kindagrape

english muffin...

2010-04-24T18:29:00.001-04:00

Me: "Hey, which side of the diagonal does the red go on the Union Jack?"

Paul: (consulting his t-shirt) "I think red comes first clockwise. Why?"

Me: "Oh, I'm making some undies... "

Paul: "Nice tailoring. Tim Gunn would be proud."

I'm off to a lingerie party/shower at Va Va Voom tomorrow for our friend Jessy, who is getting married next month to Paul's good friend Marc, who is English. I want her to be able to get something she picks out at the party, but I have this problem where I can't just give someone a gift certificate...I want there to be a little something to open. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find union jack undies in the US! OK, maybe I'm the only person who doesn't believe it. I ran across some online the other day, but didn't have time for the shipping from the UK. But nothing else would satisfy. And so my first foray into making underwear was a success. You are very welcome, Marc!

transplants...

2010-04-11T11:05:00.005-04:00

All my little seedlings are in their big-boy pots, ready for the post-frost weather (I'm hoping we don't get that chancy late-April cold snap this year...some of those soil-filled pots are HEAVY!). I replanted some of the radish and mesclun thinnings, just to see how they do. Now I'm only waiting for the May Herb Festival to fill in the blanks!

stalker...

2010-04-10T16:45:00.005-04:00

In honor of the first official sunny weekend of the spring, we spent an invigorating morning, hiking up a mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Halfway up the hill, we heard shuffling leaves, and stopped short, startled to see a 4 ft. tall turkey gamboling along about fifteen feet away, just off the trail. He was setting quite a pace, and we followed him for a bit.

Of course the sight of him (and, eventually, several of his friends), plus the vigorous walk, made our stomachs all growly. Once we reached the summit, we dug out our picnic of Chik-fil-a! Oh, yes, Paul and I are very resourceful...have chicken, will travel. We got a few funny looks from the boy-scout troop that passed us as we merrily munched chicken sandwiches and salads, seated on a fallen tree. They wished they'd thought of it first...

A slightly less strenuous hike down the hill led us to the same spot where we'd seen our former companion. It was like the turkey parade as they worked their way down the slope in pairs, well camoflaged, yet so close! Paul galantly held onto the trail while I stalked them through the trees. Obviously in a former life I was a skilled huntress. Well, perhaps not, since they seemed to not really care that I was there unless I got just a hair too close. Then I got an earful of gobbling. But I like to think that I wouldn't have had to be a vegetarian by default back in the days before Trader Joe's.

Off to go shower now and get gussied up. We're off to the Opera to see Carmen tonight! (Toreador, en garde! Toreador. Toreador...)

the one-year mark...

2010-03-30T22:56:00.003-04:00

Paul and I celebrated our first year of marriage today with a night out on the town with friends at an Art Deco bar. Yummy snacks, good drinks, lots of laughs and remembrances.

And since our wedding didn't include rings, Paul gave me this beautiful one today, handmade by our friend Klaus.

i got a bit antsy...

2010-02-27T15:52:00.006-05:00

...about gardening this year. So back when it was still snowing a two weeks ago, I started a bunch of seeds indoors. Mostly, it was in reaction to the insane winter we've been having this year. I need some green! I don't think I'm really fooling nature by starting too early, but I think she'll be kind and allow me a bit of a headstart on the spring crops.

Tons of basil, rarin' to go, just as soon as April decides to get warm.

Miniature planter of lettuces for very tiny salads.

And the peas can stand the cold, so I got them in the ground (we'll, pot actually) as soon as the Farmer's Almanac would allow. Everything else can wait a few weeks. I've gotten my fix.

progress...

2010-02-13T14:15:00.004-05:00

My argyle gansey sock:

Only a few more inches to go. The argyle texture doesn't really show up as much as I'd hoped (probably due to the heathered yarn), but I'm liking the overall effect.

Hmmm...should probably write down the pattern so that the second one is at least similar...

maybe it's the cold weather...

2010-02-06T10:53:00.006-05:00

but I have this unrelenting compulsion to knit socks. Tiny little needles and a tangle of skinny wool yarn. The latest pair will be a gansey style, featuring a panel of argyle diamonds, with textured columns and cables on each side of the leg.

the joys of AWD...

