Spring Fever

Zip and I have been amused lately by the crazy antics of the kitties when we opened the windows to let in the first of the warm spring air.  They fight over the rights to the window sill and then run like maniacs through the house, jumping on furniture and chasing each other.  Amazing how inspiring a little fresh air and sunshine can be!

I've been almost as bad.  The self-imposed hibernation of the winter is over and I'm out running loose and wild like a sailor on shore leave.  LOL!
My friend Marian and I made our first trip to the greenhouse to celebrate the season, though we know it's a little early to set out plants.  But looking is such fun!  These pictures are from Ashcombe near Williams Grove, PA.

 

Aren't those orchids lovely?  The following Saturday they were having an orchid sale sponsored by a group of local orchid growers.  I wish I had the environment for successfully growing these beauties. 

We strolled around enjoying all the lovely plants and the decorating accessories that they have available before going to lunch at the Pizza Grille in Carlisle.  The pizza with the roasted tomatoes and basil pesto was excellent!  Then we went next door to Knisley's farm and pet center to look at the peeps.  We have both raised chickens in the past (Marian more recently than Zip and I), and were considering the possibilities.

She already has a chicken coop, we do not.  This one is really nifty for just a few chickens and can be easily hosed out when it needs cleaned. 

Unfortunately it's $400+!  A bit pricy for four little hems!
In the end we came home without peeps.

The next day Kami and I went to East Berlin to Mannings and Woolgatherings.  We were checking out the knitting and crochet books and looking at yarn.  Unfortunately Mannings yarn is mostly out of our price range (I'm a yarn cheapo!).  But Carol at wool gatherings just happened to have a great deal on some yarn and we left with a hamper full.  Seventy five skeins!!!  which Kami and I shared.

We had lunch at Sidney, on the square in East Berlin.  It's a very upscale establishment run by a chef/owner who creates dishes of the kind presented on the Food Network.  Dining as an art form! And I forgot to take pictures of our lunch!!!  I did get a few shots of the lovely colonial dining room.  Everyone else was outside on the patio enjoying the nice weather, but we decided on the indoor ambience.

  
For more information about Sidney and the amazing culinary creations, here's the link-
 http://www.restaurantsidney.com

My new laptop and I haven't come to total companionablity yet.  The keyboard seems VERY sensitive and I am constantly  pabumping something that puts my cursor back in the middle of a sentence I've already written.  When I finally notice, my post has gone all wonky.  Waaah!!!
We'll eventujally have a meetiong of the minds, I hope.

So far the kitties have been happy with the new table arrangement.  They are sitting comfortably on either side of the keyboard where I can reach out and pet them. 

Penny on a pile of wool.

Deiter on the knitting bag.

Izzy decides to join the party.

No furry little bodies on the keyboard!  My babies have become good little computer companions!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  Enjoy your Easter or Passover or whatever you celebrate, even if it's just the joy of Spring.

Crazed Spending

Many of you know if you've been reading my blog for a while, that my kitchen stove is an early 1940's gas stove that my Mom purchased used when she and Dad rented their first house.  That was in 1947 or '48 about a year after I was born.  When they moved to Chambersburg when I was 13, they gave the stove to my uncle, who stored it in his basement till about 15 years ago when he gave it to me.  I've been using it ever since, hooked up to a small grill tank that's located in our back pantry.  This stove is amazingly gass-efficient.  The only problem is that the oven temperature control no longer works.  I've gotten used to it's quirks, but every once in a while, there's things I'd like to bake that take vey specific low temperatures that just aren't possible.

Lately, I've been researching countertop convection ovens as a second, more reliable, baking alternative.  Two weeks ago Zip and I went to the Kitchen Shoppe in Carlisle to 'just look'.  I had in mind the Breville convection oven that I had seen on TV.  They didn't have that model so I was ready to wait until it came back in stock.  Zip's thinking bigger and better (typical man  LOL!). We found the Waring Pro.  Zip has the 'why wait' mentality.  Probably because he doesn't want another shopping trip looming in his future!

This is it.  I love it!!!

