of the city. Later generations had added on and eventually engulfed the cabin in a bigger farmhouse. That farmhouse was painstakingly peeled away until the cabin was once again freestanding. Historical Society members are not quite finished restoring it, but have done a wonderful job.

Love Thy Neighbor

2008-11-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

My neighbors' teenage daughter, K., has an attic bedroom which includes this skylight.

The current display is just one of many which change at least once a month.

Now how can you not love a kid who just wants to send a smile up into the world?

Sweater Rescue: Part One

2008-11-10T11:05:00.002-06:00

Have any of you ever braved the Goodwill Wearhouse? It's not for the faint of heart. This is the last place items donated to Goodwill are taken, before the knick knacks are smashed and thrown in a dumpster and the clothing is all sold to rag companies.

Workers at the GW wheel huge, wooden bins heaped with items out onto the floor of the store and you are free to sort through and fill your cart with anything you like.

The cons:
There is often the nerve wracking sound of items being smashed in the back room.
Some of the shoppers are really competitive when those bins are first rolled out. I'm perfectly happy sticking with the bins which have been in the showroom for a while.
You must take care when sorting through the bins. Quite often there are sharp objects lurking.
Your shoulders and arms can get tired and sore from sorting. This is especially true for those of us who are petite because the bins are somewhat tall.

The Pros:
Since Goodwill's prices, in their regular retail stores, have gotten markedly higher, due to E-bay's popularity, some very nice things end up in these bins.
The merchandise, except for the furniture, appliances, and books, is sold for $1.37 per pound. Be careful. Some individual items are so heavy that their "by-the-pound" price ends up being higher than it would have been priced at the regular Goodwill.

I've shopped for linen for quilts, anything in large sizes made from t-shirt fabric to experiment with projects from The Alabama Stitch Book, vintage quilt tops, and my favorite, cashmere sweaters. Yes! Cashmere. It's light as thisledown! I recently walked away with seven cashmere sweaters for $1.29 and tax.

Six of them where in awesome shape. Two of them still had their original tags! One cappucchino colored cardigan had a few tiny holes and one missing button but that didn't stop me.

First, I placed all the sweaters in a freezer bag and froze them for 72 hours. Moth larvae cannot survive freezing. This is why moths migrate. Then I washed them in cold water in the gentle cycle. I never send cashmere to the dry cleaners. It simply isn't necessary. Then I dryed them in the dryer on the gentlest setting. I recommend using a dryer sheet because the cashmere can smell, well, a little gamey, when drying. Always clean your lint screen with a soft toothbrush and a little Dawn dishwashing soap after using a dryer sheet. The sheet can occlude the screen and keep your dryer from working efficiently.

Then, I checked the inside of the sweater and, sure enough, there was a spare button still stitched to the inside seam.

More soon....

Mitten Maven

2008-11-08T09:43:00.010-06:00

For some time now, I have been marveling over the work of Leena at Riihivilla.

Leena and her husband live in Finland. Leena has been dyeing Finnsheep wool for more than 20 years, gathering and fermenting her own dyestuffs, and, together with her mother, creating awesome Mitten Kits. The kits are inspired, in both colorways and design, by the breathtaking Finnish countryside.

Leena and her husband sell their yarns at the Market Place Kauppatori, in Helsinki, but fortunately for us, they are also available online.

If you have a knitter on your list, or you are looking for a chilly weather project with sumptuous color, may I suggest you pour yourself a cup of tea, explore Leena's blog, and then check out her shop? Do remember that the kits and patterns are for personal use only.

If only I could make up my mind which kit to hint for this Christmas.......! I think the one pictured above might be my favorite.

"Youth is a circumstance you can't do anything about. The trick is to grow up without getting old." --Frank Lloyd Wright

2008-10-05T06:00:00.006-05:00

Every morning I'm greeted by angels. They perch quietly atop my armoire. One for each woman in my immediate family. March and December for my amazing grandmothers. January for a sister who left us six months before I was born. And, October, times two, for my mother and me.

The knowledge, the love, and the wisdom of my female relatives is such a rich heritage. A gift I continue to open and explore. The gentle humor, homespun wisdom, and unmatched energy of my maternal grandma. The grace, talent, and deep intelligence of my paternal grandmother. And the unconditional love and tireless one-woman cheering squad also known as Mom.