2010-01-31T15:27:00.004-05:00

Back before Christmas, my beloved Saturn that had seen me through the past 10 years decided it just didn't feel like going in reverse anymore. I don't blame it...I get tired too, sometimes. With nearly 200,000 miles on the clock, it was really time to retire it to the garage in the sky. So after a few shopping trips, we found this growly little Subaru Impreza. I bought it in the middle of the last big snowstorm, and have been loving it in all the snow, ice, and freezing rain we've been having since. And last week when it was sunnier and warmer, I actually got to see what it looks like again. But after Friday's snow, it's back to business as usual...

it was time...

2010-01-23T12:15:00.002-05:00

...for a change. The long hair has to go every once in a while. So I'm rockin' this new do...

And I want to recommend to anyone that is having a drastic haircut, the Blue Ribbon salon in West Asheville. Which, besides having good stylists, has the added bonus of serving you a beer (PBR, of course), while you have a trim. Great for settling nerves...just make sure you cover the top of the bottle when having your bangs cut.

yule tide...

2009-12-25T17:21:00.004-05:00

Paul and I hosted our first Christmas together in "our" place this year. Family and friends from in and out of town squeezed in for a feast. Roast pork and beef, two gravies, roasted root veggies, green beans, crusty bread, cheese, apple betty, and spotted dick. And a few other traditions.

And everybody went home with a little sweater ornament made to suit their personal style. I had way too much fun with them...

bring on the cold...

2009-12-20T12:22:00.002-05:00

...I'm ready. The week promises to keep having temperatures well below freezing, and even down into the single digits. Luckily, after many false starts, I've finished my cabled knee socks. Toasty...

a much-needed day off...

2009-12-18T14:49:00.002-05:00

Our white Christmas came a week early. Work was cancelled, so I'm enjoying a day inside by the gas heater. And some frolicking in the snow on the fire escape...

under the weather...

2009-11-13T13:11:00.002-05:00

Despite the beautiful day we're having today, I can attest that winter has indeed come to Asheville. The dreariness of Wednesday suggested that my nose should respond with runniness of Pamploma proportions. Then the drizzle of yesterday prompted a full on stuffy, sneezy, achy response. Today's been a smidge better, as I have recruited a phalanx of teas, tablets, lozenges, and liqui-gels to beat down the offending virus. But like the first green buds and chirping birds hearken the beginning of spring, the pile of used kleenex and the constant achoo are the signal for Winter to bring it on.

mummy dearest...

2009-10-31T18:11:00.001-04:00

I don't think I've ever just made gingerbread men. hmmmm.

splitting peas...

2009-10-27T18:14:00.002-04:00

We woke up this morning to the drizzly kind of rain that promises to stick around all day. Ah, fall in North Carolina. I remember coming to NC for college and being amazed at the number of days in a row it would rain, nonstop. As a Florida native, I was used to a 20 minute shower in the afternoon and an occasional thunderstorm or tornado. But the drizzle was entirely new. I learned to love the coziness of being inside while the dreariness ran on outside. Part of that is a cup of tea and toast, and another is a warm bowl of soup.

And so tonight, we're having split pea soup. Yum!

Dad told me once...

2009-10-26T10:24:00.000-04:00

...that the older you get, the faster time goes by.

Well, here I am on the cusp of 30 (gasp!) and can attest to the validity of that statement. The last few months have flown by at a speed only rivaled by a Mercedes McClaren on a test track with the Stig at the helm. Three months in the new job, and I�m just getting to the point where I feel like I have the energy and head space for projects again. Time is at a premium now, in a way it�s never been for me, and I find the need to carefully choose what I want to read, watch, make, research, or do to be a bit of a challenge. A dabbler by nature, I need to have several things going at once. Shoving that all into the four hours of free time I seem to have a day is a bit insane. So I can read while I exercise, and listen to books on tape while I make the bank run at work, knit while I surf the internet or sew while I watch movies, etc. Does all this multitasking take away from the enjoyment of each of the individual things? Or am I just naturally fidgety?

now that I'm a working girl...

2009-08-15T09:59:00.002-04:00

...I'm finding very little time for my own. Once I get comfortable in the flow of my job, I think I'll find a bit more time here and there, but right now, I seem to be learning a new major thing every day. It's more exhausting than I thought!

bearing fruit...

2009-07-25T13:50:00.002-04:00

My Roma tomatoes have started ripening like mad, and I'm having a problem catching them at the right moment before they get squishy spots. Four were ready today and i think I caught them at the perfect time...

