"Anyone out there who's in junior high, high school, suffering, there are days you're going to feel sad, you're going to feel angry, you're going to feel scared -- that's nothing you can choose. But you can make stuff. Make film, draw, write. It'll make a world of difference."
--Pete Docter, co-creator of "Inside Out," in acceptance speech for 2016 Best Animated Feature
I stayed up and watched the Oscars, though I probably shouldn't have. I'm so happy that Spotlight won Best Picture!
It was a busy weekend, highlights of which were:
Packages in the mail, including my new AC Skirt kit
24 hours w/Junah (a sleep-over!)
Driving up with Junah for brunch at Annie's
Also, sneezes and sniffles. I'm on the upswing, but... yeah, I should have gone to bed a lot earlier!
Ten on TuesdayWednesday Thursday: 10 Favorite Things... Right Now
1 - Mink River by Brian Doyle. I've been reading this book because it was recommended by goodreads/blog friends, had very good reviews, is published by Oregon State University Press, Tillamook is mentioned in the credits... and when I learned that it was set on the Oregon coast (which I'll soon be visiting) and that the author's birthday is Nov. 6th (same as mine)... well, okay then!
The other night I read a passage in the book and was dumbfounded to find myself reading a near-perfect description of Rusty & I... or at least how I have always felt and wished I could describe but have never been able to put into words... this is pretty much it.
Maple Head walks over to the doctor's house, cutting along the beach in the moonlight, the tide is low, thinking about her husband, about all the hours and days and weeks and months and years they have spent together, about all the arguments they have had, all the laughter, all the exhausted moments with the baby, and then raising a girl and then a young woman . . . you do the best you know how at the time, and we never really had any money, and I made more money than he did for the longest time, and that was hard for him, that was a small wound between us, and he had all these wild projects, and I love that, because he is his dreams, and without his dreams he'd be empty and tired, but those dreams were crazy sometimes, all the projects, all the stuff in the house, all the machines, and all the thousands of hours he could have been doing something for money, but he is who he is, a dreamer, impractical and practical, I know that, and I love him for who he is, I know that, and I am not perfect either, a dreamer too, I always wanted to open my own school and never did, never never never had the money, but it wasn't the money I sometimes think, it was the leap, I never took the leap, but how could I?
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2 - Marina City by Bertrand Goldberg. While we lived in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park when I was in first grade (1964-65) and my dad worked in The Loop, I don't recall any family trips into the city. By the time I was in third grade, we'd moved to NE Wisconsin, but there was a very memorable trip to Chicago with my mom and Aunt LaFae, who drove, and my Uncle Bob stayed and watched my siblings at home, and I don't really know where my dad was or why this trip happened -- all I know is that we drove into Chicago at night and the Morton Salt Girl was lit up and sprinkling salt like nobody's business as we approached downtown, and I may or may not have seen Marina City...
Whenever it was they first came into view -- likely the first time I ever really noticed "architecture" -- those buildings were seared into my brain. I guess you could say that they started my list of favorite architecture at #1 and there they remain. I was always alert for glimpses during the opening of The Bob Newhart Show every week!
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3 - Millie Fleur by Bari J for Art Gallery Fabrics.
I saw this fabric in an instagram post the other day and located it online within seconds; within minutes, there were orders placed! A bit of woven cotton and jersey are both scheduled for delivery today. Heh. That's my kind of floral/print. And color!
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4 - That "getaway glow" after spending a weekend in Chicago with my girls!
We had a marvelous time! I got a new pair of shoes out of the deal, too. Thinking that I'd "pack light" by packing only one pair of shoes (boots, in this case), by Saturday afternoon I was in DSW desperately searching for something anything!
The weather was mahvelous! More on Chicago to come...
