greenclogs

weekending

Today was:

:: farmer's market for beeswax candles, mushrooms, greens, onions, parsley, beets, and apple cider

:: house cleanup

:: a freezer paper stencil party/class that was a fundraiser for G's school 

:: little people playing with Playmobil and Lego

:: snuggles with a wee one

:: oatmeal raisin cookies and hot spiced cider for dinner

:: football and crochet with a nail-biter upset win for my alma mater at the end 

:: a cup of tea

:: bedtime 

Tomorrow will be a new day full of promise and possibilites. 

Goodnight. 

overdue show & tell

The other thing that I didn't blog about in September was our 10th wedding anniversary. It was pretty quiet - we went out to a lovely dinner just the two of us while my aunt babysat the kids. The highlight (other than being married for 10 years) was the gift I gave Jeff for our anniversary. Well, really, I gave it to both of us. 

I commissioned a platter from Melissa for our anniversary. We have several other of her pieces that I've purchased or traded lemons for over the last few years, and they are treasured. This platter has been popping up here and there in my photos, but I had to take a few minutes to show off the beauty of her work. Not only is Melissa a really talented potter, she is a beautiful person who I am proud to call my friend. It was such a pleasure to work with her on making something special for our anniversary.

I love where she has gone with her pottery with the addition of the drawings and impressions of the honeycomb. It has all of the natural beauty of her usual forms, but those extra details make it extra special. 

It has two hangers on the back - I'm going to hang it on the dining room wall this weekend. This platter is the other reason I wanted to paint. It was deserving of a lovely place to hang it. 

I feel lucky to have such talented friends whose artwork help make my house a home. Thank you again, Melissa, for sharing your gifts with us. 

I need to wash this window tomorrow

 

Today was quiet. We made things. Annika started a tote bag and was very busy making Thanksgiving decoration out of construction paper. I quilted another pillow top. Kit reorganized the recipe box a few times. I started thinking about Christmas decor and had the urge to make all kinds of things that I don't have time to make. Maybe recognizing the lack of time is a sign of maturity? I'm sure I'll manage to overcome it and try to do too much anyway. Maturity is overrated. However, I did pull out my box of unfinished projects and prioritize them, so I think I'll tackle that stuff first. 

I have yarn balls that were rescued from the ripple afghan waiting to become part of the New Improved Afghan. They looked so pretty in our brief sunshine today - so full of promise. You can usually tell what I'm working on by what's sitting on that windowsill. That green tube is my new best friend - Weleda Skin Food. I have been having a huge battle with excema on my fingers and my left wrist since we moved back here, when I never have before. The Skin Food is the best thing I've found so far in keeping it managed so that I don't want to scratch the skin off of my hands. I'm guessing there won't be any real improvement until spring, but we'll see. I can hope and slather on expensive lotion. 

There is slow improvement on the snotty nose front. I'm ready for it to be over and so is she. My dad stopped by today and she was so sad the whole time he was here, which is unusual. She adores him and is always so excited to see him. You know things aren't right when she's sad around her Boppa. 

We have an electrical issue upstairs. If we turn on a space heater, the sewing machine and the iron, then the fuse trips. I see this as a major issue, given that there isn't forced air heat up there. I'll be investigating what else is plugged in that is optional, but I don't think it's much. A couple of lamps maybe. I'm guessing that fixing it would be quite a venture, so we'll be living with it for now and wearing our sweaters if the iron is in use. Old houses have their downside in addition to their coved ceilings and fancy built-ins. 

That's all I have. Hope your day was lovely.

typical Wednesday

We're just going to stick with "here was my day" today because that's what I have for you. 

There was a lot of drawing today by both girls. They'll draw all day if I let them. Preferably while watching TV. Annika is doing a way better job of sharing those colored pencils than I thought she would. I need to buy Kit her own crayons - the big fat toddler ones. Although she does surprisingly well with these. 

I started the day by baking the cookies that I prepped last night. They are really tasty little gingersnaps and I'll definitely make them again. I used this recipe. My main recommendation is to not let them sit on the cookie sheet to cool unless you have parchment under them (I ran out). They cool and crisp quickly and may stick to the pan and break in half. Good thing I also made chocolate chip cookies, so I could supplement the broken ones. Funny thing - my family didn't care that they were broken. 

It was co-op day today. The cookies were for teacher appreciation and they were appreciated. We hung out in the family lounge for the first two hours and Kit played while I crocheted. When we left, she cried so hard because her sissy wasn't coming along with us. Such a sad girl she was. Annika had a table at their little craft fair today selling her handmade note cards and doing magic tricks. She spent more than she made - such is the danger of the craft fair. 