So I thought, OK, there goes the new computer.  I guess I can struggle along with the old one for a while yet.

Over the next few days it just kept getting slower and slower until it was almost at a standstill.  The error messages were popping up constantly.  I eliminated every unnecessary program and file that was possible, cleaned up and defragged, and still the darn thing wouldn't run right.

Yesterday I had finally had enough of struggling with faulty technology and started checking out 'reasonably' priced laptops.  Staples was particularly unhelpful.  Apparently that 'EASY' button was out of order.  We went to Best Buy in Hagerstown.  And had lunch at Pizzaria Uno.  Oh, I love their pizza, so much that I forgot to take pictures.

Anyhow, the new puter is up and running with some of my necessary stuff installed.  I still have to hook up the wireless router so I can take it to the kitchen and check out and use recipes right there where I do the cooking.  No more printing of dozens of recipes.  Saves on trees, ya know!

Enough playing for one morning.  It's time to get to work.

The weather is beautiful.  The grass is sooo green!
Get out there and enjoy!

Spring??? Maybe!

We can Hope!.  The weather has been WONDERFUL!  Zip rototilled a section of the garden and we planted snap peas and swiss chard.  No the violets aren't blooming....yet!  But I've seen daffodils.

I will keep this short because my computer is going down fast.

First I want to wish a Happy Birthday to my two dear friends in the UK.

Happy Birthday,  Angie at Shozzy's Place!

And Happy Birthday, Briony at Crafty-Cats-Corner!

Ladies, we might be a year older, but we're just getting BETTER!!!  Like fine wine.  Happy next year and many more!

Several weeks ago I decided to rearrange my work and sewing area by putting in another nice long table for cutting fabric.  The computer was turned off for a few days while I moved the furniture around.  I wanted the computer on a table where Deiter and I would both fit (LOL) without him having to be laying on the keyboard and sitting in front of the screen.

The computer is now in the corner of the room with a window on either side and plenty of cat room.  It's working out well except for....  the puter is wonky!  I keep getting all kinds of error messages and frequently it won't let me click on my internet connection.  It seems to have lost it's mind.

So I will be shopping for another used one that will hopefully last for ten years like this one did.  Maybe a laptop would be good.

I'll have to start disengaging from this one over the next week and setting up a new one.  So it may be a while before I get back here.

Take care, everyone, till then.
We'll be back!

The Medicare Birthday

....whoopee :(   (not!)

Bran muffin, anyone???
Geez, how did I get to this?  I could maybe admit to 45 but, holey moley, this is AARP and beyond!
I guess being alive and mostly well is a reward in itself.  So I am thankful!

Not for the sinus headache I woke up with.  But for being able to wake up.

Zip's brother and his wife invited us to go along to a local flyfishing shop and the Brass Crow  Bass Pro shop today.  Since it's cold and very windy and my head and nose it stuffy, I'll be having a day at home to do my own thing.  That will include making stuffed cabbage rolls, doing some sewing for Brad and Kami, and working on Mom's sweater.  Yesterday I went to the library and stocked up on audio books to get me through the weekend.

This past week I made another of my favorite pasta dishes, mussels with spinach and garlic.
This is as quick and easy as a Rachael Ray 30-minute meal.

Mussels with Spinach and Garlic

approx. 1/2 lb. dry pasta  (I usually use regular spaghetti)
1 package frozen mussels
1 cup fresh spinach(coarsley chopped)
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
4 T. butter
Thai fish sauce or anchovy paste
dash of cayenne papper

Heat pasta water.
Take mussels from freezer and thaw in a pan of warm water.
Peel and finely chop garlic.  Put in small glass bowl and drizzle with about 2 T. olive oil.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Set aside.
When pasta water comes to a boil, put in pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile open the mussels and pour into a dish to check for pieces of shell.  Remove any small pieces.  At this point you may either remove the mussels from the shells beforehand or check them carefully for cracked pieces and leave the shells intact.  You DO NOT want shell pieces in the pasta!!!


If you want a more elegant presentation, leave the mussels in the shells.