Last night, for the first time, I made Roasted Beet & Orange Salad with Pistachios & Feta on a sheet pan and, wow, was that good -- both at room temp for supper last night and out of the fridge today for lunch. My only mod next time will be more beets! I also think a softer, milder goat cheese in place of the feta would be a delicious variation. The main dish, which I've made a few times in recent memory, was Ina Garten's Chicken With Shallots (another fave in that book is Lemon Chicken Breasts). I have become pretty good at boning chicken breasts as it seems you can get either skin-on/bone-in or skinless/boneless in the grocery store and these call for skin-on/boneless. Kate has a new office/work space that's right across the street from a butcher, though, so maybe I'll utilize their services a bit more -- and personal home delivery! Heh.
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6 - Cooked. Michael Pollan's new 4-part series on Netflix. I watched over the last two nights as I prepared dinner and otherwise puttered in the kitchen. I will no doubt watch it again... have already recommended it to Ali, and now to all of you. ;)
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7 - A TV in the kitchen. We used to have a TV in the kitchen for a lot of years. I don't recall what happened to it, exactly, but we haven't had one in a while and it came up often enough lately that I decided to get one -- prices are fairly low for a little flat screen (and I saved a bit more by using my Target debit card, too).
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8 - With Chromecast. Yes, I'm a little bit of a TV/electronics junkie. I like doodads, I love technology, I appreciate convenience and ease of use. We already have TiVoon our main TV because we don't have cable and a DVR is essential for how we view, but we aren't going to be watching the kitchen TV enough to justify adding a "Mini." It's super easy to stream Netflix (and more) with Chromecast, the doodad was very affordable, and the app is free!
I did some swatching on size 6 US, 7 US and 8US needles.
Then washed and dried... and, oh my, is that a marvelous fabric!! I'll be going with the 8s, doing some measuring and comparing with other garments, then putting my head together again with Ina Braun. Meanwhile, stopping at my LYS to see if they happen to have another cone of the tsumugi... as you may recall, I know where I bought this yarn, but don't remember why or when!! Another cone of the tsumugi would give me some more options, but it's not crucial.
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10 - My new Scrappy Boho Bag by Ali! I've had my eye on this bag for a while. It'll be a great little knitting bag (which I definitely do not need, but most certainly did want). Those fabrics make me so happy.
Since the quilt is finished, Ali has time for other sewing projects! Well, as much time for sewing as she can carve out of a busy day. She has a good thing going with my mom's old Singer 500 Slant-O-Matic - The Rocketeer!
The art historian/curator in the family has been doing some research along the lines of art+craft, among other things, and books have been regularly arriving in the mail. The other day it was this one:
Purposefully flipping a few pages back, I found that it most certainly was... or, rather, the original Project Alabama that grew to become Alabama Chanin.
I was so excited to learn that the AC skirt kits that Annie & I ordered have been shipped! With any luck, we'll have them in-hand by next weekend.
Meanwhile, my research in regards to these lovely Habu tsumugi and linen yarns led me to make my first Ravelry purchase of 2016: The LOLA (sweater) by Tante Sophie, aka Ina Braun. The pattern has a bunch of options, a bunch of yarns have been tested/used, there's a bunch of notes and, best of all, there's Ina. She was very helpful and generous in giving me some "how to" tips last summer during Auntie Camp when I was teaching the boys to knit, and she continues to be very helpful and generous in giving me guidance in how I might best use these yarns for the type of fabric and, ultimately, the sweater that I want.
House/kitty sitters have been arranged and I'm off to Chicago today for a long weekend with all three girls! It's going to be delightfully warm (58F!), but it also looks as though The Windy City will be living up to its name.
Wow. I've been a bit preoccupied with things like dealing with car insurance and readying for a quick weekend trip to Chicago, so I was a bit surprised this morning to be reminded of 3rd Thursday Knit Night... which I host! I am not always in attendance, but I don't think I've ever forgotten!!
{Take a breath}
It was a beautiful sunrise this morning. The pretty light was just beginning when I got out of bed (about 5:30 am CST) and it only got better; this photo was about an hour later, just as I left the house.