It poured rain today. My bike commuters got soaked. They need rain pants and booties as of yesterday. Luckily Melissa has steered me in the right direction because she also has a bike commuter.

I finished the free motion quilting on that pillow today while Kit napped and plan to do the next one tomorrow. I should have done the dishes, but I really wanted that crossed off the sewing list.

Dinner was spaghetti squash with tomato sauce that I made and froze last month along with sauteed mushrooms, and a salad with hazelnuts. Everything was local but the olive oil and parmesan. Love that. I really wanted to eat the whole plate of mushrooms but I was nice and shared with Jeff. I was remembering, as I sliced and cooked the mushrooms, how Lindsay used to beg me for sauteed mushrooms for dinner when she was 5. I was right back in my little apartment in Seattle (with a kitchen remarkably like this one - same era) with my little girl and her mushroom love. She'll be home in 29 days. I'll make sauteed mushrooms. 

It was a quiet night. There was homework for the boy, an art project for the girl that her grandma sent from Seattle. It's a contest entry to win tickets to the Nutcracker. Those Jacksons are contest people - they have won many. She plans to follow in their footsteps and I say more power to her. The little one played with toys and tried to pick our noses, giggling maniacally when we batted her little finger away. She's a stinker. 

It's bedtime again. Jeff started laundry and I did most of the dishes. I'll finish them in the morning. Pinky swear. 

 

15 November

today...

I took the boy to school at 5:30 this morning for his community service work - they serve breakfast to homeless teens. We got coffee at Starbucks. I threw mine out when I got home. It was too bitter. Kit had woken up to Jeff's alarm and he was singing to her. I took her back to bed and we slept until 8. 

The fever had broken but there was thick yucky snot coming from that tiny nose. 

I made coffee and we ate eggs. She had a pancake with hers. I had an avocado and salsa with mine.

I registered Annika for her next term of classes. History, art literacy, drama, math through castle building, family fitness. embroidery. 

We all tackled the disaster that was the studio. One very full garbage bag went out to the trash. We are no longer stepping on buttons. 

One corner needs to be done tomorrow (the corner where all of the junk with no home lives) and a china cabinet to be moved up here for housing yarn and art supplies. I also need a better scrap solution, which may be a) make a scrappy quilt asap and b) get bigger bins for sorting them. 

We butted heads over common denominators. Over finishing the math chapter vs. understanding the concepts covered in the chapter. We came to terms with common denominators, I think. We'll see tomorrow. A hat was knitted by the girl for an upcoming newborn. 

We left the exasperation behind to go pick up our co-op food (honeycrisps! shiitakes! winter squash!) and get a snack. 

We picked up G and there was a red heart on his hand, drawn with Sharpie by a girl. Sigh. I snuck a photo with my phone and texted it to his big sister. She keeps him humble and grounded, even from too far away. 

Snack became dinner from Burgerville. Happy kids with bean burger (him) chicken (the girls), sweet potato fries (me), and end of the season pumpkin shakes. 

She nearly fell asleep at 7:15 but Dadoo came home and they played until 9:30 while cookie dough was made. She kissed everyone and told me it was bedtime. I put her to sleep. 

Cookie dough was finished and put into the fridge to chill for slicing and baking in the morning. I sat down to write.

She started to cry - congestion and coughing woke her. We sang and rocked back to sleep. The big girl got up and took ibuprofen for her sore throat. I hope it's gone in the morning and that they both are better. Tomorrow is a busy day. 

The dishes are done. The dough is chilling. I forgot to do laundry but I did uncrochet the doomed ripple afghan and wind the yarn into new balls for the good one. There will be much time to crochet tomorrow. I sat down to write again and this time I finished. 

Goodnight. 

 

hello Monday

There's that sick girl. Being around her was like a roller coaster ride today. She was up at 5AM and very sad. We were snuggled on the couch watching PBS by 6:30. Well, she was. I fell back to sleep while she was nestled in my lap. I realized today how *not* cuddly she usually is. Annika and Gunnar were both snugglers. This one and Lindsay, not so much. Unless it's time for night time snuggles, which are a different story altogether, or apparently if she's sick. I also realized that this was her first real fever, which is why this was such a shocker. When the Advil was working, she was her normal sunny, busy self, if a little fragile. When she got tired, or it was time for the next dose, then it was meltdown/cuddle city. I'm hoping for a better night and a back-to-normal tomorrow. 