I am humbled to be a part of this group. I hope that, like them, I can truly make a difference to those who surround me. Yes. It's my birthday.

"How many apples fell on Newton's head before he took the hint?" --Robert Frost

2008-10-01T07:23:00.005-05:00

I've always turned my nose up at fancy apple peelers. They waste too much of the apple. I prefer the "zen" of paring and coring by hand. They cost too much....

A few pies and a batch of applesauce later, I've changed my mind.

I planted a pair of Granny Smith trees in my backyard this summer. With any luck, someone will present me with one of these before the trees begin producing. (hint, hint) This one is pretty too but a little pricey.

The tiny apples are crabs but they are sweet! We got them from Charles and Susan of Prairie Song Apiary.

Going to let my hands rest now. ;)

Twining Woodbine

2008-09-29T21:15:00.004-05:00

Saturday was the annual Applefest in Woodbine, Iowa, my father's hometown.

Over the years more and more members of my family have descended on this tiny, rural town, located on the Lincoln Highway, for this celebration. We troll the fleamarkets and craft shows and have lunch at one of the local churches.

There are vintage car and motorcycle shows, quilt exhibits, and more.

The day wouldn't be complete without a visit with our favorite beekeepers.

Much apple peeling and honey tasting to come!

Dragon Scales

2008-09-08T21:24:00.002-05:00

I have a dear friend, S., who loves complete sets. She does not see the sense in wearing a necklace if she does not have the matching earrings. When she buys a painting, she likes to buy the artist's studies too. Similarly, when I gifted her with a pair of these done in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, in the "pansy" colorway, she quickly purchased a bag of matching yarn and asked, very sweetly, for a matching scarf.

I would never refuse her anything so....

I cast on 51 stitches instead of 48. This gives a border of three stitches in stockinette on each side. The three pattern repeats used in the mitts provide a perfect width for the scarf. I am using seven balls of the aforementioned yarn. This should make the scarf at least 72" long. Very important since S. is elegantly tall.

I was somewhat worried that somewhere along the way I might get a little bored. To counter this, I treated myself to those lovely rosewood needles found at String of Purls. Okay, so it was an excuse to splurge on gorgeous needles....

I love the new point protecters too. I am allergic to latex and rubber so I was very happy to find them made of silicone, from Clover.

Isn't my model sweet?

"Who loves a garden, still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvests reaps." --A. Bronson Alcott

2008-09-07T09:52:00.005-05:00

Autumn has arrived early in the Heartland. I believe we are going to have an early and long winter. All summer long I have been watching for a doe with a single fawn. All of them have twins or triplets.

The walnut and oak trees are just sagging with nuts this year. While walking among the Bur Oaks this morning, I gathered acorn caps which are all triplets. Normally, they would be singles or twinned.

The geese have been flocking for two weeks now. There is such a sense of excitement and urgency when they are gathering, getting ready, and eating to fuel their journey. It gives me a serious case of wanderlust.

I have been staying at the country home of a friend. Watching her dogs and cats and horses while she attends the 50th Anniversary Party for her parents. The last few mornings have been breathtaking. Fog was nestled into the hollows and low over the fields. The rising sun cast beautiful pinks and violets into the sky. A mama bobcat and her two kits have been sleeping on the top of my car! Thankfully, they haven't tried to sharpen their claws on it, there is just some wild kitty fur sticking to the fabric.

On an excursion around the property, I spotted two different bucks with their hareems of doe and all those fawns, a group of wild turkeys, and some prairie voles. This is my favorite season. I wish I liked winter, even a little, but I don’t. So, I’m soaking Autumn in as long as I can. I know that the calendar says it hasn’t started yet but, well, the calendar is wrong.

That reminds me of an elderly gentleman I once knew. Gustav Andres was his name. Gus, as we called him, ran away from his home in Saffle Sweden at the age of ten because he hated fish. Saffle is a fishing village and he actually believed that since he was one of twelve kids, no one would miss him. He stowed away on a ship and came to America. He lived to be 96 years old and talking with him was always fun and interesting. He insisted that God only made two seasons: winter and summer. The others were “manmade”. I guess this would make sense when you come from the land of midnight sun.

2008-09-01T14:40:00.003-05:00

It's a little odd, beginning a blog. There is so much I want to share but where does one start? I don't want this to end up being an "Enough about me, let's talk about ME," sort of thing.

So, welcome! Thanks for giving my little virtual home a look.