Maddy's Jeep suffered some impossible to ignore damage during a grocery store parking lot hit & run last week. We're not usually very particular about dents and dings, but in this case the directional lights (both front and side) were wrecked. Blech.
{Take a bow}
On the other hand, Maddy's diploma arrived in yesterday's mail! She graduated in December, continues working, and will be spending several months working and exploring in New Zealand beginning next fall.
Seven years ago today this fresh-faced young woman opened the door and welcomed customers for the first time as operator of Kaukauna Coffee & Tea! About 8 months later, she bought the business and the building it's housed in. She's made a ton of changes and improvements to the business and property in 7 years and she's working on some more -- HUGE -- changes that'll hopefully be happening in the next few months.
Not to mention the changes in her personal life in that time, and the HUGE change that will be a new baby sis/bro for Junah, also happening in the next few months! Heh. Never a dull moment...
What little time I've lately spent on knitting has been on the second inner mitt of my Dimorphous Mittens, and I'm so happy to have only the thumb to go! I want to knit another set of outer mitts, too. I love this set and am so happy to be this close to replacing the one I gave away a few years ago!
I ran across this gorgeous Habu yarn a while back and couldn't recall why I bought it or when. And I still don't remember. Thanks to friends with excellent suggestions, I am developing a plan for a lace-weight boxy-type top!
Sewing
I was reminded that my Alabama Chanin-style sewing began in earnest two years ago with my first from-scratch garment. I stenciled an old t-shirt of Rusty's cut in the shape of a favorite top, and layered it over another old t-shirt. Voila. I still love & wear this top!
Mail
Incoming. (YIKES!!!) I half-consider this junk mail. Heh. I doubt that I'll go -- because I've never gone to any except the 5th, and because it's the day before a cousin's wedding!
Outgoing. I managed to write two cards for Saturday's mail call. Lovin' that morning light.
Valentines
The artist and his work! * LOVE * Is there anything better than a finger-painted Valentine??
These pics popped up a couple of times on various social media sites... Junah celebrating Valentine's Day two years ago with Great Aunt Karen and Aunt Maddy...
...and Great Nana. This is the lock-screen image on my phone, too. It's one of the very few photos of my mom and Junah, and definitely one of the best. I love the expressions on both of their faces... I can just hear her talking to him... he's so intently listening. Sweetness.
I had to stop at the side of the road on my way to knitting on Tuesday night to take a photo. This is due west at around 5:00. Such soft, beautiful light (still light!), the colors gorgeous.
For a change of pace (and because he was still sleeping), I went over to Junah's house for a while last night instead of him coming to mine. He wasn't particularly thrilled to see me when he woke up. He cried some as he rode his trike out from the bedroom through the living room to the kitchen doorway. I talked to him, asked him a few questions, and pretty soon we were playing peek-a-boo around the furniture. Before long, we were in the playroom reading books and building with blocks.
He helped me take some selfies (about a dozen altogether... almost exactly the same) and then he wanted to look at the pictures on my phone. Swiping! We spent quite a while watching movies, too. He really enjoyed the ones from last summer with the boys ("Mock") and with his momma at the pool.
I'm starting to get serious about taxes. I hate it, but best to get it done.
I've been anxiously awaiting availability of my next audiobook -- Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential -- and it arrived this morning! I have it for only a week, and hopefully I'll be finished before the next one arrives -- A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman.
What a weird week last week. I was supposed to have last Thursday & Friday off -- a nice long weekend.
There was a much-hyped Tuesday & Wednesday snowstorm, though, and with Rusty being gone (he takes care of most snow removal), it was suggested that perhaps I'd rather have those days off to keep up. And, yeah... sort of, I guess, but other scheduling things came into play, too, so that I was ending up with most of Tuesday off and all of Wednesday and, well, that's not much different from a normal week.
I took Friday off, too, but it just wasn't the same, y'know? And, of course, the snowfall wasn't nearly as dramatic as predicted, either. Whatever.
I managed one session with the personal trainer last week, did lots of cooking, and also a fair bit of cutting, ironing, and sewing!