In exciting news of the day, we got a new refrigerator! This is unbelievably exciting. We have rejoined the 21st century in refrigeration. No more Harvest Gold wire shelved refrigerators for us. This baby has a bottom freezer and is sparkling white with glass shelves. It even has an icemaker (if I get a plumber in here to run a water line to it). Also, when we pulled out the old one, we discovered that this kitchen used to be a very bright coral back in the day. Go figure. I keep trying to visualize it. I painted new swatches on the kitchen wall today (Martha Stewart Basil and Seaglass that I already had in the house) but they're both a no go. Back to the drawing board. What color would you paint my kitchen if not yellow? 

Warning - bad low light evening photography ahead. 

This is going to be an afghan. I have committed to crocheting a stripe a day until it's done, which means it should be done right when Lindsay comes home for Christmas. That is exceptionally good timing, considering that it's for her. I bought the yarn last Christmas. I enthusiastically taught myself to crochet, and then proceeded to cast on a ripple afghan that was would have fit her bed as a bedspread. I am not familiar with crochet gauge at all. After gamely crocheting away for far too long, I stopped and started over with this one that is the right size. I really love it. Someday I will learn to choose thick yarn and big hooks, however. DK weight cotton with a size E hook was probably not my best choice for a first crochet project. Who am I kidding? I'll never learn. 

It sure is pretty though. In the end, I'll be glad I took the time to do the project I wanted and that she'll love. That's why I never learn to do it the easy way. I like it the right way (but the one for me will be wool). 

Hope your Monday was grand even if you weren't lucky enough to get a new refrigerator. 

sick baby

I'll be back tomorrow with weekend doings and musings. Right now I'm going to go snuggle the baby who suddenly came down with a fever this evening after we thought she had licked her cold. It's her first real fever and she is an unhappy camper. 

Take care. 

making progress

Now that the walls are painted, I'm finally helping everything find its home. I think that about 75% of the reason that I got rid of the red on this wall is that I knew that this painting by Emily belonged over the mantle. It still needs to be hung, but it's finally in its rightful place alongside the vintage solar system that my brother gave us and the wedding gift candlesticks. A few more things will be layered in here as time goes on. Also, this is the truest shot that I've taken of the wall color. Finally. 

New curtains are next on the agenda, as I mentioned before. I was all set to go with that fabric in the middle, but I bought the bolder one too, on a whim, and we all immediately went that direction (including the extra people in our house today). The repeat on the center one is too small and heads into twee, which I don't want. I'm sure it will see other uses. The stripe is exactly the funky, crafty counterpoint that was needed against the very traditional room. I'm going to frame the panels in grey so that I can get away with using only 2 yards of the fabric instead of 6 (along with 1/2 yard of grey). Much more budget friendly. I'm leaning toward using this fabric from the same collection in the dining room - same print as the white and grey above, but on a much larger scale and in the bright yellow. It feels so good to see the end in these spaces. 

Today was all about cleaning and hanging art and readying ourselves for company to share Jeff's misery in losing his football game tonight. Tomorrow I'm looking forward to putting my feet up in front of a fire and making progress on Lindsay's afghan. If the rain breaks, we're headed to the park at the end of the road to take photos of fall color. Until then. 

I was too tired

Super busy day yesterday and I fell asleep with the baby. So, here's a quick post this morning and a real one this evening. 

This is my Saturday morning gift to you. Jeff as he was shaving off his Halloween beard. Try to not let his awesomeness stay burned into your retinas all weekend long. 

You're welcome. Happy Saturday!

random Thursday

We're just running with the photos on my camera. 

We sent cinnamon rolls to Lindsay. See post full of guilt from Tuesday. 

Kit was Chief Stirrer and Quality Control. She assured me that they were top notch cinnamon rolls and they went in the mail. The last time I sent her cinnamon rolls, I sent an ultrasound of this little person along with them as a little sister announcement. No ultrasound this time. She was relieved (but I bet a little sad. She loves the babies). 

We went to the zoo today. I thought Kit would fall asleep. I was sadly mistaken. She napped from 5:15 to 6:45 and then was beastly until she went back to bed at 9. 

Fall color is crazy beautiful right now. There will be a proper treatment of it tomorrow. I missed a lot of things when we were in AZ but fall color was in the top 3. Here's a preview. 

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It was a lovely day all around. Hoping for the same tomorrow.