Next year, I think I'll look for an heirloom variety that's small and cooks up well without too much pulp (since those are the qualities I like in my tomatoes, based on how they get used). Maybe they'll fare a bit better if they're bred for NC. I'm also nearly ready for a pepper harvest. The cayennes need to still turn a bit red before they're ready, but the jalapenos are a pretty dark green now and ready to go any time.

I've been knitting away at my lace scarf, and it's going quite quickly. I love the turmeric color and the pattern's shaping up quite nicely...

at long last...

2009-07-24T13:45:00.000-04:00

...I'm starting a new job! Officially Monday, but I went in today to train with the old person so there's more of a seamless transition. After six months, I'm ready for the regular routine of an office, though I'll miss having to do whatever projects I felt like. It's been a good six months of recovery from the last bit and all the stress of last year, and I've been lately feeling that I'm ready for the next big thing. It's a good feeling to be moving on to it...

domesticity...

2009-07-20T17:05:00.000-04:00

I have it in my head that I'm going to enter something in the state fair this year, kind of like a challenge to my domestic skills. And while I haven't perfected watermelon rind pickles yet, there's a few categories for knitting. So I'm designing this lace sampler scarf with the intention of entering it into competition. I may be way out of my league here (haven't seen the usual kind of entries before), but I like to think that it won't be a total disgrace. We'll see. It's knitting up quicker than I expected, and I'm liking it so far. Here's how far I got on it today...

Oh, and I couldn't resist this little elephant pattern so it got squeezed into the mix...

a bear for all seasons...

2009-07-19T15:27:00.001-04:00

My friend Adrianne is having her second boy soon and I'm missing the shower, but I wanted to send a little something. She's probably got all the stuff she needs, so I've been working on this little guy for her little guy...

a close shave...

2009-07-11T09:52:00.002-04:00

...or manicure, rather.

Two nights ago I was slicing onions and decided to take a hack at my thumb (I really need to practice my sous chef techniques!). Miraculously, the knife cut clear through my fingernail, but didn't cut through the skin beneath. I couldn't look at it at the time, and just wrapped it up with superglue and tape. So now that I'm changing the tape, I feel the need to subject everyone else to the evidence...

trucking along...

2009-07-10T15:13:00.002-04:00

I'm listening to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince again in preparation for the movie coming out next week. Which, of course, means that I'm getting a lot of knitting done. I know I should be job-searching, but for some reason, I seem to be unable to do that on Fridays. And frankly, I feel much more productive doing other things, given the track record so far.

So the socks... I've only got a few more inches to complete the first of this pair. I got worried that it would be too tight, and was tempted to rip it back and loosen by tension a bit at the ankle, but when I tried them on today, they fit perfectly! Snug, but that is a good thing with knee socks. I've taken careful notes, and will post the pattern when I finish the first sock and make sure all the kinks are worked out. And then all I'll need is some cooler weather...

fever...

2009-07-06T19:45:00.000-04:00

...all through the night!

So, turns out I those sore legs I had Saturday night weren't from standing and watching the neighbors set of fireworks. I felt pretty crappy and achy Sunday, too, but then it hit me pretty bad last night. I ran a fever most of the day today, so I'm thinking I.have some sort of virus. Actually, as soon as the fever was acknowledged, I started to feel a bit better...most likely, because I'd given myself permission to do nothing all day but hang out in bed. So the most strenuous thing I did was watch Hotel Babylon and work on my neglected knitting. The sock is coming along nicely...

And I've cast on and knit a bit of the band on my latest hat. I haven't worked it all out yet, but it's going to be a tam, in this lovely green called "Jalapeno". So far, it's just got some seed stitch...

To top it all off, Paul's going to pick up Chik-fil-a on the way back from the airport. That's the cure for certain!

happy 4th...

2009-07-04T23:22:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the neighbors who put on quite a fireworks show that rivaled Downtown's (and those acetylene balloons...y'all are crazy.) They were the piece de resistance of a great night. Good drinks, good people, good food. We were decidedly international with our food (as well as the guest list). Italian sausages, Canadian and German beer, Aussie wine, Asian slaw, (homemade) French bread, English gin. Hmmm...at least the watermelon was local.

So the slaw was an experiment that turned out really nice...should be just as good tomorrow.