Put mussels in a large saute pan with the spinach and a little bit of water.  The mussels will also give off liquid as they cook.  When the shells have opened (if you left them on) or the liquid starts to simmer, add the garlic in olive oil, and the fish sauce or anchovy, and cayenne.

Add the drained pasta and stir to mix the flavors.  Cook for a few minutes, adding a little bit of water if necessary so that the mixture does not dry out.

Add the butter and cook until melted.

Very easy!  If you leave the shells on, the presentation is elegant enough for company.
Serves about four people.

My cleared countertops are really inspiring me to cook!  LOL!

I have been working on my fiber crafts, but don't have anything to show yet.  I finished my doll and her clothing, but the dress is looking too plain so will add some embellishments to the front.  Mom's sweater is coming along fine.  The cat hair is really showing up on the dark green yarn.  Not good for a picture.  I don't know how I'm going to get it all off before giving it to Mom!

I'd like to say I'm getting some hooking done, but not!

Time for another cup of tea.

Have a great weekend, whatever you plan to do!

Knitting Humor

A knitting friend sent me this and I just had to pass it on.
It's been around for a while, but this was the first time I've seen it.

Got lots of laughs from both Zip and I.  I think he may add it to his musical repertoire!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUOgqefnt_I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Fun courtesy of Mason Dixon Knitting

A Two Week Hodgepodge

I Double Dog Cat Dare You!

First we had either Penny or Reggie jumping up and sitting on the top of the doors.  Now we have both at the same time.  They tolerate each other for a few minutes and then begin fighting.

So far no one has fallen off.  But check Reggie's feet hanging over the edge!  LOL!  Penny is determined to be Queen of the Door.

It's good to have friends in high places.

In my last post I was telling the story about Deiter being distressed by biting a stink bug that landed on his back.  Angie from the Shozzy's Place blog asked me 'what is a stink bug'.

If those of you in the UK don't have these pesky creatures, count yourselves lucky!  They have been the Pest of the Year for about the past three years.  They don't really do anything harmful like biting people or
contaminating food or anything.  They just invade the house and if they are threatened, give off a noxious odor.  The younger cats love to play with them.  They roam around the house and try to sniff them out.  They they smack them with their paws to make them secrete the odor.

Hopefully they will soon have had their 15 minutes of fame and go back to being an occasional visitor.

On Valentine's Day we went out to lunch to one of my favorite restaurants, Los Palmeros in Chambersburg.  They are a Mexican and Salvadorian restaurant that serves Latin food but many of their specialties are not particularly spicy which is good for Zip.  He's not a big fan of spicy but he's becoming more accepting over the years.

We both got the beef tongue chimi with rice, refried beans and a trio of condiments.  Then shared a flan for dessert.

I did some cleaning in the kitchen lately.  Most of my counter tops are now cleared of clutter so I have been feeling more like cooking.  The other day I made this really yummy spinach and bacon alfredo pizza.  One of the best pizzas I've made in a long time.  I used hot roll mix to make the crust which cut down considerably on the prep time.

I got to thinking about the foods I loved when I was a kid.

Mom used to make the Chef Boy-R-Dee pizza from a box kit with the dough mix, can of sauce and little container of parm cheese.  Since we were a family of five, she spread the crust as thin as a cracker so that everyone could have several pieces.  Oh, gosh!  We thought that was the greatest treat.

And fish sticks.  Did your family eat them?  A while back I bought a box just to see if I would still like them. Guess what!  There sure isn't much 'fish' in them any more.  Was there ever?

Back in the days before I even knew there was such a thing as a Chinese restaurant, we had Chung King chicken chow mein in a can.  Do you remember that?  With the container of crispy noodles.  And no real oriental flavor.

When Zip and I were kids another thing we both liked was Swanson turkey pies.  They don't live up to the memory either!  And enough sodium to send us old people into shock.

My Mom was a very conventional 1950's cook.  Every night it was some kind of meat, potatoes done in a variety of ways and a canned vegetable.  Waaaah!  I'm so glad for the proliferation of ethnic food available today.  Though maybe if there weren't so many yummy things available, I would not be overweight!  Something to think about.....