I had the majority of my Color Dive Quilt (in-progress) laid out on the front room floor for a few days... until Junah was due for a visit and I realized what a disaster that could be! I have three rows sewn together so far... it's very colorful!
Some of my seams line up pretty good and some not-so-good! I'm learning. I also found that some of my fabric combos worked better than others, and have done more fat-quarter shopping in the past week than I've done ever! I think I can live with it now... I will live with it, because no more shopping!
Annie came on Friday afternoon and spent the weekend. The plan was to introduce her to hand sewing, Alabama Chanin style, in preparation for some skirt kits that are on order. We used some stenciled fat-eighths that I'd ordered a while ago for our swatches.
Within minutes, she was couching! She really likes the look of it and it's probably the technique she's going to use on her skirt.
She tried some other techniques, too!
The beads & sequins also came out, and I sent her home with a selection of all, along with some jersey rope in a contrasting color for couching.
The possibilities are endless!
I worked "negative reverse applique" on my swatch, with both layers of fabric in the same color.
I will likely use this technique on my skirt, but the layers will be different shades of gray.
It was a super fun and relaxing weekend -- not as long as originally hoped, but fine!
Ann is smitten with the stitching! It's going to be several weeks before our skirt kits arrive, so in the meantime (next time we get together), we'll be cutting out and sewing an interim project. She reminded me before she left that she made it as far Advanced Tailoring in high school home ec class (I remember the "muslin" suit she made from some amazing floral bedsheets)... she's going to LOVE working on a garment!
I walked to the library on Saturday morning to pick up the latest addition to my Reading list: Mink River. This book has garnered lots of stars on Goodreads by some of my favorite readers; and since I've lived at (and will again soon be visiting) the Oregon Coast, it seemed like the perfect read right now.
Junah came over to delight and entertain for a while. The "words" are absolutely nonstop. He loves to flop/fall -- on a beanbag, on a chair, on the floor -- while saying, "Ohhh noooooo!" Hilarious. I could watch him for hours. Oh, that's right, I do!!
Kate & I went to see Brooklyn. Loved it! That brings the list of Best Picture noms that I've seen to half, joining Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, and Spotlight. Unseen are The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, The Revenant, and Room -- and it's not likely that'll happen by Oscar night. I could catch two of those on Day 2 of the Best Picture Festival (I'll be in Chicago for Day 1), but I'll be okay if I don't.
I watched a quilting video by Anna Maria Horner on Creativebug.
And I cut out a bunch of 4" and 4.5" squares for a quilt. I'd run across some fat quarters that I'd purchased recently and/or some time ago and used them as the basis for my color selection, then raided/scrounged through my meager fabric stash for the rest!
Another quilt was definitely not on my radar! I must need to prove to myself that the first effort wasn't a fluke. Heh.
(It probably won't surprise anyone to know that I've had a strip quilt cut and ready to go for years.)
I did some more cooking. Last night it was Caprese Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Wedge Fries. That's the third recipe in a week that we've made from Sheet Pan Suppers.
I've had this cookbook for a while. Unimpressed with the first recipe I tried (I don't even recall which one), it was shelved for a while. Last week, Kate suggested we give it a go, and all three dishes (see Friday's post for Jerome's Chicken and Turkey Meatballs & Slow-roasted Tomatoes) have been really good. Prep is pretty straight forward, not requiring an in ordinate number of bowls & utensils, and clean up (foil- or parchment-lined pans) is a breeze!
Sheet pan cooking is not an exact science, though, as ovens can be fickle, so I'm learning some things for next time/my oven: a) if it doesn't seem like enough chicken, then use more; 2) a little oil might keep meatballs from sticking; 3) pay attention to oven rack location; and 4) turn, turn, turn!
The weather was very mild, but a looming storm was on everyone's mind. It's so sunny and warm right now, it's really hard to believe that there's a blizzard and 6-12" of snow on the way!
and 