And to prove the point, here I am modeling my sweater vest.

Since the weather has been mild, I've been wearing it a lot.  I just love this pattern and want to make another in sage or heather gray.  It's really nice for driving instead of wearing a bulky coat.

We have had two little snows lately that didn't even stick on the road, but looked pretty on the grass and trees.  I thought this picture of the house across the street looked so inviting with the lamp in the window.

Enough blathering for one day!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Note:  It seems that the Word Verification has been changed to two words and one of them is hard to read. I've turned mine off for now, but if I get a lot of spam I will have to change it back.  Why do they keep messing with Blogger and making it less user friendly.  Pictures would only load one at a time today, too!  YUUUUUCK!!!

Did He or Didn't He?

Today is Groundhog Day and being a Pennsylvanian, we have THE official word on all things pertaining to the pesky rodent.  I haven't seen any news yet this a.m. but he couldn't have seen his shadow around here.  It's depressingly gray and dreary.  Maybe in Punxatawney the sun was shining where he has his burrow.  They can have their six more weeks of winter.  I don't want it here!

Oh, I forgot, we haven't even had six weeks of winter yet.  Yesterday it was in the 60's!  This has been a wonderful uncommonly warm winter and I love it!

Speaking of pests helpers, Deiter makes a bee-line for my desk the minute I sit down to type.  How am I supposed to see the screen with a 20-lb. groundhog sized cat in the way???

With the warmer weather the last few days the stinkbugs are beginning to emerge.  One happened to fly by and land on Deiter's back.  Feeling something on him that wasn't supposed to be there, he quickly bit at it.  Horrible surprise!!!  He gagged and went flying around the room like demons were after him!  I felt really sorry for him, but it was still rather humorous.

Last evening I finished the sweater vest I was test knitting for Julie at Knitting at Large.  This was a fun project to knit.  I wasn't sure how I'd feel about sewing in a zipper by hand, but it went well.  It's finished just in time for spring.

Julie has included an alternate fancier cable in the pattern.  I'm thinking about doing another vest in a light gray heather with the Celtic cable.
The Carnation vest pattern will soon be available for sale on Ravelry.

In the past year, thanks to Julie's encouragement, I've completed three sweaters and this vest.  I'm about at the end of my knitting marathon.  I'm still working on a sweater for Mom, but anything else for myself is on hold for a while.  Time to get back to rughooking and maybe some weaving, along with sewing of course.

Last year about this time (I think, maybe longer) I joined a challenge on Rug Hooking Daily.  I never completed the project.  A few days ago, while digging in my rug supply cupboard, I found the rug that I had begun and then decided I didn't like.  I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder because it doesn't seem to awful after all.  Ha-ha!  So I will be working on this again.

The theme of the Challenge was Grandmother's Trunk.  We were to create a rug that would remind us of our grandmothers by using items that might have been in her memory trunk.

Both of my grandmothers were needleworkers.
My father's mother was a maker of 'quilts'.  She and my great-grandmother called them quilts, but they were really knotted comfortors.  They loved the crazy patch kind with the satins and velvets and then did decorative stitching along the edges of the blocks.  I still have one that they did in wool for the wedding of my one aunt and uncle.

My mother's mother loved embroidering pillow cases, making doll clothing and crocheting rugs.  For most of my childhood she lived across the street from a graveyard.  Back then, when people put flowers and wreaths on the graves, the ribbons were actually satin, not the plastic we have today.  When the flowers had faded (they weren't plastic either!) the kind man who was the caretaker would remove the ribbons and give them to my grandmother.  She would carefully wash and iron the ribbons and use them to crochet rugs.  As you can imagine there were a lot of pink, red, and yellow rugs given away to all of us family members!  She also used cotton rags which made more conventional and attractive rugs.

I decided to include these grandmother passtimes in my rug along with the teacup since both of them were lovers of tea with lots of milk.

Speaking of which, I could use another cup!
Have a great weekend everyone.  Thanks for stopping by.